Chapter 80: Immortal Treasure! (Please Follow!)

Heaven and Earth Alliance, Qinghe Branch.

Zhang Mansion.

A screen, a silhouette, slender fingers lightly tapping the strings, the music flowing like a gentle stream.

“Brother Li, Brother Wu, drink!”

Zhang Yang raised his cup.

Li Rui and Wu Tu also drained their cups in one gulp.

After settling the Ghost Ming Cult matter, Zhang Yang brought Li Rui and Wu Tu to his home; this courtesan was hired from the Jiaofang Si.

Of course, he didn’t skimp on the silver.

Today’s gathering was purely private, paid for entirely by Zhang Yang himself.

What is a trusted confidant?

It’s not someone who constantly asks after your health, but someone who willingly shares a quiet drink with you when there’s no urgency—and if that drinking spot is a brothel, then he’s the ultimate confidant.

Today’s situation was much the same.

Zhang Yang was defeated by Zhao Wei and has lost much of his former authority.

Many of his old subordinates switched allegiances, but only Li Rui and Wu Tu remained steadfastly loyal to him.

Especially Li Rui.

The badge numbered “11” could have made him master of any of the other six halls, yet he still chose Tianyi Hall.

That’s what you call loyalty and righteousness.

As for Wu Tu, he was among the earliest to follow him.

Adding flowers to brocade goes unnoticed; delivering charcoal in snow is truly precious.

Zhang Yang naturally remembered this bond.

Li Rui leaned back again and again against the soft couch.

Zhang Yang had many virtues, but he particularly favored the Jiaofang Si.

He’d come, yet never spend much—always just listening to music.

Too refined, really.

“I still don’t fit in with Old Qian’s lifestyle.”

Zhang Yang drank another cup, then spoke: “Brother Li, thank heaven you didn’t go to Little River Gully. That raid sounded glorious, but our Deputy Branch Master Qian nearly got swallowed whole by that giant serpent beast—he’s still not healed.”

Just recalling that night sent a chill down his spine.

Li Rui: “I’m old, my body’s weak, I caught a sickness—otherwise I’d still be lending a hand to the branch.”

He had already learned what happened that day of the raid.

The Qinghe Branch lost many men, including two clerks.

But the government was generous this time, handing out ample rewards.

Though the Ghostblade escaped, the Heaven and Earth Alliance reclaimed some honor.

But the dead are dead—those two clerks’ families received compensation; if Li Rui died, it would be for nothing.

Pretending to be ill was indeed wise.

Zhang Yang: “Old brother, have you really never considered becoming Master of the Civil-Military Hall next year?”

With Zhao Wei dead,

of the four deputy branch masters in Qinghe Branch, only Ge Hong could threaten him.

Given Ge Hong’s current power, Dao Xiong certainly won’t let him keep control of the Civil-Military Hall—he’ll almost certainly return it to Zhang Yang.

After all that has passed,

Zhang Yang now values character above all: Li Rui is steady in conduct and action, and his martial skill is solid.

He’s just old.

He has little potential left, but his combat power is high.

Li Rui smiled and shook his head: “Branch Master Zhang, I’m just an old man—I’m content flipping through books in Tianyi Hall.”

“Alright then.”

Zhang Yang sighed helplessly.

He had urged Li Rui many times, but Li Rui always refused.

Wu Tu seized the chance to joke around, and the three drank several more cups.

When the mood peaked,

the courtesan was led away by the mansion’s old servant.

Slightly drunk, Zhang Yang lowered his voice: “You two are my own men—I won’t hide it from you. Do you know why Huayqing Sect made such a grand show, and why Jiang Lin himself came to Qinghe?”

Li Rui and Wu Tu exchanged glances, then both shook their heads.

Zhang Yang grinned smugly, whispering mysteriously: “It’s for a Immortal Treasure!”

Immortal Treasure!

Li Rui’s pupils contracted slightly.

Just hearing the name told you it was no ordinary thing.

Wu Tu couldn’t contain his curiosity: “What exactly is this Immortal Treasure?”

Zhang Yang shrugged: “How would I know? I only heard about it yesterday from Dao Master.”

“Boss Zhang, where is the Immortal Treasure now?”

Hearing Wu Tu voice his own question, Li Rui also leaned in attentively.

“The Immortal Treasure was stolen by the Ghost Mother of the Ghost Ming Cult. She’s an expert in disguise and slipped away during the chaos—Jiang Lin went after her.”

“I see.”

Wu Tu looked disappointed.

Neither the Ghost Mother nor Jiang Lin was something the Heaven and Earth Alliance could touch—let alone a lowly clerk like him.

Zhang Yang: “Don’t think about it anymore. This matter’s over—telling you is just for a bit of amusement among brothers.”

“But for the coming days, be extra careful. Don’t leave the branch. Many Ghost Ming Cult experts escaped, and we’re the main force behind the raid—they’ll surely target us.”

This was Zhang Yang’s main reason for hosting the feast.

He genuinely didn’t want to lose his two capable subordinates.

The banquet ended.

Li Rui returned to his own mansion, planning to stay indoors for half a month to avoid trouble.

Besides, he wasn’t short on elixirs.

“What a season of troubles.”

Autumn had arrived.

The weather had grown much cooler.

In the courtyard, Li Rui held a great sword, moving slowly like an old ape at play—as if the seventy-jin blade were nothing but a wooden stick.

“The softest thing under heaven can ride roughshod over the hardest.”

After several revisions,

the White Ape’s Blade now bore no resemblance to its original form—even Huayqing Sect members wouldn’t recognize it as the White Ape’s Blade.

That was perfect.

Li Rui no longer needed to hide his cultivation art.

Daily practice, daily elixirs.

His martial progress naturally soared—he wouldn’t take long to reach the legendary Jade Bone realm.

Seven days passed like this.

Li Rui still sat in Tianyi Hall as usual, flipping through books.

“Who knew reading could actually help martial cultivation?”

He couldn’t help recalling an elder surnamed Huang—who had read himself into becoming the greatest under heaven, right in the Scripture Hall.

He wrote a book.

And produced three great heroes.

At his current pace, perhaps one day he, too, could awaken a peerless martial art.

“When that happens, I’ll give it a grand name—so future cultivators can feel proud practicing it.”

Whether he could create a new art, Li Rui didn’t know.

But the White Ape’s Blade had been utterly transformed, perfectly matching his constitution, and now he often entered the state of sword and self as one.

Until evening,

Li Rui finally closed his book and stepped out of Tianyi Hall.

After the raid,

disciples returning to Tianyi Hall had increased again, gathering in small groups whispering.

“Did you hear? The Ghost Ming Cult’s mad cultists ambushed a vice-chieftain of the Blood Tiger Gang and nearly beat him to death—he’s still unconscious.”

“But the Blood Tiger Gang’s vice-chief retaliated, killing many cultists—so they got their revenge.”

“With Deputy Alliance Master Tang here, we’re safe.”

One disciple proudly raised his thumb.

Another tall, thin man frowned: “Of course we’re safe inside the branch—but who doesn’t have things they need to go out for?”

I heard there was a house in the east end of town where many people died.

It was called, called right, it was the Zhu family!

(End of Chapter)