Chapter 194: Zhaixing Tower, Li Li Yuanba!

Behind the forge shop, a private school.

Wang Wang Wenyuan swiftly added firewood and brewed tea; the fragrant scent of the leaves spread out.

The room retained its former layout: outside the bookshelves, only two chairs, a wooden table, and a single oil lamp.

Li Yuan watched him from behind, his gaze solemn.

He would never truly believe this Master Wang had no Wu Gong; rather, his Ren Wu Gong was extraordinarily high, and he was particularly skilled at concealment.

So close as he was, even Li Yuan could detect no trace of it.

"Come, drink tea."

After bustling about for a while, Wang Wang Wenyuan brought over the teapot and smiled as he poured Li Yuan a cup:

"This tea is still grown by your second brother—he cleared a patch of land behind the forge shop, farming and growing vegetables, right where Cao Yan's little garden used to be."

"Second brother…"

Li Yuan took the teacup and no longer wished to beat around the bush; he said gravely, "Old Master, who exactly are you?"

"Didn't you already know? Then why ask?"

Wang Wang Wenyuan poured himself a cup as well, his smile unchanged: "Since you asked, I won't hide it."

"My surname is Wang, name Wang Wenyuan. I am one of the 'Heaven-character' assassins of Zhaixing Tower. Too old and frail to kill anymore, I sought a quiet little city to spend my final years."

"Heaven-character assassin?"

Li Yuan's heart jolted.

The core assassins of Zhaixing Tower numbered at most one hundred and eight, arranged in the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches: thirty-six Heaven, seventy-two Earth.

Heaven-character assassins were the absolute pinnacle of killers within Zhaixing Tower—and indeed the entire martial world.

Absolute masters!

Li Yuan grew even more wary; he did not believe a word of the retirement story. Wang Wang Wenyuan had been in Gao Liu for at least thirty years—thirty years ago, he was in his prime; there was no way he was here to retire.

"I've lived in Gao Liu for decades—if I had ill intentions, why wait until today?"

Wang Wang Wenyuan saw through Li Yuan's thoughts, lifted his teacup, and took a sip:

"Over these years, I've done only two things: guiding you two brothers into Zhaixing Tower. That's all."

"My elder brother?"

Li Yuan chose his words carefully; his memory of Li Yue, the eldest of the Li family, was faint and vague.

"Your elder brother had exceptional talent. Several years ago, he completed his promotion task and is now listed as a 'Earth-character'—a core member of the Tower."

Wang Wang Wenyuan offered no concealment.

"A core member?"

Li Yuan did not ask why his elder brother had not returned all these years; after finishing his tea, he rose to take his leave.

"Since you've returned disguised, be thorough—don't let outsiders know. Better to avoid trouble than invite it."

Wang Wang Wenyuan warned him.

"Hm?"

Li Yuan's mind stirred: "Someone is watching me?"

"A thousand-year legacy like Qianjun Cave—how easy is it to eradicate completely? Even ordinary people have three or five close friends; how much more so for a major sect?"

Wang Wang Wenyuan set down his teacup: "To destroy a sect and seize its mountain is to invite backlash. You, as a true disciple of Shenbing Valley, think you can stand aside?"

"Thank you, Master, for your guidance."

Li Yuan recalled the two men he'd seen upon entering the city, bowed slightly, and turned to leave.

"The Li family's feng shui is truly excellent."

Watching him depart, Wang Wang Wenyuan's gaze grew distant. Moments later, wind rustled from the back courtyard as a middle-aged woodcutter hurried in.

"That boy actually changed his appearance?"

The woodcutter was astonished—he remembered this boy had no internal strength when he went to Fucheng. How much time had passed?

"Changing appearance isn't hard; what's difficult is how steadily this boy walks the path of disguise."

Wang Wang Wenyuan himself was slightly shaken; he felt he might have misjudged the boy—his talent likely matched his elder brother, Li Yue.

"After all, he's Li Yue's younger brother. But the second one falls short."

The woodcutter paid little heed, bowing slightly:

"Elder, the Tower has sent word—the leader of the Xieshen Sect has gone to the eastern seashore, suspected of casting another divination. He suspects the Liehai Yu Xuanjing Hammer has surfaced."

"He went to the Eastern Sea again?"

Wang Wang Wenyuan frowned slightly: "The Spirit Turtle's divination drains hundreds of years of life each time. This old man truly doesn't care whose life he consumes."

"Lately, many in the Tower have been inquiring about the Liehai Yu Xuanjing Hammer…"

The woodcutter lowered his voice: "Regarding the Heaven-destined Daoist Tianyun Xuanbing—shouldn't we also try our luck?"

"You said it yourself—it's just trying luck. If there's no certainty, don't bother. Hmm, the item?"

Wang Wang Wenyuan extended his hand.

The woodcutter quickly pulled out a letter from his chest: "This letter was delivered via Yunshu Tower by Feng Feng Mantian. It says several true disciples of Huilong Palace and several disciples of Longhu Temple have all appeared in Zhe Long Prefecture…"

"Feng Feng Mantian?"

Wang Wang Wenyuan unfolded the letter, his gaze cold:

"Heaven-destined Daoist Tianyun Xuanbing stirs hearts. Only the fear of the Zhenwu King keeps them from personally coming."

The Heaven-destined Daoist Tianyun Xuanbing holds the ultimate secrets of martial cultivation; the more supreme one's Wu Gong, the more they pay attention, the more they care.

Even I, had I not been restrained, would have gone to take a look.

"Zhenwu King."

The woodcutter lowered his head; merely thinking of that man's name sent a chill through his heart.

Any Grand Master of a Shenbangda Sect is an absolute peak capable of intimidating the world, and that one is even suspected of wielding the 'Fumo Dragon God Blade'.

"Master Master Baili Lei Jingchuan is also a waste; he died for no reason, and even if he returns, he is no longer himself."

Wang Juan put away the letter, his mind now fully aware of the recent events at Zhe Long Mansion:

"Yu Ju, haven't you always been restless in stillness? Very well, go on my behalf and see if there are any changes beneath the cold pool."

"This subordinate accepts the order!"

The middle-aged man dressed as a woodcutter's eyes instantly lit up; having been cooped up in this small town for so many years, he was truly stifled to the extreme.

He immediately clasped his hands and left with great enthusiasm.

"The Sea-Splitting Black Whale Hammer... Alas, another ownerless Daoist Tianyun Daoist Tianyun Xuanbing is gone. If the Master of the Tower doesn't emerge from seclusion soon, I fear we won't make it in time."

Wang Juan shook his head inwardly; he took several golden copper coins from his robe, turning them gently, a doubt in his eyes:

"A thousand years of seeking finally fulfilled, the Sea-Splitter returns to the Divine Weapon Valley. Could my divination be wrong? Or is it not this boy?

Could it be Han Han Chuijun?"

Thinking of Han Han Chuijun, Wang Juan couldn't help but rub his temples; if he became the master of the Daoist Tianyun Daoist Tianyun Xuanbing, it would truly be...

"A calamity for the Jianghu."

"Having such a master nearby is not a bad thing for Second Brother."

Leaving the private school in the back courtyard, Li Yuan pondered in his heart.

Regarding Wang Juan, though he felt wary, he detected no malice; otherwise, he would never have agreed to meet him.

Inside the weapon-forging shop, everything was as before, with no changes to the layout.

Li Yuan followed Wang Juan's advice, making no grand display; after wandering around once, he headed to the inner city.

Since the ancestral home of the Li family was redeemed, Li Lin had moved back; even though the weapon-forging shop was more convenient, he preferred to commute daily.

In the night, Li Yuan climbed the wall and immediately spotted Li Lin in the courtyard.

Under the old tree, he practiced boxing shirtless, grunting and shouting, sweating like rain; he was practicing the Mang Niu Gong and had already taken on a proper form.

"Second Brother's bone structure is mediocre, and his comprehension is average; the benefit is that he is obedient. Though rigid and methodical, with diligent practice, in three to five years, or even ten to eight, he can cultivate internal strength."

Li Yuan nodded inwardly.

In just two short years, he had progressed from Blood and Qi to Body Transformation; this speed was unmatched in the Divine Weapon Valley, with almost no one in a hundred years faster than him.

For a normal martial artist, merely the stage of nurturing strength would take ten or twenty years, and that is with the availability of pills and medicinal baths for assistance.

"Huff!"

In the courtyard, Li Lin sweated like rain.

Inside the house, Wang Juan cared for their two children, while two maids cooked and boiled water in the kitchen.

"Does Second Brother still afford to hire people? I suppose it's Sister-in-law."

Li Lin practiced for a double-hour before going to soak in the medicinal bath; Li Yuan watched quietly, waiting until both maids had rested before knocking on the door.

"Who is it?"

Inside, Li Lin was very alert until he heard the familiar voice, then quickly stepped forward:

"Third Brother!"

After nearly two years apart, Li Lin was extremely excited; in his excitement, his eyes turned red, and he nearly burst into tears right there.

"What are you wailing about now?"

Wang Juan walked out from the inner room holding a child, her willow eyebrows raised sharply: "Th-, Third Brother?"

"Sister-in-law."

Li Yuan smiled in greeting and stepped forward to hug the two curious little ones.

"Why return without letting us know?"

Li Lin wiped his tears, then remembered that Li Yuan had climbed the wall to enter the home, and his heart gave a sudden 'thud':

"Third Brother, did you commit some crime?"

"All day long, I don't know what you're thinking!"

Wang Juan glared at him: "Third Brother is a true disciple of the Divine Weapon Valley; what crime could he possibly commit?"

"Second Brother, do not worry; I am fine."

Li Yuan thought for a moment and decided not to mention the relocation of the Divine Weapon Valley; it would not affect the two of them anyway.

"That is good, that is good."

Li Lin finally relaxed, pulling Li Yuan to recount the major and minor events that had occurred in Gao Liu County over the past year.

Li Yuan held the two children while Wang Juan went to the kitchen to prepare a table of wine and dishes; with their life becoming prosperous, she was willing to spend on food and clothing.

The kitchen was always stocked with chicken, duck, fish, and meat, making the meal quite abundant.

The family gathered for a small reunion; the atmosphere was excellent. Li Yuan enjoyed this ambiance and inevitably drank a few more cups, returning to his room to sleep only when slightly tipsy.

Before sleep, the little mouse ran out from his sleeve; it sniffed back and forth, seemingly realizing it had returned home.

"Squeak squeak!"

It chirped a few times, saw that Li Yuan did not react, and then scurried out of the house in a flash.

In the night, Divine Weapon Mountain was utterly silent, with only the lights at the original site of the Divine Weapon Valley's mountain gate still burning.

On a desolate hill, Huang Fu Kun sat cross-legged, coldly gazing at the location of the cold pool in the Divine Weapon Valley:

"Huai Long Palace!"

Centered on the cold pool, more than ten small hills had been sealed off by the Huai Long Palace; no one else was permitted to enter without authorization.

The other sects and powers were fine; he was truly blocked outside the valley.

"The Huailong Palace and the Dragon-Tiger Temple haven't found a single trace in over a month..."

Huang Fu Kun's eyes flickered; another reason he avoided conflict with the Huailong Palace was that he had already searched the entire cold pool and detected no sign of the Shan Xuan Bing Mi Jing.

He suspected the Sea-Splitting Daoist Tianyun Xuanbing Hammer had either recognized its master or hidden itself anew.

"I hope it's the former, otherwise..."

Suddenly, Huang Fu Kun felt a sensation; he raised a hand, and a hawk fluttered down.

"A letter from the main headquarters?"

After a single glance, Huang Fu Kun's expression changed; the letter contained only one sentence:

"The Daoist Tianyun Xuanbing has a master: Li Li Yuanba at the Star-Picking Tower!"