Though ten million stand against me, I will go; every trade has its specialists

After three rounds of drinks, the atmosphere grew even more boisterous.

"Ha ha, Brother Lu can really hold his liquor! Another bowl!"

Everyone at the table laughed and egged him on. Pressured by the crowd, Lu Li drank dozens more bowls of wine. He did not use his inner energy to force out the alcohol, and the aged brew actually left him somewhat drunk.

Before he knew it, the strings in his heart had loosened.

This was the martial world. They might have been complete strangers before, but once they sat at the same table, they were friends who could drink wine and eat meat together.

Drink today's wine today!

Time slowly passed. The food and wine on the table gradually dwindled, and fewer and fewer people remained sober, until people lay sprawled all over the courtyard.

The alcohol also rushed to Lu Li's head. His face was flushed red, and he could vaguely see double. Experiencing the feeling of drunken oblivion for the first time, he mumbled incoherently:

"So this is what drinking feels like. Awesome!"

With a thud, he too fell stiffly to the ground.

At that moment, Liu Yueling took small steps over, somehow having found a thin blanket, and covered Lu Li with it. Her delicate face was utterly serious and careful.

"Little Yueling, we'll look after him. Be good, go back and sleep."

Peng Wan'er crouched down, rubbed Liu Yueling's head, and spoke gently.

"Mm-hm, okay."

Liu Yueling nodded obediently. After one last look at Lu Li, who had fallen into a deep sleep, she returned to her room.

"To receive such tender care from that little girl, Lu Li truly is a good man."

Watching Liu Yueling return to her room, Peng Wan'er glanced at Lu Li, then sighed and began carrying everyone back to the side rooms in the rear courtyard one by one.

After settling everyone in properly, Peng Shan was the only one left in the courtyard.

"Hmm?"

As soon as she returned to the courtyard, Peng Wan'er saw Peng Shan slowly open his eyes. She asked in surprise:

"Big Brother... you weren't drunk?"

Peng Shan nodded and looked at the stars in the night sky.

"In the end, I'm not as carefree as my brothers. There's something weighing on my heart, so I truly can't sleep peacefully."

"Is it about the temple fair?"

Peng Wan'er's brows furrowed as she looked at Peng Shan worriedly.

"Yes."

Peng Shan let out a soft sigh.

The Thousand-Eyed Bodhisattva Temple was holding the Thousand-Baby Sacrifice. A full thousand infants were about to become offerings. Whenever he thought of it, killing intent boiled within his heart.

But the Xue Household stood behind the ritual, and most of the people in the city simply pretended not to see it.

Peng Shan knew very well that even if they went only to save people, they would most likely never return.

"I had wanted Brother Lu to join us, but he has a child with him and important matters to attend to. We can't drag him into this muddy water."

Peng Shan shook his head. Under Peng Wan'er's anxious gaze, he waved his hand.

"In the next few days, prepare the weapons. Before long, we'll enter through the secret passage to save them. I just wonder how many of those poor children are still alive..."

Peng Wan'er lowered her head. After a long silence, she softly said:

"Big Brother, must you go? You'll die."

Peng Shan smiled at her words.

"What do people practice martial arts for? Everyone has their own answer, but I practice martial arts so that my heart may be unburdened. I simply cannot stand to see evil this heinous."

"So what if I die? Knowing it cannot be done and doing it anyway—that is the only way not to have lived this life in vain."

Under Peng Wan'er's absent gaze, Peng Shan spoke as casually as though he were discussing something trivial.

"Though ten million stand against me, I will go... In this world, someone must do something. Fortunately, I have many brothers who share my convictions. Even if we walk the road to the underworld, I won't be alone."

At that, Peng Shan laughed heartily. Looking at Peng Wan'er, whose lips were pressed tightly together, his tone carried a trace of guilt.

"Wan'er, your brother has selfishly dragged you along. I buried a chest of silver beneath a locust tree on Flowing Water Street. If things go wrong after I leave, take the silver and find somewhere safe to live out your life alone."

"Or..."

Peng Shan fell silent for a moment, then softly said:

"Go home and take a look. What happened to Eldest Sister back then was the family's fault, but Father and Mother have missed you greatly all these years."

Peng Wan'er stubbornly turned her head away, but after a while, she still muttered, "I understand."

The next morning, daylight was already bright.

Lu Li had the most peaceful sleep he had enjoyed since coming to this world.

He opened his eyes and looked at the old beams overhead. For a moment, his thoughts drifted blankly as memories from after his drunken stupor slowly surfaced.

Only when thirst struck did he pick up the water jug beside the bed and gulp it down.

After the cold water entered his stomach, Lu Li became a little clearer-headed. Realizing it was already late morning, he sat upright and got up to leave the room.

The courtyard was empty. Lu Li went to the room next door and found Liu Yueling still sleeping soundly. Only then did he head into the noodle shop, where Peng Shan and Peng Wan'er were nowhere to be seen either.

Only a note lay atop the counter.

Lu Li picked it up and saw the graceful handwriting on it. It was clearly written by Peng Wan'er:

"Brother Lu, we are occupied with urgent matters. You may stay in the shop for now. In half a month, we will properly arrange a carriage for you to Nanliu Prefecture..."

After silently reading it, Lu Li put away the note and found a key beneath the counter according to its instructions.

He then looked around. The tables and stools inside the noodle shop had been tidied up, and the doors were already locked. This key could open the lock.

The Peng Family Noodle Shop was closed for business, leaving Lu Li a key and a place to stay.

"Have they already started making their move?"

Tucking the key into his pocket, Lu Li knew that Peng Shan and the others had begun preparing to rescue the children inside the Thousand-Eyed Bodhisattva Temple.

To forge an evil weapon, the Xue Household had joined forces with the Myriad Life Sect to abduct nearly a thousand children. Yet the Thousand-Eyed Bodhisattva Temple clearly could not house so many people directly.

Therefore, people from the Myriad Life Sect had been secretly transporting them away in batches.

"Drooping-Ear Monk..."

Lu Li murmured the name inwardly. He first went back and left a note for Liu Yueling, then left the noodle shop.

There was still half a month before the ritual truly began. Though he had resolved to involve himself, his most urgent task was still to continue improving his strength.

Drooping-Ear Monk was at the ninth level of Meridian Opening, and his strength was formidable. Even Lu Li could not guarantee he would emerge unscathed if they fought now.

The Hidden Heroes Alliance, Heavenly Righteousness Society, and Righteousness Gang had quite a few members, but the strongest among them had only reached the sixth level of Meridian Opening, making it difficult for them to sustain the fight.

"Poison Astral Body..."

Walking through the streets and alleys, Lu Li's gaze flickered as he held a token in his hand.

It was the token of Shangling Cliff that Shuang Qiuyue had given him.

There were many poisons capable of killing martial artists, and Qingzhou City was vast. Lu Li had seen quite a few shops selling poison.

But he was still unsatisfied.

Both the Poison Astral Body and Xiangliu Martial Dao could be cultivated through poison, but without question, the stronger the poison, the better the effect.

And if one were to ask where he could find incomparably lethal poison, it was naturally Shangling Cliff, that assassin organization.

Every trade had its specialists. Buying poison from an assassin organization could not be wrong!