Chapter 195: Who Is Li Li Yuanba?

The Daoist Tianyun Daoist Tianyun Xuanbing actually has a master?!

Huang Fu Kun's eyelid twitched, and he rose sharply: "Who is Li Li Yuanba?"

He controlled the intelligence network of the Huizhoufentang, and while he wouldn't say he knew every expert of Huizhou and the Mount Hengshan circuit by heart, he had them firmly in mind.

But he thought and thought, and could not recall any Li Li Yuanba among them.

"A false name?"

Doubt and alarm in his heart, Huang Fu Kun flicked his wrist and shattered the letter, his gaze cold and fierce:

"Assemble the helmsmen of the eight prefectures' branches, and every expert within them — it's time to move!"

The letter contained only one line; the headquarters' intent was plain as day — at any cost, they must find this Li Li Yuanba.

"Yes!"

Several hearts jolted in the dense forest, and they each accepted the order.

"A false name…"

Huang Fu Kun tapped his foot, hurried down the mountain, and soon arrived at a gathering place outside Fucheng.

Before long, men had already come on receiving the news.

"I want a list of everyone who has entered or left the Divine Weapon Mountain Range in the last two months!"

Huang Fu Kun was concise:

"Everyone!"

The gathered Xieshen Sect experts exchanged a glance, bowed and withdrew, and went off to gather intelligence.

"The Daoist Tianyun Xuanbing has a master, the Daoist Tianyun Xuanbing has a master… then, over a month ago, the emergence of the Shan Xuan Bing Mi Jing was real too?"

In the small courtyard, Huang Fu Kun murmured to himself; he suddenly thought of Master Baili Lei Jingchuan — could it have been this Li Li Yuanba who killed him?

Suddenly, his gaze turned sharp. Meng Zhan stepped out from the shadows and cupped his fist slightly:

"Lord Brother Huangfu suddenly summoned every division — has something major happened?"

"Meng Zhan, you are sharp indeed."

Huang Fu Kun's eyes shifted slightly: "I received word from the main altar — the Rifting Sea Whale Hammer is no longer in the cold pool; it is suspected someone has already taken it!"

"What?!"

Meng Zhan's face changed drastically; he felt it was impossible: "How could it be? Has the Shan Xuan Bing Mi Jing already emerged?"

During this period, as the news of the Rifting Sea Whale Hammer's imminent emergence spread, he too had learned from various channels much intelligence about the Daoist Tianyun Daoist Tianyun Xuanbing.

According to those records, the Daoist Tianyun Daoist Tianyun Xuanbing's recognition of a master was extremely cumbersome; even someone highly compatible with the Daoist Tianyun Xuanbing could not achieve it in one stroke.

Yet he had spent nearly the last month or two in the Divine Weapon Valley, except for…

"Wait — could it be that a month ago, someone had already taken the Rifting Sea Whale Hammer away?!"

Meng Zhan's face turned green; he had just bragged boldly to the man sent from the main altar, and now this…

Huang Fu Kun's face darkened: "Lord Meng, do you still remember — a month ago, on the day of the Thousand Spirits Rite, who all went down into the cold pool?"

Meng Zhan was one of the few survivors of the first group to descend into the cold pool after the night of the Thousand Spirits Rite.

"That night, that night…"

Meng Zhan's brows knit tight: "That rainy night, Lord Master Gongyang Yu set an ambush and slaughtered Wanya and Helmsman Su; after the Thousand Spirits Rite, Helmsman Su was cut down by him, and Wanya fled into the mountains…"

Meng Zhan recalled that night, calling out name after name:

"Lord Master Gongyang Yu, Withered Moon, Qiu Qiu Zhengxiong, Jing Jing Shuhu, Lei Lei Jingchuan, Wan Chuan… and the many inner and outer disciples of Divine Weapon Valley."

He paused briefly: "After that night, the many disciples of Divine Weapon Valley all vanished without a trace, but most of them left through the secret passages — any of them is possible."

The Daoist Tianyun Xuanbing's recognition of a master did not look at Wu Gong level, only at innate talent and origin. Meng Zhan thought it over and felt every person in Divine Weapon Valley was a suspect.

"And Han Han Chuijun!"

Huang Fu Kun added a line, his eyes glinting: "Lord Bailitang most likely died at this man's hands; he wears a divine armor, and his Wu Gong is extremely high."

"Lord Brother Huangfu believes it was Han Han Chuijun who took the Rifting Sea Whale Hammer?"

Meng Zhan's brow furrowed; instinctively he did not want to mention that name, and even less did he wish to believe such a heartless butcher could earn the Daoist Tianyun Xuanbing's approval.

"Whether it is or isn't, we still need to spread the word!"

Huang Fu Kun gave a cold laugh; he had a plan in mind now — whether Li Li Yuanba was a false name or not, so long as the man existed, he could be rooted out.

Divine Weapon Valley had only a few thousand disciples in total.

"This…"

Meng Zhan's brows knit tight: "That Han Han Chuijun is no easy mark, and at his age, would the Daoist Tianyun Xuanbing truly acknowledge him as master?"

"He's no easy mark — but among those who dare come to seize the Daoist Tianyun Daoist Tianyun Xuanbing, which one is easy to deal with?"

Huang Fu Kun was unbothered:

"Once we spread the word, with the backing of you and me, naturally countless experts will go trouble him. Whether it is or isn't, we'll know soon enough!"

……

The Rifting Sea Whale Hammer has already acknowledged a master!

Driven by those with intent, this news swept out like a hurricane, and soon spread across the entire Zheduo Prefecture.

"Li Li Yuanba? Who is this man? Among the known experts of Zheduo Prefecture, there is no such person."

"A disciple of Divine Weapon Valley? No wonder Divine Weapon Valley migrated with its whole sect, and every disciple vanished without a trace!"

"Li Li Yuanba? A false name, surely? Where in Zheduo Prefecture is there such a figure…"

The news of the Daoist Tianyun Xuanbing's recognition of a master caused a sensation for a time.

Any faction with eyes and ears quickly learned of the matter; in just a few days, as carrier pigeons and plume-eagles flew off in all directions.

This news spread across the realm at tremendous speed.

For a time, discussions flared in many places — the martial arts world was in an uproar, the jianghu trembled, and no one could say how many people were busy inquiring about the news.

The name Li Li Yuanba also spread across the realm, and for a time no one knew how many people were searching and gossiping about it.

"Li Li Yuanba?"

In a small city somewhere in Dechang Prefecture, Han Han Chuijun, who was eating, heard this news and his brows immediately furrowed.

His first suspicion was that someone had leaked the information, but he quickly realized something was off.

Whether it was Wan Chuan or Lord Master Gongyang Yu, neither of them could have leaked it, because once the news got out, every one of them would become a target for all.

"Han Han Chuijun!"

In an instant, someone in the tavern rose to their full height, and as blade-light swept across, several blade-wielders lunged straight at the corner.

"Reckless fools!"

Han Han Chuijun's face darkened. He struck out swiftly, blasting those blade-wielders to pieces on the spot. His gaze swept over the crowd, cold and fierce.

He had seen far too many cases of greed clouding judgment, but a few measly Internal Strength martial artists daring to strike at him still gave him some wariness.

This showed the news had already spread very widely. Once enough people knew, there would always be fools leaping out.

Hoo~

Han Han Chuijun flicked his sleeves and left, striding away quickly. Following the marks left by a group of Daoist Tianyun Daoist Tianyun Xuanbing disciples, he soon found a team of disciples being hunted.

"E-Elder Han."

Shao Shao Fangbai clutched his chest, sweat beading on his forehead. He bore six blade wounds, one of them deep enough to expose bone.

"Who was it?"

Han Han Chuijun tossed him a Replenishing Origin Pill, his heart seething with killing intent. They had already relocated the entire sect, yet people were still hunting them down.

"Many, many…"

Shao Shao Fangbai's face was pale; only after taking the pill did a bit of color return:

"These past few days, so many people have been hunting us. Not from Qianjun Cave or Sanyuan Wu — we don't even recognize them…"

"Very good, very good."

Han Han Chuijun's eyes turned cold.

He reckoned to himself: if he were the one searching for the person who had earned Daoist Tianyun Daoist Tianyun Xuanbing's approval, then he wouldn't let any of those connected go.

It seemed those people in the shadows thought the same way.

"Notify all disciples: do not contact each other, hide your traces, and for now do not reveal your identities!"

Glancing at the few disciples with ashen faces, Han Han Chuijun gave his orders. As he spoke, he thought of Ba Ba Wanli.

The others hiding their traces was still manageable, but with Ba Ba Wanli's build, he would be recognized no matter where he went.

"Yes!"

Shao Shao Fangbai and the other disciples also sensed the danger and nodded repeatedly before quickly leaving.

The Daoist Tianyun Daoist Tianyun Xuanbing disciples scattered, but they still had ways to contact each other.

"How dare they scheme against this old man!"

A dangerous glint flashed in Han Han Chuijun's eyes. He then set off toward Dragon-Hibernation Prefecture — taking a beating in silence was not his style.

A jianghu hunt?

Let's see who dies!

……

……

"Hah!"

"Hup!"

In the Li family's back courtyard, Li Yuan was practicing his fists.

His movements were very slow and gentle, like pushing a great millstone; every posture engaged the muscles and bones throughout his entire body.

After the Body Transformation, his physical strength grew every day. Though the rate of increase had slowed, it was still very impressive.

"Why is yours all floppy like that?"

Li Lin stood to the side holding the baby, watched for a while, and found it very uncomfortable: "So slow — can you even hit anyone like that?"

"Floppy?"

Li Yuan relaxed his stance and let out a long breath of turbid air: "When the fist-force isn't being released, it's stored; when it should be released, it bursts forth. It looks floppy to you, but the power is actually contained within."

Over the past two years, he had also learned quite a few Quan Fa and Zhang Fa, but compared to his hammer techniques, the progress could only be described as deeply moving.

Later he simply let it go and studied transforming hammer-strikes into fists, and found it indeed went much more smoothly.

Using fists as hammers, hammer techniques become Quan Fa. Thinking of it this way, his Quan Fa also advanced by leaps and bounds — at least it could keep pace with his hammer techniques, so he wouldn't be unable to fight without a hammer.

"Don't understand."

Li Lin handed the two milk-babies to Li Yuan, then stepped up himself and threw out a set of Raging Bull Fist, striking with great vigor and full force.

"Raging it is, but the strength of an ox lies in tenacity. Your Fist Method lacks tenacity…"

Li Yuan opened his mouth and shot out a breath-arrow that struck Li Lin from five or six meters away. The latter only felt a tightness in his chest, stumbled back 'thud thud thud' several steps, and nearly fell flat on his face.

"Can't even stand steady — how can you hit anyone."

Li Yuan held a milk-baby in each hand; the two little ones were very close to him.

Mainly because after his Body Transformation, his body odor was very faint, and having taken pills and medicines year-round, he carried a scent of grass and trees. He himself quite liked the smell.

"Y-you, what Wu Gong is that?"

Li Lin steadied himself, his face full of shock — this was simply beyond his imagination.

"Just casually spat out a breath — what Wu Gong is there to speak of?"

Seeing his second brother's shocked expression, Li Yuan felt secretly pleased. He somewhat understood why some experts enjoyed taking disciples.

This feeling — wonderful!

"You, your Wu Gong is even higher than Commander Zhou's, isn't it?"

Li Lin's face was full of disbelief. He had also practiced martial arts very diligently over the past year or so, and reckoned he could handle three or five ordinary men without issue—so how did he go down in one breath?

"Again, I wasn't ready just now…"

"Hoo!"

Li Li Yuanzhong opened his mouth and exhaled, the force shooting out like an arrow.

His current physique was immensely powerful; if he really blew with full strength, he could blow a person to death.

"Again!"

As expected, Li Lin was blown stumbling about again. He was very unconvinced, and consecutively took up several different stake-stances.

In the end he had to admit that he couldn't even take a single breath from his third brother, and a great sense of frustration welled up in his heart at once.

"Second Brother, your progress is already not slow."

Li Li Yuanzhong offered a word of comfort. With his guidance these past few days, Li Lin's Wu Gong could also be said to advance by leaps and bounds; within a year or two he was estimated to have hope of nurturing internal force.

Of course, that depended on him first drawing the fundamental chart of Mang Niu Gong.

"…Sigh, I remember Eldest Brother was also very formidable back then. He learned the same few farm-hand moves, yet he was much more formidable than the others."

Li Lin broke out in a great sweat, and had no choice but to give up competing with his third brother. He accepted his identity as the bottom of the Li family.

Li Li Yuanzhong still wanted to give him some pointers, when suddenly his heart stirred. He handed the two little ones over to Li Lin:

"Second Brother, I have some business to go out for a while. Don't save lunch for me."

"Mm, come back early. Your sister-in-law bought fish."

Li Lin took the children.

Li Li Yuanzhong nodded, stepped out briskly, passed through the alley, and spotted Fang Fang Bao Luo in the teahouse by the street.

Eleven days had already passed since the two parted upon entering the city.

"Senior Brother Fang, why the worried brow?"

Li Li Yuanzhong ordered a pot of clear tea, carried it over, and seeing Fang Fang Bao Luo travel-worn and full of worry, his heart could not help but tighten.

"Something happened!"

Fang Fang Bao Luo sighed, glanced at the teahouse with its sparse business, and lowered his voice:

"A few days ago, I saw the mark left by our sect's senior and junior brothers, rode swiftly to the spot… and discovered that someone is targeting and hunting down all disciples of our Shenbing Valley."

"Mm?"

Li Li Yuanzhong's brow furrowed slightly. He swept a glance around, and led Fang Fang Bao Luo into a nearby alley.

The Li family was now a prominent household in Gao Liu County, with no shortage of houses; there were several nearby.

"Daoist Tianyun Daoist Tianyun Xuanbing has found its master!"

In the small courtyard, Fang Fang Bao Luo lowered his voice and spoke of the great matter he had inquired about.

"Daoist Tianyun Daoist Tianyun Xuanbing… you mean the Rift Sea Yu Xuanjing Hammer?"

Li Li Yuanzhong reacted, his eyelid twitching: "Where did you hear that?"

These past days, whenever he had a spare moment he would go to Shan Xuan Bing Mi Jing for a round, but the second time he stormed the mountain it was much harder than the first; he still had the last stretch of road to walk.

He himself hadn't yet acknowledged a master—who was spreading rumors?

"The news has already spread. It's said that Wutang captured a branch leader of the Xieshen Sect and wrung it out of his mouth."

Fang Fang Bao Luo's expression solemn:

"I heard that the Xieshen Sect's cult leader has heaven-penetrating, earth-shattering abilities, and through Yi Mi Fa divined that the Rift Sea Yu Xuanjing Hammer has already acknowledged a master…"

"And moreover, he knows that person comes from Plucking Star Tower, named Li Li Yuanba!"

"L-Li Li Yuanba?"

Li Li Yuanzhong's back went cold. He instantly thought of Shan Xuan Bing Mi Jing—he had only left the name Li Li Yuanba on that stone stele.

That so-called Xieshen Sect cult leader could actually divine so accurately?

'Fortunately I didn't leave my real name. Caution is the boat that sails ten thousand years…'

Li Li Yuanzhong secretly wiped a handful of cold sweat, and his heart also relaxed.

What did the hammer in Li Li Yuanba's hands have to do with him, Li Li Yuanzhong?

"After the news spread, every faction caught wind and moved, all searching for Li Li Yuanba…"

Fang Fang Bao Luo's brows were tightly knit.

"Li Li Yuanba, who exactly is this person? Seems I've never heard of him?"

Glancing at the startled and suspicious Li Li Yuanzhong, Fang Fang Bao Luo's face was gloomy: "Some suspect this person is a disciple of our Shenbing Valley."

"There seems to be no such person within the sect…"

Li Li Yuanzhong's brows knit tightly: "Behind this, I'm afraid, are those few families. Once this news gets out, true or false, we'll have no small trouble."

The principle of better kill by mistake than let go—he understood it; those old hands of the jianghu had no reason not to.

Shenbing Valley's whole sect had migrated, and many factions were already watching. With this news out…

In the small courtyard, the two senior and junior brothers talked for a long while.

After dark, Fang Fang Bao Luo hurried off. Li Li Yuanzhong, his brows still tightly knit, came to the back courtyard of the Weapon-Forging Shop.

In the small private-school room, Wang Wang Wenyuan pinched a few copper coins, his face full of astonishment:

"Li Li Yuanba—there's still such a person in our Plucking Star Tower?"