Today After Today, the Sea Is Vast Enough for Fish to Leap, the Sky High Enough for Birds to Fly!

"You... you..."

"You killed Lord Wu Yuan?!"

Wu Yuan had become a charred corpse, and the five servants looked at Lu Qingfeng as though they had seen a living ghost. They had even forgotten to run.

In their eyes, Wu Yuan, an inner disciple so powerful he seemed untouchable, had actually been killed in a single exchange by this frail-looking youth?

And this youth was the elder brother of Lu Qingshan, whom they had bullied in the past?!

The impact was simply too great. They had lost the ability to think.

"Qingshan, how are you?"

Lu Qingfeng did not waste time tangling with the servants. He took Qingyu to Lu Qingshan's side.

He had not expected Wu Yuan to be so violent. Before he could even make a move, Wu Yuan had already severely injured Lu Qingshan.

Fortunately, it had only been a kick.

If Wu Yuan had gone mad and brought his saber down on Lu Qingshan's head, Lu Qingfeng would have regretted it for the rest of his life!

"I'm... I'm fine. Cough, cough!"

"Those five... can't be left alive!"

Lu Qingshan's chest throbbed with pain. In the time it took to speak two sentences, he had already coughed up several mouthfuls of blood. Even so, he still pointed at the five servants standing dumbfounded nearby.

"Fine!"

Lu Qingfeng had not originally wanted to deal with the five servants. After all, they might also be wretched people who had encountered the same opportunity as Lu Qingshan.

But since Lu Qingshan had told him to act, there had to be a reason. This was no time to investigate that reason. Striking at once and leaving swiftly was the proper course!

"Smoke-Wisp Step!"

Lu Qingfeng shifted his feet. As Smoke-Wisp Step unfolded, his body flashed like a ghost, appearing directly before one of the servants. The servant looked to be around twenty years old and was already scared witless.

He held a saber in his hands, yet could not lift it no matter how hard he tried.

Crack!

Lu Qingfeng reached out, twisted the man's head, and snapped his neck. The man died on the spot.

"Demon!"

"Run!"

The remaining four servants finally came to their senses. They hurriedly threw down their sabers and fled for their lives!

But like Lu Qingshan, they were all menial disciples who had yet to enter the path of cultivation. How could they outrun Lu Qingfeng?

Within twenty breaths, Lu Qingfeng had killed them all.

Strangely enough, Lu Qingfeng had been extremely nervous on the night before he killed someone. Now that he had gone on a killing spree, he felt nothing at all.

"Let's go!"

There was no time to dwell on it.

Lu Qingfeng hoisted Lu Qingshan onto his back, tucked Lu Qingyu beneath one arm, and tied the Nine-Ring Saber together with several sabers lying on the ground.

Then he sprinted toward the dock.

It was shortly after dawn, and the dock was deserted.

With the Return to Truth Sect's fearsome reputation, who would dare come steal a boat at the foot of Huangzhi Mountain unless they had grown tired of living?!

Carrying Lu Qingshan on his back and holding Lu Qingyu in one hand, Lu Qingfeng casually jumped onto a wooden boat.

The seven or eight boats here were all small. The largest could hold only a dozen people, while the smallest had room for merely three to five.

He chose the smallest one, then loosened the ropes on all the other boats. This would at least cause some trouble for the Return to Truth Sect's pursuit.

During these three days, Lu Qingfeng had found a swift river beside Black Sand Town and practiced controlling boats for a full two months. Handling a small boat was no problem for him.

The boat had no anchor. Once he loosened the rope and pushed off with an oar, it shot straight into the Chengyang River.

"Even if the Return to Truth Sect discovers the deaths of Wu Yuan and the other five at the earliest possible moment, they'll need at least half an hour to react and investigate."

"By following the current downstream, they'll have to pursue me by water."

"But as long as I don't stop along the way, they can forget about catching me!"

Only now did Lu Qingfeng finally breathe a sigh of relief.

The greatest variables and difficulties in their plan had been killing Wu Yuan and seizing a boat. Once those two steps were complete, the escape and pursuit that followed were actually far less dangerous than he had imagined.

The Chengyang River stretched vast and boundless, surging onward for who knew how many miles.

The Return to Truth Sect held immense power in Jiuzhai County, but once they left Jiuzhai County, they should be safe!

"Whoosh, whoosh!"

"From this day onward, the sea is vast enough for fish to leap, and the sky high enough for birds to fly!"

With an oar in hand, Lu Qingfeng controlled the boat's direction. He looked back toward Huangzhi Mountain, a liberated smile appearing on his face—a smile he had never shown before.

"Blackwood Village!"

"Return to Truth Sect!"

"I'll be back!"

But by then, it would be the day the Return to Truth Sect was toppled!

At the dock beside Huangzhi Mountain.

A dozen or more people dressed in dark, close-fitting martial robes stood with solemn expressions.

The man at their head wore a ring-pommel saber at his waist and had his brows tightly furrowed. He appeared to be in his forties, and his aura was as deep as an abyss, impossible to fathom.

This man was Zhao Zhou, a major figure in the Return to Truth Sect. He wielded authority over the powerful Punishment Hall and was its chief.

"Chief, judging from the scene, the burned corpse is Wu Yuan. The other five corpses belonged to the servants Wu Yuan selected. One servant, named Lu Qingshan, is missing."

"Lu Qingshan was a menial disciple from Blackwood Village. He still has an elder brother and a younger sister at home. He entered the sect five months and twenty-four days ago."

A disciple stood before Zhao Zhou and reported.

"Lu Qingshan."

A thoughtful look appeared in Zhao Zhou's eyes. He then said, "Go to Blackwood Village and see whether his elder brother and younger sister are still there. If they are, bring them here directly."

"Yes!"

The disciple accepted the order, gathered some men, and hurried toward Blackwood Village.

Zhao Zhou walked to Wu Yuan's charred corpse and squatted down to examine it.

Nearby, Chen Shang, a disciple who specialized in the art of forensic examination, respectfully said, "Wu Yuan's fatal injury was to the head. The flames began burning from his face and continued until they engulfed his entire body. The wound on his chest was caused by a kick. Judging from the angle and force, Wu Yuan had already been lying helpless on the ground, unable to resist. The person who kicked him was no stronger than the Third Layer of the Embryonic Breath Realm."

The forensic examination was indeed extraordinary. Chen Shang had practically reconstructed the state of Wu Yuan's death.

"What about the flames?"

Zhao Zhou asked.

"The flames..."

Chen Shang looked troubled and shook his head. "The flames were tremendously powerful. Even when Wu Yuan circulated his inner breath to form a tortoiseshell, he still could not withstand them. It seems to have been caused by a fire-attribute martial art, but I truly cannot think of any fire-attribute technique in Jiuzhai County—or even Guangyuan Prefecture—that could produce flames out of thin air and injure someone at the Embryonic Breath level!"

Zhao Zhou lowered his head and pondered at this.

Half an hour later.

"We recovered six of the boats carried away by the river. The other two are nowhere to be found."

"In Blackwood Village, Lu Qingfeng and Lu Qingyu, the siblings, did not appear at all this morning. Their clothes are still in the house. We also found remnants of seventeen medicinal ingredients, including Atractylodes, Licorice Root, and Solomon's Seal, as well as a chest of tree bark. Written on it were literacy lessons, meridian acupoints, the First Layer of the Guizhen Technique, and Savage Bull Fist."

After hearing the report, a trace of amused interest appeared on Zhao Zhou's face.

"Secretly passing things to one another."

"Stealing a boat and fleeing."

"Who would have thought that a youth from the countryside would possess such courage?"

Zhao Zhou murmured softly, then called out, "Five men to a team. Take boats and pursue the Lu siblings. Send people to notify Dienshui Village, Yellowcrag Village, Piyan Village, and Ningkou Village along the riverbank. Organize teams and search along the shore. Report immediately upon discovering anyone suspicious!"

"Yes!"

The black-clad enforcers accepted their orders and withdrew one after another.

Zhao Zhou remained where he was, gazing at the Chengyang River rushing eastward. He murmured, "This kind of injury cannot have been caused by an ordinary martial art. It must have been a flame spell. If the Lu siblings had no one assisting them, then they must have encountered some kind of fortuitous opportunity and gained certain abilities. Even if someone did assist them, that person cannot be very strong. Otherwise, they would not have chosen to escape by boat."

"The Chengyang River is vast and mighty. The Lu siblings think they can follow the current downstream and escape Jiuzhai County. Little do they know that the section by Ningkou Village has swift currents and is filled with hidden reefs. No boat, large or small, can pass through."

"I'd like to see how you'll escape my grasp when you can flee only if you grow wings!"

"Spells! A fortuitous opportunity!"

Zhao Zhou gave a soft laugh and paced away.

At dawn, Bai Di's city lay amid clouds of color; by evening, Jiangling was a thousand miles away.

The apes on both banks cried without end, while the lightboat had already passed ten thousand mountains.

Lu Qingfeng controlled the small boat as it followed the current downstream.

The mountains on both sides of the Chengyang River gradually rose higher. The cliffs grew precipitous, while the cries of apes and roars of tigers echoed without end.

At the center of the boat, bloodstains were scattered around Lu Qingshan's lips. His head tilted to one side, and he collapsed into the arms of Lu Qingyu, whose face was streaked with tears.

"Big Brother, Second Brother is about to die!"

Lu Qingyu's voice rang out, thick with sobs.

The corner of Lu Qingfeng's mouth twitched slightly. While keeping the boat balanced, he comforted her, "Qingshan only took some medicine and fell asleep. He'll be fine once he wakes up."

Lu Qingshan's injuries looked severe, but in truth, Wu Yuan had controlled his strength very well and had not struck with the intent to kill.

After all, he had still needed to take Lu Qingshan to the opposite bank of the Chengyang River.

When necessary, having one more abandoned pawn might offer one more hope of survival.

Thus, Wu Yuan had never intended to kill or seriously injure Lu Qingshan.

He had not even intended to kill Lu Qingfeng.

Although his motives had been impure, who could have imagined that he would ultimately die at the hands of these two brothers whom he had never once taken seriously?

As it turned out, that had been his undoing.

Lu Qingshan's injuries were not serious.

During his three days in Blackwood Village, Lu Qingfeng had refined three batches totaling thirty-six Grain-Repelling Pills, along with various loose medicinal powders for external wounds, internal injuries, insect expulsion, detoxification, and more. Once Lu Qingshan took a dose of medicine and rested properly for a few days, these injuries would soon heal completely.

Lu Qingyu blinked after hearing this. Tears still clung to her long eyelashes, and she was almost tempted to throw Lu Qingshan into the Chengyang River!

Just now.

Second Brother had hugged her and talked at length, first saying how much he had missed her, then telling her to behave and listen in the future. Then he had tilted his head and "fainted" in her arms with a smile on his face.

Anyone would have thought he was about to die.

"Bad Second Brother!"

Lu Qingyu slapped Lu Qingshan's arm. The tear in his already tattered clothing widened. Through the gap, rows of fresh and old scars could be seen covering Lu Qingshan's arm.

In his sleep.

Lu Qingshan felt the pain. His brows furrowed slightly, and he shifted in his sleep, revealing the injuries on his back as well.

Whip marks, bruises...

Lu Qingyu lifted Lu Qingshan's shirt. Countless scars covered his body, making her shudder with fear.

"The Return to Truth Sect is a bunch of bastards!"

"Bastards!"

Lu Qingyu clenched her fists tightly and cursed loudly.

Hearing her, Lu Qingfeng turned around. At a glance, he saw the injuries covering Lu Qingshan's body. He had noticed them while examining Lu Qingshan and had originally wanted to keep them hidden from Qingyu, but she had discovered them anyway.

"Big Brother! We'll come back, won't we? We'll come back and wipe out those bastards from the Return to Truth Sect!"

Lu Qingyu looked up at Lu Qingfeng.

"Yes."

"We'll definitely come back!"

Lu Qingfeng nodded.

Regardless of the Return to Truth Sect's outrageous, demonic conduct, the suffering their family had endured over the years alone was enough to make Lu Qingfeng resent them for the rest of his life.

As long as the Return to Truth Sect remained, the obsession in his heart would never fade!

Two updates, more than six thousand words. Please give me a recommendation ticket.