"Brother Qin Wei, Brother Ma, this inn has a very good environment, and the price isn't too steep," Old Zhang brought Teng Qingshan and the others to the entrance of an inn. Then, Old Zhang shouted towards the interior, "Old Man Zhou!" Immediately, an elder wearing a leather cap rushed out, grinning, "Aiya, Master Zhang is back."

Old Zhang chuckled and chided, "If you call me Master, I can't accept it! These folks are all my friends. I'm bringing you business; just earn a little, and that's fine, no problem, right?"

"Agreed! Anyone eating or staying here because of them gets a thirty percent discount!" the elder surnamed Zhou said with a smile.

...

While Teng Qingshan and the others were at the entrance of that inn, at that very moment, in a luxurious private room on the third floor of a restaurant across the street.

A man, clad in luxurious black fur robes, slightly plump, with fair skin, was sitting with his knees drawn up, leaning against the side wall. On the square table before him lay wine and dishes. He held a wine cup in one hand, occasionally glancing out the window at the street below, leisurely sipping his wine and nibbling on food from time to time.

This man was none other than Pei San, the one who had purchased the courtesan queen back then!

On the other two sides of the square table sat a dark, tower-like, sturdy man, and a beautiful young woman dressed in white fox fur.

"Huh?" Pei San looked towards the street with a sharp sound of surprise.

At this moment, Teng Qingshan on the street was instructing the waiter, while also moving to untie the two crates containing the tea bricks.

"I almost didn't recognize him," Pei San beckoned, "Du Juan, both of you, come look. Who is down there!"

Meng Dujuan and the guard 'Iron Tower' both looked out the window below.

"Master, there's no one we know down there," Iron Tower said, puzzled.

Meng Dujuan looked closely, then shook her head, "Master, I don't see anyone familiar."

"Stare at the man holding one large crate in each hand. The one with a curved saber hanging at his waist, whose attire suggests he is from Youyan. See him?" Pei San smiled.

"I see him, but we haven't met this person before," Iron Tower wondered.

Meng Dujuan observed intently for a long time. Only when Teng Qingshan entered the inn did she frown and shake her head, "Don't know him."

"Haha, Teng Qingshan's disguise skills are truly remarkable," Pei San praised.

"Master, you mean..." Iron Tower's eyes widened.

Meng Dujuan also found it hard to believe, "Impossible, that person can't possibly be Teng Qingshan. He looks completely different—different height, different features, even the aura is different. How can it be the same person?" In Meng Dujuan's view... a person's aura was very difficult to change. Even after being pointed out, she still couldn't accept it.

"He is Teng Qingshan!" Pei San was absolutely certain.

"Haha, no wonder you couldn't recognize him."

Pei San took a slow sip of wine with a faint smile, then said, "I didn't recognize him at first glance either. Over the years, once I've seen someone and memorized them, it's usually with a human-skin mask—I can recognize them immediately. But this Teng Qingshan... I only felt a sense of familiarity just now."

"Later, upon closer scrutiny, I realized that among those two cargo boxes, one contained a clothes chest. The partition inside this chest was hollow. Lying flat within were an axe and two sections of a spear shaft."

"Discovering those weapons, I was able to confirm his identity!"

Pei San was filled with astonishment, "If not for those two weapons, even I wouldn't have recognized him. His skill at disguise is truly formidable."

Meng Dujuan and Iron Tower exchanged glances.

They knew clearly how terrifying their Master's strength was; even their Master couldn't recognize him at a glance and had to rely on finding weapons to confirm his identity. This skill of disguise... was indeed chilling.

"Across the entire Jiuzhou, the number of people who can identify Teng Qingshan is extremely few," Pei San said with a faint smile. "Moreover, these few people had never met Teng Qingshan before. Even if they saw this Teng Qingshan now... they wouldn't think of it. Therefore, they wouldn't bother checking Teng Qingshan's clothes chest specifically."

"Unless the weapons are discovered, there is no way Teng Qingshan could be exposed," Pei San stated.

Iron Tower and Meng Dujuan nodded in agreement.

"According to reports, over ten thousand soldiers died on Qinghu Island, along with twelve Enforcement Elders. Many Xiantian experts from other major sects also perished," Meng Dujuan said, smiling in admiration. "This Teng Qingshan is truly formidable. It seems he won't even be eighteen for a while yet... yet now, he walks the world brazenly, and Qinghu Island still cannot find him."

Pei San looked down through the window: "Teng Qingshan..."

"He has already reached the Xiantian Core Pellet stage! His rate of progress is beyond my expectations. I am growing more and more intrigued by him," Pei San sighed shortly after. "Pity, he was born too late..."

The sigh echoed through the room.

Hearing this sound, an involuntary sorrow settled in the heart.

Iron Tower glanced at Pei San's expression, then whispered, "Master, Martial Uncle has already attacked the Carefree Palace and is likely waiting for you. We should go join Martial Uncle."

"Mhm!"

Pei San nodded and rose.

Instantly, Meng Dujuan and Iron Tower followed Pei San, leaving the inn.

Inside the inn where Teng Qingshan was staying.

"Bang!" "Bang!" The two crates were set on the floor. Teng Qingshan swiftly closed the room's window and door. Then he took out the clothes chest from one of the crates and placed it inside the quilt bedding.

"God-Shattering Axe, Reincarnation Spear. If someone discovered these, it would be troublesome," Teng Qingshan was very careful.

For him, these crates meant for storing tea bricks were merely for disguising his identity.

The clothes chest looked ordinary, inside and out, but once someone knocked open the iron sheet of the partition, they would find... two sections of spear shafts and the God-Shattering Axe stored in the layer beneath.

"Hmm, tomorrow I'll find a merchant guild and mix into a caravan heading to Yuzhou!" Teng Qingshan mused to himself.

This route went northwest from Yang Province, passing through Qing Province and Yu Province, then on to Yanzhou. After that, entering the Great Steppe, heading straight north... reaching the northernmost shore. Drifting on the North Sea for over one hundred thousand li would be the path to the final destination—the North Sea Continent. Teng Qingshan absolutely had to go to this North Sea Continent!

First, his greatly strengthened 'Spirit' could reach the Xiantian Golden Pellet. But stepping into the Void Realm required more than just cultivating the spirit.

Only by reaching the Void Realm would he have genuine influence across the entire Jiuzhou land!

Second, it was also to fulfill the promise made to Emperor Yu.

He had to admit, Emperor Yu's move was brilliant... the Void Realm was enough to attract martial artists to the North Sea Continent.

...

By evening, Teng Qingshan prepared to go downstairs for dinner.

"Creak!"

Teng Qingshan opened the door and stepped into the corridor.

"Xiao He," Teng Qingshan called out with a smile. In the room next to Teng Qingshan, the door was wide open; Xiao He and his mother lived there. At that moment, Xiao He was vigorously practicing swings with a wooden stick.

"Uncle Qin," Xiao He immediately called out.

"This saber chop not only needs to be practiced daily but also requires thought, understand?" Teng Qingshan smiled. "For example, how can you chop the fastest? You need to gradually correct your posture, such as your stance; swinging with two hands is different from swinging with one. You need to constantly ponder... until you find the posture that suits you best. Only then will your strike be the fastest, understand?"

"Oh."

Xiao He stared with wide eyes, seemingly pondering.

He was just a child, only mechanically swinging the wooden stick every day to complete the task given by his master. But this way... progress was too slow.

"Remember, learn to use your brain," Teng Qingshan smiled.

"It seems Brother Qin Wei is also a master," at that moment, Ma Jinshao emerged from another room.

Teng Qingshan managed a wry smile, "What master am I? Although I have some small cleverness, my talent is average. Practiced for twenty or thirty years, and this is all I've achieved! Selling a bit of tea brick, and this time I'll make a solid profit. At least my whole family won't worry about food and clothing from now on. I can also properly teach my own little brat... at least he must be stronger than his father."

"I envy Brother Qin Wei, having children to teach," Ma Jinshao sighed.

"Brother Ma, let's go down to eat together. Xiao He, you rest for a bit too," Teng Qingshan suggested.

"I went out earlier and have already eaten," Ma Jinshao said with a smile.

Saying this, Ma Jinshao stepped into Xiao He's room, and Teng Qingshan followed him inside.

"Creak!" Ma Jinshao closed the door.

Teng Qingshan looked at Ma Jinshao in surprise; why close the door?

"Xiao He," Ma Jinshao looked at the child.

"Master!" Xiao He immediately puffed out his chest and stood straight.

Ma Jinshao smiled and patted Xiao He's head, which made Xiao He feel somewhat flattered. His master was usually very strict. While food and provisions were well-supplied, acts of such doting affection were rare.

"Xiao He, what Uncle Qin said just now was very correct. Whether practicing the saber or the sword, one must know how to think with their mind. Those who simply copy the techniques of previous masters in their saber or swordplay mostly end up mediocre. But learning to think allows one to avoid detours!" Ma Jinshao showed a slight smile. "Xiao He, you have good perseverance, and your talent is adequate. If you learn to think critically and change, and cultivate diligently, you will surely achieve something when you reach adulthood."

"However, Master has urgent matters to attend to."

Ma Jinshao took a manual from his robes and handed it to Xiao He's mother, "Madam Tan, this manual encompasses everything. If I return after finishing my business, I will personally teach Xiao He... but if I don't come back, you should first teach Xiao He literacy. Then, let him study this manual himself."

"Master, you... you are leaving Xiao He?" Tan He exclaimed, rushing to hug his master's leg.

"Xiao He," his mother pulled Tan He back.

"Xiao He, don't be sentimental," Ma Jinshao reprimanded sternly. "Your master has his own affairs! I can't always stay with you... Madam Tan, there are bank notes tucked inside the manual. If used sparingly, they should last for decades."

Madam Tan and her son's eyes grew somewhat red.

They realized that their benefactor, 'Ma Jinshao,' was setting out to do something very dangerous.

"Master," the seven or eight-year-old Tan He knelt down with a thud.

Then he kowtowed three times in succession!

His forehead turned red and swollen from striking the ground. Tan He looked up at his master, his eyes swimming with tears: "Master, all my other relatives are dead. Only you and Mother are left. Master... you must come back to teach me this martial art! If you're not here, I won't learn it well!"

Ma Jinshao felt a pang of sorrow in his heart, but he forced himself to say, "Be strong, don't cry." Then, Ma Jinshao directly opened the door and left.

"Wuwu..." Tan He couldn't help but cry softly.

Seeing this, Teng Qingshan sighed inwardly, then gently stroked Tan He's head, whispering, "Xiao He, don't worry, your master will definitely come back to teach you."

"Yes, he definitely will," Xiao He nodded quickly.