Chapter 60: Following One's Heart, a Net Cast from Heaven and Earth

Lu Yuan's straight-thrown punch was as swift as a thunderclap; in his haste, Xi Beichen's drunkenness vanished instantly, and he jerked his arms up to parry.

Bang!

The next moment, the air and his bones and sinews cracked in succession. In that instant, Xi Beichen felt as if a speeding carriage had slammed into him, the immense impact force causing his body to uncontrollably drift backward.

Whoosh!!

Although he used a technique to dissipate the force, his entire body still drifted back more than a zhang, and he retreated repeatedly after landing.

After retreating three large steps, Xi Beichen, now completely sober, forcibly steadied his figure and looked at Lu Yuan in extreme shock:

"This power, the Fourth Realm Thunder Sound!?"

He had been gifted since childhood and, under Lin Xingchao's tireless cultivation, had reached the peak of the Third Realm; he was not far from the Fourth Realm and was definitely considered outstanding among his peers.

However, Lu Yuan, who stood before him, was at least several years younger than him, yet the power he displayed was overwhelming and superior to his own, making him unable to help but feel suspicious and astonished.

Seeing this scene, Li Junxian and his disciples, who were watching from the doorway, were not surprised, but Lin Xingchao's expression changed slightly:

"Senior Brother, has Lu Yuan reached the Thunder Sound Realm?"

At the doorway, Li Junxian stood with his hands behind his back and smiled with gratification:

"Of course not. Lu Yuan's martial arts techniques are not yet perfected; he only possesses unprecedented strength in his bones and sinews, which can be called Godly Strength. Beichen, you must be careful."

Xi Beichen's gaze immediately became exceptionally grave, and then he exhaled and called out:

"Junior Brother Lu, let us go again!"

Before his voice had faded, brilliant light shot from his eyes, and he suddenly took a step forward. His whole body pounced like a fierce tiger, instantly unleashing fist shadows that roared like thunder, enveloping Lu Yuan from all sides.

What he was using was, indeed, the Dragon Tiger Vajra Fist.

Unlike immortal cultivation and Earthly Fiend Arts, there was no need to hide the progress of martial arts training. The moment the violent fist shadows arrived, Lu Yuan also exerted force through his feet, his figure as agile as a swimming fish, and he met the attack head-on.

Bang bang bang bang

At this moment, the two men's footwork shifted, their fists and palms collided, and the wind from their strikes suddenly whistled. Fine dust was whipped up by the fierce Qi, making it dizzying to watch.

Especially since both sides were using the same fist technique, it was as if two fierce tigers were colliding. Everyone could see that Xi Beichen's fist technique was perfected, his offensive like a violent storm; in terms of martial arts technique, he was clearly a cut above.

Although Lu Yuan's fist technique was not as good, his power and reaction were surprisingly fierce and swift, and he responded to every move and style with a basis, dissipating the force in time.

Of course, they did not know that Lu Yuan was an immortal cultivator after all, and the nourishment of True Qi was a comprehensive improvement of his physique, five senses, and so on. Although he had not been practicing martial arts for long, it was enough to make up for the slight deficiency in technique.

The two sides fought intensely, but both held back two or three parts of their strength. After more than twenty moves like this, Lu Yuan intentionally revealed a small opening.

With a bang.

The two collided, emitting muffled sounds like striking leather, which shook the small tree in the corner of the courtyard until it rustled. Lu Yuan also retreated several steps amidst the sound, then cupped his hands and praised:

"Senior Brother Xi's Dragon Tiger Vajra Fist is perfected; this junior has had his eyes opened and has been taught."

Xi Beichen also stopped his hands, wearing an expression as if he were looking at a monster:

"Junior Brother Lu, I truly cannot believe you have only practiced martial arts for a year or two. I always thought I was outstanding among my peers, but only after seeing you do I know what is called a heaven-sent talent."

Xi Beichen's words were frank and open, clearly a person of broad mind. Xu Dahu and Xu Erhu then laughed and said:

"Hahahaha. Junior Brother Xi, it is not just you; the two of us have long since witnessed it."

"Now you know how difficult it is for us two senior brothers!"

Lin Xingchao was staring intently at Lu Yuan at this moment and said excitedly to Li Junxian:

"Senior Brother, you have truly taken in a treasure. Lu Yuan is only in his early twenties, and such bone structure and physique are simply heaven-sent talent. Given time, there is a great possibility he will step into the Grandmaster realm!"

The Grandmaster realm was the ultimate goal of thousands of martial artists in the world. Li Junxian said with gratification and pride:

"That is natural. Before these old bones of mine are buried, I will naturally try every possible means to cultivate him to that level. However, the Grandmaster realm is like a natural chasm that is not easily reached by ordinary people. At my peak, I was only at the Refining Blood Realm; in the future, I am afraid it will depend on his own fortune."

Lin Xingchao's gaze shifted, and he immediately said:

"Senior Brother, that person of ours in Jinjin, although old, has always liked to promote juniors and has never been stingy with his knowledge. His words might be able to offer guidance..."

Before he finished speaking.

Noticing Li Junxian's complexion change slightly, as if realizing it was inappropriate, Lin Xingchao suddenly stopped speaking.

Li Junxian was silent for a moment: "Let us talk about this later. Thank you, Junior Brother, for your hospitality. Let us stop here for today; we will meet again next time."

Lin Xingchao wanted to say something but stopped, eventually saying: "Very well, I will see you off, Senior Brother."

Immediately, Lu Yuan and the others bowed and thanked Lin Xingchao and his disciples, then followed Li Junxian to take their leave.

Walking on the road.

"A Yuan, what are your ambitions?"

Li Junxian suddenly asked:

"The ambition of Dahu and Erhu is to get ahead in this Fengyang Prefecture or to climb to a high position in the gang, but you have never mentioned your own ambitions and plans."

Lu Yuan was stunned for a moment, then said: "This disciple has no great ambitions. I do not seek to rise to prominence, only to follow my heart and be carefree."

Xu Erhu could not help but laugh: "How can this be called having no great ambitions? In this day and age, wanting to be carefree is even harder than rising to prominence."

Xu Dahu was also curious: "Junior Brother, with your talent and bone structure, you are material for doing great things. Why are you as desireless as those old Daoists in the mountains?"

Li Junxian sighed lightly:

"Following one's heart and being carefree is also good. When I was young, I had the ambition to save the world, thinking I could change this world with my own abilities, but in the end, I ended up in such a state."

Lu Yuan did not know how to answer and could only say: "Master, you speak too seriously. Without you, where would we be now?"

Xu Dahu and Xu Erhu also offered words of comfort, and Li Junxian smiled and said:

"Alright, your master was just speaking casually; there is no need for you to comfort me. A Yuan, you have a bright future. Whatever choices you make in the future, be cautious and think thrice. Do not let your blood boil with passion for a moment, lest you regret it later."

Li Junxian's words clearly had a deeper meaning, and Lu Yuan nodded:

"This disciple will remember it."

At the same time.

In the Jingwu Division.

"Hmm?"

On the tiger-skin armchair, Suo Helie narrowed his eyes, his majestic gaze sweeping over those below:

"You say that this time when Qingyike acted, he was no longer alone but had a helper?"

Before him, a burly man dressed in a White Flood Dragon Captain uniform, with a tattoo on his neck and a sinister expression, said in a low voice:

"Exactly. Judging from the blood-written characters left at the scene, the brushwork is clearly somewhat different from the usual Qingyike, and there are four extra characters, 'Overthrow Gold, Destroy Ocean,' which is quite strange."

Beside the tattooed man, a sharp-looking man also dressed in a White Flood Dragon Captain uniform cupped his hands and reported:

"Furthermore, the colonels under my command have discovered that the official Song Yunhua had embezzled and saved a fortune of ten thousand strings of cash over these years, burying them in different places in his home, yet they all vanished into thin air at the same time. Judging by the traces, it also looks like there was a second person acting as a helper."

The two men before him were two of the three White Flood Dragon Captains of the Jingwu Division: Sagele and Li Zhenguang.

The position of Captain is only eligible to be held by a Thunder Sound Realm Great Martial Master. Both of these men previously had their own important duties, and it was only because Qingyike's continuous crimes had caused the Jingwu Division to lose face and the entire Fengyang Prefecture to be in a state of panic that Suo Helie had to summon them back to take full charge.

"'Overthrow Gold, Destroy Ocean'? Truly daring and lawless!"

However, after hearing their report, Suo Helie snorted coldly:

"In the previous series of bloody cases, Qingyike never used any helpers, and coupled with the mismatched handwriting, could it be that someone is impersonating this villain to fish in troubled waters?"

Sagele immediately bowed:

"The Lord is wise. In this subordinate's view, it is highly probable that this time it is a fake, only it is temporarily unknown who is responsible."

"Very good. Since Qingyike appeared, all sorts of monsters and demons have started to emerge. The lowly commoners outside have been very happy during this time, thinking they have encountered a 'clear-sky' official."

Suo Helie said coldly:

"Calculate the time; the reinforcements invited by Daoist Yu will arrive soon. Once they arrive, you can set up the trap again. This time, whether it is the real Qingyike or other ghosts and monsters, sweep them all away completely! Otherwise, neither you nor this official will need to stay in this Jingwu Division any longer!"

"Lord Suo, are you still talking about the Daoists from Youxian Temple?"

Li Zhenguang hesitated upon hearing this:

"The Daoist Arts of these Daoists do not seem very effective. Can we really rely on them to be of use?"

"This time is different."

Suo Helie's voice was cold and sharp, vibrating through the air:

"Coming this time, besides Daoist Yu and another elder of the same generation, is the Temple Master of Youxian Temple, Chen Chuanying. This person is a Fifth Realm high-level mage, and he is not far from the Sixth Realm. If the three of them join forces and still cannot deal with Qingyike, then there is no need for Youxian Temple to exist."

"Qingyike has been rampaging until now, leaving Fengyang Prefecture in a state of panic and extreme suspicion, and the Jingwu Division is under immense pressure. With so many experts gathered this time, we must ensure success in one battle and absolutely not allow any more mistakes, understand!?"

Chen Chuanying?

The two Captains were greatly encouraged upon hearing this and immediately bowed in agreement:

"Yes, this subordinate will certainly go all out!"

They already knew that Qingyike was a suspected Sixth Realm high-gong mage, and his Daoist Arts had reached an unimaginable level.

Although the Youxian Temple Master Chen Chuanying had not reached the Sixth Realm of Daoist Arts, he was already extremely close to this level. With him there, he would certainly be able to detect and even counter Qingyike's Illusion Technique.

Daoist Art experts are often physically weak. As long as the Illusion Technique is broken, with so many experts surrounding them with Firearms, Qingyike would be unable to escape even with wings!

He did not know about the Jingwu Division's conspiracy and arrangements.

In the days that followed, Lu Yuan's life was plain and calm, without any waves, as he focused on his cultivation.

Because Lin Xingchao and his disciples were still searching for Qingyike, he temporarily did not use this persona to act, preparing to handle it with cold indifference.

But it seemed that because they had not received any feedback, just a few days later, after Lu Yuan once again refined Essence into Qi to condense a wisp of True Qi, another bloody case occurred in the city where a notorious local squire had his throat slit at home.

Not only did the person die, but most of his hidden wealth was also swept away, and blood-written characters were left at the scene, clearly still the work of Lin Xingchao and his disciples.

After the news spread, it caused even more panic among the powerful and wealthy in the city. Those who were timid simply abandoned their homes and businesses to flee overnight, not daring to rely on luck anymore.

Regarding this, the common people in the city naturally applauded, and Lu Yuan also gained a little bit of Qi Luck, totaling about ten-odd ke between the two times.

And even so, he still had no intention of appearing to meet Lin Xingchao.

After all, Earthly Fiend Arts should not be easily exposed, and this martial uncle had a sharp eye; he might see some clues at a single glance, and he had no better way than to ignore him.

According to what Li Junxian said, this martial uncle had other important matters and would stay in Fengyang Prefecture for at most a month or two; if he couldn't find him, he would naturally give up.

Just like that, another half month passed.

This evening.

After closing the clinic, he returned to his residence.

Gu Yourong had bought wine and food from the street and sighed while setting the table:

"Master, it has been a month, and we have acted twice already. Why haven't we seen that Qingyike come to find us?"

Lin Xingchao sat at the table drinking tea, his brows also slightly furrowed:

"It is indeed a bit strange. Logically, if that Qingyike learned that someone was impersonating him, he should have investigated; he shouldn't have remained silent for so long."

Xi Beichen thought about it and pondered:

"Master, could it be that the hints we left were too obscure and that Qingyike didn't realize it?"

Both times they acted, they left the words "Overthrow Gold, Destroy Ocean" at the scene as a hint.

And the clinic they opened in this East City was called the Golden Sheep Medical Clinic.

Qingyike had always been active in the East City. During this time, because of his quite exquisite medical skills and low prices, the Golden Sheep Medical Clinic's reputation among the commoners in the East City continued to grow, which was intended to attract the other party's attention.

"It seems that is the only reason."

Lin Xingchao knitted his brows:

"However, we can only hint in such an obscure way; otherwise, what we would attract would not be Qingyike, but the hunting dogs of the Jingwu Division."

Gu Yourong interjected: "And Master, it has been a month and Qingyike hasn't acted. Do you think it's possible he is not in this Fengyang Prefecture?"

Lin Xingchao nodded and sighed softly:

"That possibility cannot be ruled out. It seems that everything depends on fate; one really cannot force it."

Having been out for so long, Gu Yourong was homesick and said: "Master, can we go back then?"

Xi Beichen, however, laughed:

"Junior Sister, what are you in such a hurry for? Although Qingyike hasn't appeared, punishing those corrupt officials and local bullies in his name here in Fengyang Prefecture is exceptionally satisfying. This is something we couldn't experience in Jinjin."

Jinjin is a trading port and a major coastal city of the Great Jin.

Although this city has a population of one million and is far more prosperous than Fengyang Prefecture, because the Jin Dynasty is weak and incompetent and signed unequal treaties, the Holy Roman Powers have seized the right to port tax revenue and established a Concession, with foreigners of all stripes running rampant and the officials from top to bottom acting servile and fawning.

Because he needed to develop his strength in secret, even when Xi Beichen witnessed injustices in Jinjin, he could only punish some insignificant thugs and ruffians and could not take action against any important figures, but after arriving in Fengyang Prefecture, he could act without any restrictions, and his heart was truly feeling gratified.

"Not bad, Rong'er, do not be impatient."

Coming to Fengyang Prefecture to search for Qingyike was only one of the objectives, and Lin Xingchao also said slowly:

"It is not easy to come out once, and we are still short on funding, so after some time we will find another target and try one more time; if that Qingyike still does not react, we will return to Jinjin!"

(End of this chapter)