The Boatman's Past

Before Old Zhou's exclamation had even faded, Lu Shaoyou's Qi Mei Cudgel was already in motion.

With a flick of his wrist, the cudgel drew an arcane arc. With a crisp "snap," it accurately struck the wrist of Hong Sanniang, who was holding her saber.

"Ah—!" Hong Sanniang let out a piercing scream. Her wrist felt as if it were being pierced by a bone-shattering pain, as if the very bones were about to be crushed. Her Nine-Ring Saber could no longer be held and clattered onto the deck.

Lu Shaoyou's assault did not pause, pressing his advantage relentlessly.

Seizing the moment when Hong Sanniang faltered from the intense pain, he stepped forward. The Qi Mei Cudgel in his hand shot out like a venomous dragon emerging from its lair, carrying immense power and moving with lightning speed. It struck directly into Hong Sanniang's sturdy chest.

"Pfft!"

The Qi Mei Cudgel pierced directly through Hong Sanniang's heart. The powerful force propelled her body backward, cracking a section of the ship's railing. Hong Sanniang's eyes widened in disbelief, blood gushing from her mouth as her life force rapidly dissipated.

[Killed a First-class Warrior, Slaughter Value +500 points.]

"Our… our leader is dead!"

"Our leader has been killed!"

The surrounding Water Snake Gang bandits, seeing their leader killed by this young man in a single encounter, were terrified beyond measure, their fighting spirit completely extinguished.

A few quick-witted individuals immediately jumped into the river, attempting to escape. More dropped their weapons, kneeling on the deck and kowtowing frantically, begging for their lives.

"Mercy, good sir! Mercy, esteemed hero!"

"We were blind and offended you, good sir. We beg you to spare our lives!"

Lu Shaoyou's expression was impassive. He felt no pity for these bandits who had plundered and harmed countless innocent civilians over the years.

With a wave of his Qi Mei Cudgel, Inner Force erupted, and the cudgel's shadow danced.

"Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!"

Cries of agony erupted in succession and were quickly silenced. In a short moment, all the Water Snake Gang members on the ship and in the water were killed on the spot by him.

[Slaughter Value +50.]
[Slaughter Value +10.]

A series of system prompts sounded in Lu Shaoyou's mind. He roughly estimated that he had gained about a thousand Slaughter Value points from this extermination of the Water Snake Gang.

Having finished this, Lu Shaoyou, carrying the still-dripping Qi Mei Cudgel, flashed back to Old Zhou's sailboat.

Old Zhou stood at the stern of the boat, completely stunned by Lu Shaoyou's god-of-war-like execution. His body trembled uncontrollably.

His gaze towards Lu Shaoyou was filled with ineffable reverence and a complex, unreadable emotion.

"Boatman, it's alright now. Start the boat!"

Lu Shaoyou scraped the blood from the Qi Mei Cudgel on the ship's railing, his tone as calm as if he had just crushed a few ants.

Old Zhou snapped back to attention, bowing quickly. "Yes, yes… it's best we leave quickly…"

Suddenly, Lu Shaoyou seemed to remember something and asked with a smile, "By the way, you mentioned earlier that Qingzhou isn't peaceful. Could you elaborate? Especially about the various martial arts sects, and a force called the Blood Saber Sect."

Hearing this, Old Zhou's face showed deep worry and bitterness. He opened his mouth, as if to say something, but finally let out a long sigh.

"Alas… young sir, you ask about Qingzhou, and about the Blood Saber Sect… do you have some past grievances with the Blood Saber Sect?" Old Zhou asked cautiously.

Lu Shaoyou replied noncommittally, "There are some old debts that need to be settled."

Old Zhou's body trembled. Looking at Lu Shaoyou's young face and recalling his earth-shattering methods just moments ago, his heart was in turmoil.

He was silent for a moment, then found a piece of the deck to sit on, his voice hoarse as he began, "Never mind. Since you ask, this old man will tell you. Actually, my surname isn't Zhou. My real name is Wang Tong, and I was once a martial artist in Qingzhou."

"Oh?" Lu Shaoyou's eyes lit up, a flicker of interest appearing.

Wang Tong gave a bitter laugh. "Don't laugh at me, young sir, but when I was young, I was an outer disciple of Qingzhou's Iron Palm Sect."

He paused, his eyes revealing deep-seated hatred and profound fear. "The Iron Palm Sect… you probably haven't heard of it, young sir. That was over twenty years ago."

"Back then, our Iron Palm Sect was quite a significant force in Qingzhou, and our sect leader, Liu Tiexin, was a renowned Super First-rate expert in the martial arts world."

"It's a pity… it's a pity we offended someone we shouldn't have."

"The Blood Saber Sect?" Lu Shaoyou interjected.

"Precisely the Blood Saber Sect!" Wang Tong gritted his teeth, his voice trembling slightly. "The Blood Saber Sect has always acted with overbearing cruelty. They coveted a mine controlled by our Iron Palm Sect and tried several times to seize it by force, but our sect leader sternly refused. Who would have thought… who would have imagined they would be so vicious!"

Wang Tong's eyes reddened, his voice choked with emotion. "They first bribed a traitor within the sect, finding out the movements and defenses of our sect's experts."

"Then, on a dark and stormy night, they gathered a large number of experts and launched a surprise attack, coordinating from both inside and out, slaughtering all three hundred-plus members of our Iron Palm Sect!"

He clenched his fists tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force. "I remember clearly, those Blood Saber Sect villains, each wielding a blood-colored saber, killed everyone they saw, regardless of age or gender, not even sparing infants in swaddling clothes! The flames soared, and screams echoed throughout the night."

"My master, my fellow disciples, and the sect leader's wife and children all died! They died horribly!"

"At the time, I was just an insignificant outer disciple with low martial arts skill. I was sent to buy supplies down the mountain and was fortunate enough to escape."

"When I returned, I only saw piles of corpses and my sect reduced to ashes…" Wang Tong's voice was tinged with tears. "From then on, I lived under a false name, wandering the martial arts world, and eventually became this boatman, surviving until today."

"For over twenty years, I haven't gone a single day without having nightmares, not a single day without wanting revenge! But… the Blood Saber Sect is too powerful. What can I, with my meager skills, possibly do?"

Lu Shaoyou listened quietly. Wang Tong's account gave him a more direct understanding of the Blood Saber Sect's brutality.

Wang Tong wiped his face and continued, "Now, at the end of the dynasty, the imperial court's control over the provinces is weakening day by day, and the government is like an empty facade."

"Qingzhou, in particular, has become a lawless land where nothing is regulated. Various martial arts sects carve out their own territories, committing arson, murder, and robbery, treating the authorities as if they don't exist. The common people live in unbearable suffering!"

"In Qingzhou, the Blood Saber Sect is the undisputed emperor of this region!" Wang Tong's tone was filled with despair.

"It's said that their Sect Leader, the devil known as the Blood Saber Ancestor, has unfathomable martial arts cultivation. Rumor has it he's already broken through to the Xiantian realm!"

"They have thousands of disciples, each fiercer than the last. They run rampant throughout Qingzhou, preying on the common folk.

"Young man, take my advice. The Blood Saber Sect is too powerful; you absolutely must not confront them head-on!" Wang Tong looked at Lu Shaoyou with great concern.

He paused for breath and added, "Of course, the Blood Saber Sect isn't the only power in Qingzhou. On the waterways, the Giant Whale Gang reigns supreme. They control almost all the docks and water transport, and every passing vessel must pay them heavy taxes."

In the mountains and forests, there is the Qingcheng Sword Sect. While they publicly claim to be a righteous sect, they are secretly engaged in exploiting the people and seizing land.

In addition, there are smaller gangs affiliated with these major powers, such as the Black Wolf Gang and the Three Rivers Society. They frequently clash with each other over territory and interests, and fighting is a daily occurrence."

After hearing Wang Tong's account, Lu Shaoyou finally had a general outline of Qingzhou's chaotic situation.

The fishing boat continued to sail on the river, but the atmosphere had become much heavier than before.