Clouds Gathering

Chapter 30: Clouds Gathering

Although Zhao Rong said those things, he still sent people from the shadows to deliver news about Lu Zhaojin to the Chen Family in Yanling Commandery.

To prevent any leaks, Zhao Rong buried the messenger alive.

The Probationary Centurion Chai and General Banner An were his own people, trustworthy.

Furthermore, the True Martial Division had to manage the killings by martial artists in Luoxia City. Even if they couldn't stop it, at least the people wouldn't curse them too harshly for doing their duty.

The True Martial Guards of the True Martial Division arrived at the scene. Seeing the severed bodies of Lin Qicheng and Elder Gou, the smell of blood assaulted their nostrils, causing their stomachs to churn, wanting to vomit.

They had lived too comfortably for too long, and many of the younger True Martial Guards had inherited their positions from their fathers, rarely encountering such scenes. Thus, their faces turned pale, and they suppressed the urge to vomit as they collected Lin Qicheng's corpse.

The crowd stirred.

Lin Qi arrived with the Lin Family guards.

People cleared a path ahead, roughly pushing aside the crowd. Lin Qi saw the True Martial Division members, his expression growing even more somber. "Put down my son."

This group of True Martial Guards was led by Wei Kailang, a Minor Banner Officer of the True Martial Division with late Eighth Rank cultivation. He wore the special brocade uniform of the True Martial Guards, a black gauze cap, and carried a True Martial Saber at his waist. Gripping the hilt with his right hand, he looked at Lin Qi and his group and said seriously, "Patriarch Lin, the True Martial Division will officially record this matter. You can retrieve Lin Qicheng's body from the True Martial Division later."

His own son was dead, and Lin Qi was furious. Moreover, he already had a poor impression of the True Martial Division, so he didn't give Wei Kailang a pleasant look. "My Lin Family will handle this matter ourselves; the True Martial Division doesn't need to interfere. Get lost now."

If it weren't for the uniform of the True Martial Guards, he would have killed Wei Kailang with a single palm strike.

The True Martial Division was established by the Emperor of the Great Ding Dynasty. Its purpose could be inferred from the name "True Martial" – either for martial arts or to suppress the martial world.

"True Martial" could also be called "Martial Suppression."

Since the Great Ding Dynasty had unified the world and had no foreign enemies, the unruly force of the martial world was like a thorn in the flesh. It would hurt if left in, but removing it also carried risks.

Therefore, the True Martial Division was established to deal with it gradually.

Wei Kailang had an upright appearance. Despite being only in his early twenties, he did not fear the imposing aura cultivated by Patriarch Lin Qi over many years. He looked at Lin Qi's face neither servilely nor arrogantly. "Patriarch Lin, are you trying to break the rules of the True Martial Division?"

Lin Qi's expression grew even more somber, but he didn't say anything further. Instead, he watched the True Martial Guards collect the bodies of Lin Qicheng and Elder Gou. The palms hidden within his wide sleeves clenched into fists, but then he relaxed them. He instructed a few people to retrieve his son's body from the True Martial Division later, while the rest would follow him for revenge.

Wei Kailang watched them leave, their imposing manner suggesting they were not going to do anything good. Thus, his thick eyebrows furrowed slightly, and he wanted to stop them, stating that the matter could be handled by the True Martial Division and they would provide an explanation.

However, he was pulled back by a middle-aged True Martial Guard.

Wei Kailang looked at the middle-aged True Martial Guard, who shook his head and said gravely, "We shouldn't get too deeply involved in this matter, or we'll bring trouble upon ourselves."

Wei Kailang's brow furrowed even deeper, and he said sternly, "We are the True Martial Guards."

The middle-aged True Martial Guard laughed, but with a hint of mockery. "Although we have the backing of the court, we are facing those vicious martial artists."

He said earnestly, "There's only one life. If you're not careful, you could die in your sleep."

The middle-aged True Martial Guard suddenly pointed at Lin Qicheng's corpse. "You saw it too. Those martial artists won't care about your status."

Wei Kailang was momentarily dazed but quickly strengthened his resolve. He tightly gripped his saber hilt, recalling unpleasant memories from the past, and secretly vowed to cleanse the martial world.

Lu Zhaojin returned to the inn.

The people in the inn looked at him with slightly unusual gazes, tinged with fear. As he approached, they avoided him. Those who couldn't avoid him lowered their heads, not daring to look at him.

Lu Zhaojin hadn't expected that the news of him killing Lin Qicheng would spread so quickly throughout Luoxia City.

He didn't pay it any mind and headed upstairs to his room.

At this moment, a middle-aged man sitting in a corner suddenly called out to him, "Young hero, would you dare to have a drink with me?"

Lu Zhaojin turned to look at him. The man was wearing a black tight-fitting outfit, his face weathered, with a bit of stubble, looking like a mature man. Lu Zhaojin had never seen him before, and his past memories held no impression of him. Why was he inviting him for a drink?

Lu Zhaojin ignored him and continued upstairs, returning to his room.

The middle-aged man was not angered. He smiled faintly and murmured, "He's quite cautious, but being cautious is a good thing."

He looked at Lu Zhaojin's disappearing figure. "So young, yet he possesses a hidden, restrained sharpness. His swordsmanship must be quite advanced, very likely touching upon Sword Intent."

The middle-aged man picked up his wine cup and took a sip. "If I were to inform Madam Xiufang about this, I wonder what her thoughts would be?"

This person was Lu Wenxiu.

Lu Zhaojin returned to his room and used the over ten thousand EXP points on his panel to upgrade the Jade Purity Heart Method.

Although it couldn't bring the Jade Purity Heart Method to perfection, his own True Qi became even more robust, feeling inexhaustible.

[Jade Purity Heart Method (70/100)]

[EXP: 318]

EXP was tight again.

Lu Zhaojin couldn't help but think of Zhao Jinzhi.

However, he didn't know Zhao Jinzhi's whereabouts now, nor if there were any intelligence-gathering agencies.

Lu Zhaojin suddenly remembered the Brothel District.

Such a mixed place would be most suitable for gathering information.

Lu Zhaojin decided to act on his thought. The sky outside was already darkening, night was falling, and it was precisely the time when places of pleasure and revelry would be bustling.

However, before he could make a move, a figure, like a savage brown bear, violently smashed through the wall facing the street.

"Netherworld Soul Suppressing Palm."

The middle-aged man, dressed in a loose robe, saw Lu Zhaojin in the room and, without a word, struck out with a palm.

As he unleashed his palm strike, his potent True Qi seemed to transform into a colossal Netherworld ghoul. Waves of ghostly wails, not only piercing to the ear but also capable of devouring the soul, caused a momentary trance.

Simultaneously, the massive ghoul descended with a palm strike, as if intending to crush Lu Zhaojin into a meat patty.

But Lu Zhaojin, having already comprehended the Gale Sword Intent, was unaffected by palm techniques that aimed to disrupt the mind.

Sword Intent could cleave through all illusions.

As the palm print descended upon him, Lu Zhaojin neither dodged nor evaded. A sharp clang of a sword echoed, and a streak of sword light, like a luminous white line, traversed the sky, slicing through the palm print and revealing the astonished face behind it.

The middle-aged man stomped on the bed frame, using the force to retreat and thus evade the sword strike.

The sword light continued its unstoppable advance, nearly cleaving through the roof.

Lu Wenxiu, who had been hiding on the roof, suddenly felt a sense of danger. Relying on the instincts honed by years of living on the edge, he dodged the sword light that had nearly severed his foot.

Lu Wenxiu gazed at the sword mark, lost in thought.

He had underestimated Lu Zhaojin's strength.

Lin Qi shared the same sentiment. He hadn't expected the young man to be beyond the Seventh-Rank Realm, let alone in its mid-stage. What he found even more incredible was the Sword Intent.

Lin Qi was filled with surprise and uncertainty. Seeing his youthful appearance, he wondered if this was some senior who had mastered the art of preserving his looks.