A Trip to West Lake

After leaving the Lin Family's old mansion, Wang Ming hired a carriage to head to West Lake.

Arriving at West Lake, he was sore and aching for days. In this era, without planes or cars, traveling was quite an ordeal.

He stayed at an inn and asked around extensively, finally locating Plum Manor.

The Four Friends of Plum Manor were essentially acting as jailers. They lived very low-key lives, to the point where they were almost unknown in the martial arts world. It was a shame their hobbies gave them away; otherwise, finding them would have been like searching for a needle in a haystack.

Tonight, The moon was dark and the wind was high, the perfect time for...

Wang Ming scaled the wall of Plum Manor and entered the courtyard.

Looking at the spacious courtyard with many rooms, Wang Ming couldn't tell which was which. He had no choice but to search them one by one.

Turning a corner, he arrived at a room noticeably larger than the surrounding ones. He gently pushed open the door and entered. Seeing the person on the bed, he pointed a finger at his acupoint, rendering him immobile. To prevent any strange techniques for breaking free, he used a bedsheet as a rope to tie him up.

Glancing back, he saw the room filled with calligraphy, paintings, and the smell of wine. He surmised it must be Dan Qingsheng.

With a bit of bustling, Wang Ming had already taken down Huang Zhonggong and Tu Biyong. Now, only Hei Baizi remained.

Wang Ming entered the room and was about to head towards the bed.

"Who is it?"

The person on the bed leaped up and struck him with a palm.

The sudden shout startled Wang Ming. He had been too focused, never expecting the man to wake up.

Wang Ming met the palm with his own, feeling the force from the other's hand. It was quite ordinary, so he increased his internal energy output.

Hei Baizi immediately couldn't withstand it, being sent flying back onto the bed, spitting out two mouthfuls of blood.

"I know you have the key to the dungeon. Take me to the dungeon, and I'll spare your life."

"How can I trust that you won't kill me after you get what you want?"

"You have no choice but to trust me. If you refuse to lead the way, I'll just find someone else. You're not the only one here who knows the dungeon's location or possesses the key. However, the one who survives will definitely not be you."

"Alright! Alright! I'll lead the way, just don't kill me."

Hei Baizi immediately agreed. He knew he had no room to negotiate; there were others here who served the same purpose as him.

Wang Ming knew from the original story that Hei Baizi was a coward with many hidden schemes, which was why he chose him to lead the way from the start. As expected, a simple scare was enough to make him yield.

Led by Hei Baizi, they found the dungeon entrance. It was very well hidden; without Hei Baizi, it would have been difficult to find. After descending a long flight of stone stairs, they finally reached the dungeon.

He saw the iron cage hanging in the air, inside which was a disheveled, bearded old man in tattered black clothes. This must be Ren Woxing.

"Open the iron cage."

"I can't. If he gets out, we'll all die." Hei Baizi resisted slightly.

"Don't open it, and you die right now."

"Hahaha! Hei Baizi, listen to him and open it. This sect leader won't kill you. Kid, you did well. This sect leader will reward you handsomely."

Ren Woxing was alerted. Seeing someone about to open the cage, he was extremely pleased! Although he didn't know who this kid was, as long as the cage was opened, Ren Woxing was confident he could get out.

Under pressure, Hei Baizi inserted the four keys into the locks, and the suspended iron cage slowly descended.

"Kid, did Left Emissary Xiang send you to rescue this sect leader? Come here and unlock my shackles."

As Ren Woxing emerged from the cage, he ordered Hei Baizi to remove the chains on his hands and feet.

Just as Hei Baizi was about to step forward, Wang Ming pointed a finger at him, stopping him, and then kicked him aside.

Ren Woxing also sensed something was wrong. He immediately straightened up, warily watching Wang Ming.

"You're mistaken. I'm here to kill you."

"Kid, you're quite arrogant. It seems the old man hasn't walked the martial arts world for a long time, and you've all forgotten my methods."

"Roar!!!"

Ren Woxing attacked without hesitation, channeling his internal energy, intending to use the same method that stunned Linghu Chong against Wang Ming. Unfortunately, Wang Ming's internal energy was profound, and a mere shout couldn't possibly stun him.

If he had succeeded, his training in the Indestructible Vajra Body and the Purple Haze Divine Skill would have been in vain.

Just as Wang Ming was about to use the Illusion Sword to strike Ren Woxing, Ren Woxing went all out.

"Star Absorbing Great Art!"

A powerful suction force emanated from Ren Woxing's hands, pulling Wang Ming, who was two zhang away, right in front of him. Ren Woxing gripped Wang Ming's hands tightly, controlling him.

"Kid, this sect leader will let you experience the might of the Star Absorbing Great Art, haha!!!!"

Just as Ren Woxing was laughing triumphantly, he was suddenly sent flying backward, crashing into the stone wall of the dungeon.

"Wh-why... the Star Absorbing Great Art... it didn't work."

Wang Ming had no inclination to explain his martial arts. He walked over, picked up the sword that had fallen, and slit Ren Woxing's throat.

Ren Woxing had pulled Wang Ming towards him, continuously absorbing the Purple Haze True Qi from Wang Ming's body, believing the situation was settled. He just hadn't expected Wang Ming to also possess the Indestructible Vajra Body. The Indestructible Vajra True Qi couldn't even be absorbed by Zhu Wushi's Great Art of Absorbing Power, let alone the incomplete Star Absorbing Great Art. While Ren Woxing was laughing maniacally, Wang Ming channeled his internal energy and kicked him flying.

He went to the inner cage where Ren Woxing was held and found the Star Absorbing Great Art. He quickly memorized the secret manual, then used his long sword to destroy the text on it. If this thing were to spread, the harm would be too great.

He had no interest in practicing the Star Absorbing Great Art. What was the point of practicing such a flawed technique? To turn himself into a balloon and disgust himself?

He brought Hei Baizi back to Huang Zhonggong's room. After rummaging through everything inside, he finally found a booklet.

This booklet contained Huang Zhonggong's self-created, unique ultimate skill: the Seven String Formless Sword.

This martial art was the most underestimated in the world of "The Smiling, Proud Wanderer." It was the perfect match for Ren Woxing, but unfortunately, Ren Woxing didn't know it. He foolishly fought with a flimsy sword or directly exchanged palm strikes, and when facing someone slightly more skilled, he could only resort to the Star Absorbing Great Art.

Duan Yu's Northern Darkness Divine Skill was not fully cultivated. After he absorbed others' internal energy, he would also feel extremely uncomfortable. Why wasn't it as severe as Ren Woxing's condition? Because Duan Yu only absorbed the internal energy of a dozen or so people in his entire life. Ren Woxing absorbed it whenever he encountered an opponent; he had absorbed from over a thousand people in his lifetime, making it extremely chaotic.

Initially, Duan Yu also suffered from different internal energies surging within his body, making him wish for death. He only got better after learning the Six Meridian Divine Sword. The Six Meridian Divine Sword was easy to master and simple; the fact that several eminent monks at Tianlong Temple all knew it was proof. Knowing it didn't mean being able to use it. This martial art consumed an immense amount of internal energy, which was the real bottleneck.

For others, this martial art was useless, but for Duan Yu, it was a divine skill. It could be unleashed instantaneously, maintaining a balance within his body.

In Ren Woxing's era, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth was thin, making it very difficult for internal energy to leave the body.

Ren Woxing had no way to expel the true qi in his body; it only entered and never left. It could be said that for every day he used his sword techniques and palm techniques, it wasn't as fast as his internal energy recovering. It was a miracle he wasn't burst to death.

The Seven String Formless Sword was precisely a martial art that consumed a great deal of internal energy, making it a perfect match for the Star Absorbing Great Art. Of course, adding the Yi Jin Jing would be even better.

By infusing superior internal energy into the zither's melody, one could disrupt the enemy's mind. When the opponent's internal energy resonated with the zither's music, they would unknowingly fall under its control. If the zither's melody was slow, the opponent's attacks would also become slow; if the zither's melody was rapid, the opponent's attacks would also become rapid. However, the moves played on the zither were the exact opposite of the melody. He would attack quickly while the melody was exceptionally leisurely, making it impossible for the opponent to defend.

Having taken what he needed, Wang Ming glanced at the four still unconscious individuals, contemplating whether to kill them.

Dealing with the Four Friends of Plum Manor was not difficult. Xiang Wentian dealt with them cautiously and catered to their preferences not because he feared them in terms of martial arts, but because if they were defeated, they would detonate explosives to destroy the dungeon, which would be fatal for Ren Woxing.

Wang Ming was not worried about these matters. If Ren Woxing died, so be it; nothing major would happen. It would be better if he died, preventing him from causing trouble later.

After a moment of thought, "Forget it. For the sake of this Seven String Formless Sword, I won't kill you. I'll let you fend for yourselves!"

He cut Huang Zhonggong's ropes with his sword, ignoring the still unconscious individuals.

He left Plum Manor.

The reason for coming to kill Ren Woxing was to maintain the balance of this world. Xiang Wentian had been planning to rescue Ren Woxing all along.

Unlike Dongfang Bubai, who was a recluse, Ren Woxing would cause chaos once he was free.

Wang Ming's killing of Ren Woxing was merely to prevent him from attacking Mount Hua after Wang Ming's departure.