The group had traveled all night. Though the people could still endure, the horses were already exhausted.

Lingyin said, “Let’s release these animals and continue on foot.”

Wu Dingyuan replied, “Master, if we release the horses, I fear Kunlun Mountain will more easily track our whereabouts.”

Lingyin pondered and said, “What does the benefactor think we should do?”

Wu Dingyuan said, “Killing these animals and throwing them into a deep ravine would be the best strategy.”

Lingyin chanted a Buddhist invocation, shaking his head repeatedly, and said solemnly, “Benefactor Wu, all living beings are equal. How can we carelessly break the precept against killing! This old monk cannot agree.”

Wu Dingyuan lowered his head without speaking and could only walk on foot with the monks.

After another half day, it was already noon. Everyone was exhausted and could barely take another step when they suddenly saw a grand mansion in the distance – it was the “Iron Sword Manor.” Several young monks cheered loudly, supporting each other as they walked toward the main gate.

Wu Dingyuan called out clearly, “Xiliang constable Wu Dingyuan seeks an audience with Manor Master Li.”

After a long while, a steward-like person opened the door. Wu Dingyuan stepped forward and handed him the note that Zhi Guan had given him, saying, “We come recommended by Master Zhi Guan from White Dragon Mountain to visit Manor Master Li. Here is a note written personally by Master Zhi Guan. Please present it to your manor’s master.”

The steward took the note and turned to go inside. Wu Dingyuan noticed his light and agile steps, clearly indicating martial arts skills, thinking that “Iron Sword Manor” must be quite extraordinary.

After a moment, the steward emerged and said, “Our manor master invites you all in. Please enter.”

Wu Dingyuan and Lingyin exchanged glances and walked in side by side.

Entering the hall, they saw carved beams and painted rafters, golden and brilliant decorations, with extremely luxurious furnishings. A tall, robust elderly man with a ruddy complexion came forward to greet them – this must be Manor Master Li Tieshan. Indeed, they heard him say, “I am Li Tieshan. Which one is Constable Wu?”

Wu Dingyuan stepped forward and said, “I am Wu Dingyuan from Xiliang. I deeply regret disturbing the manor master’s peace.”

The two men sat down, and servants brought refreshments. Having been hungry for a day and night, everyone began eating voraciously. The group of monks ate and drank like ravenous ghosts, causing the servants to look on in amazement.

Li Tieshan was about to speak when he suddenly noticed a look of surprise on Lingyin’s ruddy face and asked, “At which precious monastery do these masters cultivate? Constable Wu, could you introduce them to this old man?”

Wu Dingyuan knew that Lingyin was reluctant to interact much with Li Tieshan and didn’t know how to respond for a moment.

Lingyin, unwilling to put Wu Dingyuan in a difficult position and even less willing to deceive Li Tieshan with lies, said frankly, “This old monk is Lingyin from Shaolin. I pay my respects to Benefactor Li.”

Wu Dingyuan was startled to hear Lingyin reveal his identity. This Li Tieshan was formerly of the Nu Cang Mountain faction – how could he sit at the same table as a holy monk from a prestigious orthodox sect? He feared that if the two disagreed, they might end up fighting.

Who would have thought that upon hearing the name “Lingyin,” Li Tieshan suddenly nodded and said blandly, “So it is Master Lingyin who honors us with his presence. Master, your compassionate nature is something I have long admired. Please forgive my failure to welcome you properly.”

Wu Dingyuan heard his courteous words but didn’t dare relax his guard, remaining secretly alert.

Since the Shaolin monks had been traveling day and night, they were already exhausted, barely managing to sit or stand. Li Tieshan, seeing the young monks were severely tired, ordered his servants to take them to rest first, while he invited Lingyin and Wu Dingyuan to discuss matters in his study.

Wu Dingyuan was still worried and whispered, “Master, I think we should rest for one night and then leave, not causing more trouble.”

Lingyin said, “Since we’re here, let’s make the best of it. There’s no need to keep people at arm’s length.” With that, he entered the study. Seeing his composure, Wu Dingyuan had no choice but to follow.

Upon entering the study, Li Tieshan immediately said, “Brother Wu, how did you come by this note?”

Wu Dingyuan briefly explained how Kunlun Mountain had robbed the escort and slaughtered the family, how he had gone to White Dragon Mountain to see Zhi Guan, and how they had been pursued by Kunlun Mountain. Li Tieshan sighed and shook his head, saying, “Zhi Guan, ah Zhi Guan! This old man is already a useless person. Why must you drag me into this again?”

Wu Dingyuan, seeing his melancholy expression, quickly said, “To be frank with you, senior, Master Zhi Guan originally didn’t want to meddle in this affair, but Hero Fang, the ‘Nine Provinces Sword King,’ thought highly of me and entrusted him with a brocade pouch, which is how I obtained this note.” He thought that the “Nine Provinces Sword King” was such an important figure that mentioning his name would surely bring more assistance.

Indeed, upon hearing the four words “Nine Provinces Sword King,” Li Tieshan’s entire body trembled. He took out the note and read in a low voice, “The iron sword’s character should still remain, not betraying the brotherhood of Nu Cang.” His eyes became distant as he continued, “Brothers! It’s been twenty years since we’ve all met…” He was lost in thought for a moment, then his eyes suddenly blazed with extraordinary light as he said loudly, “Brother Wu! Though Li has long stayed out of worldly affairs, Kunlun Mountain is so arrogant, and with new grievances added to old ones, how can I stand by and watch? You two can rest assured – this matter is something I will definitely handle.”

Wu Dingyuan, hearing him speak this way, felt both joy and worry. He was happy that Li Tieshan was willing to help, increasing their chances of survival, but worried that Li Tieshan came from an improper background as a bandit, and if he owed him a favor, there might be endless trouble in the future. But with his life in danger, how could he be picky? He could only wait and see.

Li Tieshan asked, “Brother Wu, what masters has Kunlun Mountain sent this time?”

Wu Dingyuan didn’t know much about Kunlun Mountain’s situation and couldn’t answer. Lingyin interjected, “This old monk has crossed hands with various Kunlun people these past two days. Among them is one called ‘Sword Shadow’ Qian Lingyi, whose ‘Invisible Sword Shadow’ technique is quite formidable.”

Li Tieshan sneered, “That little brat is still alive! With that piece of scrap metal, he’s been mixing around in the jianghu and still hasn’t been killed by anyone. If he dares cause trouble at my manor this time, I’ll make his ‘Sword Shadow’ disappear forever.” Li Tieshan seemed to harbor deep resentment against Kunlun Mountain, never speaking well of them.

Lingyin continued, “This Qian Lingyi isn’t hard to deal with. What this old monk worries about are ‘Sword Cold’ Jin Lingshuang and ‘Sword Gu’ Tu Lingxin.”

Li Tieshan said, “These two have considerable martial skills, especially that Jin Lingshuang. I’ve crossed hands with him several times in the past. Hmph! But that’s nothing special!”

Wu Dingyuan, hearing Li Tieshan speak as if he was completely confident in dealing with Jin Lingshuang, Tu Lingxin, Qian Lingyi and others, thought to himself, “This Manor Master Li has quite a big mouth.”

After a moment, Li Tieshan asked again, “Master, who else from Kunlun Mountain have you fought with?”

Lingyin shook his head, “No one else, just these few people.”

Li Tieshan grunted and nodded, “As long as Zhuo Lingzhao hasn’t come, everything can be handled.”

When Lingyin and Wu Dingyuan heard him mention Zhuo Lingzhao, his voice actually trembled slightly, showing he was both excited and apprehensive. Both were puzzled, wondering why he was so contemptuous of other Kunlun Mountain people yet so concerned about Zhuo Lingzhao.

Wu Dingyuan asked, “From what Manor Master Li says, is this Zhuo Lingzhao very formidable?”

Li Tieshan shook his head and sighed, “If this Zhuo Lingzhao were to take action personally, we wouldn’t need to fight at all. We’d probably have to flee overnight.”

Lingyin had fought with various Kunlun people and, considering his own martial power combined with Li Tieshan’s “Nine Iron Sword Forms,” thought that while he didn’t dare claim certain victory against the Kunlun disciples, protecting everyone’s lives should be more than sufficient.

Seeing Li Tieshan’s worried expression, he couldn’t help but say, “Benefactor Li, Kunlun Mountain indeed has many masters, but if this old monk were to face Jin Lingshuang, Tu Lingxin and others individually, there’s no possibility of defeat. Now with our combined strength, even if that Zhuo Lingzhao came personally, we wouldn’t suffer a crushing defeat. Why should the benefactor worry?”

Li Tieshan smiled slightly and said, “Master, how do my martial skills compare to yours?”

Lingyin thought for a while. He knew Li Tieshan was famous for his fierce and powerful sword techniques. After pondering, he said, “We are evenly matched.”

Li Tieshan said, “Master, you flatter me too much. If I were to fight you, I could probably last about five hundred moves before being defeated.”

Lingyin pressed his palms together and said, “The benefactor is too modest.”

Li Tieshan said, “At this critical moment, would I speak nonsense?”

He pondered for a moment and said, “I won’t hide it from you both. I once fought with Zhuo Lingzhao and only lasted this long.” He then held up one finger.

Lingyin guessed, “One thousand moves?” Wu Dingyuan said, “One hundred moves?” Both their voices were quite bitter.

Li Tieshan shook his head. Lingyin and Wu Dingyuan cried out together, “One move!” Their voices were filled with terror.

But Li Tieshan shook his head again. He said, “Not one move, but one sword stroke. The outcome was decided before even one complete move was made.”

Though Lingyin’s cultivation was profound, he couldn’t help but exclaim, “One sword stroke? Impossible!”

Li Tieshan smiled bitterly, “It really was one sword stroke!” He then recounted what had happened years ago—

That year, Li Tieshan had just arrived in Xiliang and, over a minor dispute, fought with Kunlun disciples, injuring quite a few. Several days later, “Sword Shadow” Qian Lingyi accompanied Sect Master Zhuo Lingzhao to settle the score.

At that time, Li Tieshan heard that Zhuo Lingzhao’s nickname was actually “Sword God” and flew into a rage, demanding that Zhuo Lingzhao give up that title. Li Tieshan was himself a famous swordsman, using a heavy, thick iron sword that was twice as long as ordinary swords. With his powerful internal energy channeled through the sword, swordsmen who relied on speed and finesse usually couldn’t last ten moves against him. Yet someone dared call himself “Sword God” in his presence? Li Tieshan drew his great iron sword and demanded his opponent also reveal his weapon. Who would have thought that Zhuo Lingzhao would casually break off a willow branch and intended to use that extremely soft willow branch to block his incomparably fierce Iron Sword Nine Forms.

Li Tieshan had said to Zhuo Lingzhao at the time, “I was born with tremendous arm strength and have unique internal energy secrets. If you seek death so blindly, don’t blame me for not warning you first!” With his lifetime reputation at stake, he channeled all his power into the sword and struck down with full force!

Lingyin knew that Li Tieshan had once split a large bell, shocking the world, but knowing Li Tieshan had suffered a crushing defeat in this encounter, he said, “Did he use the willow branch to strike pressure points on your body?”

Li Tieshan shook his head.

Lingyin said again, “Did he use soft force to deflect your iron sword and then injure you with palm power?”

Li Tieshan remained silent. He found a large wooden box in the study, opened it, and said, “See for yourself!”

In the box lay an eight-foot-long iron sword. The blade was already cracked, and at the tip was a fissure with a small willow branch firmly wedged inside!

Wu Dingyuan and Lingyin looked at each other, both horrified. To deflect this iron sword with a soft willow branch was already world-shaking martial arts. But to use such a tender willow branch to directly withstand this forty-to-fifty-pound iron sword’s full-force strike and even crack the blade – such pure internal power was truly inconceivable.

Lingyin asked in amazement, “How old is this person?”

Li Tieshan said, “Black beard and hair, about fifty years old, seemingly even younger than Jin Lingshuang by a few years.”

Wu Dingyuan asked, “Manor Master Li, how long ago did you fight this person?”

Li Tieshan calculated the years and months, “About three years ago! I was looking for a friend in the Western Regions. I didn’t find my friend but encountered this person instead.”

Lingyin picked up a sheet of white paper from the table and took a deep breath. The originally curved and soft paper now seemed to come alive, gradually stiffening as Lingyin channeled his internal energy into it. He struck down with force – “thud!” – and it cut into the table’s edge. The table was made of hard sandalwood, yet Lingyin could cut into its surface with a thin sheet of paper – such skill was truly astonishing.

Li Tieshan placed his palm on the table and channeled his internal energy. Lingyin tried again, and this time the thin paper tore, but it also cut a groove in the table’s edge.

Li Tieshan said, “Master’s skill is indeed extraordinary.”

But Lingyin sighed, “Zhuo Lingzhao’s power is still above mine. It seems only my senior brother could match him in battle.”

Everyone fell silent, knowing that if “Sword God” Zhuo Lingzhao came personally, this battle would surely end in defeat.

Wu Dingyuan suddenly said, “Master, when will reinforcements from your sect arrive?”

Lingyin counted on his fingers, “My senior brothers are far away at the main temple on Mount Song. No one knows I’m here, and even if they knew, it would take more than twenty days to travel from Mount Song to here.”

Wu Dingyuan thought, “Kunlun Mountain is pursuing us only to kill me. Why should I drag Master and the others down with me?”

After pondering, he said, “Master, Manor Master Li, I think Kunlun Mountain only wants to kill me. I’ll take my leave now and lead them away.”

Lingyin shook his head, “Benefactor Wu, Kunlun Mountain slaughtered my Shaolin disciples. How can this old monk let that pass? Moreover, the benefactor has a benevolent heart, and this old monk cannot allow you to be killed by these villains.”

Li Tieshan also said, “You are a guest recommended by my old friend Zhi Guan. I have a responsibility to protect you. Don’t speak of this again.”

Wu Dingyuan, seeing both men’s deep sense of loyalty, was moved and swept away all his reservations about Li Tieshan, thinking, “So be it. They treat me this way – even if I, Wu Dingyuan, die here today, this life won’t have been in vain.”

He was a cautious person who always planned before acting and rarely took risks. But with the current situation, apart from following Li Tieshan and Lingyin’s suggestions, there seemed to be no other choice.

When he had encountered the Yanling Escort Agency case, how could he have foreseen today’s outcome of losing his position and fleeing for his life? If he had known the difficulty of this case then, would he still have shouldered this great burden without hesitation? Perhaps even he himself wouldn’t know.

Li Tieshan and Lingyin then agreed to rest that night and set out at dawn. After leaving the manor, Li Tieshan would personally escort Lingyin and the others to Chang’an. Firstly, that area was within Shaolin Temple’s sphere of influence with many allies, so his companionship wouldn’t be needed; secondly, Li Tieshan’s identity was special, and he had past grudges with Central Plains martial artists, so to avoid complications, he would only accompany them as far as Chang’an.

Originally, Lingyin and Li Tieshan were on opposing sides – one righteous, one evil – incompatible as fire and water. One was a venerable high monk from a prestigious orthodox sect, the other a proud, eccentric hero who had once killed and rebelled. Yet now, facing a common enemy, they set aside all prejudices. Wu Dingyuan, witnessing this, felt an indescribable warmth.

Li Tieshan gave orders to hire more than ten large carts and purchase dozens of good horses for changing mounts along the way. He also had the manor’s valuables packed properly to avoid running short of travel funds. Seeing all matters, great and small, properly arranged, everyone went to rest. But with the tense situation, that night everyone slept fitfully, constantly waking, unable to rest peacefully.

By dawn, the Shaolin monks and Iron Sword Manor servants had all packed properly. Without time for breakfast, they opened the manor gates and prepared to leave.

Walking into the courtyard, Wu Dingyuan saw that Li Tieshan was abandoning his estate for his sake and felt grateful, sighing, “Manor Master Li, for the sake of insignificant me, you’re willing to give up this vast estate. How can Wu Dingyuan ever repay you?”

Li Tieshan smiled slightly, “To save the life of a good man, what does this bit of property matter? Besides, Li has deep-seated hatred with Kunlun Mountain. Sooner or later, we must fight to the death. Brother, don’t take these small matters to heart.”

Wu Dingyuan sighed and nodded, determined that if he survived this time, he would certainly repay Li Tieshan and Lingyin’s kindness in the future.

The group had just opened the main gate and was about to leave when a servant suddenly cried out and retreated inside. Everyone asked in alarm, “What’s wrong?” The servant pointed outside, his face pale as death, stammering speechlessly.

Lingyin and Li Tieshan exchanged glances and hurried out to look. Suddenly a gust of wind blew, scattering fresh blood everywhere, and they saw a severed head hanging at the gate!

Lingyin said in horror, “What… what is this?”

The head had closed eyes, blood at the corners of its mouth, and white whiskers all dyed red with fresh blood. Its death was extremely tragic. Everyone was panicking when they heard someone cry out and rush forward, embracing the head and weeping loudly, “Old Huang! Old Huang! I’m sorry! It’s all my fault…”

This person wept like rain, his expression grief-stricken and furious – it was Wu Dingyuan.

The deceased’s head belonged to the old coroner Huang Ji. He had long served as coroner in Liangzhou and was both teacher and friend to Wu Dingyuan. Though retired, he had been persuaded by Wu Dingyuan to come out for the Yanling Escort Agency case. Who would have thought it would cost him his life?

Wu Dingyuan’s heart was filled with grief and fury. He rushed forward and shouted at the rolling yellow sand, “Kunlun Mountain bandits! Come out! If you have guts, come out!”

Lingyin was about to step forward to comfort him when suddenly horse hooves thundered. More than ten riders galloped from the distant desert. Everyone’s faces changed, and they were about to retreat into the manor when Li Tieshan said, “Our location is exposed. It’s too late.” He simply crossed his arms and watched the Kunlun people with pride.

Lingyin ordered the monks to draw their weapons and, after battle commenced, to protect Wu Dingyuan and the Iron Sword Manor servants’ escape with all their might.

Li Tieshan gathered his energy and shouted, “Kunlun Mountain’s sneaky thieves! Come and die!”

The Kunlun people could be heard laughing heartily as the sound of hooves brought them to the Iron Sword Manor gate.

A short, fat man among the Kunlun group laughed lewdly, “Aiya! How come they’re all men? Not fun to kill. Last time at Yanling Escort Agency, there were so many pretty women – now that was interesting. Heh heh! Heh heh!”

The Shaolin monks, hearing this, flew into rage and immediately wanted to charge forward to fight.

Li Tieshan raised his hand to stop them, “Masters, please remain calm. I’ll handle this myself.” Then he shouted, “Where is the Kunlun Sect Master? Your disciples rape and pillage – can you not control them?”

His fierce roar made everyone’s ears ring. Suddenly, a clear, gentle voice came from the distance, “Manor Master Li, don’t be so angry. Jianghu affairs are always difficult to judge. How can you interfere in everything?”

Though the voice didn’t sound loud, it was crystal clear, showing the speaker’s profound internal energy, possibly even superior to Li Tieshan’s. Everyone saw a scholar-dressed man, about fifty years old, wearing a silk cap, with a sword at his waist and a folding fan in his hand, looking like a learned gentleman as he slowly approached.

Li Tieshan and Lingyin exchanged glances, thinking, “This ‘Sword God’ has indeed come!” Looking at the Kunlun Mountain group, they saw that “Sword Cold” Jin Lingshuang, “Sword Gu” Tu Lingxin, “Sword Shadow” Qian Lingyi, and other first-rate masters were all present.

Li Tieshan’s heart trembled, knowing that the “Kunlun Thirteen Swords” had assembled, while their side only had himself and Lingyin as capable fighters. The rest of the disciples and servants were not significant threats. Now they could only take it one step at a time.

Li Tieshan called out loudly, “Sect Master Zhuo! Your disciples have done things worse than beasts. If you don’t control them, how can your Kunlun Mountain continue to have a foothold in the jianghu?”

Before Zhuo Lingzhao could reply, the fat man sneered, “Old man, how do you know the Yanling Escort Agency business was my doing? How do you know I consecutively raped Qi Runxiang’s wife, daughter, and daughter-in-law? Were you hiding nearby peeping and getting an eyeful? Ha ha! Ha ha!”

The Kunlun people laughed incessantly, while Zhuo Lingzhao merely waved his fan lightly without interfering.

Li Tieshan sneered, “Fatty! You kill and rape – Shaolin Temple will settle accounts with you for that. But you insult me with words – do you still think you can leave Iron Sword Manor alive today?”

Though Li Tieshan was surrounded by powerful enemies, he still spoke boldly, completely dismissing Kunlun Mountain. The fat man seemed to have heard the world’s most ridiculous thing, laughing until he staggered and gasped, “This old man is about to get chopped up and he’s still fucking farting! You fucking come over here! Dead old man!”

Li Tieshan didn’t get angry. He was heard laughing toward the sky, “Ignorant child!” Suddenly his form flew up like a great bird pouncing forward.

The fat man was still laughing heartily, never expecting disaster to strike. Suddenly he saw Li Tieshan’s eyes blazing like lightning in mid-air, staring at him while a pair of large hands like eagle claws reached toward him. The fat man cried out, “Mama!” and tried to draw his sword, but how could Li Tieshan’s swift attack allow him time to leisurely draw his sword in defense? In an instant, the giant palm stretched out and grabbed the fat man, then Li Tieshan’s feet touched down on a Kunlun disciple’s head, using him as leverage to leap back to his original position. The disciple who was stepped on had his brains splattered and eyes bulging out – he was already dead stiff.

The Kunlun disciples were all greatly shocked. Though Jin Lingshuang, Tu Lingxin and other masters were nearby, Li Tieshan’s attack was too swift and unexpected for any of them to rescue their comrade in time.

The fat man still didn’t know better and cursed, “Dead old man, you dare toy with your grandfather! In a moment when my sect master gets angry, he’ll slaughter your entire family, old and young…” He was still chattering threats when Li Tieshan grabbed the fat man’s legs and, with a thunderous roar, shouted “Die!” With great force, he tore – the fat man’s miserable shriek could be heard as he was literally torn in half on the spot, his internal organs and fresh blood spilling everywhere.

Li Tieshan hurled the fat man’s two body halves, channeling his profound internal energy into them as they flew toward Zhuo Lingzhao. A short, middle-aged man leaped out from beside Zhuo Lingzhao, wielding his sword like flying lightning in a flurry of electric sword moves, cutting the fat man’s two body halves into a mass of minced meat that scattered on the ground like mud.

Wu Dingyuan saw Li Tieshan strike like thunderbolt, instantly killing that most despicable fat man with methods so ruthless they were unheard of, and couldn’t help but feel satisfaction. The Shaolin monks, seeing the murderer dead, all pressed their palms together and said, “Amitabha, excellent, excellent.”

The short man looked at the minced meat on the ground and said to Li Tieshan, “Manor Master Li, you have killed two disciples of my Fifth Senior Brother. Consider this even for our trespassing on your precious manor and our rude words. We’re even now. Please don’t wade into these troubled waters.”

Li Tieshan smiled slightly and said, “You must be ‘Sword Leopard’ Mau Lingshan! I heard your reputation was always decent, that you were a good man. How did you degrade yourself and mix with such beasts?”

Mau Lingshan’s face reddened, unable to respond.

Li Tieshan faced the Kunlun Mountain crowd and shouted, “Who among you killed people at Yanling Escort Agency and violated their women? Step forward!” His divine presence was so imposing that for a moment, no one dared speak a word or take a breath.

After a long while, a tall, lean man said, “I participated in the killing and robbery. So what?” This person had gaunt cheeks and an arrogant attitude – it was “Sword Shadow” Qian Lingyi.

Li Tieshan roared, “So what? Die!”

He charged forward with his bare palms churning, immediately engaging Qian Lingyi in combat. Li Tieshan’s lifetime of skill was in swordsmanship, not hand-to-hand combat, but his internal energy was so profound that even ordinary boxing moves had the power to shatter monuments and crack stones.

Qian Lingyi was forced to retreat continuously, barely holding on. In desperation, Qian Lingyi shouted, “Behold my sword!” His long sword was unsheathed, and a flash of cold light swept past, forcing Li Tieshan to retreat a large step. Qian Lingyi now held his sword – the blade appeared transparent, and if one didn’t look carefully, one might think he only held a sword hilt. Qian Lingyi’s “Sword Shadow” nickname came from this extremely strange weapon. Relying on his invisible blade and bizarre moves, countless heroes had perished at his hands.

With sword in hand, Qian Lingyi immediately gained the upper hand. Li Tieshan, seeing his fierce offensive combined with the transparent blade making it impossible to predict his sword moves, could only dodge based on the sound of his sword cutting through air, unable to counterattack at all. Wu Dingyuan and others saw Li Tieshan retreating step by step and all felt anxious and worried.

Suddenly Li Tieshan roared and retreated several zhang, leaping out of the circle. He said sternly, “‘Sword Shadow’ is nothing! Someone! Bring me my iron sword!”

Three servants slowly emerged, working together to carry an eight-foot-long iron sword and present it before Li Tieshan. Everyone who didn’t know his “Nine Iron Sword Forms” reputation stared in amazement, not knowing how he would wield this extremely heavy iron sword.

Li Tieshan lifted the great iron sword with one hand and roared like thunder, “Prepare to die!” His tall figure, holding a sword as tall as an ordinary person and weighing forty to fifty pounds, with white whiskers bristling and eyes wide open, truly looked like a heavenly general descending to earth.

Qian Lingyi, seeing this momentum, thought, “This old man is just putting on a show. His great sword is clumsy and can’t move agilely. I’ll attack his lower body.”

Qian Lingyi rolled on the ground and thrust his sword toward Li Tieshan’s legs. Li Tieshan roared “Die!” and brought his sword down heavily, fast as lightning!

Qian Lingyi was greatly alarmed, thinking, “How can this sword be so fast?” He quickly raised his “Sword Shadow” above his head, drew his scabbard with his left hand to form a cross, and with all his lifetime’s power tried to block Li Tieshan’s earth-shaking strike.

“Clang!” – a tremendous sound. Qian Lingyi couldn’t maintain his footing, his knees went soft, and he was forced to kneel by the profound force of the iron sword. His face turned purple, clearly indicating his true energy was insufficient as he struggled to support himself. Li Tieshan increased his power, wanting to kill this person in one strike. The iron sword pressed down like Mount Tai, making Qian Lingyi’s bones crack throughout his body as if about to break. Qian Lingyi tried several times to escape but couldn’t move at all.

Just as Qian Lingyi was about to die on the spot, suddenly someone leaped out from among the Kunlun disciples, raised his sword and pushed against Li Tieshan’s iron sword. Li Tieshan felt an extremely cold internal energy transmitted through, his body trembled slightly, and his iron sword was actually deflected.

Qian Lingyi suddenly felt the pressure release. Having escaped death, he quickly rolled away and crawled off, then returned to the crowd with a face full of shame. Seeing Qian Lingyi escape danger, that person withdrew his long sword and didn’t continue attacking. Li Tieshan looked closely – the newcomer was “Sword Cold” Jin Lingshuang.

Li Tieshan saw Jin Lingshuang silently staring at him intently and immediately sneered, “What a fine Kunlun Mountain – two against one.” But he thought to himself, “This Jin fellow’s martial arts have reached this level after not seeing him for a few years. Kunlun Mountain is full of talent. If we don’t decide this battle today, I might really die here!”

Li Tieshan took a breath of true energy and swept his iron sword horizontally toward Jin Lingshuang’s waist. Jin Lingshuang, seeing the sword’s fierce momentum, didn’t dare be careless and stepped forward. The iron sword was extremely long, so Jin Lingshuang attacking the inner circle was exactly the key to breaking long weapons.

Jin Lingshuang activated his sect’s orthodox “Sword Cold” mental method. Instantly, a layer of frost formed on his sword. His sword tip trembled slightly, covering seven major acupoints on Li Tieshan’s upper body. If he could get a few steps closer, he could break Li Tieshan’s iron sword.

Li Tieshan added force to his sword. For a moment, the sword’s momentum created howling winds and flying sand and stones everywhere. Jin Lingshuang focused his mind, only defending without attacking, but his footwork gradually moved closer to Li Tieshan.

Li Tieshan smiled coldly. Though Jin Lingshuang was pressing close, he had another secret technique specifically for close combat called “Palm Sword,” which had killed countless heroes. Seeing Jin Lingshuang take another step, Li Tieshan was secretly delighted, thinking, “If you take one more step, I’ll reverse my iron sword to attack the back of your head while my left hand gives you a ‘Palm Sword’ move. Will you still have your life, old fellow?”

Jin Lingshuang saw Li Tieshan seemed confident and was alarmed. Seeing Li Tieshan’s left sleeve move slightly, he understood he had a powerful follow-up move hidden, thinking, “Even if I take a palm strike, I must use my ultimate move ‘Cold Star Falls from the Sky’ to pierce you full of holes!”

Both harbored evil intentions, wanting to kill their opponent on the spot with surprise moves.

Suddenly someone said, “Stop fighting!” It was Kunlun Sect Master Zhuo Lingzhao speaking.

Jin Lingshuang, hearing his sect master’s command, immediately withdrew his sword and leaped away. Li Tieshan didn’t pursue. He saw Zhuo Lingzhao lightly waving his folding fan, walking toward him as if no one else existed, and immediately became alert.

Zhuo Lingzhao laughed, “What a fine ‘Iron Sword Shakes the South’! Manor Master Li, your martial arts have greatly improved since we last met! How about this humble one asks for your guidance again?”

Li Tieshan laughed heartily, “Sect Master Zhuo! Li’s martial arts are inferior to yours, but for a real man to strike at the strong with weakness is the true spirit of chivalry. What has Li to fear!” He raised his iron sword and roared, “Make your move!”

Zhuo Lingzhao shook his head and said, “This humble one has no deep hatred with Manor Master Li. Though you killed two of my disciples, the jianghu is dangerous – blame their poor skills, not others. Today I seek a constable surnamed Wu, named Dingyuan. This person is unknown to the manor master. I only need to take this person away. I absolutely won’t harm the remaining Shaolin monks or your manor’s people.”

Li Tieshan sneered, “Constable Wu is an honored guest of my manor. How can I let you take him away?”

Lingyin, who had been quietly observing, now said, “Sect Master Zhuo, your disciples killed my Shaolin disciples and slaughtered the entire Yanling Escort Agency family. How can this old monk let this matter rest?”

Zhuo Lingzhao laughed heartily, “Since that’s the case, this humble one must show some skill to convince you.” He raised two fingers and smiled, “Manor Master Li, this humble one will use just these two fingers to challenge your ‘Iron Sword Shakes the South’ reputation.”

The Kunlun Mountain disciples all bowed in unison, “We humbly observe our sect master’s divine technique!” Everyone showed respectful expressions as if Zhuo Lingzhao’s victory was certain.

Li Tieshan’s face changed color, anger gradually rising. Having few equals in his lifetime, he was already a famous master counted among the jianghu elite. Now hearing Zhuo Lingzhao belittle him, murderous intent surged in his heart. He shouted, “Good! Let’s try it!”

Since being defeated by Zhuo Lingzhao’s willow branch, Li Tieshan had painstakingly practiced an even more fierce internal energy. He had used it to split giant rocks with smooth cuts, showing power even greater than his previous feat of splitting the giant bell.

Li Tieshan removed his upper garments, revealing magnificent muscles. Though old, his body was still robust, no less than a young man’s. On his back was tattooed a fierce tiger, looking vicious as it stepped down from a mountain. Beside it were written words: “Like a fierce tiger lying on barren hills, hiding claws and fangs, enduring…” The tiger’s forehead bore the character “South,” obviously from his “Iron Sword Shakes the South” nickname.

Everyone wondered about this tattoo’s origin and marveled at it. Lingyin, seeing the tattoo, sighed softly.

Li Tieshan raised his sword overhead, channeling all his body’s power through his right arm into the iron sword. Before his iron sword even moved, his head was already surrounded by white vapor like a steamer. Everyone saw Li Tieshan lifting this iron sword like lifting a great cauldron, showing how profound the internal energy in the sword was.

Li Tieshan calculated in his mind: last time Zhuo Lingzhao used a willow branch to block his earth-shaking strike. Though his power was high, he ultimately had something to rely on. Now wanting to receive his iron sword with just two fingers – had he gone mad? Unless Zhuo Lingzhao had practiced miraculous finger techniques like Shaolin’s Great Vajra Finger. But Li Tieshan knew Kunlun Mountain had no external hard skills, so he truly couldn’t fathom Zhuo Lingzhao’s intention. But since he couldn’t figure it out, he wouldn’t waste mental energy – let his hands show the truth.

Li Tieshan was determined to clear his shame. His divine skill activated, channeling decades of internal energy into the sword plus his natural tremendous strength – surely no one in the world could block this Mount Tai-crushing strike.

The current situation was extremely dangerous, but Zhuo Lingzhao smiled with his hands tucked in his sleeves, completely unconcerned by Li Tieshan’s threat, his attitude supremely arrogant.

Li Tieshan flew into a mad rage. His eyes bulged as he roared, “Die!”

The iron sword slashed down with the momentum of lightning and thunder! Everyone thought Zhuo Lingzhao would be cut into pulp on the spot. All held their breath, wanting to see how this Kunlun sect master would handle this divinely imposing, heaven-splitting strike.

A tremendous “boom!” sounded as the iron sword chopped down. Zhuo Lingzhao slightly stepped back to avoid the sword edge. The ground immediately showed a three-foot-long, half-foot-wide deep groove carved by Li Tieshan. Amid the flying sand and dust, the sword’s momentum appeared even more frightening. All observers were horrified by such fierce swordsmanship.

Li Tieshan sneered coldly, his face full of killing intent. With a “swish,” the iron sword swept horizontally from left to right, its fierce wind pressing forward, slashing directly toward Zhuo Lingzhao’s waist. If this sword connected, this sword god would immediately be cut in half at the waist, dying miserably.

Just as the sword edge was about to strike, Zhuo Lingzhao smiled faintly. His figure suddenly swayed as he lightly floated back three feet, the sword edge passing just inches from his waist – extremely dangerous indeed. Li Tieshan roared wildly, pressed his body forward and struck again. Everyone saw this iron sword was incredibly heavy, yet in Li Tieshan’s hands it was no different from an ordinary sword, all amazed by his superhuman strength.

After more than ten sword exchanges, Zhuo Lingzhao relied on his agile movement to dodge Li Tieshan’s sword attacks at the last possible moment each time, showing he had Li Tieshan’s swordsmanship completely figured out. Wu Dingyuan, Lingyin and others saw Li Tieshan’s divine presence but he still couldn’t touch even Zhuo Lingzhao’s sleeve, all secretly worried.

At the height of battle, Li Tieshan saw his opponent consistently refused direct combat. He leaped back a step and shouted loudly, “Zhuo! What were those arrogant words you spoke earlier?”

Zhuo Lingzhao laughed heartily, “I clearly stated that this humble one would today use the power of two fingers to challenge your ‘Iron Sword Shakes the South’ reputation.”

Li Tieshan’s eyebrows rose sternly, “Since you remember the nonsense you spouted, why do you keep dodging around? What kind of hero does this make you?”

Zhuo Lingzhao smiled slightly, “Since Manor Master Li blames me for this, it wouldn’t be proper for this humble one to keep moving.” He planted his feet firmly and lightly raised two fingers, smiling at Li Tieshan, “Manor Master Li may proceed.” His attitude showed extreme contempt.

Li Tieshan, seeing his casual provocation, was furious beyond measure, thinking, “This old thief looks down on me so much. If I don’t chop him into pulp today, how can I dispel the evil anger in my heart?”

Li Tieshan gripped the sword hilt with both hands, then took deep breaths. Sixty years of cultivation activated, the profound internal energy from his dantian poured into the iron sword like mountains falling and seas overturning – he even withdrew his protective inner power. Everyone saw his face full of killing intent and true energy swelling on his sword, knowing this sword competition concerned his lifetime reputation and absolutely couldn’t be taken lightly. Both enemy and ally held their breath, watching how Zhuo Lingzhao would handle Li Tieshan’s life-betting strike.

Wu Dingyuan was feeling excited when he suddenly saw Lingyin beside him frowning deeply with worry on his face. Wu Dingyuan found this strange and immediately asked in a low voice, “Master, what’s wrong? Are you worried Manor Master Li’s sword lacks sufficient power?”

Lingyin sighed softly, “That’s not it. In terms of power, perhaps no swordplay in the world can compare with the iron sword.”

Wu Dingyuan said “Oh” and asked, “If that’s so, why worry, Master?”

Lingyin shook his head, “What this old monk worries about is precisely that his sword’s power is too domineering.”

Wu Dingyuan was quite surprised. With two great masters facing off and Zhuo Lingzhao claiming he could receive the iron sword with two fingers, Li Tieshan should naturally attack with full force, fearing only that his sword’s true power wasn’t strong enough. How could Lingyin say such contrary words?

Wu Dingyuan didn’t understand and quickly asked, “What does Master mean by this?”

Lingyin shook his head, “Good warriors must first protect themselves to seek victory. With Manor Master Li channeling internal energy this way, his center will likely be empty, giving enemies an opportunity to exploit.” Wu Dingyuan heard these words but only half-understood, completely unable to respond.

As they spoke, Li Tieshan’s long howl could be heard. His long sword, accompanying the howl’s power and sharp wind-breaking sound, fiercely struck out that fatal blow!

Li Tieshan’s iron sword struck heavily, its fierce wind stirring up flying sand that enveloped both fighters in yellow dust. Nearby observers were swept by flying sand that made their faces burn, showing this sword’s power. As long as this “Sword God” made one wrong response, he would be chopped into meat paste by this earth-shaking tremendous force. Zhuo Lingzhao was sure to suffer greatly.

The iron sword slashed down, about to strike. Wu Dingyuan suddenly saw this “Sword God’s” mouth corner rise as if he had some scheme. An ominous feeling arose in his heart. Just then, the arena was filled with flying sand and stones, hazy and unclear. Wu Dingyuan’s heart was uneasy, not knowing who would win.

“Boom!” – a tremendous sound as the iron sword chopped down heavily. Both sides’ faces changed color, not knowing the outcome.

After a short while, the yellow sand slowly settled, revealing the scene inside. Everyone’s hearts were tense as they hurried to look into the arena.

The vast wilderness stretched out, morning’s dawn light shining on the desert. Li Tieshan held his extremely heavy iron sword with both hands, but the sword’s tip was perfectly stopped at Zhuo Lingzhao’s fingertips!

Wu Dingyuan said in a trembling voice, “This… how is this possible…” The nearby Shaolin monks and manor servants’ faces were ashen, unable to speak. To think Li Tieshan’s iron sword was so fierce, yet Zhuo Lingzhao could use his flesh body to receive such a powerful sword strike – it was truly inconceivable.

Zhuo Lingzhao smiled and said, “Manor Master Li, you yield.” He exerted force to pull, trying to seize the iron sword, but Li Tieshan’s internal energy was profound and he couldn’t take it.

Zhuo Lingzhao nodded approvingly, “Good internal energy!” He added force to his hand – “clang!” – and actually broke the iron sword in half.

Li Tieshan’s iron sword was broken. His face turned pale and he retreated several steps. Looking down at the broken sword in his hand, he remained speechless.

Wu Dingyuan, shocked by Zhuo Lingzhao’s world-shaking finger power, felt his heart grow half cold, thinking, “This person’s martial arts have reached such a level that he’s probably invincible in the world. It seems today I truly cannot escape even with wings.” He sighed and was about to step forward to surrender, allowing the Kunlun disciples to take him away to avoid implicating other innocent people.

Wu Dingyuan was about to emerge from the crowd when suddenly someone blocked him, saying, “Constable Wu, don’t worry. Watch this old monk tear off this person’s false mask.” Then he slowly walked into the arena.

This person wore monk’s robes with a shaved head and dignified bearing – it was one of Shaolin’s Four Great Vajra, Master Lingyin.

Zhuo Lingzhao, seeing him enter the arena, immediately smiled, “Does Master also want to try a few moves?”

Lingyin snorted, “Sect Master Zhuo’s scheming is so masterful, how could this old monk let the opportunity slip by?” His words implied Zhuo Lingzhao had used trickery.

Wu Dingyuan, hearing this, also secretly paid attention and retreated back into the crowd.

Zhuo Lingzhao, hearing Lingyin’s mockery, laughed heartily, “Is Master saying I cheated?”

Lingyin said coldly, “This old monk only heard that Kunlun swordsmanship was formidable, but didn’t know your sleeve techniques were also so powerful.”

Zhuo Lingzhao, seeing his scheme exposed, immediately threw back his head and laughed loudly.

It turned out Lingyin had been coldly observing and had seen the arena situation clearly. Earlier, seeing Li Tieshan channel his internal energy this way, his chest and abdomen’s protective inner power would inevitably be empty. If anything unexpected happened, it would be bad. Sure enough, when Li Tieshan struck earlier, Lingyin saw Zhuo Lingzhao’s left sleeve move slightly – he had actually used the force from his sleeve to secretly attack Li Tieshan’s chest and abdomen.

In normal circumstances, Li Tieshan’s divine protection would make a hundred iron sleeve attacks meaningless. But he had just focused entirely on harming his enemy with no defense on his body, making his chest and abdomen extremely vulnerable. How could he withstand it? Zhuo Lingzhao immediately succeeded.

With impure true energy and obstructed force, even if the iron sword were a hundred times more fierce, what use would it be? It was easily seized.

Actually, Zhuo Lingzhao’s victory in this battle relied entirely on clever scheming. His earlier claim that he could break Li Tieshan’s “Nine Iron Sword Forms” with two fingers was purely provocation to make Li Tieshan focus entirely on harming the enemy while neglecting that his opponent would use sleeve force to ambush him. Zhuo Lingzhao calculated this opportunity and, when Li Tieshan raised his sword to strike, subtly moved his left sleeve to use hidden force to attack his chest’s vital points. When the iron sword’s momentum slowed and true energy became impure, he then used finger force to receive this seemingly earth-shaking strike.

Zhuo Lingzhao’s methods were so clever that no one could see through them. As for his using finger force to break Li Tieshan’s iron sword, he used the “four ounces moves a thousand pounds” technique. If Li Tieshan hadn’t exerted force to reclaim his iron sword, Zhuo Lingzhao couldn’t have borrowed force to break it.

Lingyin, seeing Li Tieshan’s sorrowful expression, walked to his side and said softly, “Manor Master Li need not be dejected. This Kunlun sect master used pure trickery, not truly having such finger power. This person’s methods are despicable. Let this old monk break his schemes and vindicate you!”

How could Li Tieshan not know Zhuo Lingzhao used trickery and deception? But since he had fought him empty-handed, how could he accuse him of cheating? He could only smile bitterly, “Master, please be extremely careful.”

With Li Tieshan’s defeat, except for Shaolin’s Master Lingyin, no one could resist Zhuo Lingzhao. Now only by his defeating Zhuo Lingzhao could they preserve Wu Dingyuan’s life and countless disciples’ lives.

Lingyin said no more and slowly walked forward, proudly looking at Zhuo Lingzhao.

Though Zhuo Lingzhao could use sleeve force to injure people and clever strength to break swords – already first-rate martial arts in the world – his heart was set on showing off and playing tricks, which was not the conduct of an honorable gentleman. Lingyin intended to expose his tricks and make him lose great face to vent this anger.

But Zhuo Lingzhao simply tucked his hands in his sleeves, his eyes half-open and half-closed, as if he hadn’t seen Lingyin at all.

Seeing his attitude, Lingyin immediately said sternly, “Will the benefactor also use only two fingers against this old monk?”

Zhuo Lingzhao’s eyes brightened as he smiled, “Why not?”

Lingyin felt slightly angry, thinking of his own status – how dare someone look down on him so! If he lost this battle and died, that would be one thing, but how could the thousand-year reputation of Mount Song’s Shaolin Temple be destroyed in his own hands? With this thought, his expression became even more serious.

Zhuo Lingzhao smiled, “What weapon does Master use?”

Lingyin didn’t answer. His divine skill circulated throughout his body, his dharma appearance dignified – this was one of Shaolin Temple’s ultimate techniques, the orthodox internal energy of the “Great Compassion Demon-Subduing Staff.” His internal energy swelled, and though his sleeves were blown by the desert’s fierce wind, they didn’t move at all. Everyone secretly praised, “The Four Great Vajra of Shaolin truly live up to their reputation.”

Lingyin already knew Zhuo Lingzhao could use sleeve force to injure people, but knowing his tricks, breaking them wouldn’t be difficult. He only needed to force him to use both hands to defend, making him unable to save face, and this battle would be won.

Lingyin concentrated his power in his chest and abdomen’s vital points, thinking, “I’ll use only sixty percent of my palm power, keeping the other forty percent to guard my chest and abdomen’s vital points. As long as I dodge his sleeve force, I can certainly force him into panic!”

Having made up his mind and confident of victory, he exhaled loudly, spread his horse stance, and slowly pushed out one palm.

What status did Lingyin have? Every gesture could carry tremendous power. Who would have thought he would actually plant his horse stance – this showed the palm’s power. One was a holy monk leading the martial world, the other a sect master dominating the Western Regions. This fierce battle was truly extraordinary.

Lingyin channeled sixty percent of his palm power to attack and forty percent for self-defense, waiting for Zhuo Lingzhao to repeat his old trick and use sleeve force to ambush him. Then he would use forty percent internal energy to protect his body, accepting one sneak attack to immediately strike with fists and feet together, making him panic.

Lingyin pushed out his single palm. Before the palm force reached its target, the palm wind had already scattered the yellow sand on the ground. Observers seeing his palm power so fierce were all extremely alarmed. Wu Dingyuan was delighted, thinking, “Excellent! Master Lingyin’s martial arts are brilliant – he can certainly defeat this Zhuo Lingzhao and let us properly vent this anger.”

Just then, Zhuo Lingzhao also pushed out a palm, but his two fingers thrust straight toward Lingyin’s palm.

Shaolin Temple’s Vajra finger power was unmatched in the world. Lingyin’s junior brother Master Lingzhen was an expert in this Vajra finger power. Seeing Zhuo Lingzhao’s finger technique, Lingyin knew he had no external finger power and couldn’t help sneering inwardly, thinking, “Using your finger power against my palm power will break your finger bones and leave you in agony!”

Just as the two great masters’ palm and fingers were about to meet, suddenly Zhuo Lingzhao’s sleeve bulged out, covering his palm. Lingyin’s heart trembled, knowing he had another conspiracy. Looking urgently, he saw Zhuo Lingzhao’s originally straight fingers now slightly bent, changing from fingers to fist, apparently intending to use his knuckles to receive his profound palm power. But with his hand hidden in his sleeve, observers couldn’t see the mystery within.

Seeing Zhuo Lingzhao cheat again, Lingyin suddenly felt an ominous premonition and was about to retreat quickly when Zhuo Lingzhao’s figure moved, already floating before him. Lingyin had no escape and urgently swung out his palm. A light sound was heard as their internal energies met. Lingyin felt an incredibly domineering internal force breaking through his body – this Zhuo Lingzhao was actually risking his lifetime of cultivated true power to attack, even withdrawing his protective internal energy. It could truly be called extremely fierce and domineering.

Seeing Zhuo Lingzhao not even guarding his body’s vital points, while Lingyin himself only used sixty percent internal energy to face the enemy, it was clearly insufficient. With this addition and subtraction, the true power gap immediately became vast. As their true powers clashed, Lingyin urgently activated Shaolin divine skill, his strength contracting inward, only wanting to firmly protect his chest’s vital points. But it was already too late. Zhuo Lingzhao’s internal energy had already rushed into his body through his meridians. Though Lingyin’s protective divine skill was profound, once the crucial point was broken, how could he endure? Instantly his breathing stagnated, he spat out large mouthfuls of fresh blood, and suffered internal injuries.

Zhuo Lingzhao clasped his hands and laughed heartily, “You yield, Master. Your internal energy is profound – the Four Great Vajra truly live up to their reputation.”

Lingyin’s internal injuries were severe, coughing continuously, feeling very indignant as he thought, “This person is so despicable, using trickery and cheating again.”

It turned out Zhuo Lingzhao had used deception again. Lingyin had seen Li Tieshan ambushed by Zhuo Lingzhao’s sleeve force and came prepared. He calculated Zhuo Lingzhao’s conspiracy and changed to using sixty percent internal energy to attack and forty percent for self-defense. Who knew Zhuo Lingzhao was truly skilled at scheming? Seeing Lingyin didn’t dare attack with full force, he simply changed from secret attack to open assault, risking all his body’s power to duel with Lingyin. Lingyin had always worried about Zhuo Lingzhao’s sleeve force ambush, but when he saw him fighting with full power, he wanted to withdraw his move but was one step too late. Originally Zhuo Lingzhao’s power was slightly superior to Lingyin’s, and now using ten-tenths against six-tenths gave him a great advantage, deciding victory in one move.

Actually, if judging by true skill in internal energy and martial arts, Zhuo Lingzhao and Lingyin couldn’t determine victory without fighting beyond a hundred moves. But Zhuo Lingzhao was determined to greatly diminish Shaolin Temple’s prestige, so he took risks to win. His scheming could be called extremely deep, his intentions even more maliciously unbearable.

Now both great masters were defeated. Lingyin was even injured internally, and Li Tieshan stood alone. Sure enough, “Sword Gu” Tu Lingxin strode toward Wu Dingyuan. Li Tieshan raised his broken sword to block in front of Wu Dingyuan and shouted, “If you want to take Constable Wu, first ask if I agree!”

Tu Lingxin’s face darkened, his ugly face extremely frightening. He said coldly, “Old man! Do you want to taste my ‘Sword Gu’?”

Li Tieshan sneered, “Why not try it!” He raised his broken sword to protect Wu Dingyuan.

Then Zhuo Lingzhao slowly walked up. His eyebrows stood upright, completely unlike his originally smiling appearance. He said sternly, “This humble one’s divine sword has not yet left its sheath, yet you are already defeated. Must this humble one begin a great slaughter before you know how formidable I am?” He pressed his hand on his sword hilt, staring at everyone.

He called himself “Sword God” – how his swordsmanship was, no one had witnessed. But just now he had defeated two great masters barehanded. Though he used trickery, the subtleties of his fist and internal energy skills were fully displayed. Now if the “Divine Sword” was unsheathed, probably no one present could stop it – truly fulfilling the saying “When Kunlun sword emerges, blood flows like ocean.” Everyone was awed by Zhuo Lingzhao’s momentum and for a moment no one answered.

After a while, Li Tieshan laughed heartily, “Sect Master Zhuo, what prestige! How formidable!”

Zhuo Lingzhao sneered and looked coldly at Li Tieshan.

Li Tieshan said, “For me to surrender isn’t difficult, just… just…”

Qian Lingyi shouted, “Just what?”

Li Tieshan laughed wildly, “Just need to borrow your head!” Before his words finished, he suddenly leaped backward, grabbed Wu Dingyuan, and with great force threw him toward the stables.

Zhuo Lingzhao’s face changed greatly. He flew up to intercept Wu Dingyuan. Li Tieshan shouted, “Get out of my way!” He threw the half of his broken sword with all his might, its momentum fierce and urgent, flying straight toward Zhuo Lingzhao’s back.

Zhuo Lingzhao raised his long sword – before he could unsheath it, he blocked the broken sword. A muffled sound, and that broken sword was immediately shattered into seven or eight pieces. Everyone seeing his internal energy so profound all changed color.

But this delay allowed Wu Dingyuan to leap onto a horse and gallop away in escape.

The Kunlun people immediately mounted horses to surround him from all directions. Wu Dingyuan spurred his horse when he suddenly heard the sound of hidden weapons cutting through air behind him. He quickly threw his “Flying Silver Shuttle” backward.

“Clang!” – he had deflected the hidden weapon. Wu Dingyuan looked back and saw someone shout, “Good lad! You dare catch my flying sword!” This person was one of the Kunlun Thirteen Swords. Wu Dingyuan’s heart sank, not knowing how many more masters were pursuing behind.

He suddenly saw there was no path ahead – it was a river valley. With pursuers behind, he could only dismount, not knowing what to do. The water in the valley was turbulent with jagged rocks. If he leaped down, he would probably hit the rocks in two or three moves and die on the spot. Moreover, having grown up in the northwest, how could he know how to swim?

Hearing constant shouting behind him, Wu Dingyuan looked back to see many masters charging over, all with fierce looks in their eyes, unwilling to be satisfied without killing him. Wu Dingyuan knew that if caught by this group, not only would he lose his life, but he would probably suffer great humiliation before death. He thought, “Either way is death. If I jump into the river valley, there might still be a thread of hope!” Without deep thought, he leaped into the valley.

The Kunlun Mountain people were greatly alarmed. Two men flew forward to catch him – one was “Sword Wave” Liu Lingchuan, the other with even faster movement was “Sword Cold” Jin Lingshuang. Both reached out urgently to grab Wu Dingyuan’s back but were one step too late. They saw Wu Dingyuan’s body falling rapidly straight into the rushing water, and in a moment he had fallen into the water. Though everyone was extremely anxious, there was nothing they could do now but sigh at the valley.

In just a moment, Sect Master Zhuo Lingzhao also arrived. Seeing his disciples’ failure, anger suddenly arose as he shouted, “Where is he?”

All the disciples felt guilty and lowered their heads.

Xu Lingfei said, “Sect Master Senior Brother, that Wu Dingyuan didn’t want his life and actually jumped into the valley himself…” Before he finished speaking, his face had already received a slap from Zhuo Lingzhao. Stars danced before his eyes and he nearly fell, with others quickly supporting him.

Jin Lingshuang, seeing the sect master’s bad expression, quickly said, “Everyone search along the valley and fish out this boy’s corpse.”

Seeing the sect master’s murderous expression, everyone was afraid and quickly agreed, each looking for paths to climb down the cliff.

Wu Dingyuan’s life shouldn’t have ended. This fall into the river valley was fortunate – he fell straight into the water without hitting rocks. But the river valley’s water was turbulent, and Wu Dingyuan, not knowing how to swim, was immediately swept away. Great waves struck, carrying him toward a large rock. Wu Dingyuan, not knowing how to swim, wanted to turn and dodge but couldn’t manage it. He could only watch himself about to hit the large rock. If his forehead hit solidly, if his brains didn’t splatter, he would be knocked unconscious and drown in the water.

At this critical moment, he suddenly saw a sharp angular edge on a nearby large rock. Wu Dingyuan was greatly delighted and quickly threw out his “Flying Silver Shuttle” to wrap around that sharp corner. With a pull and tug, he immediately stopped his body. He firmly gripped the “Flying Silver Shuttle’s” tail chain and slowly pulled toward the large rock. With great difficulty reaching the rock, he suddenly saw there was a cave under the rock. Wu Dingyuan, gasping for breath, crawled into that cave. If not for this cave in the rock, Wu Dingyuan would certainly have been swept down by the torrent. If he didn’t die hitting rocks, he would certainly have been discovered by the Kunlun people.

Wu Dingyuan heard the Kunlun Mountain disciples shouting loudly on shore, searching for him everywhere. Before long, more people carried ropes down into the valley. Wu Dingyuan thought, “So dangerous! If not for this extremely hidden cave, I would certainly have died here today.”

The Kunlun people searched everywhere for Wu Dingyuan, shouting loudly until dark. Li Tieshan’s angry roar came from the distance, with someone calling loudly, “Take this batch of people back to the mountain for further consideration!” The voice was unclear. Wu Dingyuan thought, “Master Lingyin’s reputation is too great – Kunlun Mountain doesn’t dare harm him arbitrarily. I hope Master and Manor Master Li can be safe.” Knowing he was in a dangerous place, he didn’t dare move rashly and simply slept well in the cave.

When he woke, darkness surrounded him – it was night. Only hearing the rushing water, he saw his palms had been soaked by river water until the skin peeled, plus he was hungry. Hearing silence all around, it seemed Kunlun Mountain had gone far away, so he wanted to find a way to shore.

Just as he was about to crawl out of the cave, he suddenly heard someone say, “Who knows where that boy was swept by the flood! Sect Master Uncle still wants us to guard here – it’s really inexplicable!” That voice was at the top of the river valley. Wu Dingyuan thought, “So dangerous! If I had come out a moment earlier, I would have been discovered by now.”

He heard another person say, “Be careful what you say. There are only two of us here. If other people heard, would you and I still have our lives?”

The first speaker cursed, “Little He, you’re just so useless! That’s why fatty Liu San and those beasts are so arrogant! That night at Yanling Escort Agency, it was that group who did those rape and torture things. We’re supposed to be a famous orthodox sect, but I’m afraid our future reputation…”

He was about to continue when the other person whispered, “Stop talking! Someone’s coming!”

Sure enough, horses approached and someone called, “Junior Brothers He and Wan, the watch is over. You can return!”

Those two responded, “Yes.” Then hoofbeats rose again as the three left together.

Wu Dingyuan thought, “There are still some upright people in Kunlun Mountain, just don’t know why they’re suppressed and can’t raise their heads.”

He was hungry and decided to go ashore, but the water was turbulent and getting ashore was extremely difficult. Wu Dingyuan felt his way along the rocks, drank quite a bit of water, and finally climbed ashore. He gasped by the river for a while, not daring to climb up the valley for fear the Kunlun Mountain people would return. He walked in the valley for a while, then used his silver shuttle to catch several fish in the river. But he didn’t dare make fire for fear of exposing his whereabouts, so he ate them raw.

After eating several fish, Wu Dingyuan’s strength gradually returned. He took off his belt to examine it. Since learning this jade belt held great secrets, he had never had a moment’s leisure. Now with no one disturbing him, he thought carefully. He turned the jade belt over and over, not knowing what was so strange about it that it could drive court officials and martial arts masters to compete for it.

Wu Dingyuan pulled hard at both ends of the belt. By moonlight, he saw something seemed hidden inside. His heart trembled as he remembered the Three Kingdoms story of Emperor Xian using an edict hidden in his belt to order Cao Cao’s death. Wu Dingyuan’s spirits lifted. He used his silver shuttle to cut open the jade belt and shook it gently – sure enough, something fell out.

Wu Dingyuan picked up that thing and looked carefully. He saw it was densely wrapped in oiled paper, very light in his hand. Wu Dingyuan took a deep breath and carefully peeled away the oiled paper. Inside was a small sheepskin pouch. Just from these few efforts, one could imagine the painstaking care of the jade belt’s owner. Wu Dingyuan opened the sheepskin pouch and took a deep breath. He was finally going to know this secret that involved dozens of lives and even “concerned the fate of the realm”!

Wu Dingyuan’s hands trembled as he slowly took out what was in the pouch. Looking carefully, he was somewhat disappointed – the thing was nothing special, just a thin piece of sheepskin fine as silk.

Wu Dingyuan steadied himself, thinking, “This sheepskin is preserved so carefully – there must be something special about it.” Thinking of this, his spirits rose again. He quickly unfolded the sheepskin and saw it depicted a map of the western frontier. The map had yellow and green colors with a winding red line through the middle, though he didn’t know what it was for.

Wu Dingyuan was delighted, knowing this sheepskin must record some great secret to attract so many people to rob it. Looking by moonlight, he saw the map was densely covered with writing. He was about to read carefully when he suddenly realized with alarm that he couldn’t recognize a single character – the map was written in foreign script! Wu Dingyuan wasn’t a translator by training – how could he understand it at the moment?

Wu Dingyuan stared blankly at this thing like a heavenly book, thinking of all his recent hardships and troubles, finally ending up losing his position and fleeing for his life, only to not even know the reason? He grew more and more irritated, feeling anger burning within him, as if he had been toyed with. He lost his position and fled for his life, Yanling Escort Agency’s entire family was killed – for what? What did “concerning the fate of the realm” mean? What was “extraordinary”? How many people died for this thing that looked like a heavenly book?

Kunlun Mountain was mad, Prefect Lu Qingzheng was mad, Qi Runxiang was also mad!

Wu Dingyuan sighed – perhaps he himself was also mad.

He closed his eyes and sat down holding his head, thinking, “Now I can’t decipher the secret on the sheepskin – how can I avenge everyone? I now have only enemies, not half a reliable friend. Where can I turn in the future?” He felt that though heaven and earth were vast, there was no place for him to rest.

Wu Dingyuan sighed and thought again, “Wu Dingyuan, ah Wu Dingyuan, you usually boast how capable your methods are, how rich your experience is. Now facing such a desperate situation, what can you do to clear your name? Will you just die here like this?”

He opened his eyes and stared hard at the sheepskin. The foreign characters on it seemed to be jumping and twisting, constantly mocking him. Wu Dingyuan remembered Qi Bochuan’s dying words, felt sad, and couldn’t help but shed tears. Feeling bitter anger, he cried out and crumpled the sheepskin and jade belt into a ball, throwing them away with force.

Just then, a thin silk suddenly floated down from the air. Wu Dingyuan’s heart shook as he quickly reached out to catch it. Looking down carefully, he saw Chinese characters written on the thin silk! Wu Dingyuan was greatly delighted, thinking, “Heaven doesn’t abandon me! There must be secrets inside.”

He examined the jade belt repeatedly and finally understood that there was still a secret compartment in this jade belt. This thin silk was hidden inside, but in his momentary anger and agitation, he hadn’t noticed. Only when he crumpled the jade belt into a ball and threw it hard did this thin silk slide out.

Wu Dingyuan held the thin silk, thinking, “Heaven has eyes. I hope this thing can guide me to a way to live, to avenge the Qi family’s entire household and clear my own grievances.” His whole body trembled as he took a deep breath and looked down to read carefully.

Wu Dingyuan read in a low voice, “Your Excellency Wang, Honorable Duke Ning: I have traveled the western frontier for more than three years and have not disappointed your trust…” He jumped up and laughed loudly, “There are words! There are words! Ha ha! Ha ha!” Suddenly remembering he was still in a dangerous place, he quickly covered his mouth and sat down.

Wu Dingyuan calmed himself and read again: “Your Excellency Wang, Honorable Duke Ning: I have traveled the western frontier for more than three years and have not disappointed your trust. Recently I found this object through various means. I firmly believe that the map and evidence contained in this object is precisely the map agreement made between Jiang Chong and Yexian in former years. Jiang Chong ignored His Majesty’s trust and the nation’s importance, seeking only to preserve his own life, actually cutting away a thousand li of territory, disregarding our country’s livelihood. With this map evidence, though the Eight Tigers have been wicked and tyrannical for a long time, the day of reviving court discipline is not far away.”

Wu Dingyuan’s heart shook. This Jiang Chong was the court’s foremost powerful minister. Though he was far away in Xiliang and didn’t understand court politics much, he had heard this person’s name. Who would have thought this sheepskin involved such broad connections – it was truly beyond all expectations. Wu Dingyuan steadied himself and continued reading.

“Currently treacherous and sycophantic party members are flourishing, and none in the realm can resist them. But since this object has appeared in the world, the treacherous party’s fate is finished – this is truly a great joyful omen. Your Excellency comes from four generations of three dukes, abandoning glory and wealth, using your solitary body to resist the multitude of demons. All under heaven admire you. Though I am of lowly official rank and despicable person, I also know righteousness and moral integrity. If I cannot preserve this, it would be seeking benevolence and obtaining benevolence – Your Excellency should laugh loudly and praise, not grieve for me.”

“My son is capable and will certainly not fail in this trust. This object will ultimately reach Your Excellency’s hands. Your Excellency’s heroic deed is like spring thunder – cutting down treacherous evildoers. How can we hesitate?”

Looking at the signature, he saw: “Your younger brother Liang Zhiyi prostrates in respectful salute.”

Seeing the three characters “Liang Zhiyi,” Wu Dingyuan’s whole body was struck as if by thunder, his thoughts surging like a tide.

Not only did he know the letter writer, they had extremely deep connections! This Liang Zhiyi was precisely his former superior, the previous Liangzhou Prefect. Two years ago he had suddenly died violently in his official residence. At that time Wu Dingyuan was on duty and had even questioned Madame Liang about related matters, but the Liang family somehow didn’t want him to investigate, so Wu Dingyuan stopped inquiring. But he never would have imagined that Liang Zhiyi’s death was also related to this jade belt.

With such a high official position as prefect, if someone dared murder him, no wonder so many people at Yanling Escort Agency were killed. Wu Dingyuan knew his own situation was also extremely dangerous and couldn’t help shivering, thinking, “It seems this sheepskin is indeed extremely important, probably involving great struggles in the court. No wonder Qi Bochuan said this object concerned the fate of the realm. Carrying such an important object, I must be doubly careful.”

Wu Dingyuan lived constantly in Xiliang and didn’t understand court politics much. Things like Jiang Chong, Eight Tigers, treacherous party, treason, and so on – he didn’t know much about any of it. This time he was inexplicably drawn into the struggle – it could truly be called a disaster from the blue. But why Qi Runxiang, a perfectly good escort agency owner, would be drawn into this trouble was truly impossible to fathom.

Wu Dingyuan sat on the rocks recalling the scene of Qi Runxiang’s dying words that day, thinking, “That day when I saw Qi Runxiang for the last time, he was wearing precisely this jade belt around his waist. No wonder he said things like ‘nothing was lost’ – he was talking about this jade belt.”

Thinking further, “Qi Runxiang wanted me to find some ‘Wang’ and some ‘Zhou.’ Looking at it this way, that ‘Wang’ character definitely refers to Lord Wang Ning mentioned in the letter. As for this ‘Zhou’ character, it’s probably a mistake for ‘memorial’ [zhou is similar to zou in Chinese].”

He shook his head and smiled bitterly. At that time he had even sent subordinates to look for martial arts people surnamed Wang and Zhou. Who knew it meant this – that was completely beyond imagination. He sighed, knowing there were still countless mysteries to solve, but right now his life was important. Only by surviving could he consider other matters.

The next morning, several Kunlun Mountain disciples came to search by the river valley again. Wu Dingyuan’s sharp eyes had already spotted this group of bandits from far away. He quickly hid in the mountain cave to avoid them. His heart was in his throat, fearing he would be dragged out – that would be certain death. Fortunately, the Kunlun Mountain disciples only sought to go through the motions, not searching seriously. Before evening they had already dispersed.

Wu Dingyuan saw Kunlun Mountain sending people everywhere to hunt him and thought, “Hiding like this ultimately isn’t a solution. Now not only is Kunlun Mountain looking for me, Prefect Lu Qingzheng must also be sending people everywhere to arrest me. If I want to preserve my life, I can only find this Lord Wang mentioned in the letter and discuss everything from there.”

He knew Lingyin had already requested aid from Shaolin’s main temple. Though they were currently imprisoned, sooner or later someone would certainly come to their rescue. With Mount Song’s capabilities, they would naturally rescue them safely – this didn’t require much worry. He knew the Kunlun Mountain people were cruel and ruthless and wouldn’t be satisfied without catching him. If he forced himself to appear for Lingyin now, it would bring disaster upon himself. Currently he must preserve himself first – other external matters could only be taken step by step.

After several more days, Wu Dingyuan still didn’t dare leave the valley. At night he walked along the river valley, during the day he found tree groves and mountain caves to sleep. Every day he was on edge, afraid Kunlun Mountain disciples would suddenly appear. Wu Dingyuan had spent his life only pursuing others – who knew that today he would become the target others hunted? It seemed somewhat tragic. Wu Dingyuan thought, “As long as Kunlun Mountain can’t find me for a month or two, they’ll certainly consider me dead and go claim credit. Then when I travel the jianghu, the situation won’t be so dangerous.”

Wu Dingyuan had long been in government service and deeply understood the yamen’s method of covering up cases. Since Kunlun Mountain was working for the court, they would probably use this same approach to deal with it. After another half month, seeing that Kunlun disciples no longer appeared, he boldly climbed out of the river valley and found a farmhouse to steal clothes to change into. Wu Dingyuan saw himself reduced to this state and couldn’t help shaking his head and smiling bitterly, thinking, “I, Wu Dingyuan, the famous constable of Xiliang, have now not only lost my position but become a clothes-stealing petty thief!”

Wu Dingyuan burned his original clothes with fire. Looking at the fire pile, he thought of old coroner Huang Ji being killed, Yanling Escort Agency’s entire family dying tragically, and his own bitter experience of being forced to abandon his post and flee. He couldn’t help feeling grief and anger together. That Lord Wang Ning seemed to have high rank and great reputation – he must be an important official in the capital. To find him, it seemed he would have to go to Beijing.

Wu Dingyuan then disguised himself as an ordinary farmer, bundled his personal effects into a pack, and quietly headed east.