Chapter 25

On the Luoshui River,

Wang Yuanba brought his family to see them off.

The boat was not only carrying the Huashan group but also the Su family.

Wang Yuanba, Lin Zhenan, and Yue Buqun sat together, drinking farewell wine. People on the shore were busy, continuously loading things onto the boat.

Su Zhong disliked the noise and sat at the stern, fiddling with an ancient zither. This was a gift from Wang Yuanba. Successfully securing the sales rights for Zhu Ye Qing in Luoyang, the Golden Saber Sect's financial power had greatly increased. Although Su Zhong's rudeness had angered Wang Yuanba, he did not dare to offend this bold and reckless grandson. If he were to take back the distribution rights, it would still be the Wang family who would suffer. Moreover, they did not dare to make a move against Su Zhong's martial arts skills.

Wang Yuanba, an old hand in the world, had experienced both honor and disgrace and understood the situation clearly. So he gave Su Zhong an ancient zither, knowing that it was impossible to befriend him so easily. But at least it could make Su Zhong not dislike them, which was enough.

The boat was bustling with activity, and a rough old man in coarse clothes shakily walked to the riverbank.

"Is Young Hero Linghu on the boat?" This person was precisely Lüzhu Weng.

Linghu Chong was both surprised and delighted: "Old Weng, why have you come?!"

"Miss Ren has ordered me to come and see you off. This is a gift for you." As he spoke, Lüzhu Weng walked up the wooden plank onto the boat and placed the gray cloth-wrapped zither in front of Linghu Chong.

Linghu Chong looked at the zither on the table, hesitated, and finally said, "Why didn't Miss Ren come?"

"Miss Ren has some matters and cannot leave for the moment. She asked me to see you off. She warned you not to drink, as your injuries are important." Lüzhu Weng finished and subconsciously glanced at the stern of the boat. He noticed Su Zhong sitting at the stern and his eyes lit up.

He bowed to Linghu Chong and walked towards Su Zhong.

Linghu Chong wanted to ask more, but Lüzhu Weng had already left. A look of disappointment flashed across his face, and he silently held the zither in front of him.

"Lin Yang, Miss Ren asked me to ask you how to notify you when the time comes." Lüzhu Weng said to Su Zhong. He was talking about Su Zhong's trip to Blackwood Cliff.

Su Zhong glanced at the dejected Linghu Chong and sighed. By a twist of fate, Linghu Chong was still with Ren Yingying. But so far, Linghu Chong was still confused and did not know Ren Yingying's identity. Moreover, his life on Huashan was also good, and it was hard to say how he would decide in the end.

Thinking about this, Su Zhong casually replied, "I live on Donghai Peach Blossom Island. When the time comes, you can go to the East Coast and ask around. I will set up a tavern there, specifically for the sale of Zhu Ye Qing. Just send me a message."

Lüzhu Weng nodded, glanced at the zither in front of Su Zhong, and hesitated for a moment before saying, "You are the most talented person I have ever seen. Don't waste your talent." He then left, just as he had come, bending over like an old man, slowly walking down the boat.

Su Zhong smiled and ignored Lüzhu Weng's words.

Lüzhu Weng's advice to not waste his talent was more from a musical perspective. But he did not know that Su Zhong learned the zither for the sake of the sword. The heart of the zither is the heart of the sword. He might achieve something in music, but the sword would always be his top priority.

The Wang family, who originally had objections to this sudden old man, did not dare to ask any questions when they saw his connection to Linghu Chong. They thought about investigating his background after seeing off the Huashan group. But when they saw his connection to Su Zhong, they did not dare to have any thoughts.

The Golden Saber Wang family both loved and hated Su Zhong. Su Zhong was a benefactor, and the sales of Zhu Ye Qing could bring in 100,000 taels of silver a year. This could make the Wang family laugh in their dreams. But Su Zhong's martial arts skills were formidable, and he had a tendency to disregard family ties. After that day's incident, everyone had a strong sense of fear towards him.

High martial arts skills were not scary, but high martial arts skills combined with reckless behavior were very frightening.

...

At night, the boat docked at the shore, and the Huashan disciples gathered in a group, chatting enthusiastically. It was rare for them to leave the mountain, and although the journey was tiring, the novelty was even greater.

"Senior Brother, what is the background of that person we saw today? Did you figure it out?" Ning Zhongze asked worriedly.

"That person looks ordinary, but he is actually a deeply hidden expert. If it were half a year ago, I would not have been able to gauge his level. Fortunately, with the guidance of Senior Uncle Feng, my Purple Mist Divine Skill has advanced to the peak of the innate stage. I can now faintly sense that his internal skills are not inferior to mine." Yue Buqun's expression was serious.

"This person is highly skilled and has a connection with Chong'er. There is also that 'aunt' behind him, whose background is unknown. I fear he might harm Chong'er." Ning Zhongze's face was filled with worry.

"If it's a blessing, it's not a disaster; if it's a disaster, it cannot be avoided. Whatever will happen will happen. From Chong'er's expression, I fear he is still thinking about that Miss Ren. We can't stop such things. We'll see how it goes."

Yue Buqun fell silent, thinking. He had a sentence he did not say. Someone with such high skills but no reputation in the martial world was likely a member of the Sun Moon Cult. The idea that the great disciple of Huashan had connections with the Sun Moon Cult would be a significant blow to Huashan's reputation if it were known by the martial world.

Huashan had just recovered some vitality. Was it going to be hit by another storm? Yue Buqun was deep in thought. Linghu Chong, whom he had raised since childhood, was like a son to him. If he intervened, Linghu Chong, who was filial and kind, would not resist. But he could not be sure that the demoness of the cult would not take action. He had already decided to expel Linghu Chong from Huashan, which would be a win-win solution. However, it would mean that Linghu Chong would bear some blame.

As he was thinking, the boat suddenly shook, and everyone on board panicked.

"Bad!" Yue Buqun's face changed. "Sister, quickly get the disciples to shore. The villains are trying to sink the boat!"

He leaped out of the cabin, sword in hand, and landed on the shore with a light step.

"Which hero is playing such a joke in the middle of the night?" He drew his sword and stared into the darkness at the ferry.

Before he could finish, a black shadow suddenly shot out from behind him, darting into the darkness like lightning.

A purple aura flashed across Yue Buqun's face, enhancing his vision. By the light of the fire on the boat, he immediately recognized the person as Su Zhong. Yue Buqun breathed a sigh of relief, fearing that the people on shore might take the opportunity to launch a surprise attack. He had rushed to the shore to protect them. Now that Su Zhong had taken the lead, Yue Buqun understood that Su Zhong intended to deal with the situation alone.

"Be cautious of the villains in the water. Get them to shore one by one." Yue Buqun, understanding the situation, immediately retreated. In a few leaps, he returned to the wooden bridge at the ferry, standing on either side with Ning Zhongze, protecting the disciples as they went ashore. Sure enough, as soon as he was in position, a splash was heard, and two men in black diving suits emerged from the water.

"Good timing!" Yue Buqun's face was filled with a purple aura, and he looked imposing. His long sword sliced horizontally, enveloped in a faint purple mist.

Clang!

The man in the water grunted, and his dagger was instantly cut in two by Yue Buqun's sword. Yue Buqun's internal energy burst forth, and a sword aura shot out.

Puff!

Blood splattered, and the man, who had just leaped up, was suddenly knocked back into the water!

Almost simultaneously, another man leaped up. He was incredibly fast, like a fish in the water. As soon as he emerged, he swayed his body and quickly rushed towards the disciples who were hurriedly getting ashore.

A murderous aura flashed across Ning Zhongze's face, and her internal energy rapidly circulated through her meridians. Her long sword, which had disappeared from her waist, flashed with a white light.

Swoosh!

A spray of blood blossomed, and the water assassin, clutching his throat, fell into the water with a splash.

"Mom, your 'Unparalleled Ning's Sword' is getting more powerful!" Yueshan held her sword, standing next to Lin Pingzhi. Although she was somewhat flustered, her eyes were filled with determination. Seeing Ning Zhongze kill the assassin with one strike, Yueshan cheered.

Ning Zhongze focused on the water and warned, "Be on guard! Don't be careless!"

Yueshan did not get upset, stuck out her tongue, and quickly moved towards the shore with Lin Pingzhi.

Lin Pingzhi, sword in hand, scanned the surroundings, protecting Lin Zhenan and his wife behind him. Although he lacked experience and seemed somewhat inexperienced, he already had the appearance of a martial artist, much more composed than the other Huashan disciples.

On the contrary, Lin Zhenan and his wife, who had traveled the martial world for years, had seen many such situations. Although their skills were not high, they remained calm and composed.

The person who had been drilling the boat had good underwater skills but poor hand-to-hand combat skills. With Yue Buqun and Ning Zhongze protecting them, everyone quickly made it to shore.

As soon as they reached the shore, they heard a distant clanging sound. Lin Zhenan stepped forward and said to Yue Buqun, "Mr. Yue, it's too dark, which is to our disadvantage. Light torches and throw them far. The more light, the better."

Yue Buqun frowned, his eyes hardening. He looked back at the boat, which was already half submerged, and shouted, "Throw the torches onto the boat and set it on fire!"

Lin Zhenan was startled and secretly praised, "What a bold move." The boat carried a lot of valuable goods.

A fierce fire burned, and the entire riverbank was as bright as daylight.

...

Su Zhong rushed into the darkness, and a series of whistling sounds of flying darts filled the air. His sword, the Death-Dealing Sword, was quickly drawn and moved, enveloping him in a green sphere.

The darts flew and hit the sphere, all being deflected. Some were even reflected back, causing the black-clothed men to panic.

A good opportunity! He leaped forward, his movements as swift as a ghost, and in a few flashes, he appeared among the black-clothed men.

"When?!" The black-clothed men were shocked. They no longer tried to hide and drew their weapons, slashing at Su Zhong.

Su Zhong's long sword swung, deflecting three long knives.

A thin sword appeared silently from behind. The black-clothed assassin's strike was silent, like a venomous snake in the grass, waiting for Su Zhong to expose his back before pouncing and biting.

Clang!

A metallic sound rang out. The assassin's eyes, visible through his mask, were filled with shock. His strike had been sufficiently hidden, but Su Zhong had still detected it. At the last moment, Su Zhong had thrust his sword from under his armpit.

Tip to tip, he had perfectly blocked the strike!

Before he could retreat, Su Zhong's sword, like a quick and agile venomous snake, slithered up his blade and pierced his throat with a swift thrust.

The black-clothed assassin's eyes widened, filled with disbelief until the end.

"Old Three!" Two black-clothed men roared, their eyes suddenly red with rage. They charged at Su Zhong without regard for their own lives.