In the middle of the cold sea, Yu suddenly saw a painting, which was the one Elder Ouyang had drawn. After observing the surroundings for a moment, he turned south and left.

He moved swiftly, employing his Qinggong, fast as the wind. Since cultivating the Violet Elixir meridian, his lightness skill had grown remarkably; when executing Floating Light, Skimming Shadows, he truly possessed the speed of light and shadow.

The official road was bustling, the busiest time of day. As Li Muzhan passed by, people only felt a gust of wind, sensing something strange. Why was there a sudden, unaccountable draft? They couldn't help but curse the damned, bizarre weather!

Li Muzhan first followed the official road until the turn. He continued straight south, leaving the road for a stretch of woods. He leaped onto the treetops and flew along the canopy.

Speeding like the wind, the scenery blurred past. Inside, his Violet Elixir spun, endlessly supplying internal energy to drive his legs forward. He suddenly felt the sensation of later generations driving automobiles.

However, executing Qinggong was far more interesting and stimulating than driving a car.

As he raced along, he praised the lightness skill of the old man in yellow.

Without the Soaring Cloud Steps, he knew he would never be his match. That old man’s internal energy was profoundly deep, second only to the great chieftain of the Bald Head Bandits by a mere sliver.

Yet, considering the great chieftain was younger by two or three decades, his internal energy still surpassed the old man’s, which attested to the marvel of the martial arts at Lantuo Temple. This old man must also hail from a prestigious lineage.

He had thought that reaching the Violet Elixir stage, with his broad meridians and deep internal energy, already placed him among the absolute masters. Now, he realized how far he still had to go.

He shook his head and sighed, casting aside the distracting thoughts to focus on his journey. Simultaneously, he practiced the Heavenly Origin Breathing Technique. His pores opened, inhaling wisps of pure energy, which were then drawn into the rotating Violet Elixir and converted into internal power flowing into his legs.

In half a day, he reached Fairy Peak; it was already noon, the sun high in the sky.

As he passed Fairy Peak, he didn't linger long. Though he wished to revisit the valley, his concern for the people at the Mei Residence spurred him on. He bypassed Fairy Peak and headed west.

An hour later, he spotted the Mei party.

The Mei Residence guards had already found their horses and were galloping forward, dust-caked but seemingly intact, indicating they hadn't engaged in battle yet.

The three women of the Mei family rode among the guards, all clad in tight-fitting martial attire, looking heroic and resolute.

Mei Ruolan appeared composed and unhurried, showing no sign of flight; rather, she looked like someone enjoying an outing, her noble and refined bearing making her stand out like a crane among chickens.

Li Muzhan watched from concealment, not revealing himself; they did not notice him either.

He lay hidden, but he was not idle.

First, he wove a round basket from branches and fashioned a broom. Then, he carved a shovel from wood and made two wooden horse-hoof attachments, resembling the small bowls later used by concubines in the Qing Palace.

After the Mei party had passed, he dropped from the tree onto the small path and began walking in the reverse direction from which they came.

As he walked, he gathered horse manure from the ground, placing it in the round basket, while simultaneously sweeping away the hoof prints.

The piles of manure were still warm. He carefully enveloped them with internal energy before putting them in the basket, preserving their shape, impervious to the stench.

After traveling four or five li, having collected about twenty piles of manure, he stopped. He veered off to the side, heading north onto a small trail.

Once on the trail, he put on the wooden hooves and began to tread back and forth. The broom shattered under the pressure, turning to dust that scattered lightly in the wind.

At intervals—sometimes dozens of meters, sometimes just a few, sometimes over a hundred—he cautiously scattered a pile of manure. The spacing varied.

He followed this path until he reached the woods outside Wohu Mountain, then dove into the thicket, treading continuously, making it seem as if dozens of horses had passed through.

Subsequently, still wearing the wooden hooves, he trod around the base of Wohu Mountain several times.

Having finished this preparation, he shattered all the implements and climbed a large tree, seating himself on a branch. A smile touched his lips as he circulated the Heavenly Origin Breathing Technique. "Did they enter here?!"

"Master, it's this way!" a middle-aged man's voice rang out.

"Search!" Li Jixian roared in anger.

An old man urgently cautioned, "Master, wait a moment!"

"Feng Gong, what is it?" Li Jixian asked, suppressing his impatience, his voice deep.

The old man advised, "Master, this is Wohu Mountain, the territory of the Bald Head Bandits! We shouldn't linger here!"

Li Jixian sneered, "Hmph, the Bald Head Bandits! What bold bandits they are! They dare defy me!"

"Master, the Bald Head Bandits are notoriously brutal; it is best not to provoke them," Advisor Wang counseled gently.

Li Jixian bellowed, "I don't care! Anyone harboring the Mei family is against me, a man of the Li surname! Kill them all without mercy! Without mercy!"

He acted like a madman, a hint of frenzy in his voice.

"Alas... As you command!" Advisor Wang sighed.

Footsteps sounded, and over a hundred men began a dragnet search. They soon discovered dense hoof prints and some horse droppings. Someone immediately shouted, "Master, look here!"

The group followed, arriving at the area Li Muzhan had just trampled. Li Jixian led them, lowering his head to examine the hoof marks, and snorted, "They certainly hid here!"

"Search further!" He waved his hand, and the men expanded outward in a circle from that point.

Soon, they found the area at the foot of Wohu Mountain.

They stood at the base, looking up. Blue stone steps ascended to the summit, looking like a green sash draped in the sky—precipitous and difficult to climb.

Seeing the sheer, rugged mountain inspired a sense of insignificance.

Li Muzhan remained hidden in a tree, his presence ghostly; ordinary guards could never find him.

He squinted, observing the party standing at the foot of Wohu Mountain, their expressions changing as they looked up.

A small, wizened old man stroked his mountain-like beard, frowning in confusion. "Master, strange. How could horses ascend such a steep mountain?"

"The Bald Head Bandits come and go as they please; they naturally have a way!" Li Jixian said coldly.

The dry, thin old man frowned, "Could someone be playing tricks, trying to make us fight the Bald Head Bandits so they can reap the benefits?"

"Advisor Wang, you worry too much!" Li Jixian shook his head, pointing at the hoof prints. "If that were the case, this person would be cunning. Why make such a low-level mistake? Everyone knows horses can't climb that high!"

He sneered, "The more obvious the flaw, the more believable the deception!"

"Master..." Advisor Wang shook his head.

Li Jixian cut him off sharply, "No need to say more. My decision is made! Hmph, better to kill the innocent than to let the guilty escape. Ascend!"

"Sigh..." Advisor Wang gave a wry smile, looking at Li Jixian’s bloodshot eyes and twisted, savage face, sighing as he gave up trying to persuade him. He knew further words would be wasted.

The Master was already inherently stubborn; now, fueled by rage, he was even worse, unwilling to heed anyone else.

The Li Family Guards...

Twenty-odd steps up, two bald, burly men stood guard. Seeing them approach, they shouted, "Halt! State your names!"

The Li Family guards ignored them and hastened their approach.

"Whoosh..." A piercing, mournful whistle sounded.

The whistle startled the silence of Wohu Mountain. Instantly, figures rushed down from the summit, their bald heads gleaming, pouring down like a tide, rapidly spreading across every step. Their speed was astonishing.

By then, the Li guards were close to the two big men, drawing swords to attack—Clang, clang, ding!—and a melee erupted.

The steps were narrow, allowing only two people abreast, perhaps three squeezed together, making it impossible to fully deploy their techniques.

Li Jixian stood at the rear. Seeing his two guards locked in a stalemate with the two bandits, he frowned impatiently and grunted, "Useless! Advisor Zhao, finish these two off!"

"Yes!" a plump old man bowed, waving his hand. Dozens of hidden projectiles shot out.

Clink, ding, ding, ding... The two bald bandits blocked the projectiles with their swords, deflecting them all.

"Ugh..." The Li guards seized the opportunity to strike, stabbing one bald man in the abdomen.

Then, the two guards focused their attack on the other bandit. Advisor Zhao launched another volley of hidden weapons; his projectiles were elusive and insidious, impossible to guard against completely. The bandit took a dart in the chest and fell.

By this time, the bald bandits from the mountain were halfway up, their shining heads gleaming under the sun.

Li Jixian commanded grimly, "Advisors, let's press forward! They can’t hold them off. Follow behind and fight our way up!"

"Yes, Master." The advisors responded, leaping up and gliding past them, landing lightly ahead before continuing upward.

One group surged up while another came down, the two forces meeting halfway up the mountain.

While their attention was completely fixed on the ascent, Li Muzhan moved like a ghost, grabbing a guard whose build resembled his own. He dragged the man into the woods, knocked him out, and stole his uniform.

With a black sash tied around his head and wearing black martial attire, he looked spirited and entirely different, as if he were another person. The black sash conveniently covered his short hair.

He silently slipped into the ranks of the guards. They were tense, their eyes fixed on the summit, too preoccupied to notice Li Muzhan's disguise.

Furthermore, his mental power was formidable, allowing him to change his demeanor instantly. He subconsciously mimicked their heightened spirit and vigorous energy; his aura was identical to theirs, making him blend into the crowd, unlikely to draw notice.

When the two groups collided, several bald bandits were sent flying, slamming into the stone walls on either side, shrieking as they slid down, their cries echoing in the air.

Those who fell to the bottom were certain to be smashed into pulp.

The Li guards were startled, a chill creeping through them.

Death was death, but being pierced by a sword or cut down was preferable to falling from that height and being smashed into a pulp.

"Sons of the Li family, fear nothing! Charge!" Li Jixian brandished his sword and shouted, his voice reverberating across Wohu Mountain.

"Kill!" the crowd roared, their fighting spirit surging.

Li Muzhan, at the rear of the group, silently admired the patriarch's capability; that single shout at a crucial moment dramatically boosted morale.

The advisors led the way. Li Muzhan recognized the first two—Advisor Song and Advisor Chen. Their twin swords weaved a dense net of blades, completely blocking the advance of the bald bandits.

The plump Advisor Zhao followed behind them, sneakily launching hidden weapons, which were strange and hard to defend against when the bandits were already struggling to cope with the closely knit sword net.

Figures flew upward, striking the stone walls nearby, shrieking as they slid down.

In moments, six bald bandits lay dead.

Behind the main group of bald bandits were another six figures, watching coldly with grim expressions.

"Second Master, shall we move now?" a stout man said heavily, shaking his long staff. His face was coarse, and his muscles bulged as if ready to burst his clothes.

The lean middle-aged man shook his head. His features were ordinary, but his eyes were exceptionally narrow, his gaze chillingly sharp as he fixed on the fight below, unmoving.

"Second Master, these fellows are tough! Our brothers are dying for nothing, we can't wait any longer!" the stout man stomped his staff anxiously.

The middle-aged man said calmly, "No hurry. We need to ascertain their strength and see what other masters they have."

He seemed completely unfazed by the deaths of the bald bandits, his gaze fixed intently on Li Jixian.

The four men behind him looked anxious but suppressed their feelings. On Wohu Mountain, the Second Master's word was law, especially since the First Master had not returned; no one dared challenge his authority.

A moment later, the middle-aged man waved his hand. "Go!"

The stout man was overjoyed and roared, "Brothers, hold on! I'm coming!"

Saying that, he tapped his staff on the ground, leaped up, soaring past dozens of men to reach the front line. He swung his staff in a sweeping attack, Sweeping a Thousand Armies, with terrifying momentum.

Advisor Song and Advisor Chen retracted their sword lights as the long staff struck, their expressions shifting instantly; they took a step back.

Their swordsmanship was interwoven, merging yin and yang seamlessly, appearing flawless, but encountering this brutal, unreasonable staff, they met their match.

The stout man swung his staff, the wind howling. Everything within five feet of him was covered by the staff's reach.

All the other bandits retreated, leaving him three steps to himself.

This brute possessed innate divine strength. One strike carried the force of a thousand pounds; even with the profound internal energy of the two advisors, the swords were knocked aside, and their maneuvers became disjointed.

Several flashes of cold light shot out—hidden weapons incoming. The stout man chuckled coldly, ignoring them—Ding, ding, ding, ding... As the projectiles reached within five feet of him, they were instantly repelled.

The advisors swept their sleeves to ward off the rebound and frowned.

Li Jixian called out, "Advisor Sun!"

A tall old man squeezed past Advisor Song and Advisor Chen, stepping to the front. He carried a large, golden-threaded ringed saber. The thick spine of the blade flashed with cold, sharp light, chilling the onlookers.

He spoke no word, then suddenly brought the blade down. The gleam of the saber was like a bolt of silk, accompanied by a mournful, drawn-out sound.

Clang! A massive impact as the saber and the staff sprang apart.

"Good!" The bald bandit roared with wild laughter, bringing his staff down again and again toward the old man's head. The tall old man met the assault head-on with his golden-threaded ringed saber, showing no weakness.

The knife and staff clashed incessantly, the sound making observers' ears ache and bodies grow numb.

"Charge!" Li Jixian commanded.

The advisors leaped up, gliding past the two combatants, rushing toward the crowd above. The Li Family guards followed suit, leaping up to charge.

The scene instantly became brutal. Li Muzhan, blending in, also fought the bald bandits.

As he fought, he slowly maneuvered through the crowd, charging toward the summit, trailed by several Li Family guards.

There were still defenders on the upper steps, intercepting them. These bald bandits possessed formidable martial arts. By the time he reached the flat ground after ascending the steps, everyone beside him had died.

The only thing he kept in mind was the Vajra Finger Manual.

We have reached one thousand five hundred subscriptions, truly endless gratitude. D

For more novels, visit storyread.net.