Fate's Anchor

Liu Yunshen recalled that hundred-zhang Sword Qi that had made ghosts tremble and gods quake. He undid his shirt and looked at his chest, which bore not the slightest scar, yet even now, lingering fear remained in his heart!

"Brother Liu is right. If we act rashly this time, death is almost certain! We must find a way to lure Zhu Xun somewhere secluded before making our move!" Lei Zhaoye frowned. "Especially avoid his master, who has already reached the perfection of the Qi Refining realm! Frankly speaking, even Martial Uncle Ouyang might not be this man's match!"

"The fourth realm of Qi Refining!" Cai Yuelin and Gong Liefeng were struck speechless.

"The most frightening possibility is that if that person is nearby, with our cultivation, we would have no way of detecting him at all!" Cao Langao hit the nail on the head.

"This mission... let's give it up!" After pondering for a long while, Liu Yunshen clenched the rusty iron sword in both hands, and the furrow between his brows slowly eased.

Everyone looked at Liu Yunshen, deeply moved.

"Brother Liu bears a blood feud as deep as the sea with Zhu Xun. Everyone in Hu Family Village died by his hand. Asking him to give up revenge truly is making things hard for him!"

"But if we return like this, with that scoundrel Ying Xiao's temperament, he'll certainly make trouble for us again!"

"It isn't truly giving up, merely waiting for the right time to strike!" Lei Zhaoye's expression was calm as he lightly patted Liu Yunshen's shoulder. "Brother Liu has endured for so long already. There's no need to rush this moment!"

"Brother Lei is right!" The gloom between Liu Yunshen's brows vanished in an instant.

After discussing matters, the group continued north by boat. After disembarking at the Huai River, they rode east on horseback. This way, they still had to pass through the Zhou Kingdom, then cross the Han Kingdom before they could return to the Qin Kingdom.

"I've only been away from home for a little over a month, yet it feels as though years have passed." Liu Yunshen looked toward the little mountain village by the Yiluo River, now vanished from sight, as an overwhelming homesickness surged within him!

"Brother Liu, do you want to go back and pay respects to your mother?" Gong Liefeng was usually rough and bold, but he was truly attentive in small matters. Liu Yunshen nodded secretly. "I'm only afraid it'll delay our return."

"It's only crossing a river. How could that delay us?" Cai Yuelin grinned and took the lead to scout ahead. "There's a small bridge five li ahead. That way, we won't have to get our clothes wet!"

"Brother Cai should hurry and become an Earth Immortal. Then you can use a Sleeve Universe to carry us straight across the river—it'd be even more convenient!" Lei Zhaoye laughed heartily.

The youths raced one another on horseback. Before long, they crossed a tributary of the Luo River and arrived north of Hu Family Village.

The closer he came to home, the more timid his heart became. Liu Yunshen's heart thudded wildly, and he suddenly turned to stare at the woods behind them. "Strange. All along the way, I've felt as though someone has been following us!"

A black shadow merged into the forest with movement swift as lightning. Though Liu Yunshen swept his double pupils like a comet, he could not make out any clue.

"I feel like someone's there too!" Gong Liefeng scratched his head. Cai Yuelin laughed. "If Brother Lei said that, I might believe it."

As they spoke, several people came toward them from an extreme distance, weeping and sniffling.

"Brother Hu, don't be so upset. A good man's ambitions lie in all four directions!"

"That's right. You've only entered the sect for half a month. Though you've only just begun Qi Refining, your martial skills are especially formidable! In the future, you may yet carve out your own path, perhaps even found a sect of your own!"

"Thank you, Senior Brother Huang, Senior Brother Wei!"

"You should call him Martial Uncle. First, he looks old; second, he's on equal footing with the four sect masters!"

"You're the one who looks old, damn it! Since when am I on equal footing with the sect masters?"

"Your name has a Yue in it, and it sounds like the four great sect masters' names. Calling you Martial Uncle isn't a loss! Ow, don't hit me!"

"You little brat, when the Four Swords Harmonized Light formation activated last time, you deliberately took away my toilet paper! It made even my dantian smell like shit! Don't run! I'm the most vindictive person there is! Stand still!!"

The people approaching in the distance were Hu Lieshan, Zhao Dingjiang, Wei Gui, and Huang Zongyue. Since Hu and Zhao's cultivation was still shallow, they had only accepted simple assignments like escorting merchant caravans and guarding transport wagons. Half a month later, they happened to be passing through Hu Family Village.

Wei Gui, a born quick-witted rascal, immediately suggested that Hu Cheng and Zhao Dingjiang go pay respects at the graves. That was how they encountered everyone here!

"Brother Hu, Brother Zhao!" Liu Yunshen was wildly excited as he hurried forward.

"Brother Liu!" Hu Lieshan and Zhao Dingjiang were equally overjoyed, and the two embraced Liu Yunshen!

The three brothers reunited once more in Hu Family Village, their grief mingled with a touch of excitement.

"Mother! I never thought Master Guai Dao truly buried you here!" Liu Yunshen kowtowed heavily three times. When he rose, he looked over the vast field of graves, clenched his teeth, and silently swore an oath in his heart.

"Brother Liu, let's head back!" Zhao Dingjiang wiped the corners of his eyes, which had already dried but now became wet again, and the group set out on their journey home once more.

"Brother Liu, how has your progress been lately? I've had an unexpected stroke of luck!" Hu Lieshan grinned and gathered a strand of intent at his fingertip.

"A domain!" Liu Yunshen was overjoyed. He grabbed him and asked in a low voice, "Not even Junior Brother Cai and Brother Lei have comprehended one, yet you brat got there first!"

Hu Lieshan looked smug. "Brother Lei told me the trick, then scolded me dozens of times before I finally touched the threshold. Even Brother Zhao comprehended it! I'm telling you, don't tell anyone else!" Hu Two deliberately lowered his voice. "The two of us are now as strong as second-realm disciples in the sect! Only a tiny bit weaker than Little Brother Lei!"

Liu Yunshen smiled wryly. "What Brother Lei, Little Brother Lei?"

Zhao Dingjiang smiled. "The Brother Lei Hu Two... Brother Hu Lieshan speaks of is Sect Master Lei. 'Little Brother Lei' is Brother Lei Zhaoye! The seniority is completely muddled!"

Liu Yunshen looked back at Lei Zhaoye. Lei Zhaoye was chatting with the others, and when he saw Liu Yunshen looking over, he smiled and asked, "Brother Liu, what is it?"

"Nothing! Nothing!" Liu Yunshen waved his hand with a secret smile.

"Brother Liu, what's your strength like now?" Hu Lieshan's eyes were full of curiosity. "Tell us! Tell us! No hiding it!"

Liu Yunshen slightly extended his right index finger. He could clearly sense that strand of Sword Intent.

"My dantian power has risen to the fourth tier, Rain-Nourished Branching. I'm more than fifty percent stronger than when I first met Brother Huang! Back then, exhausting the full power of the Seven-Star Sword Technique and adding the domain on top of it, I could easily gather over fifty zhang of Sword Qi. Now, if I go all out, I should be able to reach the might of a hundred zhang! And with the aid of the Meteoric Iron Sword Seal, its power can increase by another thirty percent!"

Hu Lieshan and Zhao Dingjiang looked at the terrifying killing intent at Liu Yunshen's fingertip, their hearts filled with excitement and delight. "I knew it, Brother Liu."

"The three of us did grow up playing together, after all!" Zhao Dingjiang smiled and sighed.

Hu Lieshan teased with a grin, "Back then, Brother Liu was so pretty when he first moved here that you thought he was a girl and insisted on marrying him as your bride!"

Hu Lieshan burst out laughing. Liu Yunshen's face reddened, and he laughed as he slapped him. "You remember that sort of thing so clearly! Yet you don't remember wetting the bed yourself!"

"Yes, I heard someone also wanted to marry Lanlan from Zhao Family Village north of the river!" Zhao Dingjiang smiled faintly.

Hu Lieshan's dark face turned crimson, and he could not utter a single word!

"Zhao Family Village is right ahead. Not going to take a look?" Zhao Dingjiang added fuel to the fire. Liu Yunshen laughed. "Brother Zhao, stop teasing Brother Hu!"

Unexpectedly, Hu Lieshan took a deep breath. "I really want to go see! If Lan is still waiting for me and hasn't married anyone else, I'll definitely marry her!"

"You brat, your feathers haven't even fully grown in yet. Wait until you've had your capping ceremony!" Zhao Dingjiang smiled.

Liu Yunshen nodded. "That really could work. Brother Hu looks older than he is, and he's built strong!"

"I moved here from Zhao Family Village, and Lanlan's parents know me too. Maybe they'll take a liking to Brother Hu!" Zhao Dingjiang thought to himself and nodded as well.

Hu Lieshan's face grew even redder.

Wei Gui glanced at Huang Zongyue. Huang Zongyue snapped, "I'm only twenty this year! My beard and hair are lush because I have a Pure Yang physique!"

Cai Yuelin, Cao Langao, and Hu Lieshan all burst into laughter.

The group traveled west along the river. After walking ten li, as they drew ever closer to Zhao Family Village, the terror in Liu Yunshen's heart grew stronger. He immediately gathered his Sword Intent into his martial perception and released it a hundred zhang away, his face turning deathly pale!

"Brother Liu!"

"Big Brother! What's wrong?"

Lei Zhaoye, Gong Liefeng, Hu Lieshan, and the others all gathered around him!

"Zhu Xun is leading people in slaughtering the village ahead! Hurry! If we're late, it'll be too late!"

Liu Yunshen turned into a streak of lightning and charged toward Zhao Family Village!