The five men walked toward Zhang Qingyuan. They would never believe another word from anyone in the River Crocodile Gang.
Could such a brilliant young talent be a fraud?
Could someone with such a chivalrous heart and righteous courage be weak in martial arts?
"Were you two the ones who killed our Blood Lump Sect member?"
Zhang Qingyuan nodded. "We did it."
"Fine martial arts, young hero." The five men cupped their fists in salute.
"Thank you for the compliment." Zhang Qingyuan returned the salute.
Zhang Junbao said nothing. He was observing every minute detail of each man, from their breathing to their posture.
The Blood Lump Sect member who had died earlier offered little reference value to Zhang Junbao.
That man had been completely unguarded against them. Killing him in one strike had admittedly been taking advantage of his vulnerability.
But the way the two of them had fought their way in just now, especially that final palm strike against Li Guan, was enough to put all five men on their guard.
"May we ask your names, young heroes, and which school your master belongs to?"
These Blood Lump Sect members were surprisingly polite. Zhang Qingyuan found it unexpected. Weren't villains supposed to come in screaming for blood? What the hell was this chitchat?
Since they were being courteous, he could not neglect his own manners. "Certainly. I am Zhang Qingyuan, and this is my junior brother, Zhang Junbao. Neither of us belongs to any school or sect."
The man smiled after hearing this. "If you'd rather not tell us, we won't press. Have you two come to rescue someone?"
What do you mean, we'd rather not tell you? We really don't have a sect. Why won't anyone believe the truth?
Having finished his observations, Zhang Junbao wanted to explain, but after some thought, he decided there was little point.
"Yes, we're here to rescue someone. If you want revenge for your colleague, come at us together." Zhang Junbao lifted the hem of his Daoist robe and assumed a fighting stance.
He had come here to fight in the first place. He had no interest in spouting a load of useless bullshit before a fight, trading mockery or compliments, or putting the other side down to build himself up.
A fight was a fight, and a duel was a duel. No matter how much they talked, wouldn't they have to come to blows in the end?
Zhang Junbao scoffed at that sort of behavior.
He settled into his stance and circulated his internal power, only for the Blood Lump Sect members to wave their hands repeatedly. "You misunderstand, young hero. We have no intention of fighting any of you."
"You!" The adviser, the River Crocodile Gang's sole remaining senior member, who had been watching from the sidelines all this time, was displeased. He walked over to the five men and demanded, "How can you go back on your word?"
In his view, with the gang leader and deputy gone, he was the next gang leader. If they let these tigers return to the mountains now, wouldn't everything before this have been for nothing?
Besides, with the gang leader and deputy, their two strongest fighters, gone, if they let these two escape, was he supposed to deal with them himself?
"Shut your mouth!" A Blood Lump Sect member raised his hand and struck the adviser with his palm. The adviser fell dead to the ground.
Without so much as glancing at the adviser, they continued speaking to Zhang Qingyuan and Zhang Junbao. "Are you two satisfied?"
Now, not only had the dead adviser failed to understand, but Zhang Qingyuan and Zhang Junbao were even more baffled.
Wait, weren't you on the same side? Why are you fighting among yourselves?
"What... do you mean by this?"
You've killed your employer. Now it almost looks as though we're in the wrong.
Zhang Junbao looked at Zhang Qingyuan in bewilderment. Brother Yuan, you know a lot. Explain this.
Faced with that look from Zhang Junbao, Zhang Qingyuan could only shrug and spread his hands. You're looking at me, but who am I supposed to ask?
"Haha, please don't misunderstand, young heroes." The man laughed. "Do you know what sort of organization our Blood Lump Sect is?"
Zhang Qingyuan and Zhang Junbao shook their heads together. We haven't even left the starter village. How would we know what you do?
"Our Blood Lump Sect is also a canal gang, one of the foremost gangs in Central Province."
"And?"
"Our Blood Lump Sect is spread across the major river transport routes of Central Province, controlling the docks in its various counties. Sanhe Town may be a large town, but however large it is, it's still only a town.
"It isn't easy for a little gang like the River Crocodile Gang to secure our services."
"Did you say all that just to show off how badass you are?" Zhang Qingyuan asked.
"No, of course not. I merely meant that Sanhe Town is too small. Neither the River Crocodile Gang nor the Dry Flood Dragon Gang is worth our intervention."
"So the fact that you came means there's something here worth getting involved for. Is that it?" Zhang Qingyuan finally understood.
"Exactly. Thirty li east of Sanhe Town is the confluence of three rivers. The waters there are broad and deep. Two hundred years ago, two supreme swordsmen fought a duel on the river. I'm sure you know who they were."
Sorry, we don't, both thought.
"That battle turned heaven and earth upside down. The river flowed backward, and terrifying waves surged.
"In the end, the Sword Venerable died, and his Water-Parting Sword sank to the riverbed."
"Wait." Zhang Qingyuan interrupted him. "It's been over two hundred years. Has no one tried to retrieve it?"
Zhang Junbao had the same question. It was only a sword. Couldn't they find a good swimmer to fish it out? Why wait two hundred years?
"There's something you don't know. That strike of the Sword Venerable's sent Sword Qi cleaving through the river, carving out a deep chasm, and the sword was inside it. By the time the Sword Qi dissipated and the river swept through again, the silt had long since swept the precious sword into the sediment."
Sword Qi cleaving through a river!!!
How the fuck was this high martial arts? This was goddamn fantasy!
Zhang Qingyuan had thought that projecting internal power outward and unleashing flames and lightning already made someone an expert. But if what they said was true, then he and Zhang Junbao were mere little brothers in this world.
Cleaving through a river-whether it was human strength or the sword's doing, it showed that this world was no simple place.
He had thought that learning martial arts would let him sleep soundly without a care. Now it seemed there was still a long road ahead.
Zhang Junbao was stunned too. He had thought himself quite formidable. Who knew the upper limit was so high?
Back at Shaolin, he had only carried water, washed clothes, and cooked. He had never seen an eminent monk fight, and had assumed that the warrior monks' ability to split metal and shatter stone was the limit.
Although he had experienced Shaolin's Prajna Palm, defeating that senior brother had not taken much effort. He had thought, however powerful that palm technique was, how powerful could it really be?
By that logic, if the Water-Parting Sword could part water, could the Dragon-Subduing Palm really unleash a dragon?
"You want to retrieve the Water-Parting Sword?" Zhang Junbao asked.
"Indeed. Legend has it that the Water-Parting Sword is incomparably sharp, impervious to water, and capable of parting waters and severing rivers. Everyone wants it."
"Then what do you want us to do?" Zhang Qingyuan understood that there had to be conditions attached to their refusal to fight and their telling them so much.
"Dealing with clever people really is refreshing!" The man smiled. "The Water-Parting Sword lies hidden in the sediment. After over a hundred years of scouring currents, we don't even know whether it's still in the same place.
"To locate the Water-Parting Sword precisely, we need another sword to work in concert with it."
"What sword?"
"The Hidden Darkness Sword."
"And then?"
"The Hidden Darkness Sword belonged to Sword God Huang Yue. It was also the sword he used to defeat the Sword Venerable. Legend has it that if you obtain the Hidden Darkness Sword and bring it here, you can make the Water-Parting Sword ring out. Then you can pinpoint its location."
Holy shit, there were even sword spirits? Was this still fucking wuxia?
The shock was too great. Zhang Qingyuan felt that his entire worldview needed rebuilding.
He had thought this world's upper limit was ordinary high martial arts. It turned out to be much like the worlds of Wind and Cloud and Sword Snow Stride.
The world of Wind and Cloud had predestination, five great divine beasts, and immortality.
The world of Sword Snow Stride had past and present lives, swords opening heaven's gate, gods, and immortals.
If someone told him there were monsters in this world in the future, he would not even find it strange.
Earlier, seeing that the Nine Yang Palm could unleash scorching True Qi and the Lightning Extreme Sword Qi could turn into lightning, he had thought them incredibly powerful. Who knew that was only the starter village?
But on second thought, this world was not crawling with experts like the Sword God and Sword Venerable. Experts capable of drawing upon the power of heaven and earth were still few.
"Oh, let me ask you something," Zhang Qingyuan suddenly said.
"Please do."
"What level do you Twelve Fiends of Xuetuo rank at in the martial world?"
The Blood Lump Sect member made no attempt to conceal it. "Second-rate, nothing more."
"Phew."
Zhang Qingyuan and Zhang Junbao let out sighs of relief together. Thank goodness.
If Sword Gods really walked everywhere and Sword Venerables were as common as dogs, this world truly would be xianxia.
If they were to rank experts according to the wuxia conventions of his previous life...
Figures like the Sword God and Sword Venerable should be the ceiling, belonging to the earthly immortal level.
One level below them should be the heads of the major top-tier sects.
First-rate experts were probably the renowned heroes of the martial world, while mainstays of little gangs like these men did indeed seem to be second- or third-rate.
The Blood Lump Sect members did not understand. They had been discussing the Water-Parting Sword. Why change the subject?
They did not know that Zhang Qingyuan and Zhang Junbao were assessing their own standing.
The Blood Lump Sect was a major gang in Central Province, but across the whole realm, it would not even make the rankings.
And above gangs, there were sects.
They're second- or third-rate. Although our martial arts are better than theirs, we still haven't reached the first-rate level.
The first-rate level should include the talented young people, elders, and guest elders of the major sects and prominent families.
So the two of us are still just little brothers.
"You want the Water-Parting Sword?"
"Hehe, divine weapons belong to those capable of possessing them. How could a mere little Blood Lump Sect like ours dare lay hands on a divine weapon like the Water-Parting Sword?"
"Then why tell us so much?" Zhang Junbao was even more confused.
"Here's the situation. Someone obtained the Hidden Darkness Sword, and they sent people to search Sanhe Town as well."
"And then?"
"They didn't find it?"
"Exactly."
"Then the reason you're telling us all this is..."
After wasting so much breath and laying so much groundwork, surely they weren't shooting without a target.
"This means someone has already obtained the Water-Parting Sword."
"You don't think the two of us obtained the Water-Parting Sword, do you?" Zhang Qingyuan pointed at himself, then exchanged a bewildered look with Zhang Junbao.
"Didn't you?"
For a moment, swords were drawn and bows bent.