As the official ship carrying Chu Xisheng and the others followed the Canglang River into He Province, Chu Xisheng noticed a marked increase in the martial cultivators trailing behind it.
At a glance, Chu Xisheng discovered that two or three thousand riders were following along each bank.
They were either idle young heroes of the martial world, clad in light furs and riding fine horses, or wandering martial artists carrying all manner of weapons.
They swarmed along the embankments, their galloping horses rumbling like thunder and kicking up two enormous clouds of dust.
These two huge groups of riders left the river watch posts and naval forces along the way alarmed and on their guard.
Chu Xisheng could not understand it. Did these martial artists of He Province really have so much time on their hands?
What surprised Chu Xisheng even more was that, ever since their ship entered He Province, a dozen or more people delivered letters aboard every day.
They were not challenges, but detailed intelligence on Divine Swallow Saber Li Xiuchang, Mad Saber Wang Ming, and Iron Asura Si Huangquan.
How detailed? These letters not only analyzed their cultivation methods, martial techniques, martial intent, and so on in exhaustive detail, but also recorded every battle the three had fought since their debuts, analyzing their weaknesses and how to defeat them.
Even their daily habits-when they ate, when they practiced martial arts, and when they relieved themselves-were recorded in exhaustive detail.
Zuo Qingyun had grown up in Capital City and understood what was happening at a glance.
"It must be the gambling houses in Capital City opening betting pools on you. Pretty big ones, I imagine. But most people don't favor your chances right now, so the gambling houses are all hoping you win.
"The ones only planning