The guards at the entrance of the Wu City Lord’s Mansion occasionally stamped their feet. It was truly cold, this deep winter.

“Could you two perhaps help me announce that I wish to see the City Lord? It concerns that Teng Qingshan.” Sun Feng quietly produced a few bits of silver from his inner pocket and offered them.

The eyes of the two guards lit up. After dividing the silver in half, one of the guards finally said with a smile, “Teng Qingshan?

Many people are looking to get rich these days. A few days ago, someone claimed to have found Teng Qingshan somewhere.

A brief investigation later proved it false. However, seeing as you’ve been generous, I’ll relay your message for you.

Wait here.” The guard was clearly in a good mood as he hurried into the Mansion. In a small city like Wu City, the guards were just strong, able-bodied common men, with few true masters among them.

Receiving a few taels of silver was enough to excite them greatly. Moments later— The guard rushed back, beaming.

“Kid, you’re lucky; the City Lord happens to be free right now. He’ll see you.

But remember, once inside the manor, don’t wander off. Stick close to me.” The guard then immediately led Sun Feng into the Wu City Lord’s Mansion.

Inside the Martial Arts Hall of the Wu City Lord’s Mansion. A burly man with a thick, unshaven beard, wearing only a single layer of clothing, was swinging a broad saber in the hall.

His stances were simple, yet every movement struck with the speed of crashing thunder. Whoosh!

Whoosh! The sharp surge of energy left distinct grooves scarring the bluestone-paved floor.

“My Lord, the man is here,” the guard called from outside. The City Lord of Wu City finally stopped practicing his saber forms, turned toward the entrance, and smiled.

“Come in! Nowadays, everyone is trying to find Teng Qingshan, hoping to earn that thousand taels of gold.” Just delivering a message like this was worth a thousand taels of gold.

No wonder so many people were looking for Teng Qingshan. The guard retreated, and Sun Feng stepped into the Martial Arts Hall.

“Impressive saber technique,” Sun Feng complimented. “Even the wind shear from your blade leaves marks on the bluestone.

With such skill, My Lord, you might just make it onto the Earthly Roster.” As he spoke, Sun Feng’s figure flickered, like a falling leaf, gracefully tracing a strange arc before settling two zhang in front of the City Lord of Wu City. The City Lord’s eyes brightened with pleasant surprise.

“Exceptional lightness skill (Qinggong)!” Sun Feng chuckled. “It’s probably the only thing I have worth showing off.” The City Lord was a man of discernment.

Based solely on that lightness skill, he judged that this clever-looking young man must be a master. Most of the people who had brought false reports recently were commoners.

They’d claim someone was Teng Qingshan just because they saw a person with a silver spear or a person with a large black axe. This City Lord was already quite irritated by the false alarms.

However... A truly powerful master usually wouldn't be so bored as to report false sightings.

“To be frank, My Lord, I actually make a living by… eating bread from a hundred families,” Sun Feng quipped with a grin. “A master thief?” The City Lord also smiled.

“A mere petty thief, if you like. Calling me a ‘master thief’ makes my face flush,” Sun Feng laughed.

“Here’s the thing: I’ve been casing a group of merchants. One of them, I’ve investigated, travels solo from Yangzhou to Yanzhou.

His name is Qin Wei. Merchants who travel such long distances alone must be engaged in major business, so I planned to relieve him of a large sum!” “Today, the group had just settled in.

I took advantage of Qin Wei going to the latrine and slipped into his room, opening his freight chest,” Sun Feng narrated. He actually had this lie prepared, and on the back of the portrait his master had given him, there was a drawing of a chest, inside which, hidden in a false compartment, were the Reincarnation Spear and the Mountain-Splitting Divine Axe.

The City Lord listening beside him had his eyes shining brightly. “The chest contained nothing but tea bricks, but… in one of the two large freight chests, there was a smaller trunk.

When I opened the trunk, it looked unremarkable at first glance. But who am I?

I’ve seen all sorts of treasure concealment methods. I easily found a secret compartment inside the trunk.

To my astonishment… within that compartment were two sections of a spear shaft and a black axe!” Sun Feng recounted. The City Lord of Wu City was greatly startled.

“Truly?” The City Lord found it hard to believe. “Of course.

Do I look like I have nothing better to do?” Sun Feng laughed. “I had already investigated the caravan before I intended to make a move.

That Qin Wei traveled from Yangzhou to Huye County in Qingzhou, and then joined the Hu Clan Merchant Convoy, finally arriving here in Wu City, Yuzhou! I strongly suspect this is Teng Qingshan.” Upon hearing this, the City Lord began to seriously consider the possibility.

Firstly, Sun Feng’s identity suggested he was a genuine master, a thief of renown. Such a person wouldn't waste his time with nonsense.

Secondly, what Sun Feng said about ‘Qin Wei’ traveling all the way from Yangzhou aligned with reports that Teng Qingshan was last seen in Yangzhou. “Haha, I still don’t know your real name,” the City Lord said.

“My name is Yan Feng,” Sun Feng replied. “Oh, Brother Yan Feng, would you be willing to stay here with me temporarily?

Once we confirm it is Teng Qingshan in a few days, I will pay you the thousand taels of gold.” The City Lord suggested. Sun Feng smiled, “If the City Lord does not mind me staying, I would be delighted.

If I don’t get that thousand taels of gold, I won't be satisfied.” Hearing this, the City Lord felt even more certain of the news’s authenticity. The fact that the supposed master was willing to stay behind lent greater credibility to the claim.

Immediately, the City Lord ordered someone to arrange suitable lodgings for ‘Yan Feng,’ while he himself promptly sent a message via carrier pigeon to the Yu Imperial Gate. ...

Wu City was very close to the Royal City, ‘Yu City,’ so the news quickly reached the Yu Imperial Gate. In the Royal City, ‘Yu City,’ there was a massive palace occupying a vast area in the center—this was the Yu Imperial Palace, the stronghold of the Yu Imperial Gate.

At the Nine Tripod Hall of the Yu Imperial Gate. Rows of jet-black chairs were neatly arranged.

The absolute top masters of the Yu Imperial Gate successively entered the hall. These powerful figures exchanged whispers until finally, the black-haired man wearing a black robe embroidered with gold stepped into the Nine Tripod Hall, and silence fell over everyone.

“Gate Master!” they respectfully greeted in unison. The Gate Master of the Yu Imperial Gate scanned the assembled group with his deep eyes, around which a faint halo seemed to shimmer, and spoke with a light smile.

“You are all wondering why I have gathered you so urgently. This matter is both minor, as it concerns only a Teng Qingshan, and major, as it involves the personal weapon of our founder, the Yu Emperor Ancestor!” Instantly, there was an uproar.

“The Yu Emperor Ancestor’s Mountain-Splitting Divine Axe?” “Have they found Teng Qingshan?” The Gate Master of the Yu Imperial Gate calmly raised a hand, signaling for quiet, and continued, “The news comes from Wu City in the south. The City Lord of Wu City reports that a master thief, while robbing a traveling merchant, discovered two spear shafts and a black axe hidden in a secret compartment of the merchant’s trunk!” “This traveling merchant is named Qin Wei!

He departed from Yangzhou, arrived at Huye County in Qingzhou, then changed convoys and finally reached Wu City in Yuzhou!” The Gate Master of the Yu Imperial Gate looked at the assembled members. “Tell me, what is the probability that this person is Teng Qingshan?” “Gate Master, reports of finding Teng Qingshan surface frequently everywhere now, but none have proven true.

This is most likely another falsehood.” “Not necessarily. Since he is called a master thief, he likely possesses some skill.

Such a person wouldn’t likely spread lies recklessly.” “Why the rush? Let’s wait until we confirm he’s been found.

Rushing over now would be a wasted effort.” ... Inside the Nine Tripod Hall, the various high-ranking members of the Yu Imperial Gate held differing opinions.

“Huye County?” Suddenly, the thin, silver-haired old man seated near the front frowned. “As I recall, more than half a month ago, Huye County conducted city-wide arrests, also searching for Teng Qingshan.

Such a large operation suggests that the Carefree Palace or Azure Lake Island had pinpointed Teng Qingshan’s location there.” At these words, more people present began to believe the report was true. “This has a strong possibility.

That Qin Wei might indeed be Teng Qingshan.” “Didn’t the Gate Master just say that Qin Wei came from Yangzhou… Teng Qingshan was also in Yangzhou.” Clearly, the majority believed the news to be genuine. A faint smile appeared on the Gate Master’s face.

“According to the message from the City Lord of Wu City, the master thief possesses extremely high lightness skill, placing him among the elite of Post-Celestial masters. Moreover, he is currently residing within the City Lord’s Mansion in Wu City.

Combined with the previous intelligence… I estimate the probability that Qin Wei is Teng Qingshan is ninety percent!” “If that black axe was obtained from the Yu Emperor’s Treasure Trove, it should be the Mountain-Splitting Divine Axe. Tell me, sirs, shall we seize it or not?” The Gate Master of the Yu Imperial Gate inquired.

“Seize it, of course!” A tall, sturdy man dressed in a black robe suddenly stood up and proclaimed loudly, “The Mountain-Splitting Divine Axe is the personal weapon of our Yu Emperor Ancestor! It belongs to the Yu Imperial Gate!

No one in this world is more qualified to possess it than us!” “Yes, the Mountain-Splitting Divine Axe must be brought back,” many others agreed. A stooped old woman spoke up.

“Sirs, the Yu Emperor Ancestor left an instruction forbidding us from excavating the Treasure Trove—that it should be obtained by the fated one! Furthermore, no matter how powerful the Mountain-Splitting Divine Axe is, it is still just an axe; it holds no intrinsic purpose.

Why stir up trouble? Not to mention, we still don't know for sure if it is the Mountain-Splitting Divine Axe.” “Hmph, Senior Sister, your words are misplaced,” the thin old man retorted, his eyes narrowing.

“The Yu Emperor Ancestor only forbade us from excavating! Now that the treasure has emerged, and other sects are scrambling for the ‘Spirit of the North Sea’ while we abstain, merely reclaiming the Ancestor’s personal weapon is hardly wrong!” The old woman smiled.

“Junior Brother, are you suggesting we kill Teng Qingshan and take the axe? Isn't that acting as a mere pawn for Azure Lake Island?” “If we don’t kill him, won’t he just flee?

If he escapes this time, finding him next time will be difficult,” the old woman chuckled. “While we don't fear Azure Lake Island, they suffered heavy losses this time, so we need not invite trouble with that Blind Sword Saint.” The Blind Sword Saint?

The members of the Yu Imperial Gate quieted down. In terms of Post-Celestial strength, the Yu Imperial Gate clearly surpassed Azure Lake Island, even possessing Void Realm experts!

But— From the few times the Blind Sword Saint had acted, all major sects had concluded that he had reached the Great Perfection of ‘Entering the Void’! He was undeniably one of the most terrifying figures across the entire Nine Provinces continent.

Moreover, the Blind Sword Saint’s sword arts were exceedingly sharp and terrifying. Although the Yu Imperial Gate, the Qin Family, and the Mani Temple did not fear him, no one wished to provoke that blind man.

“Here is what we shall do: Teng Qingshan is in Wu City now and won't leave soon. Send word to Azure Lake Island!

I believe their people will arrive in Wu City before dawn tomorrow! By then, our Yu Imperial Gate members will watch while we let Azure Lake Island take action to kill Teng Qingshan.

As for the Mountain-Splitting Divine Axe… once the Yu Imperial Gate takes possession of it, Azure Lake Island won’t dare to say a word.” The Gate Master of the Yu Imperial Gate made his decision.