All Ways Unfettered

"I still have enough silver. But what is this Black Lotus Sect?" Chen Cheng had never heard of this sect.

Liao San said, "The Black Lotus Sect is a demonic cult with a long history. It has always hidden in the shadows and stirred up trouble. Whenever local authorities discover their traces, they spare no effort in exterminating them."

"Why is that?" The sects Chen Cheng knew of, such as the Fire Worship Sect, merely recruited followers everywhere, swindled people, and used the opportunity to amass wealth. The authorities had always turned a blind eye.

"Have you heard the saying, 'When the black lotus blooms, all ways are unfettered'?" Liao San asked.

Chen Cheng shook his head.

Liao San continued, "This begins with martial cultivation. Once a martial artist reaches the completion of the Skin-Tempering Realm, they must take tendon-altering pills to strengthen their muscles and bones before advancing to the Tendon-Altering Realm.

"And once a Tendon-Altering Realm martial artist reaches completion, they must likewise take bone-forging pills to temper their skeleton and advance to the Bone-Forging Realm.

"Whether tendon-altering pills or bone-forging pills, both require spiritual herbs refined from demon beasts of corresponding or greater strength. They are exceedingly precious and monopolized by the Great Yu authorities, the major sects, and the great families. That is why martial artists above the Tendon-Altering Realm are extremely rare.

"The people of the Black Lotus Sect once devised a secret art. They planted a kind of black lotus in martial artists with vigorous qi and blood, then used those black lotuses to refine pills.

"Though these pills were somewhat less effective than pills refined from demon-beast spiritual herbs, they could still increase a martial artist's strength. Skin-Tempering Realm martial artists who took them cultivated at astonishing speed. The Black Lotus Sect claimed that everyone could reach Skin-Tempering.

"More than that, if black lotuses were planted in martial artists above the Tendon-Altering Realm, the tendon-altering pills refined from them could also help others successfully enter the Tendon-Altering Realm.

"They called it, 'When the black lotus blooms, all ways are unfettered.'

"The Black Lotus Sect once flourished for a time, but because its secret art was too vicious, it was jointly wiped out by the Great Yu Dynasty, the major sects, and the great families. The method of planting black lotuses was lost with it.

"But in recent years, this demonic cult had somehow emerged again and caused trouble throughout Great Yu. It showed every sign of rising from the ashes."

Using martial artists as medicinal fields to grow herbs—such a demonic cult was terrifying beyond measure. No wonder everyone wanted to put them to death.

Even Chen Cheng, steadfast as he was, had been badly shaken.

It seemed martial artists were not safe when traveling outside, either. He had to protect himself well, or one day the Black Lotus Sect might set its sights on him!

"Then can Black Lotus Sect martial artists plant black lotuses in their own fellow cultists?"

Thinking of that possibility, Chen Cheng could not help asking out of curiosity.

Liao San shook his head. "The Black Lotus Sect is extremely secretive. Even Chief Liu knows little about it. I only recently heard Chief Liu mention it, so I'm not very clear on the details.

"Still, pills refined by the Black Lotus Sect's evil arts are violently potent and highly toxic. Those who take them have their bodies eroded by the pill poison and often do not live past forty. Lotus-shaped black marks also appear on their chests and backs, making them easy to identify."

Having said this, Liao San added another warning.

"Chief Liu instructed us that matters concerning the Black Lotus Sect are classified and must not be casually leaked, lest they cause panic.

"I was only exceptionally warned because I recently began cultivating the body-tempering method and had just entered the Skin-Tempering Realm, making it likely that the Black Lotus Sect might target me. He said I could tell only you and must not spread it any further."

"I understand. Thank you for the warning, Third Brother." Chen Cheng solemnly thanked him.

Recently, bandits and thieves had run rampant in Linji City. The City Guard Office had strengthened its patrols, and its runners could no longer leave their posts for long periods as before.

After explaining the matter of the Black Lotus Sect, Liao San carefully went over the pawnshop's location, the contact password, and the details that required attention during the transaction, then hurriedly departed.

There was still some food and warmed wine on the table. Chen Cheng did not leave in a hurry, but sat there leisurely, drinking as he pondered.

The world was growing ever more chaotic. Though the poisoned-water hidden weapon had risen to eight taels of silver, he still had to grit his teeth and buy it.

After buying the poisoned-water hidden weapon, he would still have seven or eight taels left. Together with his monthly salary, that should ensure an ample supply of meat for the next half year or so.

With enough meat, he would not have to worry about depleted qi and blood delaying his cultivation. By then, the Iron Garment Art should reach great mastery, and the Chasing Wind Saber Technique should be close to completion as well. He could then enter the inner city, join Zheng Martial Hall, and make further plans from there.

During this time, Chen Cheng had also learned quite a bit about Zheng Martial Hall. Old Master Zheng was an upright man who taught without discrimination. So long as one's background was clean and one possessed outstanding martial talent, he was willing to instruct them with care.

He himself had come from humble origins. After achieving success in martial cultivation, he had refused to associate with the four great families of the inner city, becoming an extraordinary presence on equal footing with them.

By becoming his disciple, Chen Cheng would not have to worry about threats from the four great families.

In Linji City, this was undoubtedly Chen Cheng's best choice.

"Chen Cheng, what are you doing here?"

Just then, a somewhat surprised voice interrupted Chen Cheng's thoughts.

The speaker was Jiang Yun, who had once been engaged to Chen Cheng. She had just come down from the second floor, followed by the manager of Harmony Restaurant and two courtyard-guard martial instructors.

Several months ago, Chen Cheng had met Jiang Yun once. His impression of her was that this woman was mad as a hatter, as though there was something wrong with her head.

He truly did not want to deal with such a crazy woman, and he could not help frowning.

"At a restaurant, of course I'm drinking. What else would I be doing?"

Jiang Yun stared at Chen Cheng, suspicion flickering in her eyes.

Naturally, she was not greeting him. Rather, she felt that Chen Cheng seemed unwilling to give up on her. Of all the restaurants he could have gone to, he had come specifically to Harmony Restaurant. Could it be that he had deliberately waited for her to appear so he could seize the chance to pester her?

She noticed that Chen Cheng wore the gray uniform of a City Guard Office reserve runner, with a long saber at his waist.

"No wonder he speaks so boldly. So this man has actually changed from a prison guard to a City Guard Office reserve runner. Hmph, does he think becoming a City Guard Office reserve runner means he can now reach above his station and court this young lady?

"Ordinary City Guard Office reserve runners do not even wear sabers, but he had somehow found a shoddy iron saber to put on airs. What a joke!"

Jiang Yun had recognized at a glance that the long saber at Chen Cheng's waist was a shoddy iron blade used by insignificant characters from ordinary martial gangs, and she sneered inwardly.

"Chen Cheng, I advise you not to entertain any improper thoughts. After all, you and I are people from two different worlds."

Jiang Yun threw out that baffling remark, then stormed off with the courtyard-guard martial instructors.

"This crazy woman really does have something wrong with her head!"

Chen Cheng shook his head. Then his eyes suddenly lit up. He reached into the money pouch in his robes, rummaged through it briefly, and pulled out an IOU.

Five taels of silver was not much, but he still had to get it back.

Was a debt owed to the Chen family really so easy to default on? After all these years, principal and interest together should amount to quite a sum!

Muttering inwardly, Chen Cheng finished the remaining wine in two or three gulps before leaving the restaurant and leisurely heading toward the Jiang Family.

The Jiang Family residence stood in an alley at the center of Ruyi Ward. The surrounding residents were all wealthy households, with lofty gates and sprawling courtyards, each protected by courtyard-guard martial instructors.

When Chen Cheng arrived not far from the Jiang Family, there were few people in any of the streets and alleys. The courtyards stood deep and secluded, and silence filled the surroundings. It was like an entirely different world from the slums.

This was nothing unusual. The streets where wealthy households lived were generally like this. It was broad daylight, and as a City Guard Office runner, Chen Cheng felt no fear as he swaggered down the street.

When he was still two alleys away from the Jiang Family, Chen Cheng turned a street corner and suddenly heard the sounds of fighting from an alley beside him.

Turning to look, he saw Jiang Yun and two courtyard-guard martial instructors surrounded by seven or eight black-clad men with sabers.

The black-clad men had strength in numbers, and their skills seemed far from weak. Jiang Yun's two courtyard guards had suffered wounds all over their bodies and looked as though they would be cut down before long.

Jiang Yun herself was entangled by three black-clad men. Her swordsmanship was quite impressive, and she was barely holding on even while fighting one against three.

But once the two courtyard guards were slain and the other black-clad men swarmed forward, she would be in grave danger.

Jiang Yun understood her predicament. She cried loudly for help as she tried to rush out of the alley, but failed every time.

At that moment, a saber-wearing figure in the uniform of a City Guard Office runner appeared at the mouth of the alley and looked over with obvious curiosity.

Who else could it be but Chen Cheng?

Jiang Yun was overjoyed and hurriedly shouted, "Chen Cheng, quickly call someone to save me!"

City Guard Office runners generally patrolled the streets in groups of two or three. Since Chen Cheng was here, the other runners must surely be nearby as well.

So long as the City Guard Office runners arrived, these bandits would retreat, and Jiang Yun would naturally be saved. For a moment, the joy of surviving a calamity surged through her heart.

But things did not go as she wished. Chen Cheng hurriedly glanced over the situation in the alley, turned around, and ran for his life, disappearing from sight in moments.