Mount Tai Beneath

When they first left the city, the sky was still clear for ten thousand li.

But after barely half a day on the road, a fine drizzle began to fall, then grew heavier and heavier.

Creak, creak~

The carriage wheels rolled through the muddy Official Road, leaving long ruts behind.

Two tung-oil-covered wagons and five fine horses made their way toward Tai'an beneath the leaden sky.

Li Yan flicked the rainwater from the brim of his bamboo hat and turned to look around.

Jinan City had long since vanished behind the mountains and rain.

But he was not looking at Jinan City. He was recalling his conversation with Lu HongYuan...

"Kill someone? Senior Lu, why don't you speak plainly?"

"Young Friend Li, have you heard of Zhou Zhao, the former 'Gentleman's Sword' of Mingde Academy?"

"I've heard of him. He was your prized disciple."

"It's an ugly matter, to be sure. Three years ago, he broke into the Academy's forbidden grounds at night and stole a forbidden book. He also murdered his fellow disciples."

"Why didn't Senior deal with him personally?"

"He changed his appearance and no one knows where he is hiding. He only showed his face once in the martial world last year. He now calls himself 'Judge of the Underworld,' and has even obtained a Living Underworld Messenger Summoning Warrant. He also declared that if I killed him, he would drag hundreds of the Academy's disciples to their deaths even if it cost him his life."

"Why choose me?"

"The Grandmaster competition should be starting soon..."

"Once it begins, it will last at least several years. Your reputation has spread far and wide. Even if your skills are still shallow, people will come looking for you by then. All it takes is for someone to delay you,