At ten years old, he often heard such calls: “Chongqing, Chongqing, what should you remember before going out…”

“My books!” Little Red Face would laugh and answer. Mother would pull Little Red Face close and smile, saying, “Wrong, it’s a kiss.”

Mother was a woman—no matter how beautiful she was born, she was bound to be nagging. She’d chatter during the day and wouldn’t forget to ramble at night, always smiling as she said: “Chongqing, Chongqing, don’t get your pants so dirty when playing, and remember to read more books…”

Year after year, day after day, Little Red Face would bounce around every day. Then one afternoon outside the alley, Mother tightly grasped his hand, lowered her voice, and urgently instructed: “Chongqing… this matter… you absolutely, absolutely must not tell Father…”

She didn’t seem like the usual Mother—she appeared very solemn: “Promise Mother you must obediently listen, understand? Understand…”

Understand… Chongqing… everything Mother does… is all for your own good…

Whoosh… In the midst of howling wind and violent snow, the fierce sound of wind reached his ears as white snow blocks struck his face. The wild wind overturned rooftops and tore apart tree trunks. The youth who stood unmoved suddenly felt a response in his heart, instantly raising his head to roar at the sky like a madman.

Wind and snow mixed together, rivers turned to ice—one step onto the small stream was like stepping on hard stone. This winter’s bitter cold being so severe, next spring would surely be another year of great drought.

The colder the winter, the drier the summer—every year was a year of great drought. Heaven’s divine power was truly unfathomable.

It seemed like Father had said this—he said this was heavenly punishment… In this vast human world, as long as one person chose coldness and became a villain, a second person would quickly follow, then a third, fourth, fifth, sixth… Like an epidemic infection, as long as someone crossed that line, everyone would cross over… Finally, the world would be filled with fires of hatred until it summoned the Asura to bring down heavenly punishment.

Sin and punishment… When Father spoke these three words, tears welled in the corners of his eyes as he drank old wine, looking very helpless. At that time, his heart was very curious, so he asked: “If everyone crossed the line, has Father also crossed over?”

He still remembered Father’s broad shoulders sagging down, deep bitter lines squeezed from the corners of his mouth, then he said nothing more.

When he heard these words, he was still a child who understood nothing. Now several years had passed, his body grew taller and taller until he was taller and stronger than Father, and only then did he understand that matter.

Father had long since crossed over—regardless of what reason, he had long since crossed over to become today’s great figure.

Understanding Father’s anguish, now he too had come to the edge of the cliff, waiting to cross over.

But there was one difference—he had no hesitation, and even less of Father’s melancholy. For that reason, he had already pondered himself through seven cold seasons, discarded childish toys, swallowed unimaginably bitter poisonous insects. Even if he had to cross the boundary line a hundred or thousand times, he would spare no effort.

Must win, must continuously win… What Zhe’er Dan, what Su Ying—he didn’t even see them in his eyes. To defeat the people Father couldn’t defeat, to do what Father couldn’t do, even if the whole world said he was a villain, he would coldly answer…

“So what?” The youth looked up at the sky, gritting his teeth until angry blood seeped from his gums.

Dressed entirely in black with a masked face, even when looking toward Heaven, the youth’s eyes didn’t forget to be defiant.

Having blown enough wind and feeling satisfied, the black-clothed youth crossed the boundary to search for what he wanted.

In the village there was a large red brick wall with lime powder markings drawn on it. A fierce bird with raised beak and spread wings was thus huddled in the corner waiting for “knowledgeable” people to come.

The “thing” should be nearby…

Crouching down to examine the wall corner, following the bird’s beak direction, with just a brief glance he had already spotted something unusual.

There were strange traces on the ground. Three inches into the earth, red mixed with black, exactly like the ground had been burned by demonic fire to create this crack.

The black-clothed youth took a deep breath, only lowering his head to examine the underground anomaly when suddenly his eyelids trembled incessantly.

He truly hadn’t expected to see this thing—a large wolf spider, a poisonous insect that should have been sleeping in winter, was now crawling into the crack and refusing to leave. Looking at its menacing appearance with bared fangs and claws, the wolf spider seemed to have slept enough and was just waiting to vent that excess energy and vitality. Even more surprising and puzzling, though the eight-legged tiger clearly held dominion here, from afar large groups of ants were actually coming in formation. They seemed summoned by the fire marks, completely forgetting the wolf spider’s cruel and murderous nature, and even more forgetting their own mouse-like nature of being terrified at the first sign of trouble. One by one they surged into the crack, wanting to fight this natural enemy to the death.

For millions of years they had been others’ food—today they would settle this blood debt once and for all. Large groups of soldier ants seemed ready for revenge, instantly confronting the palm-sized eight-legged hairy spider. Tigers eat sheep, sheep eat grass—the Way of Heaven is reincarnation. This was an edict established by gods and Buddhas; who could say otherwise? The black-clothed youth opened his eyes wide, carefully watching the life-and-death struggle in the crack. He wanted to see what would happen.

The chaotic battle began, and pitifully the outcome was immediately decided. Watching large groups of soldier ants with broken legs and severed limbs, they still couldn’t match the wolf spider’s might. Heaven was very unfair, letting the monster grow so fierce and huge. The size difference between the two sides was thousands of times—the soldier ants seemed deceived by the fire marks, only able to struggle and die one after another, all powerless.

Soon only one pitiful creature remained in the crack. The magnificent scene attracted the gaze from under the mask. Having lost its brothers, how would the little ant face the large wolf spider alone? How would this final small solitary army continue to fight? The black-clothed youth clenched his fists and gritted his teeth—he wanted to know the little ant’s fate.

Like the past million years, the large wolf spider waved its claws in provocation, toying and playing with the helpless little thing that could only retreat in terror, sobbing pitifully. Step by step it retreated, when suddenly the little ant was startled—it had stepped on the remains of its comrade brothers and had also seen its own ending.

The Way of Heaven’s reincarnation—fierce tigers eating white sheep—the eternal story of billions of years lay in the pile of corpses behind. At the moment of death, the little ant heard compassionate calls, heavenly music from the horizon urging it: “Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid… obediently be eaten… after being eaten a few times, next life you’ll have a chance to reincarnate as a wolf spider, then you can eat others too… quickly…”

The little ant jumped up!

A sight unseen in a million years appeared before him. The eyes under the mask slightly startled—he had seen winged flying ants but had never seen an ant that could leap and pounce like a grasshopper. He saw the little ant pounce onto the wolf spider’s head as if demonstrating to Heaven… the spider’s shell was bitten through, it fell down, motionless, rigid in death… Exhausted and having broken three legs, the little soldier ant tumbled to the ground as if shedding tears, crying mournfully to all the gods and Buddhas in the sky…

The final solitary army had broken through the boundary Heaven gave it—because it was unwilling to become the destined loser.

With tears brimming, he extended his finger to gently touch the ant’s corpse, experiencing that dying state of mind.

“Kill! I want to kill… kill… kill all…” In the moment before death, the little ant seemed to cry out hoarsely and urgently—it was tired of living, it couldn’t wait to return this body of flesh and blood to Heaven. It wouldn’t play this game of eating and being eaten anymore.

Tears under the black mask fell continuously, the tears turning to hot oil, further stoking that fire of injustice… Instantly his fists cracked loudly and a thunderclap exploded from his throat.

“Kill! Karmic Fire Demon Blade!”

Gods and Buddhas abandon us, but the demon blade does not abandon living beings. The underground fire marks came from the Karmic Fire Demon Blade. The little ant’s victory verified the legend—the demon blade could lead people into demonhood, able to burn the blood nature of all things. As long as despair approached and the heart felt injustice, that karmic fire could burn high as the heavens, from then on using small to defeat large, weak to strike strong, few to enemy many, challenging the rules established by all the gods and Buddhas in the sky.

With the demon blade in hand, even women and children would dare to fight. What more of him? The invincible Heavenly King who had bravely stormed the Imperial Medical Academy!

The gaze under the black mask flashed with angry flames as he looked into the distance, seeing continuous fire-burned traces stretching north, pointing directly to the Mountain God Temple three li away.

In the howling wind and violent snow, his magnificent body bent forward, aimed at that place three li away. In an instant, heavy boots struck the ground, his whole body emanated purple light, deep pits were trampled one by one into the ground. Snowflakes struck his face and were instantly thrown behind his head as he galloped away like lightning.

Soon the ancient Mountain God Temple, aged and gloomy, stood before him. There lay what he wanted.

Snow piled a foot deep, the temple gate deserted—in this white night, it was most suitable for unknown deeds. The black-clothed youth moved like a swift leopard, quickly circling the temple exterior once, having already scouted the guards around the temple clearly.

This was the place, no mistake. On the eaves, under the corridors, before the mountain gate, behind the square—everywhere were black-clothed experts.

Guarded on four sides, watched from eight directions—how fortunate yet unfortunate this ancient temple was to become the site of the “National Iron Guard’s” final gathering of the year.

Wind howled past as the black-clothed youth crouched down, secretly calculating his strategy. He needed to infiltrate the ancient temple silently and soundlessly.

Looking up at the eaves, two people lay prostrate there. In the forest outside the mountain gate, eight more experts were hidden—these ten people belonged to the tavern’s “Second Floor” figures. Though not the peerless masters of the top floor, their duty was reconnaissance, not fighting enemies.

To slip into the temple without anyone knowing would be even harder than directly storming the Imperial Medical Academy. Once the matter was exposed and his identity revealed, it would definitely cause a huge uproar and make his parents quarrel again. Thinking of Father’s honest, wooden old face, he couldn’t bear it.

Should he go? The youth hesitated somewhat, but this confusion quickly disappeared, replaced by that incomparable confidence.

Personally taught by a True Dragon—this should be synonymous with “invincible”! To see a thousand li, he must climb even higher!

Gathering momentum, he crouched down and began deep breathing exercises. Following the secret methods Father had taught him to forge his muscles and bones, from childhood he had endured countless hardships unimaginable to outsiders, which enabled him to accomplish many things ordinary people could not, such as this…

Each hand gripped a plum blossom dart, muscles locked tight, his entire meridian system channeled internal power. The external hard martial arts soaked in medicinal wine made his whole body emit a faint, proud purple light. Mighty internal power plus robust muscles—these two forces combined could…

Whoosh! His middle finger shot the plum blossom dart spinning indefinitely through the air. In an instant it traveled fifty zhang, one glance at the forest horizon, one glance at the temple roof eaves—the steel dart spun faster and faster, finally tracing a large arc in mid-air, heading straight for the crowd of black-clothed figures.

The steel dart came with swift momentum, appearing as if someone was hidden in the northwest corner making a sneak attack—no one could predict this was actually a hidden weapon shot from fifty zhang away at the southeast corner.

As expected, the black-clothed figures all turned their heads, leaping down from high places to investigate enemy traces. These people were nimble—in less than ten counts they could all return. He had to cross fifty zhang in an instant, the particular difficulty being that one step down could land on soft knee-deep white snow or could be a deep pit—no one knew what lay beneath.

Never mind! Purple light emanated from his whole body, the divine martial arts personally taught by a True Dragon activated. Iron boots flew forward, steps growing larger and larger, pace fiercer and fiercer, scenery on both sides howling past. The youth who thought of nothing was like a mad dragon.

Fifty zhang, thirty zhang, twenty zhang—the temple gate flew toward him. He had to find a way into the temple; he couldn’t force his way in.

The final ten zhang approached. His eyes also spotted an air window—from there he could slip into the divine hall and hide among the great beams.

Heh… Exhaling and calling out, he leaped up, both hands shooting out ropes to hook onto a corner of the eaves. His body swayed continuously, also dissipating the fierce momentum from his charge. He hung from the eaves, staring at the air window five zhang away, instantly his pupils contracted and he lightly bit his gums.

Damn… the air window was too narrow, his shoulders too broad—he probably couldn’t squeeze through…

What to do? Crashing through would definitely expose his tracks, but giving up wasn’t his nature either. The tiger eyes under the black mask slightly wavered with uncertainty. Just then, subtle landing sounds came from the roof—the scouts who had left earlier had returned. In just a few steps they would discover him.

If he failed, he would be surrounded by dozens of supreme masters. Those uncles who were usually kind in conversation, when it came to turning ruthless, would break his limbs, cripple his martial arts, then claim ignorance before Father… Of course they would swear to catch the culprit, then secretly use many matters to threaten him…

Come on, let’s see who’s more ruthless… The black-clothed youth’s eyes flashed with defiant light as he stared at the air window five zhang away, fiercely clenching his fists.

Soundlessly pulling back, the youth surged forward, already flying toward the air window like lightning. Just as his body was about to crash through the window frame, at this life-or-death moment the True Dragon disciple displayed his incredible worth—he raised his right palm and heavily struck, forcibly dislocating his left shoulder.

With a soft crack, amid the excruciating pain his body had already passed through the narrow air window, and those two ropes swaying in the air also obediently followed like little pet snakes into the great hall, hiding at his waist.

Having barely broken into the divine hall, the black-clothed youth was in such pain his eyes rolled back white. Seeing the great beam right before him, but with his left shoulder now dislocated and only his right hand available for strength, in desperation he could only extend two fingers to hook directly onto the great beam. Where his finger strength reached, he stabilized his body, hanging suspended from the beam.

Just as he was about to roll onto the great beam to hide, suddenly breathing sounds came from overhead, nearly startling him into falling from the beam.

Looking up, there was another person on the great beam. Like himself, this person was also hiding among the roof beams, but unlike his own awkward posture of hanging by two fingers like a bat, this person was leisurely relaxed, just lazily lying on the beam. A pair of eyes seemed to contain laughter as they sized him up.

The unexpected guest wore white clothes with long flowing sleeves, about thirty-something years old. The black-clothed youth was greatly shocked—first, he didn’t know the person’s identity; second, he didn’t understand why the other was here. At this moment with enemy and friend unclear, he could only…

Gritting his teeth, his two fingers exerted mighty force. Purple light emanated as the black-clothed youth’s body straightened, slowly rising above the crossbeam. He split his legs in mid-air, his right foot pointing toward the gentleman on the beam, his shoe tip revealing a cold, sharp ice blade.

With the foot blade drawn, the black-clothed youth’s meaning was clear—he wanted to eliminate the unexpected guest in an instant. Only thus could he ensure the safety of this mission. Muscles contracted as he slowly regulated his breathing, about to display his incredible body techniques…

Just as he was about to lunge forward fiercely, he suddenly heard a shout from below the beam: “Stop!”

The black-clothed youth froze. The white-clothed man grinned and extended his finger to point below the beam, signaling him to look down. The black-clothed youth’s heart filled with shock and suspicion, his eyeballs slightly lowering, instantly spotting a large black cloth.

The eerie large black cloth lay in the center of the divine hall. Its center bulged upward while its four corners showed signs of being scorched and curled, as if covering a large iron brazier that had baked the black cloth until charred.

Found it! The black-clothed youth’s pupils dilated, his palms unconsciously sweating because he had seen the “thing”! He looked at the large black cloth, inexplicably his blood boiled, but as his gaze slightly shifted he calmed down again in an instant.

Beside the black cloth stood a man. Looking at him with a pipa hanging at his waist and right palm raised high like a great sun Buddha majestically instructing all beings—that “stop” had come from this person’s mouth. The black-clothed youth took a deep breath, following that person’s palm to look, seeing a large group of people stopped at the hall entrance. This group also wore night clothes—undoubtedly they were all minions of the tavern.

Eighteen Scholars, Twelve Yakshas—whatever their names, they were all secret agents kept by the six major accountants. The black-clothed youth smiled coldly. Since he had defeated sixty masters of the Imperial Medical Academy, why should he fear these thirty small fries? At this moment, what could make him careful and concerned was only…

His gaze swept across the hall, finally returning to the large black cloth, and just then with a blink of his eyes he also spotted those six black shadows.

Like stones crouching on the ground, these six people in black shirts at first glance seemed part of the black cloth—one couldn’t see them at all.

The Six Paths of Reincarnation were before his eyes. Today he could only use intelligence, not force. The black-clothed youth silently turned over on the great beam, glaring at the white-clothed strange guest once, warning the other not to act rashly. That person indeed didn’t take advantage of the opportunity to attack, only smiling at him to indicate friendliness.

The black-clothed youth had once single-handedly dealt with sixty-odd Mongol and Han masters—his knowledge of faces was not inconsiderable. He repeatedly examined the white-clothed strange guest’s appearance, seeing the other was eight chi away from him. This person had a tiger-like nose bridge and leopard-like cheekbones, long hair hanging by his cheeks. His appearance could be called extremely mighty, yet despite repeated contemplation, he couldn’t figure out this person’s background.

The divine hall was completely quiet. Two masters on the beam observed below while the Eighteen Scholars and Twelve Yakshas had all arrived. Looking again, the tomb guardian beasts were already firmly guarding the demon blade. The scene was tense and murderous, so quiet it was frightening.

With a whoosh, the hand beside the large black cloth lowered, then stood solemnly motionless like a guard. The black-clothed crowd at the entrance opened their eyes wide, staring at the seven men beside the black cloth, discussing among themselves. Footsteps came from the divine hall entrance as a man emerged from the crowd. He held an iron umbrella, staring at the man beside the black cloth and shouting loudly: “Who exactly are you? And where has Fourth Boss gone…”

As he spoke, his steps moved forward when suddenly a piercing scream rang out: “Stop!”

After the word “stop,” a palm struck toward him, nearly hitting his nose. Relying on this loud shout, the black-clothed youth also reset his joint. He was in agony, cold sweat rolling down his forehead. Looking down, he saw that pipa man with his right hand raised high, his face sinister like a hanged ghost.

The man holding the iron umbrella had his path blocked and was naturally alarmed. He opened his eyes wide and shouted: “Boy! What are you doing with all this sinister behavior? What is this large black cloth?” Just as he was chattering away, suddenly a loud slap rang out. The pipa man straightened his chest, stood at attention, brought his heels together, and loudly declared: “By imperial decree! This subordinate is Commander Jinteng! Rank twenty-three!”

The other claimed his surname was Commander but his behavior was strange, completely lacking any commanding presence. That Iron Umbrella gentleman was suspicious and uncertain. He snorted forcefully and sneered: “So you’re only twenty-three? You little thing, do you know who I am?”

The other had put on official airs, but Commander Jinteng seemed deaf. Looking at him gazing straight ahead, standing at attention without moving, not knowing if he was listening to anyone speak, that Iron Umbrella gentleman went by the title “Sunny Day Umbrella.” Seeing the other’s rudeness, he naturally felt displeased and said: “Listen up! In terms of rank, I’m much higher than you. I am rank eighteen, one of the Twelve Yaksha Generals under Third Boss, the master ‘Kumbhira’! Did you get that clear?”

“Sunny Day Umbrella Kumbhira”—this long string of proud titles was truly like a tongue twister, just waiting for Commander Jinteng to voice praise, when suddenly he opened his mouth wide and roared: “By—imperial decree!” As he spoke, his heels clicked together again as he shouted: “Wei hour arrives!”

“Kumbhira” was startled: “Wei hour arrives? So what?”

As if answering his question, all six blind men behind stood up. “Kumbhira” was greatly shocked and was about to retreat when suddenly he saw Commander Jinteng’s knees come together, his right hand leading as he pulled, and all seven men responded by undoing their pants, actually exposing themselves naked in the great hall, revealing fourteen hairy, ugly legs.

Publicly removing pants—what was the intention? The black-clothed crowd were all dumbstruck, about to ask questions when suddenly splashing sounds rang out—this group actually began urinating on the spot.

Urine splashed everywhere, the stench overwhelming. Seeing these seven people had no shame, displaying the utmost immoral behavior, “Kumbhira” hastily raised his umbrella to shield from the water, shouting: “What are you doing? What are you doing? Are you crazy?” Before his words finished, Commander Jinteng pulled up his pants with both hands and shouted: “Dress!” The seven men moved in perfect unison—pulling up waistbands, circling left and right with both hands, instantly putting their pants back on.

The black-clothed ghost crowd laughed in stunned silence, not knowing if these seven were madmen or fools to actually act crazy here. Just as they were laughing mockingly, they saw Commander Jinteng leading the group as seven hands threw seven rice balls into seven mouths simultaneously, chewing exactly twenty-one times before swallowing.

“By imperial decree!” Commander Jinteng declared loudly with rice grains at the corner of his mouth: “Zhengtong tenth year, twelfth month, twenty-ninth day, wei hour midday meal complete!”

After urinating and eating, the six blind men sat cross-legged on the ground and began chanting sutras. The black-clothed crowd couldn’t help but laugh, immediately beating their chests and pounding the ground, all bursting into laughter, while Commander Jinteng stood chest out, back straight like a spear beside the black cloth, turning a deaf ear to the laughter.

The pitiful seven fools silently endured mockery and insults. All this painstaking intention demonstrated their eight-character duty: “Never leave one’s post, dare not fail in duty.” The black-clothed youth hiding on the beam observed these seven men’s condition, secretly feeling sympathy in his heart.

The world was a great tavern—the Emperor lay sleeping while the one managing power was called “Grand Innkeeper.” He had six shrewd accountants. These six managed six affairs: Second Boss controlled troops, Third Boss managed the forbidden palace, Fourth Boss controlled the secret police, plus Fifth who spied behind enemy lines, Sixth who calculated the national treasury, and Seventh who swept the martial world. All major and minor affairs were grasped in their hands. Whether Six Ministry Ministers or Jinyiwei commanders, all had their spies planted nearby—this was the tavern’s all-pervasive method.

The National Iron Guard was a small imperial court. Without such stern cruelty, how could they raise these puppet-like killers?

“Very good, everyone has arrived.” The black-clothed youth was lowering his head in contemplation when suddenly voices came from behind the divine statue—apparently the higher-ups had arrived. Instantly the entire venue stood at attention with no more laughter.

The great hall was completely quiet, only the sound of footsteps could be heard. The black-clothed youth held his breath and looked intently, seeing two men emerge from behind the hall. The man in front wore black clothes and a mask, his build fat and robust, seemingly even more imposing than himself. The black-clothed youth naturally recognized him—this was Seventh Boss, whose external martial arts had reached the pinnacle, his Iron Shirt technique allegedly impervious to blades and guns. The black-clothed youth was staring at Seventh Boss when suddenly the white-clothed strange guest beside him straightened up. This person had originally been leisurely relaxed, half-lying half-sitting, but now like a leopard in a tree, his gaze fixed unblinkingly on someone behind Seventh Boss. The youth followed his gaze and immediately saw an elderly man.

Unlike Seventh Boss’s broad shoulders and thick back, the second person was a tall, thin old man. He hadn’t worn a mask, his hair white as frost, a long sword at his waist, about sixty years old. Looking at him dressed in fine silk, he was like a wealthy household’s master—he didn’t look like someone from the National Iron Guard at all. The black-clothed youth was suddenly shocked to see this person arrive, hastily lying flat on the beam and holding his breath.

The commander of this mission had appeared—he was the person with the highest rank in the entire venue. A golden finger ring was his identification—this was the first veteran minister from the tavern’s founding, “Sword Cold” Jin Lingshuang!

The old man slowly walked up to the great hall and stood before the fourth meditation cushion. Gently raising his right hand and pointing slightly downward, instantly all forty-eight people present sat down in unison, their movements as orderly and synchronized as Commander Jinteng and his men.

Everyone knew Jin Lingshuang came from Kunlun and had served two generations of divine sword masters—he could be said to be the Grand Innkeeper’s most trusted confidant. It was said that after Kunlun’s destruction, this person had achieved success through bitter sword practice and could now produce a half-foot blue radiance on his sword. Though the black-clothed youth’s martial arts were high, he wasn’t confident he could definitely defeat him, especially with so many masters gathered here—he absolutely couldn’t act rashly. Looking at that white-clothed warrior, his gaze was also very solemn, presumably also knowing Jin Lingshuang’s formidable methods.

Everyone was seated, and Seventh Boss also sat cross-legged on the seventh meditation cushion. Jin Lingshuang’s eyes swept around, seeing the entire venue quiet and silent, then slowly said: “Just now news came from the front lines…” He made a gesture of applause and said softly: “The Battle of Xiangyang was a great victory.”

Fourth Boss had brought good news. The black-clothed evil spirits immediately clapped and applauded. Though the applause was loud, it wasn’t chaotic—coming in unison and ending in unison, showing that Fourth Boss commanded considerable authority over his subordinates. Jin Lingshuang’s gaze swept across the great hall and leisurely continued: “The rebellious bandits, to seize the greatest city in the southwest, first broke Hanzhong then turned to Jingzhou, attacking cities unsuccessfully no less than twelve times. After this battle, the situation has shifted—it should be time for our counterattack.”

The imperial court’s counterattack on the northwest and unification of the realm was at hand. The black-clothed ghosts loudly applauded again. Jin Lingshuang smiled and continued: “Gentlemen, don’t rush to applaud yet. Do any of you know why we won this battle?”

If you wanted to quiet a scene instantly, the fastest method wasn’t shouting but asking a question. Indeed, as soon as Fourth Boss made his inquiry, everyone in the venue lowered their heads. People from the tavern came from the imperial court and naturally knew the principle of “speaking much leads to mistakes.” For a moment, the great hall was desolate, with only the howling north wind and no other sounds. Jin Lingshuang, having long held the position of Fourth Boss, wasn’t surprised at all and immediately extended his finger to point at the crowd.

The golden finger casually pointed, and Commander Jinteng, who had originally been sitting motionless, upon seeing his superior point directly at him, instantly seemed to receive a long-distance slapping force. His boots came together with a sharp snap as his entire body stood rigidly like a zombie jumping up. The black-clothed ghosts, seeing this living jumping corpse, were all startled. Jin Lingshuang smiled and said: “The reason we won the Battle of Xiangyang has some connection to Twenty-three.” He glanced at Commander Jinteng and said lightly: “Twenty-three, tell the brothers where you were previously stationed.”

“By imperial decree!” Commander Jinteng shouted again, pressing his hands tightly against his trouser seams and declaring loudly: “This subordinate was dispatched to Changzhou in South Zhili, where I have been for ten years now!”

Xiangyang and Changzhou were thousands of li apart—one in Jiangdong, one in the southwest. How could they be connected? The black-clothed ghosts, hearing these words, were naturally full of astonishment. Jin Lingshuang didn’t explain but directly asked again: “Twenty-three, tell everyone what you’ve been doing in Changzhou for these ten years.” Commander Jinteng clicked his military boots together and loudly answered: “For ten years, this general has been loyal to duty, only guarding that blade!”

The venue had originally been buzzing with whispered conversations, but upon hearing Commander Jinteng mention “that blade,” the entire hall instantly fell silent as if everyone had taken mute medicine.

Changzhou had a great furnace called Hongwu, which was the birthplace of the divine sword over ten years ago—this was known to all. But thinking of “that blade” couldn’t help but make people suspicious. The people in the hall looked at each other, everyone wanting to speak but when the words reached their lips, they all drew back. Kumbhira coughed and looked at the large black cloth, saying hoarsely: “Fourth Boss, this… this black cloth is exactly… is…”

Commander Jinteng couldn’t answer conveniently and could only turn to look at his superior. He saw Jin Lingshuang step forward and say frankly: “Your guess is correct—beneath the black cloth is the Karmic Fire Demon Blade.”

The large black cloth was right before them, looking like it covered a barrel of explosives. Everyone in the venue was dumbstruck with dry throats.

Blockading the Brave Sword, guarding the Demon Blade, obscuring the Holy Light—these were the three greatest concerns of the “National Iron Guard.” Ten years had passed: the Brave Sword hadn’t become a threat, the Holy Light remained only rumors, and even the Demon Blade was nowhere to be seen. They had thought they could peacefully spend the rest of their lives, but who knew the “Karmic Fire Demon Blade” actually existed in the human world and had long been in the “tavern’s” grasp!

Jin Lingshuang smiled again and said: “Gentlemen, the reason the great battle of Xiangyang could be won was by relying on this blade! The Grand Innkeeper worried that the Heavenly Furnace was short-handed, which is why he summoned everyone to come together to Jiangnan to safely transport the Demon Blade back to Beijing.” Among the crowd, those with some insight all felt their blood run cold, but there were still those who didn’t understand and wondered aloud: “Sorry, but I still don’t understand why… why this blade being placed here could help win against the Xiangyang bandits? Can it cast spells from a thousand li away?”

Jin Lingshuang smiled and said: “Well said—it indeed can cast spells from a thousand li. If not, how could we have lured that person away?”

Bait—this was bait. Now everyone understood. In their stunned gazes, they also saw the connections clearly.

The Karmic Fire Demon Blade had emerged specifically to lure the Demon King. With the bait, the Grand Innkeeper could calculate the Demon King’s movements and let the Grand Commander on the southwestern front win that crucial battle. This was indeed a brilliant move that could counter the enemy and make them lose sight of one thing while attending to another. But… this move also had an ominous aspect—it seemed to have a name, something about sacrificing… something to protect… sacrificing the chariot to protect the general? Everyone was alarmed: “Good heavens! Could it be that the Grand Innkeeper wants us to gather in Changzhou to deal with Qin… Qin…” No one dared say that name, but only Jin Lingshuang said with a smile: “Correct—it’s to deal with Qin Zhonghai. Let’s put in some effort and properly show people the tavern’s way of treating guests, understand?”

This was terrible news. Since Xiangyang had been defeated, the demon head had probably come to Jiangnan. The surroundings felt sinister, as if that cripple might emerge at any moment. All the masters present felt their hair stand on end, and even the youth on the beam felt a chill. Suddenly someone holding an iron umbrella stood up in panic—it was “Sunny Day Umbrella” Kumbhira, shouting: “Indra, quickly, quickly, quickly! Hurry and smash this blade! Don’t let the Demon King take it!”

A black-clothed person rose upon hearing this—a man tall and robust like a giant, holding a vermillion treasure staff. This must be “Indra” from the Twelve Divine Generals. He rushed forward and struck the black cloth with his staff, but then heard an angry shout: “Stop!”

Commander Jinteng raised his right palm high, single-handedly blocking the vermillion treasure staff. This display of skill was indeed quite impressive. However, everyone was panicked and agitated—no one was in the mood to cheer. That “Kumbhira” swallowed and said anxiously: “Fourth Boss, please tell us—this thing is extremely evil. Why won’t you let Indra destroy it?”

The Divine Sword and Demon Blade were born from the same mother—two divine weapons riding together. Legend said the “Karmic Fire Demon Blade” could lead people into demonhood: a child holding it could kill, a weak woman could subdue bears and slaughter tigers. If it fell into the hands of a true warrior, what would become of the world? Thinking of the Demon King’s fierce countenance, everyone shouted in unison: “Quickly! Quickly destroy this blade!”

Jin Lingshuang smiled and shook his head: “Foolish boy, do you want to get Indra killed?” Everyone looked puzzled, not understanding his meaning. Jin Lingshuang pointed at the large black cloth and said lightly: “If you want to destroy the Demon Blade, the first step is to lift this large black cloth to look at it first, then take an iron rod and heavily smash the blade. Isn’t that right, gentlemen?”

Without lifting the black cloth, naturally one couldn’t destroy the object—this was the most ordinary logic. Everyone nodded, and Jin Lingshuang smiled: “Gentlemen, back then Ouyang Nan was the first person to touch the Demon Blade. Do you know what happened to him?”

Ouyang Nan was the master of the Iron Casting Manor and also the generation’s grandmaster who forged the Divine Sword. Hearing this great name, everyone couldn’t help but feel solemn. In the quiet moment, they heard Jin Lingshuang sigh: “He went mad.” Everyone exclaimed in shock: “Mad?”

Jin Lingshuang sighed slightly: “Ten years ago, a comet crossed the sky and the East Bureau rebelled. The Demon Blade emerged during that chaos. That night, Ouyang Nan witnessed the Demon Blade’s descent but was also severely injured by the karmic fire. Did you know about this?” Years ago, the “Hongwu Heavenly Furnace” suddenly burst into flames, not only cracking the furnace body but also burning down all the forest beside it. Commander Jinteng and his seven men had long guarded the furnace gate and naturally knew this story well. However, their duty was guarding the Demon Blade, so though they heard their superior mention the story, they couldn’t speak freely. They heard Jin Lingshuang continue: “That night Ouyang Nan was severely injured and couldn’t move, but on his sickbed he tossed and turned, unable to feel at ease about that blade. The next day he ordered his disciple Gong Shi’er to bring the Demon Blade back to the manor—he wanted to personally hide it in the sword tomb.”

“Iron Casting Manor” was the martial world’s premier sword-forging family, and the current young master Ouyang Xun was even officially appointed by the court as Weapons Commissioner. Everyone listened to this story with great interest. Jin Lingshuang continued: “Gong Shi’er heard his master speak so solemnly, so the next day in the afternoon he personally went to the Heavenly Furnace to investigate. Who knew that this one look would cause trouble.” The crowd, being factory guard backgrounds, were mostly the type who took pleasure in others’ misfortunes. Hearing this, smiles appeared in their eyes as they asked: “What trouble?”

Jin Lingshuang sighed: “The Demon Blade was gone.”

“Gone?” Everyone exclaimed in unison, naturally greatly surprised. Jin Lingshuang nodded: “Exactly—gone. At that time, Gong Zhi entered the Heavenly Furnace and saw iron slag everywhere but no trace of the treasure. In his panic, he hurried to report to his master. When Ouyang Nan heard the thing had disappeared for no reason, he was naturally furious. Without listening to his disciple’s explanation, he forcibly pinned the crime of ‘guarding and stealing’ on him, severely reprimanding him and demanding he hand over the item, or else face expulsion from the school.”

Everyone heard that this Gong Shi’er was extremely unlucky and couldn’t help but laugh dryly. That “Kumbhira” called “Sunny Day Umbrella” felt a spiritual connection upon hearing this and praised: “What a Gong Shi’er! This person’s courage and insight are extraordinary—he actually dared to steal his master’s belongings! They say family thieves are hard to guard against! Impressive! Impressive! What happened next?”

Sunny Day Umbrella couldn’t see light—this “Kumbhira” was indeed full of dark thoughts. But Jin Lingshuang said coldly: “You should be careful with your words. This ‘Gong Shi’er’ is Gong Zhi. If he were such a shameless scoundrel, how could he be trusted and employed by the Grand Commander?”

Grand Commander Longshou had four personal advisors who participated in confidential matters, and Gong Zhi was one of them. No one had expected this person was actually from Changzhou’s iron-forging background with the nickname “Gong Shi’er.” That Kumbhira laughed dryly: “Aiya! Just making a few jokes—don’t misunderstand. Advisor Gong is upright in life; I knew early on he was being framed. Impressive, impressive.”

Jin Lingshuang was used to seeing people who followed the wind. Hearing him correct himself so crudely, he didn’t mind it. Just as he was about to continue, someone laughed: “Wonderful! Wonderful! I know! I know who stole the Demon Blade!” The speaker’s dharma name was “Chandira,” ranked seventh among the Twelve Divine Generals! Because his chin protruded, people in the tavern affectionately called him “Who Knows It’s Not Fortune.” Jin Lingshuang made an “oh” sound and said coldly: “You know who stole it? Let’s hear it.”

That person laughed heartily and cupped his hands: “Fourth Boss, you always don’t take credit! Looking at this method—seamless and perfect—of course you personally stole it! After succeeding, you conveniently framed Gong Shi’er. Without anyone knowing, sinister and cunning, specifically targeting human weakness—truly admirable!” Everyone heard him speak with such certainty and couldn’t help but look at Jin Lingshuang with admiration in their eyes.

Jin Lingshuang was greatly annoyed and said coldly: “What year was the tavern established?”

Everyone gasped, only then remembering that the tavern’s establishment was during the Zhengtong reign, while the Demon Blade’s emergence was during the Jingtai reign. Seeing Jin Lingshuang’s gaze full of contempt, that “Chandira” couldn’t help but blush—fortunately he wore a mask, or he would have been even more embarrassed.

“The tavern lost its horse—who knows it’s not fortune.” The fewer such stupid people the better. Just as “Chandira” embarrassed himself by speaking, “Kumbhira” took over: “That’s too bad—this case was beautifully executed, but it turns out it wasn’t our tavern’s doing. Looking at it this way, this case must have been done by Nu Cang Mountain’s ‘Imperial Bestowed Phoenix Feather,’ right?” Imperial Bestowed Phoenix Feather was deeply scheming with supreme lightness skills—if he wanted to steal and frame someone, it would be as easy as turning his hand. Everyone was about to agree when they heard Jin Lingshuang sigh: “Tang Shiqian was still the orthodox sect leader then, called ‘Azure Robed Scholar.’ He was too busy hiding his bandit identity—how would he have time to seize the Demon Blade?”

Ten years ago, Nu Cang Mountain was still ruins, with the Five Tiger Generals scattered in all directions—they indeed had no power to seize the Demon Blade. This wasn’t it, that wasn’t it—everyone opened their eyes wide and asked: “Who exactly stole it? Was it the Shaolin Abbot?”

Jin Lingshuang barely contained his patience. In his former years at Kunlun, he was second-in-command. Though the sect had those eager for quick success, there were few stupid people. Hearing a group of idiots speak one after another, he couldn’t help feeling slightly annoyed and shook his head: “Stop guessing. The Demon Blade was neither stolen by Gong Zhi through internal theft nor taken by outsiders—it was stolen by Ouyang Nan himself.”

Upon hearing this, everyone was greatly shocked and suspicious. Even the two gentlemen on the beam were slightly stunned. They heard Chandira exclaim in shock: “Isn’t this absurd? Since Ouyang Nan forged the Demon Blade, that blade belongs to him. If he wants to take it, he takes it; if he wants to throw it away, he throws it away—why would he need to steal it?”

His companion was naive and innocent. Kumbhira immediately laughed: “Still don’t understand? Ouyang Nan’s martial arts—how much does that weigh? How could he protect the Demon Blade? This is ‘openly repairing the plank road while secretly crossing Chen Cang’—openly framing his disciple while secretly hiding the Demon Blade! Haha! Haha! Brilliant, brilliant!”

Sunny Day Umbrella couldn’t see light—though Kumbhira’s heart was black, he could indeed see through all conspiracies and schemes. Everyone felt a chill in their hearts, finally understanding Ouyang Nan’s deep scheming. Thinking that he himself had no power to protect the Demon Blade, he falsely claimed the item was stolen by his disciple. In the future, if martial arts masters came to his door demanding answers, he could claim ignorance—it was indeed a brilliant strategy of removing fuel from under the cauldron.

“The tavern lost its horse—who knows it’s not fortune.” That Chandira was extremely stupid and still didn’t understand the principle, frowning as he said: “That’s not right—if this blade was stolen by himself, why did he scold his disciple? Wasn’t he afraid his disciple would rebel?”

Kumbhira laughed heartily: “Fool! Without sacrificing his own disciple’s reputation, how could he convince outsiders? This Ouyang Nan is so vicious and cruel—to protect the Demon Blade, he didn’t hesitate to let his own disciple take the blame. Speaking of it, our tavern should invite him to be our military advisor! Haha! Haha! Brilliant, brilliant!”

The most tragic thing in the world is being framed by others, especially when the person doing it is your own master. Everyone heard that Gong Zhi had become a scapegoat and couldn’t help but shake their heads secretly. Chandira was hopelessly stupid, while Kumbhira was extremely shrewd and dark. Jin Lingshuang grew more annoyed as he listened and said coldly: “You’re all wrong. Ouyang Nan did take this blade, that’s correct, but he didn’t deliberately frame Gong Zhi—he’s not that vicious.”

Everyone was greatly surprised and asked: “How do you explain this?” Jin Lingshuang said lightly: “The reasoning couldn’t be simpler—he simply didn’t know he had stolen the Demon Blade himself.” Everyone burst into laughter upon hearing this. Jin Lingshuang continued: “Back then, when I heard the Grand Innkeeper mention this matter, I was also puzzled and thought he was joking. Only after questioning Gong Shi’er did I learn the truth was indeed so.”

When he spoke, everyone quieted down again. They heard him say: “At that time, when the Demon Blade vanished without a trace, Gong Shi’er was also saddled with false accusations. He reasoned that either someone inside had acted first to steal the Demon Blade, or his master’s old eyes were dim and there actually was no treasure in the furnace at all. Finding himself under suspicion and wanting to get to the bottom of things, he found Constable Hong from the local magistrate to discuss.”

The venue was completely quiet. Even the two unexpected guests only lay motionless on the beam, all listening intently. Jin Lingshuang continued: “At that time, the East Bureau had staged a coup and the court was in chaos. The Changzhou prefect had gone north to report on his duties, so locally Gong Zhi was the most important figure. He privately found the Changzhou constable and asked him to arrange informants to closely watch everyone inside and outside the manor. He figured that while thieves might deceive people for a while, they couldn’t deceive forever—given time, they would definitely show their hand.”

Chandira chuckled foolishly: “If they show their hand, how can they be called thieves? Those are stupid thieves.”

Jin Lingshuang continued lightly: “Perhaps so. Indeed, that Constable Hong searched for a full month and couldn’t find any suspicious persons, so he had to truthfully report to the master. Gong Zhi was under his master’s suspicion but couldn’t clear himself, naturally feeling very troubled. Constable Hong comforted him: ‘Don’t panic either—I don’t think your master really suspects you, otherwise why would he personally go out every night to search for traces of the thief?'” Everyone felt a chill in their hearts, all knowing their superior had reached the crucial point. Kumbhira sneered: “The old fellow started something but didn’t finish it—now his true colors are showing.”

Jin Lingshuang nodded: “At that time, when Gong Zhi heard the inside story was like this, he naturally became alert and hurried to ask for details. Only then did he learn that his master would definitely leave the manor every night at the third watch, his movements quite secretive. But Constable Hong knew he was the victim with high status, so it wasn’t appropriate to investigate. Gong Zhi was very clever—the next night after everyone was fast asleep, he secretly followed his master. Indeed, he saw him quietly leave at midnight, but didn’t know where he was going. Gong Zhi followed his master all the way—master and disciple went one after another into the deep mountains. Only then did he see Ouyang Nan dig out a blade from underground, then hold the Demon Blade while singing and dancing joyfully for most of the night before burying the blade back.”

Everyone was puzzled, all guessing at Ouyang Nan’s intentions. Jin Lingshuang continued: “That night when Gong Zhi saw this strange behavior, he was naturally greatly surprised, not knowing what mystery his master was playing. The next day he took the opportunity to indirectly probe his master about the Demon Blade’s whereabouts. When the old man heard the word ‘treasure,’ he flew into a rage again and severely glared at his disciple.” Everyone laughed upon hearing this: “This Gong Zhi really suffered greatly from being honest.”

Jin Lingshuang sighed: “Gong Zhi was a filial person. At first he felt deeply grieved and angry, thinking he had become his master’s scapegoat. But after a few days, he sensed there were other hidden circumstances. Following his master every night, he found that not only did the old man go out nightly, but the time he spent playing with the Demon Blade grew longer and longer. Later, he would sometimes disappear for three to five days at a time, but when he returned, he was always absent-minded. When asked where he had been, he looked completely blank. At this point, Gong Zhi finally understood that his master truly didn’t know the Demon Blade’s whereabouts—because he had already lost his mind.”

Everyone discussed among themselves, many not believing. Kumbhira sneered: “Child’s fairy tale—this master and disciple are in cahoots!”

Jin Lingshuang didn’t refute but continued on his own: “In less than a year, Ouyang Nan’s day and night were reversed—sleeping until noon during the day but going out to wander at midnight like a bat. Everyone at Iron Casting Manor knew something was wrong but didn’t dare speak out, all fearing people would laugh if they heard. Gong Zhi wanted to treat his master’s illness, so he privately asked people to go to the battlefield, hoping to find the eldest young master who had been missing for a long time—perhaps familial love could awaken him.”

Many didn’t know Ouyang Nan had a son. Hearing of Gong Zhi’s filial heart, they all felt ashamed. Chandira chuckled: “What happened next? Did Fourth Boss steal the Demon Blade?”

Jin Lingshuang glanced at him sideways and shook his head: “Heaven didn’t comply with human wishes. Though Gong Zhi was filial, the court and Nu Cang chose to wage war—great disaster struck the world. The junior brother couldn’t return home, and the master could only continue his normal days and crazy nights. After Nu Cang rose and the dynasty changed, Ouyang Nan’s madness grew worse daily. One day he brazenly carried the Demon Blade home, saying he would destroy Shaolin to the north and eliminate Nu Cang to the west, proclaiming himself Martial Arts Alliance Leader. At that time, the master’s strength was terrifyingly great—dozens of people couldn’t hold him back. Gong Zhi was scared senseless. Hearing that this dynasty’s foremost martial artist, the Grand Commander, happened to be in Jiangnan, he hurriedly sought his help. The True Dragon then acted, subduing Ouyang Nan in one move, and news of the Demon Blade finally spread.”

Everyone showed respect upon hearing of the Grand Commander’s intervention. This person’s martial arts were supremely high—though he didn’t claim to be number one in the world, he wasn’t far from it. They figured that even if Ouyang Nan held the Divine Sword in his left hand and Demon Blade in his right, he would still be beaten into looking for his teeth on the ground.

Jin Lingshuang continued: “After Lord Wu subdued Ouyang Nan, he brought the Demon Blade back to Beijing. Seeing this blade was full of evil energy, he wanted to destroy it. However, after delaying for half a year, every time he found craftsmen to act, these craftsmen would steal and pilfer, instead causing countless incidents. The Grand Commander knew he couldn’t control the Demon Blade and feared his family members would be tempted by the evil object. With no other choice, he handed this blade over to the tavern for the Grand Innkeeper to personally guard.”

Strange events kept occurring. Everyone stole glances at the large black cloth, thinking of the Demon Blade’s miraculous nature. Though their hearts felt fear, they also secretly harbored anticipation, hoping they could personally witness the Demon Blade’s true appearance. Though they had no ulterior motives, being able to look at it and touch it would make this trip worthwhile.

Jin Lingshuang continued: “The Demon Blade dominates the seven emotions and six desires—anyone who sees its demonic light cannot help but want to possess it. However, even if the Demon Blade were a hundred times more miraculous, it still couldn’t affect the Grand Innkeeper. He wields the Divine Sword and is the only person in the world unaffected by temptation. Because of this, he doesn’t fear the Demon Blade like Grand Commander Wu. He immediately conceived the idea of hiding it in the Heavenly Furnace for use in future great battles.”

Everyone nodded in agreement, seeing that this blade’s power was indeed extraordinary—it could even influence battles a thousand li away. Thinking of the settled battle of Xiangyang, they secretly praised the Grand Innkeeper’s far-sighted wisdom. However, though they praised him, thinking of the approaching cripple, they couldn’t help but feel afraid and asked one after another: “Fourth Boss, when will the Grand Innkeeper arrive?”

With the Demon Blade emerged and the Demon King approaching, while the Grand Commander was at the front lines, they could only rely on the Grand Innkeeper to act and restrain the demon head.

Seeing everyone holding their breath in anticipation, Jin Lingshuang shook his head: “Sorry, the Grand Innkeeper is very busy and has no time to come.” Everyone was dumbfounded upon hearing this, looking at each other in panic: “No time… what… what is he busy with?”

Jin Lingshuang said lightly: “He said he had to go see a peerless beauty. I’m afraid he can’t spare the time.” Kumbhira exclaimed in shock: “Beauty… beauty? Who… who is she?” Jin Lingshuang shook his head: “I don’t know. The Grand Innkeeper didn’t mention her name, and it wasn’t convenient for me to ask.”

Damn… we’re dead…

Over these ten years, countless legends about the “cripple” had circulated. It was said this person killed everything—men, women, old, young, flying, crawling—regardless of gender or species. Once any creature challenged him, they were chopped up like cutting melons and vegetables. In the entire world, except for Grand Commander Longshou himself, no one dared face him in single combat. Pitifully, story after story passed down from surviving masters always left listeners sleepless at night, finally forcing the court to issue a prohibition strictly forbidding mention of this person’s name—otherwise, if soldiers harbored fear, how could they face the Demon King’s army in the future? Thinking of having to deal with the Demon King alone, the black-clothed ghosts were instantly grief-stricken. Those without masks had faces like storm clouds, while those with masks felt their ancestors hadn’t accumulated virtue, which was why they’d encountered such terrible luck.

“Damn your mother!” Suddenly rapid footsteps rang out as a master charged forward, shouting: “I’ve been charging into battle at the front while the Grand Innkeeper is in the rear screwing women! Either way we die! Today I’m determined to rebel!” Swish, swish, swish—golden light flashed as six golden rings flew from his hands straight toward the large black cloth. The newcomer was fighting desperately, actually trying to seize the Demon Blade. He roared: “Everyone charge! Either way we die, sooner or later we die—better to kill this lackey surnamed Jin than face Qin Zhonghai!”

A truly formidable master had arrived. The black-clothed youth was greatly excited, knowing the newcomer was “Zhuge Tianhuan” from Second Boss’s command, ranked ninth in the tavern. Relying on his “Zhuge Nine-Ring Chain” technique, this person had fought through Sichuan undefeated—even Emei’s sect leader Yan Song had been defeated by him, showing his martial prowess.

In an instant, Zhuge Tianhuan threw six golden rings straight at the black cloth. He himself protected his body with double rings, somersaulting through the air and leaping above the black cloth, ready to lift the cloth and seize the blade at any moment.

“Tomb Guardian Beasts…” Jin Lingshuang folded his hands in his sleeves and said lightly: “Form the array.”

Six black cables flashed past, cables and rings intersecting with six simultaneous chimes as one sound, actually batting the six golden rings back. Zhuge Tianhuan knew his life hung by a thread, so he desperately risked everything. Rather than dodging the golden rings, he reached out to lift the black cloth.

Once the Demon Blade was in hand, the strong and weak would reverse positions. With the divine power of the world’s number one blade, Zhuge Tianhuan would surely be able to turn the entire situation around.

“Commander Jinteng…” Jin Lingshuang frowned and sighed, shaking his head: “Capture him.”

A light hum passed as Commander Jinteng brought out his blood pipa, extending his hand to pluck the strings. The shot was already fired, about to kill and seal his throat with blood. Zhuge Tianhuan angrily said: “Little mud doll toy! Get lost!” The golden ring in his hand flashed—large ring birthing small ring, splitting in two. With a clang, the double rings interlocked, actually catching the string in mid-air with extremely precise timing.

Commander Jinteng’s string was locked while his opponent’s form was already falling, about to land on the black cloth at any moment. Suddenly Commander Jinteng extended his finger and lightly plucked—the music lingered as his hand transmitted a fierce internal force. The string, originally twisted by the double rings, now shot up like a venomous snake, striking directly at his opponent’s chest. To save his life, Zhuge Tianhuan had no choice but to fly backward to dodge, but was also forced away from the Demon Blade.

Seeing his opponent falling to the ground, suddenly a loud twang rang out—four strings snapping like tearing silk. Commander Jinteng stood holding his pipa to shield his face, actually playing a tune of “Ambush from Ten Sides.” The music rose loudly, clamorous and urgent, five strings flying like dense rain. In a flash, a figure moved swiftly—the Guangling guest first shook off the mother-child golden rings, then his form spun like a dance, leaping up, spinning, flying kicks, his right foot lifting back to strike squarely at his enemy’s chest.

Looking at this Commander’s vague appearance, there was nothing vague about his skills—no wonder the Grand Innkeeper had invited him to guard the Karmic Fire Demon Blade. The black-clothed youth secretly admired: “Good skills—this Twenty-three’s martial arts aren’t too bad.” For the black-clothed youth, who diligently cultivated with excessive pride, to call someone “not too bad” meant they had reached the martial world’s first-class level.

Zhuge Tianhuan was ranked ninth, but now his body flew backward while Commander Jinteng’s martial arts were actually slightly superior. Having defeated Ninth Boss, he couldn’t help but raise his arms and cheer: “Brilliant!” Just as he was celebrating victory, he was shocked to see Zhuge Tianhuan’s body flying down toward the large black cloth. His heart jumped in alarm as he frantically cried: “Terrible!”

Though defeated, Zhuge Tianhuan remained composed and was about to lift the black cloth when suddenly six long cables shot out, controlling the traitor in mid-air. Zhuge Tianhuan’s limbs were captured, with two cables choking his neck from left and right, forcing his tongue out—they could snap his neck at any moment.

The Six Paths of Reincarnation Array! The final mechanism appeared with such swift momentum. Though the black-clothed youth considered his martial arts formidable, seeing the strict precision of the six-person formation, he was greatly shocked. It was said these six people, to achieve mental synchronization, had destroyed their own eyes, so when they attacked together there were no gaps, displaying supreme power. It seemed that to successfully seize the blade on this trip, there would be countless troubles.

Just as he was pondering how to deal with the enemy crowd, he suddenly saw the white-clothed warrior turn his face toward him, his lips moving slightly as he softly spoke two words…

Rest… rest… thank you? The black-clothed youth was greatly surprised, not knowing what he was thankful for. Just then, a tremendous crack rang out—somehow the great beam seemed to have been slashed, mud and sand falling as the roof beam broke. The black-clothed youth was greatly startled, instantly feeling empty space beneath his feet as he fell. Looking again, the white-clothed warrior had already vanished without a trace. The white-clothed warrior had used him as a scapegoat. The black-clothed youth was naturally furious, but before he could react, he heard an angry roar: “There’s an assassin!”

The gentleman on the beam was exposed. Below the beam immediately erupted in angry shouts. With a clang, a cold sword was drawn—Jin Lingshuang himself had already leaped up to attack. Though this person was over sixty, his movements were as agile as a youth’s. With just one leap, his sword tip darted like a snake’s tongue, enveloping his entire surroundings with extremely fierce momentum. Looking at the other black-clothed ghosts, they had also jumped up—iron umbrellas, iron pestles, iron hammers all flashing as they surrounded the black-clothed youth.

At this moment, weapons surrounded him from all directions. The Six Paths of Reincarnation Array and that blood pipa flanked him, ready to wound him at any moment. The black-clothed youth was falling from mid-air while Jin Lingshuang had already flown straight up—one falling, one rising, they would meet face to face within three chi. The black-clothed youth remained calm in crisis. He leaned back in mid-air, both hands shooting out ropes to hook the air window. With a pull and jerk, his entire body flashed with purple lightning as his form shot out through the window like an arrow.

Bang! Wood chips flew as the air window was smashed into a large hole. Shouts arose outside the temple as several scouts on the eaves were kicked down by the enemy. The masters in the temple were shocked and were about to pursue when Jin Lingshuang suddenly raised his hand and shouted: “Tomb Guardian Beasts form array! Commander Jinteng guard the blade! The rest guard all entrances and exits inside and outside the ancient temple!” Everyone suddenly realized the strategy of “luring the tiger from the mountain”—if the temple was empty with no one guarding the Demon Blade, that would be terrible. With Jin Lingshuang’s orders given, he sheathed his sword and turned toward the mountain god statue.

At this moment, if one wanted to steal the Demon Blade, there was no easier place than behind the divine statue. “Kumbhira” and others followed to escort him. The group came to the rear of the divine statue and immediately let out low exclamations.

Red bricks covered the ground—behind the divine statue, the temple wall had a large hole broken through it. Snow danced in with the wind, not yet accumulated on the ground, indicating this hole was recently made. Everyone suddenly understood there had been two assassins total—one was the decoy, the other was the real target. If Jin Lingshuang had been alert a moment later, the Demon Blade would have been stolen. The group leaped through the wall hole to search for suspicious clues.

Broken bricks and tiles covered the ground in chaos. Jin Lingshuang carefully examined the surroundings. He saw one brick completely intact and immediately bent down to pick it up. The front of the brick had received a blade mark—the force was heavy and deep. Though the brick body wasn’t damaged, it had caused the surrounding bricks and stones to collapse.

“Chandira” was the most timid. Suddenly seeing such blade technique, he couldn’t help but exclaim in shock: “Fourth Boss! This… could it be Qin… that… that monster has come?” Jin Lingshuang remained unmoved. He beckoned someone over—it was Zhaoduluo, ranked first among the Twelve Divine Generals.

Zhaoduluo had a gloomy face with large ears like a rat. Because he was less than five chi tall, the Grand Innkeeper secretly nicknamed him “Clear at a Glance.” Openly it meant his form was small and could be seen at a glance, but secretly it praised his reliable work—everything was clear at a glance to him.

Though Zhaoduluo’s appearance wasn’t impressive, his behavior was extremely composed—he seemed like a true factory guard talent. Jin Lingshuang bent down and whispered: “How are Her Highness’s movements?” Zhaoduluo leaned over and whispered: “Reports from branch halls everywhere—some say she’s in Jiujiang, others say she appeared in Shandong. No one can say for certain.”

The two conversed in low voices for a few sentences. Jin Lingshuang took paper and brush, hastily wrote a few words, then sealed it with fire lacquer and handed it to Zhaoduluo. The crowd had long been in the tavern—seeing Fourth Boss so careful, they figured he was contacting Beijing. Kumbhira said happily: “Fourth Boss, are you calling for reinforcements?” Jin Lingshuang said lightly: “A message going back and forth takes at least twenty hours—who can I ask for reinforcements at this moment?”

Everyone’s hearts turned cold—all their spirits deflated. Chandira gasped: “Fourth Boss, who exactly has come?” Jin Lingshuang picked up the brick and said lightly: “Don’t worry—this isn’t the Fire Greed blade, but the second-ranked blade.” Everyone wondered: “Second?”

Jin Lingshuang sighed: “The Emperor of Blades, Topaz Jade. Last month the Grand Innkeeper sent urgent messages to all branch halls welcoming a great personage. Perhaps we’ve encountered this group.” Hearing the newcomer’s identity was such, everyone became even more wary. Thinking that one demon head could already take their little lives, yet there was still a mysterious “great personage” coming to covet the divine object—their hearts all trembled.

Dying for the country was death, killing superiors was also death. Kumbhira, called “Sunny Day Umbrella,” naturally didn’t want to sit and wait for death. He said in a trembling voice: “Fourth Boss, with strong enemies approaching… do we… do we still have reinforcements?”

With morale shaken, Jin Lingshuang had no intention of explaining further. He just glanced at everyone and asked: “What are you afraid of?” Everyone mumbled and stammered, one by one lowering their heads with no response. Jin Lingshuang continued: “Let me ask you—if you had to fight Yang or Qin in single combat, who would you choose as your opponent?” The Rage King was fierce and terrifying, the Grand Innkeeper sinister and vicious—neither was easy to deal with. Seeing everyone shrinking back in silence with no one able to answer, Jin Lingshuang waved his hand and said lightly: “Seventh Boss, you choose for them.”

“Narakaya!” A roar came from behind as Seventh Boss stepped into horse stance, pressed his palms together, and struck with divine Buddhist power toward the ancient temple’s brick wall.

Under Fourth Boss’s gaze, a muffled sound passed as the brick wall showed hidden cracks. Cracking sounds emerged as dark energy spread like vines in all directions. In moments, the entire stone wall was covered with cracks like a demon’s face, frightening the black-clothed crowd to retreat together.

Seventh Boss ceased his power and slowly exhaled a long breath. His arms were crossed with the right arm on top, both palms pressing thumbs lightly against little fingernails while the remaining fingers formed trident shapes—this was one of Buddhism’s secret methods, the Vignaraja Great Mudra. Though the venue was full of masters who could crush bluestone or break swords bare-handed, such fierce dark energy was something they’d never seen in their lives.

The black-clothed crowd was so frightened they forgot to cheer. Kumbhira laughed dryly: “Fourth Boss, this… is this Narakaya?”

Jin Lingshuang said lightly: “Correct. Eighteen Hells Sutra—one level, one move of the Great Mudra.” He glanced at Seventh Boss and asked: “Hell has eighteen levels total—which level has Seventh reached?” Seventh Boss answered loudly: “Limited by my aptitude and tolerance, I can only reach the ninth level.”

Jin Lingshuang smiled slightly and patted “Kumbhira’s” shoulder, saying softly: “Understand? ‘If I don’t enter hell, who will?’ Our leader has even descended to the eighteenth level of hell. If you choose his side, what is there to fear?”

How could the figures who unified the court’s three great factions be ordinary? Thinking of the Grand Innkeeper’s methods, the black-clothed crowd naturally broke into cold sweats. But though they were afraid, thinking that enemies feared him equally, they felt somewhat fortunate.

It was afternoon. The large force said no more and immediately set out. The six Tomb Guardian Beasts wore ropes at their waists, dragging the Demon Blade along the ground. The others each had their duties—vanguard, center, rear guard—departing in batches.

The main force had left, but Jin Lingshuang was careful and still left several scouts behind. Before and behind the temple, inside and outside, scouts were stationed everywhere to keep watch. Heavy snow fell in complete silence. In the distance, the small stream was frozen solid, snowflakes piling layer upon layer—one inch, two inches, three inches, growing higher and higher. The scouts came and went but refused to leave.

One incense stick, two incense sticks—just as it reached three incense sticks, suddenly a sharp crack rang out. The thick ice broke as a dripping wet zombie sat up from the stream. This person wore a black hood, his face covered with ice and snow, his body encrusted with a thin layer of ice. He forcefully pulled off his mask and looked up, coughing violently—he’d nearly drowned.

He waited a full two incense sticks’ time before the last scout finally left. Jin Lingshuang was indeed deeply scheming and thoroughly reliable in his work.

The black-clothed youth’s hands and feet were stiff as he barely rolled out of the frozen stream, slowly getting up and moving his limbs to drive away the cold.

That had been extremely dangerous. Just now the ancient temple was full of masters—Fourth Boss and Seventh Boss joining forces, plus six Tomb Guardian Beasts flanking them. Even if his martial arts were twice as high, he could never have escaped. That’s why he had to hide.

After practicing a set of boxing forms, the black-clothed youth gradually drove the cold qi from his body. He looked sideways at the ancient temple and saw the mud wall covered with cracks like a giant spider web crawling across the entire temple wall.

“Narakaya?” The black-clothed youth made an “oh” sound and nodded slightly. He stared at the ruined temple when suddenly his childish heart stirred. He raised his right fist, set his horse stance, instantly exhaled and called out. With a thunderous dragon’s roar, his straight punch had already struck out through the air.

Purple light emanated as his fist force created a fierce wind. Where its power passed, white snow on the ground scattered, actually forced into a long trail by the fist wind. The black-clothed youth pulled back his fist and said lightly: “Shaolin’s forbidden divine technique…” The fist wind struck the temple gate as he laughed heartily: “Worth witnessing!”

His laughter rose as the fierce fist wind struck through the air at the wall bricks. The first brick rolled down under the force, the second collapsed following it, the third fell and scattered, the fourth, the fifth… In moments, smoke and dust filled the air, beams and pillars broke, and the entire ancient temple was actually destroyed by the black-clothed youth’s single punch, becoming a pile of ruins.

The ancient temple was old and poorly maintained. First it suffered damage when the white-clothed warrior crashed through the wall, then Seventh Boss’s divine technique cracked the bricks, and finally it took the black-clothed youth’s punch—it finally collapsed completely and was no more. The black-clothed youth laughed heartily. Having exercised his muscles and bones, he was again that tiger-leopard brimming with energy. He went to search for the underground fire-burned traces, preparing to track them.

After searching repeatedly for a long time, the underground fire marks had lost their trail. The black-clothed youth wasn’t panicked or hurried—he just took out an oiled silk pouch from his chest, opened it carefully and reverently, then lowered his head to read: “Son of the True Dragon… to seek the initiative, you should head north to Yangzhou for thorough arrangements… respectfully wishing you success…”

“Ten Ministers Against Yang: Shan, Mu, Yi, Yong, Ren.”

In this treacherous human court, majestic as high mountains, with Nu Cang surging like great seas, even this slip of paper was like a desert mirage—constantly giving travelers hope yet constantly leading them to stumble into quicksand.

No need to trust anyone. This body was like a lone boat on a moonlit night. To break through the vast ocean ahead, he could only rely on his own fists and feet.

With this thought, his dragon claw clenched tight. Where his power reached, he had already crushed the silk pouch into handful of fragments.

He removed his mask and looked north. Though his dark face was young and immature, it also showed great ambition and fearlessness.

The third station of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, called Moon City—Yangzhou. There lay the Demon Blade, the Demon King, the white-clothed warrior, the National Iron Guard… In short, no matter how many guests came to this New Year’s Eve gathering around the furnace, he would not be absent.

Soundlessly, two cold lights slowly emerged from his sleeves—they were two sleeve swords.

Dragon fangs appeared, sharp and extraordinary. He inspected the short swords in his sleeves, checked the iron whip at his waist, and seeing all his weapons complete and intact, immediately set out to leave.