Contest

Contest

Lu Zhaojin had not expected so many people to be heading up the mountain today.

He stopped someone to ask and learned that a blood ginseng had been discovered on the mountain. The herbal farmer who had found it estimated it to be at least a hundred years old.

They had come to join the excitement, gambling on their luck as well.

The man was honest and straightforward, dressed in coarse linen like a woodcutter, with a Xuanhua axe in hand. The muscles on his body showed that he possessed considerable strength.

He called himself Niu Hang. He was not from the Mount Qi region, and seeing that Lu Zhaojin was no ordinary man, he invited him to travel together. "The ancient records of Qishan County's Medicine Hall state that this blood ginseng's medicinal power is exceptionally fierce. If a Ninth-Rank Martial Artist consumes it, they can break through to the Eighth Rank in a short time. If they cultivate diligently afterward, they may even have a chance at the Seventh-Rank Realm."

The Medicine Hall was an organization spontaneously formed by Qishan County's herbal farmers, much like huddling together for warmth.

Most of them were ordinary people without the sturdy physiques of Martial Artists, but they possessed heads full of medicinal knowledge and medical skills so marvelous they seemed divine.

Martial Artists did not wish to be left without medicine after being injured, so naturally, they did not dare provoke the Medicine Hall.

Niu Hang sighed. "It's just that the growing environment isn't ideal. We actually have to head deeper in. Still, we won't need to go too far. Let's hope we don't run into any formidable wild beasts."

Niu Hang was a Ninth Rank Late Stage Martial Artist. Naturally, he hoped to use the blood ginseng's power to break through to the Eighth-Rank Realm. Yet on his way up the mountain, he had found far too many people stronger than himself—one stood right before him—so his hopes were slim. He had merely come to join the excitement.

Hearing this, Lu Zhaojin felt that such an opportunity was worth taking. It would strengthen his foundation and give him greater confidence in exterminating the Zhang Family and Zhao Family.

Furthermore, heading deeper into Mount Qi might allow him to find traces of his predecessor's father.

Besides, Shiqiao Town and Mount Qi were separated only by the Qi River. Since Qishan County had mobilized so grandly, the Zhang Family and Zhao Family would certainly not remain indifferent. They might very well send people over.

Thinking of how Xiao Liu had said the other day that Zhao Nuanyu wanted to discuss an important matter with him, could that so-called important matter have been this blood ginseng?

Lu Zhaojin did not think further.

He accepted Niu Hang's invitation, and they headed together toward the depths of Mount Qi.

Though they said it was the depths of Mount Qi, they had not actually gone in too far. It should have been the boundary between the outskirts and the deep mountains.

Following Niu Hang out of the dense forest, Lu Zhaojin arrived at an area where the trees were sparse. No vegetation covered the ground; instead, strange-shaped rocks jutted out here and there.

They finally saw the blood ginseng.

The ginseng grass growing aboveground stood nearly three feet tall. Its branches and leaves were all blood-red, and beneath the daylight, it looked like blood jade formed from congealed fresh blood.

It swayed in the wind, yet in everyone's eyes, it seemed to be beckoning to them.

Greed surged uncontrollably in their hearts. The branches and leaves alone were already so wondrous—what might the blood ginseng buried beneath the earth be like?

However, no one present rashly stepped forward to dig it up.

After all, who knew whether someone might fire a cold arrow from behind?

"This thing belongs to my Dingshan Sect. Everyone, disperse."

Suddenly.

The words echoed through the area.

Though the crowd was indignant, no one dared step forward to refute them.

That was because the Dingshan Sect was like a local emperor in the Mount Qi region. It had nearly a hundred disciples, three elders in the Seventh-Rank Realm, and its sect master was one of the rare Sixth-Rank Realm experts in the Mount Qi region. Calling him Mount Qi's foremost master would not be an exaggeration.

Everyone looked toward the newcomers.

They were Zhang Mang, Li Yue, and the others, followed by several Zhang Family guards.

The one who had spoken just now was Li Yue.

Standing at the front, he swept his gaze across the crowd and revealed a faint smile. "I trust none of you have any objections?"

The crowd looked at one another without speaking.

How could they dare have any objections?

Wouldn't the Dingshan Sect come knocking at their doors the very next day?

Li Yue was very satisfied with their reaction, believing the blood ginseng was already in the bag.

But the crowd suddenly stirred. A black-clad figure actually darted forward, extending a hand to pull up the blood ginseng.

Li Yue flew into a rage. Someone actually dared defy him? "You've got nerve!"

He stamped the ground and leaped into the air, drawing the longsword at his waist midair and slashing toward the black-clad figure's hand reaching for the blood ginseng's branches. "You sneaking little man, leave behind one hand as punishment."

Zhou Ran and Mu Zi also moved to block the black-clad figure's retreat.

Mu Zi removed the long whip at her waist and lashed fiercely at the figure's back.

Zhou Ran clenched his right hand into a fist and hurled a punch at the figure's head.

With attacks closing in from three sides, if the figure forcibly took the blood ginseng, injury was inevitable.

The figure had no choice but to abandon the attempt, yet he easily dissolved the attacks of the three.

Li Yue and the other two tangled with him, but after a long while, they still could not take him down.

That made the expressions of all three rather unsightly.

They were disciples of the Dingshan Sect. If three against one still could not defeat their opponent, and word spread, they would lose all face as Dingshan Sect disciples.

How would they face the sect's elders and disciples afterward?

How would they establish themselves in the martial world?

The three were burning with anger and unleashed killing moves one after another.

Zhang Jiao also wanted to go help, but a figure blocked his way. He was about to invoke the Dingshan Sect's name, but when he saw the man's face clearly, his expression filled with astonishment. "Lu Zhaojin! You're actually alive!"

Lu Zhaojin held the Hundred Refined Sword, its tip pointed at the ground. His eyes were calm as he looked at Zhang Jiao. "Today, you will not leave Mount Qi alive."

Ever since seeing Zhang Jiao, his heart had been restless and unsettled. It was the lingering obsession left behind by his predecessor affecting him.

Zhang Jiao seemed to have heard the funniest joke in the world. "You?"

He sneered mockingly. "You're nothing but a defeated underling. If your father hadn't intervened that day, how could you have had any chance of surviving?"

Lu Zhaojin replied calmly, "Times have changed."

Zhang Jiao found it laughable. "You should thank the heavens that you didn't die after jumping into the river. You should be running for your life, not boasting shamelessly here."

Zhang Jiao rushed forward and punched at Lu Zhaojin's face.

In his mind, that punch would be enough to rob Lu Zhaojin of his ability to move.

But reality was that his hand had been severed. His right hand was still clenched into a fist as it fell to the ground.

Zhang Jiao was horrified. He had barely seen how Lu Zhaojin drew his sword. He had only felt a chill at his wrist, and then it was gone.

Blood gushed from the stump like a tide.

He did not dare press forward any longer. Instead, he frantically retreated, shoving the guards and ordering them to hurry up, seize Lu Zhaojin.

Watching this scene, Lu Zhaojin felt it was somewhat like Zhang Mang before his death. As expected of two brothers.

And since Zhang Jiao would not attack again, then Lu Zhaojin would do the attacking.

Lu Zhaojin stepped forward toward Zhang Jiao. His leisurely gait was like someone strolling through spring, rather than killing a man.

The steadily approaching figure filled Zhang Jiao with terror. He did not know what Lu Zhaojin had experienced after jumping into the river, but his strength had advanced by leaps and bounds. Zhang Jiao was no match for him now.

The guards were even less worth mentioning.

They were utterly no match for Lu Zhaojin. Each was slain with a single sword strike, blood sealing their throats.

Experience +50 for killing a Ninth-Rank Martial Artist

Experience +50 for killing a Ninth-Rank Martial Artist

Experience +5 for killing an Unranked Martial Artist

Every guard Zhang Jiao had brought was killed by Lu Zhaojin, and his experience rose accordingly to five hundred and ninety-nine points.

Lu Zhaojin's sword was swift. Not even blood stained its blade; only after the guards fell did blood flow from their necks, dyeing the ground red.

Lu Zhaojin's indifferent gaze settled on Zhang Jiao once more. "I said it already. You will not leave Mount Qi alive today."

Terror filled Zhang Jiao's heart. Judging from the strength Lu Zhaojin had displayed with his sword just now, he had unexpectedly broken through to the Eighth Rank. Zhang Jiao could not fathom it at all, and hurriedly shouted, "Senior Brother, save me!"

After all, it was three against one.

And Li Yue and the others were attacking with everything they had. Even the black-clad figure could not fend off four hands with two fists, and he was forced back step by step. Just as he was about to be captured, Zhang Jiao's cry for help drew Li Yue's attention. Li Yue glanced over, only to see Zhang Jiao beheaded, and his rage immediately soared to the heavens.

There was actually a second person who dared kill a Dingshan Sect disciple!

Li Yue roared, "You're courting death!"

He could not disengage at the moment, so he could only commit Lu Zhaojin's appearance firmly to memory. Once he killed this black-clad figure, that youth who had murdered Zhang Jiao would not escape either.

Experience +50 for killing a Ninth-Rank Martial Artist

Experience: 649

A pleasant notification of experience gained rang beside Lu Zhaojin's ear.

Lu Zhaojin shook the blood from his sword. Seeing Niu Hang's stunned expression among the crowd, he merely nodded before moving to seize the blood ginseng.

Niu Hang had indeed been frightened by Lu Zhaojin. He actually dared kill a Dingshan Sect disciple? Did he not want his life anymore? And what did that nod to me mean?

The gazes of the people beside him were also somewhat strange.

They don't think I'm his accomplice, do they?

Remembering that he himself had invited Lu Zhaojin up the mountain, Niu Hang immediately felt like crying without tears. But now that things had come to this, further thoughts were mere fantasies. He gritted his teeth. "I'll help you!"