Ten Great Young Lords

"Condensing Gang Pill!"

The name jolted Bai Yingfei's heart. Having heard the legends of Cen Xiuqi, he was naturally no stranger to it. The Condensing Gang Pill was a precious legendary elixir that could raise a True Qi Realm martial artist's chance of breaking through to the Condensing Gang Realm by thirty percent.

Although advancing through consuming a Condensing Gang Pill would leave one's Gang Qi impure, making one weaker than a martial artist of the same realm who had broken through on their own, that did nothing to diminish the pill's immense value.

One had to know that the Condensing Gang Realm was already the highest realm known to martial artists. Even Great Gan's strongest experts were no more than in the Condensing Gang Realm. Thus, once one broke through to the Condensing Gang Realm, one could be considered a regional overlord anywhere in Great Gan.

Back then, because Cen Xiuqi had advanced to the Condensing Gang Realm by taking a Condensing Gang Pill, the pill's fame had spread far and wide. Later, some had tried to refine Condensing Gang Pills again, but none had succeeded.

"It can now be confirmed that Cen Xiuqi's burial site is in Lin'an City, though we still don't know its exact location. I suspect it has something to do with the pattern on the back of the map."

"Pass down the order. Have our people search the entire city for clues related to this pattern. The instant they find anything, report it to me immediately."

After explaining to Bai Yingfei why they had seized Lin'an City, Chen Pengfei assigned him his next task.

"Yes."

Bai Yingfei answered eagerly. If they could successfully find the Condensing Gang Pill and help Chen Pengfei break through to the Condensing Gang Realm, then as Chen Pengfei's subordinate, his own standing would naturally rise with the tide.

Besides, he had contributed greatly to this scheme. When the time came, Chen Pengfei surely would not treat him poorly.

"Tell them they must hurry. Lin'an County lies within Ningyun Prefecture, and Ningyun Prefecture is the territory of those brutes from the Divine Fist Sect."

"Though we have sealed off Lin'an City, we can block the city but not the world beyond it. News that we have taken Lin'an City cannot be concealed for long. When that time comes, those brutes from the Divine Fist Sect will certainly send people to deal with us."

"I have not shown myself precisely to make the Divine Fist Sect underestimate our strength. If we truly have to wait until their people arrive, we can wipe out their first wave and buy ourselves more time."

Chen Pengfei continued instructing Bai Yingfei.

"Yes. Even if I have to dig up every inch of Lin'an City, I will find clues to this symbol for you, Elder."

"I have faith in your work. Otherwise, I would not have had you come to Lin'an City to oversee the situation here."

After offering Bai Yingfei a few words of encouragement, Chen Pengfei rose to his feet, and his figure vanished once more.

In Bi Changsheng's courtyard, he was leisurely seated in a chair, drinking tea. When he saw Uncle Fu enter through the gate, he quickly invited him to sit across from him.

"How are things outside?"

After Uncle Fu had taken a few sips of tea, Bi Changsheng asked.

"Just as Young Master predicted, County Magistrate Shi Kangshun and Chief Constable Fan Shao died last night. Together with the two Sun Family elders and the Zhao Family head, Master's vengeance has more or less been avenged."

As he spoke, Uncle Fu's eyes began to brim with tears again. Though he had long known that with Bi Changsheng around, the Bi Family's vengeance would sooner or later be repaid, everything had come so quickly that it felt unreal, like a dream.

"Take it slowly. Not a single one will escape."

Seeing this, Bi Changsheng promised him.

"I believe in you, Young Master."

By now, Uncle Fu's trust in Bi Changsheng had nearly reached the point of blind faith.

"The force you mentioned has now taken complete control of Lin'an City and sealed it off, leaving everyone in a state of panic."

Having collected himself, Uncle Fu continued.

"Things have not been peaceful outside lately. If there is nothing urgent, it is best that no one goes out. If you have something to take care of, Uncle Fu, have Zheng Qing handle it for you."

Having already resolved to lie low for a while, Bi Changsheng instructed the two of them.

After returning to his small courtyard last night, Bi Changsheng counted the banknotes he had brought back. The Zhao Family had yielded the most—more than three hundred thousand taels—while the Sun Family had yielded only a little over one hundred thousand taels.

Altogether, the banknotes he had obtained from the two families totaled more than five hundred and fourteen thousand taels, multiplying Bi Changsheng's wealth dozens of times over in one stroke.

It was more than enough to support his cultivation for quite some time at his current stage.

Time drifted by, and ten days slipped away before anyone noticed.

On the official road leading from Yunguang Prefecture to Lin'an City, more than a dozen fine horses galloped toward Lin'an City.

"We can finally leave the sect and have some fun!"

At the front of the group, a somewhat lively young woman said excitedly.

"Junior Sister, we have come to carry out a sect mission, not to have fun. Do not let your guard down."

Another young man at the front of the group, just over twenty years old, sternly admonished her.

"With Senior Brother here, won't the mission be as easy as taking something from one's pocket?"

The young woman was not afraid of him in the slightest. Instead, she spoke in an admiring tone.

"That's right, Senior Brother. You are one of Great Gan's Ten Great Young Lords. Dealing with a Yellow Heaven Cult Hall Master should be effortless, shouldn't it?"

At this moment, another young man toward the rear of the group called out to the leading youth.

"The Yellow Heaven Cult should stay properly in Jin'an Prefecture. Yet they dare come to Ningyun Prefecture and stir up trouble—they must be tired of living."

"We are not like those people from the Court, who let them run wild and do as they please."

Several other young men also joined in.

A few days earlier, news of Lin'an City's fall had ultimately spread. This group consisted of Divine Fist Sect disciples, ordered to eliminate the Yellow Heaven Cult members causing trouble and retake Lin'an City.

The young man leading them was Fu Ziping, the Divine Fist Sect's most highly cultivated disciple of this generation and one of the Ten Great Young Lords whose name was renowned throughout Great Gan.

The Ten Great Young Lords were selected by the Town Martial Department, an institution established by the Great Gan Court to counter the martial world's factions. Only young prodigies under the age of twenty-five could be chosen, with the rankings determined by a combined assessment of cultivation level and battle achievements.

Although Fu Ziping of the Divine Fist Sect was only at the Mid Qi and Blood Realm, his strength was far more than it appeared. He had once slain a Late Qi and Blood Realm martial artist single-handedly, which was one of the reasons he had been selected as one of the Ten Great Young Lords.

What young person had never dreamed of roaming the martial world and making a name known throughout the land? Thus, the disciples of the Divine Fist Sect's generation all deeply admired Fu Ziping.

It was precisely because the Divine Fist Sect trusted in Fu Ziping's strength that they had arranged for him to lead so many disciples here. The main purpose was to let him give these disciples some experience.

"The Ten Great Young Lords are nothing more than an empty title. Across the thirty-six prefectures of Great Gan, there are countless outstanding talents. You must never look down on the people of the world. Whenever you travel outside, never let down your guard."

Though Fu Ziping also believed this mission should not be too difficult, his junior brothers and sisters were clearly being far too careless, so he earnestly cautioned them.

Seeing Fu Ziping's grave expression, the other disciples all began to straighten their attitudes. Only the young girl seemed somewhat unconvinced.

"Among Great Gan's younger generation, aside from those three freaks—Qu Qiwen, Jiang Ruicheng, and Wang Mingxuan—who else could claim they could definitely defeat you, Senior Brother?"

Beyond the Great Gan Court, the martial world also had one cult, one association, two sects, two schools, and four great families—ten top-tier powers in all. Every one of them possessed more than one Condensing Gang Realm expert, and more importantly, each had a peak martial artist at the late Condensing Gang Realm or someone with equivalent combat strength.

These ten powers each dominated an entire prefecture. Even the Great Gan Court had to treat them as equals.

The three people the young girl had just mentioned were Qu Qiwen of the Xuan Yang Sword Sect, Jiang Ruicheng of the Dragon Roar Gate, and Wang Mingxuan of the Pingmu Wang Family. All three came from one of Great Gan's ten major powers, and among the Ten Great Young Lords, they stood in a league of their own. Their Cultivation Levels had all reached the Late Qi and Blood Realm.

However, the Ten Great Young Lords did not all come from the ten major powers and the court. Occasionally, geniuses from other factions or Rogue Cultivators could also be chosen.

"Anyway, behave yourself on this trip. Otherwise, when we get back, I'll tell Master."

This young girl was Jiang Ziyue, the daughter of Fu Ziping's master—the Divine Fist Sect's Sect Master. Usually spoiled by everyone around her, and on her first venture out, she could barely contain her restless heart.

Fu Ziping had no way of dealing with this junior sister of his, so he could only invoke his master.

Jiang Ziyue was clearly rather afraid of her father. Seeing Fu Ziping bring him up, she stopped arguing and instead turned to the only elder in the group, acting coy as she said:

"Elder Ge, look at Senior Brother Fu."

After all, this group included Fu Ziping, a genius, and Jiang Ziyue, the Sect Master's daughter. To be safe, the Divine Fist Sect had still sent an elder to protect them. However, this elder would not interfere with their mission, only stepping in to save their lives should an accident occur.

This elder was Ge Wenkang, the Divine Fist Sect elder sent to accompany them. His Cultivation Level was at the Mid True Qi Realm.

"Haha, Ziping is right."

Ge Wenkang merely laughed twice before saying this to Jiang Ziyue.

With no one supporting her, Jiang Ziyue pouted and said nothing more.

A young girl's moods were ever-changing. Before long, Jiang Ziyue was once more immersed in her fantasy of becoming a chivalrous heroine roaming the martial world to her heart's content.

Not long afterward, the Divine Fist Sect group arrived near Lin'an City.