Heading Home

Dusk deepened as the fleet sailed slowly along the Luo River. Wisps of cooking smoke rose from every sailing ship as dinner preparations began.

The central ship remained heavily guarded. Yan Shisan, Ma Jinliang, and Ding Xiu maintained their earlier positions: two stood watch, while one wiped his sword. Barring anything unusual, they could probably keep this up until they reached their destination and docked.

But they never did have to wait that long-

Click-

With a somewhat muffled sound, the cabin door opened from within.

All three started and quickly turned. Delight spread across Ma Jinliang's and Ding Xiu's faces, and they immediately bowed with their hands clasped.

"Overseer, you're awake!"

Yan Shisan sheathed his sword and rose from the floor. Seeing that the white-robed figure's complexion had returned to normal, he too breathed a silent sigh of relief.

"Mm."

Yu Huatian nodded quietly, then looked straight at Yan Shisan. Under their astonished gazes, he said, "Come. Try stabbing me."

"???"

All three looked utterly bewildered. Yan Shisan was equally puzzled, then instinctively glanced at Yu Huatian's head, his brows drawing together slightly.

"Are you... well, are you all right?"

The corner of Yu Huatian's eye twitched. Dispensing with further words, he circulated his true qi, and a faint layer of golden astral energy began to appear around him.

"Come!"

"Is that... Shaolin Temple's Golden Bell Shield?"

A flicker of surprise surfaced in Yan Shisan's eyes, but he immediately realized that Yu Huatian intended to use him to test his technique.

"Enough talk. Come."

Yu Huatian offered no explanation. He stepped his right foot out to the side and assumed a defensive stance.

Among practitioners of all weapons, swordsmen and spearmen possessed some of the strongest offensive power. Although Yan Shisan's true qi was only at the middle Grandmaster stage, he had fully mastered the Thirteen Life-Taking Swords. His fighting strength rivaled that of many ordinary peak Grandmasters who fought bare-handed, and his attacks were far from weak.

If the Indestructible Golden Body could withstand Yan Shisan's sword, no one below Great Grandmaster would be able to injure him again.

Yan Shisan's expression grew serious. Without a word, he drew his sword and looked at Yu Huatian. Then he took a deep breath, and strands of fierce sword intent radiated from his body.

The next instant-

Shing-

Wind and thunder seemed to sweep past the cabin door. Yan Shisan's sword surged out like a dragon, terrifying slaughtering sword qi rolling forth. Ma Jinliang's and Ding Xiu's expressions shifted slightly. Thinking he intended to seize this chance to openly attack the overseer, both instinctively reached for their weapons.

But before they could act, Yu Huatian calmly faced that fierce thrust. He merely raised his right hand, stopping the blue-black sword against his palm and preventing it from advancing another inch.

Clang!

Sword met palm, yet the impact rang out with the crisp clash of metal.

Ma Jinliang and Ding Xiu both froze briefly, then exchanged a glance, each seeing the astonishment in the other's eyes.

Even Yan Shisan's pupils contracted, a trace of shock flashing through his gaze.

Upon closer inspection, he saw that his sword had stopped about an inch from Yu Huatian's palm. The golden body-protecting astral energy hovered over Yu Huatian's skin, holding all the force and sword qi of his thrust outside its protective barrier.

"This... doesn't seem to be the Golden Bell Shield?"

A hint of puzzlement appeared in Yan Shisan's eyes.

The Golden Bell Shield was one of the Shaolin Sect's famed supreme arts, a hard-body qigong technique. Once mastered, it not only provided extraordinary defense but also reflected an opponent's attacks back at them.

Yet when he had thrust at Yu Huatian just now, he had felt no rebounding force. It had simply felt as though he had stabbed an iron plate, utterly unable to penetrate that golden barrier.

"This is a purely defensive martial art called the Indestructible Golden Body. It was modified from the Golden Bell Shield, discarding its ability to reflect attacks and focusing entirely on strengthening defense."

Yu Huatian offered an explanation, satisfaction flickering in his eyes.

If it could stop Yan Shisan's sword, it could stop most weapons under heaven. No one below Great Grandmaster would be able to break through the Indestructible Golden Body.

The Indestructible Golden Body did have a weakness: its vulnerable point lay beneath the armpit. A strike there would break its defense.

But even if someone knew where that vulnerable point was, no one below Great Grandmaster could get close to him and strike it precisely. Thus, this weakness hardly counted as one.

What concerned Yu Huatian more was whether the Indestructible Golden Body could withstand a Great Grandmaster's attacks.

I'll have to try it when I get the chance...

Setting his thoughts aside, Yu Huatian looked at Ma Jinliang and Ding Xiu beside him and asked, "How long was I unconscious?"

Both immediately came to their senses. Ma Jinliang hurried forward and replied respectfully, "Overseer, you were unconscious for three days. This is already the fourth day. We should reach the capital in a few more days."

Yu Huatian nodded slightly and glanced at the ships accompanying them on either side. "Tell me in detail what happened while I was unconscious."

"Yes."

Ma Jinliang clasped his hands and continued, "Not long after you lost consciousness, Overseer, the second Black Sandstorm arrived and buried Blackwater City again."

"With help from the Dragon Gate garrison, our men suffered virtually no casualties and all withdrew safely from the desert. But the people of Mongolia and the hundreds of experts from the Western Xia First-Class Hall were all swallowed by the wind and sand and buried in Blackwater City."

"After reaching Dragon Gate Pass, I took the liberty of having all the gold loaded aboard and setting out for the capital by water to prevent any unexpected trouble. The Embroidered Uniform Guard and local garrisons have been escorting us secretly along the route to ensure nothing goes wrong."

Yu Huatian nodded slightly. "You did the right thing. Delay breeds complications. With this much gold, there's no telling who might take a desperate gamble."

Ma Jinliang inwardly relaxed a little.

Yu Huatian continued, "Has there been any movement in the martial world lately?"

Ma Jinliang replied, "News of the treasure has spread everywhere and caused quite an uproar in the martial world, but the factions that took part in the struggle for it have made no moves for now."

Yu Huatian narrowed his eyes slightly and ordered, "Send men to keep a close watch on every martial faction that came to the desert, especially the Shaolin Sect, the Wudang Sect, the Money Gang, the Sun Moon Holy Cult, and Heavenly Venerable. Report immediately if any of them make an unusual move."

"Yes."

Ma Jinliang nodded, then hesitated before saying, "The other factions all have fixed locations, but our men have never managed to discover where Heavenly Venerable and Black Stone keep their headquarters."

Yu Huatian said coolly, "For Heavenly Venerable, send men directly to watch Murong Qiudi, the mistress of Seven-Star Pond in Jiangnan. You can warn her outright that she had better not play any little tricks. Otherwise, I won't mind visiting her personally and letting her taste how sharp my sword is!"

Ma Jinliang's eyes flashed. "Overseer, do you mean that Murong Qiudi created the assassin organization Heavenly Venerable?"

Yu Huatian nodded slightly. "Seven years ago, Xie Xiaofeng, the third young master of Divine Sword Mountain Villa, became engaged to Murong Qiudi, the daughter of Murong Zheng of Seven-Star Pond. She became pregnant before their marriage. Who would have imagined that Xie Xiaofeng would abandon her and their unborn child on their wedding day and run away? Seven-Star Pond became a complete laughingstock. Murong Zheng was so enraged that he fell ill and never recovered, dying not long afterward. Murong Qiudi's love turned to hatred, and she secretly gathered some scum of the martial world to establish Heavenly Venerable."

At these words, surprise appeared on all three men's faces.

Who could have imagined that the Sword God Xie Xiaofeng, ranked fifth among Ming's Ten Greatest Swordsmen, had such an unknown chapter in his past?

After a moment of stunned silence, Yan Shisan's gaze suddenly turned cold. He snorted. "Abandoning his wife and child is no gentleman's conduct. To think I regarded him as the greatest rival of my life. Now it seems Xie Xiaofeng amounts to no more than this!"

Yu Huatian glanced at him and said calmly, "Xie Xiaofeng's character may fall short of yours, but his swordsmanship is not weak. Otherwise, he wouldn't rank among the top five in the Ming Sword Dao Rankings. He should be going through a low point in his life right now, but once he truly comes to his senses, he will undergo a transformation. When that happens, he will become someone you can only look up to. Without the Fourteenth Sword, you probably won't even be able to fight back against him."

Yan Shisan's gaze sharpened. A greater sense of urgency filled him, dispelling his contempt.

He drew a deep breath and said gravely, "I will comprehend the Fourteenth Sword as soon as possible. One day, I will defeat him fair and square and prove to everyone under heaven that Yan Shisan is Yan Shisan, not Xie Xiaofeng's shadow!"

"Let's hope so. If you can't kill him, I'll do it myself."

Yu Huatian said no more on the matter and turned to Ma Jinliang. "As for Black Stone, its key figure, the Wheel King, and nearly all its top assassins are dead. Drizzle escaped, but she alone can't stir up much of a storm. Just have your men keep an eye out. There's no need to concern yourself with the rest. Without the Wheel King, Black Stone won't be able to cause much trouble."

"Yes!"

Ma Jinliang nodded, then seemed to recall something. He quickly took an object from inside his robes and respectfully offered it to Yu Huatian with both hands. "Overseer, this was found in the palace at Blackwater City. It should be the Imperial Jade Seal of the former Great White Upper Kingdom."

Yu Huatian accepted it and unfolded the cloth wrapping. Inside was indeed a jade seal whose design differed from those of the Central Plains dynasties, with several Western Xia characters engraved upon it.

Ma Jinliang said, "The Great White Upper Kingdom was the predecessor of Western Xia. After the people of Mongolia destroyed it, its people were reduced entirely to their slaves. Although they established a state in recent years and renamed it Western Xia, they have continued to depend on the people of Mongolia for survival."

"But I've heard that the current ruler of Western Xia, Li Yuanhao, is highly ambitious and determined to break away from the people of Mongolia and stand on his own. Without the Imperial Jade Seal, however, his right to the throne has constantly been questioned, and many at court refuse to accept him."

"Princess Consort Li Qiushui and General Helian Tieshu probably brought their men to the desert mainly for this Imperial Jade Seal, to secure Li Yuanhao's rule."

Yu Huatian nodded slightly. "Perhaps."

After pondering for a moment, Yu Huatian returned the seal to Ma Jinliang. "Take it back and keep it safe. It should prove useful in the future."

"Yes."

Ma Jinliang took the jade seal and tucked it securely back inside his robes.

Yu Huatian glanced at Ding Xiu, who had resumed his irreverent demeanor, then looked at Ma Jinliang and Yan Shisan. He said calmly, "This trip to the desert should have given you a preliminary understanding of your own strength. You might make considerable names for yourselves in the martial world as you are, but against truly powerful experts, you still fall short."

"My ambition is to bring peace to all under heaven. Every martial sect that currently refuses the court's commands will become our opponent in the future. With your present strength, how can you help me?"

All three fell silent at these words.

Yu Huatian looked at them and continued, "Your martial arts are all decent. Jinliang, you specialize in killing with paired swords, so you can seek more guidance from Yan Shisan. Ding Xiu, your saber technique is passable, but you haven't fully mastered it yet. You must keep practicing diligently."

"As for internal cultivation..."

Yu Huatian paused, then took two manuals from inside his robes and said:

"The internal art I cultivate is unsuitable for you. Of these two manuals, one is the Star-Absorbing Great Method. It allows you to absorb another person's internal power, but cannot convert it into your own true qi. If you absorb too much and cannot reconcile it, you risk cultivation deviation. The other is the Mount Hua Sect's Violet Mist Manual, a superior internal cultivation art."

"You can try practicing them together, slowly converting the internal power absorbed with the Star-Absorbing Great Method into Violet Mist true qi. If that path proves unworkable, immediately disperse your cultivation and focus solely on the Violet Mist Manual. Once we find something suitable in the future, you can switch to another internal art."

Excitement flashed in Ma Jinliang's eyes. Accepting the manuals with both hands, he said respectfully, "I will not disappoint you, Overseer!"

"I hope so."

With that, Yu Huatian waved a hand. "Head for the capital at full speed. Keep a vigilant watch, and report any unusual circumstances to me immediately."

He turned again, returned to his cabin, and closed the door.

Outside, Ma Jinliang and the other two exchanged glances, their eyes brimming with a fierce competitive spirit.

Autumn rain fell steadily as the fleet traveled east toward the capital.

Among the hills beside the river, three figures followed the fleet abreast, moving with extraordinary speed. The man in the middle was especially graceful, his figure like a purple phoenix soaring into the sky, too swift to make out clearly.

These three were Lu Xiaofeng, Hua Manlou, and Fu Hongxue, who had parted ways with the West Depot's forces after leaving the desert.

Although Hua Manlou was blind, he was by no means slow. Keeping close behind Lu Xiaofeng and Fu Hongxue, he said gravely:

"Little Chicken Lu, you claim you have no interest in the treasure, yet you've kept following the West Depot's men since they set out. You're worried about this treasure, aren't you?"

Lu Xiaofeng's steps briefly faltered before he continued onward. "You understand me best, Brother Hua."

"Although the treasure is now in the court's hands, until it reaches the capital, someone may still try to seize it. The West Depot's overseer, Yu Huatian, is injured and unconscious, leaving them like dragons without a head. If something happens, this treasure could very well fall into the hands of wicked men."

Hua Manlou frowned. "Since you don't want the treasure, what does it matter to you who gets it?"

Lu Xiaofeng shook his head with a sigh. "In recent years, disasters and famine have struck throughout Ming, while the martial factions have fought endlessly. The righteous and demonic paths battle openly and scheme in secret, leaving countless casualties. Yet in the end, most of those who suffer are innocent commoners."

"Especially in the south, where floods have recently left hundreds of thousands homeless, turning them into refugees. The court is strapped for funds and cannot even produce the silver for relief allocations. Sending this treasure back should ease things for a while and help save more people."

Fu Hongxue glanced at him and said mockingly, "How do you know this gold will ultimately be used to help the people rather than end up in the hands of those corrupt officials at court?"

Lu Xiaofeng shook his head and said earnestly, "The reigning emperor isn't actually incompetent. It's only because there are so many corrupt officials at court, blocking the truth from his ears, that Ming has become so turbulent. As for Yu Huatian, the West Depot's overseer, I haven't known him long, but I can tell that although he is ambitious and deeply calculating, he still has a conscience."

"Take the last time I pursued that rapist, Tian Boguang. He outwitted me with a trick, but in the end he still couldn't escape death and delivered his head straight beneath Yu Huatian's sword. That shows Yu Huatian can still distinguish right from wrong."

"With his help, this gold should reach the state treasury safely and be used to aid the refugees."

Fu Hongxue said impassively, "I hope your judgment is right."

"I've never misjudged anyone."

Lu Xiaofeng shook his head. "Yu Huatian is different from the others. He commands the West Depot and answers only to the emperor, so he is destined never to become a bird of the same feather as those court officials. That means there are no entangled interests."

"And he's only a eunuch. So much gold wouldn't be of much use to him."

"Most importantly, with his ambition and aspirations, I'm afraid what he wants isn't this gold, but something far greater..."

As he spoke, Lu Xiaofeng cast a long look at the large ship in the middle of the river, his eyes filled with wariness.

In his years wandering the martial world, he had met no shortage of ruthless figures: Dongfang Bubai, leader of the Sun Moon Holy Cult; Guan Yutian, leader of the Supreme Alliance; Ye Gucheng, lord of White Cloud City... He had even personally met Shangguan Jinhong, the mysterious leader of the Money Gang who dominated several regions of Jiangnan.

Yet Yu Huatian, the West Depot's overseer, was different from all of them.

The greatest ambition of those martial-world powerhouses was to dominate the martial world and unite its factions.

But in that West Depot overseer's eyes, what he saw seemed to be the entire realm. The whole martial world and imperial court alike lay within his sights.

This man's ambition was unimaginably vast!

He simply did not know whether having such a man in Ming was a blessing or a calamity...

-

This is a two-in-one chapter. The updates during the new-book period have all been the same length; sometimes I'm just too lazy to split them into chapters. But one chapter here has as many words as two chapters in other books, so stop saying I'm a slacker who only writes one chapter a day. There are three days left before paid publication begins, and I'll definitely pick up the update pace then.

Thank you all for your daily votes, comments, and tips during the new-book period...

(End of chapter)