Teng Qingshan, Li Jun, and the fisherman 'Shangguan Quan' peered through the sparse foliage toward the large group of soldiers surrounding the Wumu boat in the distance. The Gale Eagle was still circling high overhead.

"This is bad!" Shangguan Quan's face changed drastically. "Great Hero, your treasured boat has been discovered by the General's Mansion soldiers. This boat withstood the reefs of the Nine-Bend Ghost Marsh undamaged; these soldiers must be extremely covetous of it! Great Hero, are there any other treasures aboard your boat?"

Teng Qingshan glanced toward the distance. "Does that fist-sized green jewel count?"

"It certainly does," Shangguan Quan gasped. "Great Hero, getting that treasured boat back will be truly difficult for you."

"Who exactly are they? The General's Mansion?" Teng Qingshan remained unhurried.

At least everything was still within his control; the boat hadn't been moved. Shangguan Quan quickly explained, "Great Hero, I mentioned before that our Bright Moon Island's Eighteen Garrisons each have a General's Mansion. Those garrisons near the sea all have soldiers stationed at coastal barracks. These soldiers should be those from the North Yan Garrison's General's Mansion, stationed by the sea."

Hearing this, Teng Qingshan nodded, then smiled up at Shangguan Quan. "Shangguan Quan, you've done well running with us for half a day! Here is your reward—"

As he spoke, Teng Qingshan took a small pouch from his robes and poured a scattering of purple beads, perhaps a hundred or so, into Shangguan Quan's hand.

This small pouch of purple beads wasn't a huge amount, but it was roughly over a hundred pieces.

"Purple beads, for me?" Shangguan Quan's eyes instantly widened, and he held his breath.

Shangguan Quan’s eyes grew somewhat red, and scenes of the hardships he'd endured over the years flashed through his mind. It was so tiring for him, this man, supporting a whole family. "I can buy a good sharp sword for my son, and there's money to treat my wife's illness." Thinking of this, Shangguan Quan was about to kneel.

"These things are useless to us," Teng Qingshan said, extending a hand to steady Shangguan Quan's shoulder. No matter how hard Shangguan Quan tried, he couldn't lower himself to kneel.

"Benefactor!" Shangguan Quan felt immense gratitude in his heart.

He had expected disaster today, but instead, a huge windfall had fallen from the sky. Over a hundred purple beads—if used sparingly, they would last his family a lifetime.

"That's enough, you can go back now," Teng Qingshan instructed.

"Benefactor," Shangguan Quan quickly added, "You two must be very careful. Even heroes can't stand against overwhelming numbers! Also... the sword formations in the army are extremely formidable. It is rumored that even a powerhouse who has reached the Xiantian realm is in great danger if trapped by a large sword formation." Shangguan Quan was genuinely concerned for Teng Qingshan and Li Jun this time.

Teng Qingshan and Li Jun exchanged a glance.

A great sword formation? A threat to Xiantian masters?

"Yes," Teng Qingshan nodded. Shangguan Quan bowed repeatedly in thanks, then quietly slipped away, leaving only the two of them behind.

Teng Qingshan and Li Jun each had two enormous sacks beside them, filled with provisions, food, clothes, and other supplies purchased from the town.

"Brother Teng, what should we do?" Li Jun looked at Teng Qingshan. "Fight a great battle and then leave?" Li Jun had experienced much; in her youth, she had personally slain all her enemies before her master. With such experience, Li Jun was certainly not a soft-hearted person.

"There are hundreds of men here."

Teng Qingshan observed them from afar. "Depending on the situation, if we don't have to slaughter them, we won't. If they prove truly troublesome... then they can't blame us!" Teng Qingshan’s gaze was calm; hundreds of soldiers? Even with supreme swordsmanship, Teng Qingshan didn't take them seriously.

"Let's go, we're heading over!"

Teng Qingshan hoisted the two large sacks, slung a pack over his back, and strode toward the beach. Li Jun quietly followed behind.

...

On the beach, many soldiers were aboard the Wumu boat.

"Hurry, what are you all doing up there? Get the boat moving toward the barracks, quickly!" The general, holding two fist-sized Iron Leaf Fruits, roared.

"Sir, this boat only has two oars, and they are excessively long and massive. We simply can't move it."

The soldiers on the Wumu boat grew anxious.

"What?" The general glared. He had only focused on the precious Iron Leaf Fruits when he first boarded and hadn't noticed the boat only had two oars.

For such a large boat, over ten zhang long, to be propelled by just two oars, especially in the vicinity of the Nine-Bend Ghost Marsh—how could ordinary soldiers possibly manage it?

"Damn it, this is troublesome," the general frowned, immediately shouting to those around him. "Brothers, hurry and find ropes! Everyone put some strength into it, and we'll tow this big boat back to the barracks. This time, with so many treasures... if we hand over half, the rest of us brothers will divide it!"

"Alright!"

The soldiers were all red-eyed with excitement, like bull calves. Some went aboard to find ropes, some went to dismantle fishing nets, and some went to beg ropes from nearby fishermen. In short, everyone was scrambling for a solution.

Just then—

"Gentlemen, what business keeps you so busy?" A clear, hearty laugh suddenly rang out, sounding like a familiar greeting, the volume thundering like a clap of thunder.

Instantly, the general and all the soldiers turned to look.

They saw a young man with long, disheveled hair and a beard, carrying two huge sacks that seemed larger than he was. Beside him walked a beautiful girl dressed in purple. A brute and a fairy, standing together, the sight was indeed astonishing.

"Get out, get out!" A soldier immediately shouted. "This is the General's Mansion attending to official business, outsiders clear out!" Seeing Teng Qingshan and Li Jun approach, a soldier attempted to shove Teng Qingshan away.

"Get lost!" A soldier pushed his palm hard against Teng Qingshan’s chest.

"Get lost?"

Teng Qingshan took a step forward, exerting a sudden burst of force with his chest over a short distance. The soldier felt a soft yet immense power flow from his palm, through his arm, and into his entire body, and then—

Whoosh!

The soldier was flung backward, soaring a full six or seven zhang before splashing into the sea, kicking up white spray.

"Second Brother!" A soldier's eyes immediately turned red with alarm, and he glared at Teng Qingshan. "You bastard!" To be thrown six or seven zhang high, under normal circumstances, such a recoil force should have been enough to kill a man.

Teng Qingshan continued walking steadily, still hoisting the two enormous sacks.

"Puchi!"

That soldier drew his sword and lunged at Teng Qingshan. As the sword struck, a chilling killing intent seemed to permeate the air. Teng Qingshan, simply walking normally, took just one step forward and strangely evaded the blade. Then, his shoulder bumped against the soldier’s body, sending the man tumbling three or four times on the sand.

"Bastard!"

"You seek death!"

Instantly, the hundreds of surrounding soldiers were enraged. A string of metallic sounds—clang, clang, clang—followed as hundreds of sharp swords were drawn!

"Puh!" At that moment, a figure popped up in the sea, spitting out a mouthful of water, shouting ecstatically, "I'm not dead! Hahahaha, I'm not dead!!!"

The soldier who had been tumbling on the sand turned and saw him, his face full of relief. "Second Brother, you're not dead!"

"I'm alive and well, not a scratch on me." The soldier in the water was equally overjoyed. Suddenly, all the hundreds of soldiers around looked on in astonishment. Thrown six or seven zhang into the air by a mere push, and yet completely unharmed? This was too bizarre. In an instant, almost all the soldiers understood.

This burly fellow carrying the giant sacks was a true super-expert!

At least, his method of applying internal force was far superior to theirs.

"Swoosh!" "Swoosh!"

After walking just a few steps on the sand, Teng Qingshan and Li Jun leaped up simultaneously. Li Jun, being a peak Houtian master, found it no trouble at all to leap onto the deck of the Wumu boat.

The soldiers of the North Yan Garrison only had a moment of stunned silence before Teng Qingshan and Li Jun were already aboard.

"What are you doing!" Some of the burly soldiers on the Wumu boat immediately shouted.

"What am I doing?" Teng Qingshan put force into his right foot, kicking the cabin door open. He then used his Xiantian true essence to gently toss both large sacks, watching them spin as they floated down into the hold. Teng Qingshan then looked up at the group and smiled, "I haven't even asked what you are doing yet!"

"You, all of you, get off the boat!" Teng Qingshan walked over.

"You're telling us to get off?" These soldiers stared, wide-eyed.

The Eighteen General Mansions were accustomed to ruling supreme on Bright Moon Island.

"I say get off, and you get off!" Teng Qingshan’s body blurred, and he rushed into the dozens of men on the deck, swinging his hands left and right.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

One by one, the soldiers were 'flicked' off the deck and into the ocean like sandbags. "Stop it!" came angry roars. "You're courting death!" All those dozens of men were enraged, but their anger was useless. In the span of two breaths, the entire group of dozens had been thrown off the Wumu boat.

"Plop!" "Plop!" "Plop!"

Every soldier plunged into the sea, sending water splashing skyward.

"You, what are you doing?" The general’s eyes were bloodshot with fury, and he roared, "This treasured boat belongs to our North Yan Garrison's General's Mansion! You dare steal it in front of hundreds of soldiers? Are you seeking death?"

"Yours?"

Teng Qingshan, now on the Wumu boat, glanced at him and burst into laughter. "The North Yan Garrison's General's Mansion, one of the Eighteen General Mansions. Are you bandits? Judging by your attire, you must be an officer... Do you not blush when you say such things? Have you no shame? So this boat is yours now? Hahaha..."

Teng Qingshan's laughter made the general's face turn ugly.

"Release the boat and leave immediately, and I will pardon your transgression! Otherwise, even if you are from the Sword Tower, our General's Mansion has the right to execute you!" the general shouted menacingly.

The hundreds of soldiers stood holding their sharp swords, glaring coldly at Teng Qingshan on the Wumu boat.

Suddenly, a crisp, sweet voice sounded. "Brother Teng, the Iron Leaf Fruits aren't in the cabin—they’re all gone!"

"Iron Leaf Fruits?"

The hundreds of soldiers paused slightly.

On the bow of the Wumu boat, the young brute with long, scraggly hair and a beard let out a loud laugh. His body shot forward like an arrow, leaping nearly thirty zhang across the gap, soaring directly from the Wumu boat into the crowd of soldiers on the sand.

"Let go!" Teng Qingshan snatched the large fishing net full of Iron Leaf Fruits that the soldiers had been carrying away, right from their grasp.

"You—" The general’s face turned ashen.

"The one with the pale face," Teng Qingshan looked over. "Stop putting on airs. Hand over the two Iron Leaf Fruits you are holding!"