Green willows slanted beneath the setting sun. The mountain breeze carried a faint warmth, rippling a pool of clear spring water.
Bei Tangsu carried a blue-tasseled thick-backed saber on his back. Tall and jade-like, he strolled to the spring, bent down, and reached out to wash his hands.
This journey had been fraught with twists and turns. He had suffered several ambushes, though all had ended without real danger. Every trap and scheme had been shattered by his strength, and he had ultimately arrived safely at Jade Lake Mountain outside Kaiming City.
This mountain was called Jade Lake because three smaller peaks encircled a vast jade-green lake. Its waves stretched for thousands of acres, and its fish and shrimp were plentiful, yet few ever came here, for many savage, bloodthirsty aquatic beasts lurked beneath its emerald depths.
This was also where "Beitang Xing" had invited him to meet.
Once he had finished washing, before Bei Tangsu could even straighten up, several sharp whistles split the air. A few figures appeared in a triangular formation, surrounding him from all sides as though he could not escape even with wings.
"Again? Along this road, I have faced eight assassination attempts. Three were nothing more than sending men to their deaths, because they sent only Innate assassins ignorant of the truth. Naturally, they were no match for me.
"The other five either possessed Grandmaster methods or special treasures capable of harming a Grandmaster.
"Unfortunately, I broke them all. You three have deep, steady breaths and abundant vital energy. You are all top-tier Innate experts. Rushing here merely to die—do you not find it regrettable? Tragic?"
Facing the three men who had appeared so suddenly and with obvious ill intent, Bei Tangsu casually flicked his hands. Force surged to his fingertips, flinging away a