A chilling night wind howled across the entire Wuan Commandery City, yet Teng Qingshan sat on the second floor of the pavilion, where no candles had been lit, leaving it shrouded in darkness. Two pots of wine sat on the table, and he took a sip from time to time. The cold night wind billowed his robes, but Teng Qingshan remained seated by the table.
In the pitch-dark pavilion, Teng Qingshan sat in silence.
“Little Cat, I never expected to encounter a girl who looks so much like you in this lifetime! I wonder if she will look as beautiful as you when she grows up!” Teng Qingshan murmured. “Sigh… Originally, I thought that after traversing past and present lives, I was almost done forgetting you! But seeing this Xiao Jun, I realize… every expression, every glance, even the words you spoke to me, I still remember with perfect clarity. It’s as if it’s etched onto my soul; even in rebirth, I cannot forget.”
A faint smile touched Teng Qingshan’s face.
“Little Cat, it seems that it will be very difficult for your man to fall in love with another woman in this life! It’s all your fault, you know.” Teng Qingshan took another draught of wine.
…
That night, Teng Qingshan did not sleep, nor did he sit cross-legged for meditative cultivation. He simply sat alone throughout the night in that breezy, dark pavilion.
Dawn arrived.
Li Jun, clad in green, dashed through the manor, searching for Teng Qingshan.
“Miss Xiao Jun, up so early?” the stout man asked with a smile.
“Uncle Wang, where is Brother Teng?” Li Jun asked anxiously.
“The Commander left early this morning. He headed toward the Barren Wilds,” the stout man replied with a smile.
“He left?” Li Jun froze.
The stout man continued, “The Commander instructed Miss Xiao Jun to stay here comfortably. He will handle the matter of revenge for you. Also—” As he spoke, the stout man retrieved a gold note from his robe. “—This is a hundred taels of gold note. The Commander entrusted it to me before leaving. If Miss Xiao Jun wishes to buy a house, or for when she marries in the future, she can use this gold.”
Li Jun looked at the gold note and couldn't help the tears welling up in her eyes.
One hundred taels of gold equaled ten thousand taels of silver. For normal living expenses, it was enough for a lifetime.
“Buy a house, marry…” Li Jun’s tears flowed silently.
…
Helping Xiao Jun this one time only deepened Teng Qingshan’s memories of his past life, causing his mood to turn somewhat somber. He had no inclination for sightseeing; instead, he advanced quickly. By evening that day, Teng Qingshan had reached Nanman City, the small city in all of Yangzhou closest to the Barren Wilds!
Nanman City was comparable in size to Yicheng.
However, because it was the closest city in Yangzhou to the Barren Wilds, Nanman City was quite prosperous. Martial artists unafraid of venturing into the Barren Wilds, and herb gatherers collecting medicinal herbs near the periphery, all congregated in Nanman City. After all, while the Barren Wilds was dangerous, it harbored many herbs rarely found elsewhere.
In Nanman City.
“Innkeeper, prepare a superior room,” Teng Qingshan instructed as he entered the ground-floor hall of an inn. “And bring a table of wine and dishes.” Having said this, Teng Qingshan chose a seat near the window.
“Guest, what would you like to eat?” The waiter immediately brought over the menu.
After ordering some wine and food, Teng Qingshan began to eat and drink.
“That child Xiao Jun, having lost all her family, will likely need some time to fully recover,” Teng Qingshan mused to himself while eating. Regarding that Li Jun… Teng Qingshan felt no romantic affection; after all, Li Jun was just a thirteen-year-old girl, even younger than his own sister, Xiaoyu.
Teng Qingshan’s psychological age was likely old enough to be her father.
This was merely the concern a big brother felt.
“Hmm, she has Old Wang taking care of her in Wuan Commandery City. It’s not dangerous there. Her future life will depend on herself,” Teng Qingshan understood that he was merely a transient figure in Li Jun’s life.
Whoosh!
A middle-aged man in gray robes, wearing a bamboo hat, strode into the inn. He glanced at Teng Qingshan, and a flicker of surprise crossed his eyes. Then, the middle-aged man ascended the stairs directly to the upper floor.
…
In a private room on the third floor, a lavish spread of food and wine covered the round table. Around it sat three middle-aged men and two elders. All five were clad in gray robes. One of the elders was Elder Wei Canglong of the 'Ironclad Sect' from Chu Commandery in Yangzhou. The five were eating and chatting merrily.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
A knock echoed, and the five in the private room quieted down.
“Enter,” Wei Canglong commanded.
After the door was pushed open, the gray-robed middle-aged man entered. Seeing him, the five at the table visibly relaxed. The newcomer closed the private room door, removed his bamboo hat, and immediately stated, “The matter has been settled! However… as I came up from downstairs, I spotted Teng Qingshan of the Guiyuan Sect on the first floor!”
“Teng Qingshan!” All five were somewhat startled.
Wei Canglong turned to look at the handsome middle-aged man beside him, whose temples were flecked with white hair. “Senior Brother, is it possible that Teng Qingshan’s arrival means the Guiyuan Sect has discovered the secret of our Ironclad Sect?” Judging by Wei Canglong’s tone, this handsome middle-aged man was evidently the leader of the group.
“Very few within our Ironclad Sect know this secret! It’s unlikely the Guiyuan Sect does,” the handsome middle-aged man shook his head. “It’s just that this secret was obtained by the Ironclad Sect in Xuyang Commandery. Could it be that the Guiyuan Sect also found some clues in Xuyang Commandery?”
Silence fell over the six in the private room.
This matter was of grave importance.
“Senior Brother,” Wei Canglong frowned. “Teng Qingshan is the commander of the Guiyuan Sect’s Black Armored Army. Why would he come to Nanman City for no reason? I can’t think of any other business he’d have here. Therefore, I worry he is secretly trailing us. Perhaps not just him alone, but others we haven't noticed.”
What he said made every person present tense up.
“If we are targeted by them, we will be in serious trouble.”
“Grand Martial Uncle, what should we do?”
…
All eyes turned toward the handsome middle-aged man.
“Stop scaring yourselves!” the handsome middle-aged man shook his head. “If there were others from the Guiyuan Sect, we would have detected them already. As for Teng Qingshan being alone… Hmph, if he’s overreaching, he’s looking to die. Pay no mind to it. We will finish dinner, rest for the night, and set off into the Barren Wilds first thing tomorrow morning!”
“Yes, Senior.”
The other five responded respectfully.
Early the next morning, the six from the Ironclad Sect, clad in their gray robes and wearing bamboo hats, quickly left Nanman City. They then proceeded on foot into the Barren Wilds. After all, the Barren Wilds was full of mountains, forests, and ravines, making horseback travel impossible; they could only rely on their two legs. Teng Qingshan departed slightly later than the six from the Ironclad Sect.
The morning sun rose.
Teng Qingshan exited the south gate of Nanman City and continued southward.
“The Barren Wilds… I truly don't know how vast this place is.” Gazing into the distance at the endless expanse of dark, imposing masses, and vaguely seeing jagged peaks rising amidst the clouds far off—this was the Barren Wilds! The most dangerous region across all of the Nine Continents.
The Barren Wilds spanned the southern boundaries of three continents: Yangzhou in the southeast region of the Nine Continents, Yanzhou directly to the south, and Rongzhou in the southwest region!
As for the depth, at least the books recorded nothing beyond a certain point.
“The Guiyuan Sect’s map only notes a depth of about two thousand li. Further in… nothing is marked,” Teng Qingshan looked down at the map in his hand, vaguely discerned the direction, and then put the map away, continuing his steady stride.
…
The Barren Wilds was sparsely populated. Decaying fallen leaves piled up on the ground, making sounds as he walked. Ancient trees stood there, having grown for unknown numbers of years. After walking only a few hours, Teng Qingshan encountered the largest tree he had seen—it was nearly three zhang wide.
“I wonder which is larger, this Barren Wilds or the Amazon from my past life!” Teng Qingshan had trained in the Amazon in his previous life. “But the Amazon is mostly water-logged terrain. This, however, is a forest, filled with ferocious beasts, venomous snakes, poisonous insects, and even Demonic Beasts. It is far more perilous!”
The scent of rotting dead leaves and decay permeated the forest. The towering trees created an oppressive, heavy air.
Teng Qingshan’s steps were light. This ancient Barren Wilds felt as familiar as his own home.
Coiled around a nearby pitch-black tree was a similarly dark-colored venomous snake. It was fixedly staring at the rapidly moving human—Teng Qingshan!
Swish! The snake, having gathered its strength, shot out like a black bolt of lightning, aiming to bite Teng Qingshan.
Whoosh!
Teng Qingshan’s pace did not alter in the slightest. The Blood-Drinking Saber grasped in his hand sliced through the air, leaving a streak of red light. The venomous snake plummeted from mid-air. Its two severed halves writhed and twitched on the ground, still emitting faint hissing sounds—its vitality was indeed strong. Teng Qingshan didn't spare it a glance and continued striding forward, vanishing into the distance in the blink of an eye.
Venomous snakes?
Teng Qingshan had no fear of poison. Moreover, given the acuity of his Six Senses, these fierce beasts and serpents stood no chance of escaping his detection.
…
Teng Qingshan traveled swiftly, while the six members of the Ironclad Sect moved more slowly. Although they were all masters, with one even being a Xiantian expert, they dared not underestimate the insects and snakes within the Barren Wilds. Especially the Houtian masters—a single bite could result in severe injury, if not death!
“Silver Horn Mountain, two thousand li deep. This Barren Wilds is full of forests, lakes, and venomous creatures… It might take us half a month to arrive,” Wei Canglong and his group gripped their weapons tightly. In the Barren Wilds, even those listed on the 'Earth Ranking' could perish from an insect bite!
Danger lurked everywhere!
“Someone is coming!” The handsome middle-aged man’s face turned stern as he let out a low cry.
The other five immediately fell silent.
In the distance, a figure flashed by swiftly, glancing in their direction.
“It’s Teng Qingshan!” Wei Canglong’s expression shifted.
The faces of the group turned grim.
“This Teng Qingshan is following us…” Another Ironclad Sect expert looked toward the handsome middle-aged man. “Grand Martial Uncle, Teng Qingshan is likely tracking us! As soon as we left Nanman City, it was an open plain, stretching as far as the eye could see. He didn't dare pursue quickly. Only after entering the Barren Wilds did he rush to catch up. If you hadn't detected the sound just now, we probably wouldn't have noticed him.”
“Perhaps it was coincidence…” someone offered.
The handsome middle-aged man, however, spoke in a low voice. “We met him once before, and now we meet him again. It might be coincidence. But it could also mean he is tailing us.”
“Whether he is truly tracking us or not! The secret of our Ironclad Sect must not be exposed! Once it gets out… not only will our Ironclad Sect fail to prosper, but it will invite complete annihilation,” the handsome middle-aged man stated coldly. “Liu Jian, you follow him. Kill Teng Qingshan!”