Pingyang Dragon Scale Association

In the latter half of the night, the moon hid and the stars sank.

Zhang Yu continued to meditate with his eyes closed, circulating his internal energy through the heavenly cycle to consolidate his hard-won realm.

Opening the Dantian and generating internal energy was only the first step.

Among martial arts experts, various factors determined their strength, not solely the depth of their internal energy. Otherwise, the Mount Hua Sect wouldn't have had the Qi Sword Dispute back then.

In the Xiang region, there was once a martial arts elder with profound internal energy from dedicated breathing exercises, but he lacked practical combat experience. He was defeated by a junior martial artist who had just entered the Jianghu with exquisite sword techniques. Ashamed to face his peers, he jumped into the river and died, becoming a laughingstock for many years.

But that was ultimately an isolated case. In general, the internal energy realm was still the most reliable standard for distinguishing martial arts cultivation.

Sixty years ago, the Shaolin divine monk Kongwu and the former Wudang sect leader Qingming Daoist discussed the Dao on the Kunlun Mountains and established six levels of internal energy cultivation. Since then, most martial artists in the world have followed this classification.

Dan Energy, Po Jia, Qi Hai, Houtian, Xiantian, Grandmaster.

It was like climbing a sheer cliff face; the vast majority spent their entire lives stuck at the foot of the mountain. Only a few could reach the mountainside, and those who could climb higher were even rarer than phoenix feathers and unicorn horns.

The Grandmaster realm above Xiantian symbolized the rise and fall of each generation in the Jianghu.

Those who lived far from the Central Plains or secluded themselves from the world were another matter.

There were only two and a half Grandmasters recognized by the world today.

The Demonic Cult leader, Dongfang Bubai.

The Shaolin Temple's Master Fangzheng.

Chongxu was only at the peak of Xiantian, but his Tai Chi Swordplay was immensely powerful, barely qualifying him as a half-step Grandmaster.

The bonfire gradually withered, and moonlight filtered through the leaves, falling upon the forest.

"Buzz buzz~"

The mosquito army ambushing them from all sides, as if having received a signal, launched their general offensive.

"You're quite diligent!"

Yue Lingshan tossed and turned, unable to sleep. There were too many mosquitoes in the forest, and with her hands tied, she couldn't swat them away.

She looked at Zhang Yu and found that he was completely unaffected, even able to circulate his energy and breathe.

Do mosquitoes only bite me?

Yue Lingshan leaned closer gently. Indeed, within a foot of Zhang Yu, there were no insects. She sniffed; she hadn't smoked mugwort on her clothes. Did these damned 'buzzing insects' also pick on the weak?

I've only heard that those at the peak of Houtian can repel mosquitoes and remain unstained by dust. How can he do it too?

With the mosquito nuisance gone, sleepiness washed over her. Yue Lingshan leaned against Zhang Yu and fell asleep.

The night curtain broke, and the morning sun began to rise.

Zhang Yu exhaled stale air and immediately removed the Green Jade Thumb Ring from his left thumb.

After putting on the thumb ring, the speed of circulating his internal energy increased threefold, meaning his internal energy cultivation could be three times faster.

The longer he wore it each time, the tighter it became when removed, almost merging with his flesh and blood this time.

Is this the price? He put away the Green Jade Thumb Ring, feeling a vague sense of unease.

Yue Lingshan opened her beautiful eyes, feeling refreshed. She hadn't slept so peacefully in a long time. A moment later, she realized her head was resting between Zhang Yu's legs, a posture that was both intimate and strange. She quickly got up and sat to the side, pretending to tidy her hair.

Good thing no one saw.

Zhang Yu looked at the crystal clear patch on his trouser leg and sighed softly, "Otherwise, they'd think I wet the bed. If word got out, how would I ever walk the Jianghu again? Heroine Yue, what do you say?"

Yue Lingshan wiped a bit of drool from the corner of her mouth, her face flushed, "Don't talk nonsense! That's dew."

Zhang Yu extended his left hand and asked, "Honestly, did you dream of chicken legs? How many did you eat?"

Yue Lingshan looked at her bloody and mangled left thumb, incredulous, "This... did I bite this?"

Zhang Yu looked around the forest, "Is there a third person here?"

"Impossible? I never grind my teeth in my sleep?"

Yue Lingshan was lost and began to doubt herself.

Pingyang, the easternmost city in the Sanjin region.

The official road was bustling with carriages and horses.

Besides martial artists carrying swords and sabers, soldiers in bright red combat jackets also passed by from time to time.

This city was situated at the intersection of official and martial forces.

"Open your mouth."

Zhang Yu pinched her chin.

Yue Lingshan tasted it, "What did you give me to eat? It's sour?"

Zhang Yu said faintly, "Three Corpses Brain God Pill, never heard of it?"

He swung his sword and severed the ox sinew rope, casually fabricating, "This pill contains three types of corpse worms. They don't act up usually, but on the seventh, seventeenth, and twenty-seventh of each month, without an antidote, the worms will break free and burrow into your body, devouring flesh and blood. It's incredibly painful."

"Once we enter Pingyang City, you'll listen to everything I say, or you won't get the antidote."

Yue Lingshan rubbed her wrist, which was red from his grip, and whispered, "You little demon cultist, I knew you weren't a good person."

The two were about to enter the city.

Fifty to sixty horsemen, riding at a gallop, thundered down the official road.

The sound of hooves grew more urgent, like a drumbeat.

"Jingjing!"

"Jingjingjing!"

The men wore black gauze caps, Flying Fish Robes, and standard-issue long sabers at their waists. They carried crossbows on their backs, each exuding an aura of elite, hardened soldiers.

The rider in the middle bore a flag with the words "Ming Dynasty Pingyang City Imperial Guard Battalion" emblazoned on it.

"Flying Fish Robes, Spring Embroidered Sabers?"

This was Zhang Yu's first time seeing the Imperial Guards. As far as he knew, although this world was seventy to eighty percent similar to the Ming Dynasty of his previous life, it wasn't entirely the same.

For instance, the dynasty's name was Ming, but the emperor's surname wasn't Zhu; it was Han.

"There are Imperial Guards here too?"

The two quickly retreated to the side.

The Imperial Guards swarmed into the city without slowing down, causing chaos at the gate. The old veteran guards at the gate didn't dare to look at these formidable figures, hiding far away. Only after they had passed did the guards come out to restore order.

"What a disaster!" The old woman knelt on the ground, her hands trembling as she gathered the white flour and put it back into the deflated cloth bag.

This bag of white flour, if replaced with the lowest quality aged coarse grains, might last two months.

No one cared what a poor old woman was thinking.

The hooves of various beasts trampled over the white flour, leaving their marks.

"Old woman, get out of the way, don't block the city gate."

The guards drove her away. Amidst the trampling of people and horses, she could only salvage half a bag of flour, mixed with dust and dirt. It probably wouldn't fetch a good price.

The old woman turned and left dejectedly.

Zhang Yu stepped forward and asked with a smile, "Grandma, are you selling this bag of flour?"

"Selling... it's just that it fell on the ground and got dirty. Young master, you..."

The old woman looked at Zhang Yu. Seeing that he was dressed in ordinary cloth but had a handsome face, a long sword at his waist, and a beautiful maidservant following him, she knew he wasn't from an ordinary family. She feared he was deliberately toying with her.

Zhang Yu smiled and said, "Dirty or not, one won't get sick from eating it."

"Then, young master... fifty copper coins, is that alright?"

Zhang Yu searched his money pouch and found only thirty-nine coins. Disciples of the Mount Song Sect were indeed poor. Together, they had only managed to scrape together seven or eight taels of loose silver.

"This is fine too."

The old woman said quickly. Exchanging these copper coins for some coarse grains would allow her and her grandson to live a little longer.

As the two passed each other, a silver ingot fell into the cloth bag.

Yue Lingshan saw this and smiled, "I didn't expect you to have such a kind heart."

Zhang Yu asked, "How much silver does the Mount Hua Sect give its disciples each month?"

Yue Lingshan looked confused. "Why would they give money? We are all family. Giving money would make things too formal, wouldn't it?"

Zhang Yu thought to himself, This Mount Hua Sect is even stingier than the Mount Song Sect. No wonder they were the last ones standing in the infighting among the Five Great Sword Sects.

As they spoke, they passed through the city gate archway.

On the main street, carriages and horses bustled by, with numerous entertainment venues and restaurants lining the road.

Pingyang was located at the border of two provinces, with a constant flow of merchant caravans. The influx of wealth supported a prosperity that was a world apart from outside the city.

Zhang Yu noticed many martial artists carrying weapons in the city, including those explicitly forbidden by 'Taizu's Martial Arts Ban,' such as long spears and iron bows. As long as they didn't cause trouble, the patrolling soldiers turned a blind eye.

The dynasty, entering its middle and late stages, was inexorably declining.

The military was lax, border troubles were constant, and internal control was weak.

Otherwise, they wouldn't have stood by and watched as a martial arts force like the Sun Moon Divine Cult, with over 30,000 followers, occupied strategic passes. It was practically rebellion.

During the reigns of Taizu and Taizong, which sect would have dared to defy the government?

And still dare to proclaim 'Virtuous and Martial, Forever and Ever'?

They would have been crushed and their leaders paraded through the martial world long ago.

But that was a hundred years ago. Now, with Emperor Yousheng on the throne, the imperial court couldn't muster the strength to crush the martial world. They could only hope that the martial world would fight itself to a standstill within its own rules.

Suddenly, the street surged with a crowd. Two young men in green tunics beat gongs and shouted loudly.

"Hurry to the south of the city! It's starting!"

"Let's go, let's go, let's go see Pingyang City's number one beauty."

"Brother, what's going on?"

"The Lin Family's martial arts competition for marriage has begun again."

"Which Lin family?"

"In Pingyang City, besides Lin Kun of the Dragon Scale Association, which other Lin family could it be?"