I am Jinshan Youxia

Li Anu?

Zhang Chengyi searched his memory and quickly found the timid child from back then. He clicked his tongue in amazement and said, "You're amazing. You actually managed to train to this level."

Even if internal energy can strengthen the body, it will not change the body shape. Some martial arts masters are still as thin as monkeys. The most classic example is Su Xinghe, who is short and thin.

To achieve such a tall and strong physique, it must be due to the effects of body-strengthening methods.

He lowered his head and said, "Get up, don't kneel on the ground. We're not in the Qing Dynasty, where we kneel down all the time."

Li Anu stood up upon hearing the sound, her expression showing great excitement. After more than thirty years of separation, she truly didn't know what to say.

"Where did Xiao Feng go?" Zhang Chengyi asked bluntly. He didn't care much about the man he had only met once, and he was wary, so he didn't bother with pleasantries.

"I don't know, but one day, Brother Xiao disappeared with Sister Azhu," Li Anu answered honestly.

Hey, Xiao Feng and A'Zhu are hanging out together again?

Zhang Chengyi wasn't too surprised, just like when he heard that Xiao Feng ultimately didn't make up his mind to seize the world.

When Xiao Feng rescued Duan Yu in Suzhou, Li Qingluo and her daughter, along with several maids from the Murong family, were all present. Xiao Feng had also effectively ruled Suzhou for a period of time, so it's not impossible that he and A'Zhu took a liking to each other.

He clicked his tongue, realizing that his sudden disappearance was not a good sign, and asked again, "What about Leigu Mountain? How is Leigu Mountain?"

Li Anu recalled, "About thirty-one years ago, I heard that Leigu Mountain was closed, and afterwards all the wise men scattered."

I've only been asleep for a few years and it's already over?

Zhang Chengyi continued, "Have you heard anything about Wu Yazi and Su Xinghe?"

"I don't know." Li Anu shook her head. Back then, she stayed in Suzhou City, practicing body-strengthening techniques every day, and was almost oblivious to the outside world.

She even learned the names of Wu Yazi and Su Xinghe from Xiao Feng later.

"Alright then." Zhang Chengyi knew he probably wouldn't get any information from her, so he figured he might as well find out himself. Suddenly, he asked with renewed interest, "How's the martial world doing now?"

Kingsoft's Ranger is back in action; I must ask how he's doing.

“This…” Li Anu remained silent, as she was not particularly interested in matters of the martial arts world.

Or rather, all the kings from the Northwest all the way to the Western Regions had no interest in the martial arts world, since no one could defeat them anyway.

Huh?

Zhang Chengyi turned his head and saw a young man in his twenties leaping from a distance with a face full of resentment, his long sword approaching Li Anu like a shooting star.

"boom!"

The young man, who was skilled in martial arts, had his head blown off on the spot. The various fragments were separated by the true energy released by the two men, and the headless corpse fell to the ground.

Li Anu shook her fist, which was stained with a little blood, and said with a nonchalant expression, "I'm sorry to have made you laugh, my benefactor. These insects are impossible to kill or exterminate, and they can be quite a nuisance at times."

It was nothing like the peaceful world the military household had described; rather, it was a complete and utter chaotic era.

Zhang Chengyi watched coldly. On his way here, he had already noticed that the Yinzhou region was frighteningly desolate. Several towns were completely abandoned, and the occasional refugees he saw would show fear and keep their distance when they saw his tall figure.

This small city, known as Tanuki City, had a frighteningly oppressive atmosphere. Armored, burly men were on guard everywhere on the streets, and the residents who went out were all big and strong, obviously skilled in martial arts. Could it be that martial arts have really spread to ordinary people?

Using martial arts skills as the sole standard for measuring social class is nothing more than the law of the jungle, where the poor would only be devoured.

"Benefactor?" Seeing Zhang Chengyi remain silent and his eyes grow colder, Li Anu's previously murderous expression turned somewhat uneasy. She asked, "H-What did I do wrong?"

"You didn't do anything wrong."

Zhang Chengyi remained calm. Seeing that even King Li, whom the military households hailed as a "good king," was behaving this way, he naturally understood what the other "kings" were all like.

"What if I said I wanted to take back your martial arts skills?"

Li Anu was silent for a moment, her muscles tense. After a long while, she said dejectedly, "As for my life, my benefactor, you may take it if you wish."

She didn't know why her benefactor would say that, but she didn't want to argue.

Zhang Chengyi was prepared to make a move, but he didn't expect his opponent to surrender so easily. He was stunned for a moment, looked at Li Anu's dim eyes, and said, "Before you take back your martial arts, go and find Xiao Feng to see me."

"Yes."

Li Anu bowed her head and responded, then leaped away without looking back.

"This is getting a bit troublesome." Zhang Chengyi frowned, staring at the figure that quickly disappeared from sight. He hadn't just watched Li Anu kill the young man; by the time he realized what was happening, the young man's head had already exploded.

He is very likely no match for Li Anu.

Internal strength is internal strength, and the body is the body. The opponent's strength and speed in actual combat are stronger than his. Even if he has more internal strength, he estimates that he will have a very low chance of winning in a fight.

The body-strengthening techniques he used before falling into a deep sleep had virtually no effect on him. The reason is simple: the strengthening effects of true qi on the body had already been realized in him.

The modifier modifies his body to its theoretical maximum, which is the pinnacle of the True Qi DLC, based on the degree of enhancement of internal energy. Therefore, the body tempering method at that time could not make him stronger at all.

He tried body-tempering methods for a long time, but they only increased his control over his internal energy. As a result, he learned One Finger Divine Skill and Six Meridian Divine Sword very easily.

Li Anu's physical abilities surpassed his, signifying a true breakthrough in body-strengthening techniques and martial arts.

In short, with each version update, Zhang Chengyi was a 'god' in the previous version, but he hasn't caught up yet in this version and needs a minor class change.

So he was very tense during the conversation. If it came down to a fight, he might not lose, but he certainly wouldn't win decisively.

If all these 'kings' were as capable as Li Anu, it would be extremely troublesome to try to restore order or do something like that later.

"Wu Yazi, Su Xinghe, where exactly have you hidden?"

Zhang Chengyi thought that the best way to keep up with the version update was to find Wu Yazi, Su Xinghe, or the Eight Friends of Hangu.

Chapter 107 On the Road

Several days later, at Leigu Mountain, in the Valley of Deafness and Muteness.

The exquisite architectural complex once built by Su Xinghe and the master craftsman Feng Asan is now just ruins. Most of the houses have collapsed, and the area is overgrown with grass and vines. The large pine trees that were once planted are nowhere to be seen.

The scene, set against the gloomy backdrop, appeared particularly desolate and eerie.

"Crunch~"

Zhang Chengyi stomped on half a tile, then poked at the crack in the broken wall with his finger, his nose twitching slightly.

The mixture of soot and tar indicates that someone set the house on fire; it doesn't seem like the soot was simply scattered.

He casually wiped his fingers on a nearby vine and continued exploring the ruins.

Yesterday, he inquired in the nearby villages and towns, but no one knew about the Deaf-Mute Sect. The bandits of Leigu Mountain, who were once famous throughout the world, had long been forgotten. All that was known was that King Xiao, who once led an expedition to the Western Regions, had come to this place, and there was a temple and stone tablet erected for King Xiao.

It seems that the imperial court coveted power back then, but dared not offend Xiao Feng, so they deified this King Xiao.

In Jin Yong's novels, the martial arts world itself changes very quickly. Information is scarce, and all sorts of mistakes and omissions often occur. Moreover, after a period of time, basically no one knows what happened.

In The Legend of the Condor Heroes, Wang Chuyi initially didn't know who White Camel Mountain Villa and Ouyang Ke were. Later in The Return of the Condor Heroes, Jueyuan didn't recognize Huang Yaoshi, Guo Jing, Huang Rong, and the others. In The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber, Yin Liting thought that the phrase "Slaying the Dragon and Relying on the Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber" had been passed down for hundreds of years.

Even Mr. Cha himself joked at the end of The Return of the Condor Heroes: Thirty or forty monks and laymen on Mount Hua, armed with weapons, were going to have a sword fight to determine who was the best in the world, completely ignoring Guo Jing, Zhou Botong and others standing nearby.

The Deaf-Mute Clan and the once-notorious traitor Zhang Chengyi have long been forgotten by the world.

"Tick tock~"

As expected, the thunder god and lightning goddess brought down a downpour as raindrops fell.

Zhang Chengyi strolled through the Deaf and Mute Valley in the rain. His body's true energy flowed out continuously, blocking the rain. After walking for a while, only the edges of his shoes got wet.

Soon, he arrived at the depths of the valley. Wu Yazi had made an agreement with him that if he left the Valley of Deafness and Muteness or encountered any misfortune, he would leave behind the martial arts manual he had deduced and his whereabouts in the dug-out cave.

"Just as expected."

All the mechanisms Su Xinghe created were destroyed, the mountain wall was destroyed, and the cave that needed to be opened by the mechanism was wide open. The cave entrance smelled bad and was scattered with some animal excrement.

"Ow!"

The sight of a stranger brazenly trespassing on its territory startled the black bear in the cave, causing it to emerge on all fours and let out a warning cry.

They don't look hungry.

Zhang Chengyi lightly touched the puddle with his toes, creating ripples on the surface. He then swiftly leaped across the distance between himself and the bear, reaching out to slap the black bear on the head.

"Boom!"

The black bear fell to the ground without uttering a sound.

Internal energy is adept at silently killing living beings.

Zhang Chengyi held his breath and stepped into the cave; he had no interest in the smell of the black bear's urine and feces.

"Hiss~" The cave was somewhat dark. He lit a tinderbox, carefully avoiding all kinds of food scraps, and walked deeper into the cave.

Inside, there was a stone-carved bookshelf leaning against the wall, and a broken jade book box could be seen on the floor, which must have been taken away by someone.

If they don't even want jade, then it's not something an ordinary person could have mistakenly entered into.

Did you come for the secret manual?

Zhang Chengyi searched the place carefully again, making sure that nothing was left inside and there were no traps or mechanisms, before turning to leave.

Since Leigu Mountain is empty, let's head south to Wuliang Mountain. If Wuliang Mountain is not there, then let's go to Lingjiu Palace in Tianshan.

It is highly likely that Wu Yazi is hiding in Wuliang Mountain in seclusion, and it is even less likely that Tianshan Tonglao will abandon the disciples of Lingjiu Palace.

Unlike his last trip south, this time he knew he urgently needed to change jobs to reach a higher skill ceiling so he could make significant improvements. Of course, he wouldn't take the leisurely ride in a carriage. Having already traveled day and night from Yinzhou to Leigushan, he certainly wouldn't mind continuing the journey.

-------------------------------------

Two days later, at dusk, in Qingcheng County, Sichuan, there was an inn with a lobby on the first floor.

"I met the Empress of Dali last time. Tsk tsk tsk, how should I put it, she's past her prime."

A man dressed in a tight-fitting outfit, carrying a sword, held a wine cup and said with a hint of alcohol on his breath, "I heard that the Empress still doesn't have a lover. If I could have sex with her just once, it would be worth dying on the spot."

"Haha, keep dreaming."

The man next to him sneered, "With your pathetic martial arts skills, you might end up getting fed poisonous worms instead of having any fun with them."

The swordsman's face flushed red, and he looked ready to fight, but he only glared at him hatefully before lowering his head to drink his wine in silence.

Will there be a female emperor in Dali?

Zhang Chengyi sat by the window, eating and listening. He found the change quite interesting. If he remembered correctly, he had instructed Wuyazi before he fell into a deep sleep that Duan Yu could be released. Theoretically, Duan Yu should have succeeded to the throne, so how come there was an extra female emperor?

After all, he would get hungry if he didn't eat for a long time, so he would find a place to eat along the way, mostly inns or similar places, and listen to news from the martial arts world.

There were some gains, though.

For example, Qingcheng County is currently under the control of the Qingcheng Faction, and the government is a thing of the past.