Chapter 207

Beneath the stone tablet, Li Yuan paused for a long time.

The Star-Picking Tower is an extremely loose organization; assassins obtain information solely through the bounty assassination list.

After reading through the list, Li Yuan gained a preliminary understanding of Dechang Prefecture.

After the Thousand Jun Cave was destroyed, all its closely affiliated families, large and small, suffered heavy blows—some fled, others were slaughtered by enemies.

Today, only major sects like the Fire Dragon Temple and Iron Sword Gate hold power in Dechang Prefecture City.

Fearful of the Divine Weapon Valley, these few families have all retracted their influence, making Dechang Prefecture City even more stable than before the sect wars.

After memorizing the key information on the stone tablet, Li Yuan went to a nearby cave tavern.

One counter, over a dozen tables, waiters wearing masks—everything was no different from the outpost in Zhelong Prefecture.

Li Yuan ordered two flasks of monkey wine, found a corner seat, and slowly savored it—the fruit wine was sweet.

He scanned the assassins passing by with his peripheral vision, memorizing the glints of their weapons.

"Two flasks of monkey wine, ten jin of spirit beef!"

A gray-clad assassin wearing a fox mask and carrying a curved blade entered the tavern; he spoke in a lowered voice, yet his Zhelong Prefecture accent was still audible.

Li Yuan glanced at the curved blade and narrowed his eyes slightly.

The gray-blade assassin was low-key—he drank and ate in the corner, then silently turned and left after finishing.

Li Yuan set down his wine gourd and followed at a slow pace.

The gray-blade assassin was highly alert and possessed excellent lightness skill; he wound through the tunnel in twists and turns.

Li Yuan followed at a steady distance; guided by the glints of weapons, no matter how many detours the assassin took, he never lost track.

…

Huh!

Emerging from the tunnel, Linghu Baiman cautiously scanned the surroundings; only after confirming no one was nearby did he remove his mask and change his outer garment in the shadows.

"The Tower's intelligence is getting more and more half-baked."

Linghu Baiman shook his head slightly, hid his mask and outer garment, then hurried away.

The Star-Picking Tower's tunnels stretch everywhere, connecting the city's interior and exterior, all districts; when Li Yuan emerged from the tunnel, he found himself in the northern quarter.

"A grand undertaking."

Li Yuan's heart tightened slightly.

The Star-Picking Tower's outpost beside the Divine Weapon Valley had already astonished him; now, its outpost in Dechang Prefecture had literally hollowed out the underground.

Turning the thought over in his mind, Li Yuan did not dwell on it—he hurried after him.

Hu hu!

In the night wind, Linghu Baiman's figure rose and fell, weaving through streets and alleys.

His lightness skill was exceptional—he landed without a sound; even when brushing past, night patrol Constables could not detect him.

Soon, after circling the city for a few moments, he arrived at a narrow alley in the eastern quarter, tapped lightly on a door, received a response, then pushed it open and entered.

This courtyard was large, with five courtyards in sequence; many rooms still glowed with light.

Linghu Baiman hurried to the back courtyard, bowed slightly: "Zhelong Prefecture Wu Tang, Linghu, pays respects to Master An."

"Linghu?"

A voice spoke; two young men in tight-fitting attire stepped out from the back courtyard, disarmed Linghu Baiman, searched him, confirmed his identity, then led him inside.

Linghu Baiman kept his head slightly lowered, his peripheral vision sweeping—the back courtyard held a weapon rack; in the small yard, an old man practiced fist techniques in the night wind.

The old man was bare-chested, his sinews and bones strong as metal; he performed Xu Tui's fist frame—seemingly slow, yet each movement stirred the air in the entire courtyard into trembling.

"Huh!"

The old man stood like a sleeping eagle, moved like a sick tiger; as he performed Xu Tui's fist frame, the sound of surging blood echoed through his body, filling the small yard.

Linghu Baiman's heart trembled.

This man was none other than An San Yuan Wu, Master of Dechang Prefecture's Wu Tang, whose reputation within the Wu Tang was immense.

Legend says he possessed extraordinary insight; at age twelve, he cultivated the Tiger Force from a tattered fist manual he found by the roadside.

By his early twenties, he had already achieved Internal Strengthening Great Completion.

Afterwards, he traveled thousands of miles to become a disciple of the previous Dechang Wu Tang Master, learning the superior martial art "Mighty Divine Subdue-Tiger Fist."

For the next twenty years, he endured solitude, entering Shenshan alone to cultivate, living alongside tigers, emulating spirit beasts; at sixty, he achieved Form Transformation Great Completion with the Nineteen Forms.

Now, at over eighty years old, he had long since reached Meridian Great Completion—his Wu Gong surpassed even their own Master Meng Zhan.

"Did Meng Zhan send you?"

As Linghu Baiman's thoughts churned, he heard the old man's voice; he looked up, and his heart trembled again.

In the night, An San Yuan Wu's eyes glowed sharply, brighter than the torches in the courtyard—as if burning.

"I heard Zhelong Prefecture lost two Prefects in succession, and several Deputy Masters as well?"

"Yes."

Linghu Baiman lowered his head, cold sweat streaming down.

"The Wu Tang truly grows worse with each generation."

An San Yuan Wu draped his outer robe over his shoulders and sighed faintly.

The original Wu Tang was formed by Emperor Taizu Pang Pang Wenlong, selecting elite warriors from numerous sects into a single violent organ combining assassination, siege, intelligence, and decapitation.

But after a thousand years, major sects no longer send their elite here; naturally, it has gradually withered, no longer its former peak.

Especially in the past thirty years since the Wu Tang King entered seclusion, it has declined further.

In the back courtyard, An San Yuan Wu paced and sighed: "Forty years ago, these martial sects would never have dared such boldness."

Linghu Baiman and the other Wu Tang experts stood respectfully beside him.

"Speak—what mission did Meng Zhan send you on?"

An San Yuan Wu glanced at Linghu Linghu Baiwan, his gaze lingering on the man's face for a moment.

"Replying to Hall Master An..."

Linghu Linghu Baiwan paused slightly, then took a sealed letter from his robes and respectfully handed it over:

"Before coming, Hall Master Meng asked me to convey his regards."

"You have a Sky Eagle at your disposal, yet you were sent to deliver a letter?"

An San Yuan Wu held the envelope, not in a hurry to open it, and asked:

"Regarding that Sea-Splitting Black Whale Hammer, have you made any discoveries?"

"This... no."

Linghu Linghu Baiwan hurriedly replied, recounting everything he knew, from the Thousand Spirit Sacrifice until his departure, in meticulous detail.

"... The Xieshen Sect is hunting down the martial artists who entered the Cold Pool in previous batches, and the Huailong Palace is secretly doing the same..."

"The Divine Weapon Valley reacted violently; Han Han Chuijun is ruthless and poisonous, having incited the anger of all. He is suspected to have been ambushed by a master and fled with severe injuries..."

"Three of the Xieshen Sect's seven branch leaders are dead, and that old thief Brother Brother Huangfu was also ambushed..."

After news spread that the Sea-Splitting Black Whale Hammer might have appeared, the situation in the Zhe Long Mansion could only be described as chaotic.

Too many masters had entered and exited the Cold Pool tunnels; even with the Xieshen Sect and Huailong Palace acting in secret, they could not capture them all and instead suffered fierce counterattacks.

"In these few months, hundreds of martial battles have erupted in the Zhe Long Mansion; over a thousand named masters have died, and the nameless ones are ten times that number..."

Linghu Linghu Baiwan replied in a low voice.

The expressions of the few people in the courtyard were somewhat subtle: some were surprised and suspicious, some were tempted, and others wore looks of schadenfreude.

The Zhenwu Hall has long been called the hawks and dogs by the martial world; they are at odds with one another, so hearing this news, they felt it was a good thing.

"The Divine Weapon Valley is in deep trouble this time; they might even face total annihilation."

A youth in tight-fitting clothes touched the scar on his face and sneered repeatedly.

The Divine Weapon Valley launched a full-scale assault, sweeping through the Dechang Mansion, and even they suffered a significant impact.

"Even if they are not annihilated, they will suffer a massive loss of strength; for us, this is a great boon."

The others all nodded.

With the destruction of the Qiankun Cave, the Divine Weapon Valley taking over the Dechang Mansion has become a certainty; if not for the sudden appearance of that Sea-Splitting Black Whale Hammer, they would all now be troubled by how to deal with the Divine Weapon Valley.

"Hall Master, should we..."

Someone looked at An San Yuan Wu, appearing eager to act.

"What of the Longhu Temple?"

An San Yuan Wu's expression remained unchanged; he knew roughly of these intelligence reports, but what concerned him most now was the Longhu Temple:

"Has Gong Gong Jiuchuan made any moves?"

"This..."

Linghu Linghu Baiwan gave a bitter smile: "The movements of the Longhu Temple, how could a subordinate like me know? Hall Master Meng instructed that everyone is strictly forbidden from spying on the Longhu Temple disciples..."

Disciples of the Dao Sects hold extremely high status; even ordinary inner and outer sect disciples are not something they dare to touch.

Let alone tracking and spying; even seeing them from afar, they must actively retreat.

"It seems they intend to sit on the sidelines and watch."

An San Yuan Wu understood in his heart.

Among the sects under heaven, the Wudadao Sect leads, but there is no hierarchy between sects; the struggle between the Divine Weapon Valley and the Huailong Palace, or the destruction of the Qiankun Cave, the Longhu Temple would rarely intervene.

Not that they cannot, but they simply do not care much.

With some speculation in his heart, An San Yuan Wu said nothing, merely unfolding the envelope.

"Hmm?"

With a single glance, An San Yuan Wu's brows immediately furrowed, and his breathing grew heavy.

"Hall Master?"

The two youths in tight-fitting clothes nearby felt a sudden tightening in their hearts.

"Several elders of the Divine Weapon Valley broke through the encirclement and are suspected to be heading for the Dechang Mansion... Meng Zhan has invited this old man to act and intercept them."

An San Yuan Wu glanced at Linghu Linghu Baiwan.

"How is this possible?"

Linghu Linghu Baiwan was shocked and found it even more incredible.

The Divine Weapon Valley is indeed formidable, but those surrounding them were the eight branch divisions of the Xieshen Sect in Huizhou, along with many famous masters of the martial world.

The Sanyuan Wu and Pang Pang Liexue were also involved, not to mention the Huailong Palace secretly holding them back.

They could still fight their way out?

"The Longhu Temple?"

Linghu Linghu Baiwan suddenly looked up; the speaker was the youth in tight-fitting clothes beside him.

"Correct, the Longhu Temple."

An San Yuan Wu put the letter away in his robes; his face was expressionless, yet everyone felt a sense of oppression.

"The Longhu Temple? They... how could they possibly intervene?"

Linghu Linghu Baiwan remained somewhat suspicious and surprised.

The Longhu Temple is indeed the head of the sects, but they have never intervened in the battles between subordinate sects.

"Rumors have spread from somewhere that Master Master Fulong intends to take a disciple, accepting the Divine Weapon Valley's true heir, Li Yuan, as his successor..."

"Master Master Fulong? Long Xi Xiang?!"

"A successor? Who is Li Yuan?"

Before An San Yuan Wu's words had even landed, the Wutang experts including Linghu Linghu Baiwan had already broken into an uproar.

Who exactly was Long Xi Xiang?

The Grand Elder of Dragon Tiger Temple, the master of Dragon Gate, a generation's grand master, a towering figure with hopes of becoming a Land Immortal!

"This news must be true—otherwise, that old man Brother Brother Huangfu wouldn't have been intimidated, and the people from Huai Dragon Palace wouldn't have suddenly pulled back."

An San Yuan Wu's face darkened. No wonder Meng Zhan had a feathered hawk yet didn't use it, and instead sent someone thousands of miles to deliver the letter.

When it concerned Long Xi Xiang, even the Xieshen Sect had to rein itself in—yet this Meng Zhan actually wanted to invite him to act?

"That Meng Zhan…"

The rest of them also caught on, turning to look at Linghu Linghu Baiwan with unfriendly eyes.

"…"