Chapter 76

Huo Dong dug his ear and sighed softly, "Within a ten-mile radius, there are no more than eight other martial artists whose cultivation exceeds the 'True Qi' realm, besides the three of us and that young man Lu Zhongji."

The young man surnamed Hua asked curiously, "Apart from the four from Qingyun Temple, are there other experts here?"

"Indeed," Huo Dong pointed to the distant villagers, "The two experts following us are hiding among the crowd. Although I can vaguely discern their direction, they are well-hidden, and I cannot pinpoint their exact location."

Then, Huo Dong pointed to a two-story building across the road and said, "There are two 'True Qi' realm experts on the second floor of that building. Judging by the guards downstairs, one of them is likely Fang Yuanshan from the 'Yuan Mountain Escort Agency,' while the other's identity is unknown..."

After speaking, he pointed to a nearby crowd, "There is also that young couple performing martial arts. They are both experts at the 'Postnatal' realm, though only at the 'Creation' stage. They practice special techniques to conceal their aura. If it weren't for their concern for their young child, which inadvertently revealed their presence, I would not have detected them. Of course, their cultivation is not a threat to us, but it is somewhat suspicious that they are content to be itinerant performers..."

The young man surnamed Hua seemed to understand and made a gesture. Someone nearby nodded and left.

Huo Dong and the eunuch surnamed Liu were indifferent, as if they had seen similar situations many times. The experts around them were not just for show; they were secret agents under the three major departments, skilled in both martial arts and investigation.

Sure enough, after a short while, someone returned, whispered to the young man surnamed Hua, and then stepped back.

The young man surnamed Hua smiled with amusement and said, "Old Huo, Eunuch Liu, this is getting interesting... That couple has an interesting background. They are third-rank clerks from the 'Four Seas Pavilion,' a group of idle spies who collect gossip for their reports..."

Upon hearing that they were clerks from the 'Four Seas Pavilion,' both Old Huo and the eunuch surnamed Liu looked amused. The 'Four Seas Pavilion' had deep roots, and even the emperor would show respect to its powerful backer. Despite its significant influence, it preferred to gather trivial gossip from the martial world, unlike the three major departments, which were serious secret agencies. The three major departments, though powerful, dared not provoke these spies who specialized in prying into people's private lives.

The young man surnamed Hua's smile turned, and he pointed to the small earthen building across the road, "The people inside are even more interesting. One is undoubtedly Fang Yuanshan, but the other is not so simple. If you knew his background, you would be as interested as I am..."

"Who is he?"

"His name is Lin Zhengduan..."

"Lin Zhengduan?"

"Exactly. His name is ordinary, but he is Fang Yuanshan's senior brother, and the force he represents is formidable and intriguing..."

"Oh?—"

"Iron—Flag—Gate—"

"Iron Flag Gate?!!"

This time, it was Huo Dong and the eunuch surnamed Liu who were greatly surprised.

The Iron Flag Gate had always been at odds with the Longkong Sword Gate. What did their presence here mean?

The eunuch surnamed Liu began to speak excitedly, "We recently received news that the head of the Iron Flag Gate, Yang Xingxiong, has broken through to the 'Natal' realm... Yang Xingxiong is extremely ambitious but has always been suppressed by the Longkong Sword Gate. With his newfound strength, he would not be content with the status quo... This visit to Longkong is likely with the intention of challenging the Longkong Sword Gate."

"Yang Xingxiong is known for his patience. It might be an overestimation to think he would directly confront the Longkong Sword Gate..."

Huo Dong said solemnly, "Yang Xingxiong and Ling Zhaokong are of the same ilk, both ruthless characters... It is said that the first thing Yang Xingxiong did after reaching the Natal realm was to kill Dong Xingzhong, the leader of the 'Kunyang Gang,' who had always supported him, and then annexed the 'Kunyang Gang's' power. He is truly a formidable figure... I wonder what the situation in Yunzhou would be like if the 'Iron Flag Gate' and the 'Longkong Sword Gate' were to clash."

"What situation? Hmph, nothing but a disaster—" the young man surnamed Hua said with disgust.

"But it would be beneficial to our court..." the eunuch surnamed Liu's eyes gleamed.

"You—!" The young man surnamed Hua was furious. These eunuchs, who had no testicles, thought of nothing but the emperor.

Whether it was the Longkong Sword Gate or the Iron Flag Gate, both prioritized their own interests and disregarded the court's orders. The Iron Flag Gate controlled the canal transport from Yunzhou to Jingzhou, ostensibly a legitimate organization, but secretly trafficked in illegal salt, behaving no differently from a criminal gang. It was natural for the emperor to resent them.

"What? Commander Hua, we both serve the emperor. Shouldn't we prioritize the court's interests?"

"Liu He—your plan is too despicable..."

"Hua Zixing, you, a mere sixth-rank commander of the Divine Strategy Guard, dare to insult me?"

"What can I do if I insult you? I think you and your fellow 'Imperial Attendants' have been around the emperor so long that you consider yourselves emperors too?"

"Enough! Brother Hua, your words are too harsh—" Huo Dong's usually mild demeanor suddenly changed, and he rebuked sternly, "Regardless, we are all serving the court. How can we undermine each other and weaken our foundation? Besides, the situation at hand is beyond our control."

Hua Zixing was momentarily speechless, his anger unquelled, but he dared not say more.

On the other side, the eunuch Liu He was sullen, silent, but his eyes glinted with menace.

The reason the three departments sent Huo Dong, a respected expert, to lead the investigation team was to mediate the conflict between the Divine Strategy Guard and the Imperial Attendants. Huo Dong had done well, occasionally displaying his skills to earn the respect of the two, and had become the core and leader of the small team.

Huo Dong calmed his tone and advised, "We are here to observe, not to interfere. The extent of the conflict is not our concern..."

"Then what do you suggest, Old Huo?" Hua Zixing asked, suppressing his anger.

Huo Dong picked up the slightly cooled tea, took a sip, and said calmly, "Wait and see—"

**********

While there was tension within the group, there was also a commotion in the nearby forest.

Chen Qingsong and He Qingzhu held back Tie Qingshi, who was about to rush out.

Tie Qingshi, with a seemingly honest face, veins bulging, panted angrily.

Beside him, Qingyan Daoist scolded his fifth junior brother with a smile, "You're not a kid anymore, yet your temper is still so bad. A few inexperienced kids, and you want to rush out and fight... It's a wonder you haven't been killed in the martial world after all these years!"

"Kill me? There are plenty of bastards who want to kill me, but every time, I just raise my hand and chop them down. Chop, chop, chop..." Tie Qingshi jumped and cursed, causing Chen Qingsong and He Qingzhu, who were hanging on him, to bounce around. "What's the Longkong Sword Gate? They dare to insult our master. If it weren't for our unresolved vendetta, I would have already stormed up Longkong Mountain and made that old man Ling Zhaokong lick my shoes..."

"Shut up—" Qingyan Daoist suddenly turned serious and shouted angrily, "You never know when to hold your tongue. Do you have any sense of what should and shouldn't be said?"

Tie Qingshi was startled, realizing he had spoken out of turn, and finally stopped cursing, his face red with embarrassment, and he dared not reply.

Qingyan Daoist, angry at his lack of self-control, said sternly, "If you don't learn to restrain yourself, I will report to our master and have you stay on the mountain for the rest of your life to prevent you from causing trouble for us."

Thinking of his second senior brother's character, Tie Qingshi broke into a cold sweat and hurriedly apologized, "Yes, yes, I know I was wrong. I won't do it again..."

**********

The atmosphere in the courtyard remained tense, with both sides unwilling to back down.

Chang Jingwang, though skilled in rhetoric, was actually timid. He was extremely arrogant when dealing with those clearly weaker, but once the other side showed a willingness to fight to the death, he dared not act. Despite his cultivation being several levels higher, already a 'Strong Essence' realm expert, he was hesitant to fight to the death.

Chang Jingfan, on the other hand, was already impatient with Chang Jingwang's delay and shouted, "Jingwang, since they are not giving us the Longkong Sword Gate any face, why don't you step forward and challenge them to see if their skills match their words?"

Chang Jingwang, who had been hesitating, looked back and saw his senior brothers' impatient faces and his brother Chang Jingfan's stern expression, indicating his extreme dissatisfaction with the delay. He thought to himself: My cousin is already displeased with me. I need his support in the Longkong Sword Gate, so I cannot afford to lose face here. Besides, the young Taoists on the other side are not highly cultivated, none of them are at the 'Strong Essence' realm. As long as I perform normally, I will not make a mistake.

With a determined heart, Chang Jingwang stepped forward, raised his sword, and shouted, "You brats from Qingyun Temple, send someone competent to challenge your grandpa Chang—"

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