Chapter 401: Some People on the Surface

"Weapon Register, Nine Great Saint Weapons, Invincible in All Directions..."

"How interesting, do you think the weapons on the Weapon Register count as equipment?"

On the return journey, Tang Luo looked at what Lin Qinglong had written and spoke.

The trip there required hurrying, but the return was unhurried, a leisurely stroll.

Ao Yulie, who had stayed at the mountain foot for a while, strode along with a spring in his step, proud and pleased like a galloping horse — the feeling now was his lost youth.

A pity that a few figures were missing from his side, inevitably making it a bit lonely.

"Don't know about the other weapons, but those so-called Nine Great Saint Weapons should be equipment." Tang Yuhan said.

The Weapon Register everyone had inquired about, combined with Lin Qinglong's "last letter," let everyone understand —

In this jianghu martial world, what people value most isn't martial arts, but weapons!

The Nine Great Saint Weapons, legendary divine weapons, make jianghu people flock to them even more than martial arts.

Their status in the jianghu is similar to the Heaven-Reliant Sword and Dragon-Slaying Saber: supreme in the martial world, the precious saber slays dragons, commands all under heaven, none dare disobey; the Heaven-Reliant Sword does not appear, who can contend for the edge?

Jianghu people's fanaticism for these Nine Great Saint Weapons even surpasses that for martial arts manuals.

As for what effects these Nine Great Saint Weapons have — rumor says picking up any one of them, even an ordinary person who knows no martial arts, can instantly become a martial arts master.

A martial arts master picking up a Saint Weapon becomes invincible under heaven.

Unless another martial arts master picks up another Saint Weapon to oppose them.

Blown up to be ever so mysterious, even Lin Qinglong's last letter before death couldn't help but reveal fanaticism and longing for the Saint Weapons.

Getting a Saint Weapon means the art style abruptly shifts, directly shifting from a wuxia art style to a xianxia art style.

Because of the existence of the Nine Great Saint Weapons, the ranking list jianghu people value more is the Weapon Register.

In the Weapon Register the Nine Great Saint Weapons occupy a unique tier, after that there are all sorts of other weapon introductions.

As for other things like the Heaven Ranking and such, they aren't completely nonexistent, but their influence is small, far inferior to the Weapon Register.

The Nine Great Saint Weapons are respectively: sword, dual swords, hammer, silk ribbon, armor, saber, fan, staff, whip — these nine types.

Among them, sword, dual swords, armor, and silk ribbon — these four are controlled by the four most powerful jianghu forces.

Or rather, it is precisely because they possess these four Saint Weapons that these four jianghu forces have become the current strongest.

The four great forces each hold one Saint Weapon, have already grown large, centuries-old aristocratic families and sects, standing firm and unmoving.

The remaining five — whip and fan vanished decades ago, their whereabouts a mystery, never appeared again.

The other three have been constantly passing through the hands of different jianghu people these years, appearing and disappearing.

Every appearance triggers a storm of blood and slaughter.

To date, no truly strong individual or force has emerged able to firmly grasp a Saint Weapon and form an existence like the Four Holy Lands.

Barring accidents, those Nine Great Saint Weapons are definitely equipment.

After all, there's the saying that picking one up makes you ridiculously strong.

Let's set aside the Four Holy Lands for now.

After focusing on the Saint Weapons, Tang Luo's target shifted to the "Black Heaven Divine Palace."

According to Lin Qinglong's last letter, the Black Heaven Divine Palace is an extremely evil, powerful organization, headquarters the Black Heaven Demon Fortress, residing on Li Mountain, mountain terrain undulating, grotesque rocks jutting, presenting a solitary, aloof air.

But the Black Heaven Divine Palace itself is not a force far removed from jianghu disputes.

On the contrary, the Black Heaven Divine Palace is currently at the height of its momentum, constantly expanding.

The Black Heaven Divine Palace of the past was actually an assassin organization — pay money, they kill — but now they are no longer satisfied with the status quo of an assassin organization.

They began seeking higher martial world status.

Green Cloud Stockade was absorbed as an outer perimeter by the Black Heaven Divine Palace under such circumstances.

Because the Black Heaven Divine Palace was originally an assassin organization, their expansion methods were also ruthless beyond compare.

Those who submit may not prosper, but those who oppose will certainly perish.

Very much matches the kind of utterly wicked villains Tang Luo spoke of, like Green Cloud Stockade.

A standard "demonic path sect."

Anyway, Lin Qinglong's dying words said so: of the wealth Green Cloud Stockade gained from burning, killing, looting, and plundering, seventy percent had to be handed over to the Black Heaven Divine Palace.

The Black Heaven Divine Palace would then bestow weapons and better martial arts.

However, the Violent Rain Pear Blossom hidden weapon wasn't bestowed by the Black Heaven Divine Palace; Lin Qinglong had obtained it by chance before.

But the Black Heaven Divine Palace's people mastered the "core technology," could help Lin Qinglong "reload the hidden weapon," and incidentally coated it with poison, making its power even more terrifying.

Li Mountain where the Black Heaven Divine Palace is located isn't too far from here.

Tang Luo has already planned to go take a look; there should be some gains.

The time left for Tang Yuhan and the others to think isn't much; they need to decide whether to stay or go.

Whether to follow Tang Luo wandering the jianghu, acting as heroes across the world, or simply stay in this small city and lie low.

Currently, this small city seems fairly safe; should be able to lie low for half a month.

Perhaps, when danger comes, go seek out this Master Xuanzang?

Nan Taisheng pondered incessantly; anyway, this person also looks like he doesn't observe dietary taboos.

You come for help, he'll conveniently save you.

From Green Cloud Stockade's one-sided crushing, one can also see this person's formidable strength.

With such strength, as long as this mission world's art style doesn't abruptly shift, and he doesn't provoke Saint Weapon holders who cause art style shifts, staying alive is no problem.

But the problem is, this person really has no regard for anyone, acts arrogantly and recklessly.

Heard there was a Green Cloud Stockade harming the region, he didn't say a word, just went up and exterminated the stockade?

Result: still not satisfied, plans to drag out the Black Heaven Divine Palace behind them and exterminate that too — since when do gods and demons walk about handling things like this?

Even if it weren't a survival mission, being this high-profile easily gets you killed, let alone a survival mission.

Nan Taisheng was very conflicted.

Hugging a thigh was a very happy thing, but this thigh was too flirtatious, a master of causing trouble everywhere.

If immortals fought, mortals would suffer; them hugging this thigh would be a tragedy.

Nan Taisheng glanced at Tang Yuhan; what was she thinking?

Tang Yuhan's expression was calm, making Nan Taisheng unable to see her thoughts.

The sun slanted westward, and the group returned leisurely to the small city.

They discovered a circle of people already surrounding the mansion outside.

Ao Yulie, already in human form, went over in a few quick steps to inquire what had happened.

Soon Ao Yulie walked back and said: "Something happened inside; heard a few jianghu people went in, heard a few miserable screams, and no one came out."

"Let's go in and take a look," Tang Luo said.

The onlooking crowd was fanatical about street martial arts contests, but still had some taboos about a haunted house, not daring to rashly enter.

Tang Luo and them had absolutely no scruples.

Nan Taisheng followed behind Tang Luo, face gloomy; what happened to the agreement that they could lie low for ten days or half a month?

Trouble broke out in just one day?

Actually, thinking carefully, nothing was agreed upon; it was merely his own judgment.

Facts proved his judgment was mistaken.

The four entered the haunted house under the onlookers' strange gazes, arriving at the courtyard where the Cursed House stood.

The Cursed House stood there.

Outside lay several corpses, fresh blood flowing; Li Suibian and the others stood nearby, faces grave.

"What's going on?" Ao Yulie walked over and asked.

Li Suibian gestured toward a Cherry Blossom Island god-demon walker, intending to say something.

This person was named Maeda Nozomi, a short-statured man, ordinary appearance, very low presence, currently standing to the side.

Head slightly lowered, making his expression unclear.

In his hand he gripped a red whip, part coiled around his arm, one end tearing through clothing extending inside.

The other part drooped to the ground, obvious bloodstains visible.

Combined with the wounds on those corpses, these people seemed to have been whipped to death by Maeda Nozomi?

This was unusual.

The wounds on the several corpses were hideous beyond measure, flesh directly whipped away, even bones exposed.

Not to mention Maeda Nozomi under suppression, even in his normal state he might not necessarily be able to achieve this with a whip.

Everyone had introduced their own specialties.

Maeda Nozomi said he was relatively skilled at stealth, concealment, assassination, similar to a ninja type.

But he didn't say he had any whip-technique-related skills.

Was it some skill of his combined with the whip in his hand that caused this effect?

"Hey..." Before Li Suibian could say anything, Ao Yulie walked straight toward Maeda Nozomi.

"Be careful," Li Suibian immediately corrected himself, "his situation is very strange."

"I know," Ao Yulie was full of confidence; no matter what, he was at least the second strongest.

"All back off, Young Master Jade Dragon is about to display his prowess."

He had only taken a few steps, before Ao Yulie could truly approach Maeda Nozomi, the head-lowered Maeda Nozomi suddenly raised his head.

An eerie pale green glowed in both eyes, the red whip in his hand lashing toward Ao Yulie.

"Hmph, well met!"

Ao Yulie let out a light shout, body tilting, narrowly dodging the whip striking down from above.

True masters all avoid attacks with minimal movement.

Large-scale leaping and jumping — where's the master's bearing in that?

The whip hit the ground, lashing out a crack, sending grass, trees, and dirt flying; hitting a person's body, a burst of raw pain.

"Not bad." While praising, Ao Yulie stomped one foot on the whip that hadn't yet retracted.

Like a snake pinned at its vital point.

The red whip that had been so fierce just now was instantly "suppressed."

Maeda Nozomi let out a low roar from his throat, yanked hard once, couldn't pull it free.

"You..."

Ao Yulie looked at Maeda Nozomi, about to say something, but his expression suddenly changed.

Enormous power surged from the whip under his foot, forcing his right foot up, instantly losing balance.

Simultaneously that retracted whip coiled and compressed like a spring, next breath — venomous snake emerges from its hole!

Sharp air-tearing sound, the whip like a sharp sword stabbing straight at Ao Yulie's head.

Ao Yulie's body violently arched back, slammed onto the ground, then rolled with the momentum.

The thrust-empty whip landed where he had just fallen, leaving another crack, power far exceeding before.

"Done for, I've embarrassed Master again!"

Ao Yulie had already risen flutteringly, his rising posture very cool, but unable to conceal the embarrassment of just lying on the ground and doing a lazy donkey roll.

This pose, he Ao Yulie failed to pull it off!

Failed to show off in front of Master, and lost face for the Dragon again, what to do?

Urgent, waiting online!

Some people appear to be the Third Prince of the Jade Dragon, the Heavenly Dragon Horse of the Eight Divisions, but in reality they are just a goofball.