Inside the building.

"A bit of a show this evening should deter any petty thieves from daring to snatch the Ten Thousand Year Cold Iron," Teng Qingshan said, washing his face. Then, beneath the bed, he hissed as he tore off a strip of cloth. "Just in case some greedy, sightless fools show up, a little preparation is prudent."

He pushed off with his feet, circulating his internal energy.

Swish!

Teng Qingshan was instantly on the ceiling beam, using the cloth strip to wipe away the dust. He casually tossed the rag onto the floor. Fully clothed, Teng Qingshan lay down on the beam and closed his eyes to rest.

Perhaps truly intimidated by Teng Qingshan’s display from earlier, no one disturbed him that night. Teng Qingshan remained on the beam with his eyes closed until the sky began to pale and the sounds of shouting drifted in from outside. Only then did Teng Qingshan open his eyes, leap down, and land silently on the ground.

"Slept well." Teng Qingshan kicked the dirty cloth strip under the bed, then wiped his face with a damp towel. Holding his battle saber and shouldering his pack, he walked out of the room.

In the empty courtyard, the young men and women were vigorously practicing their sword arts.

Seeing Teng Qingshan, those young men and women could not help but become slightly reserved. Against ordinary people, they were confident masters of internal energy, naturally adopting a somewhat arrogant demeanor. But in front of Teng Qingshan... they couldn't even last a single move. The casual manner in which he had displayed the Ten Thousand Year Cold Iron was enough to inspire envy in these youths.

"Brother Qin Lang, did you rest well last night?" The Tower Master, Huo Yan, also approached, greeting him with a smile.

"Adequately," Teng Qingshan replied with a faint smile. "By the way, the goods I ordered won't arrive until noon, correct? I think I'll step out for a stroll for now, and I'll return after the afternoon."

"That is fine," Huo Yan nodded.

With that, Teng Qingshan walked out through the rear courtyard gate of the Myriad Manifestation Sect.

"Martial Uncle," a young woman in green hurried over, asking curiously, "What exactly is Qin Lang’s background? Yesterday, he actually flicked away Senior Brother and Senior Sister Lu's swords with just a finger! The last time I saw a technique that could flick away sharp swords with a finger was ten years ago when Great Martial Uncle visited us."

The other martial brothers and sisters also flocked over. In their eyes, Teng Qingshan was an enigma.

Huo Yan’s expression turned serious. "This Qin Lang is a true martial artist, someone who tempers his saber skills through constant battle and brushes with death. You all learn swordsmanship theoretically, based on what predecessors left behind. You don't understand the true killing power within every sword move! But someone like Qin Lang, who hones his saber skills amidst life and death, is a truly terrifying martial artist. Furthermore, his internal energy is immense! Daring to flick your sharp swords with his fingers suggests he has reached the peak of the Houtian realm."

The martial brothers exchanged glances.

"Look at Qin Lang; he looks very young, yet his internal energy is so strong? His sect must be formidable too. The secret manuals he studies are at least Human-grade, perhaps even Earth-grade!" the Eldest Senior Brother murmured in awe. "If only we could obtain such secret manuals."

The surrounding group of youths nodded in agreement.

They were merely outer disciples of the Myriad Manifestation Sect, learning only introductory manuals for internal energy. Refining internal energy was relatively slow for them.

"Hmph, internal energy is the foundation! Secret manuals are fine, but the methods for killing and one's perception—those must be forged through practice," Huo Yan snorted, glancing at the group of youngsters. "Learning from texts will always feel shallow. Even if Qin Lang had the same level of internal energy as you, he could easily wipe you all out by himself. This is experience, perception, and what we call the difference in true realm!"

Huo Yan, an old hand who had traversed the land, knew this deeply.

True masters were all tempered through arduous experience and possessed their own unique insights. The same sword technique, when performed by different people, yielded vastly different levels of power.

"Hmph, you will understand once you truly escort goods, travel the world, and gain experience," Huo Yan stated coolly. "Hurry and eat breakfast; we open for guests soon."

"Yes, Martial Uncle."

...

Clip-clop! Clip-clop! Clip-clop!

The sound of hooves was dense—three horses, entirely azure except for their snow-white fetlocks, galloped swiftly. On each of the three horses sat an elder and two middle-aged men. All three carried sharp swords on their backs. Anyone knowledgeable could instantly recognize that these three mounts were 'Treading Snow,' the kings among the Azure Mane Horses produced in Qingzhou.

These Treading Snow warhorses stood over eight chi tall; aside from their four white fetlocks, their entire bodies were azure, without a single misplaced hair, their coats glossy.

When these horses ran, their speed was extreme. Each Treading Snow horse was valued at five thousand taels. People lacking status or significant wealth could never hope to ride such fine steeds.

Soon, the three Treading Snow Horses entered Yicheng City.

The rear courtyard of the Myriad Manifestation Tower.

"Grand-Martial Uncle, Master, Martial Uncle!" The two disciples already waiting bowed deeply upon seeing the three figures mounted on the three fine horses. After dismounting, these three immediately led their horses into the rear courtyard, where servants promptly approached to take the Treading Snow Horses to the stables.

"Hurry and inform your Martial Uncle," one middle-aged man in a green robe ordered, setting down the cloth sack from his back.

"Yes, Master," the disciple sprinted into the Myriad Manifestation Tower.

The other young disciples in the courtyard were too frightened to speak in the presence of these three.

The man in the green robe turned to the elder. "Master, where did this Qin Lang, who is selling the Ten Thousand Year Cold Iron, suddenly come from? Our Myriad Manifestation Sect keeps records of all heroes across the land; those with strength usually have intelligence reports filed. But in the records of our Jiangning Commandery Main Tower, there is no mention of anyone named Qin Lang."

"We will know once your junior martial brother arrives," the elder in the white robe said.

"Disciple pays respects to Master," Huo Yan said, arriving then and bowing deeply.

"Huo Yan, recount in detail the intelligence you gathered about this Qin Lang," the elder in the white robe instructed.

"Yes, Master." Huo Yan began to narrate in detail the strength Teng Qingshan had revealed, along with his own deductions. The three experts from the Myriad Manifestation Sect's Jiangning Commandery Main Tower listened intently.

...

At noon, Teng Qingshan finished lunch in a tavern and walked toward the Myriad Manifestation Tower, his battle saber on his back.

"When entering our Myriad Manifestation Tower, please disarm," a sword-carrying female usher instructed a couple about to enter. The couple knew the rules and immediately handed over their weapons for temporary safekeeping. Just then, Teng Qingshan walked up with his saber still sheathed on his back.

The usher dared not stop him. After Teng Qingshan strode inside, he proceeded directly up the stairs to the third floor.

"Hey, why didn't he disarm?" The couple looked surprised.

The usher couldn't be bothered to reply.

On the third floor of the Myriad Manifestation Tower, in Huo Yan's room.

As Teng Qingshan entered, he saw four people: the three middle-aged men and the elder in the white robe.

"Haha, Brother Qin Lang, come, come, let me introduce you. This is my Second Senior Brother, Feng Yan! And this is my Eldest Senior Brother, Liu Hezhou!" Tower Master Huo Yan introduced enthusiastically. The two middle-aged men also cupped their hands with smiles. The Myriad Manifestation Sect was a mercantile sect, generally very polite when hosting guests.

The elder in the white robe made a slight bow and smiled. "I am Liu Tiannan! My apprentice mentioned your skills, Brother Qin Lang, and I am greatly impressed. May I ask, Brother Qin Lang, who is your master? Perhaps I know him."

"My master is Teng Blei!" Teng Qingshan looked at the elder in the white robe. "Senior Liu, do you happen to know him?"

"Teng Blei? Over three hundred years ago, there was a Xiantian expert named Teng Blei on the land of the Nine Provinces. However, he passed away long ago. In the last one or two centuries, I truly do not know of any expert named Teng Blei on the Nine Provinces capable of teaching a formidable master like you, Brother Qin Lang. Still, the world is vast, and my knowledge is limited. I presume your master is a hidden expert, unknown to the public."

Teng Qingshan was slightly taken aback upon hearing this.

There really had been a Teng Blei on the Nine Provinces, but it was over three hundred years ago.

"Haha, let's not all stand here; let's sit down and talk," the elder in the white robe said once everyone was seated. "I already know, Brother Qin Lang, about your intention to sell the Purple Light Cold Iron. We have brought the Star Pattern Steel you requested from the Jiangning Commandery Main Tower."

Saying this, he opened the cloth sack placed on the floor beside him. Large slabs of silvery metal lay inside, the surface clearly showing point-like patterns resembling scattered stars—it was Star Pattern Steel, worth more than gold.

"Straightforward," Teng Qingshan smiled.

"May I ask, Brother Qin Lang, where did you obtain this Purple Light Cold Iron?" the elder in the white robe pressed, because places that produced Purple Light Cold Iron usually had more than one piece. Although such locations were often dangerous, the Myriad Manifestation Sect had many experts, and sending a large contingent to risk excavation for a treasure like the Ten Thousand Year Cold Iron was worthwhile.

Teng Qingshan's gaze turned cold, and his expression darkened slightly.

The atmosphere in the room immediately shifted.

"Gentlemen, are you still willing to do business?" Teng Qingshan stated directly.

"Of course, we are," the elder in the white robe replied, judging that relying on the strength of the few of them to use force against Teng Qingshan was not a sure thing.

"Good, here is the Ten Thousand Year Cold Iron." Teng Qingshan produced the cold iron.

Huo Yan next to him brought over another sack. "That bag contains 110 jin of Star Pattern Steel. This bag contains sixty jin of gold! You can weigh them."

Teng Qingshan meticulously examined the Star Pattern Steel and the gold in the two bags, ensuring nothing else was mixed in.

"My Ten Thousand Year Cold Iron is seven jin and two liang, correct?" Teng Qingshan looked at the elder in the white robe.

"Correct," the elder in the white robe stood up as well.

"Very well, I shall take my leave." Teng Qingshan grasped both bags; the total weight of 170 jin seemed weightless in his hands. He then walked straight downstairs.

The elder in the white robe frowned, watching Teng Qingshan depart.

"Master..." The other three looked at the elder in the white robe.

"Huo Yan, you stay here. You two come with me and quietly follow Qin Lang to see where he goes!" The elder in the white robe, 'Liu Tiannan,' immediately took his two disciples and rapidly left the Myriad Manifestation Tower.

Teng Qingshan stood on Mount Dayan, gazing at the distant Teng Family Village. He glanced back with a sneer. "Following me? By now, they must have turned south of Mount Dayan already." When leaving Yicheng, Teng Qingshan had deliberately taken the South Gate, following the banks of the Lanxiang River into Mount Dayan.

This route differed from the path home by over a hundred li.

Teng Qingshan intentionally circled within Mount Dayan. With his speed in the mountains, he easily left the three internal energy masters far behind. Afterward, Teng Qingshan crossed ridge after ridge in the southern part of Mount Dayan. He traveled over a hundred li of mountain paths within the wilderness before reaching the northernmost part of Mount Dayan.

At this moment, the Teng Family Village was within sight.

"110 jin of Star Pattern Steel, sixty jin of gold." The thought of his maternal grandfather, Teng Yunlong, and the others seeing this stash of gold made him smile.

"Time to go home!" Teng Qingshan smiled and strode purposefully toward the distant Teng Family Village.