Chapter 200: Jianghu Assassination

Silent!

The tavern suddenly fell silent.

Luo Luo Renshu silently cursed, his smile stiffening: "A true disciple of the Divine Weapon Valley? Sir, you're joking…"

"It seems the Death-Calling Tower's intelligence was accurate. I didn't come to the wrong place."

The cloak stirred without wind; the black-clad man scanned the tense crowd in the hall, then reached out to grasp Luo Luo Renshu:

"Boy, it's just your bad luck!"

Whoosh!

Luo Luo Renshu's eyelids twitched wildly; he felt the air around him solidify into liquid-like streams.

"Tong Mai!"

Luo Luo Renshu shrieked; a long sword shot from his sleeve, and he lunged backward toward the rear:

"Run!"

His reaction was not slow—he slashed through the solidified air before him, warning the others at once.

Everyone in the hall turned pale and surged toward the back of the tavern.

Yet the black-clad elder moved far faster.

Before Luo Luo Renshu's cry had even faded, a yellowed, withered hand, like a chicken's claw, floated effortlessly across ten zhang and seized the back of his neck.

Crack!

The swordlight shattered instantly; Luo Luo Renshu felt a chill at his nape, his body stiffened, his face twisted in agony.

He hadn't even changed his form—how could he withstand such a master?

Boom!

Suddenly, the black-clad elder's eyelids flicked up; without hesitation, he retracted his hand and spun around—only to see a gale erupt at the door.

A massive, head-sized handle-heavy hammer struck with lightning speed, aimed straight at him; had he not spun back in time, the hammer would have crushed his skull.

Boom!

Hammer met claw; force rippled outward in layers.

Instantly, the hall's furnishings trembled and shook.

"Fang Fang Bao Luo?"

The black-clad elder let out a dry chuckle, shook his numb hand, then suddenly frowned:

"You're not Fang Fang Bao Luo? Then you're…"

He squinted at the young man in martial attire, hammer in hand, at the door.

In the past year and more, five of the Divine Weapon Valley's ten true disciples had vanished; their portraits had been widely circulated—he recognized him in an instant:

"Li Yuan?"

"Tong Mai experts are hard to ambush."

Failing to land a hit, Li Yuan sighed inwardly, then swung his long hammer sideways, lunging forward; within his Weapon Scroll, four hammers and two pairs of boots glowed brilliantly, augmenting him.

Boom!

Movement like Lei Ting.

Under the augmentation of the four hammers, Li Yuan exploded forward; his major tendons roared like coiled dragons, tensing.

Air currents everywhere were crushed into visible shockwaves; in an instant, the heavy hammer carved a black line through the air,

crashing down like thunder upon the cloaked man.

In the past two months, he had fought many battles in the Shan Xuan Bing Mi Jing—he was no longer just an ambush specialist; in direct confrontation, he feared nothing.

"Shriek!"

The moment Li Yuan surged forward, he heard a savage crane cry at his ear; the surrounding air seemed to freeze solid.

The cloaked man let out a long howl; his loose cloak swelled taut, his back muscles bulged as if a pair of wings unfurled.

Internal Qi surged, blood and qi erupted.

Zing~

Then Li Yuan felt a sudden chill in his heart—a blade of icy wind shot straight for his face.

The black-clad cloaked man exploded upward, unleashing a vast, merciless, blinding ocean of knife-light!

Far stronger than the Tong Mai who had ambushed him by the riverbank.

Boom!

Hammer met blade; shockwaves erupted violently.

Like a hurricane sweeping through, the hall was instantly filled with gales—tables, utensils, food, and wine all tumbled and flew through the raging air currents!

Luo Luo Renshu, Liu Zheng, and others had already retreated far to the side; they saw only shadowy figures crossing, the clashing of weapons never ceasing.

"Can Brother Li actually hold his own against a Tong Mai?!"

Liu Zheng and the others were stunned; they'd heard Li Yuan's Wu Gong had advanced rapidly—he had reached Nei Zhuang in less than a year since joining.

But how vast the gap between Nei Zhuang and Tong Mai?

Even veteran true disciples like Ba Ba Wanli and Qiu Qiu Changying needed to team up just to resist a Tong Mai, didn't they?

Boom!

Hammer met blade.

Li Yuan's feet trembled; he stepped back several paces; the impact of internal Qi felt like ten thousand silver needles stabbing him, leaving his body numb.

But his physique was simply too strong—even the internal Qi impact, upon a single tremor of his tendons and bones, had been shaken out of his body.

"How can he be this fierce?!"

The cloaked man retreated several steps; the wooden floor and blue bricks beneath his feet cracked inch by inch, soil and stone spraying outward.

His five fingers on the hilt kept opening and closing, his entire arm numb, cold sweat on his forehead, his heart pounding uncontrollably.

According to this intelligence, the newly internalized true disciple of Divine Weapon Valley had already undergone transformation.

Not only that, but his Wu Gong was already so high?!

"Again!"

Li Yuan surged forward again, his eyes gleaming.

Thanks to countless battles within the Shan Xuan Bing Mi Jing, his Wu Gong had all improved; in combat, not a trace of stiffness remained—he could summon any technique at will.

The faster he fought, the more exhilarated he became.

After transformation, the advantage of altering his physical form became clear: even without activating the Palm Command Seal, he was already no weaker than the cloaked man.

"What monster is this?!"

The cloaked man grew more alarmed with each strike; his mighty internal Qi surged again and again, yet every collision was like mud sinking into the sea—utterly without effect.

This meant the boy's physique was far stronger than his own.

How many forms had he transformed into?!

Fear surged in the cloaked man's heart, and unbidden, he thought of Han Han Chuijun; after another clash, he pushed off with his feet—

*Boom! *—he shattered the tavern's main beam and tried to retreat.

"Trying to run?!"

Li Yuan flicked his wrist, and a flurry of flying knives shot forth; after years of training, he had never fought so freely—how could he let him escape?

"Damn, they're poisoned!"

Amid the towering dust, the cloaked man caught sight of the blue-glowing knives and cursed inwardly, forced to surge his internal Qi to shake them off.

This delay allowed Li Yuan to swing his massive hammer down again, like thunder crashing.

This time, he activated the Palm Command Seal—its weight like a thousand juns, its force like a mountain!

"Brat!"

The cloaked man gritted his teeth, his curved blade flashing like a ribbon, just as it had done over a dozen times before—he crossed it to block.

Once internal Qi was formed, the weight, length, or shape of the weapon no longer mattered—he had no fear of clashing with heavy arms.

*Crash! *

Yet at the instant of blade meeting hammer, the cloaked man felt his blood rush violently to his head, his eyeballs nearly bursting from pressure.

"How could it be this heavy?!"

The cloaked man's mind went blank.

The force of this hammer not only knocked his curved blade from his grip—it shattered his internal Qi and blood Qi!

The power was more than several times greater than before!

"Ahh!"

Amid the swirling dust came a deafening scream.

Liu Zheng and the others had already fled the tavern, yet they saw a figure fly out through the air—still mid-flight, blood sprayed everywhere.

Accompanying it was the sickening crack of bones and tendons shattering.

*Thud! *

The figure hit the ground, kicking up mud.

Li Yuan arrived like the wind, his long hammer falling like a meteor, dragging a blazing aura behind it.

With the Four heavy mouths' enhancement, how much had his strength increased?

*Spurt! *

The cloak tore open under the wind's force, revealing beneath it an old man's face, twisted with terror.

"Spare…"

The heavy hammer struck the ground, splattering thick mud.

Far away, Luo Luo Renshu's face twitched—he felt the earth trembling, the hammer's weight beyond imagination.

He had seen Ba Ba Wanli strike before; that hammer had been swift, yet it seemed nowhere near as mighty or powerful as this one?

*Whoosh! *

Slowly lifting the heavy hammer, Li Yuan glanced at the old man nearly terrified to death:

"Qian Jun Cave Elder?"

Though phrased as a question, his tone was certain—he had recognized the old man's technique after just a few exchanges: the Spirit Crane Sword Art.

It was one of the three supreme secret transmissions of Qian Jun Cave.

"Li… Li Yuan…"

The old man's clothes were torn, his body caked in blood; many bones had pierced through his skin and membrane—he was grievously wounded.

Yet the vitality of a Tong Mai cultivator was immense; even with such injuries, he could have escaped—had Li Yuan not held the hammer aloft in threat.

"Another Han Han Chuijun… another Han Han Chuijun…"

He seemed utterly terrified, staring fixedly at Li Yuan, muttering to himself, eyes filled with disbelief.

He knew perfectly well that two years ago, Divine Weapon Valley had taken in a prodigy—a Dragon Bone cultivator under seventeen.

But only two years later, how had he become this?!

"Nian Nian Changling!"

At that moment, Luo Luo Renshu and the others hurried over; Wang Wang Peiyao glanced once and named the cloaked man:

"Brother Li, this man is an outer-disciple elder of Qian Jun Cave—you've captured a Tong Mai powerhouse!"

*Crack~*

Li Yuan moved like lightning, dislocating the old man's limbs and jaw.

"Who will conduct the interrogation?"

Without even noticing the old man's bloodshot, venomous glare, Li Yuan glanced around; Luo Luo Renshu had already stepped forward quickly and dragged him away.

He was a disciple of the Inspection Hall, skilled in interrogation and forced confessions.

"Senior Brother Li, you, your Wu Gong?"

At this moment, Liu Zheng and the others finally looked at Li Yuan, all feeling excited and exhilarated.

"No wonder Senior Brother Fang never returned; it turns out Senior Brother Li's Wu Gong is so high!"

Other disciples of the Divine Weapon Valley also gathered around, not lacking in sighs of awe and reverence.

A thousand flatteries may be worn through, but flattery never is.

The praise was clearly very pleasant to hear; Li Yuan wiped his hammer head, glanced at the crowd, and said, "Pack up your things; this place is not suitable for staying long."

He had already sensed the presence of that elder the moment he appeared, and naturally heard his conversation with Luo Luo Renshu.

The Life-Ending Tower was similar to a combination of the Yunshu Tower and the Star-Picking Tower; it conducted the business of killing and also sold information.

This hiding place has already been exposed.

"Yes!"

"We listen to Senior Brother Li!"

Seeing Li Yuan display his divine might, the crowd of Divine Weapon Valley disciples all followed his lead, and they quickly packed their bags.

"Senior Brother Li."

At this moment, Luo Luo Renshu had also finished the interrogation; his methods were ruthless and decisive. After asking Li Yuan's opinion, he directly snapped the elder's neck.

"This person is a remnant of the Thousand-Weight Cave; he arrived at the Zhe Long Prefecture before the New Year, wanting to take revenge on us; the information was bought from the Life-Ending Tower..."

The group moved quickly; on the road, Luo Luo Renshu reported.

His interrogation methods were somewhat effective, or perhaps that elder's bones were not hard; quite a few things were indeed extracted.

"After the extermination of the Thousand-Weight Cave, only a few outer sect elders and the true disciple 'Nian Nian Guixing' escaped; several groups of senior and junior brothers in the Yunjing Commandery all fell victim to their poison."

In a shady, dense forest, Liu Zheng and others lit a bonfire; hearing Luo Luo Renshu's words, their faces were none too good.

Gao Liu County falls under the jurisdiction of the Yunjing Commandery; their relationship with the groups of disciples ambushed and killed by Nian Zhangling was the closest.

"Senior Brother Fang has not returned for so long; could he also have fallen into their ambush?"

Liu Zheng showed worry on his face.

"It shouldn't be; didn't this Nian Zhangling still suspect Senior Brother Li was Senior Brother Fang?"

By the bonfire, the crowd discussed in a flurry.

Li Yuan played with that black curved blade, pondering in his heart.

Fang Fang Bao Luo is not Ba Ba Wanli; he is cautious by nature, so the possibility of him falling into an ambush is very small.

"Leave a mark and wait one more day; if Senior Brother Fang does not return after one day, I will go find him."

After the crowd discussed, Li Yuan spoke to settle the matter.

The group immediately fell silent; surrounding the bonfire, they set up tents and prepared meals.

"Huff!"

Li Yuan casually stuck the curved blade in front of him, squinted slightly, and recalled today's clash.

The slaughter within the Shan Xuan Bing Mi Jing does not damage one's own body; it is different from the real knife-and-sword fighting in the outside world.

"The benefits of Yi Duo Xing are indeed great; relying solely on my own physique and Wu Gong, I am already not inferior to ordinary Tongmai experts; if I activate the Zhang Bing Lu to enhance me, I can kill them quickly!"

"As for Tongmai Great Perfection, having not fought them, it is hard to say, but self-preservation is assured!"

"Hmm, those who cannot defeat me cannot escape; those I cannot defeat, if I want to escape, even a pursuit cannot catch up!"

Li Yuan's heart was slightly settled, and his understanding of his own positioning became clearer.

Except for the Zang Refining which he did not yet understand, and extraordinary martial artists like Old Han, he considered himself able to advance or retreat at will.

"Hmm, I cannot be careless; the Jianghu is so vast; it is inevitable that there will be a few freaks like Old Han."

Li Yuan reminded himself in his heart.

Jianghu slaughter and fighting within the Shan Xuan Bing Mi Jing are different; if things go wrong, it costs a life; no amount of caution is excessive.

"Huff!"

Li Yuan stood up, loosened his muscles and bones, changed his Zhang Yu, and began to alter his root and bone.

The Linghu Sword Technique Fundamental Diagram had also reached its conclusion.

After a long time, Li Yuan closed his eyes and entered meditation, yet he entered the Shan Xuan Bing Mi Jing again to continue breaking through the final three hundred steps.

Li Yuan hardly slept that night; early the next morning, commotion came from outside, and he alertly went out.

Fang Fang Bao Luo, who had been missing for many days, appeared, carrying several blood-stained swords and blades.

"Nian Nian Guixing is the last true disciple of the Thousand-Weight Cave; half a month ago, among those who ambushed Ba Ba Wanli, he was one of them."

Fang Fang Bao Luo had injuries on his body and looked exhausted: "Four days ago, I detected his tracks; after ambushing for several days, I killed him!"

"The Thousand-Weight Cave has been completely exterminated!"

Sitting in meditation and regulating his breath, Fang Fang Bao Luo let out a long sigh: "With this person removed, the road to the Fa Jiu Mountain is considered opened."

"Nian Nian Guixing is dead already?"

Luo Luo Renshu and others also gathered over; hearing this, they all breathed a sigh of relief in their hearts.

Li Yuan frowned slightly: "Where is the First Senior Brother?"

Among the crowd of Divine Weapon Valley disciples, only Ba Ba Wanli had been pursued and ambushed the most times; for no other reason than his body type being too conspicuous; no matter how he disguised himself, he was easily discovered.

"He was ambushed many times; his injuries are not light; he should be hiding."

Fang Fang Bao Luo swallowed a pill, and his complexion improved slightly:

"No news is also good news."

The Divine Weapon Valley has thousands of disciples, but only five true transmissions; if any one of them met with trouble, it would surely spread quickly.

The atmosphere by the bonfire was oppressive; none of the group had any desire to converse.

Fang Fang Bao Luo spent several hours healing his injuries; after several more hours, he rose and summoned the group of disciples.

After a brief discussion of a few words, he then walked toward the mountain path of Faqiu Mountain.