The Oriole Lurked Behind, the Perfect Plan, Becoming Gold Steward, Another Rise in Status!

Li Xian's attacks were like lightning, instantly killing one enemy and burning another. His movements were incredibly fluid, executed in one breath, clean and decisive. Wang Jue and Hong Dexin were not weak, though only at the First Martial Realm, their talent and martial arts skills were quite commendable. However, at the moment of the Unseen attack, they were intimidated by an unseen force, their minds shaken. As a result, the two acted somewhat recklessly, with Wang Jue striking first. His swordsmanship was exquisite, a combination of probing, entanglement, and defense. But Li Xian's eyesight was exceptional, discerning the enemy's weaknesses and exploiting them. He used force to knock the horizontal blade away, and then severed his head and neck with a second strike.

Li Xian possessed immense strength and meticulous technique. Coupled with his terrifying eyesight, his power far exceeded expectations. Hong Dexin, alone and isolated, was naturally even more vulnerable. Li Xian draped the "Pure Vajra Heat Garment" over him, then Intent Infusion, causing Hong's entire body to burst into flames, encased within the robe. He then employed the "Garment-Shaking" technique, channeling his Inner Steam into the robe, causing it to vibrate and unleash surging waves of fire, accompanied by Shaking Detonation. The intense heat scorched his skin, while the shockwaves snapped his bones.

Hong Dexin unable to utter a sound and died from the burns and shock. This was the "Garment-Bestowing Shock" created by Li Xian by combining many profound martial arts techniques. The Pure Gang Robe is like an invisible garment, worn all over the body, and can store Inner Steam.

When the Garment-Shaking, a strong outward force is generated, which can stir up layers of air waves. Li Xian wrapped the enemy in the clothes, but Garment-Shaking inward, turning the outward force into an inward force. The clothes clung tightly to the body, and the inward force was like being punched and pounded by countless fists and palms. He then brought out the "Heartfire" to add to the ferocity. This killing power was terrifying!

After dealing with the two men, Li Xian looked around and saw a charred corpse and bloodstains all over the ground. If this place wasn't dealt with, it would hinder the subsequent plans. So he picked up the charred corpse, opened the window, and threw it into the lake.

Then, Wang Jue's corpse was treated in the same way: it was tied with heavy objects and thrown into the Regret Lake. The Regret Lake was home to ferocious fish that loved to devour flesh and blood. Before long, Wang Jue Hong Dexin were no longer there.

He then exhaled a breath of fresh air and cleaned the room of blood, filth, and traces of the fight. Li Xian moved very lightly and methodically, and quickly finished the task. At this moment, he slipped out of the cabin and glanced at the deck, where several soldiers were patrolling.

Li Xian thought to himself, "Now that the arrow is already on the bowstring, if this ship is not destroyed, I will be guilty of murdering my colleagues and will be facing a grave crime. Therefore, I have no choice but to destroy the ship and continue to play along with their scheme. I am not a saint; I have already tried to save your lives, but it has not been successful. Whether you live or die afterward depends on your own fate."

Silently creeping away, he reached the hull of the ship. The keel had been damaged and then glued back together with iron glue. This glue dissolved upon contact with water, and once they reached the depths of the lake, the keel would completely disintegrate. The entire ship would collapse instantly. There were two strands of hair here. After learning of the plan, Li Xian had secretly planted them. He had personally witnessed Wang Jue, Hong Dexin, and Zhang Qiusheng secretly coming here to destroy the ship and apply the glue during their daily patrols of the island and lake. It was because he was certain of this that he had acted so decisively and ruthlessly just now. Li Xian avoided the patrolling soldiers and crept to the stern of the ship.

At this moment, the boat started moving, and it was only a few dozen feet away from the lake shore, which was clearly visible. Taking advantage of the fact that no one was around, Li Xian leaped up, gathered his Light Force, and skimmed across the water.

The terrain here is unique, which limits the the Unseen skills. Although Li Xian's "Seven-Star Step" is basic, it is already the Peak Mastery skill. The seven steam-like masses in his body make his body light. By breaking through the steam-like masses and stepping into the air, he can Leap Ascension again.

With that last breath, he flew back to the lakeshore. Li Xian let out a long sigh, thinking, "If the Boat Guild any further, I would have inevitably fallen into the lake. Beneath this lake lies a mineral vein, and many ferocious fish; who knows what strange sights await. Even with my Jade-Water Pearl, which allows me to breathe underwater, sinking to the bottom of the lake would ultimately be more dangerous than safe."

Li Xian focused his attention. Beside Zhang Qiusheng's bedside, there was a strand of jet-black hair. He noticed that Zhang Qiusheng's condition had improved slightly; he was able to get up, but he coughed violently as he stood, his face pale, clearly quite ill. Li Xian thought, "This Zhang Qiusheng is the most insidious of all. He doesn't know that I deliberately feigned illness, yet I can subtly worsen his condition. Even if he doesn't die, he'll be severely injured. But this man is still useful."

It turns out that after Zhang Qiusheng pretended to be sick, Li Xian used the "Ghost-Vein Four Absolutes" to the Unseen worsen his condition with every conversation, every glance, and every contact. This added fuel to the fire, making the illness more and more severe and the condition increasingly unusual.

Zhang Qiusheng felt something was amiss, his body felt unwell, more so than expected, but he didn't know the specifics. At this moment, he simply followed the plan and went to find Liu Quan, the deputy supervisor of Evil-Quelling Island. Li Xian knew that Zhang Qiusheng was about to take action through his hair, so she hid in a boat.

Now, Liu Quan was indeed harboring evil intentions. Lei Chong was a "Jianjinwei Langjiang," a position with considerable power and influence. Due to official duties, he often came into contact with Liu Quan, drinking and having fun together, and gradually they became close friends.

Lei Chong had already given prior notice, and Liu Quan secretly assisted, going with the flow. This is why the plan went smoothly. Zhang Qiusheng met Liu Quan and waited another half hour, guessing that the boat had already gone far away.

Only then did they begin the next step of the plan. They first dispatched several prison guards to temporarily Prison Tower. They then discovered that the cells of "Man-Slaughtering Hand Wang Jie," "Stele-Shaking Palm Li Tie," and "Sharp-Beaked Saber Liang Kang" were empty. They rang the alarm bell, making it appear as if prisoners had escaped.

These three criminals had actually died from poisoning long ago, and their bodies were stuffed into the boat.

Zhang Qiusheng then pretended to investigate, and based on numerous clues, guessed that the three villains had already escaped by sneaking into the Tiger-Python Ship. Liu Quan cooperated in the act, sending out a sufficient number of soldiers and jailers, ordering Zhang Qiusheng to capture the villains. If he could not capture them, he could be killed on the spot.

Zhang Qiusheng and his team had a well-thought-out plan. After the Tiger-Python Ship into the lake, Wang Jue and Hong Dexin, with their cultivation levels, would be able to hold out for a while longer, even though there were vicious fish in the lake. Therefore, it was not considered an emergency.

Li Xian hid on a boat beforehand and waited for about half an hour until he saw Zhang Qiusheng board the boat with his troops. He had already used three hairs: two were planted in the cabin of the Tiger-Python Ship to observe the condition of the bottom of the boat and estimate the extent of the sinking in the lake; and one was planted in Zhang Qiusheng's room.

Then, two more seeds were pulled out, one planted on the deck and the other high up in the superstructure. Li Xian then hid in the lower deck of the ship and took in the whole situation.

Soon, the boat sailed into the deep lake. Thus, Li Xian's plan was largely complete. He calmed himself, held his breath, and lay hidden, thinking, "This Zhang Qiusheng will be useful. Now, I just need to appear at the right time. Then I'll take over the reins and make sure Lei Chong's performance is finished."

Zhang Qiusheng, wrapped in a thick coat, stood on the deck of the boat, coughing softly. The misty lake air seeped into his body. He cursed, "Strange, strange! I was pretending to be sick, and now I'm really sick! I feel terrible all over. When I get back to Marquis Wu Station, I'll have to ask for a few days off to properly recuperate." Seeing the vast expanse of the lake with no shore, he thought, "The plan should be going smoothly. Li Xian's fate was already decided the moment he boarded the ship." They traveled for half an hour. He estimated the time; the ship should have sunk by now. He ordered his men to speed up. Although the Regret Lake was large, there were few islands. Falling into the lake would leave them with nowhere to hold on, and if they were left there too long, the vicious fish would bite them, posing a great danger even to a martial artist. Suddenly, he heard several the Unseen cries. A soldier reported, "Lord Zhang, someone has fallen into the water in the distance!"

Zhang Qiusheng was overjoyed, but pretended not to understand. "Someone fell into the water? Hurry over there." As the boat drew nearer, he saw that it was an ordinary soldier. The soldier was quite skilled at swimming, holding a horizontal sword in his hand, constantly slashing at the surroundings, but countless vicious fish were already swarming around him. As soon as he ran out of strength, he would be devoured. Zhang Qiusheng leaped up, grabbed the soldier by the back of his neck, and with his feet stepping on the water, using the thin water and the Light Force in his body, he brought the soldier back to the boat.

His display of skill caused a stir among the crowd. Zhang Qiusheng asked, "Are you alright?" The soldier replied, "Ah! Lord Zhang... what are you doing here? Weren't you ill?"

Zhang Qiusheng said, "I am indeed ill. Why did you all fall into the water?" His question contained a flaw. He should have asked, "Why did you fall into the water? What about the others?" But knowing beforehand that all the soldiers on the boat would fall into the water, he blurted out, "Why did you all fall into the water?"—a rhetorical question. The soldier, oblivious, replied in utter confusion, "I... I don't know either. We were just sailing along when suddenly the boat started rocking from side to side, began taking on water, and then... it sank!"

Zhang Qiusheng knew perfectly well what was going on, but feigned regret, saying, "In the end, we were a step too late!"

The soldier asked, "What do you mean you're a step late?" Zhang Qiusheng replied, "My condition improved slightly today, so I went to patrol the prison. I discovered that three criminals had disappeared without a trace. I suspect they were hiding on the ship, trying to escape from Evil-Quelling Island. You just mentioned that the ship was rocking back and forth; that must have been caused by the strong men on board fighting the criminals."

"It must have been during the struggle that the boat sank suddenly. What about the others? What happened to Li Xian, Wang Jue, Hong Dexin?" The soldier shook his head and said, "In the chaos of the boat collapsing, we didn't notice the three of you." Zhang Qiusheng said, "These three are all renowned heroes. I'm worried that they might lose their lives while trying to catch the culprit!"

Upon hearing this, everyone's hearts sank, sensing the situation was far from optimistic. Zhang Qiusheng shouted, "Speed up! Search for clues! We must find Li Xian, Wang Jue, and Hong Dexin!"

The soldiers responded with a resounding "Yes, sir!" and began searching along the lake. Whenever they saw someone fall into the water, they would cast large nets to rescue them. In total, they rescued more than ten soldiers, most of whom Limb Severing. The fish and beasts in this lake were ferocious and would tear and devour people on sight.

Nearly ten corpses were pulled out, some drowned, others torn apart by fish and beasts. The scene was horrific, and the passing jailers and soldiers all sighed inwardly.

At this moment, Zhang Qiusheng couldn't help but become suspicious. He knew that the Tiger-Python ship had been damaged for some time. Li Xian, a second-level martial arts cultivator, must have sunk into the deep lake, with no chance of survival. But why were Wang Jue and Hong Dexin, both first-level martial arts cultivators, nowhere to be found? And why hadn't they been rescued yet?

Zhang Qiusheng thought to himself, "Could these two be putting on a show, deliberately feigning injuries to make it seem more dramatic? Otherwise, why haven't they shown up yet?"

Suddenly, a soldier shouted, "Sir Zhang, I think I've pulled someone out, and he's very heavy!"

Zhang Qiusheng took a few steps closer, took the rope, and pulled it upwards with all his might. A figure broke through the water's surface, splashing water everywhere. Li Xian was already standing on the deck. Seeing that the time was right, he used the "Golden Light Technique" to quietly dive into the lake and then slip into a retrieval net.

He pretended to have been salvaged and brought aboard the ship.

Upon seeing Li Xian, Zhang Qiusheng was struck dumb, staggering back several steps in disbelief, stammering, "Li... Li...?" Li Xian let out a long breath and said, "Thank you for saving me. If it weren't for you all, I'm afraid I would have truly perished at the bottom of the lake today!" The soldiers, concerned for the situation, asked one after another, "Lord Li, what happened?" "Yes, where are the other two lords? Why haven't we found them yet?" "The casualties this time are quite severe!"

Zhang Qiusheng, who had been standing to the side, snapped out of his daze, his mind reeling with confusion. "Is it him? Our plan was meticulous, without the slightest mistake. He, Second Realm martial artist, should have sunk to the bottom of the lake. No matter what I do, I can't retrieve him. Could it be... could it be that he's not at the Second Realm? Only at the First Realm? Or is there some other reason? No... whatever the reason, he's alive now. How... how should this charade continue?"

He secretly observed Li Xian, but dared not meet his gaze. Li Xian looked up at him, his eyes holding a half-smile that sent shivers down Zhang Qiusheng's spine. Zhang Qiusheng thought to himself, "Although the ship is destroyed, according to the plan, we have never attacked him from beginning to end. Although I don't know how he was rescued, he may not know about our secret scheme. If I show any unusual behavior now, it will be disastrous." He forced a smile and walked over, asking with concern, "Brother Li, are you alright?"

Li Xian said, "I was almost in trouble. Did Brother Zhang bring people to rescue me?"

Zhang Qiusheng nodded reluctantly. Li Xian cupped his hands and said, "Li Xian thanks you very much! If it weren't for Brother Zhang's rescue, I would have lost my life here. I will repay this kindness in the future. Please rest assured, Brother Zhang!"

Upon hearing the words, "This kindness and affection will surely be repaid in the future," Zhang Qiusheng felt a chill run down his spine. Furthermore, due to his serious illness, his legs were weak and he could barely stand up. However, seeing that Li Xian's tone was sincere and kind, seemingly without malice, his mind raced, and he was completely at a loss for how to respond.

Zhang Qiusheng asked cautiously, "Where are Hong Dexin and Wang Jue? Weren't they with you?"

All the soldiers looked over, deeply concerned. Li Xian sighed and said, "These two... are truly valiant heroes!" Zhang Qiusheng was utterly bewildered. Li Xian continued, "You've all witnessed what happened today. The Tiger-Python Ship is destroyed! But how it was destroyed, you may not know; there's a complicated story behind it."

Zhang Qiusheng's heart tightened, and he wiped away cold sweat. Li Xian smiled and said, "Brother Zhang? What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?" Zhang Qiusheng said awkwardly, "I haven't fully recovered from my illness yet, and I feel a little weak."

Li Xian said, "I am quite skilled in medicine and should have taken a look at you sooner. It's a pity that Brother Zhang never trusted my medical skills. Well, Brother Zhang is a martial artist, so I suppose he wouldn't take minor illnesses to heart. Let's get back to the main topic."

"Brothers Wang Jue, Hong Dexin, and I were traveling back to our post by boat today. Brother Zhang Qiusheng was unwell, so we took a different route. The journey was uneventful until I was patrolling the cabins when I suddenly heard a strange noise."

"I quietly gave chase and found three vicious thieves hiding in the cabin. These three thieves had their shackles removed, and their strength was not to be underestimated; all of them had reached the Second Martial Realm cultivation. When I faced the thieves, I did not consider the difference in strength or manpower before I went forward to fight."

"The sounds of fighting attracted Wang Jue and Hong Dexin. The two immediately drew their swords to help, and the three of us fought fiercely against the three enemies. In a battle between experts, there is no time to relax, and every move is deadly. Although our numbers were even, the enemy had three Second Realm, while our strength was always weaker, and we could not afford to be distracted. There was no time to call for reinforcements, but the cabin was cramped, and although we had many people, it was difficult to make use of our advantages, so calling for help would be useless."

"During the fight, Wang Jue and Hong Dexin were both seriously injured. The other two thugs gradually managed to muster their remaining strength to fight me together. I could only struggle to hold on."

At this moment, Wang Jue shouted, "Brother Li, this wicked bandit is showing off his power. If he escapes from here, he will surely harm the people of Jade City again. This must not be allowed; we must find a way to stop him." The bandit replied, "Hehehe, when I leave the city, I will surely rape your wife and daughters. You will be watching closely in the underworld." In my desperation, I had a risky plan and said, "Brothers, I have a way to make this bandit die here. But if I do this, I'm afraid it will endanger the brothers on the boat." Hong Dexin shouted, "What do you mean by endangering them? Besides, if this bandit escapes, do you think the brothers on the boat will survive? Won't they all be slaughtered? Brother Li, tell us quickly!"

Li Xian recounted the events vividly, as if the perilous situation were unfolding before his eyes. He continued, "I said, 'Let's join forces and strike the keel of the ship, breaking it apart. If we do that, I, at the Second Martial Realm, will surely perish. But if you brothers are lucky, you might be able to save your lives.' Wang Jue and Hong Dexin both said, 'That's the only way!' The three of us then tried to destroy the ship. Finally, the ship was destroyed, and I, along with the three villains, all at the Second Martial Realm, suddenly sank into the lake. We knew we had no chance of survival. Hong Dexin and Wang Jue were seriously injured..." Having suffered several blows from the enemy and then fallen into the water, he probably wouldn't survive. At this point, everyone fell silent. Zhang Qiusheng's hair stood on end, and he retreated step by step, a belated sense of fear filling his heart. He thought, "No... no... there are no villains. Hong Dexin and Wang Jue are definitely not like that. He must be lying, but it coincides with our plan, perfectly fitting our scheme." Li Xian laughed, "Speaking of which, being saved is also a coincidence. If Brother Zhang hadn't suddenly appeared, I would be dead too. Why did Brother Zhang appear here? Was it because you were tracking three villains?"

Zhang Qiusheng stammered, "Yes... no, it's not... ah! Yes... yes!" He knew that if he admitted it, Li Xian's lie would be flawless. Lei Chong, Zhang Qiusheng, Wang Jue, and Hong Dexin's numerous schemes were all aimed at helping Li Xian. But if he said no, in this situation, the arrow had already left the bowstring, the water had already been spilled—how could he take it back?

Li Xian said gratefully, "I am deeply grateful for your life-saving grace!" Zhang Qiusheng said, "No... it's alright!" He was stunned and speechless.

Li Xian said, "Brother Zhang, you're still recovering from your illness, yet you've already gone out to the lake and exhausted yourself. Now that I'm back, I'll take over the search and rescue. Brother Zhang, please rest here."

Zhang Qiusheng had no choice but to obey. Li Xian searched the lake and rescued all those who could be saved; the rest either perished in the fish or sank into the lake. With a command, Li Xian ordered the boat to head towards Gold Ingot Ward.

On the way, Li Xian called out, "Brother Zhang, please write a report to Lang General Lei and General Xu about the situation." Zhang Qiusheng replied, "Okay... okay." He wrote the report as instructed, with Li Xian giving him guidance, telling Zhang Qiusheng to only write that Gold-Seeking Guard had died, but not who had died.

They were put into bamboo tubes and sent back to the shore.

Before long, pedestrians could be seen on the lake shore and high-rise buildings. It was noon, and Li Xian, with his sharp eyesight, saw that Xu Shaoqian, Lei Chong, and others were already waiting on the shore.

Lei Chong had just received the letter. Although it was written ambiguously and did not clearly state that Li Xian was dead, he was certain that the plan was flawless. Since the ship had been destroyed, the plan must have succeeded. He was secretly pleased with himself and stood proudly on the lake shore, waiting for definite news. On the surface, he pretended to be somber.

Gold-Seeking Guard was dead, Xu Shaoqian should naturally be present. Therefore, he was also on the lake shore. After a while, the boat slowly approached. Lei Chong taken aback and saw that Li Xian was safe and sound at the bow of the boat. He couldn't help but rub his eyes.

Li Xian used his light-footed skill to leap onto the lake shore, bowed to Xu Shaoqian, and then said to Lei Chong, "Lang General Lei, how are you?"

Lei Chong's face twitched, his eyes flashing with cold light as he glared at Li Xian, utterly bewildered, yet he could only nod slightly in return. The wounded and soldiers on the ship disembarked one after another. Zhang Qiusheng, his steps weak, climbed down the ladder and stood beside Li Xian, Xu Shaoqian and Lei Chong.

Xu Shaoqian nodded slightly and asked loudly, "Li Xian, I heard in the letter that Gold-Seeking Guard have died?" Li Xian replied, "To say they died is not quite right; they should be missing. Gold-Seeking Guard Wang Jue and Hong Dexin fought the villains to the last moment, showing the heroic spirit of our Gold-Seeking Guard. General Xu, Li Xian dare to ask for a reward on their behalf!"

Xu Shaoqian said solemnly, "Tell me the details." Li Xian immediately repeated what he had said before, vividly and passionately. The more Lei Chong listened, the more serious his expression became, his fists clenched, and a surge of anger rose in his chest.

Lei Chong roared, "How dare you! You lie!"

Xu Shaoqian frowned and looked at Lei Chong. Lei Chong realized he had misspoke, and braced himself, staring intently at Li Xian. Li Xian said strangely, "Lang General Lei dislikes Li Xian, and Li Xian know that all too well. But such an important matter is witnessed by all; how could I lie? Besides, Lang General Lei didn't witness it himself, so why are you so quick to accuse me of lying?"

Lei Chong roared, "You..."

Xu Shaoqian was extremely displeased and asked, "Zhang Qiusheng, is what Li Xian said true?" Zhang Qiusheng replied, "I... I didn't see it with my own eyes, so I don't know if it's true or not."

Xu Shaoqian said impatiently, "Then tell me everything you know in detail, and I will make a decision."

Zhang Qiusheng then recounted everything, which corresponded perfectly with what Li Xian had said. Xu Shaoqian turned to Lei Chong and asked, "Lei Chong, if you have any doubts, ask them now. With this general here, they dare not lie."

Lei Chong, his face flushed, couldn't find fault with the act and said, "This act of destroying the ship was extremely inappropriate! Many soldiers lost their lives in vain." Xu Shaoqian extremely displeased and retorted, "For my Gold-Seeking Guard to display such loyalty in the face of life and death is a truly glorious thing. Death and injury are inevitable; how can such a loyal and dutiful act be slandered? Lang General Lei, do you not believe that my Gold-Seeking Guard under Xu Shaoqian possesses such loyalty, or have you discovered some other clue, or... is it simply jealousy?"

Lei Chong said, "This... this..." Xu Shaoqian said, "Enough! No need to say more, I understand. Zhang Qiusheng, Li Xian, Wang Jue, and Hong Dexin all deserve great credit for today's events. Since Wang Jue and Hong Dexin have died, they will be granted ' Mud Body statues,' to be enshrined according to the specifications of the Mud Body and placed by the lake. Their descendants will receive five thousand taels of silver and can inherit half of the Mud Body. Zhang Qiusheng has rendered meritorious service in saving lives and will be awarded three hundred military merits. As for Li Xian..."

Xu Shaoqian said, "You deserve the Gold Steward credit! The position of Commander of the Imperial Guard has been vacant for a long time, and it has finally fallen to you. You will also be awarded 500 military merits, 100 taels of silver, and the addition of the Artifact Cauldron Pavilion for casting."