Chapter 56

Chapter 55

Wucheng County, Shandong Province.

The expressions of the people passing through various parts of the county were somewhat special.

Their faces were filled with a passionate emotion that could not be felt in other regions.

What filled their hearts with pride was closely related to the reason why this place was called the "City of Wu (武)."

The First Family Under Heaven.

This was the famous land of the Sima clan.

The sacred home of the Wu family, where the legend of the martial god lived, was located here.

However, the scenery of the Sima estate was so simple that it almost made the glorious title of "First Under Heaven" seem meaningless.

It was to the point where one might nod in agreement if it were called a slightly larger manor.

This was because, due to the centuries of seclusion, all communication with the outside world had been cut off, which was a natural result.

No matter how much one boasted of being the "First Under Heaven," if they did not live among the people, they would inevitably be eliminated by the world—a truth that never changed.

However, even though their power had diminished, no one could doubt the Sima clan's title of "First Under Heaven."

Their impact on the world had been too profound.

‘Damn. Where do I even start?’

Zhaohui's face was filled with frustration as he looked at the Sima estate.

If it were a typical estate, there would naturally be goods from merchant caravans coming and going, but after four days of observation, not a single person had entered or left the Sima estate.

They had no external activities at all.

Apart from participating in the Grand Martial Assembly of the Zhao Family Merchant Guild, they had effectively maintained their seclusion.

Even if he wanted to use the resources of the Zhao Family Merchant Guild, there was no opportunity.

After inquiring, he learned that they led a long caravan to a nearby merchant guild every three months to purchase all their necessities in bulk.

This meant that if he wanted to use the resources of the Zhao Family Merchant Guild, he would have to wait up to three months, which he did not have.

If he were to openly visit and request to see the "Heavenly Martial Dao Record," he would surely be treated as a madman and chased away.

While Zhaohui was wracking his brain with these complex thoughts, a bustling sound came from a distance.

"Ah, the Alliance Banner!"

"The martial experts of the Wu Lin Alliance!"

People jumped in surprise, making way for the long procession of the Alliance, watching it with awe.

To the common people, the procession of the Alliance was merely a matter of whether they had to bow or not, but the power it exerted on them was no different from the imperial procession.

At that moment, Zhaohui's eyes sparkled.

Swish, swish, swish—

With his divine technique, Zhaohui swiftly infiltrated the Wu Lin Alliance's procession.

Eventually, he secretly hid himself in one of the carriages.

If the Alliance had not come to visit the Sima estate, there would be no other reason.

As Zhaohui had expected, the tightly closed gates of the Sima estate opened, and a group of retainers came out to welcome the Alliance procession.

At that moment, a familiar internal energy wave was detected within Zhaohui's sensory range.

‘Huh? This person?’

How could he not recognize this unique internal energy wave?

It was the internal energy wave he felt from the lead carriage of the procession!

It was undoubtedly that of the Inspector General, Dan Baiwu.

Instantly, a cold light flashed in Zhaohui's eyes from within the straw.

Dan Baiwu, the Inspector General, was someone he had already grown tired of dealing with!

Swish, swish, swish—

With his extreme willpower, Zhaohui's movement was like a ghost!

He infiltrated the carriage by cutting the bars, but none of the martial artists around him detected it.

Dan Baiwu, who was adjusting his attire to face the elders of the Sima estate, froze.

"Ah!"

Zhaohui's face, cold as ice, turned towards Dan Baiwu.

"Hello, Inspector General. It's nice to see you again. It seems we have a connection."

Smile—

Ah, what kind of disaster is this!

To see that face again in a place he never expected, Dan Baiwu was almost cursing the heavens.

Thinking about how the last negotiation with Zhaohui had caused significant damage to the Alliance, he still had nightmares.

Because of that, the Alliance Leader's nagging had continued without a break!

"What are you planning to do to me now?"

Clearly, Zhaohui belonged to the righteous faction of the Small Sword Deity.

Yet, he was openly showing hostility towards a high-ranking official of the Alliance?

Dan Baiwu was both angry and terrified.

Zhaohui calmly extended his hand to him.

"Hand over all the orders and Alliance commands related to this procession."

"What do you mean by that!"

"Don't I need to know why the Alliance has come to the Sima estate?"

"Why would the Zhao Family Merchant Guild need to know?"

Are you suggesting that the Zhao Family Merchant Guild is going to monitor every move of the Alliance?

Zhaohui smiled even more slyly.

"Ah, we are allies, aren't we? What's the point of being allies if we don't help each other in times of need?"

The retainers of the Sima estate were almost at the front of the procession.

Zhaohui, feeling increasingly anxious, pressed Dan Baiwu even more.

"Hurry up! Give it to me quickly!"

Dan Baiwu's face twisted in disbelief.

What does he think the Alliance command is?

"This is outrageous! What kind of mischief is this? Stop your nonsense and get out of this carriage immediately!"

"I haven't even started my mischief yet."

Instantly, a dazzling white fire erupted from Zhaohui's eyes.

Then, the absolute sword spirit manifested.

Dan Baiwu, who had instantly collapsed and sprawled on the floor, rolled his eyes in confusion.

"…What… What is this?"

"Yes, it's poison. Poisoning."

"Ah!"

Zhaohui, with a cold expression, began to thoroughly search Dan Baiwu's clothing.

"Ugh! What are you doing! Ah, there! Ugh!"

This man couldn't even stand the tickling.

Eventually, Zhaohui, who found the order and a letter containing the Alliance command, smiled brightly.

"Oh, here it is. You really hid it well."

"Poison! Why are you doing this to me! What grudge do you have against me!"

"I have no grudge."

With a sinister smile, Zhaohui gathered the order and the letter in his arms and smiled.

Then, he leaned close to Dan Baiwu's face and stared at him intently.

"What are you planning to do?"

"Ugh, how dirty. What are you thinking? Are you going to kiss me or something?"

At that moment.

Rustle, rustle.

Zhaohui's face began to change, wave after wave.

As he watched Zhaohui transform into himself right before his eyes, Dan Baiwu was struck with a shock that made him feel faint.

Zhaohui, now perfectly transformed into Dan Baiwu, silently began to undress him, and a radiant smile spread across his face.

"You'll wake up after a good sleep, and everything will be over."

"No, no, wait a moment!"

As he pressed a pressure point, an irresistible drowsiness overcame Dan Baiwu.

-Inspector General? The Sima estate is waiting for you.

Hearing the cautious voice of a warrior from outside the carriage, Zhaohui hurriedly hid Dan Baiwu in a corner, covered him with a blanket, and calmly opened the carriage door and stepped out.

Dan Baiwu, who appeared calm on the surface, was a man whose authority as an inspector was deeply ingrained.

Zhaohui, with a stern expression, bowed to the Sima estate representatives.

"I am Inspector General Dan Baiwu."

The rough and gruff voice of Dan Baiwu was extremely difficult to imitate.

Of course, any martial artist who lived in the turbulent world would have learned the basic voice-changing technique known as "Dragon Mouth," but it was a crude skill.

However, Zhaohui had received the voice-changing technique from Sima Zong'e, a respected elder of the Sima estate in the spirit realm, who had once been the greatest artist in the imperial court and earned the praise of the emperor as the "Art Saint."

Because of this, Zhaohui's transformation skills were even more advanced than those of the notorious female martial artist, Tianbian Xuehou.

"Nice to meet you. I am Liu Ji of the Sima family."

Sima Liuji?

A name he had heard somewhere before.

Zhaohui recalled the "Record of the Turbulent World" in his mind and was soon amazed.

'Wow, could this be the head of the Sima estate who, a hundred years ago, verified the self-cultivation techniques of Huashan with Wudang?'

He was a renowned figure who, along with Wudang, verified the self-cultivation techniques of Huashan.

In the past, Wudang's Yizhenzi, to add more authority to his argument, requested a joint verification of the self-cultivation techniques from the Sima estate, the highest family of the righteous faction.

Of course, the sequestered Sima estate firmly refused.

However, the possibility that the divine techniques of Huashan, one of the nine major sects, could degenerate into demonic techniques was a serious matter.

If the reputation of the nine major sects were to fall into ruin, the Sima estate had no choice but to participate in the verification.

Thus, a legendary figure from the past suddenly appeared in reality, leaving Zhaohui in a state of shock.

Was a hundred-year lifespan nothing to the people of the Sima estate?

After all, even the martial god Sima Qianze, who lived two hundred years ago, had continued his life until the present day.

The retainers who had learned the martial god's techniques, though not as powerful as the martial god himself, had undoubtedly reached the realm of immortality.

Zhaohui, not daring to underestimate, bowed to the great elder of the martial world.

"I, a minor martial artist, pay my respects to Wu Zun."

Wu Zun Sima Liuji, a martial artist of the Sima estate, was second only to the martial god in fame.

In terms of influence on the martial world, he wielded even more authority than the Alliance Leader Wu Huang.

Only then did Sima Liuji stroke his beard with a satisfied expression.

"Your presence here, along with other young talents, is what keeps the martial world peaceful. Everyone must be exhausted from the long journey. Please come inside."

"Thank you."

The interior of the Sima estate was as shabby as Zhaohui had expected.

There were many places in the pavilions that needed repair.

Just by looking at this, Zhaohui could clearly feel the deteriorating financial state of the Sima estate.

While being led to the reception hall by Sima Liuji, Zhaohui was deeply engrossed in thought.

Why was the matter between the Alliance and the Sima estate so serious that the legendary Wu Zun himself had come to greet them?

Until he could confirm the letter and the order, Zhaohui couldn't help but be filled with questions.

Upon arriving at the reception hall, Sima Liuji offered Zhaohui a seat and expressed his gratitude.

"Once again, I am grateful for the Alliance's supplies. I am always indebted to you."

Zhaohui, recalling the long caravan that followed Dan Baiwu's carriage, smiled warmly.

"Not at all. Compared to the Sima family's contributions to the martial world, this is just a drop in the bucket. It's fortunate that we could be of some help."

It seemed to be a custom for the Alliance to bring supplies to support the Sima estate's seclusion every time they visited.

"Haha, your words uphold the dignity of our family, for which I am even more grateful."

With a satisfied look on his face, Sima Liuji stroked his beard and then his expression turned serious.

"So, what is this sudden news? To move the Sima estate's grounds to the vicinity of the Alliance City?"

At this moment, Zhaohui took out the letter and the order from his robe.

"It is the will of the Alliance Leader. Please read it."

While handing the Alliance Leader's letter to Sima Liuji, Zhaohui naturally unfolded the order and read it.

'Hmm?'

To his surprise, the order mentioned the "Zhao Family Merchant Guild" and the "Small Sword Deity" countless times.

The problem was that almost all of these mentions were negative.

Furrowing his brow in displeasure, Zhaohui quickly wiped away his bad mood and looked back at Sima Liuji, who was also reading the letter with a serious expression.

"As you can see, the momentum of the Zhao Family Merchant Guild, which has declared its power in the martial world, is formidable. Now, it is extending its influence into the northern region, which is under the jurisdiction of the Alliance. In particular, the influence of the Small Sword Deity, a direct disciple of the Sword Deity, is significant. The动摇 of the Alliance's swordsmen is also severe, and there is a possibility that the righteous forces could split into two factions."

Since he was impersonating Dan Baiwu, he had to criticize the Zhao Family Merchant Guild and himself.

To his astonishment, the order was densely filled with strategies to counter the Zhao Family Merchant Guild.

Recently, a large number of swordsmen from the northern region had been visiting the Zhao Family Merchant Guild to request membership.

Most of them were people who admired the legend of the Sword Deity.

However, if the Zhao Family Merchant Guild were to recruit a large number of these northern swordsmen, it would immediately cause a disturbance within the Alliance, and unfortunately, the Zhao Family Merchant Guild would have to turn them away.

Recruiting northern swordsmen would be tantamount to taking away the Alliance's influence, which would be crossing the line as an ally.

"Hmm, I understand the will of Wu Huang."

The only person who could rival the influence of the Sword Deity was the Martial God.

The Wu Huang's intention was to incorporate the Sima estate, the family of the Martial God, into the Alliance City to stabilize the disturbance within the Alliance.

This indicated that the Wu Huang took the disturbance of the northern swordsmen very seriously.

Maintaining one's status quo is inherently difficult, and protecting it is even more challenging than taking it away.

"Although it may tarnish our family's seclusion, moving the grounds of a family with a long history is not an easy task. Unfortunately, I will convey our family's difficult situation to Wu Huang."

A polite but firm refusal.

"I will convey that."

The fact that the Alliance's Inspector General was willing to relay his message to Wu Huang without even attempting to persuade or dissuade him left Sima Liuji in a state of confusion.

To come such a long way, offer such a generous gift, and return without any results?

Although the Alliance was a force that advocated for the cooperation of righteous factions, such a visit was never a light matter.

"Is there some hidden meaning? Or are you testing our family?"

With a wary look, Sima Liuji faced the smiling Dan Baiwu (?).

"Not at all. No matter how great the authority of the Alliance is, how can I dare to order the relocation of the First Family Under Heaven? If Wu Zun deems it so, the Alliance must naturally accept it."

The incorporation of the Sima estate into the Alliance City was not a pleasant prospect for the Zhao Family Merchant Guild.

Zhaohui was not the type to personally assist in matters that benefited the Wu Lin Alliance.

"I have met countless Alliance officials, but you are truly a standout. Haha!"

Sima Liuji's sudden display of affection left Zhaohui in a state of confusion.

"What do you mean?"

Sima Liuji's eyes sparkled.

"How many formidable negotiators do you think I have met in my life?"

"Me?"

"Isn't the side that proposes first usually the weaker one? When the other party shows signs of refusal, it is natural to propose alternative solutions or compensation to persuade them. But you, on the contrary, made me, this Wu Zun, the weaker party, didn't you?"

"Me, the weaker party?"

Zhaohui, feeling extremely flustered as the situation did not unfold as he intended.

Sima Liuji, on the other hand, was reading the letter with a serious expression.

"The momentum of the Zhao Family Merchant Guild, which has declared its power in the martial world, is formidable. Now, it is extending its influence into the northern region, which is under the