Republic of China Era: Entering the Dao through Divine Strike.

Another soft sound.

This time, Wang Wu could no longer stand up.

With a hissing sound, two long black marks were left on the ground. The force of the impact sent them flying back three or four zhang.

They retreated straight to the side of the screen wall.

"Excellent swordsmanship. You still held back some power in this move, didn't you?"

Wang Wu glanced at the jade screen wall half an inch behind him, felt a pang of regret, and a bitter smile appeared on his face.

"Fine, I can't even force you to show your true abilities. I'm getting old."

"Master Wang is in his prime, how can he be old? Since we're not fighting anymore, let's continue drinking tea and not talk about state affairs."

Guests are welcome.

Li Xin didn't want things to get too tense.

The two men were not bad people; they were both renowned and righteous individuals.

You can't just scold someone and then beat them up.

This is something that's easy to say but hard to hear.

"No, thank you for your help today. I will come to ask for your guidance another day when I have more free time."

Wang Wu glanced at Tan Shaoyang's expression, and although he wanted to discuss martial arts further, he decided against it.

They bowed and said goodbye.

Li Xin saw him to the door.

……

The two boarded the carriage.

Wang Wucai clutched his chest and coughed up a mouthful of blood.

"What's wrong, Brother Wang? You weren't at a disadvantage just now, so why are you coughing up blood? Are you seriously injured?"

"Ahem, Brother Tan, you've misjudged me this time. It's not that I'm not at a disadvantage; Li Xin is just carefully calculating his strength to fight me, afraid of hurting me."

He even calculated exactly how many steps I would retreat.

Not a step too much, not a step too little.

"The younger generation is truly formidable!"

"Then why is Brother Wang injured?"

"You don't know, Li Xin's original intention was to use his powerful sword intent to force me to retreat to the screen wall and make my back pressed against it."

You know, the stone wall in his house is made of cold jade; he's trying to calm me down.

I deliberately took two steps back, and as a result, I was injured by that blade's intent.

Fortunately, at the last moment, they didn't stubbornly resist, but took a step and a half back, finally saving face.

"You still have any shame? Just for a mere half-step back?"

Tan Shaoyang was speechless for a moment.

"Such a remarkable person, it's a pity he can't lend us a hand. We'll have to think of another way, alas..."

………………

Li Xin had just returned to the back garden, preparing to continue his secluded cultivation.

Zhuang Hongxiu rushed over to report.

"Master Li, Zhang Youqiu from Qinglong Chamber of Commerce requests an audience. He says that Miss Zhang Yourong has run into trouble in Guangping and begs for your life."

"Let him in."

Li Xin's eyebrows twitched, and he gave the order.

....................................

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Chapter 188 Riding South (Please Subscribe)

Before dawn, a thin layer of dew condensed on the bluestone steps at the entrance of Li Garden.

The two guards on night duty were dozing against the gatepost, their heads nodding, when they were suddenly startled awake by a muffled thud. Someone had fallen off the mule.

"Master Li... help me..."

The man rolled down the steps, scraping his knees, but seemed oblivious, focusing only on crawling further in.

He was wearing a blue cloth short shirt from the Qinglong Chamber of Commerce, with a large tear in the front revealing a blood-soaked bandage underneath.

His voice was so hoarse it sounded like a broken gong; after shouting twice, blood foam spilled from the corner of his mouth.

The security guard recognized him.

This is Zhang Youqiu, the second-in-command of the Qinglong Chamber of Commerce.

A few days ago, he came to the manor to deliver medicine and monthly allowance, all smiles, greeting everyone he met.

But right now he looks like he's crawled out of a pile of dead bodies.

"Manager Zhang? What's going on?"

The guards quickly grabbed him and shouted into the courtyard, "Quickly report to Master Li, Manager Zhang is in trouble!"

There was immediate commotion in the courtyard.

First came the sound of footsteps, then Zhuang Hongxiu walked out quickly, wearing an outer coat. Her hair was not combed and was loosely tied up with a silver hairpin.

She looked at Zhang Youqiu's injuries and her brows furrowed.

"Don't rush, tell me slowly."

"We can't delay!" Zhang Youqiu grabbed her sleeve, then pulled his hand back as if he had been burned, his voice trembling with tears, "Miss has had an accident in Guangping."

Uncle De risked his life to push me out to deliver the message; he himself was afraid... Miss was under house arrest in the Wang family compound, the prefect had sealed off the city, and the Angus merchant ships were setting sail the day after tomorrow; if we were late, it would be too late.

Zhuang Hongxiu's face darkened. She didn't ask any more questions and turned to walk towards the backyard.

He walked three steps faster than usual.

Li Xin had just returned from practicing his skills in the bamboo forest.

After successfully achieving the elixir of immortality, the sensation of true qi flowing through the meridians becomes clearer day by day.

From the thickness of a hair, the pale golden aura has now grown to the size of a cotton swab. When it circulates, it feels like a red-hot wire is moving through the body, warm but not scorching.

These days he has been practicing his skills more and more diligently. He gets up before dawn to practice standing meditation, breathing exercises, and using his true qi to gently nourish his acupoints.

Master said this is called "nurturing qi is like nurturing a tiger". The stronger your true qi is, the more slowly you need to adapt to it. You can't rush it.

Zhuang Hongxiu stopped him at the door of the study and said a few words.

After hearing this, Li Xin paused for a moment while wiping his sweat.

The handkerchief was clenched in his palm, his knuckles turning slightly white.

Then he placed the handkerchief on the table and said, "Please invite Manager Zhang over."

Zhang Youqiu limped into the study and was about to kneel down when he saw Li Xin, but Li Xin stopped him.

The hand didn't seem to be exerting much force, but Zhang Youqiu felt as if he were being supported by an iron pillar, and he couldn't kneel down no matter what he did.

“You’re injured, sit down and talk.”

Zhang Youqiu recounted the whole story in fits and starts.

The Qinglong Chamber of Commerce has been doing very well these past few months. Zhang Yourong is not content with just purchasing medicinal herbs around the capital; she is thinking of opening up overseas channels as well.

Guangping is a major coastal port. The Wang family started out in the salt trade, owned ships, and had dealings with Southeast Asia.

If a cooperation agreement can be reached, Qinglong's medicinal herb business could multiply several times over.

"The Wang family agreed very readily at first, and even said that they had a batch of giant deep-sea pearls that they had collected from Southeast Asia and that they were in excellent condition."

The young lady heard that this bead could be used in medicine and would benefit Master Li's cultivation, so she personally led people over there.

"Who knew that something would be wrong as soon as we arrived in Guangping."

The Wang family always made excuses, saying the giant pearl hadn't arrived at the port yet, or that the prefectural government was inspecting the goods, just to prevent the young lady from seeing the real thing.

The young lady, being suspicious, sent people to secretly investigate, and they discovered that the Wang family was keeping two or three hundred people imprisoned in a warehouse at the docks…

"They were all people forcibly taken from nearby villages and towns, including men, women, and even teenagers."

The Wang family colluded with the Angla people to sell these people to Southeast Asia as indentured laborers.

Li Xin raised an eyebrow slightly.

They're human traffickers again.

Zhang Youqiu's voice trembled as he continued, "Miss wanted to leave at the time, but how could the Wang family let her go?"

That night, Wang Donghai hosted a banquet, saying it was to apologize.

The young lady couldn't refuse, so she went with a few guards. As a result, things turned sour at the banquet.

His younger brother, Wang Zhenshan, led dozens of men to surround the courtyard, and our men were either killed or wounded. Uncle De covered my escape..."

His voice choked at this point, and he paused for a while before continuing, "The young lady is under house arrest in the Wang Family Compound's Wanghai Tower. Even the prefectural government can't be relied upon."

The prefect of Guangping, Qian Bojun, was in cahoots with the Wang family, and the naval commander, Duan, had also accepted bribes from the Wang family, using official ships to transport people to the sea for them. The Angsa people's merchant ships were to set sail the day after tomorrow evening.

The young lady is still in their hands, and those two or three hundred civilians are also going to be loaded onto a ship and transported away…

After listening, Li Xin did not speak immediately. He tapped his fingers lightly twice on the table.

From the perspective of [psychic communication], Zhang Youqiu was surrounded by a layer of light red light.

This person was genuinely anxious and terrified. Every word he spoke was the truth; his true feelings were a desperate urge to rush out and rescue the person, and a deep concern for the young lady at home.

That mix of fear, anger, and worry couldn't be faked.

Who inflicted these injuries on you?

“Wang Zhenshan, that guy practices Iron Palm. He hit me on the shoulder with one palm. If Uncle De hadn’t blocked it for me, my arm would be ruined.”

Li Xin nodded, stood up, and said to Zhuang Hongxiu, "Pack your things. The Xintinghou sword, the Panlong spear, the silver bottle, and twenty life-character belts. You don't need many changes of clothes, just two sets will suffice."

Zhuang Hongxiu responded and turned to walk out.

He paused at the door, his lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he only said, "I'll go right now."

Li Xin then looked at Zhang Youqiu: "You stay in the capital to recover from your injuries. Draw a map of Guangping's terrain, the Wang family's defenses, and the location of the docks for me. The more detailed the better."

“Master Li, I’ll go with you. I know the way.”

"Your leg injury will be ruined if you keep traveling." Li Xin waved his hand. "Don't you trust me?"

Zhang Youqiu was stunned for a moment, then shook his head vigorously: "I believe you! I believe you!"

His eyes reddened, and he took out a blood-stained handkerchief from his pocket. He opened it, and inside was a small jade pendant.

Li Xin recognized it. It was a protective jade amulet with the character "生" (life) that he had carved himself, which he had given to Zhang Yourong at the Ruyi Restaurant.

"The young lady gave it to me before she was taken away. She said... she believed that Master Li would definitely come."

Li Xin took the jade pendant, his fingertips touching the dried bloodstains on it.

"She's right."

In less than half an hour, Zhuang Hongxiu had finished packing her things.

The sword of Xintinghou was wrapped in a blue cloth, the dragon-patterned spear was broken in two and put into a deerskin bag, the silver bottle was kept close to his body, and the twenty life characters were wrapped tightly in oil paper.

She also packed a bag of flatbread, a pot of water, and a small jar of salt. When traveling, salt is more useful than money.

"Young master, the horse is ready. It's the chestnut horse sent by the Qinglong Chamber of Commerce. It has excellent stamina."

Li Xin took the luggage and noticed that her eyes were slightly red. He smiled and said, "It's not like it's your first time going out. Why do you look like that?"

“It’s different,” Zhuang Hongxiu said softly. “Before, we always traveled around the capital, but this time we’re going to Guangping, which is hundreds of miles away, and we don’t know anyone there…”

“It is precisely because we are unfamiliar with this place that we must go.” Li Xin slung his bag over his shoulder. “You Rong is still waiting, and so are the people who were abducted by the Wang family. The sooner we arrive, the better our chances of success will be.”