Chapter 145

144. Chapter 144: A Gunshot

"Go find Master and the others, and discuss rebuilding the martial arts hall."

Li Yi rode calmly on a black steed, strolling through the streets of Sanyang City; behind him, a mighty Eight-Treasure Deer followed closely—this rare mountain delicacy had reached the level of a spirit creature, with high intelligence, needing no concern for getting lost.

Rongniang said beside him: "Master probably rescued all the other disciples by now, but I don't know where they are. If we're to meet up with him, it'll take some time."

"Since we've got nothing else to do, let's just stroll around Sanyang City—I've never been here before, and I'm curious. How long have you lived here, Rongniang?" Li Yi said.

"I've lived in Sanyang City since childhood—twenty-seven years. I know it well. If Senior Brother wants to tour, I'll guide you," Rongniang replied at once.

Li Yi asked again: "So Rongniang is already twenty-seven? Why haven't you married? At this age, you should already be married with children."

Rongniang shook her head: "After my parents died, I lost all desire to marry. To me, the Zhao Family Martial Arts Hall is my home."

"I didn't realize Rongniang was also someone who suffered greatly," Li Yi sighed.

"My situation isn't that tragic. My parents were nearly fifty, not cultivators, and their deaths from illness were natural. I only regret that during those years, while I trained daily, I never properly cared for them—I feel deep regret," Rongniang said, pressing her lips together.

"To wish to care for one's parents but find them gone—this has always been the way."

Li Yi suddenly asked curiously: "But I want to know—do ordinary people here usually live only around fifty? Can no one live to seventy or eighty?"

He had found this strange when his Master mentioned it before, but hadn't asked then; now, in idle chat, he brought it up.

Even in ancient times, with poor medical care and insufficient food, some people with better conditions and enough to eat lived longer.

Rongniang paused, seemingly surprised by the question—this was basic common knowledge across the Four Seas and Eight Provinces—but she answered seriously: "Everyone is like this. Around fifty, life ends. Unless you cultivate, living past sixty is nearly impossible."

"Really?" Li Yi's eyes flickered slightly.

"Yes, it's common knowledge. Why would I deceive Senior Brother? Perhaps in your world, everyone lives long, to seventy or eighty—but here, it's not like that," Rongniang said, shaking her head.

Li Yi said: "No, I don't think your words are wrong—I think the lifespans of people in the Four Seas and Eight Provinces are the problem."

"What do you mean, Senior Brother?" Rongniang became instantly curious.

Li Yi, riding his horse, looked at the pedestrians ahead and said slowly: "There are individual differences among people—some die young, some suffer illness; others live long, others stay healthy. Individuality is diverse—it's impossible for everyone to be nearly identical, unless—"

"Unless what?" Rongniang pulled her horse closer, unable to resist pressing.

"Unless the lifespan across the Four Seas and Eight Provinces is truly decided by Heaven—Heaven controls everyone's life within a fixed range. Only then could ordinary people never live long," Li Yi said, looking up at the sky.

Rongniang immediately said: "Above our heads, three feet, there are divine spirits. Ghosts and spirits have always existed. Master himself once fought an Yin Spirit and suffered soul damage, which shortened his lifespan."

"Yin Spirit… That reminds me of what the city lord Fan Zhizhou said: if a martial cultivator reaches the level of Spirit Refining, they can condense an Yin Spirit, break free from bodily constraints, and exist eternally. Are these two connected?" Li Yi asked.

Rongniang nodded: "Yes. Top-tier Spirit Refiners can become Yin Spirits after death. Master was injured by one."

"Then which is stronger—an Yin Spirit or a Qiao-Refining martial artist?" Li Yi continued.

Rongniang's face showed a hint of embarrassment: "Senior Brother, I've only reached Bone Marrow Refining—I haven't even reached Blood Refining. How would I know? But I once heard Master say that although Yin Spirits are formed from dead Spirit Refiners, without a body, they can't regain their peak strength. Still, their methods are strange—they can harm souls, kill in dreams, vanish without trace, and are extremely hard to fight. Only Qiao-Refining experts, with their qi and blood Gangqi, have the ability to clash with Yin Spirits. Other martial artists have no defense at all and can only be slaughtered by them. That's why we all fear ghosts and spirits."

"I see."

Li Yi now understood: Yin Spirits were like ghosts. Ordinary people had no way to fight them—even Blood Refiners could only be passively killed, dying mysteriously and senselessly. Only Qiao-Refining experts, able to project qi and blood, could harm these spirits, giving them the right to fight Yin Spirits.

But if one could master a way to suppress ghosts, did that mean Yin Spirits could be killed?

In fact, it wasn't just the Four Seas and Eight Provinces—Earth had few methods to deal with ghosts too.

Investigators avoided cases involving ghosts because they had no effective means to fight them—only avoidance.

"To untie a knot, find the one who tied it. Maybe only an Yin Spirit has the means to fight another. I should find City Lord Fan Zhizhou—he's from an ancient family with long traditions; he must have records on this." Li Yi thought inwardly, recalling the hanging spear in his home—it was an Yin Spirit's weapon.

If one day I could lift it, that would mean I possess the power to kill ghosts.

But thinking about this now is premature. Next, I must hone my martial cultivation, reaching Bone Marrow Refining, Blood Refining, and eventually Qiao Refining.

If an Evolver's body opens the Nine Qiao, draws blood into them, and condenses Gangqi, Li Yi's power would soar uncontrollably.

Then what would Yang Yi Long matter? A single punch of qi would knock him down. His half-baked fist techniques? In my eyes, they're dog shit—no, worse than dog shit.

Without martial cultivation to support it, fist techniques have limited potential and cannot unleash their full power. Li Yi understood this deeply.

As Li Yi wandered in thought—

"Bang!"

Suddenly, a thunderous crack echoed from afar, startling Li Yi's steed into rearing and neighing. But Li Yi quickly regained control, then turned toward the source of the sound.

Others couldn't tell, but he knew.

It wasn't thunder—it was a gunshot.

Li Yi instantly recognized the sound of the Superb M200 sniper rifle.

"Gunfire? Something's wrong with Zhao Qian. Go check immediately—Rongniang, follow!" Li Yi reacted at once, spurring his horse into a gallop toward the gunshot's direction.

Rongniang immediately followed on horseback, worry flashing in her eyes.

Normally, all Qiao-Refining experts in Sanyang City had been defeated by Li Yi—dead or wounded, no threat remained. Besides, the head of Weiwu Escort Agency had been won over by the Zhao Family Martial Arts Hall and was an ally, not an enemy. Thus, among the remaining factions, there should be no Qiao-Refining experts left.

With Master Zhao Ge's strength—even if not at his peak—he could easily handle Blood Refining martial artists.

Under these circumstances, Zhao Qian had no reason to fire her gun.

"That direction is the docks controlled by the Liu family of the Caoyun. Did Master clash with them?"

Rongniang, having lived here many years, immediately recognized the location's faction and informed Li Yi.

"The Liu family of the Caoyun? Good. I remember they're one of the factions to be purged—they've shed much blood of Zhao Family Martial Arts Hall disciples," Li Yi said.

"Yes, Master is probably handling this," Rongniang said.

"We'll know the situation once we get there," Li Yi said.

Soon, the two rode swiftly forward. In a short while, they saw a great river cutting through Sanyang City, with many boats moored along it. Near the largest dock, a crowd had gathered, and a faint smell of blood drifted through the air.

A fierce battle had clearly taken place here not long ago.

As Li Yi rode past, he saw numerous corpses floating in the water—each had been strong in life: Bone Refining, Bone Marrow Refining, even Blood Refining martial artists among them.

"There she is—Little Sister is on that rooftop. She's unharmed," Rongniang suddenly pointed, spotting Zhao Qian crouched on the roof, holding a sniper rifle.

Zhao Qian's rifle now aimed at a direction, as if ready to fire at any moment to kill an enemy.

Ahead, in the crowd, fists echoed with power, and Gangqi raged wildly—clearly, a Qiao-Refining expert was fighting.

"Is there still a Qiao-Refining expert in Sanyang City? Go—hurry!" Li Yi's gaze sharpened, surprised.

The waters of Sanyang City ran deeper than he thought.

Both Master Zhao Ge and Rongniang had only known of the heads of the Han and Jin martial halls and the city lord as Qiao-Refining experts. But now, after stirring the waters, several more had surfaced: the old servant in the city lord's mansion, the head of Weiwu Escort Agency… and now this one. Three more Qiao-Refining experts had appeared.

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But Li Yi could understand—such a vast city as Sanyang naturally harbored hidden experts.

Meanwhile—

In the crowd, Zhao Ge battled an old man over seventy, his hair and beard white, his body heavy with deathly aura.

"Liu Taigong, weren't you already dead five years ago from depleted qi and blood? The Liu family even held your funeral. I never expected you faked your death—still clinging to life at seventy-plus!" Zhao Ge roared, unleashing a punch, qi condensed into a fist Gang, the essence of the Shock-Mountain Fist fully manifested.

But Liu Taigong was in terrible shape—his eyes blazing, one arm shattered to pulp, leaving only scraps of flesh. He now fought Zhao Ge with only one arm.

Both Qiao-Refining experts were far from their peak.

Zhao Ge, still wounded and with soul damage, could not unleash much of his strength. Liu Taigong, aged and frail, his qi and blood decayed, and missing an arm—yet their clash was brutal, each determined to kill the other.

"I faked my death to protect the Liu family from disaster. I never expected the first to strike me would be you, Zhao Ge! Back then, when you were young and traveled seeking masters, my Liu family supported you. How could you be so heartless, trying to seize three generations of Liu family wealth?"

Liu Taigong was furious. He too was a fist cultivator, unleashing a punch that exploded with qi, brimming with killing intent—but he was old, his strength faded, no longer the warrior he once was.

"How dare your Liu family speak of support? After I broke through to Qiao Refining and founded the Zhao Family Martial Arts Hall, how many troubles did I resolve for your Liu family—openly and secretly? Even after you faked your death, it was the Zhao Family Martial Arts Hall that secretly protected you. And what did your Liu family do? When the Zhao Family faced disaster, you rushed to sever ties—killing our disciples more eagerly than anyone else. Now, the flagpoles of your docks hang the heads of our Zhao disciples."

"How can a heartless, treacherous beast like you speak of loyalty?"

Zhao Ge roared, his voice shaking the soul, exposing the Liu family's vile nature.

"Enough talk. If you want my Liu family destroyed, I'll drag you into the coffin with me."

Liu Taigong suddenly let out a long howl, no longer holding back. His heart's blood erupted like a potent tonic—his qi and blood surged, his withered flesh swelled, and his deathly body instantly regained vitality.

He seemed twenty years younger, and a peak-level strength surged forth.