Chapter 40

Tian Ji Wugong

"Fa Li Wugong! Truly...!"

Yuan Zong, seeing Zheng Yanxin, let out a cry of shock.

His wrinkled eyes trembled with surprise. In contrast, Qi Shidao seemed quite at ease.

"Easy to handle? From what I see, it's at the level of Shaolin martial arts, merely quite strong against Xue Gong. It's not enough to surpass the difference in our martial prowess. You're still far from being a master. Quite adorable."

Qi Shidao said with a smile. At the same time, her figure seemed to vanish.

The aura that surged like a burning flame was overwhelming. This time, Zheng Yanxin couldn't react.

Bang!

Ma Guangyi stepped in. The clash of the two supreme experts distorted the air.

A terrifying aura rose from Ma Guangyi's body as he took a step.

The strength of his sword seemed capable of pushing away Qi Shidao's hand.

She narrowed her eyes.

"Ma Guangyi. So you had high hopes for this young man, Shen Ye?"

"Shut up."

"Attack."

In response to Qi Shidao's short command, the Blood Flame Sect disciples reacted. It was a call for a chaotic battle.

They surrounded from all sides, rushing in.

With so many pressing in, it felt like being dropped into the heart of a war.

Bloody-haired figures were visible from all directions. The sounds of various weapons echoed from all sides.

Zheng Yanxin saw the wild eyes.

Each of them had red pupils, something beyond human.

The same kind of beasts he had seen at Qingjia Manor were everywhere. He tightened his grip on his sword.

Swoosh!

He struck upward. A sword was completely shattered. He cut off a head and moved on.

Swoosh!

The figure of Yuan Zong, hidden behind the body, was revealed. His eyes were wide open.

"I had guessed you were extraordinary from the moment you faced Jie Zheng...! How can someone of your age possess such martial arts...?"

"It's meaningless. Let's move."

The battlefield kept expanding. It was because Ma Guangyi and Shaolin were so powerful.

Xinye Baiwu Sect had already broken away, and the fighting had spread to the marketplace.

"How far are we going to go!"

"Ask those guys!"

It seemed the Blood Flame Sect had made up their minds. A hundred or so were not all of them.

Seeing the endless stream of Blood Flame Sect disciples, one wondered what the soldiers were doing.

He hadn't expected Xinye County to be so corrupt. At this point, it was a major battle in the martial world.

Fortunately, the escape route was good. It was because they had passed the inn where Ma Guangyi had left the horses.

He recovered two fine horses and mounted them. He wasn't worried about the others.

'If I can escape, everyone can.'

Among the experts Ma Guangyi had sent on the mission, only Xian Yuan Chang was weaker than Zheng Yanxin. Even he wasn't a major concern.

Xian Yuan Chang was an expert who had infused his killing sword with Ma Guangyi's techniques, meaning he was adept at killing.

A sword technique that would prove highly effective in a chaotic battle.

"This way!"

Yuan Zong followed Zheng Yanxin, who spurred the horse. Only the sound of galloping horses filled the street.

All the nearby houses were locked and silent. Zheng Yanxin felt apologetic but also thought of his companions.

Returning would only be a burden. Qi Shidao was still an expert he couldn't handle.

Protecting himself in a battlefield where he couldn't defend himself was the best way to help.

The old monk seemed to understand this as well. Yuan Zong, who was riding beside him, spoke.

"They don't seem to be chasing us."

"Even a decent Blood Flame Sect expert would find it hard to catch up with our horses. We killed two of them, after all."

"You did it."

He closed his mouth after that, his mind seemingly complex.

Zheng Yanxin drew a map of Henan Province in his mind.

The map of Zhongyuan was a treasure only the main leaders of Yihuang City could access, but Ma Guangyi had taught it to him for the mission.

'I need to cross the river.'

The horses' hooves had already reached the riverbank. They had completely left Xinye County.

"Let's get on that."

"Is that the pleasure boat?"

He was about to abandon the fine horses, but a leisure boat was conveniently nearby.

It was a flower boat with a canopy in the center, quite large.

It was the season for young people to enjoy the spring. Perhaps a common boat ride at this time.

However, he couldn't relax due to the incident nearby.

"Come here."

Yuan Zong spoke with his inner energy. What? Zheng Yanxin muttered.

As a martial monk, he seemed to have spent his life devoted to Buddhist law and martial techniques, lacking worldly experience.

Despite having practiced in seclusion for over a decade, he was a peculiar monk.

Perhaps he had a high status before becoming a monk.

The pleasure boat began to turn towards them. Zheng Yanxin's brows furrowed slightly.

Ten warriors stood guard, and two young people with peculiar smiles were looking at them.

It was a world where good warriors and character were hard to come by.

'Are they from a prestigious family? They seem to have mastered martial arts well.'

Just as he thought of Jin Lü, who had pretended to be friendly and attempted an assassination, the approaching boat seemed even larger.

The wooden structure was of high quality and neatly assembled. It was clearly not ordinary.

The first to speak was not the young nobleman with a wine cup.

"The venerable monk seems to need a companion."

A young lady, who appeared to be from a powerful family, approached the boat's edge.

She was about eighteen, dressed in splendid attire, and seemed to be the center of attention.

Zheng Yanxin wasn't concerned with her appearance. His eyes were drawn to the precious sword at her waist.

He sensed an aura. She was a martial artist. Which sect did she belong to?

He spoke to the young lady.

"The monk has been devoted to his practice and neglected etiquette. Please forgive him."

"What is this guy saying?"

Yuan Zong turned sharply, but she laughed.

"It was getting a bit boring, but this is interesting. Would you like to board the boat? As you can see, we can easily accommodate two horses."

There was no particularly strong aura. Zheng Yanxin bowed slightly and stepped onto the boat.

He ignored Yuan Zong, who was glaring at him from the side.

The interior was even more luxurious than the exterior. It was hard to tell if it was a boat or a banquet hall.

The people seated around greeted him with nods.

Most were young men around the young lady's age, seemingly not feeling the need to stand and show respect.

The young lady, who was seated, nodded.

"This is a late-stage meeting of the Shen Wu Lian's junior disciples. Many fellow disciples call me Jian Yi Hua."

The nickname for her sword skills was secondary. At this moment, Zheng Yanxin's world of martial arts expanded.

Shen Wu Lian. Another of the Thirteen Thousand. It was said to have power comparable to the Sword Sect and the Blood Flame Sect.

It was a gathering of the junior disciples of the Sima Sect.

'There seems to be no clear successor to the Shen Wu Lian.'

None of them seemed particularly strong. Perhaps Zheng Yanxin's standards had risen.

They were still promising talents of the Shen Wu Lian.

The young nobleman, sitting close to Jian Yi Hua, rested his chin calmly.

"You seem to be from Yihuang City. Why are you in such a hurry to cross the river?"

"There are Blood Flame Sect members causing trouble nearby. We were listening to the monk's sermon and had to flee."

Zheng Yanxin told the truth and observed their reactions. Shen Wu Lian.

While the Thirteen Thousand were not a single alliance, they often cooperated.

It was highly likely they already knew about the incident in Xinye County.

Indeed, that was the case.

They all laughed with peculiar expressions. The young nobleman smiled.

"Yihuang City is trailing the Thirteen Thousand. This is quite an interesting development."

Laughter erupted everywhere. It wasn't just a leisure boat for the wealthy.

The refined laughter filled the boat.

"Do you know? The blood-sucking ghosts were worried about a small fry like you escaping. They didn't expect to get entangled with a Shaolin martial monk."

"Seems like this is the best place to silence you in the world."

Jian Yi Hua smiled slightly. It seemed to be a metaphor for the river. Throwing a body into the water made it hard to find.

The boat moved further away from the shore. There was no turning back.

"Amitabha."

Yuan Zong quietly recited the Buddha's name, and Zheng Yanxin silently gripped his sword.

"You don't seem afraid. Kid."

Jian Yi Hua muttered. She already had her sword in hand.

"Shall we spill some blood first?"

With a casual remark, a powerful aura rose from her slender body.

Immediately, a swift draw of the sword followed, proving her nickname. The sword light surged in an unexpected direction.

A woman preparing food opened her eyes wide in confusion. She seemed unrelated to the Shen Wu Lian.

This was why the Sima Sect was considered evil. They treated human life with contempt.

Zheng Yanxin, who was seated opposite, had already activated his Qingjia Dongkong.

His step shattered the wooden floor.

He gently pulled the woman's arm with his left hand and moved forward.

With the rage rising like mist by the river, he struck with his Yihuang Sword.

The light of the Guanghua Sword Technique, which whitened the mist, streaked like lightning.

He deflected Jian Yi Hua's sword and, in a trembling motion, cut her throat.

Thud!

'Hmm?'

He was stronger than he thought. As he straightened his stance, ignoring the rolling head, he said quietly.

"Don't try anything funny."

The shock in the room was palpable. The others, who had been reaching for their weapons, trembled.

The laughter that had filled the room was replaced by fear and panic. Jian Yi Hua was the strongest among them.

"How can you have such a sword technique...?"

The young nobleman stuttered.

The others couldn't even open their mouths. Now they seemed more like underlings of the Sima Sect than heirs of prestigious families.

The difference was in their ability to recognize the mastery of a single sword strike.

Being on the water with a high-level expert who was hostile. Could there be a greater fear in the martial world?

"She is, she is the golden leaf of the Chengjia Manor of Shen Wu Lian! Aren't you afraid of the consequences!"

"You should be worried about the consequences for Yihuang City. They were after our heads. Let's head north for now. We'll decide on the punishment later. Row the boat."

He sheathed his sword, no longer interested. Zheng Yanxin's face was calm.

'The elite of Shen Wu Lian must be elsewhere.'

Did his feelings show on his face? The young nobleman's face turned red.

"You said she was Jian Yi Hua of Chengjia Manor! Don't you know who she is!"

"You didn't introduce yourselves."

He tapped his sword lightly.

"Ma Guangyi, Shen Ye."