The world was in chaos, the people suffering greatly. These were all results of the system, and Teng Qingshan, alone, could do nothing about this turbulent realm. Even powerhouses like Emperor Yu or the Qinling Heavenly Emperor, who managed to unify the world, saw it crumble into pieces once they passed away.

While Teng Qingshan and the spirit beasts returned to Crescent Lake to continue their secluded cultivation, far away in the Eastern Desolate Domain, within Wuan City.

"Gah-gah~~~"

An opulent carriage proceeded slowly through the streets of Wuan City. Upon reaching a secluded area, in front of a pharmacy named 'Wuweitang,' the coachman halted the carriage with a snap of the reins, leaping down to call out respectfully from the side, "Master, we have arrived at the Wuwei Hall Pharmacy."

The curtain lifted, and three figures descended from the carriage, all wearing felt hats and wrapped in fur scarves, leaving only their eyes exposed. Such attire was common in the cold weather.

"Hmph. Wait here."

Among the three who alighted, the youthful leader, clad in a grey fur coat, entered the Wuweitang alone. Inside the pharmacy, there was only the attending physician and two assistants busy dispensing herbs; the place appeared quite deserted. Yet, the physician and the two assistants were gathered comfortably around a brazier.

"Three of you, here for treatment?" the attending physician glanced over.

"The inner chambers," one of the elders behind the youth stated in a low voice.

"The inner chambers?"

A sharp glint flashed in the physician's eyes, and he immediately rose to greet them. One of the two elders accompanying the youth, who was slightly plump, reached into his robe and tossed out a gold bar: "Ten taels of gold. For three people to enter, is that sufficient?"

"Sufficient, sufficient." The physician smiled, taking the gold, weighing it in his hand, and nodding. He then pulled out three black iron tokens from his pocket and handed them over. "Gentlemen, please proceed."

If ordinary patrons of the pharmacy had witnessed this, they would surely have been stunned. Ten taels of gold—that was over a thousand taels of silver. What ailment required such a sum, merely to access the inner rooms?

...

The youth and the two elders proceeded through a side door, where two grim-faced men in black stood guard in the corridor behind.

"Halt," one of the men in black immediately barred their way.

"Three people," the slightly plump elder presented the three black iron tokens. The man in black took them, nodded, and said, "Follow me!"

They were led deep inside, along a passage that directly connected to a luxurious manor. Within this opulent estate, men clad in black fur coats and carrying weapons were visible everywhere. The youth and his companions dared not wander; they followed the escorting man in black deeper in.

Soon, they arrived at a quiet room.

"Gentlemen, wait here. The manager will be here shortly," the man in black stated at the doorway. "You may rest in this room."

"Second Uncle, is this Assassin Hall truly as formidable as you say?" the youth asked hesitantly.

"Hong'er, you will know soon enough," the slightly plump elder replied. The tall elder beside him lowered his voice: "Hong'er, when we meet the Assassin Hall manager, he will tell us whether they can take on our family's matter. But given that the Assassin Hall is backed by the Rising Sun Merchant Guild, if they cannot manage it, few other assassin organizations stand a chance."

Footsteps sounded.

A lean middle-aged man with sunken, fierce eyes, clad in a white fur coat, entered.

"Second Manager," the man in black bowed respectfully.

"Hmph."

The lean middle-aged man waved his hand, and the man in black immediately departed, leaving only the three visitors and the manager in the room.

"Gentlemen, there is no need for masks here," the lean middle-aged man said with a smile.

The three also removed their fur scarves. The lean middle-aged man smiled and took a seat. "Please, have a seat."

"May I know what matter you wish our Assassin Hall to resolve for you?" The Second Manager carefully scrutinized the three.

"I want your Assassin Hall to help me kill someone!" the youth ground out, his facial muscles twitching uncontrollably. "Dong Zizhi of the Dong Family in the Eastern Desolate Domain!"

"Dong Zizhi?" The Second Manager exclaimed in shock.

"What? Are you saying your Assassin Hall dares not take the job?" the youth scoffed.

The Second Manager studied the youth closely, a smile touching his lips. "You must be the Third Young Master of the Jiang Family... or rather, the new head of the Jiang Family. No wonder you wish to kill that Dong Zizhi." The youth and the two elders showed no surprise at the manager identifying the youth's status. They were fully aware of the capabilities of the Rising Sun Merchant Guild's Assassin Hall; it would be stranger if they didn't know the Third Young Master of the Jiang Family.

"Our Jiang Family wishes nothing more than to consume the flesh and drink the blood of Dong Zizhi," the youth’s eyes burned with malice. He could never forget the scenes of that time; they were the most nightmarish days of his life. The mere thought made him tremble with suppressed rage.

The slightly plump elder beside him gently patted the youth's shoulder.

"To kill Dong Zizhi, at the very least, requires a Martial Saint," the Second Manager smiled, retrieving a very thin piece of parchment from his robe. "My Assassin Hall possesses the strongest assassins. This lists detailed profiles. Choose whomever you wish to dispatch. Of course... the required price will vary."

The Second Manager offered the parchment. The youth took it and unfolded it, reading alongside the two elders. As he flipped through the pages, a look of delight appeared on the youth's face.

"Peak Martial Saint?" The youth breathed out in wild ecstasy.

"The Assassin Hall’s strength is truly formidable," praised the slightly plump elder. Most major families were lucky to possess even one Martial Saint. Yet, the descriptions on this document listed several Martial Saints... revealing the terrifying power of the Rising Sun Merchant Guild. The parchment detailed the strengths but omitted the assassins' identities.

"If a Peak Martial Saint acts, with careful planning, we have a solid chance of killing that wench," the youth's joy was palpable.

"This is—"

The youth turned to the final page.

"The Strongest Martial Saint?" The youth and the two elders flanking him were astonished. The tall, thin elder inquired, "Manager, this Strongest Martial Saint? We have never heard of such a rank before."

Pride surfaced on the Second Manager's face. "Gentlemen, this 'Strongest Martial Saint' is a rank established by our Assassin Hall. Across the entire Duanmu Continent, no other assassin organization possesses such a formidable powerhouse... I can tell you, if this Strongest Martial Saint acts, unless the target has reached the level of War God... Hmph hmph."

"Could it be the Rising Sun—" the youth gasped out involuntarily.

"Hmph," the Second Manager’s face darkened, and he rebuked, "The identity of the power behind this is none of your concern."

The two elders quickly tugged at the youth, who realized he had spoken out of turn.

"I can assure you, when the Strongest Martial Saint acts, there will be no issue," the Second Manager stated with absolute confidence.

"That wretched woman..." A flash of vicious intent crossed the youth's eyes as he ground his teeth. "If we hire one, we hire the strongest! I want the Strongest Martial Saint to capture that wench alive for our Jiang Family! Tell me the price!" The youth was prepared for an exorbitant fee; the two elders remained silent.

The Second Manager shook his head with a smile. "What status does the Strongest Martial Saint hold? Money means nothing to him! There is only one way to invite him: you must possess one of the thirty-six stone carvings left by the divine axe god 'Great Yu' from that era. Upon completion of the task, you will loan the carving to the Strongest Martial Saint for three years! We, the Assassin Hall, guarantee its return after three years."

"Of course, requiring the Strongest Martial Saint to capture Dong Zizhi alive is slightly more troublesome, perhaps requiring an additional amount of gold," the Second Manager added.

In the past few days, several business proposals had sought the services of the Strongest Martial Saint. Unfortunately, none possessed one of the thirty-six stone carvings. The Second Manager was simply following the arrangement made by his superiors in stating this condition, as they had no idea which families might possess one of the thirty-six carvings. However, since there were thirty-six in the world, perhaps a few random families held one.

"The carving of the 'Thirty-Six Styles of Mountain Splitting'?" The youth exclaimed in shock, turning to look at the two elders beside him. Currently, these three held the highest authority in the Jiang Family.

Their Jiang Family indeed possessed one carving! But this carving was immensely precious, and they were reluctant to part with it.

"You three consider it carefully," the Second Manager said with a smile, then stood up and walked outside, closing the room door behind him. Only the three of them remained inside.

"Second Uncle, Sixth Uncle," the youth hesitated. "If this carving is lent out, it is supposed to be returned in three years! But... I worry that the Rising Sun Merchant Guild might covet this carving. While they must maintain credibility in the open, ensuring its return, who knows if they might take harsh action afterward?" The other two elders shared this concern. Lending the carving for three years was not the main issue.

"Hong'er," the slightly plump elder narrowed his eyes and spoke in a low voice, "This 'Thirty-Six Styles of Mountain Splitting' carving is rumored to be divine. But our Jiang Family has possessed it for so long, and no one has managed to cultivate any supreme axe techniques from it! A single carving has little practical use. I propose this: let the Strongest Martial Saint examine it for three years, and when the time comes, we won't ask for it back. Instead, we'll have the Rising Sun Merchant Guild auction it for us!"

"Our Jiang Family has suffered a great loss this time. To rise again, to expand our forces, to recruit personnel—all require gold and silver!"

"A carving sitting idle is useless; it’s better converted into gold. That set of Dull Vanite Stone last time reportedly sold for over five hundred thousand taels of gold. This single carving, by rights, should not be worth less." Hearing this, the other two nodded slightly.

"Yes, that's settled!" The youth's eyes turned cold. "That wretched Dong Zizhi, in the dungeon, tortured my father to death—and nearly me too... If I hadn't escaped early, she would have tortured me to death as well. I cannot swallow this humiliation until I capture this slut. I will never forget the nightmare days after I was captured." His dignity and body had suffered insults unprecedented in his life, leaving the youth tormented by recurring nightmares for over a month after his escape, dreams replaying the scenarios that drove him to madness.

"That slut!!! I must personally torture her to death! I will make her regret everything!!!" The youth immediately rose and walked toward the Second Manager outside.

They agreed! They would hire the strongest, the most certain protector: the 'Strongest Martial Saint'!

...

As dusk settled, at the foot of Divine Axe Mountain, by the banks of Crescent Lake, wisps of smoke curled from chimneys.

Teng Qingshan was walking through the woods, his figure flashing with every step, darting into the distance. Though seemingly slow, his movement was deceptively swift.

"No, something is still not right," Teng Qingshan shook his head. He was currently contemplating creating a movement technique based on the Dao of Earth, derived from his insights into the element—movement techniques were currently his weakest area.

Suddenly, several figures approached from afar.

"Mr. Teng!" a voice called out from a distance.

Teng Qingshan glanced toward the approaching group. It was the group led by the Sixth Elder of the Rising Sun Merchant Guild. He smiled. "Elder Six, arriving so late? Do you bring more good news?"

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