The tall boatman, his long hair unbound and his robes grimy, rowed the vessel until it nudged the shore of Green Lake Island. Just then, a figure from the distance blurred into a streak of shadow, rushing forward and landing with a splash inside the boat—it was the one-armed Zhao Danchen.
“Gu Yong.” Zhao Danchen looked at the boatman.
“Elder Zhao.” Gu Yong allowed a slight smile to surface.
Gu Yong was now showing his true appearance. The news that the former ‘Island Master’ of Green Lake Island, Gu Yong, had become a mere boatman had already spread.
“Thank you for the trip,” Zhao Danchen said with a slight smile.
“Of course.” Gu Yong nodded back with a smile and began to pull the oars. Gu Yong’s strokes were not fast individually, yet they possessed a strange, intrinsic rhythm… It was this very technique that caused the boat’s speed to increase steadily, transforming from a leisurely drift to an arrow loosed from the bow.
Whoosh!
The boat sliced through the waves, Gu Yong rowing with utter serenity.
Seeing Gu Yong in this state, Zhao Danchen felt a surge of secret delight: Gu Yong’s progress is truly astonishing… Grand-Master’s method is indeed effective. In barely four years, Gu Yong’s strength has surpassed what it was by a huge margin! At the very least, the current Gu Yong is hardly inferior to the ‘Zhuge Yuanhong’ from the Great Yan Mountain battle.
On Green Lake Island, Gu Yong was the one with the greatest hope of ascending in one leap to become a Void Realm expert!
“Gu Yong,” Zhao Danchen couldn't help but say, “I think it would be best for you to remain in seclusion for cultivation now. Rowing boats like this is merely wasting your time.”
“It’s not a waste of time.”
Gu Yong smiled lightly, a smile that naturally calmed the heart. “By ferrying those who pass by and feeling the chaos and coldness of the world, I am perfectly content. However… Grand-Master also mentioned that the Nine Provinces are currently unstable, and Qingzhou’s ‘Celestial Palace’ harbors great ambition. I worry they might send someone to kill me, so in three days, I will choose to enter seclusion to break through to the Void Realm.”
Zhao Danchen let out a knowing smile.
“Elder Zhao, where are you heading this time?” Gu Yong asked with a smile.
“Wuan Commandery City,” Zhao Danchen replied, shaking his head with a slight smile. “Somehow, a Xiantian master has appeared out of nowhere and abducted that child, Guangzuo.”
“Guangzuo? Oh.” Gu Yong nodded slightly. “But Elder Zhao, you must also be careful. The world is unstable these days; caution is always best.”
Zhao Danchen nodded in acknowledgement.
Suddenly, the boat’s speed sharply decreased, quickly slowing until it gently bumped the shore.
“We’ve arrived,” Gu Yong said with a gentle smile.
Zhao Danchen gave a slight bow and leaped up, making his way toward the relay station built by Green Lake Island not far away, where horses were usually kept. Of course, mounts like the Dark Nightmare Steed would not be available at such a common station. Still, Wuan Commandery City wasn't excessively far from Green Lake Island.
Wuan Commandery City, Jing Residence, early morning.
“Elder Zhao, it’s right here.”
General Li, dressed as an ordinary civilian, stood with Zhao Danchen on a street corner, gazing toward the Jing Residence.
“Ah, that’s the Jing Residence. Tsk, tsk, I heard the owner of this residence is a Xiantian expert.”
“Indeed. Even with ten thousand city guards, none dared to trespass. That Mansion Lord is truly remarkable.”
Passersby often pointed at the Jing Residence as they walked by, sighing in awe. To ordinary people, Xiantian experts were exceedingly rare… In Wuan Commandery City, the rumors had grown increasingly exaggerated, painting the master of this residence as possessing invincible power.
“You wait here. I will go in for a look,” Zhao Danchen commanded in a low voice.
“Yes.” General Li was exceptionally respectful.
Zhao Danchen moved like any other pedestrian, approaching a corner of the courtyard wall beside the Jing Residence. With a slight shift, he leaped over and vanished inside.
“Hmph, that Jing Yi is incredibly arrogant,” General Li stared at the residence, scoffing internally. Now that Elder Zhao is here, let’s see how tough he acts. I really want to see the pathetic sight of Jing Yi being captured! This General Li had suffered a massive loss of face in front of the Jing Residence two days prior.
Jing Residence, inner courtyard training grounds.
Teng Qingshan was practicing the Earth Movement Fist, which then smoothly transitioned into the Metal Movement Fist… Nearby, the Six-Legged Saber Mantis lay sprawled, occasionally waving its two massive blade-legs, faintly imbued with the essence of the Metal Dao.
Puff! Puff!…
Xue Xin was rigorously practicing the ‘Twelve Forms of Xingyi,’ moving like a ferocious beast, his every move clearly demonstrating that he had grasped the core essence.
“Hmm?” Teng Qingshan paused his fist techniques.
“Roar~~” The Six-Legged Saber Mantis immediately let out a dissatisfied low growl.
“These people from Green Lake Island are sneaking in. They’re quite cautious,” Teng Qingshan shook his head, calling out, “Xue Xin.”
“Master,” Xue Xin hurried over.
“Come with me.” Teng Qingshan offered no further explanation and walked toward the exit. Xue Xin, filled with both gratitude and admiration for Teng Qingshan, simply followed without question.
Only the Six-Legged Saber Mantis was left behind, forced to ponder its ‘saber techniques’ alone.
It was still early morning, the sky just beginning to lighten. Most of the Jing Residence guards and maids were still asleep, with only a few beginning to stir.
In a shadowed corner, Zhao Danchen had one hand clamped around the throat of a guard.
“I truly don’t know, sir,” the guard shook his head repeatedly. “Our Master only just purchased this estate. Other than what I mentioned, we know nothing else.”
“Just purchased this estate?”
Zhao Danchen mused, It seems they just arrived in Wuan Commandery City.
“Do you know where your Master has hidden the Wuan Commandery City Governor, ‘Zhao Guangzuo’?” Zhao Danchen asked quietly.
“In the inner courtyard. I saw it with my own eyes,” the guard insisted. “He was tied to a pillar.”
“Oh?”
Zhao Danchen nodded in satisfaction, a faint smile appearing.
“Sir, spare me! You can knock me out; I won’t say a word.” The guard pleaded.
Zhao Danchen tightened his left hand. Crack! The guard’s eyes bulged wide, and blood streamed out from his throat.
“This Jing Yi is truly mysterious,” Zhao Danchen transformed into a wisp of green smoke, weaving through the estate. “He buys an estate here, yet forbids any maids or guards from entering the inner courtyard. It seems there are secrets within.” His confidence stemmed from his breakthrough after losing an arm; he truly wasn't afraid.
Confident that he ranked within the top ten of the Heavenly Ranking, what did he have to fear?
He knew nearly every Xiantian expert stronger than him.
As for the terrifying Void Realm experts? In Zhao Danchen’s view, Void Realm experts held too high a status to casually cross paths with Green Lake Island.
Whoosh!
With a leap, Zhao Danchen entered the inner courtyard. The outer section was quite spacious, featuring a large flower pond to the right, beside which stood a pavilion with carved railings.
“Hmm?” Zhao Danchen’s expression shifted.
Upon one of the pavilion’s pillars, a figure covered entirely in blood was bound.
“This…” Zhao Danchen approached closer and felt his eyes burn with rage.
“Guangzuo, Guangzuo,” Zhao Danchen called out in a low voice.
The bound man struggled to open his single visible eye. Peering through the crust of dried blood, he vaguely recognized the figure who arrived and let out an excited, “Ah, ah…” sound.
“Hmm?” Zhao Danchen looked at Zhao Guangzuo’s mouth, then at his entire body, his face turning purple with fury. “This Jing Yi actually severed Guangzuo’s hand and foot tendons, crippled his internal strength, and even rendered him mute. He is already a cripple—a useless cripple.”
A Zhao Guangzuo in this state could certainly never serve as the Governor of Wuan Commandery again.
“Jing Yi, you are courting death,” Zhao Danchen’s gaze turned icy.
But at that very moment…
“Daring to trespass into my residence—are you seeking death?” A white-robed figure carrying a long sword strode forward, followed closely by Xue Xin.
“You are Jing Yi,” Zhao Danchen stated coldly, staring at the man in white.
“You… one-armed? You must be Zhao Danchen,” Teng Qingshan observed the newcomer, feeling a pang of memory… Back at Great Yan Mountain, when facing a Xiantian Golden Core expert, Teng Qingshan had to flee in disarray. Now, those so-called Xiantian Golden Core experts were like infants learning to walk compared to a Void Realm master.
Zhao Danchen was inwardly startled: This person knows I am Zhao Danchen, yet shows no concern whatsoever?
He sensed that something was wrong.
“Who are you?” Zhao Danchen demanded coldly. “You are not Jing Yi! There is no powerful expert named Jing Yi in the Nine Provinces!”
“Hahahaha… The Nine Provinces are teeming with experts; how many could one Zhao Danchen possibly know?” Teng Qingshan shook his head with a sneer. The Celestial Palace was such a vast sect; before its true nature was revealed, how many sects in the Nine Provinces even knew of the existence of the Celestial Palace’s major Heavenly Gods?
“Then why are you an enemy of our Green Lake Island?” Zhao Danchen demanded.
“Zhao Danchen, a mere Xiantian Golden Core, dares to shout at me in my presence?” Teng Qingshan shook his head and smiled. “I truly wonder how that smelly blind man from your Green Lake Island taught his disciples—they have no sense of propriety.”
Zhao Danchen’s face flushed crimson: “You, you dare…”
The Blind Sword Saint was known publicly as the ‘Heavenly Eye Sword Saint’; no one dared to call him the ‘Blind Sword Saint,’ much less the ‘Smelly Blind Man.’
“What, you can’t even bear me speaking ill of that smelly blind man?” Teng Qingshan smiled faintly and walked toward the bound Zhao Guangzuo.
Hmm? Zhao Danchen thought. Perhaps this Jing Yi saw me, realized who I was, and is now trying to scare me with big talk so he can flee? This kind of intentional boasting to facilitate an escape is quite common.
“The entire Nine Provinces has only so many Void Realm experts. And most are stationed in the major sects,” Zhao Danchen calmed himself.
“Hmph, you have quite the tongue,” Zhao Danchen declared. “Let me see what skills you truly possess.”
No sooner had his words fallen than Teng Qingshan had already reached Zhao Guangzuo’s side.
Puff! He slapped Zhao Guangzuo’s chest.
“Ugh—” The blood-soaked body of Zhao Guangzuo convulsed violently, and then his head dropped low.
“If he’s dead, he won’t have to suffer anymore,” Teng Qingshan turned to face Zhao Danchen.
“You, you dare!” Zhao Danchen was overwhelmed by rage. With a furious roar, he charged, his divine sword transforming into a sharp beam of sword light—a single line, like a sunbeam, shooting directly toward Teng Qingshan’s head.
Teng Qingshan’s expression darkened, and his form shifted illusionarily.
Swish!
A phantom image appeared beside Zhao Danchen. A foot shot out and slammed into Zhao Danchen’s abdomen, kicking him backward until he tumbled across the ground.
“M-my Dantian…” Zhao Danchen clutched his stomach, his face ghastly pale, then stared at Teng Qingshan in horror. “You, you are—” Teng Qingshan’s vastly superior strength instantly revealed his true identity.
Teng Qingshan said coldly, “You dared to shout at me just now, and now you dare stab at me with your sword… Hmph, I think I’ll go ask that smelly blind man from your Green Lake Island how he teaches his disciples that they lack basic manners.” With that, Teng Qingshan snatched up Zhao Danchen and vanished from the inner courtyard like a phantom streak.
“Apprentice, I’m going to Green Lake Island to pay a visit to that smelly blind man. You stay here,” Teng Qingshan’s voice echoed through the inner courtyard.