A New Neighbor
Liang Qu, dressed neatly, went up to the deck and looked out over the island.
A clearing was cleared out on the island near the water, with long tables connected together, and a fine bronze incense burner placed on the table, gleaming with a heavy golden light in the setting sun.
Xiang Fangsu slung the banner over his shoulder and pressed it into the ground. The horse mane on the long pole fluttered in the river breeze and lingered for a long time.
Diagonally opposite the banner, dozens of soldiers pulled on iron chains, dragging iron cages from the ship to the side of the banner.
The square iron cage was exceptionally heavy, with each iron bar as thick as a normal person's wrist.
The mountain ox, which had been starving for more than ten days, knelt on the ground, panting heavily and helplessly.
A pre-battle sacrificial ceremony to pray for ancestral blessings.
The post-war ancestral worship ceremony expresses gratitude for the blessings bestowed upon us by our ancestors.
Only in this way can there be a proper beginning and an end; otherwise, it would be like taking the "benefits" and running away, showing a lack of manners.
After the sacrificial ceremony, the purge of the Ghost Mother Sect branch was completely over. Except for some soldiers who stayed behind, the rest of the troops were able to return to Ping Yang County with the main force.
The sacrificial altar has been set up.
Liang Qu followed the crowd up to the island and stood among them.
A gentle night breeze was blowing.
Silent and still.
A huge bull lay on the ground, thick red blood flowing from a wound on its neck, accumulating into a small pool in the mud.
The soldiers from the River Conservancy Office carried dozens of corpses to the center of the site and piled them up in layers.
Unlike ordinary Martial Master are cremated early and whose final resting place is a small wooden box, these are all meritorious individuals who made great contributions but died in battle.
There was a layer of corpses, a layer of firewood, and a layer of kerosene.
A sense of sorrow spread through the crowd. The young soldiers couldn't help but shudder, feeling a mix of fear and relief.
I'm so glad I survived, so glad I didn't become one of the corpses, and so glad I can still go back to see my family alive.
Yang Dongxiong sighed.
Xu Yuelong opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but not knowing what to say, so he finally closed his mouth and remained silent.
The guards stepped forward and bowed.
"My lord, we are ready."
"Ignition."
Several guards received orders, lined up in four directions, and threw out torches in unison.
The torches fell on the oil-soaked corpses and immediately burst into flames, which swirled upwards.
The campfire slowly rose under the night sky, eventually transforming into a towering blaze that pierced a narrow strip of light across the water.
Black smoke accumulated in the sky, occasionally obscuring the waning moon. The foul stench mixed with the blood of the wild buffalo, making people feel nauseous.
Even after the sacrificial ceremony ended and Liang Qu returned to the ship, he still felt that the smell lingered for a long time, as if it had taken root in his nasal cavity and would come out to bother him from time to time.
With the follow-up matters on the island settled, the ship lowered its white sails, broke through the night, and sailed back the way it came.
Top floor of the ship.
Xu Yuelong gathered all the completed documents, placed them in a long box, locked it, and bowed slightly.
"Respectfully bidding farewell to the Dragon Elephant Martial Saint."
"Respectfully bidding farewell to the Dragon Elephant Martial Saint."
The more than thirty people present raised their voices like a tidal wave and bowed in unison.
Liang Qu raised his head slightly and saw through his fingers that the long box transformed into a stream of light, passing through the window and disappearing into the horizon.
I'll test it.
"The Xuanbing can move on its own?"
Liang Qu looked at Ke Wenbin beside him.
"Otherwise, what do you think?"
Ke Wenbin looked Liang Qu up and down, revealing his surprise. It was the first time he realized that Liang Qu had no idea about the significance of the Martial Saint Profound Weapon.
"No matter how powerful the weapon is, you can't beat Grandmaster with just the Hunting Tiger Technique. There are too many gaps in experience, strength, vision, and Divine Ability abilities."
"So how did we win?"
Liang Qu was extremely curious.
A few days ago, he was too embarrassed to ask, fearing it was something that ordinary people shouldn't know.
Ke Wenbin said, "The so-called spiritual weapons are not just empty words. You should know about the concept of the 'essence' of Martial Artist."
Liang Qu nodded.
From the very beginning of his journey into martial arts, Senior Brother Hu had spoken to him about the "essence" of Martial Artist.
It also made him realize why others couldn't control the water in their bodies unless his "original" strength far surpassed that of others.
Seeing Liang Qu nod, Ke Wenbin continued.
"Upon reaching the Martial Saint realm, one can refine one's own Divine Ability, that is, a part of one's 'original self,' into the weapon, which is equivalent to expanding your concept as a 'person'."
Ke Wenbin emphasized the emphasis on the word "".
Liang Qu understood the implication. "So you mean, a normal person has two hands, two feet, and one head, but Martial Saint needs to grow an extra knife and a spear?"
Ke Wenbin stroked his chin. "What you said sounds a bit strange, but that's roughly the idea."
Liang Qu was filled with awe.
Such formidable methods! Judging from their appearance, Xuanbing is far more powerful than ordinary hands and feet.
After all, once the hands and feet are separated from a person, that person loses all sensation and cannot control themselves.
Xuanbing's performance was quite different!
The two Martial Saint were at least tens of thousands of miles away, yet they could still easily control the Xuanbing (mysterious weapon) and even know the surrounding environment through it!
Xu Yuelong simply said "farewell," and the Xuanbing flew away on its own.
"The ones fighting those two Grandmaster weren't actually us Great Martial Master, but those two Martial Saint! The Great Martial Master could only play a limited role, just like the fodder for feeding horses."
It was also good luck. It would be difficult to deal with two second-step Grandmaster with a single Xuanbing weapon, but we were just lucky. Remember the last time the Grand Feast for the World was overrun? That new Martial Saint was close to Ping Yang County, in Southern Zhili. In addition, the pressure of fighting against the Northern Court was greatly reduced, and the Dragon Elephant Martial Saint was able to free up his hands.
The combination of these two factors made the trip so successful.
Liang Qu suddenly realized.
One move affects the whole situation.
That Grand Feast for the World, he was having drinks with his senior brothers and sisters at a restaurant. The innkeeper gave them a 20% discount, never imagining that it would affect a major operation a few months later.
"Wouldn't it be incredibly fast to use a mysterious weapon to send a message?"
"Isn't it being delivered?"
Ke Wenbin gestured with his lip, indicating the table where the long box was placed.
Borrowed items must be returned, but since we've already come all this way, we can't go back empty-handed; that would be a complete waste of a good opportunity.
Large items can't be carried, but intelligence is a piece of cake.
Even a dignified Martial Saint wouldn't mind helping with a small favor; it's all for the sake of Da Shun.
Unfortunately, it cannot be used frequently. If something happens to the Martial Saint Profound Weapon, it will have a significant impact on the Martial Saint.
"From here to the Imperial Capital, it will only take half a day with the speed of Xuanbing. You might even be faster. Officials of the seventh rank and below can be directly confirmed in Southern Zhili."
"We should get good news from you before August. Maybe by the time we get to Ping Yang County, the Southern Zhili Ministry of Personnel will have already stamped your application."
Under the cover of night.
The ship slowly approached the shore.
As Liang Qu stepped onto land, an unprecedented sense of solidity spread from the soles of his feet throughout his entire body.
It took less than two days to go there, but it took three days to return due to wind and water flow.
It's almost the end of July now.
"A small branch of the Ghost Mother Sect took me half a month to come and go."
Liang Qu lamented how quickly time had passed; a battle, once it truly began, didn't take long, but the aftermath and follow-up were what truly mattered.
After bidding farewell to his Master and the others, Liang Qu, who had been away from Ping Yang County for a long time, couldn't wait to carry his large bow and long spear home.
It was midnight, and under curfew, the streets were deserted, without a single person in sight.
The occasional patrolling soldiers, having learned early on that the Martial Master from the River Conservancy Office had returned, dared not approach Liang Qu to ask him any questions when they saw him dressed in his traditional attire.
Back home, Liang Qu put down his weapons and went to the pond to check on the beavers' progress. There, he learned some unexpected news from the Old Giant Clam.
A new "beast" has arrived at our house!