Seeking (2)

"These people have been passing through here frequently lately, and they are very agile. We've bumped into them a few times, but haven't had any dealings with them."

Among the remaining members of the Rebel Sect, a skilled fighter spoke up.

The others remained silent, and in the dim light of the night, no one noticed Zhang Zhenhai's embarrassment and awkwardness.

"Of course, it's also possible that they deliberately pretended not to see it," Zhang Zhenhai said after recovering for a while.

"They must be from the Jade Sea Gang."

"The Jade Sea Gang?" Zhang Rongfang in surprise.

"Yes, a large gang has recently emerged in Citong, and we suspect that it is likely backed by the Jade Sea Dragon God's faction." Zhang Zhenhai nodded.

"Western Sect Sea Dragon?" Zhang Rongfang nodded.

What a coincidence to run into Sea Dragon here!

"Ignore them. As long as they don't provoke us, we won't bother with them." He had no interest in chivalry now; the waters behind Sea Dragon were extremely deep, and even if the entire Great Dao Sect were to attack, it would at most result in mutual destruction. There was no way to resolve it.

Therefore, his best course of action now is to continue to lie low and accumulate Attribute Points.

He still has fifteen attribute points left, which he's saving for his new Hard Skill.

"Let's go," he said in a deep voice.

"Yes." Zhang Zhenhai's body trembled, and he quickly replied.

On a three-story, Crimson Ship in Ci Tong Bay.

On the third floor rooftop, next to the mast.

A burly man with long, flowing hair and a bare chest was half-lying on the rooftop, holding a wine flask and gazing at the crescent moon over the sea.

"The bright moon rises over the sea, and we share this moment though we are far apart. Lovers lament the long night, their longing rising with the evening."

It has been ten years since we parted ways in Wan Central, hasn't it? Liu Chan.

"It has indeed been a long time since we last met."

At the entrance to the top floor, a figure wearing a silver robe and a demon mask emerged.

Judging from the curves of the figure, it was also male, with broad shoulders, arms that reached past his knees, and a Silver Whip wrapped around his waist.

"I didn't expect you to be sent here by them," the Ghost Face Man said in a deep voice.

"Aren't you the same? You even have a name like Jade Sea Gang? Hehehe, if those people from before knew about this, I wonder if they would laugh their heads off."

"Why pretend to be someone from the Jade Sea Dragon God's faction? Of all the things to impersonate, why pretend to be someone from the Jade Sea Dragon God's faction?" The Wineskin Strongman didn't even look at the other person, but looked up at the night sky and gulped down a mouthful of wine.

"It's just what the situation dictates," the Ghost Face Man said dismissively. "You Thousand Sect Alliance came here, weren't you also looking to take advantage of the situation?"

"I do have some ideas, but the main reason I came here is because several skilled individuals went missing here," the Wineskin Strongman replied casually. "The original plan was shelved, and my master ordered me to come and investigate."

"You're still the same old you, a disorganized bunch who can't accomplish anything. Why don't you join me?" the Ghost Face Man replied.

"With you? Aren't your Sensing Gate just as disorganized? Heh." The burly man waved his hand. "Don't try to persuade me, my ambitions lie elsewhere."

"You're looking for Zhang Ying, the Guardian, right?" the Ghost Face Man said.

"You knew about this too?"

"Well, since we've come to Citong, we can't ignore this person. Princess Yongxiang went missing before, but this person is still safe and sound, which shows that the Great Dao Sect must value him extremely highly. Perhaps even more so than the previous Daozi."

The Ghost Face Man explained, "It's only natural that your people fell into his trap."

"That makes sense. Want to come along?" the Wineskin Strongman asked with a smile.

"No interest. We have our own plans, and we should just leave each other alone," the Ghost Face Man replied.

"Alright. Let's leave each other alone then," the Wineskin Strongman laughed.

The two immediately stopped talking, and the Ghost Face Man stayed for a little while longer before turning and leaving.

Until he left completely.

Then another person silently walked to the side of the Wineskin Strongman.

"Sir, should we proceed according to the original plan?"

"Naturally. Zhang Ying figure must be protected by experts arranged by the Great Dao Sect."

"Send someone to do it, and remember to leave a mark. The people from the Jade Shop Association and the Hundred Merchants Association will naturally take the bait," the Wineskin Strongman laughed.

"But sir, how can you be sure they will take the bait?" the deputy asked, somewhat puzzled.

"It's very simple. Within a hundred meters of the Aloeswood Palace, there is a Great Dao Sect area designated by Zhang Ying himself."

Jade Shop Association always been arrogant and conceited, thinking she has connections with hundreds of nations and looking down on everyone. You just need to lure Zhou Dongjun to the vicinity of the Aloeswood Palace. That brat has ruined a lot of our plans; we can use him to our advantage and get rid of him."

"But would they really fall for such a simple scheme to divert trouble eastward?" the deputy couldn't understand.

"The Hundred Changes Association make preparations first. Go ahead," the Wineskin Strongman said lazily.

"But aren't you afraid that Zhang Ying Zhang Shoujiao, will personally intervene? If he has extremely powerful allies, how will we cope?" The deputy still didn't understand.

"The stronger he is, the happier I am. It's a good opportunity to let Zhou Dongjun give it a try and see how those people disappeared before?"

He raised the wine flask and blocked his deputy's way of speaking.

"Alright, alright, girls who talk too much aren't popular. Come on, have a drink and take a nap."

Don't worry, everything is under my control.

He yawned and lazily closed his eyes.

***Knock knock knock.

Outside a house on the outer ring road of Citong.

Zhang Rongfang carried several bags and was dressed in a brocade robe with fish patterns and a gray sheepskin hat with gold trim. He gently pulled on the door knocker and fastened it.

Who is it?

A series of hurried footsteps echoed from inside the house.

Soon, a small window opened in the door, revealing the face of a dark-haired man who looked at Zhang Rongfang.

"Who are you? What do you want? Who are you looking for?"

His accent had a strong Shan Province accent.

Zhang Rongfang immediately felt a special sense of familiarity. His birthplace, Qinghe Temple, was located on Pingyu Road in Shan Province.

I never expected to meet a fellow villager like this so far away in Citong.

"My name is Zhang Jingrong, and I'm here to see Master Li Guanyue."

"What do you want? Tell me first." The man remained vigilant.

"That's right, I've come to become your apprentice and learn your skills," Zhang Rongfang said earnestly, holding up the gift in his hand.

"To become an apprentice and learn skills?"

The man was stunned for a moment.

Puff.

The small window closes immediately.

"Wait a moment, I'll go get Dad."

Zhang Rongfang wasn't in a hurry and waited patiently in front of the door.

The Hard Skill passed down by Li Guanyue is a family tradition passed down through generations, only to men and not women, and it is called the Thirteen Taibao Horizontal Training.

Upon hearing this name, Zhang Rongfang immediately thought of the peerless general who made this skill famous.

He had always had some doubts, and now the appearance of this martial art has Further Progress confirmed his thoughts.

He suspected that the world he had come to might be a special world that branched off from ancient times.

Some things you had in your past life, some you have here, and some you don't.

This applies to some celebrities, as well as some poems and songs.

Shortly afterward, the gate of the house opened.

A tall, bearded man with a melancholy face looked at Zhang Rongfang with scrutinizing eyes.

"Who told you to come here to become my apprentice?" The man's hair was graying, and he was clearly not young.

"Having heard of Master Li's profound martial arts tradition and unparalleled External Skill, I have long admired him."

"You can go back now. Get out of here!" The man waved his hand, turned around and went back to his room, slamming the door shut behind him.

Zhang Rongfang was interrupted before he could finish speaking, and he was slightly taken aback.

However, he recovered quickly.

Before he arrived, he had already sent someone to probe and inquire about Li Guanyue.

But the answer they received was: absolutely not.

The Thirteen Taibao Horizontal Training may sound like a common name, but in reality, the most authentic lineage has always been passed down in the Li Family.

That is, the Lineage inherited by Li Guanyue.

Starting with his grandfather, Li Guanyue and his family have always been stubborn and inflexible.

Absolutely no compromise. I'd rather die than let this get out!

The people Zhang Rongfang sent before, even offering unimaginably high prices and conditions, were still kicked out.

If coercion is used, Li Guanyue was forced to flee his hometown and come to Citong.

If he was unwilling, and something went wrong while teaching martial arts, or if he was hiding something, Zhang Rongfang still vividly remembered the time he was tricked by his master.

He wasted a lot of energy, time and money by simply adding two words to the manual.

Moreover, Zhang Rongfang was kind-hearted by nature and would not do anything bad for the sake of someone else's family martial arts.

So in the end, he decided to visit in person.

Knock knock knock.

Zhang Rongfang knocked on the door again.

"Master Li, I sincerely want to become your apprentice. Don't worry, whatever your conditions are, just name them. As long as I can afford them, I'll do it!"

The Thirteen Taibao Horizontal Training is no ordinary Hard Skill. When mastered, it can even allow one to pull back the five horses used in the five-horse dismemberment punishment, just like Li Cunxiao did back then.

Zhang Rongfang naturally wanted to see this kind of Hard Skill for himself.

No matter how he called out from outside the door, no one answered from inside.

Zhang Rongfang wasn't angry.

He has obtained all the information about the Li Family.

The Thirteen Taibao Horizontal Training significantly increases one's power, and once mastered, the only weaknesses left on the body are the eyes, ears, nostrils, mouth, and anus.

The rest of the area is as hard as metal.

Putting everything else aside, this Li Guanyue, a mere Sixth Grade expert, managed to escape with only minor injuries after several encounters with Seventh Grade- and Eighth Grade experts.

This demonstrates the Hard Skill power of this skill.

After knocking on the door for a while, but no one answered, Zhang Rongfang had no choice but to leave.

After sitting down at a nearby restaurant.

Zhang Zhenhai, his face veiled, sat down beside him.

"Young master, since Li Guanyue is so ungrateful, why not just go to his door, seize his son and daughter, and use them to threaten him?"

"Don't be so violent." Zhang Rongfang waved his hand. "Martial arts acquired through such coercion, if there is even the slightest mistake, will not be discovered for many years. By then, it will be too late."

"What should we do then?" Zhang Zhenhai frowned. "Is the money not enough? How about we double the price? We may not have much else, but we certainly don't lack money."

The Rebel Sect have accumulated wealth over many years, including assets disguised under false identities, far exceeding what ordinary people can imagine.

There's absolutely no need to worry about not having enough money.

"We can give it a try. Also, Li Guanyue has three sons and three daughters; perhaps we can start from that angle," Zhang Rongfang suggested.

"The problem is that there are too few people who possess Hard Skill. Many of the others belong to major sects and are not allowed to pass on their skills to outsiders, otherwise, why would we need to go through all this trouble!" Zhang Zhenhai said with distress.

"It's alright. The Thirteen Taibao Horizontal Training, if our investigation is correct, this Hard Skill can even be trained to the Super Grade. It's a top-tier Hard Skill that's not much inferior to some of the major schools' Hard Skill."

Zhang Rongfang is very patient.

Now, another Attribute Points has been added, bringing the total to sixteen.

Once the Li Family is dealt with, we won't have to worry about Hard Skill skills for a long time to come.

He had actually learned some of the common Hard Skill available on the market.

However, the Iron Shirt technique, once it reaches the Sixth Grade, already surpasses many lower-rank Hard Skill strength.

This also renders those low-level Hard Skill completely useless. Even at their highest level, they are not as strong as Iron Shirt now.

Therefore, if we were to search for something afterward, we could only look for a martial art that was even better than Iron Shirt.

The Great Bright Dragon Form Fist of the Eastern Sect of Buddhist School is an option, but unfortunately, there's no one to teach it.

The same applies to the True One Sect.

The Confucian School has long been lost.

The best Hard Skill available on the market are truly unique to the Li Family.