Testing the Waters

Looking back now, when Li Fan fought against the group of assassins under the Central Guard in Xun Kingdom, he realized that his opponents were quite formidable, far surpassing ordinary trash. Although they lacked some of the secret techniques passed down from the sect leader, they were all truly killing moves from the Sword Sect lineage.

Li Fan initially thought it was just because the Sword Sect's secret manuals were widely circulated, but it turns out they actually inherited some of the knowledge. It wasn't just a matter of using the Sword Sect's name as a pretext. Zhang Chongyang's promise to rebuild the Beichen Sword Sect with the help of the Grand Tutor Manor might not be just talk; he might genuinely want to revive the Sword Sect!

However, it remains to be seen whether these sword sects are remnants left behind in the Central Plains by other mountains, or whether they have received the inheritance of Xuan Tian and are considered the genuine descendants of Li Fan and his fellow disciples...

Xuan Tian said, "I shouldn't have left any inheritance in the Three Realms. Could it be a descendant of the Huangfu family? Or perhaps they found some sword scriptures or Daoist treasures on Yuntai Peak... No wonder Yue Po said that Chun Jun, Ri Jing, and Juque were all gathered together. It seems that these people broke the seal I set up and collected the secret techniques of the Sword Sect. There should indeed be some promising talents among them who can enter the Sword Sect..."

However, the Seven Star Sword is currently in your hands, and only you Ruyi Sword Scripture, which allows you to lure Yue Po and the others out. If the Central Guard truly intends to rebuild the Sword Sect, they will come after you sooner or later.

"Hehe, as for their true quality, background, and skill, we'll find out when we meet them and fight them according to the rules."

... I'm afraid the young master of the Grand Tutor Manor, Central Guard the Immortal Palace and the Changping Xianghou, such an ambitious and ruthless man, wouldn't follow the rules of the Beichen Sword Sect and put himself in a dangerous place for a one-on-one sword duel, would he?

Even members of the Immortal Palace's royal family are killed without hesitation, and vassal kings are bound at will. It seems that insightful individuals within the Immortal Palace system are rapidly consolidating the power of various factions and centralizing authority in the Grand Tutor Manor in preparation for the coming chaos!

When some people wield such great power, it's not surprising that they might develop ambitions to unify the world and annex the Xuanmen sect! It's not surprising that they might even look at the Ziwei Yuan in the sky and have thoughts of replacing it!

The Three Enclosures, the Grand Tutor, the Xuanmen, Yuntai Peak, the legacy of the Beichen Sword Sect, and the entire world—I want it all! Only then can I be considered a true ambitious man, a qualified big boss.

That's truly remarkable! Even the assassins and death squads under his son's command are legitimate members of the Sword Sect. Heaven knows how much hidden power the Grand Tutor himself possesses! No wonder he can hold sway over a region of the world and stand shoulder to shoulder with the Xuanmen giants like Emei, Hengshan, and Penglai!

Such a hidden talent suggests that his abilities and skills as Grand Tutor might not be inferior to those of Xianhua!

Li Fan couldn't help but compare himself to the top-tier chess players he was currently facing.

The situation on both sides of Mount Emei and Mount Heng is actually quite good. After all, their ambitions lie elsewhere in the mortal world. Although those reclusive immortals and Dao Ancestors who have sealed their mountains are incredibly powerful, they are looking towards the distant future, calculating the destiny of Taiji and Tai Su, and the tides of Dao Breath energy and evil aura. They are not even considered the same species as mortals. Their desires and wants are too different, so it doesn't really matter much. At least for a considerable period of time before Li Fan truly comprehends the Tai Su Dao, there won't be any major conflicts with these two factions; it will just be some minor clashes.

The manifestation of Penglai, the Grand Tutor of the Three Enclosures, and perhaps also the divine strategist from the Divine Cult who orchestrates various comebacks—these are likely the central commanders and strategists of the three major factions in this version. Under the leadership of these three players, the talents of the Three Great Sects fight and vie for the land beneath their feet! Forget about insignificant individuals; even vassal states, kingdoms, sects, and families are merely pawns discarded in the choices these players make!

With Li Fan's current strength, he simply doesn't have the ability to challenge these three bosses alone. He can only try his best to protect himself amidst the waves of conflict from all three sides.

As for Ink Bamboo Mountain, it can only be considered a subordinate force dependent on the Grand Tutor, a relatively large pawn...

No, things shouldn't have turned out this passive.

Li Fan suddenly understood.

In fact, over the years, the abbot has allowed Lu Chai of the Divine Sect to hide in Ink Bamboo Mountain, and Ink Bamboo Mountain has always been tolerant and restrained towards the Nangong Family. Even if they wanted to use the help of the Three Great Sects to maintain balance and not be controlled by the Divine Sect, they would not have to beg for mercy from the Grand Tutor and become a pawn of a certain family!

If we can operate carefully and maintain a balance among all parties, making Ink Bamboo Mountain, and even the entire Li Country, a buffer zone, we may not be able to escape this chaotic world, but at least we can temporarily stay out of it and postpone our personal involvement, accumulating some capital to protect ourselves.

However, Li Fan's appearance disrupted the delicate balance maintained by the abbot.

If the boy named 'Li Yi' had died quietly that night a few years ago, probably nothing would have happened.

The abbots and mountain lords would quietly retreat to the mountains to cultivate their Dao, and no matter how much the Three Great Sects outside caused chaos, they would not be implicated in these reclusive immortals and rogue cultivators.

However, Li Fan survived and repeatedly broke through the ko with killing moves, accelerating the course of history, stirring up the winds and clouds, creating new variables in the game, and attracting the attention of the players.

So much so that when we look back today, we realize that in just a few short years, the peaceful situation that the abbot had painstakingly maintained has vanished into thin air. Now, Ink Bamboo Mountain is shrouded in the Ten-thousand-mountains, the Ling King the South Sea, the Li Country, and the Kunlun Divine Sect, with both old and new grudges, leaving no room for maneuver!

Now, Ink Bamboo Mountain is in a perilous situation, surrounded by enemies on all sides! Having lost the strong support of the Mountain Lord's lineage, the Abbot has no choice but to completely rely on Yuntai Peak and side with the Grand Tutor!

Looking back now, it's clear that the Grand Tutor was always subtly involved in the game. Wasn't the first massacre at Tiantai Mountain orchestrated by a civil official from the Li Country? That Imperial Censor was probably also deeply connected to Yuntai Peak and the Grand Tutor Manor, wasn't he?

These people stirred up trouble, but in the end, it was Ink Bamboo Mountain and Nangong who suffered heavy casualties. It's hard to say what role the Grand Tutor played behind the scenes. Looking at the current situation, no matter what, Ink Bamboo Mountain has restrained a large number of the Divine Sect's allies in the south. Wouldn't the biggest beneficiary be the Grand Tutor of the current dynasty?

They took advantage of you and then pinned all the blame on you. Tsk tsk, when it comes to playing mind games, you can't outsmart these old foxes...

No way! I can't swallow this insult!

Seeing the uncertain expression on Li Fan's face, Zhang Rang suddenly chuckled and said, "What, is it only now that you, my lord, are beginning to fear the Grand Tutor? Then you should understand that you must not cause trouble under his nose at Taiwei Yuan, shouldn't you?"

Li Fan didn't react, but glanced at him. "We mountain folk don't understand these things. We've made a fool of ourselves in front of Eunuch Zhang. Brother Wuji is truly blessed to have such a loyal servant like you. I'll be returning to Ink Bamboo Mountain soon, so I'm afraid I won't be of much help to you, young master..."

Zhang Rang breathed a sigh of relief and was about to say something polite when Li Fan continued.

"... But I happen to have a friend who's a bit short on cash lately. He might be willing to hunt down the Sword Sect's assassins for the Immortal Palace. If he's lucky enough to kill the Sword Sect's eighteenth generation bandit leader, I wonder how many Immortal Threads the Three Realms can get as a reward for his achievement?"

Zhang Rang stood there stunned, unable to react for a moment.

Li Fan squatted down, moving like a crab, left and right feet to stand in front of Zhang Rang, and leaned in to say...

"Eunuch Zhang, the assassins of the Beichen Sword Sect are committing all sorts of evil deeds and running rampant in the Three Palaces. They must have some hideouts or strongholds in the capital, right? You have connections, so perhaps you've heard some rumors and know where they are hiding?"

Why don't you think about it carefully? If you can remember, it doesn't mean my friend will definitely be able to assassinate the bandit leader on the first try, but everyone needs to have dreams, right? Maybe things will just turn out this way."

Zhang Rang's eyes bulged out, his eyeballs almost popping out like goldfish.

"Are you looking for death?"

Li Fan chuckled and patted him on the shoulder, "How is this courting death? Don't you know that everyone in the Beichen Sword Sect seeks death, their minds are constantly filled with thoughts of overcoming death? I'm offering myself up to learn from him, giving him a chance to break through. He'll be thanking me profusely! If he doesn't even dare to accept this..."

Li Fan's smile instantly turned cold. "... Don't you all have the nerve to call yourselves members of the Beichen Sword Sect."

Zhang Rang paused, his eyes darting around, and hesitated for a moment before saying, "I understand. Your Excellency wants to prove that you are the young master's friend. Very well, since you are the young master's friend, I will do everything in my power to obtain a batch of fine silk for you! Please follow me!"

So the two of them stood up and left, then turned around and retraced their steps back from Taiwei Yuan, as if they had just come to take a stroll, have a private talk, and go about their business.

Xuan Tian was also puzzled for a moment, "Boy, are you really planning to assassinate that tutor's son?"

Li Fan rolled his eyes. He really wanted to make a move now, since the opponent was definitely not at the Enlightenment Stage, and with the Tai Sha Sword Rainbow move, he would definitely have a chance. But he was afraid that this guy was incredibly lucky, and it wouldn't be that simple. He might actually run into him on a whim.

As Eunuch Zhang had suggested, Li Fan's reasons were twofold: first, to pledge his Wuji Gongzi, thus becoming his friend and helping him with a small favor to settle some karmic debts; and second, to take the opportunity to witness the skill level of the elite Central Guard.

After all, they've already raised the banner of the 18th generation Sword Sect leader, so sooner or later they'll have to fight to the death. Let's test their strength and see how much of the Sword Sect's true teachings they've received, so we can be prepared for the future.

Moreover, Li Fan wasn't afraid that the Grand Tutor would find out and interfere.

What? Qingyue acted righteously, hearing that there were assassins in the Three Palaces who were trying to kill high-ranking officials and nobles. He rid the people of a scourge. What's wrong with that? What? He damaged the harmony between the Grand Tutor and the Ink Bamboo Mountain families? Wow, they wouldn't even give him tens of thousands of catties of silk, but they were dismissed by two marquises. Does such a thing as 'harmony' even exist between these two families?

Let's have some fun then. After all, a prime minister can tolerate anything, and the Grand Tutor still has Ink Bamboo Mountain to stop the Divine Cult, so he won't mind these trivial matters.

So Zhang Rang showed off his connections again. He led Li Fan out of Taiwei Yuan through a side gate and then took his leave, saying that he would "definitely help the Lord select some fine silk to make clothes." Then another eunuch took over and drove a carriage to take Li Fan to his residence.

Li Fan didn't ask where they were going and got into the car directly. The eunuch didn't say anything either, and drove Li Fan a long way until it got dark, when they finally stopped the car in front of a bustling restaurant in the old city of Sanyuan.

Without needing any signals from the eunuchs, Li Fan understood.

This place has a lot of independent cultivators, including many experts from the Xuanmen Nascent Soul Realm stage. The entire street is also full of shops selling magic treasures and talismans, probably a fairy market specifically for cultivators. And this restaurant has hidden mechanisms and barriers, and there are more experts than elsewhere, so it may be one of the contact points for the assassins under the Grand Tutor.

Xuan Tian said, "I'll go take a look first."

So the silver leaf flew into the restaurant, but Li Fan wasn't in a hurry. He strolled around the market first. The immortal market in Sanyuan was indeed bustling. Even though its main customers weren't from the Xuanmen sect and were mostly independent cultivators, it was still quite impressive. You could find almost every kind of Magic Treasure, talisman, spirit beast, jade, and handwritten Cultivation Method manual from various sects. Moreover, Sanyuan, being a major metropolis in the Central Plains, didn't have a curfew. Business was booming all night long, with a constant flow of people.

After circling around twice and getting a general idea of the terrain, Li Fan picked up a crimson sword from a weapons shop.

The shopkeeper immediately beamed and rushed over, "Daoist Master, you have excellent taste! You've picked out the secret Blood Talisman Sword of the Divine Sect right away! It's genuine, fair and honest, and you can get it for only 50,000 strings of cash. Don't miss out!"

Li Fan couldn't help but roll his eyes at the other person. "Hey! Do you think I'm a sucker? This Blood Talisman Sword is clearly jet red! One price, five hundred strings of cash."

The shopkeeper chuckled, "Old man, don't be angry. This sword is a one-to-one replica of the Blood Talisman Sword Shadow. It's guaranteed to be indistinguishable from the real Sword Qi. It's perfect for meditation and cultivation!"

Moreover, this sword is forged from the refined iron of a meteorite from outer space! The blade is also inscribed with the Hengshan Sword Seal, allowing one to fly through the air. From a hundred paces away, the flying sword can take a person's head as easily as taking something from a bag! A minimum of twenty thousand strings of cash, no less!"

That's right, Li Fan had circled the market three times and had changed his 'friends'; now he was ' Li Yaoshi, the 18th generation sect leader of the Beichen Sword Sect and master of the South China Sea's Tan Flower Island.' And this sword was the only thing that could make Si Nan tremble after wandering around this rip-off market for so long.

"Heh, 'flying sword to take someone's head'? Look at your cinnabar, it's all worn off. Who knows where it'll go from a hundred paces away. One thousand strings of cash, or I'm leaving."

The shopkeeper covered his mouth and chuckled, "Old man, you really love to joke! This sword is made of genuine meteorite iron. Just look at its weight; it's worth ten thousand strings of cash just to have it melted down and reforged!"

Li Fan rolled his eyes. "If you brought out the whole raw stone, I'd take it for ten thousand strings of cash. But this has already been melted down into a sword, containing so much malevolent energy. It's basically scrap metal, clearly a discarded sword made from scraps used to test sword molds. At best, it's for those blind nobles to collect, or to hang on the wall for protection. Two thousand... two thousand five hundred, that's the highest I can ask for."

The shopkeeper looked surprised. "You actually recognized it? You wouldn't happen to be from the Divine Cult, would you? It's truly... like meeting an old friend in a foreign land! My great-uncle was also a member of the Divine Cult! This sword is an heirloom! It was brought all the way from thousands of miles away to the Central Plains! Seeing this object brings back memories! I really can't bear to part with it for less than five thousand strings of cash! Waaah!"

Li Fan: "... Damn, you win, okay? Five thousand it is... That cloak is nice, give it to me."

Shopkeeper, "Alright! It's all packed up for you right now! By the way, I happen to have a set of Divine Cult uniform here. It's an essential set for murder, robbery, traveling the martial world, and making Dao Companion! I see it's a similar size to yours, this must be a rare find. How about I transfer it to you for eight hundred strings of cash?"

Li Fan, "Wow! You dare to sell robes that are only at the Golden Core stage for such a high price? By the way, are you really part of a divine cult? I have God Lord Jade here, how about a 50% discount?"

The shopkeeper chuckled, "Old man, stop joking. It's one thing to take out a single piece to haggle over, but pulling out a whole bunch is rather unprofessional. How about this, if you're going to put on a show, go for the whole set. Five thousand five hundred strings of cash, and I'll even give you a shrine mask to cover your face. In a few days, if you have any found items to sell, we can talk again. Prices are negotiable; having more friends means more opportunities..."

So when Xuan Tian returned after completing his reconnaissance, Li Fan was already wearing a mask, dressed in night clothes, and carrying the 'Blood Talisman Sword,' having completed his disguise as a member of the murderous and robbed cult.

Xuan Tian, "... You pretended to be from the Divine Cult to kill people from the Sword Sect?"

Li Fan: "Ahem, I just wanted to test their skills, to see if they've been biding their time and always thinking about avenging their sect... Don't worry about such details!"

Xuan Tian said, "... If you're going to pretend, then pretend properly. I'll teach you a set of <<Dao Breath Blood Refining>> now. It's something I developed by Lao Tzu when he deduced the secret methods of the Divine Cult. I guarantee it will look exactly the same as the Divine Cult's blood qi."

Li Fan couldn't help but ask curiously, "Xuantian, aren't you sworn enemies with the Divine Sect? Why do you always try to refute their methods?"

Xuan Tian said, "Do you think I really just barged into the Ten Ultimate Formation like that?! Back then, I meticulously infiltrated the Divine Cult to collect the Xuan Girl Heavenly Book, and I almost became their Sect Leader! If the Saintess Maiden hadn't seen through my scheme at the last moment, I might have been able to collect the whole set! What a pity!"

"... Didn't you say you guaranteed it would be exactly the same? How did the Saintess see through your deception?"

Xuan Tian said, "How would I know? It's really strange. I'm sure I've done nothing wrong, but she keeps pestering me, deliberately getting close, and testing me in every way. Maybe there's some secret technique in the Blood Record Heavenly Book that she's discovered."

"It's a pity I was only focused on exchanging for the Xuan Girl Heavenly Book. I should have used my merits to exchange for a Blood Record Heavenly Book to take a look. Alas, I've ruined everything..."