“Old brother, follow me,” the noodle vendor said in a low voice near Wu Dingyuan’s ear while releasing his acupoints.

Wu Dingyuan let out an “ah” and was about to respond when the noodle vendor made a gesture for silence, whispering, “The two groups are fighting in the alley—this is our chance to escape.”

It turned out the noodle vendor’s intention in throwing the broken ceramic bowls was to create chaos among the Kunlun Mountain people so he could rescue Wu Dingyuan in the confusion. Taking advantage of everyone’s distraction, he rolled on the ground, scooped up Wu Dingyuan, and hid through a dog hole in a nearby wall, concealing themselves in the flower garden of an official residence. Though the Kunlun people were arrogant, this was Prince’s Alley—they only dared patrol the alley and wouldn’t have the courage to charge into a court official’s residence to search. Thus they couldn’t find Wu Dingyuan for a long time.

The noodle vendor pulled Wu Dingyuan along rapidly. Though Wu Dingyuan didn’t know this man’s background, with his life in extreme danger, even if his rescuer were a dog, he had no choice but to follow. How could he have the mind to ask questions? He followed the vendor closely, watching him turn left and right through the small paths in the official residence gardens, moving swiftly with his body low—clearly he was extremely familiar with the terrain here.

Before long, the two had circled around the main house of the great mansion through the gardens, now far from the original alley. Crouching under a wall, the noodle vendor said, “Beyond this wall is the busy street. Once we jump over, no matter how fierce those people are, they can’t kill people in broad daylight on the street, right?”

Wu Dingyuan sighed in relief, “Thank you, brother, for your righteous rescue! This younger brother truly has no way to repay you…”

Just as Wu Dingyuan was about to speak, the noodle vendor’s face changed and he quickly covered his mouth. Wu Dingyuan followed his gaze and saw people moving back and forth on the mansion’s rooftop—he couldn’t tell if they were Eastern Factory eunuchs or Kunlun Mountain people.

The noodle vendor frowned, “How did so many more people come?” As he was calculating an escape plan, Wu Dingyuan, being an old hand in the martial world, felt around on the ground for a small stone and threw it with force. With a “pop,” the stone flew outside the alley. The several guards on the rooftop gave a low whistle and all rushed toward where the stone had landed.

The noodle vendor smiled slightly at Wu Dingyuan, his eyes full of admiration. Wu Dingyuan was uneasy at this moment, seeing this person still smiling despite everything, he couldn’t help but wonder, “At this life-and-death moment, how can this person still smile? His temperament is truly peculiar.”

Just as he was thinking, the noodle vendor’s body flew up, his right foot touching the wall as he soared over like a great bird. Wu Dingyuan secretly praised him and followed, stepping on the wall and grabbing the noodle vendor’s right hand as they both climbed over the high wall.

The two reached the street where lanterns were just being lit. The busy street was full of people coming and going—a scene of peace and prosperity, vastly different from the murderous atmosphere in the alley.

The noodle vendor was pulling Wu Dingyuan’s hand, about to cross the busy street, when suddenly a man dressed as a merchant hurried over with a face full of smiles, saying, “Two gentlemen, I have goods from north and south, everything you need. Please come take a look!”

The noodle vendor ignored him and hurried with Wu Dingyuan to rush past. The merchant stretched out his hand to block their path, smiling, “Why are you two in such a hurry to leave? First look at the good things this humble one has prepared for you gentlemen. If you don’t like them, it’s not too late to leave!”

The noodle vendor pushed at the merchant’s shoulder, saying, “Move aside, we don’t have time to look at your wares.”

When the merchant was pushed like this, his upper body only swayed slightly while his feet remained firmly planted on the ground. Both the noodle vendor and Wu Dingyuan felt alarmed, exchanging glances as they realized they had encountered a master.

The noodle vendor planted his horse stance, took a deep breath, and chopped forward with his right palm. Knowing the situation was extremely dangerous and fearing the pursuers would catch up with fatal consequences, he wanted to defeat this man within a few moves.

Just as his palm force was about to strike, the merchant seemed completely unconcerned and didn’t raise his hand to block, as if unaware of the palm’s power. The noodle vendor was stunned, thinking, “Why is this person so overconfident? Could it be he really is just a merchant with no martial arts?”

But in this moment of hesitation, the merchant suddenly thrust out a palm. The noodle vendor couldn’t defend in time and was immediately struck in the chest, spitting out blood. Wu Dingyuan was shocked—this noodle vendor appeared to have profound internal power, yet his combat experience was so lacking that he fell for the opponent’s trick in just a few moves.

In his great alarm, Wu Dingyuan quickly kicked toward the merchant. The merchant stepped back and pursed his lips to whistle. Instantly, shouts arose all around as a large group of people suddenly appeared, surrounding the two completely.

Wu Dingyuan saw they wore factory guard uniforms and appeared to be Eastern Factory people, which shocked him. Seeing the noodle vendor’s pale face, clearly seriously injured, Wu Dingyuan didn’t want to implicate his life. Thinking, “Anyway, Lord Wang Ning has already fallen, and no one in the world can save me. Today’s great calamity is inescapable—why should I harm another person’s life?” He said quietly to the noodle vendor, “Friend, they only want me. You should leave quickly!”

The noodle vendor sneered coldly, “Old brother, your words are greatly mistaken. Am I the type to seek life by harming virtue?”

Wu Dingyuan ignored him and said directly to the Eastern Factory people, “You want Wu Dingyuan of Xiliang. Let my brother go, and Wu will follow you. How about it?”

The merchant-like man laughed, “At this point you still dare negotiate with us? Neither of you is leaving!” With that, he grabbed toward Wu Dingyuan.

Wu Dingyuan saw his grabbing technique was precise and his internal power profound. He quickly dodged sideways. The merchant swept his right foot toward Wu Dingyuan’s lower body while his left hand’s five fingers struck toward his “Cheek Vehicle” acupoint. Wu Dingyuan, struggling left and right in panic, took out his “Flying Silver Shuttle” from his chest and struck it toward the man’s face. The merchant, not expecting Wu Dingyuan to have such hidden weapon skills, was greatly shocked and hurriedly threw himself flat on the ground like a dog eating excrement to dodge the silver shuttle. The Eastern Factory people, seeing their companion suffer, all drew their weapons and hacked toward Wu Dingyuan. These people struck extremely heavily, unlike Kunlun Mountain who still wanted to capture him alive—if Wu Dingyuan was even slightly careless, he would die on the spot.

Wu Dingyuan danced his silver shuttle to protect his vital points. The Eastern Factory people attacked repeatedly, but he managed to block them all. One of them, seeing the noodle vendor about to collapse and wanting to take advantage, raised his golden melon hammer and struck down hard at the vendor’s head. Wu Dingyuan saw the noodle vendor was confused and didn’t know to dodge, so he urgently shouted, “Be careful!”

With his right hand, he used the move “Meteor Crossing Heaven,” sending the silver shuttle flying toward the man holding the golden melon hammer. The man, seeing the shuttle’s fierce momentum and unable to dodge in time, screamed “Ah!” as the shuttle pierced his throat, cutting off his cry.

At this moment, Wu Dingyuan’s back lost the silver shuttle’s protection and was slashed by someone’s blade. Though the cut didn’t hit a vital point and only made a gash, it made his vision go black from pain and nearly caused him to faint.

Wu Dingyuan endured the pain and kicked backward, sending that person tumbling, but his foot hurt as someone else struck him hard. Unable to support himself, Wu Dingyuan fell forward. The Eastern Factory people showed no mercy, raising their weapons together to hack down at Wu Dingyuan’s vital back points.

Just as Wu Dingyuan was about to die, the noodle vendor somehow found a surge of strength, roared loudly, and pushed both palms forcefully into the crowd. The Eastern Factory people, seeing him severely injured and dying, didn’t take him seriously. Their weapons continued striking toward Wu Dingyuan without pause, their methods extremely vicious.

At this moment, the Eastern Factory people suddenly felt difficulty breathing, disturbed by the noodle vendor’s fierce palm wind. Everyone was greatly shocked, realizing the danger. When they tried to dodge, it was too late. In an instant, the two in front bore the brunt and were sent flying skyward by the noodle vendor’s palm force.

The merchant-like man was furious and cursed, “Dead boy!” He also pushed a palm toward the noodle vendor. The vendor raised his palm in defense, and when their palms met, both bodies swayed.

The merchant-like man increased his force, continuously channeling internal power. He figured that since the noodle vendor had already taken one of his heavy strikes, if they competed in internal power, the vendor was bound to lose. Indeed, the noodle vendor’s face turned green and he spat blood, clearly insufficient in true power. The man was delighted and his concentration relaxed slightly, his palm force loosening a bit.

Suddenly the noodle vendor roared loudly, his eyes flashing with strange light as he summoned an overwhelming palm force like mountains collapsing and seas overturning. The man, not expecting the vendor to still have such internal power, couldn’t resist. With a “crack,” the man fell to the ground, his chest ribs shattered, clearly dying.

The Eastern Factory people were horrified, thinking, “What is this boy’s background? How is he seemingly unkillable? What school or sect is he from?”

The noodle vendor waved his palms wildly and injured several more people. The Eastern Factory people, seeing him fighting like a madman, quickly retreated. The vendor grabbed Wu Dingyuan’s hand and shouted, “Let’s go quickly!” The two supported each other, rolling and crawling to the middle of the street. Pedestrians saw them covered in blood and cried out in alarm, scattering to both sides, immediately clearing a large area in the street.

Meanwhile, the Kunlun Mountain and Eastern Factory people were about to fight when they suddenly heard shouting outside the alley. Jin Lingshuang’s heart trembled, knowing Wu Dingyuan had escaped from the alley. She immediately said, “Everyone, don’t waste more time. Follow me quickly!” With that, she ran outward.

Xue Nu’er sneered, “Where are you going!” Following a flash of blue light, he threw his circular disc. This hidden weapon was called “Heaven’s Golden Wheel,” a supremely domineering weapon that now flew fiercely toward Jin Lingshuang.

Jin Lingshuang, not expecting Xue Nu’er to attack immediately upon deciding to, was greatly shocked and could only roll on the ground. Though he managed to dodge, two disciples beside him couldn’t avoid it. With continuous screams, two heads rolled to the ground—those two disciples were separated from their bodies and died.

After killing, the circular disc turned in mid-air and flew back bloody into Xue Nu’er’s hands.

Xue Nu’er knew his own people were outside. As long as he could stop the Kunlun Mountain people, the evidence to bring down Jiang Chong would fall into his hands. He couldn’t help but feel delighted and grinned sinisterly, “You people behave yourselves. Not one of you is leaving.” He spun the disc in his hands, his expression excited and cruel.

Earlier, the Kunlun Mountain people had blocked the Eastern Factory masters from entering the alley, but now the situation was reversed—it was the Eastern Factory people preventing them from leaving.

Jin Lingshuang and Tu Lingxin exchanged glances. Both knew Xue Nu’er’s martial arts were extremely high, and they had no confidence they could handle him. Moreover, with an unknown number of masters watching like tigers beside them, and with Liu Lingchuan and Mau Lingshan already seriously injured and many disciples killed, it seemed Kunlun Mountain was about to suffer complete defeat.

Though Tu Lingxin knew he was no match, his fierce nature made him unwilling to submit. He said in a deep voice, “I’ll handle this old thing. Second Senior Brother, you take everyone and go.”

Jin Lingshuang’s face showed hesitation as she shook her head, “That won’t do. This person’s martial arts are too strange. I can’t let you take the risk.”

Seeing the Kunlun people didn’t dare come forward to fight, Xue Nu’er laughed, “Do you dare fight or not? Kunlun Mountain has such a great reputation, but you’re all gutless cowards. Truly, seeing you is worse than hearing about you!”

The Eastern Factory people all burst into laughter upon hearing this. Tu Lingxin’s eyes blazed like fire, wanting to charge forward and fight, but Jin Lingshuang was steady and cautious, unwilling to let him rashly engage. For a moment, they could only endure the Eastern Factory people’s arrogant mockery without anyone daring to step forward and challenge them.

Just as the Eastern Factory people were feeling smug, they suddenly heard an elegant voice from the alley entrance reciting, “Kunlun sword emerges, blood fills the ocean; a thousand li drives the Yellow River yellow.”

The Eastern Factory people were immediately shocked, not knowing who was playing mysterious games. Hu Zhong shrieked, “Who’s there? Come out quickly!”

The Kunlun masters, hearing this voice, instantly showed joy on their faces and bowed together, “Disciples respectfully welcome the Sect Master’s arrival.”

Xue Nu’er’s face changed color. He had naturally heard of the “Sword God” Zhuo Lingzhao’s name and hadn’t expected him to also be in the capital. He shrieked, “Since old Zhuo has come, why don’t you show yourself? Why hide in the shadows spouting nonsense?”

With a hearty laugh, a man holding a folding fan with an elegant manner slowly walked in from outside the alley—it was indeed the “Sword God” Zhuo Lingzhao.

Most of the Eastern Factory masters had heard of this person’s reputation. Seeing him now as unremarkable-looking as a middle-aged scholar, everyone was uncertain and suspicious.

Zhuo Lingzhao smiled slightly, “Deputy Director Xue has such a great temper, injuring quite a few of our people!”

Xue Nu’er said coldly, “Not injured much—just killed three and cut off an arm. Not much at all.”

Zhuo Lingzhao didn’t seem to mind, just nodding, “Yes! My disciples and grand-disciples are not skilled enough. If they died, they deserved it. The Deputy Director’s lesson is right.”

Jin Lingshuang and others were shocked, not understanding why their master spoke this way. Though everyone was dissatisfied, under Zhuo Lingzhao’s accumulated authority, no one dared voice disagreement.

Hearing this, Xue Nu’er was greatly pleased, thinking, “This Zhuo Lingzhao is just a paper tiger. Hearing my name, he’s scared spineless.” He swaggered even more, “Old Zhuo is indeed sensible. Take your bunch of disciples and grand-disciples and scram! Never set foot in the capital again.”

Zhuo Lingzhao laughed, “Good! I’ll follow Your Excellency’s instructions. Junior brothers, everyone, let’s go!” He was about to lead people away.

Xue Nu’er, remembering Wu Dingyuan was just outside the alley, immediately laughed, “No rush, no rush. Old Zhuo, you rest in this alley for a while until we finish our business.”

Zhuo Lingzhao laughed, “Your Excellency wants me to do this one moment and that the next—this confuses me.”

Several Eastern Factory masters nearby laughed. Seeing Zhuo Lingzhao’s humble and submissive manner, they didn’t take him seriously. One reached out to put his hand on Zhuo’s shoulder, grinning sinisterly, “Old Zhuo, I see you’re quite frightened, so you should…”

The man’s words were only half-spoken when they suddenly cut off, and he became motionless.

Hu Zhong, seeing the man standing motionless, called out, “What are you doing? Step aside.” He pushed the man’s shoulder, but the body tilted and fell to the ground—he was dead stiff.

The Eastern Factory people were greatly shocked, only now realizing Zhuo Lingzhao harbored malicious intent and was deliberately opposing the Eastern Factory.

Xue Nu’er gave a muffled grunt. Just now, Zhuo Lingzhao had used lightning-fast techniques to instantly kill one of his masters with internal power, moving so quickly that even he couldn’t see clearly. Xue Nu’er knew he had encountered a supreme master and definitely couldn’t be negligent. He gave a cold smile and immediately waved his hand. Instantly, everyone drew their weapons together as if facing a great enemy.

Zhuo Lingzhao remained unhurried, laughing, “Why are you all drawing swords and spears so suddenly? Everyone must not hurt the harmony!”

His words completely ignored the Eastern Factory people.

Xue Nu’er was angry and sneered, “Old Zhuo, you falsely claim to be a sect master, but today you’ve made a grave error.”

With a “buzz,” blue light suddenly flashed as a large circular wheel flew rapidly toward Zhuo Lingzhao—it was Xue Nu’er’s supremely domineering hidden weapon “Heaven’s Golden Wheel.” This weapon was incredibly formidable—even masters like Tu Lingxin found it hard to block its sharpness. Zhuo Lingzhao now stood empty-handed with a relaxed and leisurely expression, and no one knew how he would block it.

Suddenly there was a scream of “Ah!” as someone was pinned to death by the large circular wheel, blood and organs spilling everywhere. The Eastern Factory people were delighted, “Old Zhuo is dead!” The Kunlun Mountain people were shocked and uncertain, not knowing what had happened.

But they heard a long laugh. Everyone looked closely and saw Zhuo Lingzhao holding up a person with one hand. They saw this person had a large disc embedded in his body and wore factory guard clothing—somehow he had been killed by Xue Nu’er’s domineering hidden weapon. But Zhuo Lingzhao’s technique was too fast—though the observers included many masters, no one saw how he had acted.

In two exchanges, the Eastern Factory had instantly lost two masters, while Xue Nu’er hadn’t even touched the corner of Zhuo Lingzhao’s clothing—his martial arts were clearly far inferior. Hu Zhong was furious, “Zhuo Lingzhao, you clearly know these people are all court officials, yet you dare kill them! You… you… this… you…”

Before he finished speaking, Zhuo Lingzhao waved his hand, and a Kunlun Mountain disciple bowed and walked forward, holding up a long sword with both hands. Everyone saw this sword was narrow, thin, and long, connected to a black, simple, and ancient scabbard—clearly Zhuo Lingzhao’s usual sword.

Hu Zhong’s face was pale, knowing Zhuo Lingzhao was about to draw his sword. Fear filled his heart as he said several “you”s but couldn’t squeeze out a complete sentence.

Zhuo Lingzhao smiled slightly, “Deputy Director Xue’s domineering hidden weapon—this seat has already experienced it. Given your gracious hospitality, how could Zhuo not return the favor?” He placed his hand on the sword hilt and stared at Xue Nu’er, “Deputy Director Xue, Zhuo Lingzhao today presumes to request your guidance.”

Though the Kunlun people had followed Zhuo Lingzhao for many years, in recent years they had rarely seen him use his sword. Even when Zhuo Lingzhao fought Master Lingyin, he only used empty hands and never drew his sword. Seeing their master’s sword about to be unsheathed, everyone was greatly encouraged and shouted in unison, “Disciples respectfully observe the Master’s divine technique!”

The Eastern Factory people, seeing Zhuo Lingzhao’s momentum, all remembered those two lines from the martial world: “Kunlun sword emerges, blood fills the ocean; a thousand li drives the Yellow River yellow.” Zhuo Lingzhao called himself “Sword God”—how supremely skilled his swordsmanship was, they would probably have the honor of witnessing today. Both enemy and ally turned to look at Xue Nu’er to see what he would do.

Xue Nu’er, bearing the brunt, couldn’t help but change color. He had also heard people speak of how formidable Zhuo Lingzhao’s martial arts were. Though he usually claimed not to believe it, seeing him now holding his sword with a murderous expression made his heart race with fear.

Xue Nu’er pondered silently, thinking, “This fellow defeated Shaolin Temple’s Vajra a few months ago—he truly has some strange abilities and must not be underestimated. I, Xue Nu’er, hold such a noble position—why should I compete with this country bumpkin? Today is not suitable for taking risks and going to war.”

His mind made up, he shrieked, “Kunlun Mountain killed court officials and arbitrarily blocked the capital’s main thoroughfares—their crime is unpardonable! This servant will report to the Director for judgment!” He was backing down.

Zhuo Lingzhao, seeing his opponent retreat in fear, immediately laughed heartily, “Deputy Director Xue is so wise—truly worthy of Director Liu’s usual teachings!”

Xue Nu’er, hearing his mocking words, could only glare hatefully but didn’t dare step forward to provoke. Hu Zhong whispered nearby, “Deputy Director, that sheepskin is in Wu’s hands—we can’t just let this go!”

With a “slap,” Xue Nu’er had already given Hu Zhong a heavy slap on the face. Hu Zhong, embarrassed, could only touch his swollen cheek and quickly retreat. The rest shouted and also withdrew.

Zhuo Lingzhao, seeing the enemy retreat, instructed, “Brother Jin, you take the wounded and leave first. Brothers Tu and Qian, come with me.”

The Kunlun people helped the dead and carried the wounded as they left with Jin Lingshuang. The rest who were uninjured went out with Zhuo Lingzhao. Everyone, seeing their master personally present, figured that though the capital was large, no one would dare block a strike from the “Sword God.” Instantly, everyone was in high spirits, walking with even more vigor and power.

What kind of person was Zhuo Lingzhao? Taking personal action this time, he was determined to succeed. Over the past few months, he had deployed large numbers of people but had no results. If he failed again in the capital, where would he put his face? The Kunlun Mountain people, some on fast horses, some using lightness skills, instantly surrounded Prince’s Alley so tightly that not even water could leak through. Wu Dingyuan would have difficulty escaping even with wings.

Meanwhile, the noodle vendor and Wu Dingyuan, having escaped the Eastern Factory’s entanglement, ran blood-soaked to the middle of the street. When had the capital’s people ever seen such strange-looking individuals? With a roar, they stepped back. Wu Dingyuan saw the noodle vendor covering his chest and spitting blood, crouching on the ground. He hurried forward, “Friend, thank you for rescuing me! I can handle the rest myself—you should go.”

The noodle vendor turned to look and saw Wu Dingyuan’s back streaming with blood—clearly he couldn’t last much longer either. He just shook his head and smiled, “That won’t do. Save a life completely, send Buddha to heaven. Brother, your wounds are severe—I can’t let you go alone.”

He was about to stand up.

Wu Dingyuan saw a hint of light melancholy in his eyes, but his manner was quite open-minded about life and death. He couldn’t help shaking his head, thinking, “This person is so strange. How can he completely disregard his own life? Doesn’t he fear death?”

Seeing the noodle vendor’s body swaying unsteadily, he quickly reached out to help, but having lost too much blood himself, he became dizzy and fell to the ground with the vendor.

The noodle vendor gasped, “Be careful, let me help you up first.” He reached out to lift Wu Dingyuan. Wu Dingyuan was lifted a few times and his body barely rose, but his feet went soft and he slipped to the ground again. The two immediately rolled into a heap, looking utterly disheveled.

The two looked at each other and, despite their predicament, couldn’t help but laugh heartily. The watching people saw these two blood-covered men embracing and rolling on the ground—not only was the sight bizarre, but they were also laughing merrily. Everyone was shocked, not knowing where these two strange creatures had emerged from.

Since beginning his flight, when had Wu Dingyuan ever laughed so freely? Thinking that he was still in danger yet could laugh endlessly, he suddenly felt his behavior was absurd and ridiculous, like a hot-blooded youth. Thinking of this made him find it even more amusing, and he burst into loud laughter.

After laughing for a good while, they suddenly heard people shouting in the distance—the pursuers had arrived. The noodle vendor saw Wu Dingyuan’s face change color and quickly gasped, “Old brother, don’t worry. I’ve been selling noodles in this area for a long time and know the terrain well—we won’t fail to escape.” He struggled to stand and pulled Wu Dingyuan as they headed toward a narrow alley.

As soon as they entered the narrow alley, Wu Dingyuan smelled a heart-stopping stench like rotten fish and putrid excrement that made one want to vomit. He became suspicious, not knowing why the noodle vendor had brought him here.

The two pressed close together, walking step by step into the alley. After a while, the noodle vendor suddenly said, “Good, we’ll go down from here. This route leads all the way to Xiangshan Temple.”

Wu Dingyuan looked up and saw the noodle vendor pointing at a hole from which came an extremely strong stench, but he didn’t know what strange place this was. Wu Dingyuan looked down for a while and said in shock, “This… what place is this?”

The noodle vendor said, “This is where Prince’s Alley dumps dirty water and pours excrement. This channel connects to the Yongding River. Except for a few openings, the entire channel is underground. If we escape this way, we probably won’t be discovered.”

Wu Dingyuan looked at the hole and saw it was full of excrement. He didn’t know how much filthier it would be deeper inside. Just thinking about it made him want to vomit, let alone jumping down. His scalp tingled as he said, “Oh heaven! Is there… is there no other place to escape?”

The noodle vendor was about to answer when they suddenly heard light footsteps in the alley—clearly masters had entered. Wu Dingyuan weighed the danger and sighed lightly, gritted his teeth, closed his eyes, and immediately jumped into the excrement hole. With a splash, excrement mixed with dirty water covered his mouth and nose—the stench was indescribable.

Wu Dingyuan endured the terrible stench with all his might, but hearing the footsteps getting closer, he whispered urgently, “Come down quickly! Someone’s pursuing us!”

Now it was the noodle vendor’s turn to be distressed. Wu Dingyuan kept urging him on, so the vendor pinched his nose and immediately jumped down. Wu Dingyuan had his mouth open when the vendor landed in the hole, and excrement water immediately splashed into his mouth. Wu Dingyuan wailed miserably, “Old brother, couldn’t you have given me a warning before coming down?”

The noodle vendor smiled bitterly. Wu Dingyuan spat several times, and the two swam toward the deeper parts of the channel.

Meanwhile, Kunlun Mountain searched everywhere for Wu Dingyuan but couldn’t find him, making Zhuo Lingzhao’s face turn pale with anger. His disciples were terrified as they searched through every large and small alley but still couldn’t find the two men.

Zhuo Lingzhao’s face was grave as he said in a deep voice, “Where on earth has this Wu Dingyuan gone? Do any of you have ideas? Speak up quickly!”

The disciples looked at each other but none spoke.

Zhuo Lingzhao snorted, “If we can’t find Wu Dingyuan, none of you need to return to Kunlun Mountain.”

Seeing their master’s great anger, the disciples were worried and all lowered their heads.

Qian Lingyi chimed in, “Yes! We’ve been entrusted by Lord Jiang with this important task—how can we return empty-handed? Everyone think of something! Don’t let the master worry!”

Zhuo Lingzhao snorted, “Brother Qian, never mind others—do you have any ideas yourself?”

Qian Lingyi smiled awkwardly and stammered, “I… I seemed to see two people running toward that narrow alley earlier…”

He randomly pointed toward a small alley.

Tu Lingxin didn’t wait for anyone else to speak and immediately ran into the narrow alley. By such coincidence, Qian Lingyi’s wild pointing actually indicated Wu Dingyuan’s escape route. Sure enough, Tu Lingxin shouted loudly, “There’s a small channel here—they must have escaped through here!”

The Kunlun Mountain people all rushed into the alley. Everyone smelled the overwhelming stench and couldn’t help covering their noses. When they saw the excrement hole, they cried out in horror—even the “Sword God” turned iron-gray.

After a long while, everyone just stared at the excrement hole, not knowing what to do. Zhuo Lingzhao frowned, “Brother Qian is indeed capable. So many people couldn’t find this opening—it’s all thanks to your careful attention, or we would have stumbled again.”

Qian Lingyi looked pleased and said, “This isn’t entirely my achievement alone—didn’t everyone contribute?” He was about to continue rambling when Tu Lingxin, frowning with his ugly face, looked down at the excrement hole and said, “Brother Qian, catching Wu Dingyuan this time is entirely your achievement—no one dares compete with you. You go down!” He pointed downward.

Qian Lingyi saw the excrement hole filled with yellow and white matter, his face changed color as he mumbled, “This… this smells unbearable just from here! How… how can anyone go down?”

Zhuo Lingzhao’s face was heavy as he said, “Brother Qian, you’ve troubled yourself. Whether our sect’s eastern expedition succeeds depends entirely on this single action of yours.” Everyone looked at Qian Lingyi with admiring expressions.

Cold sweat streamed down Qian Lingyi’s face as he said, “Damn… I… you… I…”

Just as Qian Lingyi was afraid, suddenly his buttocks received a kick. Unable to keep his footing, he fell into the excrement pit. All the Kunlun Mountain people cried out in alarm and scattered to avoid the splashing sewage.

Qian Lingyi tumbled down head-first into the excrement hole, getting covered in filth. Furious beyond measure, he quickly turned over and stood up, roaring, “Damn your grandmother! Who kicked your father!”

In his fierce anger, he saw the disciples covering their mouths and snickering. One person slowly walked over, covering his nose and saying, “Fourth Junior Brother, work hard. This seat will greatly reward you later.” Qian Lingyi saw this person’s solemn expression—it was none other than Master Zhuo Lingzhao. Clearly, it was he who had kicked him.

Qian Lingyi looked miserable, not knowing how to excuse himself. Then he heard Tu Lingxin laugh, “Fourth Brother, hurry up and swim! That Wu fellow and the others are getting away!”

Qian Lingyi saw him gloating and felt extremely indignant, but with the master standing nearby, he didn’t dare say much. He could only glare fiercely at Tu Lingxin, grit his teeth, and swim toward the depths.

Meanwhile, Wu Dingyuan and the noodle vendor crawled urgently through the dark sewage channel. Fortunately, it was already autumn and the weather was getting cold, so the stench wasn’t getting worse. The two walked and retched, ignoring their injuries as they quickly swam more than a li. As they were swimming, they suddenly heard someone shouting behind them: “Damn it! A bunch of dead people can’t come down themselves! Making me do this dirty work—I’ll screw your ancestors!”

Wu Dingyuan recognized Qian Lingyi’s voice and quickly said, “The Kunlun Mountain people are catching up! Let’s go quickly!”

The two swam another li when they suddenly saw faint starlight ahead. The noodle vendor said joyfully, “The exit is here!” He and Wu Dingyuan helped each other climb out of the channel.

Emerging from the sewage channel, they saw stars filling the sky—they had reached the outskirts near Xiangshan Temple. The noodle vendor said, “Today is the fifteenth—Xiangshan Temple will surely be crowded with pilgrims. Let’s hide there.”

The two hurried toward Xiangshan Temple. Knowing they were covered in excrement and extremely frightening, they quietly entered the temple through a small path. But tonight Xiangshan Temple was indeed lively, with devout men and women everywhere. As people were worshipping, they suddenly smelled a terrible stench—so fishy and putrid it was indescribable. The pilgrims were extremely surprised, not knowing where this horrifying odor was coming from.

As everyone was wondering in alarm, they suddenly saw two extremely filthy beggars against the wall corner trying to run into a side hall. One pilgrim cried out in shock, “What are those things! Are they ghosts?” All the pilgrims were greatly startled and scattered away, leaving Wu Dingyuan and the noodle vendor standing awkwardly at the side hall entrance.

A monk from the temple hurried over and shouted loudly, “You two people, what are you doing here sneaking around!”

Wu Dingyuan and the noodle vendor inwardly groaned. Both were injured and walking was already difficult. After such running, they had no strength left and were immediately stopped. The monks, seeing the two covered in yellow and white filth, didn’t dare actually touch them but shouted loudly, “You two beggars, get out of the temple quickly!”

At this moment, both were exhausted physically and mentally, just crouching on the ground panting continuously, having no strength to reply. A monk took out a broom and swept at their backs, shouting, “Go quickly! Go quickly! Stop scaring people here!”

Wu Dingyuan had formerly been a constable who commanded respect in Xiliang—when had he ever suffered such humiliation? But his back wounds burned with pain and his whole body couldn’t summon an ounce of strength, so he could only crouch on the ground taking the beating. More and more people gathered to watch, all covering their noses and laughing.

Just as the two were being beaten, suddenly someone pushed through the crowd and walked to the group of monks, saying, “What are you doing, beating two beggars like this?”

A monk said, “We don’t mean to bully these two people, but they smell so terrible we can’t help driving them out!”

This person wore servant’s clothing and glanced at Wu Dingyuan and the noodle vendor, covering his nose and frowning, “What the master says isn’t wrong—they are indeed filthy and smelly.” He shook his head and said to the monks, “My mistress is most compassionate and can’t bear to see such pitiful people beaten and wronged. I have ten taels of incense money here for the masters—quickly take them to bathe and change clothes.”

The monks put their palms together in praise and stopped beating. The servant left without looking back. A commoner asked, “Which family’s mistress is so kind-hearted?” Another said, “Oh! You don’t even know this! That noble lady is the wife of the current Minister of War, just came up from Yangzhou not long ago!” He pointed in a direction.

Wu Dingyuan looked up and saw in the distance servants surrounding and escorting an elegantly dressed middle-aged noble lady. This lady had a round face and refined temperament—clearly from a distinguished family.

The noodle vendor, who had been lying on the ground, suddenly trembled and stared directly at the middle-aged noble lady as if entranced. The monks laughed, “Well then! You two fellows are truly lucky to meet a living Bodhisattva!” They lifted Wu Dingyuan and the noodle vendor to take them for washing and changing clothes. But the noodle vendor seemed dazed—though being pulled along, his gaze never left the middle-aged woman.

Before long, the two had changed into coarse cloth garments, looking exactly like temple workers. Wu Dingyuan said, “Brother, I think we should temporarily hide here and rest for a while. What do you think?”

The noodle vendor seemed lost in thought, absent-minded. Only after Wu Dingyuan repeated his words twice did he grunt and say, “Also… also good.”

Wu Dingyuan saw his mind was elsewhere but didn’t find it strange, figuring the earlier fighting had been too intense and made him mentally disturbed.

The two then mixed among the pilgrims to avoid attention, figuring they wouldn’t encounter pursuers face-to-face and wouldn’t be recognized.

Before long, they suddenly heard pilgrims crying out in alarm and fleeing in all directions. Wu Dingyuan was shocked, not knowing what had happened, and quickly turned to look. He saw at the temple gate a person covered in excrement, reeking terribly, swaggering into the temple. He heard him continuously shouting, “Hey! You people, have you seen two people covered in excrement run into the temple! Speak up! Have you or haven’t you!” His manner was fierce and domineering, like a complete bully.

The pilgrims, hearing his crude questions, all covered their mouths and snickered. The man angrily said, “What are you laughing at? Quickly answer this master—have you seen two people covered in excrement? Speak up!”

A commoner laughed and said, “Yes!”

The man was delighted, “Speak quickly! Where?”

The commoner laughed, “I haven’t seen two, but there’s one right in front of me. Brother, go find a mirror and look in it—then you’ll find two!”

The man was furious, “Damn it! How dare you mock your father!”

The temple monks, seeing another incredibly filthy beggar arrive, were all angry and rushed out with sticks to beat him. The man was extremely furious and immediately fought with the temple monks.

Wu Dingyuan saw this person was none other than Kunlun Mountain master Qian Lingyi. He suppressed his laughter, knowing Kunlun Mountain masters would arrive immediately. Taking advantage of the temple monks entangling Qian Lingyi, they had to escape quickly.

Wu Dingyuan turned back to look, but the noodle vendor was nowhere to be seen. He hurriedly searched throughout the temple and suddenly saw someone standing in a daze with a worried expression—it was the noodle vendor.

Wu Dingyuan reached out to pull him, whispering, “Someone’s pursuing us! Let’s go quickly!”

But the noodle vendor seemed entranced, as if completely unaware. Wu Dingyuan had no choice but to drag and pull him away, quickly escaping through the back mountain.

In the great hall, the monks continued shouting and clamoring. Qian Lingyi probably didn’t dare kill randomly in the capital and could only be inexplicably entangled and beaten.

The two fled wildly along back mountain paths. With their injuries, they had to walk and stop, covering several li before Wu Dingyuan pointed to a ruined temple, “Let’s rest there.”

Just as the two entered the temple, heavy rain suddenly began falling with a patter. The two each found a dry corner to sit and rest briefly.

Wu Dingyuan bandaged his wounds while panting, “That was really dangerous—we almost got caught. Tonight was entirely thanks to brother’s life-saving help. I’m extremely grateful.” The noodle vendor nodded but didn’t speak.

Wu Dingyuan saw he was heavy with worry and said apologetically, “It’s all because I implicated brother, causing you to flee everywhere with me. I feel terrible about it.” He stood up and bowed deeply.

The noodle vendor quickly said, “Such a small matter is hardly worth mentioning.”

Wu Dingyuan said, “Saving one life is better than building a seven-story pagoda—how can you call it a small matter? In any case, I owe you a debt, and I’ll certainly repay you in the future.”

The noodle vendor shook his head, looking at the raindrops falling in the dark night, remaining silent.

Wu Dingyuan saw his frowning, worried expression and tried to make conversation, “After fleeing for our lives together, I still don’t know each other’s names. This is really embarrassing.” He laughed heartily and introduced himself, “I’m surnamed Wu, given name Dingyuan. How should I address you, brother?”

The noodle vendor sighed, “My humble name is Lu Yun.”

This noodle vendor was indeed the failed scholar Lu Yun. Since leaving Yangzhou, he had been wandering the martial world, selling noodles daily to make a living, treating everywhere as home. In his spare time he practiced martial arts. Though his days weren’t prosperous, they were much better than being despised and mocked. But he still couldn’t cut the emotional ties in his heart—knowing he could have no future with Miss Gu, he was still melancholy every day.

A few months ago he had come to the capital and settled there permanently. Who knew he would coincidentally encounter Wu Dingyuan coming to eat noodles? Because of his easily provoked character, he impulsively stepped forward and was accidentally drawn into this affair.

Wu Dingyuan saw Lu Yun’s worried expression and thought it was about his situation, so he said, “Brother Lu can rest assured—I’ll leave the capital tomorrow and won’t implicate you anymore. Don’t worry about it.”

Lu Yun was startled and quickly said, “Brother Wu misunderstands. I’m worried about other matters, not concerned about future circumstances.”

Wu Dingyuan was puzzled, thinking, “This person is really strange. At this point, what could be more important than one’s life? He actually has the mind to think about other things.” He carefully observed Lu Yun, seeing he was under thirty, and though his clothes were ragged, his strong scholarly air still showed through.

Wu Dingyuan asked, “Brother Lu, I see you’re young and talented—how did you end up reduced to selling noodles?”

Lu Yun smiled bitterly, “In chaotic times, literature is worthless. Being able to preserve one’s life and have food to eat is already great fortune in misfortune.” He shook his head, helpless yet with three parts self-mockery.

Wu Dingyuan heard his self-deprecation and couldn’t help laughing heartily, “Well said—’In chaotic times, literature is worthless!’ Brother is indeed a scholar!” After laughing a while, he asked, “Brother Lu, what are your future plans? Will you sell noodles for life?”

Lu Yun shook his head, “I’ll take things one step at a time. But what about Brother Wu’s future? Will those people continue pursuing you?”

Now it was Wu Dingyuan’s turn to fall silent. Lord Wang Ning had already been dismissed from office—no one under heaven could save him. The blood case remained unavenged. Despite his intelligence and capability, he couldn’t help feeling lost at this moment.

In the darkness, both harbored their own worries and simultaneously sighed. The two looked at each other and simultaneously burst into laughter.

Wu Dingyuan laughed heartily and declared, “Nothing under heaven is impossible! I refuse to believe I’ll be unlucky my whole life! There will be a day when I, Wu Dingyuan of Xiliang, will rise again!”

Lu Yun saw his face full of radiance and nodded, “Brother Wu has noble features and is certainly no ordinary person. You’ll surely have your day of success.”

Hearing him say this, Wu Dingyuan also smiled slightly, “I won’t hide it from Brother Lu—I used to live in Xiliang and offended some villains, which is why I’ve been pursued all the way and fled to the capital.” Knowing he was still a fugitive, he was unwilling to reveal his true identity for fear of frightening Lu Yun. He paused and continued, “However, I still have a certain treasure on me—it may not be impossible to clear my name. We’ll see!”

Lu Yun was startled and asked curiously, “Treasure? What treasure?”

Wu Dingyuan knew the sheepskin matter was of great importance—the fewer who knew, the better. He spoke vaguely, “I have evidence of these villains’ crimes. When I meet an honest official someday, I can use this to clear my name.”

Lu Yun said “Oh” and nodded, “I see. Brother Wu carries important items—no wonder you’re being pursued.”

After chatting for a while, they dismantled the offering table and took the old prayer cushions from the floor to use as beds. The two lay facing each other. After this night of sharing hardships, they suddenly felt the warmth of kindred spirits. Wu Dingyuan had always been surrounded only by subordinates and rarely had true friends. He chuckled and said, “Brother Lu, who would have thought that in my time of trouble and poverty, I could still make a good friend like you? This is truly heaven’s will!”

Lu Yun nodded, turned to look at the rain threads falling outside the door, and said softly, “We are both fallen people at the ends of the earth—why must we have known each other before meeting?”

Wu Dingyuan silently repeated these lines, suddenly moved by his own situation, his eyes reddening involuntarily.

After a tiring night, the two listened to the pattering winter rain as they each rested in the temple.

The next day, both rose early. The rain outside had intensified, and looking out, everything was misty with water. Wu Dingyuan deeply feared the Kunlun masters would soon catch up and knew the earlier he left the capital, the safer it would be. After contemplating for a long while, he thought, “I hear the northeast is sparsely populated—it would be a good place to avoid disaster. Looking at the current situation, I can only flee beyond the pass and live there for a year or two.”

His mind made up, he asked, “Brother Lu, I have nowhere else to go now except to flee beyond the pass to avoid disaster. What are your plans? Will you return to the capital?”

Hearing these words, Lu Yun only lowered his head as past events flew through his mind one by one. Suddenly, a wave of loneliness struck his heart. He felt life was bleak and helpless, filled with desolation, and couldn’t help sighing.

In his helplessness, Lu Yun smiled bitterly and was about to speak when he suddenly saw Wu Dingyuan staring at him intently. There was actually a hint of expectation in his eyes. Lu Yun’s heart awakened as he thought, “Though this Brother Wu doesn’t say it, he actually hopes I’ll accompany him.”

Thinking that someone still expected so much from him, Lu Yun suddenly felt somewhat happy. The corners of his mouth turned up in a smile as he said, “I, a noodle vendor, interfered and rescued someone—I’ve probably gained some notoriety. If I brazenly returned to the capital to sell noodles, I’d probably be in trouble within two or three days.” He looked at Wu Dingyuan with a smile, “I think I can’t stay at the foot of the Son of Heaven either.”

Wu Dingyuan was both shocked and delighted by these words, quickly asking, “Do you mean you’re willing to travel with me?”

Lu Yun smiled, “Lu possesses nothing—even my noodle carrying pole is gone. What place can’t I go to?”

Wu Dingyuan was overjoyed—having a companion on this journey meant he wouldn’t worry about having no one to look after him. He was about to laugh heartily when he suddenly remembered the dangerous road ahead and didn’t want Lu Yun to end up like Lingyin and Li Tieshan, losing his life. He shook his head and sighed, “Brother Lu, you’ve treated me so well, but Wu cannot harm you. This escape journey is extraordinary—extremely dangerous. Sigh… we should part ways.” As he spoke, he lowered his head, his expression full of dejection.

Lu Yun shook his head and smiled, “Brother Wu, don’t speak like an outsider. Lu Yun’s worthless life—even if I died by the roadside, no one would need to collect my body. What’s to fear about mere life and death?” As he spoke, he walked toward the temple gate, then turned back, waiting for Wu Dingyuan to join him.

Wu Dingyuan, seeing his openness, was naturally extremely moved. In his emotional excitement, he vowed that if he escaped with his life in the future, he would definitely repay Lu Yun well.

The rain was intensifying, but with their lives in danger, the two couldn’t worry about the downpour and immediately set out.

After traveling several li, they saw large numbers of officials controlling the roads and inspecting travelers. Wu Dingyuan, coming from a constable background, understood official matters and knew Jiang Chong and the Eastern Factory had each deployed their forces. Now it wasn’t just martial world masters pursuing him—the entire government was searching with full force. He didn’t dare take the main roads anymore and changed to mountain paths.

After traveling for three to five days, they no longer saw officials on the road. Wu Dingyuan calculated they had escaped danger. This day they saw a small market—not a large place, and presumably Eastern Factory and Kunlun Mountain people wouldn’t search such locations. Having lived on wild fruits for days, their mouths had long lost all taste. Unable to endure any longer, they headed toward the market.

Upon entering the small market, the two found an inn to eat. After several days of travel, their clothes were somewhat torn, but after resting for a few days, their martial arts had fully recovered. Wu Dingyuan ate while observing the townspeople coming and going, watching for any suspicious persons. Lu Yun was more relaxed, eating heartily without apparent concern.

As they were eating, they suddenly saw two old men, one fat and one thin, pass by the shop entrance. One was incredibly fat, like a round orange, holding a large scale rod for unknown purposes. The other was thin as a bamboo pole with a long horse face, holding a gleaming large abacus like a shopkeeper. Wu Dingyuan, being an old hand in the martial world, immediately became alert seeing these two men’s strange behavior.

The thin old man stopped at the shop entrance and called loudly, “Senior brother, there are people selling food here! I’m very hungry! Let’s eat something, shall we?”

The fat old man also stopped, his expression quite impatient. He frowned and said, “Junior brother! You’re hungry again! Tell me, why are we taking these remote paths?”

The thin old man looked at the shop with his eyes, his mouth twisting to one side as he said irritably, “You’re the one who wanted to take the small roads—how would I know what you want to do? Maybe you’re going to visit a brothel!”

The fat old man was furious, “Nonsense! We’re taking small roads for no other reason than to reach the capital one step earlier! With you getting hungry and needing to defecate constantly, we won’t arrive until next year.”

The thin old man giggled and shook his head, “Senior brother, when a person gets hungry, that’s a serious matter! If you don’t let me eat, when my stomach gets hungry, I might take a couple of bites of your fat ass!”

The fat old man cursed, “Dead boy! At this age you’re still so childish and ridiculous! Fine! Let’s go in and eat!”

The thin old man was delighted and rushed into the shop like a streak of smoke, his movement technique so fast it was rarely seen, yet his behavior was like a three-year-old child. Wu Dingyuan and Lu Yun exchanged glances, seeing the opponents possessed martial arts but not knowing their background. The two remained calm and lowered their heads to continue eating and drinking.

As soon as the two old men sat down, the thin one forcefully slapped the table and roared, “Shopkeeper! Come quickly! We’re starving! My senior brother big fat pig is about to become a wild boar from hunger!”

The fat old man, hearing him insult him, just spat and said hatefully, “Damn it! Can you speak like a human being?”

Before long, both ordered bowls of noodles. As soon as the shop assistant brought them over, the two began slurping loudly as if the noodles were incredibly delicious. The fat old man ate especially fast—though his mouth complained about his junior brother, he was actually quite hungry himself. Eating and drinking soup, he seemed to be floating in the clouds, completely blissful.

Wu Dingyuan watched with appetite, thinking, “These noodles seem quite good. I’ll order a bowl later too.”

He turned to speak with Lu Yun, but suddenly saw Lu Yun’s expression was intensely focused, as if his whole body was charged with energy. Wu Dingyuan was puzzled and was about to ask when he saw Lu Yun staring unblinkingly at the others’ noodle bowls.

Wu Dingyuan was secretly amazed, thinking, “It’s just a bowl of noodles—why is Brother Lu acting like this? Could there be some martial arts manual hidden in that bowl?”

Wu Dingyuan had no way of knowing that Lu Yun was naturally extremely stubborn. Having sold noodles for just one day, he had become obsessed. Now encountering another restaurant with excellent skills and delicious ingredients, he was taking the opportunity to study, hoping to ponder the mysteries within for future use.

After eating a few mouthfuls, the fat old man suddenly pointed outside and said loudly, “Junior brother, look! Aren’t those people from Ziyun Pavilion?”

Wu Dingyuan had been watching Lu Yun’s expression, but hearing the fat old man speak, he focused his attention again and observed the two old men’s movements.

The thin old man saw his senior brother looking outside and couldn’t help asking curiously, “People from Ziyun Pavilion came? How come I didn’t see them?”

The fat old man widened his eyes and said loudly, “Of course it’s true! Go look quickly, don’t let them get away.”

The thin old man quickly agreed and chased after them.

As soon as the thin old man left, the fat old man leaned over and began secretly eating his junior brother’s noodles in large gulps, finishing everything in an instant. It seemed his earlier words were only meant to deceive so he could steal a bowl of noodles. Wu and Lu couldn’t help but smile at each other, seeing these two elderly men’s undignified and childishly boring behavior.

Before long, the thin old man returned with a bitter face, “Where are any Ziyun Pavilion people? Senior brother, you lied to me.” He sat down to eat his noodles, only to find the bowl turned upside down—someone had secretly eaten everything.

The thin old man was furious, “Senior brother, why are you so boring? If you wanted to eat noodles, you could have ordered another bowl. Why steal mine!”

The fat old man chuckled and shook his head, “Don’t falsely accuse good people. I didn’t steal your noodles. Just now when you went out, I saw Ziyun Pavilion people run in and secretly eat your noodles.” This person was clearly quick-witted with an agile tongue—his lie was seamlessly constructed without any flaws.

The thin old man was stunned for a long while, then his eyebrows shot up in fury, “Senior brother! We’re fellow disciples with bonds of loyalty—when someone stole my noodles, why didn’t you stop them?”

The fat old man raised his index finger and waved it in front of his junior brother, “You’re wronging me again. With you outside, how would I know if you had given the noodles to someone? If I rashly interfered, wouldn’t people say you were stingy?”

The thin old man nodded repeatedly after hearing this, “Yes! Senior brother is still thoughtful. I hate it most when people call me stingy.”

The fat old man shook his head, “Not really. What’s being called stingy? If people called you childish and ignorant, you’d probably explode with anger.”

The thin old man covered his face and let out a long sigh, “Damn it! The world is ignorant, the world is ignorant.” It seemed these four words “childish and ignorant” were inseparable from the thin old man—upon hearing them, he felt three parts sorrowful, seven parts helpless, and ten parts angry.

Wu and Lu couldn’t help but laugh secretly at the brothers’ exchange.

As they spoke, the fat and thin old men each ordered another bowl of noodles. As they were eating heartily, the thin old man suddenly faced the door and called out, “Senior brother! People from Ziyun Pavilion really did come! You actually didn’t lie to me!”

The fat old man chuckled, knowing his junior brother was trying to copy his example and play a trick on him. He paid no attention and just lowered his head to eat.

The thin old man reached over and shook the fat old man’s arm, whispering, “Senior brother, people really came!”

The fat old man spat and was about to mock him when he suddenly heard a man’s voice from the doorway saying, “Shopkeeper, bring us some clean side dishes.”

The fat old man was startled—he hadn’t expected people to actually enter. Turning back, he saw more than ten men surrounding a woman as they slowly entered the shop. Her expression was slightly childish, but she was a brilliantly beautiful young girl. The several young men wore long robes with respectful attitudes, all attending to the woman as she sat down. Clearly, this woman had an extraordinary status.

The thin old man laughed, “Senior brother, look! Aren’t these Ziyun Pavilion people? Now we’ve saved a lot of effort!”

The fat old man shook his head, “Nonsense! These fellows are so bumbling—how could they be from Ziyun Pavilion?”

The thin old man, hearing his rebuttal, snorted and stubbornly said loudly, “Senior brother! How do you know what Ziyun Pavilion people look like? Maybe this group was born naturally bumbling like donkeys. I say the more donkey-like they look, the more they’re Ziyun Pavilion people!”

The fat old man, seeing his junior brother being unreasonable, just giggled and pointed at Lu Yun and Wu Dingyuan, “These two boys look quite stupid. According to you, aren’t they also Ziyun Pavilion people?”

The thin old man was stunned and said blankly, “This… I hadn’t noticed. Maybe they really are too.”

He glanced at the shop assistant and was even more shocked, “Oh no! This assistant looks even more stupid—could he also be from Ziyun Pavilion?”

Suddenly there was a delicate laugh, and a clear young girl’s voice said, “What are the two uncles’ distinguished names? Mentioning Ziyun Pavilion left and right—do you know us?”

Everyone heard this bright, crisp voice and felt moved, turning to look at the young girl. They saw her bright eyes and white teeth, peach-blossom smile and plum-blossom beauty, with two deep dimples on her cheeks. She looked charming and lovely. Though young, she was already a complete beauty—when she matured, she would surely become even more graceful and touching.

The fat old man, hearing the girl speak this way, was curious, “Are you really from Ziyun Pavilion?”

The girl didn’t answer. A man beside her interjected, “May we ask what distinguished master you are to inquire about our sect’s affairs?”

The thin old man laughed heartily, “We are the famous Twin Immortals of Mount Hua! You youngsters should have heard of us!”

The man cried out “Ah!” then frowned and stammered, “So you’re… you’re the Twin… Twin that Immortals of Mount Hua! Long admired, long admired.”

Lu Yun was startled. The man looked quite capable, but when mentioning the fat and thin old men’s title, he couldn’t even speak clearly. He winked at Wu Dingyuan. Wu Dingyuan, with his extensive martial world experience, naturally knew the title “Twin Immortals of Mount Hua” and whispered, “These two are nicknamed the ‘Twin Freaks of Mount Hua’—only they call themselves immortals.”

Lu Yun said “Oh” and looked at the two old men’s strange appearance and bizarre behavior. No wonder they got such an unpleasant nickname. He nodded and said no more.

The thin old man was very pleased and laughed, “So you’ve already heard our great names! Very good, very good—not too ignorant.” After laughing for a while, he continued, “Good! Let me test you again. Look at my naturally heroic bearing—which immortal among the Twin Immortals am I?”

The man’s face was pale as he coughed and said, “With your… your slender figure and holding a large abacus, you must be the Abacus… Abacus that Immortal.”

It turned out the thin old man’s nickname was “Abacus Freak.” The man was afraid of slipping up and stammered again.

The thin old man was angry, “Abacus Immortal is Abacus Immortal! What do you mean ‘Abacus that Immortal’? You speak unclearly—truly ignorant!”

The man, being scolded, didn’t dare speak again and lowered his head to drink.

The thin old man snorted and asked the girl, “What is Qiong Wuchuan to you?”

The girl, hearing his rude question, smiled slightly and asked back, “What are you to Pavilion Master Qiong? Why do you question me so harshly?”

The thin old man spat, “Damn it! Must one be that Qiong fellow’s father to ask questions?”

The Ziyun Pavilion disciples, hearing his rudeness, were all angry. The girl waved slightly, signaling everyone not to be impulsive. Her big eyes turned, and she suddenly smiled sweetly, her tone becoming soft and sweet as she said gently, “Where do you speak from, elder? With your superb martial arts and immortal bearing, a divine person like you can ask anything.”

The fat and thin old men, hearing her tone, were naturally delighted and laughed, “Really? Do you really think so?”

The girl smiled, “Of course it’s true! The Twin Immortals of Mount Hua shake the world—who doesn’t know, who hasn’t heard? I’ve heard people mention you two since childhood and admired you incredibly. If I could meet you two seniors in this life, I’d die without regret.”

The fat and thin old men were delighted to their bones. The two embraced and wept, one saying, “Senior brother! Someone admires us so much—we truly haven’t lived in vain.” The other said, “Junior brother! We’ve finally washed away the shameful reputation of Mount Hua’s disgrace. Now our master can rest in peace!”

Everyone saw their appearance and secretly found it amusing.

The fat old man wiped away his tears and smiled, “Little girl, no matter who you are, if anyone bullies you in the future, we brothers will definitely stand up for you!”

The girl smiled, “I’m a person who doesn’t contend with the world—who would bully me? But I still appreciate your kind intentions.”

The thin old man was angry, “That won’t do! If no one bullies you, how can we display our Twin Immortals of Mount Hua’s peerless martial arts?” He shouted and immediately rushed to Wu and Lu, shouting at Lu Yun, “You immediately go bully her, then let me teach you a lesson! Go quickly! Go quickly!” He then stretched out his fan-like large hand to grab Lu Yun’s shoulder. Lu Yun, seeing his behavior was too absurd, chuckled and dodged away.

Wu Dingyuan quickly said, “Sir, we can talk nicely—why resort to violence?”

The thin old man shouted, “Screw your grandmother! If you don’t go bully this little girl, don’t blame me for bullying you!”

Wu Dingyuan knew these two couldn’t be measured by normal reasoning. His brow furrowed as he thought of an escape plan when he suddenly heard the girl say, “Sigh! Abacus Immortal, do you know why they don’t listen to you?”

The thin old man, hearing this, was furious and yelled, “Damn it! What did you say?”

The girl shook her head, “Why don’t these two listen to you? It’s not because your martial arts aren’t strong enough, nor because you don’t look impressive enough—it’s only because your nickname isn’t good and has lost its pressure aura, causing martial world people to mock and despise you.”

The thin old man was furious, “Bullshit! You little girl dare say our nickname isn’t good? Don’t you want to live?” He was about to rush forward to teach her a lesson. The girl’s tablemates were alarmed and stood up.

But the girl wasn’t frightened and only sighed, “I’m just being kind-hearted—why are you so fierce… You two elders have such high martial arts—obviously you’d regain your reputation just by changing your name. It’s a pity you don’t believe me. Even if I were ten times more kind-hearted, I could only swallow my tears.” Her eyes reddened as if about to cry.

The fat old man, seeing her pitiful state, felt secretly tender and quickly pulled his junior brother back, shouting, “Don’t be rash and impulsive! Listen to what she has to say!”

The thin old man stopped and pointed angrily, “Dead girl! If you have something to say, say it quickly! If you have to fart, fart quickly!”

The girl’s eyes filled with tears as she said plaintively, “Since ancient times, heroic figures must have majestic aura to match their stature to show their spirit. Do you two elders understand my little intention? You two are such great figures, but just because your titles aren’t impressive enough, you’re mocked and cursed by martial world people. Thinking of this truly breaks my heart…” She actually began crying softly.

The fat old man, seeing her grief, figured she was genuinely concerned and quickly said, “The girl is right. Those arrogant, ignorant fellows always mock my junior brother—I’ve always felt indignant for him!”

The thin old man jumped up and shouted, “Senior brother, what nonsense are you spouting! If you weren’t so undignified and foolish all day, how would I fall to the four words ‘Mount Hua’s Disgrace’!”

The girl, her face streaked with tears, said softly, “Don’t fight, you two immortals. If you two great sages just change your name today, I guarantee you’ll be majestic and happy as immortals from now on.”

The thin old man shouted loudly, “We already are immortals!”

The fat old man scolded, “Stop arguing first—listen to the girl’s instructions.”

The girl sighed and shook her head, “Actually, your names aren’t bad originally—the problem is just this word ‘immortal.'”

The fat old man was puzzled, “How can that be? Our Twin Immortals of Mount Hua shake the four seas—the name sounds wonderful! It’s better than Twin… Twin that Freaks, right!”

The girl shook her head, “This ‘Twin Immortals of Mount Hua’ name is originally good, but the bad thing is too many people use it. Don’t you see in the martial world there are Dian Cang Twin Immortals, Changbai Sword Immortal, Hundred Flowers Fairy? You’re an immortal, I’m an immortal, everyone’s an immortal. You two such extraordinary figures share the same title as these people—doesn’t that damage your reputation?” Her expression was sorrowful as if extremely indignant.

The fat old man nodded, “This makes sense. People in the martial world who call themselves immortals are indeed too numerous.”

The thin old man was angry, “These people deceive the world and steal names, preventing us from showing our pressure aura! They should all be killed!”

The girl sighed, “There are so many frauds in the world—they can’t all be killed. In my opinion, the best method is to change your title.”

The fat old man was delighted, “Right, right! Exactly so. What brilliant insights does the girl have?”

The girl said, “You two must stop using the word ‘immortal’ and change to a title no one has ever used—that would be the unique, martial-world-defying golden signboard!”

The thin old man stood up and declared loudly, “Exactly! From now on we’ll change our name to ‘Twin Tigers of Mount Hua’! Tiger is the king of all beasts, most matching our fierce martial arts.”

The girl sighed, “Don’t you see the Twin Tigers of Hedong, Twin Tigers of Lingnan? They’re also tigers!”

Though young, she knew quite a few martial world figures and could name them like counting treasures.

The fat old man frowned, “This is terrible! Even the word ‘tiger’ is so overused. Let’s change to dragon—’Twin Dragons of Mount Hua’ doesn’t sound bad!”

The girl frowned, “Dragons and tigers—you hear about them a hundred times daily. What about Emei’s Three Flying Dragons, East Sea’s Four Divine Dragons—countless examples.”

The fat old man stamped his foot, “All the good names are taken—what can we do?”

The girl said, “Who says good names must be dragons or tigers? How vulgar! Why don’t you two think about the twelve zodiac animals?”

The fat old man was ecstatic and shouted loudly, “Excellent idea about the twelve zodiac animals! Exactly right! Um, rat, ox, tiger, rabbit… How does ‘Twin Rats of Mount Hua’ sound?”

The girl showed amazement, clapped her hands and praised, “Wonderful! Exactly this name! Twin Rats of Mount Hua is truly a heavenly sound!”

Everyone suppressed their laughter—some who were drinking choked continuously.

But they heard the thin old man shout, “No good!”

The fat old man was startled, “Why not good?”

The thin old man said, “I can’t say exactly—just feels strange somehow.”

The fat old man frowned, “An exclusive brand name—what’s wrong with that? Twin Rats of Mount Hua with high martial arts—listen how smoothly these eight characters roll off the tongue!”

The thin old man snorted, “If we’re using the twelve zodiac animals, I don’t want to use the rat name.”

The fat old man was puzzled, “Then what do you want to use?”

The thin old man said, “I was born in the year of the dog. Let’s call ourselves ‘Twin Dogs of Mount Hua.'”

The fat old man said, “But I wasn’t born in the year of the dog—how can you call me a dog?”

The thin old man was angry, “Then what do you want, senior brother?”

The fat old man lowered his head and thought for a while, “I was born in the year of the rooster. I think we should change to ‘Twin Roosters of Mount Hua’!”

The thin old man was furious, “Senior brother! You’re always like this, only thinking of yourself!”

Seeing the two arguing endlessly, everyone laughed until they spat out their food. The girl sighed, “Since you two can’t decide, just change to ‘Twin Roosters and Dogs of Mount Hua.’ This way there’s both rooster and dog—both your names are included, and you don’t need to argue anymore.”

The fat and thin old men looked at each other and said in unison, “Exactly right! What a wonderful ‘Twin Roosters and Dogs of Mount Hua’! How could we be so negligent? Living for decades, how did we never think of this nickname?” They danced with joy, extremely happy.

As the two were jumping around noisily, they suddenly heard someone say, “Great-uncle master, great-grand uncle master, I’ve already inquired clearly—Ziyun Pavilion is not far from here. We should set out.”

Everyone turned to see a young man enter the shop, about sixteen or seventeen years old. Though young, his speech was quite capable—clearly a grand-disciple generation of the Twin Freaks of Mount Hua.

The thin old man smiled, “Wait a moment! We’ve changed our nickname—do you want to hear it?”

The young man frowned, “Isn’t great-uncle master one of the ‘Twin Immortals of Mount Hua’? This title has been used for decades—how can it suddenly change?”

The thin old man said, “You’re young after all and don’t understand the reasoning. Twin Immortals of Mount Hua is too common a nickname—it can’t show your great-uncle master’s pressure aura at all! Listen well—we’ve now changed to ‘Twin Roosters and Dogs of Mount Hua.’ Have you remembered?”

He spoke with pride, beaming as he looked at the young man.

The young man saw everyone in the inn smiling and knew these two elders were embarrassing themselves again. His face flushed red to his ears. He coughed and said, “The name matter isn’t urgent—we should focus on traveling!”

The fat old man laughed, “Hehe, our luck is quite good! We don’t need to walk these remaining dozens of li—Ziyun Pavilion people have already come to us! Look at this group!”

The young man looked as instructed and saw the Ziyun Pavilion people looking at him. His heart trembled as he bowed, “I am Su Ying of Mount Hua. May I ask your distinguished names?”

A man quickly stood up and helped the young man up, saying, “We are disciples of Ziyun Pavilion. My humble surname is Xu, and this is surnamed Xing.” He gestured toward the girl, “This is our young mistress, granddaughter of our Pavilion Master Qiong.”

Ziyun Pavilion was no ordinary martial world sect or gang, but an academy created by the imperial relative Qiong Wuchuan. This Ziyun Pavilion gathered famous scholars from across the land to teach and educate, ranking alongside White Deer Academy, Stone Drum Academy, and Donglin Academy. Students not only needed to study literature but also martial arts, aiming to cultivate national pillars. Over thirty years, many degree holders and metropolitan graduates had been its students.

This young girl was named Qiong Fang, only fourteen years old, and indeed Qiong Wuchuan’s granddaughter. After Qiong Wuchuan’s beloved son passed away, he doted on this granddaughter even more. Seeing her intelligence and cleverness, though she was a girl, she had the bearing of a great general. If she found a good husband in the future, she might be able to inherit the Ziyun Pavilion enterprise.

The young man bowed to everyone in turn. Seeing his politeness, everyone hurriedly returned the courtesy. Qiong Fang, watching him bow to everyone, couldn’t help laughing, “Stop being so ceremonious! If you keep bowing like this, with so many of us here, you probably won’t finish until dark.”

Su Ying smiled awkwardly. Being young and of low seniority, whenever he traveled in the martial world, his back was always bent more than straight—he had grown accustomed to this. Hearing her mockery, he quickly stood up, but seeing Qiong Fang’s beautiful face, his own face turned red.

Qiong Fang smiled, “You’ve traveled thousands of li to reach Beijing—is there some important matter?”

Su Ying said seriously, “I have an invitation I wish to present to Pavilion Master Qiong.” He took out a name card and handed it forward.

A male disciple nearby quickly received it. Su Ying said, “My master laments the bloody storms of the martial world and people’s struggle for fame and profit. He already has thoughts of retirement. He has set the first day of the second month next year for the grand ceremony of sealing his sword and returning to the mountains. He hopes all martial world colleagues won’t begrudge the journey and can come to our mountain to witness the ceremony.” Upon hearing this, everyone cried out “Ah!” and several people stood up abruptly, their expressions extremely tense.

Lu Yun didn’t understand why everyone was so shocked and immediately asked, “Why are these people so surprised?”

Wu Dingyuan, having heard everyone’s conversation, also looked quite shocked. He steadied himself and said in a low voice, “The master of Mount Hua’s Jade Purity Temple is called Ning Bufan. This person’s martial arts are supreme in the world—he’s called the number one under heaven.”

Lu Yun said “Oh,” and nodded, “I see.”

Wu Dingyuan whispered, “If this person wants to retire, someone will definitely go challenge him. They won’t let him seal his sword while carrying the title of number one under heaven. I think Mount Hua is bound for trouble.”

As everyone was talking, they suddenly heard someone say, “Ning Bufan wants to retire? Is this true?”

Wu Dingyuan quickly turned back and saw a man in white robes slowly walking in—it was the self-styled “Sword God” Zhuo Lingzhao, accompanied by more than ten disciples including Tu Lingxin and Qian Lingyi.

Wu Dingyuan quickly pulled Lu Yun’s sleeve, signaling him to lower his head. Lu Yun, seeing a large group of pursuers arrive, was also shocked and quickly whispered, “Let’s go through the back door!”

Wu Dingyuan nodded, and the two slowly stood up and headed toward the back kitchen.

Zhuo Lingzhao didn’t notice and went directly to Su Ying, “Young brother, you just said Master Ning wants to retire—is this true or false?”

Su Ying, seeing his immortal bearing, figured he must be a famous hero of the martial world and immediately bowed deeply again, “Su Ying of Mount Hua pays respects to senior.” He quickly took out the name card and presented it to Zhuo Lingzhao.

Zhuo Lingzhao, seeing the text on the card, suddenly felt his heart tremble and couldn’t help sighing, “Master Ning, why are you in such a hurry? If you retire, in this vast martial world only I will remain. Who will compete with me in martial arts in the future? Sigh… how will this teach me to pass my years?”

Everyone heard his words filled with pride and arrogance, implying he stood shoulder to shoulder with Ning Bufan, and all felt quite surprised. Only Wu Dingyuan knew his background, but at this critical moment, how dare he say a word? He silently slipped toward the back kitchen.

The thin old man was straightforward by nature. Hearing Zhuo Lingzhao’s words, he immediately became furious and shouted, “What kind of person are you, boy, to dare compare yourself with my grand-nephew? Aren’t you afraid people will laugh their teeth out?”

Qian Lingyi snorted and said coldly, “Your grand-nephew is just Ning Bufan—what’s so special about that? Let me tell you! Our master is Zhuo Lingzhao, the great hero called ‘Sword God’!”

Everyone cried out “Ah!” upon hearing this. Since Zhuo Lingzhao defeated Lingyin, his great reputation had spread across the five lakes and four seas. The people in the shop, seeing this person looked like an unremarkable village scholar, never imagined he was the world-famous “Kunlun Sword God.” Everyone was shocked and amazed.

Zhuo Lingzhao, seeing everyone’s panic, only smiled faintly, “Young brother, please tell your master that Zhuo Lingzhao of Kunlun Mountain sends his deep respects. I will definitely attend to witness the sword-sealing ceremony on the first day of the second month.”

Su Ying’s forehead streamed with cold sweat as he stammered his agreement, “Yes, this humble one understands.”

Qian Lingyi, seeing everyone’s horrified expressions, was quite pleased. He looked around the shop and saw two people sneaking toward the back kitchen—it was Lu Yun and Wu Dingyuan.

Qian Lingyi saw these two people were deaf to the four words “Kunlun Sword God” and showed no admiration, which greatly displeased him. He rushed forward and called to them, “What are you two doing? Don’t you see the ‘Sword God’ has arrived?”

Wu Dingyuan, hearing Qian Lingyi’s shout, had to stop with his back turned, “We are… we are travelers wanting to find… find the privy…”

Qian Lingyi cursed, “Looking for the toilet? Two people together?” He looked Wu Dingyuan’s back up and down and sneered, “You two couldn’t be… hehe… those sleeveless ones, could you!”

The Kunlun disciples knew he was referring to the “cut sleeve preference” and all burst into laughter.

Wu Dingyuan, thinking quickly in his desperation, pointed at Lu Yun and said hoarsely, “This… this is my younger brother. His eyes aren’t convenient, so I must accompany him to the privy lest he fall in.”

Lu Yun quickly joined in, “Yes! I’ve relied on my brother to help me urinate since childhood, or I’d definitely fall into the cesspit.”

Qian Lingyi said “Oh” and nodded, “So he’s blind.” He turned back and paid no more attention.

Wu and Lu quickly rushed into the back kitchen and hurried out the back door.

But they heard the thin old man say, “That person is blind? He dodged my grab earlier with great skill! How could he be blind?”

The fat old man, who loved to talk nonsense, said, “What do you know? Nowadays blind people all practice the divine skill of hearing wind and identifying positions. That boy dodged your grab using only thirty percent of his power.”

The thin old man looked amazed, “I see. Next time I meet this person, I must have a good discussion with him.” He suddenly frowned and thought hard, “But his gaze was bright earlier, and his eyes were very spirited! What’s that about?”

The fat old man was startled and pondered, “This… this person is probably the Blind King of the North Sea—sometimes blind, sometimes not.”

Hearing the two talk nonsense, Qian Lingyi had already sensed something amiss. He carefully recalled the two men’s backs and the more he thought, the more they resembled Wu Dingyuan. He immediately shouted, “Those two are suspicious! Let’s chase them quickly!” Without asking Zhuo Lingzhao’s permission, he drew his sword and rushed out, leading people in pursuit.

Wu Dingyuan and Lu Yun had fled for a while when they suddenly heard shouting behind them—it was Qian Lingyi leading people in pursuit. Wu Dingyuan was greatly alarmed and said tremblingly, “Didn’t we escape? How were we discovered again?”

Lu Yun pointed toward the stable and whispered, “There are horses there—let’s escape on horseback.”

The two ran toward the stable, randomly found two horses, jumped on their backs, and urged them forward frantically.

Qian Lingyi and others were pursuing when they saw the two jump on horseback. They immediately rushed into the stable to mount horses and give chase. Ziyun Pavilion disciples shouted, “Don’t act recklessly! Those horses are ours!” The people quickly chased out and blocked Qian Lingyi and others.

Qian Lingyi shouted, “Get out of the way!” With a swish, his “Sword Shadow” immediately left its sheath. Xu Lingfei beside him blocked him and whispered, “This is the capital region—we shouldn’t harm people recklessly and cause trouble.” Qian Lingyi chuckled and had to sheath his sword, but the Ziyun Pavilion disciples made even more noise, blocking the Kunlun disciples in the road.

Zhuo Lingzhao saw Wu Dingyuan had gone far. The sheepskin was still on this person—how could he let him leave? He gave a meaningful look, and Tu Lingxin immediately understood. The two used lightness skills to dart out from the shop entrance, wanting to intercept Wu and Lu first.

Qian Lingyi, seeing Wu Dingyuan had already gone far, quickly softened his tone and pleaded, “Please step aside quickly! I’m just borrowing your horses—I’ll return them in a moment.”

A disciple shouted, “Who cares about you! Get down quickly!”

Qian Lingyi was furious and cursed, “Damn you! Do you really think I’m easy to bully?” He drew his sword from its sheath. Xu Lingfei quickly advised, “Fourth senior brother, calm down—don’t hurt people here.” Qian Lingyi’s face turned red, and he could only grunt sullenly and sheath his sword.

The disciple laughed, “You’re really strange—drawing your sword one moment and sheathing it the next. Who knows what you want to do?”

Qian Lingyi was furious and said grimly, “What do I want to do? Take your little life!” His long sword trembled and had already wounded the disciple’s shoulder.

Seeing Qian Lingyi attack and wound someone, his swordsmanship quite capable, and fearing the disciples couldn’t resist, Qiong Fang wasn’t panicked but just stared at the Twin Freaks of Mount Hua and said plaintively, “These people are so unreasonable. I wonder where all the great heroes of this world have gone—why don’t they come to rescue us?”

The Twin Freaks of Mount Hua had been waiting nearby. Hearing Qiong Fang’s plea, they were immediately delighted and called out, “If you want to subdue demons and monsters, it’s all up to us!”

Su Ying, seeing his two elders about to cause trouble again, quickly called, “Great-uncle master, great-grand uncle master, don’t act recklessly!”

How could the Twin Freaks listen to him? They wanted to show off their prowess and immediately flew out of the shop, rushing straight at Qian Lingyi with both hands clawing out—their power was actually quite substantial.

Qian Lingyi, seeing their strange appearance, had already recognized them and shouted, “Twin Freaks of Mount Hua! This is none of your business—get lost quickly!”

The thin old man was furious, “Damn it! The magnificent ‘Twin Roosters and Dogs of Mount Hua,’ yet you dare call us ‘Twin Freaks’! Screw your ancestors!” He raised his golden abacus and smashed it at Qian Lingyi.

Meanwhile, Wu Dingyuan and Lu Yun rode their horses at flying speed. Seeing Qian Lingyi entangled by others, they secretly found it amusing when they suddenly heard someone beside them say, “Constable Wu, stop fleeing and surrender obediently!”

Wu Dingyuan was greatly shocked. Turning his head, he saw someone with movement technique as swift as a running horse had already caught up behind him—it was Zhuo Lingzhao himself. Wu Dingyuan raised his Flying Silver Shuttle and stabbed it into his horse’s rump. The horse, feeling pain, rushed forward frantically, immediately pulling away from Zhuo Lingzhao.

Zhuo Lingzhao sneered, “Useless!” He gathered his qi and leaped, instantly flying over Wu and Lu’s heads and standing in front of the two horses, blocking the road. He then reached out and grabbed Wu Dingyuan’s mount. With his divine strength, the horse actually stopped dead.

Lu Yun was greatly alarmed and called, “Brother Wu! Jump over!”

Wu Dingyuan leaped with all his might onto Lu Yun’s mount, and the two shared one horse, rushing forward urgently. Zhuo Lingzhao’s face changed as he released the horse and pursued from behind again.

Lu Yun saw Zhuo Lingzhao wouldn’t relax and became even more worried. This person’s martial arts were incredibly high—truly unmatched in his life. If they fought in a moment, they probably couldn’t withstand even one of his moves. The two shared one mount in frantic flight, but the horse, carrying two people, was quite strained. In the blink of an eye, Zhuo Lingzhao caught up. Lu Yun was greatly alarmed and quickly turned the horse’s head to flee rightward.

After running only a few zhang, they suddenly saw someone standing in the road ahead. This person had an extremely fierce and ugly appearance—it was “Sword Gu” Tu Lingxin. They heard him shout, “Boys, don’t think of escaping anymore! Leave your lives behind!”

Instantly sword light flashed as the long sword left its sheath, chopping at the horse’s legs. The horse immediately screamed miserably as its front hooves were severed. Lu Yun quickly pulled Wu Dingyuan, and both rolled off the saddle, urgently running to the roadside.

Tu Lingxin laughed, “Ahead is a cliff—do you want to commit suicide?” He laughed heartily and walked forward slowly with a fearless attitude.

The two fled in panic. Before long, they indeed saw no way forward—it was a mountain cliff. At this moment, Zhuo Lingzhao had also arrived. Two great masters had Wu Dingyuan cornered—the situation was hopeless.

Wu Dingyuan smiled miserably, “Brother Lu, you go! They only want me alone. If you escape now, you still have a chance to live.”

Lu Yun looked down into the valley and saw many vines growing beside the cliff. His heart stirred as he whispered, “Brother Wu, don’t panic—let’s jump down.”

Wu Dingyuan looked back and saw the precipitous cliff with a ten-thousand-zhang abyss below. How could there be any life after such a jump? He shook his head, “You go quickly! Don’t risk your life for me.”

Zhuo Lingzhao laughed, “Constable Wu, do you want to die or live? What are you whispering about?”

Wu Dingyuan shouted loudly, “If you want to kill, kill me alone! Let my brother go!”

Zhuo Lingzhao shook his head, “I don’t want to kill either of you. As long as you hand over the sheepskin, I definitely won’t make things difficult for you.”

Wu Dingyuan cursed, “This thing was obtained in exchange for an entire family’s lives. If you want it, you’ll have to take it over my dead body.”

Tu Lingxin chuckled, “All empty talk—go die!” He thrust his sword forward with extremely fierce swordsmanship.

Wu Dingyuan knew his swordsmanship was formidable, but with his life hanging by a thread, he could only fight desperately. He activated his “Flying Silver Shuttle” technique, spinning it into a light net in front of him, hoping to block Tu Lingxin’s ultimate move.

But sword light flashed—Tu Lingxin’s long sword came with incredible speed, penetrating through the silver shuttle light net in an instant. With an “Ah!” scream, Wu Dingyuan’s chest was already pierced. Tu Lingxin’s face showed a sinister smile as he continuously channeled his sinister power, wanting to kill Wu Dingyuan in one strike.

Wu Dingyuan felt the “Sword Gu’s” sinister power enter his body, instantly burning his five organs with unbearable pain. He wanted to scream but had no strength left. Lu Yun was greatly shocked and quickly pulled Wu Dingyuan away, calling, “Let’s jump down!” He leaped with force, pulling Wu Dingyuan as they jumped off the cliff.

Zhuo Lingzhao, seeing them jump to their deaths, frantically flashed his form and grabbed at Lu Yun. Lu Yun summoned his true qi and immediately struck out with a palm. Zhuo Lingzhao, seeing this palm carried substantial true power, didn’t dare ignore it and also struck out with a palm. When their palms met, a tremendous force transmitted, sending Lu Yun’s body flying away to fall into the deep valley with Wu Dingyuan.

Tu Lingxin, seeing them fall off the cliff, frowned, “What do we do now? These two fell to their deaths in the valley and will surely be smashed to pieces. Do we need to go down and check?”

Zhuo Lingzhao said grimly, “Of course we must! This sheepskin concerns the world’s fate—it’s no small matter. How can we not find it?” He immediately looked around for footholds and was about to descend the cliff.