Everyone Flees!

"Master, you summoned me for an urgent matter?"

Hearing the cold, clear female voice outside the door, a flicker of surprise crossed Jiang Ye's aged eyes.

He did not ask further, slowly rising to pull open the dilapidated wooden door. He followed Liu Yiyi through the moonlit courtyard toward the study.

Inside the study, candlelight flickered, casting a dim, golden halo over the room's furnishings.

Liu Qingshi sat upright behind the desk, his face solemn, a lingering weight etched between his brows.

Beside him, a mature woman with refined features sat with rigid posture—this was Liu Qingshi's wife, Huang Xiyu.

Her gaze lingered on Jiang Ye for a moment, flickering twice before she lowered her eyes, saying nothing.

"Master, Madam."

After entering the room, Jiang Ye bowed slightly to the pair.

"Old Jiang, sit."

Liu Qingshi raised a hand slightly, signaling him to take the chair to the side.

Once Jiang Ye was seated, he took a deep breath and spoke with a grave expression:

"I called you here so late because there is a major matter to discuss."

He paused, his gaze fixed on Jiang Ye's face:

"You must have heard about the fall of Lushan County this morning."

Jiang Ye nodded slightly, "I heard some snippets from the discussions of the academy disciples."

"Old Jiang, according to the information I have received, the rumors spreading through the city are likely true, and perhaps even more terrifying than what is being said."

Liu Qingshi's expression grew even heavier as he continued:

"Su Chen, the head of the Su Family, came to consult with me this afternoon."

"He intends to move his entire family to the provincial capital before the chaos spreads to Anxi County."

"With the Azure Sky Sect stationed in the provincial capital, it will remain secure regardless of how chaotic things become elsewhere."

"I have thought about this for a long time..."

"In the end, I have decided to go to the provincial capital with the Su Family!"

After saying this, a subtle look of reluctance flashed across Liu Qingshi's solemn face.

He had put down roots in Anxi County and founded the Bluestone Martial Academy twenty years ago; leaving so suddenly was naturally difficult.

However, for the sake of Liu Yiyi's future and his wife's safety, he had no choice but to leave.

Otherwise, once the chaos arrived, even a Transformation Strength martial artist like himself would struggle to survive, let alone protect others.

"To the provincial capital?!"

A flash of shock crossed Jiang Ye's aged eyes.

No wonder Liu Qingshi had summoned him in the middle of the night; this was indeed a major event.

At the same time, he felt a touch of gratitude. It was clear that Liu Qingshi intended to bring him along to the provincial capital rather than leave him behind.

"Master, I will follow your arrangements."

Jiang Ye bowed his head slightly.

"Good. Pack your things tomorrow, and we will depart early the day after!"

Liu Qingshi said in a deep voice.

"Understood."

Jiang Ye bowed once more, then slowly retreated from the study.

Back in the gatehouse, the oil lamp was lit.

Jiang Ye sat on the edge of the hard wooden bed, a rare look of complexity appearing on his aged face.

Having lived in Anxi County for decades, he truly felt a sense of reluctance at the prospect of leaving.

He looked out the window; moonlight like water spilled over the academy gate he had opened for twenty years, and over the bluestone path he had swept for twenty years.

"Sigh... perhaps there will be a chance to return in the future."

Jiang Ye sighed softly.

He shook his head slightly, casting the sentiment aside.

What did reluctance matter?

A life-or-death crisis hung over his head, an oppressive force like a blade poised at his throat, leaving no room for idle sentimentality.

The journey to the provincial capital was long, and it might not be a safe one.

One must understand that the dangers outside the city walls are far greater than those within; refugees, bandits, and outlaws claiming mountains as their own are everywhere.

The reason the residents of the county town do not flee when turmoil arrives is purely because the outside world is even more perilous—there is simply nowhere to run.

This is a world that devours people.

For an ordinary person without strength, it is nearly impossible to take a single step.

"Before I head to the prefecture capital, I must break through to Transformation Strength."

A look of solemnity flashed in the eyes of Jiang Ye as he spoke to himself in his heart.

Every bit of extra strength is another bit of confidence.

He reached into his robe, took out a Blood Replenishing Pill, placed it in his mouth, and slowly swallowed it.

As the scorching medicinal power dissolved within his body, he once again assumed the stance of the Five Animal Fist and began to practice.

Tiger crouches, deer gallops, bear leans, ape climbs, bird soars.

Every move and every form followed the movement of his intent.

"Five Animal Fist proficiency +5!"

"Five Animal Fist proficiency +5!"

"Five Animal Fist proficiency +5..."

He did not know how much time had passed.

The scorching medicinal power within Jiang Ye's body gradually returned to calm.

However, the Bright Strength and Dark Strength, which had previously been distinct and separate, began to undergo a strange transformation.

They were no longer two forces trading blows, but rather like two long-flowing rivers finally beginning to merge slowly at a single confluence.

Hard and soft, combined as one!

Jiang Ye's movements also became seemingly fast yet slow, heavy yet light.

The Tiger, Bear, Ape, Deer, and Bird forms gradually fused into one.

The ferocity of the Tiger form revealed the depth of the Bear, the depth of the Bear hid the agility of the Ape, the agility of the Ape carried the lightness of the Deer, and the lightness of the Deer ultimately returned to the elegance of the Bird.

"Now!"

Jiang Ye suddenly opened his eyes.

These seventy-year-old eyes now shot out a brilliant light, like two unsheathed blades.

His bones and tendons resonated in unison, emitting a series of explosions like muffled thunder—"crackling and popping"—the sound continuous, echoing within the cramped gatehouse and causing the window lattices to tremble slightly.

The thunderous sound gradually faded.

Within his body, the Bright Strength and Dark Strength had finally completely merged.

A brand-new force, like a butterfly breaking from its cocoon, began to circulate through him.

Jiang Ye felt his body become exceptionally light and agile.

He pushed open the door and stepped outside.

Under the moonlight, the courtyard was empty and silent, the plants and trees hushed.

He leaned down and picked up a withered, yellowed leaf from the ground.

The leaf was dry and curled, crumbling at the slightest touch, light and weightless.

He held it gently between two fingers, his intent shifting slightly, and that newly born strength flowed into the leaf like a trickling stream, silent and soundless.

Then, he flicked his finger.

Xiu!

A sharp whistle, as piercing as an arrow breaking through the air, suddenly tore through the silence of the night.

That withered, fragile leaf, as if it were a throwing star forged from refined iron, traced a trajectory almost impossible for the naked eye to track, slamming fiercely into a bluestone ten paces away.

Puchi.

A soft sound.

The leaf sank into the bluestone up to its stem, leaving only a tiny bit of the stalk exposed, trembling slightly.

On the surface of the stone, centered around the leaf stalk, fine cracks spread outward like a spiderweb.

Seeing this, a look of unbridled joy appeared in Jiang Ye's aged eyes.

To pluck a flower or a leaf and use it to wound—this is Transformation Strength!