Cave Mansion

Captain Liu pulled strings from the shadows.

The Zhang family received news that Zhang Jiao had died on Mount Qi.

When Zhang Heng learned the news, his hair practically stood on end in fury. Everything at hand was smashed to pieces, and when he learned that Lu Zhaojin was the killer, the tables and chairs were shattered into powder by the true qi leaking from him.

Nothing in the room remained intact.

Zhang Heng's eyes were bloodshot, filled with grief, fury, and killing intent. He ordered every member of the Zhang family to come out in full force and search the mountain. Today, he would personally slaughter Lu Zhaojin, grind him to dust, crush his bones, and scatter his ashes.

Even Lu Jinlin, who had hidden deep in the mountains—he would venture into the depths to find him and make father and son accompany Zhang Jiao in death.

The Dingshan Sect was a long way away.

But Qishan County also had a Dingshan Sect outpost. Upon receiving the news, it promptly sent people to relay it back to the sect.

The Dingshan Sect flew into a rage over this matter and took it seriously enough.

As the local emperor of the Mount Qi region, it had not encountered anyone so brazen in a very long time—someone had actually killed a Dingshan Sect disciple.

Thus, the Dingshan Sect Leader dispatched two elders of the Seventh-Rank Realm to suppress and kill that madman, while also showing the Mount Qi martial world the Dingshan Sect's strength and the consequences of provoking it.

Those who had not died beneath Lu Zhaojin's sword had all returned to Qishan County. They recounted the events on the mountain to their friends and relatives, adding oil and vinegar to the tale.

It was not that they spoke ill of Lu Zhaojin, but that they spoke of how ruthless he was, as though a god of slaughter had descended upon the world. His killing chilled others to the bone; even the Moon Wolf Gang's young gang leader had died at his hands.

When members of the Moon Wolf Gang heard of this, they were horrified and rushed back to the gang's headquarters to report the matter to Chen Kang.

Chen Kang had actually broken through to the middle stage of the Seventh-Rank Realm half a year ago. He had not emerged from seclusion because he wanted to wait until Mu Kui dealt with Zhao Nuanyu. If Zhao Huaishui went mad and stormed the Moon Wolf Gang, Chen Kang would then suppress and kill him with overwhelming force, giving him grounds to argue his case even before the imperial court.

Though the Mount Qi martial folk bore grievances against the imperial court, none of them underestimated its power. Once it began to move, there was nothing under heaven that the imperial court could not accomplish.

It was simply that he had not expected the plan to suffer a setback.

Mu Kui was dead.

Mu Zhuo had gone to avenge Mu Kui, yet he too had died.

In an instant, the Moon Wolf Gang had lost the fighting strength of two Eighth-Rank Martial Artists.

Chen Kang could no longer remain hidden. With the Moon Wolf Gang leaderless, he had to step forward and take charge. Yet before two days had passed, news of Chen Yuan's death returned...

The people of Qishan County saw the Moon Wolf Gang members, led by Chen Kang, marching in a vast procession toward Mount Qi.

For a time, Mount Qi carried the feeling of wind and rain about to descend.

Lu Zhaojin opened his eyes once more.

The sun had set beyond the western hills. Ten thousand rays of sunset light stained the horizon orange-red, like burning flames.

He opened his character panel.

Lu Zhaojin

Bone Age: Sixteen

Aptitude: Average

Realm: Eighth-Rank Late Stage

Mental Art: Flowing Water Art (75/100)

Martial Arts: Brute Ox Stance (Perfected), Gale Sword Art (Perfected), Golden Body Technique (25/100)

Experience: 1068

Inventory: Hundred Refined Sword

The Flowing Water Art had advanced to major mastery.

Lu Zhaojin's realm had also officially broken through to the Eighth-Rank Late Stage. Only two meridians remained unopened. Once the Flowing Water Art reached perfection and thoroughly opened the eight extraordinary meridians, it would be time for him to enter the Seventh-Rank Realm.

However, advancing the Flowing Water Art to perfection would require two thousand five hundred experience points.

He was still short by around one thousand five hundred points.

There was no rush.

Once he harvested the Zhang family and Zhao Family, he would have them.

The aptitude displayed on the panel had changed to average, a transformation brought about by consuming the Blood Ginseng Grass.

At the time, Lu Zhaojin had not found the Blood Ginseng Grass shabby at all. He casually wiped it clean with his robe, then swallowed it along with its earthy taste.

The Blood Ginseng Grass quickly melted in his stomach, transforming into a stream of pure medicinal essence that fused into his flesh, blood, tendons, and bones, giving Lu Zhaojin a floating, transcendent sensation.

This was likely the reason his aptitude had improved.

And that was not all.

The medicinal power also nourished his body, slightly increasing its strength. Even his five viscera and six bowels underwent subtle, imperceptible changes.

Lu Zhaojin only felt refreshed and clear-headed, his eyes bright and his mind awake. Even the world around him seemed entirely new, subtly changed in some indescribable way.

The reason he had spent so long here was mainly to digest the Blood Ginseng Grass's medicinal power.

Lu Zhaojin rose from the ground and brushed the dirt from his clothes, thinking that it was time to settle the grudges left behind by the previous owner of this body.

Yet before he had gone very far, he noticed that there seemed to be even more people on Mount Qi.

Could some treasure have appeared on the mountain?

Lu Zhaojin did not conceal himself and was discovered by that group, causing a stir. Seeing that he was covered in blood, they became even more wary, drawing their weapons and aiming them at him to keep him from approaching.

Lu Zhaojin was not someone who killed indiscriminately. If someone took the initiative to seek trouble with him, he would naturally draw his sword without hesitation. "What are you looking for?"

The middle-aged man was clearly the leader of the group. His Ninth Rank Late Stage cultivation was higher than the others'. Hearing Lu Zhaojin's question, surprise appeared on his face. "You really don't know?"

Lu Zhaojin shook his head. "I don't."

The middle-aged man made a long story short and explained it to Lu Zhaojin.

Mount Qi was now a gathering place for forces from every side.

The Dingshan Sect, the Zhang family, the Zhao Family, the Moon Wolf Gang—even the County Yamen and the Medicine Hall had mobilized.

The man also said that people from Luoshui Commandery and Yanling Commandery were on their way.

A Cave Mansion had been discovered deep in the mountains. By conservative estimate, it was the relic of an expert in the Fifth Rank Realm.

As for who had discovered the Cave Mansion, Lu Zhaojin was not surprised at all—Zhao Jinzhi.

Judging from the man's account, the Zhang family had led a group of guards to Mount Qi, searching across the mountains and plains for a young man.

Lu Zhaojin knew the Zhang family was looking for him.

But they had not found him.

Instead, they found Zhao Jinzhi.

Zhang Heng and Zhao Jinzhi had fought fiercely, neither able to gain the upper hand.

Lu Zhaojin thought of the Blood Ginseng Grass Zhao Jinzhi had pulled up, then recalled the drastic change that had made him seem like a completely different person. There should be some old grandfather helping him. He used the Blood Ginseng Grass to break through to the Seventh-Rank Realm; otherwise, how could Zhang Heng have failed to take him down?

The two fought as they went deeper and deeper into the mountains. In the end, somewhere within the deep mountains, their clashing true qi blasted apart a boulder and revealed a cave entrance.

Their battle had already drawn the attention of the Moon Wolf Gang, who arrived later. When the cave entrance was blasted open, they immediately sent people in to investigate. They found that the tunnels were not deep, but they were like a maze—no matter how they walked, they returned to where they began.

Even people from the County Yamen and the Dingshan Sect had become trapped inside.

To this day, they had not found where the relic's treasures were hidden.

Lu Zhaojin asked, "How did they know that cave was the Cave Mansion of an expert?"

The middle-aged man said, "Who knows? All the martial folk of Mount Qi have rushed here now, just to see whether this expert's Cave Mansion is real or not."

He smiled. "If it is real, perhaps we can get a share of the benefits. Even if it is fake, we will have merely wasted a little effort."

Lu Zhaojin nodded and said nothing more.

However, he too intended to follow these people and take a look at the Cave Mansion.

It was not because he coveted that Cave Mansion of uncertain authenticity, but because the Zhang family and Zhao Family were both there. He would not need to waste time crossing the river to Shiqiao Town.

And while he was at it, he could deal with the Moon Wolf Gang as well.

That would save him the trouble of making another trip to Qishan County in the future.

This trip might make his experience points soar, but his reputation as a god of slaughter would probably be firmly established throughout the Mount Qi region.

Lu Zhaojin followed behind the group and proceeded forward slowly.