After departing the Xie family, He Yiming avoided the mountain paths and instead followed the official road toward the Tianluo Kingdom.

When he left, He Yiming declined all gifts, though he accepted one offering from the Luo family: a famous steed from the Northern Kingdoms.

This horse, named "Hong Ling" (Red Ribbon), was only two years old and an exceptionally rare red mare. Most remarkably, she had not a single stray hair on her body and possessed outstanding carrying capacity. She bore He Yiming and his massive Guandao, weighing three hundred and sixty jin, without seeming strained in the slightest.

Even an idiot could recognize the value and rarity of this horse, but precisely because of this, He Yiming accepted the gift.

Riding this horse, it took him a mere five days to leave the borders of the Huowu Kingdom and arrive in the Jinlin Kingdom.

In truth, given Hong Ling's maximum speed, five days was unnecessary. However, this was He Yiming’s first time traveling alone, and unlike his previous aimless wandering in the dense forests, he had to restrict the fine steed’s speed along the way to ensure he didn't take a wrong turn.

Among the Northwest ( - myriad kingdoms), apart from the three renowned major powers, the remaining principalities possessed territories comprising at most five jun (commanderies), with some kingdoms limited to just one jun or even a single county seat.

The Jinlin Kingdom only had two jun, placing it low among the kingdoms. At this point, He Yiming was anxious to return home like an arrow loosed from a bowstring, having absolutely no inclination to stop here. Thus, he urged his horse onward, eager to reach home as soon as possible.

Turning a bend on a mountain path, He Yiming pulled sharply on the reins. His gaze swept the ground, and a look of surprise dawned on his face.

Lying scattered across the road were more than ten corpses, their bodies smeared with blood—clearly victims of blades and weapons.

This was not the first such scene He Yiming had witnessed; both the night the Cheng family was sacked and the day the Cheng family ambushed the Red Turban Bandits, the casualties had been far greater than this. Thus, He Yiming did not panic but frowned as he began to observe.

Scattered around the dead were numerous weapons. It seemed some time had passed since the skirmish, yet strangely, no one had cleared the area.

He hesitated for a moment, his eyes falling upon the discarded weaponry on the ground. Suddenly, an idea struck him.

Ting Shiguang had once mentioned that ordinary weapons could not withstand the infusion of Innate True Qi (Xiantian Zhenqi); He Yiming had yet to test this point himself.

Still mounted, He Yiming extended a hand, and a fine steel sabre lying on the ground abruptly leaped up, instantly flying into his grip.

Waving it lightly, although He Yiming could not judge the quality of weapons, he had a distinct feeling that this sabre was undoubtedly the finest among all the scattered arms.

He instantly circulated the Blazing Fire Technique (Liehuo Gong) within his body, channeling powerful True Qi through the meridians in his arm into the sabre.

Infusing inner strength into a weapon to enhance its power was not unusual. However, Innate True Qi was clearly vastly different from mere inner strength.

Initially, the sabre in his hand seemed unaffected, but after a short few minutes, it began to glow red. Through the tactile sensation in his hand, He Yiming could even feel that the interior of the sabre was beginning to fracture. He sighed softly, tossed the sabre aside, and the moment the blade touched the ground, it immediately shattered.

Shaking his head slightly, He Yiming gazed at his own palm with surprise, feeling a surge of gratitude toward Ting Shiguang.

Regardless of its monetary value, the Steel-Magnetic Mother (Jingang Cimuzhen) gifted to him by the old man had solved an urgent problem. He was determined to repay this favor in the future.

With a slight shift of thought, he opened the bundle on his horse's back and took out the first section of his Guandao blade head.

Compared to the other two sections, which were bare rods, this section—over a meter long—seemed to possess a different hue. He Yiming believed that if his grandfather saw this blade now, he might not even recognize it instantly.

After all, having been infused with the Steel-Magnetic Mother, the blade head had undergone changes, making it impossible for it to look exactly like the original Guandao.

A stream of refined Innate True Qi was channeled bit by bit into the blade. He Yiming’s movements were cautious and meticulous; this was his Guandao. Although Ting Shiguang had said there would be no issues after the infusion, if, by some remote chance, the blade could not withstand the impact of the Innate True Qi and was ruined, he would truly have nothing left but tears.

As the potent True Qi continuously flooded the blade, faint wisps of red light began to emanate from the entire weapon. This red glow was distinctly different from the redness on the ordinary sabre just moments before; it seemed imbued with a trace of spirituality, fluctuating with the ebb and flow of the True Qi.

A mixture of pleasant surprise and awe appeared in He Yiming’s eyes. This blade head could indeed withstand the infusion of Innate True Qi without fracturing. Not only that, but the blade could also conduct the Innate True Qi and even manifest a blade aura within a certain radius.

With a casual slash toward the ground, the blade aura flashed, leaving a deep gash on the earth, as if slicing through soft tofu, meeting absolutely no resistance.

His joy was immense. Changing his focus, a sword of red light slowly materialized in the palm of his left hand. This sword had no physical form; it manifested purely by relying on the Innate True Qi within his body and attracting a certain energy from the surroundings.

He raised the Guandao and lightly touched it against the light sword in his palm.

Instantly, the light sword in He Yiming’s hand dissipated, yet the Guandao remained completely unharmed.

Sighing inwardly, He Yiming understood: although Innate True Qi could form a light sword in one’s hand, the power of such a sword was extremely limited—practically fragile.

It might cut an imposing figure against common mud, sand, or trees, but when facing the weapon wielded by another expert of the same Innate Realm, the difference in quality would be immediately apparent. Relying on this light sword to clash head-on with a peer’s weapon, he’d likely die without even knowing how.

Just as these thoughts crossed his mind, he faintly heard the sound of rapid horse hooves approaching from ahead.

He Yiming retracted his focus, sheathed the Guandao back into its cloth sheath, and slowly rode forward. As for the corpses on the ground, he had no inclination to deal with them.

After rounding just one corner, he saw seven or eight horses galloping past him. The riders were all powerfully built, their expressions stern and devoid of any smile. As they brushed past He Yiming, each one glanced in his direction, their gazes sharp and cold.

However, the strength of these men did not register in He Yiming's mind. He paid them no heed, continuing forward as if nothing unusual had occurred. Naturally, Hong Ling's speed, under his control, was slow enough to be scarcely faster than a donkey back home.

Not long after, the sound of urgent hooves rose again from behind. Those same riders had doubled back and caught up to him. As they passed him again, they shot him a look of ill-will but caused no trouble, continuing their journey.

But He Yiming had already noticed that on three of their horses, there was now an additional corpse. Judging by the attire of the bodies, they resembled the riders somewhat. He immediately understood that three of the fallen dozen or so men on the road had been companions to these riders.

These knights had rushed here and rushed away, apparently just for those three bodies—a testament to their loyalty and virtue.

He gently squeezed his legs, and Hong Ling’s speed increased slightly. Since these riders hadn't troubled him, there was no need for him to linger. As for the corpses behind him, they could wait for the officials to handle them.

Several hours later, the sun was already sinking toward the west, but ahead, sounds of shouting men and neighing horses drifted over.

He Yiming listened closely. This was not the sound of a struggle, but the clamor of a large group gathered together.

He pressed his legs against his mount again, and this time, Hong Ling galloped forward swiftly. Moments later, he saw a group ahead beginning to set up camp.

The Northwest was vast and boundless. Although it contained numerous large and small kingdoms, overall, the land was wide and the population sparse.

Traveling for a day, encountering neither an inn ahead nor a village behind was very common, and merchant caravans or travelers often missed their intended lodging for various reasons. Setting up a tent to spend the night in the wilderness was not unusual.

In just these few days, He Yiming had encountered this phenomenon twice already; this was the third time. However, the previous two encounters involved only small tents for a few people. This time, the scale suggested at least a hundred individuals.

Before Hong Ling’s hooves had even drawn close, five riders broke away from the group and galloped toward him, skillfully maneuvering their warhorses.

As the two parties approached, the complexions of these men shifted slightly, but He Yiming had already recognized them as the same riders he had encountered before.

One of the riders, appearing to be in his late forties or early fifties, clasped his fists on his saddle and spoke: "Friend, you have followed us all this way; may we ask your business."

Although the expressions on their faces were unfriendly, none of them rashly drew a weapon. This was partly because He Yiming’s appearance was deceptively young.

He Yiming looked surprised. "Uncle, are you jesting? I was following my own path; I wasn't tracking you."

The rider studied He Yiming seriously for a moment, and then his expression softened slightly.

"Fine horse."

A clear voice called out from the rear of the larger group, and then over a dozen riders sped toward them like flying arrows.

He Yiming looked up to see about a dozen sturdy men, all wearing matching attire, escorting a handsome young master who arrived swiftly.

The young master’s gaze was fixed entirely on Hong Ling, and his eyes glittered with an unusual light.

He Yiming's brow furrowed slightly. He sensed that trouble was about to befall him.

Although he was not afraid of trouble, he intensely disliked it. If possible, he truly did not wish to come into conflict with others.

"Fan Qi, what is happening? Who is this person?" The young master flicked his riding whip toward He Yiming and asked coldly.

The leading middle-aged man bowed from his saddle. "Reporting to Second Young Master, we were setting up camp when this gentleman arrived from behind, so we came to inquire."

"Did you find anything out?" The young master's eyes brightened slightly as he asked.

Fan Qi shook his head slightly. "Second Young Master, this gentleman is merely a traveler passing through." He then turned to He Yiming. "Friend, this is Young Master Fan Haoyue of the Fan family of Jinlin. Why do you not come forward and pay your respects?"

He Yiming was immensely curious. He glanced at Fan Qi with surprise. This middle-aged man seemed to be covering for him somehow, and judging by his tone, he was even revealing the other party’s identity. Although He Yiming didn't know the strength of the Fan family of Jinlin, this was undoubtedly a gesture of goodwill. Yet, since he had no prior acquaintance with Fan Qi, he wondered why he would do this.

One of the attendants next to Fan Haoyue suddenly scrutinized He Yiming carefully, then whispered a few words into his ear.

After hearing what his attendant said, Fan Haoyue’s eyes lit up. He announced loudly, "Fan Qi, so this person also came from that mountain path—why didn't you say so?"

He Yiming then remembered that the attendant beside Fan Haoyue was actually one of the few riders he had first encountered.

Fan Qi’s face broke into a helpless, wry smile. "Second Young Master, although this gentleman also passed through that mountain path, he is not necessarily a remnant of the Hu family."

Fan Haoyue snorted coldly. "Fan Qi, whether he is a Hu family remnant is not for you to dictate." He turned to He Yiming. "Dismount immediately and surrender for my interrogation."

He Yiming pointed at himself with a half-smile. "Are you speaking to me?"

Fan Haoyue’s face instantly turned cold. He raised his head, and immediately two riders from behind shot out like flying arrows toward He Yiming.

Although He Yiming was already an expert in the Innate Realm, his features were too young. These men could never have guessed his true strength. The two eager-to-win-merit riders were only at the sixth level of Inner Strength (Neijin). Dealing with an ordinary youth would have been more than enough, but today, they had clearly run into an insurmountable obstacle.

Glancing at Fan Haoyue’s face, He Yiming let out a sudden, loud laugh, squeezed his legs, and Hong Ling sprang forward.

The three horses crossed paths in an instant. The two riders let out a startled cry before being thrown high into the air. They had not jumped themselves; rather, upon contact with He Yiming’s hands, they were involuntarily flung upward.

Fan Qi and the others had merely been watching from the sidelines, but this display immediately caused them to cry out in alarm. Fan Qi, in particular, leaped up without hesitation. The moment his feet touched the ground, he sprang forward as if propelled by springs, chasing after He Yiming at a speed exceeding that of a galloping warhorse.

He Yiming seemed oblivious to the commotion behind him, and Hong Ling streaked toward Fan Haoyue like a red thread.

The knights behind him cried out in alarm, almost instinctively wheeling their horses to intercept.

However, the strongest among these knights possessed Inner Strength only around the seventh level. In He Yiming's eyes, they were no different from common ants. With simple pulls and tosses, he sent them flying out like rubber balls.

Fortunately, He Yiming had not intended to kill. Otherwise, these men would have had no chance of survival. Even so, under his throws, they all landed heavily, unlikely to recover fully for at least a month of recuperation.

At this moment, Fan Haoyue’s face finally turned ashen. He finally realized that the person before him was far beyond anyone he could afford to provoke.

He pulled back on the reins, intending to flee backward, but Hong Ling was swift as lightning and instantly appeared beside him. He Yiming’s boisterous laughter echoed ceaselessly, and his hands descended like Mount Tai crushing down, grabbing hold of his arm.

Fan Qi suddenly roared, "Sir, please show mercy! We meant no offense!"

He Yiming waved his hand, and Fan Haoyue was already soaring high into the air as if riding the clouds. Then, Hong Ling transformed into a streak of lightning, instantly bypassing the camp and speeding toward the distance.

Fan Qi quickly arrived. When Fan Haoyue fell, he was already kneeling, hands raised high, steadily catching the dazed and semi-conscious Second Young Master.

This series of events happened too fast to be believed. The knights behind Fan Qi finally reacted. They gathered around, looking at the disappearing figure of He Yiming with expressions of utter horror.

Their cultivation in Inner Strength was similar to that of the Second Young Master's attendants. Since that youth had so easily dealt with those attendants, taking them down would have been just as simple.

Several more riders soon galloped out from the camp. The leader bore a seven-tenths resemblance to Fan Haoyue, only being slightly older. His eyes held a chilling, dark glint; anyone who met his gaze felt a wave of dread.

Arriving at the scene, his eyes swept around and he spoke in a deep voice, "Fan Qi, what happened here?"

Fan Qi bowed respectfully. "Eldest Young Master, Second Young Master had a conflict with a passing gentleman just now, and so..."

The Eldest Young Master frowned. "What conflict? Explain it in detail, without omitting anything."

Fan Qi offered a wry smile and recounted the entire sequence of events without exaggeration. He concluded, "Eldest Young Master, although the man was young, he rode a priceless horse, and I could not see through his cultivation level at all. I did try to stop the Second Young Master, but..." He paused, then added, "Fortunately, the Second Young Master was not injured; the man showed mercy."

The Eldest Young Master’s face turned ashen with anger. "This useless whelp constantly stirs up trouble for me! If he truly messes up something important, just wait until I deal with him."

At this moment, Fan Haoyue was slowly regaining consciousness. The moment he saw his older brother, his previous arrogance vanished entirely; he clearly feared his elder brother greatly.

The Eldest Young Master glared at him. "Haoyue, how did that man provoke you for you to be so reckless? You should learn from Fan Qi. If you walk the martial world without even that much discernment, you might as well stay home honestly."

Fan Haoyue meekly agreed, a stark contrast to his earlier demeanor.

The Eldest Young Master turned, patted his horse, and departed, with Fan Qi and the others following closely. Only then did Fan Haoyue raise his head, looking in the direction where He Yiming had vanished, his eyes filled with venomous hatred.

P.S.: Tomorrow is Monday. White Crane will add an extra chapter around 12:02 AM, and two chapters at 7:30 PM—totaling 15,000 characters for the day. Please support with recommendation votes for this coming Monday. However, next Monday is the 15th—a date White Crane doesn't need to mention, so there will be no extra chapter that day. I will post an extra chapter in the early morning of the 22nd instead. Please forgive me for this^_^