Chapter 205: Fucheng

Thirty li of river channel was filled with all kinds of boats, thousands of laborers shuttling between piers, hauling cargo.

Li Yuan and the others moved with the crowd through the pier, where distant commotion arose and the crowd naturally parted.

A young man in martial attire disembarked, entered a sedan, surrounded by dozens of followers front and back.

"Are those from Huolong Temple? Is the leader not Yue's weight?"

Luo Luo Renshu squinted slightly, fixing his gaze on the departing sedan.

"It's him."

Fang Fang Bao Luo also saw the sedan: "The crimson dragon form—the foremost true disciple of Huolong Temple today."

Everyone turned to look at the sedan; many nearby murmured and watched, yet it was not conspicuous.

"Yue's weight?"

From far away, Li Yuan saw only a back view.

He scanned the surroundings, then his gaze sharpened, settling on a figure within the crowd.

A middle-aged man wearing a felt hat, unremarkable in appearance.

Li Yuan had never seen this face before, but he remembered the curved blade he wore—it was the same one carried by Linghu Wanwan, the assassin who had recruited him into Zhaixing Tower.

"What a coincidence?"

Li Yuan's heart stirred; Linghu Wanwan was an alias, and this face too seemed disguised.

But the glint of the weapon could not be faked.

Yet before he could examine further, Linghu Wanwan blended into the crowd and vanished from his sight.

"Enter the city."

Fang Fang Bao Luo murmured and walked off quickly.

Everyone followed after him.

Upon reaching Fucheng, both Liu Zheng and the others, as well as Fang Fang Bao Luo, relaxed considerably.

Along the way, they received word.

Master Master Gongyang Yu had arrived at Qianjun Mountain; two thousand Divine Guard troops had dispersed into small units and converged one after another, and several true disciples had also come to Fucheng.

Upon entering the city, the group headed straight for the Divine Guard's encampment; though Divine Soldier Valley had not yet fully taken control of Fucheng, at least the city itself was under Divine Guard jurisdiction.

Bing-bing-bing~

As soon as they entered the Divine Guard grounds, Li Yuan heard the familiar sound of drawing bows.

Looking over, in the training ground, Qiu Qiu Changying in martial robes drew her bow, arrow like a shooting star piercing the target.

Many Divine Guard disciples nearby trained their strength and practiced Wu Gong.

Arriving here, Li Yuan finally exhaled; the Divine Guard were not on alert, at least indicating no recent warfare.

"Fang Fang Bao Luo, Li Yuan!"

Qiu Qiu Changying lowered her bow and walked over, a rare smile appearing on her cold face.

Among the five inner halls, Licheng Hall and Hui Bingtang had poor relations, but meeting far from home, both sides felt a surge of kinship.

"Senior Sister Qiu."

Fang Fang Bao Luo's face lit up with a smile; Li Yuan gave a slight bow, and the others all bowed deeply.

"Senior Sister Qiu, where is the Valley Master?"

Fang Fang Bao Luo asked before even settling in.

"The Valley Master went out a few days ago to meet Long Sheng and others; he hasn't returned yet."

Qiu Qiu Changying glanced at Li Yuan, startled inwardly—how short a time had passed, and this boy had already condensed internal Qi?

Li Yuan was also studying her.

Precisely, his gaze fixed on the legendary-grade longbow on her back; though inferior to the one Jing Jing Shuhu had promised him, it possessed the mastery effect he had long coveted: "Pursuing Soul Arrow Perfected."

"Has Brother Long come too?"

Hearing her calm tone, Fang Fang Bao Luo felt a slight easing in his chest.

"Most of the three Divine Guard camps have arrived; only the three Grand Commanders remain in Jiaolong Prefecture…"

Qiu Qiu Changying led them to settle into the Divine Guard grounds, recounting events of the past three months along the way.

On the rainy night of the Qianling Sacrifice, many Divine Guard disciples dispersed into small units, spreading through the network of tunnels to converge in Fucheng.

The Divine Guard were mostly elite troops, skilled in rapid marches, and many had already reached Fucheng's territory before the Xieshen Sect issued its assassination orders.

In the following two months, scattered groups gradually gathered in the city.

Under Master Master Gongyang Yu's leadership, they took up residence in Fucheng, and many disciples arrived one after another afterward.

"The Young Master has been out of contact for days; he's likely dead."

"Huh?"

"The Young Master?"

In the courtyard, those who had just set down their bags were shaken by the news.

Though Hui Bingtang disciples had little connection with Shi Hong, he was still the Young Master; upon hearing this, many faces showed shock, anger, and sorrow.

Li Yuan frowned slightly; he had met Shi Hong only a few times, and his only impression was that Shi Hong harbored ill will toward him.

"Perhaps he simply hasn't had time to make contact?"

Fang Fang Bao Luo's face stiffened.

He knew perfectly well that Shi Hong was dead—not only that, he knew who had killed him.

"If he hadn't been killed, how could he possibly be unreachable?"

Qiu Qiu Changying shook her head inwardly.

She knew Shi Hong too well—given his nature, he would never vanish at a time like this.

Unless he is none other than Li Li Yuanba, the master of Daoist Tianyun Daoist Tianyun Xuanbing, who took the Split-Sea Black Whale Hammer.

"Perhaps something delayed him?"

Fang Fang Bao Luo frowned deeply.

Qiu Qiu Changying did not stay long; after settling the others, she took her bow and departed far away—now, she commands the Divine Guards and holds the military camp.

"Ah."

After everyone dispersed, inside the small house, Li Yuan poured two cups of water and heard Fang Fang Bao Luo's sigh.

Closing the door, Fang Fang Bao Luo lowered his voice:

"Shi Hong is truly dead."

"Hm?"

Li Yuan's heart gave a slight jolt.

"This matter..."

Fang Fang Bao Luo lowered his voice and recounted the full story of Shi Hong's death—what Han Han Chuijun had told him earlier.

"So decisive?"

Li Yuan's eyelids twitched violently; he had underestimated Old Han's resolve—even the Young Master was killed on the spot.

"Master has gone too far, too cruel."

Fang Fang Bao Luo sighed, yet did not dwell on right or wrong—his concern lay with Lord Master Gongyang Yu.

"Shi Hong was the heir upon whom the Young Master poured immense effort; Master killed Shi Hong right before the Young Master's eyes—no matter how you look at it, this has deeply angered the Young Master."

Li Yuan nodded.

If it were him, he could never kill a disciple in front of the disciple's own master—even if he suspected, he would act in secret, never openly.

To strike in plain sight...

He shook his head inwardly, worried about Old Han's mental state—had he practiced Bai Shen Xie Fa?

"The Young Master has great tolerance, but this matter remains uncertain."

Fang Fang Bao Luo harbored quiet fears—not for Li Yuan, but for himself.

He was no genius like Li Yuan, with celestial talent and the potential of a Divine Artisan; once things calmed down, he could not escape being held accountable.

After all, Old Han had clearly intended to make him the Young Master...

"Brother, are you worried the Young Master might...?"

Li Yuan saw his unease.

"In any case, tread carefully."

Fang Fang Bao Luo did not linger long; after giving a few instructions, he turned and left.

"Old Han really is..."

Inside the house, Li Yuan released the little mouse, held his teacup, and frowned slightly.

Fang Fang Bao Luo spoke vaguely, but Li Yuan could guess: Old Han's swift strike against Shi Hong was likely tied to him.

If Shi Hong had truly offended him, he could never have held the position of Young Master for over a decade.

Li Yuan pondered.

He felt that unless Lord Master Gongyang Yu shared Old Han's temperament, he would never trouble him or Fang Fang Bao Luo at this moment.

"Huh!"

After much thought, Li Yuan set down his teacup, swallowed several pills, stepped into the courtyard, and began assuming the Soldier Body Posture.

During the ten days aboard the ship, his Wu Gong had advanced further, especially the Soldier's Battle Hammer Art—he could now faintly sense the path to Great Perfection.

"This is only a sixth-rank hammer talent; if it were an eleventh-rank..."

Feeling the reinforcement from several hammer spirits, Li Yuan felt the Zhang Zhong Zhong hammer was fused with his bloodline—every movement flowed without the slightest hesitation.

"In as little as one or two months, or at most three to five, the Soldier's Battle Hammer Art will reach Great Perfection."

Li Yuan could even sense the progress of his hammer technique, allowing him to estimate how far he was from the next realm and how long it would take.

This sensation was incredibly subtle—like solving a problem with clear steps laid out before him.

"Huh!"

Li Yuan shifted his intent, changing his hammer form—swinging it like an ancient elephant flicking its trunk: the Ancient Elephant Six Forms Hammer.

These days, he occasionally practiced the Ancient Elephant Hammer forms; though he had not devoted much effort, his hammer talent granted him rapid progress.

Huh-huh~

Li Yuan moved with ease; the hammer's sound was silent, yet the surrounding winds churned ceaselessly.

His hammer mastery was far beyond what it had been—he now controlled weight and force effortlessly; even when swinging heavy hammers wildly, they landed without a sound.

But silence did not mean weakness—in fact, every push of his hammer carried explosive power.

If someone stood nearby, they would see his pores tightening and relaxing as if breathing naturally.

After transformation, his body was no longer entirely human; his blood and internal energy generated immense heat.

After only a few sets of hammer forms, the courtyard's temperature had risen noticeably; the yellowing dead leaves lost their last trace of green.

"I can reach Great Perfection in under half a year—if I abandon all else and focus solely on this hammer art, no more than two months!"

Slowly ending his stance, Li Yuan exhaled deeply, his spirit bright and alert.

With his current physical strength, aside from altering his bone structure or fully unleashing the Soldier's Battle Hammer Art, he rarely sweated profusely anymore.

"Hmm, I'll go out for a walk."

After loosening his sinews and bones, seeing the day was still early, Li Yuan checked his supply of pills and decided to go out and purchase more.

He had many pills on him, but his consumption was high.

Besides, whenever he arrived at a new place, he always wandered around to see if he could find items with special control effects.

When he went out, he called Liu Zheng and Wang Wang Peiyao, and the three of them went to the street together.

Dechang Prefecture was very lively; the goods sold at the various stalls and shops differed from those of Zhilong Prefecture.

After the three of them wandered around for a while, Li Yuan also bought two pairs of entry-grade boots.

"Dechang Prefecture has many lakes and mountains, so the variety of spirit beasts is richer—even the roadside stalls actually sell spirit boots."

Liu Zheng and the other were both seasoned merchants; after wandering around once, they found that Dechang Prefecture's commerce was very prosperous.

"Dechang Prefecture is not rich in minerals, so the variety of weapons is far inferior to Zhilong Prefecture. If we opened a weapons-forging shop, business would be even better."

Wang Wang Peiyao was also observing.

"Mm?"

After wandering for a while, Li Yuan spotted Linghu Baiman again; that bald-headed assassin was strolling idly through the crowd.

"Is he tailing me?"

Li Yuan's heart stirred slightly. He took out silver notes and handed them to Liu Zheng and the other, asking them to purchase pills, spirit boots, bone ornaments, and the like on his behalf.

He himself, meanwhile, followed Linghu Baiman.

"Mm?"

In the crowd, Linghu Baiman felt a jolt in his heart. He looked around and immediately spotted Li Yuan.

After multiple bone-structure alterations, Li Yuan's physique was robust and his frame tall, so he already stood out conspicuously in a crowd.

'Was I spotted?'

Linghu Baiman frowned slightly, but did not panic. He turned and walked toward a tavern by the roadside.

Li Yuan's steps paused briefly, then he followed him into the tavern, trailing him all the way up to the second floor, and sat down directly across from Linghu Baiman.

"My friend, do we know each other?"

Linghu Baiman frowned, somewhat wary. He had already been very careful—yet he had still been spotted?

"I am curious as well."

Li Yuan sized up Linghu Baiman. After a gap of more than a year, the man's aura had grown increasingly steady, and his Wu Gong seemed to have made considerable progress.

"Mm?"

Linghu Baiman's heart skipped a beat, but his expression did not change: "What do you mean by that, my friend?"

"You've been following me all this way. What business do you have?"

Li Yuan got straight to the point.

"You must be mistaken, my friend."

Linghu Baiman instinctively gripped the curved blade at his waist, but quickly released it: "Brother Li is truly perceptive…"

He was somewhat shaken, realizing that the intelligence he had was very likely wrong.

The true inheritor of the Divine Weapon Valley before him made him feel danger—grave danger.

"My surname is Linghu, given name Baiman. I come from Yunshu Lou. The reason I followed Brother Li was to deliver a letter."

Yunshu Lou?

Li Yuan scoffed inwardly, though his brow furrowed slightly on the surface: "Deliver a letter?"

"That's right."

Linghu Baiman nodded: "My Yunshu Lou's main business is selling intelligence, but we also do letter-delivery on others' behalf."

"Where is the letter?"

Li Yuan neither agreed nor disagreed.

"Mm…"

Linghu Baiman swept a glance around, then drew a letter from his bosom: "This letter comes from Yunjing Commandery…"

A letter from Wang Wang Wenyuan.

He had only glanced at the unsealed letter, but Li Yuan's heart was already settled. He reached out and took the letter.

'This kid actually changed his appearance…'

Linghu Baiman sighed inwardly. He had taken on this letter-delivery task, but it was not the only task he had accepted.

But now, he could only deliver the letter.

Immediately, he rose and took his leave, without the slightest hesitation—cutting his losses when he had to. This too was the decisiveness of a top assassin.

"Quite decisive indeed."

Watching him leave, Li Yuan also rose. He asked for a private room, then ordered a table of wine and dishes, and only then took out the letter and opened it.

"It really is from Wang Wang Wenyuan!"

Li Yuan's heart settled, though he could not help but mutter inwardly—sending an assassin to deliver a letter, that really was Star-Plucking Tower's style.

He now carried such a high bounty on his head; if the assassin delivering the letter had the confidence, he would presumably not mind earning a little extra after delivery…

"There is already a lead on the matter of the Dragon-Tiger Heaven-Shaking Hammer."

At the very first line, Li Yuan's spirits lifted.

"Dragon-Tiger Temple takes Long Long Yingchan as its head, and beneath him are four Grand Elders. The subduing-Long Chan master Long Xi Xiang is one of them…"

"This old man and he are Mo Ni friends; I wrote him a letter and received a reply."

Mo Ni friends?

Li Yuan stroked his chin and continued reading.

"Long Xi Xiang suffered Dao injuries many years ago; even with his peerless talent, it is hard for him to glimpse the peak of the martial Dao…"

The peak of the martial Dao.

Li Yuan's heart stirred with ripples. Long Xi Xiang was not listed on the Divine Ranking, but his fame was equally great.

Among the contemporary experts of Dragon-Tiger Temple, only a scant few had Yi Bai Xing.

Many years ago, he had already become a Grandmaster-level powerhouse.

"Long Xi Xiang—this man would never lightly agree to anyone, but once he has made a decision, he will surely come in person!"