The Dynasty's efforts to maintain its rule and clear away these obstacles were perfectly understandable. Issuing missions was also a way of paying sects to deal with troublesome matters, a win-win arrangement.
The price, however, was enough to leave even the Dynasty badly shaken.
Rewards for the disciples were only a small part of it. The sects had probably kept most of the rest, which was understandable too.
Yun Shu casually found a table and squeezed through the crowd to make room for himself.
"Young brother, you look unfamiliar. Are you from the Gufeng Dynasty?" A middle-aged man offered him a clean wine bowl and asked with a smile.
"Yes. I heard the Old Master of Dust Avoiding Villa had broken through to the Qi Condensation Stage, so I came to offer my congratulations." Yun Shu spoke while stuffing food into his mouth.
"Yet I don't recall hearing of someone like you in the Martial World. The Old Master wouldn't invite some nobody, so I'm curious to hear who you are."
The people around them joined in, eager to hear.
"Have a drink first, then we'll talk! Hahaha, young brother, it's rare to see someone so keen for a drink. Truly, heroes emerge from the young."
"One day, there'll be a place for you in the Martial World. You just haven't made a name for yourself yet."
Yun Shu lifted his wine bowl but didn't answer the question. "I'll drink to you, brothers."
He wasn't very good at making small talk, but he had no trouble drinking.
The wine went down, crisp and clean, and left his entire throat burning.
"Good wine!"
"You've got a fine capacity for drink, young brother! Come, let's fill it up!"
"Good!" Yun Shu nodded and laughed heartily along with them.
But his gaze kept drifting toward the table at the very front.
After another bowl of wine, he let his gaze grow a little hazy.
"Are those the famed Villa Three Heroes?" Yun Shu paused, then glanced toward the front table and asked.
"Of course. The one seated in the middle is the Old Master of the Mountain Villa. The three men in festive red robes on either side are the three heroes, known as the Desert North Three Swords. They're incredibly powerful. The three of them once held off several attacks by the Imperial Court."
As the middle-aged man spoke, pride filled his eyes.
The Imperial Court was the greatest enemy the entire Martial World faced.
The Dynasty's power was deeply ingrained in people's hearts, and it had steadily squeezed their territory smaller and smaller. Now that the Old Master of the Mountain Villa had broken through to the Qi Condensation Stage, he could rival the Dynasty's top attendants. Naturally, they were overjoyed.
From now on, the Mountain Villa would rise from being one of the Martial World's top powers to become its leader.
That was the transformation brought by a single Qi Condensation Stage expert!
The Desert North Three Swords.
Yun Shu looked at the three men. They were all dressed in scarlet robes, their faces alight with joy. Even the Old Master, seated in the place of honor, was beaming.
Then Yun Shu looked away.
To the others, his gaze seemed filled with envy, admiration, and longing.
Before long, Yun Shu claimed he felt unwell and took his leave, to the crowd's reluctance.
He had seen one of the red-clad swordsmen leave the banquet area. Apparently, the man couldn't hold his liquor and had gone inside to rest.
This was a small but promising opportunity.
Yun Shu planned to take them down one by one.
He took a Long Sword from his Storage Bag and strapped it to his back.
He moved through the darkness like a sly cat.
He crossed the eaves and was pleasantly surprised to find no one guarding the area. That made sense, though. Most of the low-ranking servants had gone to work in the main hall, so few people would come this way.
After the first patrol passed, Yun Shu walked up to the room the red-clad swordsman had entered and knocked.
"Who is it?"
A deep male voice came from inside.
Pfft.
A sound, almost too faint to hear, came from within.
Then came the sound of blood spilling.
From that one sound, Yun Shu had already pinpointed the red-clad swordsman's location. A Sword Intent attack was impossible to guard against. The man hadn't been given the slightest chance before his throat was pierced.
Yun Shu pushed open the door and went inside.
There was only one figure in the room, dressed in a red robe that was now stained with blood.
A gaping hole marked the center of his brow.
The Long Sword had gone straight through his forehead. It had even pierced a stone pillar in the room on its way through, yet made almost no sound. Clearly, as Yun Shu's Sword Intent had grown more refined, so too had his control.
Yun Shu retrieved the Long Sword, which was embedded in the wall.
He wiped it clean, gave the room one last look, then walked straight out.
He hadn't hesitated for a moment.
Even without reaching the Qi Condensation Stage, he could have killed this man without any trouble.
Once outside, Yun Shu considered how to kill the remaining three.
Should he pick them off one by one, or wait until they were together and completely off guard, then take them out in one strike?
But soon, another opportunity presented itself.
It was the Old Master.
"Hmph. Third Brother is getting more and more unreasonable. Everyone here is running about working, while he's off by himself, loafing around." The Old Master spoke to himself, but clearly meant for the people nearby to hear. He sounded as though he was at his wits' end with him.
"I'll go fetch him." Another of the red-robed heroes stood up.
"Forget it. You don't need to go. Let Uncle Fu do it. Tell Third Brother to get up and sleep inside instead of sulking alone in the side room." The Old Master shook his head.
"All right, then." The red-robed man sat back down.
Hidden in the dark, Yun Shu couldn't help thinking what a pity.
But right after that, the Old Master stood up.
"Those gathered here are all fellow members of the Martial World. But when you get down to it, we're all grasshoppers tied to the same rope. If you trust an old man like me, I'll invite more fellow martial artists to join us in the coming days. We'll stand together against our enemies and direct our strength toward a common cause. I'm not much, but I'm willing to lead us. What do you all think?"
The gathered martial arts experts erupted into discussion.
The Old Master was indeed a man of high standing and formidable strength. To them, he was already every bit a leader.
The Old Master simply wanted the title and the renown to go with it. Besides, everyone was riding high on drink, and no one was inclined to object.
They all drained their cups.
But the Old Master's next words made their faces change dramatically.
"The wine contains a colorless, odorless poison that can temporarily dissolve your strength. Please, don't panic. You all command your own forces. All you need to do now is issue your orders. Of course, if you refuse to cooperate, we can discuss it privately."
At his words, Yun Shu couldn't help cursing under his breath.
That old bastard really was a dog!
Whether or not the wine he'd just drunk was poisoned, Yun Shu took a pill from his Storage Bag and swallowed it.
For a power like Myriad Sword Pavilion, the deadly poisons of the mortal world were child's play.
Still, Yun Shu paused.
Wasn't this the perfect opportunity?
After the Old Master said that, fury instantly swept across everyone's faces.
"Old Master, we came to celebrate your breakthrough. What gives you the right to put us under house arrest?"
"Exactly! Who treats their guests like prisoners?"
"You're a respected elder of the Martial World, with strength beyond the ordinary. Yet what you've done is despicable!"
"When my five brothers arrive, we'll be paying Dust Avoiding Villa a visit."
Some of them commanded forces nearly as powerful as Dust Avoiding Villa, and spoke even more brazenly.
"You get worse with age, Old Master. You've lived a hundred years, and they've all gone to the dogs. How dare you put us under house arrest? The Martial World's elders will flatten Dust Avoiding Villa by tomorrow!"
"Indeed. You lured us here today. If all you meant to do was play dirty tricks, you needn't have bothered. We won't play along."
"I thought the Old Master was some great hero. Who knew he was such a coward? I'm ashamed to be associated with you!"
In an instant, the whole place erupted in a chorus of denunciations.
The Old Master stood at the front, calm and collected, as though the crowd's outrage didn't affect him in the slightest.
Then he gave a slight wave. More than a hundred servants dressed like household retainers emerged from the surroundings.
Every one of them carried a Long Sword. The guests took one look and their expressions shifted.
They were all at the Mid Body Refining Stage, trained to move as one, their faces cold and expressionless. They were clearly Death Warriors.
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