The Grand Elder Held the Line; the Black Hand in the Deep Mountains Dared Not Act Recklessly

After Elder Lu and his group returned to the encampment, the formerly noisy scene had long since settled down.

The young martial artists had already left, setting out on their journey back to the city. Only a handful of Tendon-Bone Tempering Realm stewards remained.

At the center sat a white-bearded old man in tranquil repose. His expression was kindly, his long beard and plain robes lending him an air of vigor despite his years.

"Grand Elder!"

The Bone Tempering martial artists all bowed and clasped their fists. The old man before them was a Blood Exchange Realm martial artist!

The Grand Elder stroked his long beard and looked upon the group with a smiling face.

At the sight of the Grand Elder, Elder Lu immediately understood why that unfamiliar Blood Exchange martial artist had not acted to kill them.

It was not that he did not wish to—it was that he could not!

Because the Grand Elder had long been stationed here.

The Grand Elder's gentle yet deep voice rang out, his words filled with certainty:

"Elder Lu, Elder Li, you handled this hunt well."

The Grand Elder's gaze fell upon the two injured elders. "Elder Sun, Elder Ma, rest and recover in peace. The mountain bandits have run rampant; the Martial Academy will naturally repay them."

His tone was calm, but when he said "repay," his voice grew especially weighty.

Elder Sun and Elder Ma clasped their fists. "Many thanks, Grand Elder."

The Grand Elder rose, clasped his hands behind his back, and said evenly, "Return to the city."

In the eastern corner of Verdant Grain County, Wei Cong drove the carriage through the streets while Liu Yunche and Qian Cheng sat within the carriage compartment.

At last, the carriage slowly came to a stop. Liu Yunche stepped down and entered the Liu Household.

Father Liu and Mother Liu hurried over. Mother Liu came before him, took Liu Yunche's hand, and studied his face again and again.

Her face was full of concern. "Che'er, you've grown so much thinner..."

Liu Wangzhou nodded faintly, satisfaction in his eyes. Liu Yunche's bearing had become increasingly steady; clearly, these ten days of hunting had made him more composed.

Today, the Liu Household had specially given orders to prepare many fine dishes rarely seen on ordinary days, and every last one was brought to the table.

After the meal, Liu Yunche and Liu Wangzhou went to the study.

Holding a cup of clear tea, Liu Wangzhou took a light sip before smiling and asking first:

"How did it feel, killing someone for the first time?"

Liu Yunche shook his head. "At first, my insides churned, and I felt sick enough to vomit. It took quite a while before I slowly recovered."

"Hahaha..." Liu Wangzhou set his teacup aside and laughed it off. "Having gone through that, this hunt was not in vain."

"How can martial artists like us avoid staining our hands with blood?"

He said solemnly, "The martial path is a path of slaughter. As your father, I hope you can kill decisively. Only then can you travel farther."

"Brother Lu has already sent me word about the Demon-Luring Incense. You need not worry about it either. Just cultivate with peace of mind."

When Liu Wangzhou mentioned Elder Lu, an idea flashed through Liu Yunche's mind, and he immediately began asking about their relationship.

"Father, how did Elder Lu come to know you?"

"You mean Lu Yuanhai?" At the mention of Elder Lu, recollection surfaced in Liu Wangzhou's eyes.

"That goes back more than twenty years. Back then, under your grandfather's arrangements, I joined the Blood-Boiling Army. The two of us met in the army."

"The Blood-Boiling Army?" Confusion filled Liu Yunche's eyes, soon followed by a thread of curiosity.

Liu Wangzhou lowered his gaze and nodded, offering no explanation as he continued, "Lu Yuanhai is more than twenty years my senior. We trained and grew together in the army, and thus formed a deep friendship."

Liu Yunche understood, yet he tucked the three words Blood-Boiling Army away in his heart.

Liu Wangzhou seemed unwilling to say much about the past. Changing the subject, he brought up another matter that had long weighed on Liu Yunche's mind.

"I have found some leads regarding the person who poisoned you."

Liu Yunche's body stiffened, then he leaned forward slightly and asked in a low voice:

"Who was it that acted, seeking to take my life?"

Liu Wangzhou's gaze settled upon Liu Yunche's face as he slowly spoke two words:

"The Zheng Clan."

"Was it truly Zheng Shen?" Liu Yunche carefully recalled his dealings with Zheng Shen, yet the doubts in his heart only grew.

He had barely interacted with Zheng Shen. Why would Zheng Shen resort to such a vicious hand?

Liu Wangzhou saw Liu Yunche's confusion. After pausing for a moment, he slowly said:

"I too have doubts about this matter. But no matter what purpose the Zheng Clan had, since they dared lay a hand on you, then chop off the hand they used!"

As he spoke that final sentence, his voice became heavy. Though he wore a smile, Liu Yunche could still sense that chilling presence.

This was the first time he had felt such an aura from his father.

After hesitating for a moment, Liu Yunche was about to speak, but Liu Wangzhou raised a hand and interrupted him.

"You need not concern yourself with this matter. Your father has his own plans."

He looked Liu Yunche up and down, smiling warmly. "You, on the other hand, gained quite a lot from this trip. Your Iron Skin is nearly complete now."

"I encountered a bit of fortune in the mountains and obtained a Fire Ganoderma," Liu Yunche explained.

Liu Wangzhou nodded. "Once you break through to Silver Skin, I will teach you the cultivation method for the Dragon-Imprisoning Stance. That way, your progress in the Flesh Tempering Realm will not be much slower than it is now."

"The Dragon-Imprisoning Stance? Doesn't that require the Nurturing Origin Stance to reach completion before it can be cultivated? I had only revealed the Nurturing Origin Stance at major accomplishment. Could it be..."

Thinking of this, Liu Yunche raised his head to look at his father. Meeting his father's warm, smiling eyes, his heart suddenly tightened, as though he had been seen through.

Then Liu Wangzhou said, "During the ten days you were away, I had Wan Shan gather quite a few old objects. They have all been sent to Cloud Perch Courtyard."

Liu Yunche was startled inwardly, but his expression did not change. With just the right amount of confusion in his eyes, he calmly said, "What is Father doing this for?"

Liu Wangzhou lowered his gaze and smiled faintly. "There are no shortage of peculiar secret arts in this world that can improve one's cultivation through external means."

"However, most of these secret arts are demonic techniques and evil scriptures. If martial artists cultivating them are even slightly careless, they may suffer cultivation deviation and become grotesque monsters, neither human nor beast."

Liu Wangzhou's words carried both warning and concern.

"I do not know when you obtained such a secret art, but the aura around you is pure and radiant. I imagine it is not some demonic technique or evil scripture."

Liu Yunche stood frozen in place, thoughts churning in his heart. For a moment, he did not know what to say.

Yet in Liu Wangzhou's eyes, that silence became a wordless admission.

He cleared his throat. "Your father has no intention of prying into your fortune. I only wish to tell you that while you are cautious, you are still not cautious enough."

"First the Goose-Feather Saber, then that pair of ancient shoes on Changqing Old Street. Your intentions were too strong—too obvious."

Liu Wangzhou paused slightly, then said softly:

"If I were you, I would not act so directly. As the saying goes, truth within falsehood, falsehood within truth; when true and false cannot be distinguished, only then is it the strategy of caution."

"Do you understand?"

His gaze rested on Liu Yunche, his eyes seeming to hold a deeper meaning.

"Father, I understand!"

"Father means that I should mix in some false things, so that others cannot figure out what I truly want?"

Only after pondering for quite some time did Liu Yunche slowly speak.

Hearing this, Liu Wangzhou nodded with satisfaction, the smile in his eyes deepening. "You are teachable indeed..."