[Urban] The Way Home (Complete) - 28-30

Chapter Thirty-Four: Crossing the Blue Demon on Three Reeds

It was already past midnight when I returned to the Crystal Palace. Although everyone was exhausted, they were still waiting outside for my orders. I left myself alone in the room, carefully considering the successes and failures of today's battle. Launching an attack rashly without knowing the enemy's situation led to an immediate disadvantage; failing to maintain high vigilance on the battlefield resulted in a sneak attack using despicable means. I sighed deeply. As the commander-in-chief, I had to take full responsibility for this operation. I could have comforted myself by saying we had won, but how could I face the fallen brothers!

"Come in, all of you!"

The leaders of Killing Fortress filed in, their expressions no better than mine. "I called you all here to summarize this operation. Although we have won, the deaths of over six hundred brothers are a fact. As the leader of Killing Fortress, I bear an unshirkable responsibility!"

"Holy Lord, you can't say that!" Da Nian stepped forward, kneeling before the others. "I believe everyone is aware of what happened. The key issue is our inadequate intelligence; we were completely unaware of their hidden arrangements! Therefore, it is my incompetence that has harmed everyone. I, Li Danian, am willing to submit to Your Majesty's judgment."

"Now is not the time for you to apologize, Danian. Besides, this has nothing to do with your Military Intelligence Bureau. It is the result of my own willful actions. Now, I order you to mobilize all intelligence personnel within the territory of the Nine Fortresses of My Kill Fortress and to find out the whereabouts of those Japanese as soon as possible."

"Your Majesty, rest assured, I will go immediately!" Danian said and left. I watched his retreating figure, looking somewhat dejected. I sighed again; morale was truly low!

"Gold Medal Number One!"

"Your subordinate is here!"

"Currently, only your men are unharmed. Tell them to rest well, but be ready to attack at any time! We will not leave the Nine Fortresses until all these Japanese bastards are wiped out!"

"Your subordinate obeys!"

A wave of weariness washed over me. I waved them away, then reached out and pulled Ao Xing into my arms, speechless for a moment. Ao Xing gently stroked my back, her other hand caressing my cheek.

"Ao Xing, am I really useless?"

"Who says! My husband is the best man in the world! And the best leader of Killer Fortress! Ao Xing is always proud of him!"

"But I was almost killed just now, and my brothers will probably laugh at my cowardice from beyond the grave, because… because I was terrified! I never imagined it would be like that! I believed no one could threaten my cultivation! But… but today, some random Japanese soldier almost killed me!" I was truly terrified. Snowy night, corpses, screams—I never imagined I would kill so many people with my own hands, nor did I ever imagine I would be killed! I always thought that Killer Fortress and I were an invincible combination on the continent, but that belief was ruthlessly shattered tonight! When I was young, I didn't feel much danger because my grandfather always looked after me. Now, although I'm older and can manage on my own, how could I, who had always been invincible, remain unmoved by the countless corpses of my brothers? I still clearly remember the despair in Feng Xiping's eyes. I can still see the corpses scattered across the mountains, but for some reason, I can't recall their faces. I clutched Aoxing tightly in my arms; perhaps only the warmth of my beloved woman's body could bring me peace.

"Another Japanese sword!" Another Japanese sword appeared before me, slashing down from the sky with a thunderous roar! Why can't I move? Move! "Ah!"

I'm having a nightmare! I looked at the sunlight streaming through the window and felt a pang of fear. So light can be cold. Several people rushed in from outside. They were my women, the women I swore to protect for life, but now, who is protecting whom? Looking at the concern in their eyes, I couldn't help but smile bitterly. "It's nothing, I just dreamt that Xiaoyu spilled my wine! That was wine stolen by one of the ten strongest in the world!"

The women all laughed, but tears glistened in their eyes.

Wan Chu, however, quickly regained her composure. This celestial woman was helping me change my clothes, and I watched her every move with such tenderness! "My husband has been sleeping for most of the day! And snoring so loudly it's deafening!" I just smiled. If I had a choice, I truly wished I could wake up every morning to see all my lovers like this before me. Some would comb my hair, some would wash me, and some would prepare breakfast for me—that would be incredibly pleasant! But thinking of this, I shook my head. That wasn't my life. My destiny lay in the martial world, in the world itself.

"Any news?"

Ao Xing brought me a cup of tea. "The wounded brothers are all at the Heavenly Medicine Hall in the city. A few more of the seriously wounded have died, but most are fine. Zhang Zhi was hit by two arrows and a knife. He just came to volunteer for battle on crutches, but I stopped him!"

"Is he alright?"

"He's fine! He's just having some difficulty moving around."

"What about the Nine Clan? I was so busy with you last night that I forgot to ask."

A blush crossed Ao Xing's face. "I was just about to tell you! The Sima family is nothing special! Sima Fengyue left Donglu City overnight. Some of us went with him, and most of his retainers left overnight. There's a lot of gossip going around, and everyone's pointing fingers at them. And then there's Xiao Wentian. He was stunned when he returned to Howling Manor yesterday! Who knew the fire would get so big? He's still complaining outside!"

"Is he outside now?"

"Yes! And his new son-in-law, and all nine of his vassals, everyone who's supposed to be here is here!"

I stood in front of the hall, pondering for a moment. Were these guys trying to bargain with me?

"I'm sorry to have kept you all waiting! I truly feel bad!" I appeared before them, arm in arm with Ao Xing.

"Not at all! If it weren't for your exceptional bravery, we wouldn't be sitting here so peacefully!" Lan Tianyu's voice held a hint of excitement.

"Uncle Lan, what are you saying! But I heard the other day that you had already gone to the border, how come..."

"Oh! It's like this, I received news of Kunlun's withdrawal on the way yesterday, and I was worried about the situation here, so I rushed back overnight. Now I can finally rest easy!"

I understood, and turned to Xiao Wentian, "I really made a mess of things yesterday, please forgive me, Uncle Xiao!"

Xiao Wentian just smiled wryly, "Never mind! People are the most important thing, it's good that everyone is alright!" He then helped me to my seat. "Come, let me introduce you to a guest," he said, pointing in the direction I noticed the rather ordinary-looking middle-aged man seated there. "Feng Ruxue, the current Sword Saint of Sword Capital!" I was somewhat surprised. This super swordsman was so reserved; I hadn't even noticed him before. Now, seeing him, I realized there was a unique charm beneath his calm demeanor, and his upright posture revealed his imposing presence. It seemed his title of Sword Saint was indeed well-deserved! I quickly bowed. Although he was very polite, I sensed a coldness in his bones. Upon reflection, this wasn't surprising. A hundred years ago, Killer Fortress had humiliated Sword Capital because of the theft of the sword. They must still hate us now!

"Does anyone know about Sima Fengyue's collusion with the Japanese?"

The group exchanged glances, and finally, it was Sima Xiangru who spoke up. "The Japanese pirates are utterly despicable. On the surface, they trade with our Nine Nations, but secretly they engage in bloody robbery and murder at sea, a business with no capital required. Therefore, few of our Nine Nations have ever paid them any heed. We certainly didn't expect my sister to get involved with these Japanese."

"Then you all don't mind if I leave them with the Nine Nations, do you?" "

The Japanese pirates commit all sorts of atrocities—burning, killing, raping, and plundering—everyone has the right to kill them!" I looked up and saw that it was Feng Ruxue, who had been silent until now, who spoke.

"Brother Ruxue is right! This time, the Japanese pirates have penetrated deep into our territory. If we don't completely eradicate them, these guys will cause even more trouble in the future." After Lan Tianyu finished speaking, Xiao Wentian nodded in agreement. I felt a surge of satisfaction; the fate of these Japanese pirates was sealed!

Just as I was about to speak, someone came to report. I took the briefing and immediately became anxious. "Aoxing, tell Number One and the others to prepare to depart immediately! Uncle Lan needs your help again!"

Lan Tianyu, not knowing the urgency of the situation, immediately said, "Nephew, speak quickly!"

"I need four hundred warhorses! Those Japanese have traveled a hundred li overnight, and they should be able to board the ship and set sail around this time tomorrow!"

"Where are they now?"

I looked at the briefing again. "They are currently on their way to the Azure Sky Ferry in the Blue Demon Strait, and they will arrive by noon tomorrow!"

Lan Tianyu calculated for a moment, then his eyes suddenly flashed with a sharp light. "In that case, we really don't have much time. I will immediately send a message via carrier pigeon to the Azure Sky Ferry to close the docks immediately and establish a level one alert along the coast. Nephew, you all hurry to the garrison camp in Donglu City, where there are plenty of horses available!"

I clasped my hands in a fist salute to everyone present, then turned and walked out. Suddenly, Feng Ruxue followed behind me, which puzzled me. "Could I join you, little brother?" It turned out he wanted to join the fun, but I didn't want the people of Sword Capital to know about my connection to Blade Gorge, so I said, "Brother Feng, I appreciate your kindness! But this time it's to avenge my brothers, so..." Feng Ruxue didn't insist, but sincerely said, "I've heard that the leader of the Japanese army is very likely the greatest swordsman in Japan—Yasukuni Shinzo. Brother, please be extremely careful!"

I bowed in thanks and was about to turn around when I was met by the women of Aoxing. "You don't need to do this!" They were all dressed in their finest attire, and they came out to see me off. "Wishing my husband a resounding victory and swift success!" After saying this, they knelt on the ground. A surge of heroic spirit welled up within me! Not for anything else, not for myself, not for these people who love me, cherish me, and consider me their heaven and earth—what else could I be fighting for? Perhaps I will encounter even stronger enemies in the future, but as long as I live, I will trample them all under my feet. This is the way of survival: you are weak, he is strong; you die, I live. Since I have come here, what is there to fear? If anyone in the world stands in my way, I will wash the world in blood! Only the living are the victors!

Warhorses galloped along the road, the riders constantly cracking their whips and shouting. Dust and sandstorms bid us farewell, the sun and moonlight paved our way. We were heading to the battlefield of slaughter, where there was only blood and swords.

"Halt!" After a whooshing sound, the cavalry came to a halt. A rider galloped out from the front; judging by his attire, he was an officer of the Nine Guards. The man dismounted and stopped his horse in one smooth motion. "Report! I am Fang Liang, a thousand-cavalry officer of the Nine Guards. Yesterday afternoon, I received a letter from my lord ordering me to meet him here. My thousand cavalry are already lying in ambush at Wanghaipo, Cangqiong Ferry. The Japanese pirates are still some distance away!"

I said, "Good." After a day's journey, we finally reached them. These guys, fearing they'd be too conspicuous on horseback, foolishly walked all the way here. It seems even the heavens are on my side! I immediately ordered the disciples of Daoxia to take up their ambush positions and rest, while I surveyed the small hill that was about to become a battlefield. This should be considered high ground; the lower section was undulating and extremely steep, while the upper section was flat like a plain. Therefore, Fang Liang, the commander, had deployed three hundred archers on both sides of the lower section of the hill. Behind the hill lay the Blue Demon Strait, from which the territory of the Japanese could already be seen. Fang Liang was well-versed in terrain and military strategy. His 700 cavalrymen were positioned on the slope, ready to charge once the Japanese pirates were out of range. As I pondered this, several lights flashed on the distant hillside. Fang Liang immediately reported, "The Japanese pirates are rapidly approaching; they'll arrive in the time it takes to brew a cup of tea." I waved for everyone to take their positions, then concealed myself behind a large rock, my bright eyes fixed on the path below the slope!

A caravan of at least a hundred people, dressed as merchants, was moving swiftly along the road. They didn't seem to be traveling, but rather heading to a funeral. And indeed, they were there for a funeral—not for anyone else, but for their own appointment with the Underworld! Suddenly, a firework erupted from the mountainside, followed by a hail of arrows raining down upon them! In the blink of an eye, several men fell, struck by arrows, and the ranks immediately descended into chaos. After a strange cry, the Japanese pirates surprisingly formed a battle formation, demonstrating their discipline and composure in the face of this sudden turn of events. But what followed was utterly devastating! Countless knights suddenly surged forth from all directions, their cavalry instantly penetrating the ranks. Their sabers whirled through the air as they fell, using the momentum of their horses to rout the pirates. Several pirates were immediately decapitated. One of the pirates, clearly their leader, suddenly spoke incoherently. Following his instructions, the pirates, now divided into several groups, moved uphill in circular formations. The cavalry charge was now ineffective, and some knights even had their horses' legs severed, falling with screams. I saw this and immediately acted without hesitation, summoning the elite troops of Daoxia Gorge, who charged like a tsunami towards the divided pirates.

With the addition of such a fresh force, the Japanese battle lines crumbled instantly. Our numerical advantage became immediately apparent; four or five surrounding one was a certain death sentence. Even though each of these Japanese soldiers possessed some skill, they couldn't withstand the cavalry charge and the encirclement by the Daoxia disciples. In a short time, over a hundred men were reduced to just over thirty. I closely followed the leader amidst the chaos. His swordsmanship was indeed incredibly sharp, each strike deadly, creating a gust of wind with every step. I calculated the frequency of his strikes and the rhythm of his inner energy. Finally, after receiving a strike from four Daoxia disciples, he visibly faltered. I swiftly struck, the force of my palm like a raging fire. This guy must truly be the number one expert in Japan. The moment my energy shifted, I sensed his movement and, unable to turn back in time, collided with his shoulder. I thought to myself, how many people in the world could withstand my full-force attack? With a "bang," my palm struck his shoulder. This guy, unfortunately, was indeed one of those few who could withstand my attack! Although he coughed up blood and fell several feet, I knew he had cleverly diverted some of the force. "Ambush!" This guy actually knew how to speak! He had the nerve to talk back to me. I didn't even bother to respond. I gathered all my energy and attacked again, my hand strike actually creating a sky full of sword light. The Japanese soldier raised his sword high above his head, chanting incantations. I'm sending you on your way, why should I care about your nonsense? My hand strike pierced through his oncoming sword light with a speed imperceptible to the naked eye. At the moment our forces clashed, I activated Human Balance, turning in mid-air and miraculously transforming my unchangeable hand strike into a palm strike aimed at his chest. Startled, he swung his elbow, the one holding the sword, at my palm. This guy's adaptability and martial arts skills were among the top ten on the continent. Although his elbow strike diverted half of my force, my palm still struck his chest. He coughed up blood and stumbled backward. At this moment, a group of Japanese soldiers actually protected him in front of him, and a frenzied charge actually allowed them to break through the slope! Our men gave chase relentlessly, and after several encounters, only a handful of the Japanese remained.

I was shocked to see where their leader was!

Suddenly, a volley of arrows flew past, instantly turning the last few Japanese into porcupines. "My lord, look!" Fang Liang pointed to a fast boat on the sea. "These Japanese are truly cunning. They made us think they were going to escape down the slope, but this fellow boarded the boat from the side and ran away! It seems we can only let him live a little longer this time!" Watching the receding boat, I bent down and picked up a reed pole used for propelling the boat. "Fang Liang, believe it or not, these Japanese were destined for defeat from the moment they set foot on our land!" With that, I leaped into the air, tumbling into the sea in two bounds. The instant I entered the water, I channeled my immense strength and struck the surface with the reed pole. A deafening roar followed, and a ten-foot wave surged forth. Using this force, I transformed into a shooting star, shooting like lightning into the depths of the strait.

The force of the first strike had subsided, and I repeated the same technique, striking the sea again. The enemy ship ahead rapidly magnified in my eyes. I struck again, the water's surface shimmering with countless ribbons of color. I could see the horror and terror in the eyes of the man on the ship. I leaped above the speedboat. Below, the man held his Japanese sword level, facing me. "Ah..." I swung my reed pole down from the sky, slashing at the Japanese pirate. The man roared, and two streaks of light flashed through the air. I stepped onto the deck, and the reed pole snapped in two with a crack. Two bloody lines appeared on the pirate's head, and as they widened, the light in his eyes dimmed. "High...high...truly..." Before he could finish, the force I had left within him exploded. With a thud, this unparalleled Japanese master was reduced to a bloodbath. Amidst the bloodbath, I suddenly raised my head and roared, causing the waves to surge and the wind to change color!

Chapter Thirty-Five: The End of Childhood

Today is December 30th, the 57th year of the Hongshun reign of Emperor Eagle in the Kunlun Calendar of the Chinese Empire—another Lunar New Year's Eve! Tomorrow I will turn sixteen. I will be an adult! On the mainland, when a boy turns sixteen, his family holds a coming-of-age ceremony for him. Today, I am no exception.

The Crystal Palace is brightly lit. All the brothers from Killer Fortress who participated in the Izumo operation are present. But there is no festive atmosphere, because in the center of the hall are countless memorial tablets. They have no names, only strings of numbers. They are my brothers who died in the Killer Fortress. Their sacrifice made me understand the price of growing up. Before, I could say that I was young and impetuous, but now? I am an adult. I have no more excuses for the mistakes I have made. From this day forward, I will truly shoulder my own destiny. Although I am still immature, I believe I will not let everyone down. They risked their lives for me, and I will exchange them for the sake of all living beings. I am still me, a chubby boy with some pimples on my face and a little belly, but even so, I have become the number one person in the world. I simultaneously killed Jian Jingmeng, one of the top ten strongest warriors in the world, and three elders of the Zen sect; I infiltrated the Nine Realms and thwarted Sima Fengyue's plot to overthrow the regime; and finally, I forever preserved all the experts dispatched by Japan. Those who looked down on me paid the price for their ignorance. And I left behind a legend of an unparalleled powerhouse in the Blue Demon Strait.

"Brothers of Killer Fortress! Raise your glasses! To Killer Fortress today, to Killer Fortress tomorrow, cheers!"

"Cheers!"

"Now I have a second toast! To all the underground workers of Killer Fortress! Without them, we would have accomplished nothing! They are not here now, so I use this cup to express my sincerest encouragement and greetings to them!"

"Cheers!"

"The third toast! Look at these ladies beside me. If they had asked me to live a secluded life in the mountains like immortals, then I'm sorry, brothers, I would have abandoned you all immediately. But they didn't do that! They have been with me through thick and thin, sharing my triumphs in the martial world. With such wives, what more could a husband ask for! Let's all toast them!"

"Cheers!"

"The fourth toast! To the spirits of Killer Fortress in heaven! Their blood has brought about Killer Fortress's unparalleled achievements today! Even if they are in the underworld now, the King of Hell will fear the prestige of Killer Fortress!"

"Cheers!"

"The fifth cup! A toast to myself, for I am about to become an adult. I was once confused, once terrified, but I don't think about that anymore! I have the strongest team in the world by my side, I have the most loyal brothers in the world who would go through fire and water for me! What do I have to fear? If I cannot lead you to more victories, more honors, then what right do I have to live! Come! Let's drink!"

"Cheers!"

"The last cup! A toast to the ancestors of Killer Fortress! They are always protecting us in the Western Paradise! Perhaps you will blame them for leading us down a path of slaughter, but I want to say that we do not kill for profit, nor for fame, we kill to live! We are assassins, only killing can prove our existence, only by continuing to kill can we live better! If the ancestors are watching, please listen to what I, the current disciple of Killer Fortress, have to say: Born into Killer Fortress, we have no regrets! Drink!"

I drank a bit too much today! I almost touched everyone's cup. At first, I knew to use my internal energy to neutralize the alcohol, but later I don't know why I couldn't find my internal energy! I vomited from downstairs to upstairs, from outside to inside! Until I lay down fully clothed, lost in my own bile, and fell into a deep sleep. What is the world like? What is humanity like? What has accompanied me through my growth?

A New Year's Eve dinner is my coming-of-age ceremony. When I woke up, it was snowing heavily again! The cold, pale light of the snowflakes covered the world in white. I looked down at myself; I seemed unchanged. When I was little, I heard my friends from the "Killer Tycoon" group say that people change after their coming-of-age ceremony—some become martial arts masters, some become commoners, but most importantly, their little penises suddenly become big roosters! Thinking about this made me laugh. I wonder how many of my old friends who used to run laps and practice horse stances are still around? Finally, my gaze fell on 'that place,' it was quite big! But that was from needing to pee!

"Pfft!" I looked up and saw Ao Xing leaning against the door, secretly laughing at me! "What's so interesting about that thing? Look how pleased you are with yourself!" Aoxing smiled charmingly, and I suddenly wanted her! I beckoned to her, but she turned and left on her own, which puzzled me. A moment later, Aoxing came in carrying a chamber pot! I was deeply moved! When had the eldest daughter of the Kunlun Left Prime Minister's family ever served someone like this? "Aoxing! I can do it myself!" "Tch! What's there to be embarrassed about? I'm your wife, what can't I do for you?" As she spoke, she knelt at my feet, and with one hand, she unfastened my trousers. With the gentle caress of her soft little hands, my penis became erect. Looking at the dignified and sweet Aoxing's actions, I felt a surge of intense desire, and even the urge to urinate was suppressed. Aoxing understood what was going on when she didn't come back, and a blush rose on her pretty face! "I knew you were thinking nonsense!" I smiled sheepishly, and slapped my penis against her face in a show of defiance, but Aoxing shook her head and bit it right on the cheek. I cried out in pain, but in an instant, an incomparably wonderful pleasure surged from that spot.

My penis moved in and out of Aoxing's mouth repeatedly, while a small, fragrant tongue swirled rapidly around it. I breathed heavily. Aoxing's mouth was comparable to the most exquisite vagina in the world—moist, warm, and most impressively, her ever-present tongue. Now, that little snake was tightly pressed against my glans, wriggling and twisting. My bladder shuddered violently, and I quickly pulled away from Aoxing, but the urine that sprayed out still splattered all over her face and body, mixed with the soup from the previous night's wine. Needless to say, the smell was indescribable. I felt very sorry for Aoxing, but seeing her giggling, I immediately picked her up and tore off her clothes with a few tugs. Aoxing giggled and kept pushing me away, "No! It's dirty!" "That's mine anyway. Besides, if you're not afraid, why should I be?" As I spoke, I lifted her up by her buttocks. With Aoxing off the ground, she naturally wrapped her beautiful legs around my thick waist. I kissed her, and my penis skillfully thrust into her valley. Aoxing clung tightly to me, and I stood there on the ground, making the deepest contact with her.

Aoxing greedily sucked on my lips and tongue, while my penis continuously sent her to one peak after another. Crystalline nectar dripped from our joined bodies, and a fishy, pungent smell in the air stimulated me to thrust wildly again. Aoxing's entire body writhed up and down. Finally, we both reached a climax together! My penis thrust almost frantically, and then I gave the already delirious Aoxing one last blow. My large tip suddenly plunged into her flower nest, and hot semen slammed heavily into the depths of her valley.

"Holy Lord..." It wasn't Aoxing who spoke! I looked down and saw Wu Qingsi standing trembling in the room. "When did you arrive?" Qingsi's face was flushed, her snow-white body swaying slightly under her outer garment. Overwhelmed by passion, the girl was now babbling incoherently, "I...I just woke up! I haven't brushed my teeth yet...I heard...I heard..." "Come here!" Qingsi looked at Aoxing and me and swallowed hard, taking small steps closer. As I withdrew my clone, a pool of sticky fluid flowed from Aoxing's flower path, some of mine and some of hers. I buried my fingers deep into her muddy passage, gently digging, which caused Aoxing to tremble all over again. My fingers, covered in the fluid, were brought to Qingsi's lips. "Come on, taste your little sister Aoxing!" Aoxing immediately buried her head in my shoulder. "No!" I slapped her pink bottom. "So stingy? What's wrong with letting your sister Qingsi taste it?" With that, I put her down and pulled Qingsi into my arms. Qingsi looked at the glistening fluid on my fingers and gasped for breath. Finally, she opened her small mouth and deeply sucked on my finger. Her expression was one of intimacy, allure, invitation, and temptation. I was instantly aroused again, so I picked her up and pulled Aoxing to the side, rolling onto the bed together. "Qingsi! What does your sister Aoxing's love juice taste like?" Wu Qingsi finally felt shy, her phoenix eyes darting around, wishing she could find a crack in the ground to crawl into. I laughed out loud: "My dear, don't be shy, your husband will definitely let you have your fill later!"

The three of them were engaged in an extremely lewd act on the large bed! Qing Si knelt, while I, from behind, thrust deeply into her valley with my erection. Ao Xing was beneath Qing Si, her fragrant tongue constantly sweeping across the area where Qing Si and I were joined. Qing Si's mouth was also busy; her head was tightly clamped between Ao Xing's legs, her tongue completely immersed in Ao Xing's valley. Ao Xing swallowed all of Qing Si and my bodily fluids, while Qing Si continued to probe Ao Xing's genitals. This was incredibly exciting! I didn't even need to look; just imagining two stunning beauties tasting each other's love juices drove me mad. My erection opened and closed wildly, and with a long cry from all three of us, another incredible climax struck. I thrust my erection deep into Qing Si's depths, and large gushes of semen rushed into her flower garden. For a moment, all three of us could only gasp for breath. I straightened up slightly, settled Aoxing and Qingsi down, and called out to the door, "Haven't you seen enough? Or heard enough? Come in, all of you!" Three pure and beautiful girls walked in. I swallowed hard, thinking to myself that I would soon turn them into sluts and whores! A chaotic, agonizing battle ensued, lasting until we all fell into a blissful slump.

What a comfortable sleep! When I woke up, it was already noon the next day. I struggled to crawl out from between the girls' fair skin and jade-like legs, and looked around, feeling a little strange. Where were the three? I didn't pay much attention at the moment and went to get dressed and wash up.

The world after the snow had its own charm, the snow-covered earth containing countless wonders. I had just impulsively grabbed the four little ones and set off. At this moment, we were galloping across the boundless plains, with mountains and forests falling behind us.

"Holy Lord, look! What's that?"

We all reined in our horses. A small animal was running busily across the snow-covered plain ahead. Still possessing a youthful spirit, I couldn't help but dismount to observe. "This...this should be a mouse, right?"

Xiao Bao tilted his head, thinking for a moment, then suddenly smiled: "Easy! Let's examine it!" With that, he flicked out a silver thread, which instantly and accurately wrapped around the running 'mouse'. Then he swiftly pulled it back into his hand. A small, silver-gray creature squeaked in Xiao Bao's hand. At this moment, Xiao Dian, who seemed to have some knowledge, said, "Oh! Holy Lord, I know! This must be a rare creature, something called a 'Golden-haired Rat.' It's much larger than ordinary rats, and its sense of smell is incredibly keen. There are only a handful of them in the whole world!" As if in response to Xiao Dian's words, several more of the same creatures emerged from the snow in front of us. Xiao Dian, with his thick skin, exclaimed, "Ah...ah...Holy Lord! We've struck gold this time! This guy's ancestors for three generations are all here!" I suppressed a laugh and said, "Is that so? Then look at this!" As I spoke, I leaped into the air, flipped my hand, and unleashed the Hundred-Mile Hidden Dragon technique of the Wind and Cloud Dragon Spear. I struck the ground, and the earth shook as if it were an earthquake. Suddenly, hundreds of 'Golden-haired Rats' sprang out of the plain. Watching them run around aimlessly, the four of us burst into laughter. "What 'white-haired rat'? It's just a groundhog! Hahahaha!" In

just a moment, these groundhogs burrowed back underground as if facing a formidable enemy, leaving me utterly astonished! Turning around, I noticed a nimble hawk circling overhead. I was puzzled; had everything finally settled down, only to be replaced by another business transaction? "Xiao Kui! Call it down!"

I looked at the letter in my hand, signed 'Assassination Fortress Provisional Leadership Committee'! I couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, "What is this? Have I been ousted?" Opening the letter, I realized that I truly had been ousted! It turned out that every Assassination Fortress Holy Lord had a period of solitary cultivation and training. Because I was appointed during a time of crisis, I was spared this period upon taking office. But now that Assassination Fortress had regained its former power, according to the rules of Assassination Fortress, I, as the Holy Lord, was no exception. One thing saddened me: Wu Qingsi's identity within the Nine Clan had been exposed, so Danian assigned her a new mission. Yun Shuang, having already begun her operation on the third day of the Lunar New Year, was finally brought back to Assassination Fortress, supposedly to oversee the main camp under the title of "Madam." I sighed deeply; their early departure without notice was likely due to their unwillingness to face the pain of separation. I looked at the letter's signature: "Assassination Fortress Temporary Leadership Committee Instructors: Li Danian of the Military Intelligence Hall, Zhang Zhi of the Robbery Hall, Leng Duxing of the Law Enforcement Hall, and Dao Wuming of the Assassin's Lair (Knife Gorge)."

I closed the letter and smiled slightly. "You four, are you interested in venturing into the martial world with me? Let's meet some of the most charismatic figures in the land!"

Finally, the first chapter is finished! Next up is Volume Two: My Martial World. I hope you all continue to support me! ^_^ I'll add some information later, mainly about some new sects and the new top ten in the world (after all, some have died or scattered).

Volume Two: My Jianghu, Chapter One: Tengwang Pavilion.

The Kunlun Dynasty of the Chinese Empire has a history of over 1300 years. This ancient empire has unified the Eastern Continent several times. Due to its advanced history, culture, religion, and other aspects, the Kunlun Dynasty still surpasses all other countries on the continent. The people within its borders live prosperous and peaceful lives, and the empire's military strength is arguably the strongest on the continent. Thanks to the open policies of the current rulers, Kunlun has gathered the best achievements from all over the continent, boasting a wealth of talent and a peaceful atmosphere!

After more than a month of travel, I, along with Aoxing, Wanchu, and three others, arrived at Tengping, a large city located at the junction of Kunlun, Jiuzhong, and Nanyue. Tengping belongs to Kunlun and is its most important town on its southeastern frontier, as well as a trading port city for trilateral trade between Kunlun, Nanyue, and Jiuzhong. Although most of the city's residents are from Kunlun, the city sees over 300,000 to 400,000 migrant workers from all over the mainland every year. Therefore, the city exhibits a strong international character in its architecture, customs, and other aspects. Due to the frequent commercial activities and huge transaction volume, almost every merchant house and gang on the mainland has a branch in Tengping City. This inevitably leads to conflicts and even infighting among various forces. Consequently, despite its name, Tengping City has one of the highest crime rates on the mainland!

"Young Master! Tengwang Pavilion is just ahead!" Tengwang Pavilion? I've never heard of it! Seeing Xiao Bao's longing expression, I couldn't help but ask curiously, "What? Is Tengwang Pavilion that famous?" Ao Xing chuckled and said, "Sir, you don't know this. Over a hundred years ago, Tengwang Kunlun Leilei ruled this place. He gathered the best civil engineers from Qinghua Hall to build a grand building that integrates catering, entertainment, trade, and commerce. Everyone calls it Tengwang Pavilion. This Tengwang Pavilion can be considered a veritable money pit. The shops and restaurants that can establish themselves here are the most powerful on the continent. It is said that there is a huge trading board in the main hall of Tengwang Pavilion, which lists the prices of almost all goods on the continent. Therefore, people say, 'With a stroke of the golden pen before Tengwang Pavilion, the wealth of the world sheds tears of despair.' If the trading board of Tengwang Pavilion changes even twice, countless people on the continent will go bankrupt." "Is it that powerful..." Before I could finish speaking, we saw the magnificent building in front of us.

The Tengwang Pavilion is a three-story structure with a gilded roof and two grottoes at the front and back. The entrance hall alone is a hundred feet wide, and people bustle about like ants. Seeing that it was already noon, I decided to visit the pavilion and satisfy my hunger inside. So we parked our car and dismounted. A gatekeeper immediately greeted us, and we filed in. Upon entering the hall, the first thing we saw was the Tengwang Trading Hall, which seemed to shake the surrounding area with a mere sway. In the center of the hall stood a wall four feet high and six zhang wide. On the wall, the prices of various goods were written on bamboo plaques with different colored pens. Hundreds of staff climbed up and down the wall, constantly updating the prices based on supply and demand, season, personnel, and allocation. Countless others stood below, intently watching the wall. Traders continuously quoted prices, while merchants from all over the mainland bought and sold according to these prices, creating a lively and bustling scene. I frowned; this was too chaotic!

I quickly pulled everyone up to the second floor, and only then did I realize that Tengwang Pavilion was indeed peculiar. The trading market on the first floor resembled a bustling marketplace, but once we reached the second floor, all those noises disappeared. Clearly, Tengwang Pavilion had used excellent soundproofing materials during its construction. The second floor was essentially a huge tavern; I glanced around and saw there were over a dozen taverns! I chose one of the more elegant ones and sat down. Immediately, a waiter came to greet us, "What can I do for you, gentlemen?"

As I passed downstairs, the heat from the crowds parched my throat, so I immediately ordered a pot of "Sea and Sky in One Color" tea, tossing the menu to Ao Xing and Wan Chu beside me. I then observed the patrons in the tavern. This place truly seemed hospitable; all sorts of people had come: flower sellers, music vendors, singers, drinkers, eaters, chatters,江湖人士 (jianghu figures), 政官人士 (government officials), and individual business owners. I paid particular attention to those dressed in jianghu attire; they were mostly minor characters. The others seemed rather uninteresting. But just as I was getting bored, a few interesting people finally came down from upstairs!

A group of four—three men and one woman—the men were all impeccably dressed and handsome, while the woman was dressed in fine fur and fur coats, as beautiful as a peony. Their arrival immediately attracted everyone's attention; they seemed used to such attention, as even one such outstanding person was a rare sight normally! The guests upstairs immediately split into two groups. One group stole glances at Ao Xing and Wan Chu, while the other scanned the four people. From their attire and demeanor, I could tell they were of extremely high birth. One man's sword alone, adorned with a precious pearl, could fetch an astronomical price. Another's folding fan bore the name of a renowned calligrapher. The last one, though unarmed, wore a nine-dragon breastplate—the totem of the Kunlun royal family—his status was unmistakable. The young lady was equally remarkable; though I couldn't discern the exact material of her sable coat, its craftsmanship and tailoring suggested it was no ordinary garment. The group that came upstairs also noticed the division and looked towards us. Their expressions varied, but I noticed them all.

The young man with the sword only met my gaze briefly before looking away—this kid was no pushover! The guy with the fan was the most annoying; his shifty eyes never left Ao Xing and Wan Chu after they saw them. The boy, who seemed to be related to the royal family, glanced at Xiao Kui and the others a few more times. Finally, the young lady seemed curious about my relationship with the two stunning beauties beside her and kept scrutinizing me. After the four of them arrived, they chose a seat next to me. As soon as they sat down, the shop owner came out to greet them. "It is an honor that Your Highness and your distinguished guests have graced our humble establishment with your presence. Please forgive me for not being able to greet you properly!" Although I looked away, I had heard him clearly. If that boy was a prince, he must be the heir of the Prince of Teng here—truly royalty!

The young master, being somewhat worldly-wise, spoke very politely, "Mr. Chen, you're too kind. Today, my father is discussing matters with guests from the Wuyue Beidou Sword Sect and the Cao Gang in the VIP room upstairs, so he sent us juniors down." I sneered inwardly. These words were clearly directed at us; they didn't even bother to introduce themselves. The one with the sword must be from the Beidou Sword Sect, while the one with the fan and the woman were probably from the Cao Gang. Upon hearing this, the innkeeper became even more respectful, said a few more words, and then left. I didn't feel like arguing with them anymore, because my food had arrived! Roasted duck, braised pork belly, stir-fried crispy eel, jellyfish with Buddha's hand sauce, chrysanthemum-flavored grass carp, Wensi tofu, and crystal shrimp cakes—just looking at them made my mouth water, so I immediately invited everyone to join us for the meal.

Before long, I heard their voices again, gossiping about heroes, beauties, and precious stones. Without listening closely, I knew the prince and the other two all had feelings for the girl, and they were even competing to see who could spout the most nonsense. The girl, however, remained silent. Just as I was about eight-tenths full, I suddenly heard the prince call out, "Old Fuzi, come here and tell us a couple of interesting stories!" Immediately, one of them rushed over: "Oh! The young prince is here to support us again. But what would the young prince and the other gentlemen like to hear?" "Just tell us something. If you do well, you'll be rewarded; if you don't, you'd better watch out!" "That's right! Then I'll tell you some anecdotes from the martial world these days."

"Speak! These past two years have been turbulent in the martial world! Let's not talk about anything else! Just take the top ten in the world: 'The Monk Laughs, the Drunken Sword Dance; The Demon Cries, the Hundred-Year Man.' Those were all figures who once dominated the continent! Yet, in less than a year, four of them have disappeared! First, there's the Demon Saint. Although he was defeated and killed in his battle against the Buddha Hai Kong, Master Hai Kong was also seriously injured in the battle and announced his retirement from the martial world, taking up his seat in the Buddha Capital and no longer concerning himself with worldly affairs. I thought that the righteous path of the martial world would be thrown into chaos without such a pillar. And sure enough, just over half a year later, someone killed the conjoined brothers, and overnight, the human path crumbled. And Jian Jingmeng and the three elders of the Zen sect were also killed on the same day. Who did this? Don't ask me, dear readers, I don't know! I think very few people in this world know! So, four of the top ten in the world have disappeared, but someone has to fill the gaps. So, in the first month, a survey was conducted, and a new top ten in the world were selected. What was it again? Oh! It's like this! 'Who Laughs...'" "Dancing Moon, Crying Blade, Drunk for a Hundred Years!" The "Dancing Moon, Crying Blade, Drunk for a Hundred Years" are still the same few. Today, we'll talk about the four newcomers. Heaven! After the destruction of the Southern Yue Human Path, the Heaven and Earth Altar, a major gang, quickly replaced it. Hao Nantian, the leader of the Heaven and Earth Altar, used his wisdom and skill to overwhelm all others, making the Heaven and Earth Altar the fourth largest gang in the world in just over a year. And then there's the Blade! Everyone's heard of Blade Gorge, right? Its leader hasn't left Blade Gorge for over a hundred years, but this time, the Blade Master of Blade Gorge, Dao Wuming, has appeared in the martial world, his blade said to be of unparalleled skill! Then there's the only woman among the top ten—bah! Look at my foul mouth, she's not a woman, she's a fairy, a fairy who descended to earth from the Lihe Pudu Palace in the Nine Heavens. "The Moonlit Moon shines brightly on the heart! The Moon Fairy's 'Heart-Questioning Sword' drama in January contains the fate of heaven and earth, and I have a poem to prove it: 'The Six Swords of the Bright Heart at Qinggu Miaomiao Temple!'"

"Pfft!" I spat out the exquisite tea I had just tasted! This Da Nian must have gotten it wrong! His Zheng Yue (a nickname for a certain type of person) is so clever, he can even figure out the poem I casually recited? Realizing my blunder, I quickly coughed a few times to cover it up, but it still attracted the attention of everyone upstairs.

The storyteller just smiled at me, and my heart immediately skipped a beat—that smile was too ambiguous! Could this guy be one of Zheng Yue's?

At this moment, the storyteller continued the conversation: "I'm sorry I startled our young friend earlier! Let's continue! There's a poem to prove it: 'The Six Swords of Mingxin at Qinggu Miaomiao Temple,' the first sword questions life, a thousand mountains, no birds fly; the second sword questions death, ten thousand paths, no people annihilate; the third sword questions heaven, heaven has wind and clouds; the fourth sword questions earth, nothing shares this moment; the fifth sword questions love, where does love end; the sixth sword questions the way, the way has a thousand autumns of color." I thought to myself, Da Nian, you're really damn dedicated, not a single word is wrong! Thinking about it, I saw the young prince's longing expression: "Such a beauty, such swordsmanship, the number one martial arts master in the world must be Mingxin!" I wanted to vomit! This young prince, though he looked respectable, was far too arrogant. He probably hadn't even seen her before calling her Mingxin. My impression of him plummeted; his stubbornness and hypocrisy were obvious!

"Young Prince, you're mistaken! The number one martial arts master in the world is indeed not this Moon Fairy."

"Oh? Then there's only one 'who' left among the newly ranked top ten! Who is this 'who'?"

"Young Prince, don't be hasty! We'll continue with him! A year ago, Jian Jingmeng, ranked among the top ten in the world, and the three elders of the Zen sect were killed simultaneously. An authoritative figure claimed that this was the work of one person, meaning that this person killed all four of them in one battle. Not long ago, a sudden upheaval occurred in the Nine Realms. Someone from the Sima family colluded with the Japanese to cause trouble. The Japanese sent all their experts to China, and they were even led by Yasukuni Shrine, the number one expert in Japan. However, this matter ended in failure. The Japanese were ambushed by the Nine Realms' defense forces while fleeing and were completely wiped out. Only Yasukuni Shrine escaped. Everyone was furious, but the ship had already set sail. But then, a person descended from the sky, holding a reed pole. With just three reeds, he crossed the Blue Demon and killed the Japanese soldier on the lone boat in the sea. Similarly, an authoritative figure claimed that this person was also responsible for this incident. Think about it, this person's skill has probably reached the level of mythology. Therefore, the conclusion of this investigation report in January stated that the number one in the world is none other than this person!"

"But after all this talk, you still haven't said who this person is?" the man with the fan asked, puzzled.

"It's not that I don't want to tell you, it's just that nobody knows! Because everyone who has fought him has become a corpse, and the dead can't speak. So the people of the martial arts world thought that since they don't know who he is, they might as well just call him 'Who'! Thus, the top ten in the world became 'Who laughs dancing in the moonlit sky, whose sword cries drunk for a hundred years'! And 'Who' was hailed as the number one master in the world!

"But I still believe that Miss Mingxin's sword can defeat him!" the young prince said.

"Hahaha! Young Prince, you don't know this, but Fairy Moon is the only one who has ever escaped unscathed from facing 'who.' You know who wrote that poem I just mentioned? It was that 'who'! Fairy Moon knew she couldn't defeat him, so she gifted him a sword dance. Otherwise, think about it, how many people in the world could make Fairy Moon unleash all six of her swords at once? There must have been a touching story between them back then!"

"How dare you!" The young prince suddenly became furious! "You lackey, don't spout nonsense! Miss Mingxin is a disciple of the Zen sect, and several Zen elders were killed by that man. Miss Mingxin must harbor deep hatred for him. The situation must be extremely strange. You, you dog of a servant, are just making wild guesses! Get out of here!"

"Your Highness, please calm down! Your Highness, please calm down! This servant is talking nonsense! This servant will get out now! Alas! It's a pity that 'who in the world has it,' but heroes have no way out!" Although the storyteller, Old Fuzi, really had the appearance of a lackey, I still suspected that he was a man from the first month of the lunar calendar. At this moment, I was extremely disgusted with the young prince, so I immediately gave Xiao Kui a look. Xiao Kui immediately understood, stepped forward to help Old Fuzi up, and stuffed a coin of silver into his hand. "Old man, you speak well, especially that line about 'who in the world has it.' This is a reward from my young master!"

This move was sure to cause trouble! Sure enough, two people at the table immediately changed their expressions. "Friends here, are you deliberately trying to embarrass me?" Hearing the young prince's words, I couldn't help but think wildly. If my Kunlun family had produced such scum for generations, our kingdom would surely perish! A nameless anger rose within me, and I blurted out, "Face is just a title, given by people. But some people are shameless and arrogant; why should I give them face?"

The words had barely left my lips when a gust of wind reached my ear.

Chapter Two: The Bloodbath at Tengwang Pavilion .

Faced with the sudden attack, I didn't even move! Such scum wasn't even worth a glance.

Xiao Bao's flying silver needles pierced the arm he was using to attack first, and the Yin energy of the Sunflower Manual immediately paralyzed him. The young prince's companions immediately moved, but Xiao Bao's 'delicate shout' immediately stopped them, "Don't move! Don't you want your friend to lose an arm like this!" For a moment, they were all stunned, not knowing what to do.

Just as I was about to speak, countless soldiers suddenly surged out from the field—it was the Imperial Guard! Countless swords and spears were pointed at us.

What a grand scene! I chuckled inwardly; judging from the expressions on their faces, this matter was unlikely to end easily! At that moment, Ao Xing suddenly put down her chopsticks, stretched lazily, and exclaimed, "I'm full!" Her charming demeanor immediately attracted everyone's attention. Just a moment's distraction was enough for me. A flash of light appeared in my hand, and the next moment, all the warriors in the hall were struck! Seven weapons, Situ Qingmang! This move is called "Watching the World Laugh!"

"So it's a master from the Situ family with seven surnames. I apologize for not being able to greet you properly!" A middle-aged man in black Confucian robes appeared at the top of the stairs. This was Kunlun Tengping Prince, Marshal Kunlun Jingxian of the Southeast Camp of the Empire! I remained seated in my chair. Although he was my uncle, his unfortunate son didn't expect me to show him any respect.

"Father! Save your child!" He was truly unlucky, for his words immediately drew a tirade from Prince Teng: "Shut up! If he hadn't stopped you, would you have killed him?! My Kunlun Law, even princes are subject to the same laws as commoners! You nearly caused a disaster, yet you remain oblivious!" It seemed Prince Teng possessed some backbone. He then turned to me: "This young master must have some misunderstanding with my son. Please, for my sake, spare him!" I thought to myself, this powerful figure was now begging for my help; I had to grant him this favor. I signaled Xiao Bao to stop his attack, and the boy, freed from his restraints, ran behind his father. I couldn't help but shake my head; a handsome face, but a heart full of rubbish.

"Prince Teng, you flatter me! Since it's a misunderstanding, let's consider this an unexpected encounter. Would I have the honor of sharing a drink with Your Highness?" I genuinely wanted to get to know this distinguished uncle.

Prince Teng waved his hand to dismiss his unfortunate son, then took a seat next to me. "Young master's performance just now truly broadened my horizons, but as far as I know, none of the seven surnames of the Situ family have someone like you. I wonder if you..." His words implied a probing of my true abilities. I thought to myself that this guy probably wasn't sincere towards me, but merely intimidated by the power of my attack. Given the strength I had just displayed, he probably couldn't have stopped me even if he wanted to.

"A mere trick, Prince Teng, please forgive my ignorance! I have no dealings with the seven surnames of the Situ family, and the needle I just threw was merely an ordinary sewing needle!"

Prince Teng, knowing I was unfathomable, didn't press further, simply recounting the events of the moment, offering both apologies and flattery. Although I was somewhat flattered, I still grasped something. Unsolicited hospitality must have a reason! But I still couldn't understand why he, a prince of the royal family and the lord of Tengping, would treat a stranger of unknown origin with such courtesy. Towards the end, the Prince of Teng invited us to stay at his palace. I quickly declined, thinking to myself, "Is the Prince of Teng out of his mind? I made his son look foolish in the Prince of Teng Pavilion, yet this old man not only isn't angry but also wants me to be his guest. This Prince of Teng is either stupid or he needs something from me."

After I declined, he didn't press the matter, but simply instructed his men to reserve a few superior rooms for me in the back garden of the Prince of Teng Pavilion, with all expenses covered by the palace. I'm completely confused by this man. What is he trying to do? Even if he's being courteous, there's no need for this kind of treatment!

After giving his instructions, Prince Teng rose to his feet. "Today, I and you, young master, hit it off immediately. Unfortunately, I have important matters to attend to and cannot share a drink with you. Therefore, I will certainly host a banquet for you at my residence another day!" I, of course, stammered a string of apologies and ramblings. As Prince Teng turned to leave, I was still in a daze, thinking that Prince Teng was truly an extraordinary person! Not only was he completely unpretentious, but he also spoke and acted with impeccable skill and composure. If he intended to harm me, he would be a formidable opponent.

As I was thinking this, Prince Teng had already taken a few steps when suddenly, as an assassin (or rather, the leader of assassins), my intuition told me that this place was fraught with danger! I instantly scanned the entire area, and finally noticed that all the windows on the second floor facing the street were wide open! The moment suspicion arose in my mind, an unexpected change occurred.

Suddenly, countless ropes dangled from the window. I immediately shouted a warning, "Watch out!" Before I could finish speaking, dozens of black-clad assassins wielding longbows appeared outside, clinging to the ropes. The Prince's guards were also very alert; upon hearing the shout, they immediately shielded the Prince. At that moment, the assassins unleashed a barrage of arrows. Countless people fell to the ground, struck by arrows. Although I thought of rushing forward to protect the Prince, several arrows were unexpectedly aimed at me and Ao Xing's group. Suddenly, an iron ladle appeared in my hand, which I used to deflect the arrows one by one. These assassins were clearly well-trained; after the arrows were fired, they scaled the window and charged in.

Looking again at the guards surrounding Prince Teng, most of whom had used their bodies to protect their master, they were all now fallen to the ground, wounded by arrows. Without hesitation, I shouted for Xiao Kui and the others to protect my lady, and then leaped to block the assassins. With a few clangs of my iron ladle, I felled several men, and a cacophony of shouts and cries filled Prince Teng's pavilion. After taking down another assassin, I finally realized that these guys were deliberately trying to prevent me from rescuing her. Just as I was about to unleash my ultimate move to escape, I heard a woman's scream behind me. I turned around in shock, and only then did I feel relieved. It wasn't Ao Xing or Wan Chu, but the stunningly beautiful woman who had been sitting with the young prince. Seeing that her fur coat had been slashed in several places by the assassins, I quickly leaped forward and shielded her behind me. In a few more moves, I killed several more assassins. Only then did I remember the woman behind me. "How are you, Miss? Are you injured?" I asked, but before I could finish, I was captivated by the beautiful scene before me. If it weren't for the weight of her fur coat, this girl would probably be dead by now. But the clothes were torn in the worst possible place, revealing a large expanse of her snow-white breasts. While feasting my eyes, I couldn't help but swallow hard. The girl, seeing my lecherous look, realized her clothes were disheveled. Looking down, she realized I had taken advantage of her. Overwhelmed with shame and anger, she slapped me across the face, oblivious to her surroundings. Just then, a fearless assassin attacked from behind. I grabbed her small hands, turned, and pulled her tightly into my arms. The girl saw the assassin charging at her. I channeled my strength into her hands, seized the opportunity, and with a powerful blow, struck the assassin, sending him flying several feet. The girl in my arms stared blankly at her hand, momentarily forgetting that I was about to take further liberties with her.

Just as the two sides were locked in fierce combat, shouts of battle erupted from downstairs, followed by a surge of soldiers. The situation instantly changed; assassins were felled one after another. Finally, one of the assassins let out a shrill scream, and the remaining assassins broke free and escaped through a window. I spotted the leader and casually tossed a blue needle. A flash of silver light, and it pierced the man's nape. He fell unconscious without even a cry and plummeted to the ground. Soldiers immediately came down and captured him.

"Your Highness, we are late in coming to the rescue! Please punish us!" Seeing that the danger was averted, several officers in general's uniforms immediately knelt on the ground. Prince Kunlun Jingxian of Tengping, his face ashen as he looked at the chaos in the hall and the countless innocent deaths and injuries. "All of you, rise! This is not your place to be punished yet! Immediately treat the wounded and identify the dead! Declare martial law immediately! No one may leave the city without my order! The escaped thieves are to be apprehended within two days! Go and carry out these orders!" Several officers trembled as they received their orders and left. After speaking, Prince Kunlun turned to me: "This time, I am deeply grateful for your warning, young master. Oh… but… but you should let go of Miss Hao!" I then realized I was still holding a beautiful woman in my arms. Seeing that Miss Hao also seemed to have realized something, she immediately threw me aside and slapped me again. "Smack!" A crisp sound rang out, and five bright red finger marks appeared on my face. This was the first time in my life I had been slapped by a woman! Instead of being angry, I laughed. This was quite a memorable moment! "Miss, are you not angry now?" Looking at the mark she'd left on my face, the girl suddenly blushed and quickly fled the scene, her long hair flying. I exchanged a smile with Prince Teng.

"Reporting to Your Majesty! The assassin wounded by the brave warrior has been brought before us!" Prince

Teng's expression immediately turned serious, and he pulled me through the crowd to the assassin.

"Who sent you?" Kunlun Jingxian asked sternly.

"I took money to eliminate trouble! Although this attempt failed, I, Sha Bao, will surely send an even higher-ranking assassin. You just wait to die!" As soon as he finished speaking, he began to convulse and tremble violently. Someone rushed forward to help, but I stopped them. "No need," Prince Teng said after a moment's thought, "Since they are assassins from Assassin's Fortress, they would never leave anyone alive." He then said to me, "Young master, you are mistaken! This man's words are half true and half false!"

I smiled slightly, "I would like to hear Prince Teng's opinion." "

If this man were truly an assassin from Assassin's Fortress, he wouldn't have announced his identity as before, so this is false! The one who attempted to assassinate me today must be someone else! Furthermore, although they failed this time, they will definitely come back to kill me again, and the next one will certainly be a master, so this is true."

This was exactly what I was waiting for! When I first heard the assassin mention the name of Assassin's Fortress, I was greatly alarmed, but I knew I couldn't show any expression or say anything. Now that Prince Teng himself had ruled out this possibility, that was for the best. I pondered for a while longer; something was still amiss. Since these assassins were capable of hiding in Prince Teng's Pavilion and chose such a precise time and place, they should have struck decisively, not suffered such heavy losses. Therefore, there is only one possibility: their goal is not to kill Prince Teng, but rather to issue a warning or a deterrent.

"My lord, please forgive my abruptness. You saved my life, but I still don't know your name."

"Oh, my name is Li Wu Hui! Prince Teng, please don't mention saving my life. I was merely acting out of injustice!"

"Then may I ask what your opinion is on this matter, Young Master Li?"

I naturally wouldn't tell him everything I was thinking, but only highlighted some of the most prominent points. "The origins of these assassins are highly suspicious. It must be the work of a large gang or sect, for only such a stable and powerful force could have the time and money to train such a group of assassins. Therefore, I dare to suggest that Your Highness, you must have offended some gang or powerful figure on the continent. Furthermore, the appearance of these people is extremely suspicious. From my argument with the young prince to Your Highness rising from your seat and leaving, only a quarter of an hour had passed. Yet these assassins were able to launch such a large-scale assassination operation in broad daylight. Therefore, I still dare to suggest that there must be a traitor among Your Highness's entourage."

Speaking of traitors, a flash of pain crossed Prince Kunlun Jingxian's face. He sighed deeply and remained silent.

For a moment, we both fell silent.
Chapter Six: Hostage Crisis ( January 27th)

The night was deep and still! I said goodbye to Hao Nantian and turned out of the alley to get into my carriage and return home. But then I heard a soft, even breathing sound coming from inside the carriage. I quietly opened the door. "Yi Ni!" The little girl knew I was there and climbed into my carriage. Sensing my gaze, the sensitive girl slowly woke up, and upon seeing me, a lovely blush rose on her face. "Why did you talk for so long? You made me fall asleep!" I couldn't help but smile. The little girl was sleepy herself but blamed me for not coming to see her!

"Miss Yi Ni made me wander around in that desolate wilderness for two hours, and I haven't even had a drop of water yet. I wonder how I'm going to settle this score with you?" Hearing

this, Yi Ni stuck out her little tongue shyly. "Who told you to act like that? Here! Take it!" "She tossed me a paper package, which I caught without even glancing at it before boarding the bus. I plopped down next to Yi Ni, and the little rascal playfully shifted away. I knew she was still teasing me, so I snuggled closer. Sure enough, the mischievous girl burst out laughing, 'Oh! You're so annoying! Eat it while it's hot, it'll be no fun if it gets cold!'

Who says this little girl only knows how to tease me! I felt her care and affection, and my gaze towards her couldn't help but radiate deep love. Although we had only known each other for two and a half days, we had already fallen in love! The relationships between people are truly amazing!"

Overwhelmed by my intense gaze, Hao Yini finally revealed her shy, girlish side once more. Her head drooped low, one small hand clutching the fur trim of her coat. I chuckled again and lightly pecked her round earlobe. "Hey! Silly girl, if you keep grabbing that fur, it'll all fall out!"

Yini jolted awake and cried out in a coquettish voice, "You're bad! You're bad! You..."

Her words trailed off as her shyness and exclamation transformed into a compliant response to my passion. I tossed aside the duck's foot I was holding and tightly embraced the girl, now unconscious from my kisses. My large hand slipped inside her clothes, caressing every inch of her fair skin through her undergarments. The kiss only ended when the carriage stopped again. My mischievous hand remained inside her clothes, and Yini, unable to even resist, simply leaned against my shoulder, panting.

"Yini! It's not too late for me to take you back now!"

Yi Ni gently shook her head, giving me a silent answer.

At that moment, silence spoke volumes! Inside the tent, a naked couple lay facing each other.

Who said Yi Ni was a little girl?! Every part of her body before me proclaimed that she was a fully mature woman! I climbed one of Yi Ni's breasts with one hand, while removing her arm from my face with the other. I leisurely kissed Yi Ni's fragrant shoulder, then slowly moved upwards to her slender neck, finally sealing her parched lips with mine. I sucked on one of Yi Ni's delicate tongues, and as she became increasingly aroused, my large hand parted her beautiful legs. The girl instinctively clamped her legs together, but my hand followed suit, covering her warm, moist lips. I precisely manipulated her already erect clitoris, eliciting a fierce struggle from Yini; the friction of her skin nearly drove me mad. After only a slight adjustment of my swollen member, it boldly slid into the beautiful, waiting passage.

Yini's constitution was clearly extraordinary; after the initial pain, her valley gripped my member tightly. I almost ejaculated instantly from this soul-stirring suction—I had encountered the most exquisite of all! I composed myself and slowly, carefully, slid my member through the soft, wet embrace. Yini's senses were incredibly acute; her beautiful legs tightly locked around my waist, and she let out alluring moans!

Gradually, my member adapted to Yini's tightness and warmth, each thrust bringing forth a glistening wetness. The waves of her moans grew louder and louder, and as I relentlessly plunged into her flower nest, she clung tightly to my body. I had never experienced such exquisite pleasure with such direct penetration. Her flower path seemed to have countless layers of beautiful flesh; as I penetrated one layer, I would inevitably sink into another. The pleasure emanating from my penis accumulated in this way until I approached the peak of climax. A

tingling sensation began in my lower abdomen, and I knew ejaculation was imminent. I instinctively pulled her beautiful legs over her head, and my penis began an unprecedentedly powerful thrust. Her flower path, fiercely ravaged for the first time, finally broke through all its internal barriers, and my penis penetrated her core almost without resistance each time. At the moment of climax, she even sat up on the bed, and endless love juices gushed from the depths of her valley. My penis, facing this incredibly hot and moist exudate, ejaculated a torrent of thick, hot semen.

After the passion subsided, Hao Yini ignored me and fell into a deep sleep. I smiled gently at her, now a young woman, and then stuffed a still-warm duck foot bun into my mouth.

When I woke up, it was almost noon. Looking at the sleeping Hao Yini beside me, I couldn't help but shake my head and smile wryly. I had a whole bunch of things to do, but in the end, I woke up in the arms of a beautiful woman.

After last night's lovemaking, I felt incredibly refreshed. When Aoxing and Wanchu in the hall saw me come out, they both grinned mischievously. Feeling great, I left a passionate kiss on each of their cheeks, making the two women blush. In the end, Aoxing couldn't help but tease me, "Look how happy you are! You're so happy just because you disciplined a crazy girl!"

"What! Are you jealous?"

Wan Chu immediately shook her head, "I'm not! It was Aoxing!"

Aoxing didn't expect the usually gentle Wan Chu to trip her up like this, and she pouted angrily, "Wan Chu! Who was it that dreamt of calling my husband's name yesterday?"

Wan Chu wished she could disappear into a hole, "You promised not to tell!"

I looked at my two women and suddenly felt an overwhelming surge of love, so I pulled them into my arms, one in each arm, and showered them with tender affection. Just as this intimate act was about to turn into a passionate encounter, Xiao Kui's knocking on the door rang out.

"Young Master! Fourteenth is here! He's waiting outside!"

I recognized him! The storyteller from Tengwang Pavilion! I had guessed that he was the one from January, but I never expected that this toad-like storyteller was actually the Fourteenth of January!

"Your subordinate greets Your Majesty and the two ladies! May Your Majesty and the ladies be well!"

"From now on, call me Young Master! Tell me what's been going on lately?"

"Young Master! I've lived here for many years, but the Tengwang Pavilion massacre happened so suddenly! I knew nothing about these assassins who infiltrated Tengping, so after the incident, I immediately dispatched all my intelligence personnel to search and reported the situation to the leadership committee. I didn't expect to find you here, Young Master."

I understood a bit. From what Fourteen said, there was no news, meaning he hadn't found any clues either. "Then what about those two brothers who went on the mission last night?"

"Those two brothers were sent by me to investigate a group of suspicious people, so it seems they stumbled upon their secret by accident."

"I see!" Given how cautious they were, how could they have let us get that bamboo tube? I thought to myself and couldn't help but ponder again. Even the all-knowing Zhengyue couldn't find out their origins, which could only mean one thing! They must belong to a secret organization, and this organization is like our Killing Fortress. They possess immense manpower, material resources, and financial strength! I've always been very wary of potential threats, and encountering such a mysterious group today naturally compels me to investigate. I immediately instructed Fourteen, "Military Intelligence Hall, on your orders on the fourteenth of the first lunar month!"

"I order you to immediately relay my verbal message, instructing Li Danian, the head of the Military Intelligence Hall, to ascertain the true nature of this unknown force as quickly as possible, and pay particular attention to their leader! Report back immediately upon discovery!"

"Understood!"

Xiao Kui saw Fourteen off, while I stood frozen in the room. A powerful force I knew nothing about had appeared on the continent. They could steal top-secret documents from the heavily guarded Imperial Secret Service in the capital, and mobilize forty highly skilled assassins at once. I turned to Ao Xing and told her what Hao Nantian had told me last night! Ao Xing was horrified upon hearing this.

"Wu Hui! I'm certain this was the work of someone in the Kunlun court!"

"Oh?" I was somewhat confused!

Ao Xing continued, "I've said before that even the current Emperor has to go through several procedures to access the Imperial Security Bureau's archives, so it's absolutely impossible for anyone to sneak into the archives, let alone steal documents. Therefore, the document we have can only have one origin: it was brought out by one of those people who are qualified to enter the archives!"

Upon hearing this, I suddenly understood! The daughter of the Left Prime Minister beside me must know everything about the affairs of the Kunlun court, which narrows our search scope even further! The person in charge must be a high-ranking official in Kunlun! Only then could he offer the Canal Gang greater benefits, which is probably why the Canal Gang cooperated with him.

"Who are the people who have the right to access secret documents?"

"Besides the current Emperor, there are four others: my father! Right Prime Minister Lin Donglou! The Prime Minister of the Central Intelligence Agency, Prince Xiyang, Kunlun Wupei, and the Minister of War, Ye Lifeng. The Emperor and my father can be ruled out, so the remaining three are all suspects!"

Of these people, I only suspect my brother Wupei. He's too power-hungry! He was probably involved in the last incident with the Nine Clans. If it wasn't him, who could have mobilized Feng Xiping? Even if it wasn't him this time, what are these people's motives? Why did they provoke Prince Teng? What do they want with the architectural plans in this document?

A series of hurried footsteps outside the door interrupted my thoughts. Xiao Hua burst in without even knocking!

"Young Master! Something terrible has happened in the city!"

The streets around Prince Teng's Pavilion have been sealed off by the city guards! Why are they making such a fuss? Prince Teng has been assassinated again! And the attackers even chose the long street in front of Prince Teng's Pavilion as the location! After the last assassination attempt, Prince Teng strengthened his security, so the assassins were put on the defensive as soon as they made their move. Now they have broken into a silver shop opposite Prince Teng's Pavilion and taken more than thirty hostages. They are currently facing off against the city guards and the experts from the Prince's Mansion across the street!

"Are you Young Master Li?" An officer blocked our way.

"It is indeed me!"

"Young Master Li, please proceed to Tengwang Pavilion. My King invites you!"

After passing through numerous makeshift barriers, we finally arrived at Tengwang Pavilion. Tengwang was sitting in a private room on the third floor. Upon seeing us enter, he dismissed all his guards, including his unfortunate son, leaving only Tengwang, Aoxing, and Wanchu in the room.

"Since we are family, there's no need for formalities. Nephew and your wives, please come and sit down!"

At this moment, I finally confirmed my suspicions about Tengwang! He did know my true identity!

"Nephew, there's no need to doubt. I was present when Father and my brother chose you as their successor."

In fact, I had no suspicions. I immediately led Aoxing and Wanchu to perform the proper nephew-niece greeting to this uncle before taking our seats.

"Uncle, what are your thoughts on this matter?"

"I have no clue! I have inherited the title of King of Tengping, and I have always considered myself fair and just. Therefore, this is definitely not a revenge killing; the assassins must have another purpose."

"I think so too! I wonder what the situation is like with the assassins now?"

Upon hearing this, King Teng frowned. "These people are truly desperate, and their skills are exceptionally high. Even with my experts surrounding them, they were able to occupy that silver shop! And they clearly used this as a backup plan! The moment they retreated into the silver shop, they took control of the hostages. My men are currently negotiating with them. If anything were to happen to the people inside, how could I, as the ruler of this region, face anyone?" Just as he

finished speaking, someone outside reported: "Your Majesty! Hao Nantian, the Grand Master of the Heaven and Earth Altar, and his sister Hao Yini are outside requesting an audience!"

"Quickly, invite them in!"

I chuckled inwardly; everyone here was an acquaintance!

Hao Nantian entered and exchanged pleasantries, while Yini sat far away from me. How could I not tease her? I immediately said to her, "Why didn't you sleep a little longer?" Everyone

at the table understood immediately, and Yini, about to retort, realized the inappropriateness of the situation, giving me a "you just wait!" look before lowering her head in embarrassment. People couldn't help but smile, and the tension created by the hostage crisis eased slightly. But just as Hao Nantian was about to speak, he was interrupted by an officer rushing in from outside!

"Reporting to Your Majesty! The assassins have made their demands! I have a letter here!"

"Read it quickly!" "Your Highness

, Prince Teng! We have long heard of Your Majesty's benevolence towards the people! If you allow us to leave safely this time, the lives of the hostages can be saved!" "So we need forty four-horse carriages, each with a hostage. We'll release them once we reach a safe area. Also, Your Highness Prince Teng won't let us leave empty-handed, so please prepare five thousand taels of gold and the carriages within one hour. If anything is missing by then, I'll have to execute the hostages!"

"That's all?" Prince Teng asked.

"That's all!" the officer replied.

"Then get out of here!" Prince Teng was clearly in a terrible mood!

I thought to myself, if we don't agree to the assassins' demands, the hostages will definitely be killed. But their methods are incredibly sophisticated; they've placed a hostage in each carriage, making a rescue impossible. And now the assassins have firmly controlled the silver shop; a large-scale invasion would be a lose-lose situation. For a moment, everyone was silent, except for Yi Ni, who, seemingly unafraid of death, suddenly said, "These guys really aren't afraid of death!" Not only did they kidnap the hostages, but they also set their sights on Uncle Teng's treasury!

Teng Wang merely smiled upon hearing this, but… wait! "Treasury!" I suddenly found the word "treasury" extremely jarring, as if it had suddenly struck a nerve! "Your Majesty! Could you explain the origin of this treasury?"

Teng Wang was momentarily stunned, but seeing my earnest expression, he didn't hesitate, saying, "The daily trading volume of my Teng Wang Pavilion exceeds 100,000 taels of gold. Moreover, the traded goods include countless rare and precious artifacts! Therefore, every day at the close of trading, we deposit these goods and money into the treasury. Thus, my treasury is renowned throughout the land. Of course, the income is the property of my Kunlun Kingdom! But I wonder why Young Master Li suddenly asks this question?"

I remained silent, simply having someone fetch paper and pen, and immediately sketched a draft, handing it to Teng Wang. Teng Wang was naturally surprised, but upon taking a look, he immediately stood up!

"This...this is...impossible...you...how could you know this was the case?" Prince Teng, who had remained unfazed in the face of countless crises, was now incoherent.

All thanks to Yi Ni's words! When I first saw the building depicted on that parchment scroll, I felt it must be some kind of secret room; otherwise, why wouldn't it have a window? Everything made sense! The initial assassination attempt was merely a probing strike, intended to gauge Prince Teng's ability to react and handle unexpected events! Unfortunately, I, by sheer chance, intercepted their most important document, prompting them to act immediately to prevent the plan from being leaked. But what they didn't expect was that I, too, by sheer chance, would learn the true origin of that parchment scroll—it was none other than a top secret of the Kunlun Empire—the architectural diagram of the Tengwang Pavilion Treasury, comparable to the national treasury!

Everyone at the table stared blankly at me and Prince Teng. After pondering for a while, I slowly spoke, "Prince Teng, you don't need to ask any more questions! This is what I intercepted from them, so your treasury is their real purpose for this trip!"

y: I wonder if it's just my imagination! It seems like everyone's old habits are relapsing. It seems I need to write something more to rouse them! Anyone who reads this and doesn't reply will be killed without mercy!!!

Chapter Seven: The Great Robbery of Prince Teng's Pavilion

I listened with satisfaction to the gasps of the people in the room! This fact was probably hard for them to accept. Even Ao Xing, with his supreme wisdom, couldn't help but look puzzled!

"Nephew! You must tell your uncle the whole story truthfully!"

We had previously addressed each other by pseudonyms, but Prince Teng had lost his composure and blurted out my identity. Sure enough, Hao Nantian, standing to the side, was startled, his eyes flashing with a strange light as he looked at me. Although I cared about his opinion, now was not the time to bring it up. So I recounted to everyone how my men had intercepted the secret document.

Prince Teng's face changed several times as I spoke, eventually turning completely pale.

After I finished, I took a deep breath. "That's how it is, but the markings on that parchment scroll are all in code, so please, Prince Teng, tell us the true situation of the treasury so we can understand their arrangements!"

Prince Teng finally regained his composure. "Over a hundred years ago, Tengping's trade volume ranked first among all the empire's prefectures, sometimes even affecting the empire's balance of payments. Therefore, our ancestor, Emperor Hui, ordered the construction of a treasury here to effectively manage the currency. At that time, a master craftsman from Qinghua Hall was commissioned to build this project. After the treasury was completed, the central government destroyed all the engineering drawings, and everyone involved in the construction disappeared from the world. Only one floor plan was hidden deep in the archives of the Imperial Security Bureau. If I remember correctly, this plan was classified as A, the top secret of our Kunlun Empire."

I pointed to the paper in Prince Teng's hand. "But now it's no longer a secret!"

Prince Teng nodded and smiled bitterly. "Yes! Regardless of where the problem lies, please listen to me about this treasury!"

"The treasury is located deep beneath my Tengwang Pavilion, entirely constructed of steel. If you wish to enter, you must first pass through my six checkpoints. Anyone found entering without proper documentation will be immediately apprehended by the treasury's elite guards. This is the outer perimeter of the treasury. After passing through these six checkpoints, you will reach the first door of the treasury. This door is constructed of fine stone and is unlocked. Inside is the registration area for entries and exits, essentially the treasury's settlement center. Without my personal approval, no one may take even a needle or thread from here. Next is the second door of the treasury, constructed of cast iron..." "The lock is a modified version of the Heaven-Sealing Lock, and the key is in my possession alone. This place is riddled with traps and mechanisms; if anyone breaks in, they will have no chance of survival. Finally, there's the third door, a composite steel structure. As far as I know, there's no material on the continent stronger than this composite steel. Opening this door requires three keys, each held by one of three people. I am one of those key holders. Therefore, if any one of us isn't present, you can forget about entering the vault. So I believe that unless it's an army of ten thousand, no one can enter the vault without my permission."

"But someone is indeed eyeing the vault! If they can't get in, what's their goal?" Hao Nantian immediately thought of this.

"Yes! I am also very puzzled! The most special thing about this vault is that its interior is a complete vacuum. The architects of Qinghua Hall spent countless hours developing this vacuum-creating mechanism. So once the door is closed, the vault will become a vacuum within a quarter of an hour, and anyone inside will suffocate. Therefore, I have great confidence in the vault."

After listening to Prince Teng's explanation, I was also confused. Logically speaking, no one should be able to break into this vault! But I immediately realized something was wrong. The conversion from air to a vacuum requires not only time but also space. Only by expelling the air from the vault and then sealing it can a vacuum be achieved. Therefore, there must be another air outlet.

I immediately asked Prince Teng about it, but he shook his head vigorously. "You don't know this. That exit is a deep underground well connected to an unknown underground water vein, the water level of which is parallel to the surface of the vault. And what seals this exit is a massive iron gate that opens when the vault is opened and closes when it is closed. So this exit is the least likely place to enter."

Ao Xing, who was beside me, suddenly smiled slightly. I knew in my heart that this talented woman already knew the secret, and I couldn't help but make a gesture of invitation to her.

Everyone looked at Ao Xing, who calmly replied, "Only after Prince Teng spoke did I dare to confirm that the robbers would definitely enter the vault through this exit."

Prince Teng was surprised, "But I just can't figure out how they could get in."

Ao Xing explained further, "Groundwater is connected to its source. Since they know the structure of the vault, they must be able to find the exit of this underground water vein. Don't forget that the Canal Gang is also in their camp, and the members of the Canal Gang are most famous for their swimming skills, so swimming a long distance shouldn't be a problem for them!" Yi Ni, not wanting to be left out,

added, "But, but the iron gate is closed! It weighs over a thousand pounds! Even if they could swim here, they wouldn't have the strength to open that iron gate!"

Ao Xing just smiled at this, "You silly girl, you just said it all in one sentence." I'd forgotten the robbers' objective! That's precisely the brilliance of their operation! They used the assassination attempt on Prince Teng and the hostage situation to draw everyone's attention, but the five thousand taels of gold they demanded from Prince Teng were the key! If Prince Teng agreed to their demands, he would open the treasury and take out this large sum of money, and the iron gate of the ventilation vent would automatically open. Destruction is always cheaper than invention; since they knew its structure, they would definitely have a way to destroy it. Therefore, when the treasury was closed, their men underwater would immediately destroy the iron gate, allowing them to enter the treasury undetected and transport the money out via waterways. So they also needed transportation! And their conditions included forty four-horse-drawn carriages. Once they were out of the city, they could board the canal boats, then…”

Ao Xing's words stopped there. In my heart, I was filled with admiration for the person among the robbers who had orchestrated this plan.

Hao Yini even had something to say at this moment! “But… Sister Aoxing! Why don’t they just demand all the valuables from Prince Teng’s treasury? After all, they have the hostages.”

I thought to myself, this is another idiotic question, but I didn’t hesitate to say to her, “The one who has the most authority to answer this question is His Highness Prince Teng. Please enlighten our silly girl!”

Although I spoke jokingly, Prince Teng could only smile bitterly at this moment. “This is actually one of their clever moves! If they really demanded what Miss Yini said, then I wouldn’t have to go through all this trouble. My city guards would just storm into that silver shop and wipe them out in one fell swoop! Because if I agree to their demands and give them all the valuables in the treasury, then the court will definitely blame me, and then it won’t just be those few hostages who die.” After saying this, Prince Teng couldn’t help but look at me.

I suddenly thought of a problem that I had never thought of before. Prince Teng’s treasury is the most important place for storing valuables under the imperial treasury, so no matter how the robbers planned it, as long as they succeeded, Prince Teng would immediately become a prisoner of the empire for dereliction of duty! Even if the Emperor, out of brotherly affection, pardons him, he will likely not allow Prince Teng to hold this position again. Thinking of the high-ranking official in charge of Kunlun in the capital, I felt a chill run down my spine! His plan would not only secure countless funds for his organization but also remove Prince Teng from this prestigious position. And with the war against Wuyue imminent, the removal of Prince Teng, the supreme commander of the Southeast Camp, would bring unpredictable changes. Suddenly, I felt an unprecedented fear! I feared the terrifying cunning of this person in charge! Just thinking about having such a person in the Kunlun court sent shivers down my spine! Lin Donglou, Ye Lifeng, Kunlun Wupei—who among you is this?

I pulled myself back from my reverie, scanned everyone present, and finally fixed my gaze on Prince Teng. "Your Majesty! I have a plan to offer! If Your Majesty will act according to my suggestion, I guarantee these robbers will not return alive!"

At this moment, the assassins inside the silver shop could finally breathe a sigh of relief! Prince Tengping had just sent word that he would agree to all their demands, only that the safety of the hostages be guaranteed. These men were probably secretly laughing; there were no hostages! They were all brothers, and this silver shop was a trap they had long ago set!

In the back garden of the silver shop was a well, its weathered surface indicating it was over a hundred years old. At this moment, ten burly men dressed in snakeskin armor surrounded the old well in a circle! One of the elders glanced at the rising sun and nodded to the men in armor. Immediately, these burly men sprang into action. They threw a thick rope, twenty or thirty feet long, into the well. Upon closer inspection, they discovered that the rope was tied with about a hundred copper rings, and then the men jumped into the well one after another. To breathe underwater, these men submerged a hollow hose with ten small openings. As long as one end of the hose surfaced, air would continuously escape from these openings, allowing them to breathe freely. After entering the water, the ten men began advancing towards their predetermined target in the dark waterway. Their practiced ease suggested they had scouted the area multiple times. And if you looked closely at the waterway walls, you'd see that the waterway itself had been recently excavated! Finally, the leader gestured for them to stop; they had reached their destination. Directly above them stood a massive iron gate.

Several figures moved about in the dark water. The leader began groping around the gate's edges. He finally found two special spots—marks they had made beforehand. Only by attacking these two points could they destroy the massive gate. But we all know that as long as they destroy this sluice gate, they will be able to freely enter and exit Tengwang Pavilion, this world-famous treasure trove!

Time ticked by, and the air from the hoses was no longer enough to satisfy the divers' increasingly heavy breathing. Two divers, each wielding a hacksaw, stood guard at the two marked locations. Their consciousness was beginning to fade, and the pressure of the deep water made them feel as if they were about to drown. Finally! The iron gate moved! The deafening sound echoed underwater! The divers rallied their spirits, and those already waiting on either side of the gate quickly inserted two iron bars into the two spots. With a series of clanging sounds, the gate opened completely! Those who had come to collect the ransom must be there. As soon as they opened the third door of the vault, the gate would simultaneously open, allowing air to quickly fill the vault.

A moment later, another deafening roar resounded! The ransom collectors left the vault, and as the vault door closed, the iron gate began to seal. The people underwater had been waiting for this moment. The two iron bars inserted into the holes of the iron gate finally came into play. Although they were twisted in two by the weight of the massive iron gate, one broken piece remained in the mechanism controlling the gate's opening and closing. The people underwater stopped all movement; they were breathing heavily, large gas bubbles constantly rising from the water. The iron gate was still closing, but suddenly! The iron gate made another loud noise, and after shaking back and forth a few times, the heavy gate stopped closing! Its control mechanism had lost its function due to the obstruction! If the people underwater could cheer at this moment, I think they would have shouted out loud, not for any other reason than that they had become the first illegal visitors to the Tengwang Pavilion's treasury in its three-hundred-year history! Suppressing

their excitement, the leader gestured for them to wait, then took out a prism no bigger than a little finger and slowly raised it to the surface. The prism immediately reflected the entire situation of the treasury. They were being extremely careful! After confirming the vault was empty, the leader gestured again, and immediately one of them leaped out of the air vent in the now-unobstructed sewer! Then came the second, then the third, and finally all ten master thieves were inside the vault!

Despite being prepared, they were still stunned by the colors they saw! Gold! Only countless piles of gold could radiate such dazzling brilliance. Behind them, however, was a completely different scene: precious artifacts, jade, gemstones, and glass—the colors of these treasures reflected in the slightly damp vault, creating a rainbow! They were momentarily captivated by this unbelievable 'golden cave'!

Suddenly! A strong wind howled through the sealed vault! The ten men awoke with a jolt, quickly seizing the most advantageous attack positions within the vault, but the wind soon ceased. It turned out that the air extraction mechanism had stopped working, clearly mistaking the room for a vacuum. Little did it know that the iron gate guarding its entrance had been rendered useless, and the vault was now filled not only with fresh, humid air but also with ten visitors.

After confirming everything was alright, the leader signaled to lift the alert. The burly men exchanged glances and began their methodical operation. They dragged the large rope, adorned with countless copper rings, from the water, and immediately, someone took out sacks and poured chests upon chests of gold into it. From their actions, we can see two things: first, their plan was incredibly meticulous—six of the ten men were moving gold, three were collecting treasures, and the last was assessing the treasures on-site, recording the amount of money and valuables being put into each sack; second, these men were beyond terrifying! Their eyes were only on the task, their minds only on how to complete it; faced with a mountain of treasure, they were momentarily stunned! Not one of them put anything into their own pocket! Therefore, from the above two points, we can deduce two more: First, their skill and demeanor indicate they must have undergone rigorous physical and mental training; second, while there are legendary figures like the Eight Tigers of Lingnan and the Seven Swords of Tianshan, there's never been a group of ten brothers, so they must belong to the same organization—a secret organization without a name, without mechanisms, and even without people, yet we know this organization actually possesses everything. Otherwise, how could they have allowed ten subordinates to enter the Tengwang Pavilion treasury, a place only an army of ten thousand could breach, without anyone noticing!

The robbery was nearing its end; the vast treasury was now empty. Only two ever-burning lamps remained lit. Nearly a hundred sacks filled with gold and silver jewels lay scattered on the ground. Now, what I was most curious about was how these ten men would transport these items, weighing over ten thousand jin, out of the waterway. They probably wouldn't be making repeated trips to retrieve them; so how would they do it?

With everything in place, the leader visibly relaxed. He then looked at the man who had been recording, who immediately presented a list: "397,600 taels of gold, and 124,500 taels of gold for jewels and precious objects." The leader nodded, and the burly men immediately began a new task. They securely threaded iron hooks onto each sack, then hung the hooked sacks one by one onto the thick rope they had brought in from outside. You might ask how they did it; it's actually quite simple! Don't forget that the rope was tightly secured with over a hundred copper rings, and the hooks naturally fit into these rings.

After they finished this task, the leader looked at the recorder again. Everything was proceeding according to plan, and words seemed superfluous at this point. The recorder simply bowed to the leader and then plunged into the waterway. Less than a third of an incense stick's time had passed when the cable, already laden with a thousand-pound weight, began to slide into the water on its own. It turned out that the cable at the silver shop end was connected to a pulley and a crane. Now that the people above had received news of the mission's success, they began pulling the crane. The pulley saved half the effort, and the crane saved a quarter, resulting in a 60% reduction in effort. Therefore, only ten strongmen were needed to easily pull the cable up! Meanwhile, inside the vault, the nine men, after escorting the last bag of gold and silver into the water, jumped in themselves. Using breathing hoses, they safely traversed the waterway. When they emerged from the old well and saw the light of day again, they collapsed to the ground! The immense underwater pressure, the intense psychological tension, and the sheer effort expended in packing the ten thousand pounds of treasure all caused them to completely collapse at that moment! People immediately supported them, massaging and helping them breathe, until the elderly leader emerged from the group.

Everyone stopped moving, and even the few who were exhausted struggled to regain their strength.

The old man's words were only one sentence, but they were incredibly verbose!

"People who have returned from that dark underground and that icy torrent, the world's bravest warriors sing your praises, the world's most beautiful maidens inquire about your allegiance, and even our Heavenly King was awakened from his slumber by the cries in your hearts. I heard our great Heavenly Saint King say, 'You are the invincible pride of the underworld, you are the invincible pride of the great river!'"

If I were present at that moment, I would forever remember this name that had opposed me for nearly half my life: "The River Styx"! They were members of this "River Styx," and I only recently learned from them... I learned this from someone I would never have imagined.

Chapter Eight: Catching a Turtle in

a Jar. I wonder if anyone would believe that Tengwang Pavilion had been completely looted! But when Tengwang led us to open the vault door again, the guards finally believed it! They immediately knelt down, for the vault was stolen, and the primary responsibility lay with them. If they couldn't recover the stolen goods, all the guards present would face death. Tengwang shook his head as he looked at the open passage underground. Ao Xing had guessed correctly! They had actually broken the thousand-pound iron gate and even managed to smuggle out gold and silver treasures weighing over ten thousand pounds.

"I've finally witnessed it all! There truly are masters in this world!" "

The most urgent task now is to capture all the thieves, but after much thought, I can't think of a way to apprehend them all without harming the hostages. So..." My point is that if we're going to succeed, we can no longer worry about the lives of the hostages.

Prince Teng and the military commanders around him pondered for a while, but even racking their brains, they couldn't come up with a solution. Even if I were the best martial artist in the world, I couldn't rescue more than a dozen people from a group of highly skilled desperados! So Prince Teng finally nodded.

"Don't be so pessimistic, everyone. I think there's definitely something wrong with those hostages!" Ao Xing suddenly said.

"Why?" I asked.

"The fact that those robbers were able to transport the gold and silver out means they traveled a very short distance. If the underwater journey were too long, they definitely wouldn't be able to handle it. So I dare say the waterway's exit must be inside the silver shop across the street. Otherwise, they wouldn't have chosen to take the carriages here. If that's the case, the robbers must have started setting up in that silver shop several days ago, and that silver shop must be their hideout! Of course, it's also possible that they captured the hostages a long time ago, but that's very unlikely, because that would attract unnecessary danger."

"That makes perfect sense!" Prince Teng thought it made perfect sense after just one thought. He immediately asked his men, "Are the carriages and horses ready?"

"Your Majesty! They're all waiting at the street corner!" an officer replied.

"How's the assault team?"

"One hundred and ten elite soldiers from the 4587 Special Forces, plus myself, have all taken their positions and are awaiting Your Majesty's orders." The speaker was a tall, slender middle-aged man. His every move exuded the bearing of a soldier; only a seasoned veteran of countless battles could possess such a unique military aura. I sized up this expert soldier; he must be the commander of the special forces under Prince Teng. I assumed Prince Teng had sent his elite troops for this operation, but I hadn't expected him to send the assault team. This assault team was truly formidable! My Kunlun Military Department commands seven military regions, nine large camps, and eighteen regular corps, with a total strength of approximately 1.2 million. And each… Each legion has an elite unit with its own independent designation—the Special Operations Team! This unit is the pride of the empire, as it is the only unit on the continent that has fought in all kinds of climates and geographical conditions. The most dangerous places on the battlefield have always been their home. The 4587 unit under Prince Teng's command is clearly the Special Operations Team stationed in the Southeast Camp, and the members participating in this operation must be the elite of the elite!

Prince Teng had already arranged everything according to the Gardener's plan. After discussing it with his generals, he turned to me, "If it weren't for the urgency, I would never have let 'Young Master Li' put himself in danger!"

I looked at the dark waterway before me and could only manage a wry smile.

"In that case, I will go down and scout ahead first." It was Hao Nantian, who had been silent for a long time, who spoke.

"Brother!" Hao Yini was naturally very nervous.

Hao Nantian smiled and said to her, "Do you think I want to! It's just that this matter is of great importance!" "Besides, if my future brother-in-law were to be in danger, wouldn't I, as the elder brother, feel ashamed…"

Before he could finish speaking, he leaped into the water.

Yi Ni forgot her shyness and simply gripped my arm tightly. People are always like this when facing darkness and the unknown, especially when faced with deep, stagnant water.

A moment later, the underwater current surged, and Hao Nantian emerged without even blushing or panting! Everyone gathered around.

"The waterway is only about the time it takes to smoke a pipe. I followed the current and went the wrong way, only finding the exit after turning around. My sister-in-law's guess was correct; the exit is a well. Judging from the time I mentioned, the well must be inside that silver shop."

Teng Wang was overjoyed. "That's perfect! That's perfect! That bandit leader must be too confident, otherwise he wouldn't have left such a crucial exit! Now we can infiltrate through this waterway like they did, and with our combined efforts from the inside and outside, we can surely wipe out this gang of robbers!" "

At this moment, the leader of the special forces said, "Your Majesty, does Your Majesty mean that no survivors should be taken during the operation?"

"Those bandits will not leave us any clues to find their origin, so if we deliberately leave survivors, it will only increase our casualties. Therefore... kill without mercy! But if we encounter anyone who is unable to resist, we must completely control them immediately to prevent them from committing suicide or fighting back."

"Understood! But if we encounter hostages during the operation..."

Everyone frowned. But as the person in charge of the operation, the commander had to ask.

Teng Wang did not say a word, but only gave the officer a deep look.

"Understood!"

"I have something to report to Your Majesty!"

Teng Wang saw that this was the leader of the guards, "Speak!" "

My brothers and I are confident that we can cross the waterway of that one-pipe-of-smoke journey, so we request Your Majesty's permission to accompany Young Master Li and Sect Master Hao. Firstly, it will give us a chance to redeem ourselves, and secondly, we can look out for each other." "

Prince Teng turned to me. 'The more men, the more strength. These men are not only skilled guards of the treasury, but they've also survived the journey of that pipeful of water; they must be top-notch fighters.' So I nodded to Prince Teng.

'I grant your permission! Now, everyone, wait for the sound of the war drums outside. The moment the drums sound is the moment you act!'

The doors of the silver shop, which had been tightly closed for several hours, suddenly opened! Two burly men in black walked out, escorting a woman who looked extremely flustered. 'Listen up, soldiers! It's only a quarter of an hour until our agreed time. If the carriage is even a minute late, I'll kill this woman; if it's two minutes late, I'll kill both of them!'" "As soon as he finished speaking, he quickly turned back into the house and pulled the door shut. For a moment, the only sound in the street was the woman's cries.

Just one point short! Finally, a large, four-wheeled carriage appeared at the end of the street.

In an instant, the carriage came to a smooth stop in front of the silver shop. Perfectly accurate! But then, there was no movement from inside the silver shop.

After a short while, a shout came from inside again, "Tell those coachmen to open all the canopies on the carriages!"

The commander inside the Tengwang Pavilion immediately made a gesture, and the coachmen opened the canopies. The carriages were empty. Then, the voice from inside the silver shop came again, "Alright! All of you, get the hell out of here!" "

Tengwang Pavilion immediately gave instructions with hand gestures, and the coachmen disguised as special forces members retreated. The special forces commander upstairs shook his head, thinking he could find an opening, but these bandits were surprisingly cautious.

The silver shop door opened! More than sixty people came out at once! Half were hostages, and half were bandits. Sadly, the bandits had tied one hand to each hostage. The commander shook his head again; there was no other way, and the hostages had to be given up! Thinking this, he flicked two fingers of his hand.

The hostages and bandits came out, not only tied together, but each dragging a full sack. They then moved away from the horse..." The carriages were still some distance away when they finally separated, each robber dragging a hostage towards their own carriage.

Our commander also moved! He unleashed a burst of power from his fingertips, striking a lion-backed war drum a foot away! Almost simultaneously, the drum emitted a deep, yet incredibly powerful, sound.

Time was up! Inside the vault, Hao Nantian and I exchanged glances. I gave him a graceful gesture of invitation, and Hao Nantian smiled nonchalantly, then leaped into the water. Next came the group of experts guarding the vault. The reason I was last was because Ao Xing and Wan Chu had been holding me back; for them, every mission I undertook was fraught with danger, so sending me to the battlefield was always a life-or-death farewell.

"Don't worry, ladies! I will resolve this matter as quickly as possible, and then immediately return home with you all. Then we can have a proper get-together!"

"Get lost, you gossipy fool!" "

I dodged a kick from below and flipped into the water! Even in the water, I was still thinking about how to completely deal with this crazy girl who came from the underworld and was spoiled rotten by her older brother!"

The moment the war drums sounded, the signal to attack was given. Forty archers instantly appeared on the roof of Tengwang Pavilion. The moment the bandits below reacted, arrows were already upon them. These arrows could be dodged, they could be blocked, but few could escape this thunderous strike, for the archers were among the most skilled archers on the continent, from the special forces. There were thirty-six bandits and thirty-six hostages. Twenty-four bandits were hit by arrows, and six hostages were used as shields. Everyone was stunned by this sudden attack!

All the doors and windows on the first floor of Tengwang Pavilion burst open, and over a hundred elite warriors in tight-fitting armor rushed out. Their speed was only slightly slower than the arrows! The hostages cried out in despair, but a closer look revealed that many of them showed no fear whatsoever!

In the close combat, a hundred men against twelve was quite a fight, but what was most strange was that the hostages dropped the ropes binding their hands and ran back into the silver shop. Several special forces soldiers who tried to stop them inexplicably collapsed.

The drums in Tengwang Pavilion sounded again! This time, the message was: kill without mercy! Only the dead were the real hostages; the rest were undoubtedly with the bandits. It seemed those unlucky souls had gone to the silver shop on business earlier that day and thus stumbled into this hellish situation. The archers released their arrows again, and half of the ordinary civilians were gone. The doors of the silver shop locked again!

The sound of war drums rang out at this moment. Two siege towers appeared from Tengwang Pavilion, the smallest kind, but enough to deal with a small, undefended building. Four thick ropes, each connecting to a two-meter-long giant arrow, shot out from the tower. The arrows pierced the roof of the silver shop, while the barbs on the arrows gripped the street-facing wall. The strongmen controlling the tower simultaneously turned the mechanism connecting the arrows, tightening the ropes. In the blink of an eye, a series of cracking sounds were heard as the two-story outer wall of the silver shop collapsed outwards. Archers fired again, and several bandits, now without any external defenses, fell to the ground, struck by arrows! The outer wall finally crashed down! Amidst the billowing dust, countless special forces soldiers stormed into the dilapidated silver shop!

If I were there, I would, as usual, be filled with admiration. The special forces truly lived up to their reputation as the most elite unit on the continent. They were not only adept at charging into battle, but also wielded lightning speed in the complex urban warfare of this situation, eliminating almost half of the enemy's forces upon entering the fray, while suffering no casualties themselves!

The people underwater had reached the well, and we had no idea what was happening outside! Fortunately, the well was large enough; otherwise, it wouldn't have been able to accommodate our group of seven.

The battle inside the building was quickly drawing to a close. Although the special forces soldiers weren't martial arts masters, their skills honed through countless battles were not to be underestimated. Coupled with their overwhelming numerical advantage, the robbers began to retreat towards the backyard of the silver shop after only two or three rounds. A narrow door became the focus of the struggle, where an elderly man in brocade robes stood guard. The old man's martial arts skills were undoubtedly the highest among the robbers! He wielded his pair of golden halberds, creating streaks of golden light that sent people flying and injured in their wake. For a moment, the special forces soldiers were helpless against him.

We in the water finally heard a jumble of shouts. Although not very clear, it indicated that the robbers were in disarray, and this was the moment for us to act! Hao Nantian and I were about to leap out of the well when a long rope suddenly dangled from above, stopping us. A man outside the well was shouting, "Quick! Quick! Change the water and get down! Remember, after you're in the water, head straight for the right-hand waterway!"

I quickly realized what he meant and signaled everyone to sink back into the water. They hadn't destroyed the waterway for this crucial moment of escape; they had planned a backup plan all along! I had realized this when I pulled everyone back. If we killed them all here, we would lose a key lead to finding them. So I concealed our presence, waiting for them to meet up with their contact.

The battle inside the silver shop was nearing its end. Although the old man possessed extraordinary skills, he was now covered in blood, with several arrows embedded in his body. He was clearly at his limit. Finally, four long swords broke through his defenses. Despite the loss of two men, the remaining two managed to finish off the old man! The assault team swarmed in! The old man was hacked to pieces before he even fell! The last line of defense collapsed! The special forces finally stormed into the silver shop's back garden. The robbers who hadn't yet retreated through the waterway immediately turned to fight back. If I were there, I would naturally have done my usual thing and sighed in admiration—such disregard for life and death, such consideration for their comrades! If they had chosen to escape by drowning, they would have been caught by the rapidly arriving assault team. So, it was better to leave their lives to their comrades below. If they could hold off these men, their comrades would have a better chance of escaping.

Their last stand was fierce and brave, but it couldn't stop the special forces' frenzied attack! The fighting stopped in an instant, but underwater, we continued our exploration.

After concealing our tracks, we closely followed the robbers. Drowned corpses constantly blocked our path in the dark waterway. Although we possess unparalleled martial arts skills, being underwater was unbearable. The immense pressure and the suffocating feeling rising in our chests and abdomens made us extremely uncomfortable. Finally, the waterway ahead suddenly opened up, and we were swept into a large river by the increasingly turbulent current. When we cautiously poked our heads out of the water, we realized that we were in the Tengping moat!

Only six or seven bandits had managed to escape to the shore! By the time we reached them, they had already been put into a prepared carriage by their contact. If we didn't act now, it would truly be releasing the tiger back into the mountains! I roared and charged out, and the two who met me were knocked to the ground by a single strike of my inner energy. The guards and drivers of the carriage immediately shouted and ran away. In that one move, I had already realized that these people did not know martial arts, so I ignored them and turned to the carriage. Lifting the curtain made me happy. Several of them, realizing the danger, had already committed suicide, but two others had fainted from exhaustion. This saved me a lot of trouble. Several skilled guards immediately conducted a thorough search of the two men, while Hao Nantian and I stepped aside.

"Is that all?" he asked.

"Absolutely not!" I replied.

"Then what are you going to do?" he asked again.

"Investigate! Investigate until the truth comes out! I won't allow any force I don't know about to exist in this world."

Only a born king possesses such a commanding presence!

A strange cloud drifted across the sky, and I took in the entire landscape. This incident at Tengwang Pavilion taught me a lesson. There are too many powerful figures in the world, and countless unknowns. My path of conquest will not be smooth sailing. I wonder when and where I will truly be able to challenge the mastermind behind it all?

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