The Tianyang Daily became a hit, just as expected, swiftly taking all three cities by storm. It could be said that everyone knew about it.
Early that morning, Bian Zhenxuan hurried over to report the results to Zhang Qingyuan, brimming with excitement.
"Qingyuan, twenty thousand copies in each city sold out within a day. And that was only the first issue, when they didn't even know about it yet. The second issue will only sell faster!"
No wonder Old Third was excited. How much money they earned didn't matter; the main thing was that this was something new, something that held his interest.
Zhang Qingyuan had just gotten out of bed after another sleepless night.
With the publication of the first issue, the editors in the editorial office had finally come to understand exactly what a newspaper was.
He nodded, looking a little weary, but could not keep the smile off his face. "Senior Brother, go reward the editors later. Give them the money they're due. Don't be stingy.
"With us doing so well, the merchants will catch the scent. I reckon it won't be long before someone copies this newspaper business.
"I trained our editors one by one. We can't let anyone poach them."
"I know. Don't worry."
Bian Zhenxuan patted Zhang Qingyuan's shoulder, marveling despite himself. His junior brother really was a genius.
"Mm, for the next issue, we can print another five thousand copies per city," Zhang Qingyuan said after some thought.
The first issue had only been testing the waters. Since those who had read it now knew what a newspaper was, the second issue would only sell more copies and draw more readers.
Old Third smiled. "No need to remind me. My father is already on it. He's bolder than you—he wants another ten thousand copies printed for each city."
"And with the novelty of the first issue, my father has already started talking to the wealthy households about newspaper subscriptions, just as you suggested.
"The city lord's residences in all three cities have agreed to subscribe to ten copies of each issue. There are also the county offices and the trading houses-they're interested in commodity prices. Subscriptions alone have already accounted for over a thousand copies. Now you don't need to worry."
"Mm. For now, there's no rush to expand outward. After a month, we can gradually start distributing it in other cities."
"All right," Bian Zhenxuan agreed. Then, after another thought, he suddenly smiled. "Old Second has finally made a name for himself. The Tianyang Sword Immortal, who slew the enemy leaders in three strikes."
Zhang Qingyuan smiled too. "Of course. If even this couldn't make him famous, wouldn't I have published the newspaper for nothing?
"I made this whole feast of dumplings just for his little saucer of vinegar!"
Bian Zhenxuan did not know what to say. His junior brother's mind really did gallop like a heavenly steed across the skies.
Who could have imagined that the inventor of this wildly popular newspaper had only wanted a convenient way to promote his own sect?
Half pleased and half worried, Bian Zhenxuan raised his head and sighed. "Ah, I wonder whether Second Senior Brother can withstand it."
"He'll have to, whether he can or not." Zhang Qingyuan was worried too, but he still spoke firmly. "As long as those top sects stay out of it, Second Brother can manage."
"Some people probably won't be able to sit still now."
The two exchanged a smile.
Of course some people could not sit still. Foremost among them was the White Dragon Gang in Phoenix Cry City.
Its leader, He Zhen, was a fifth-rank martial artist with over a hundred underlings.
Previously, he had thought that with the Tianyang Sect's sect master dead, the handful of little kittens left behind would be his to handle as he pleased.
He had plentiful troops and capable generals. The Tianyang Sect's land was his for the taking.
Who could have imagined that in just over half a month, they would produce a Tianyang Sword Immortal?
Good heavens, a fourth-rank martial artist who had fought across the Eastern Realm without an equal.
As the gang leader, how could he not panic?
The problem was that he now desperately wanted to go up the mountain and apologize, but did not know whether it was too late. He was terrified that the Tianyang Sword Immortal, Zheng Jianxin, would come to claim his life and call him to account.
Every day, he had no appetite for tea or food. He was afraid of dying!
Four days later, inside the East Sea Sect, Sect Leader Gao Yulong was holding a meeting with several elders.
As mentioned before, theirs was not considered a major sect, because they had no experts of the upper three ranks. The sect leader and all five elders were at the fourth rank.
A copy of the Tianyang Daily lay before them.
Gao Yulong's expression was grim as he looked at the elders. "Speak up, all of you. With this sudden change in the Tianyang Sect, do we swallow them or let them go?"
"Sect Leader." First Elder Gao Yukai cupped his fist and sighed softly. "We had no idea that after Zhang Jing'an's death, there would still be an expert like this among his disciples."
They had all read the newspaper. Two consecutive issues, and each had sung the praises of the Tianyang Sword Immortal, Zheng Jianxin.
The speed of his rise to fame could be called a miracle among those at his level.
Put it this way: just a few days earlier, Old Second Zheng had been a minor swordsman fresh out in the world, whose name some had vaguely heard. Though word of him had spread, many people had ultimately paid little attention.
Yet in just two issues, a mere five days, Old Second Zheng had transformed into the Eastern Realm's Tianyang Sword Immortal. He was not only famous in the martial world, but had also taken deep root in the hearts of ordinary people.
The martial world and ordinary society were two different worlds.
For a heroic martial artist, becoming famous in the martial world was simple.
Show your face often, kill more people, possess a high cultivation realm and formidable martial skills, and have a few distinguishing traits, and people would soon know you.
But gaining influence among ordinary people was not something that could be accomplished overnight.
It took years upon years of good deeds, robbing the rich to help the poor, before the common folk would know someone like you existed.
Yet Zheng Jianxin had broken that tradition. His path to fame ran somewhat backward compared with everyone else's.
Others first became famous in the martial world, then let that reputation feed back into ordinary society.
Zheng Jianxin, however, had broken out among ordinary people overnight.
Now the common folk of Lianshui, Phoenix Cry, and Donglin were all talking about one man: the Tianyang Sword Immortal, Zheng Jianxin.
The martial world had actually learned of him afterward.
Martial artists from outside those three cities instead had to ask ordinary people who Zheng Jianxin was.
Did that make sense?
Did that make any sense?
Shouldn't the common folk be asking martial artists about Zheng Jianxin?
The first issue had not been much, merely giving a brief account of Zheng Jianxin killing three great experts. The second issue, however, had devoted extensive front-page coverage to every battle Zheng Jianxin had fought since leaving the mountain.
This overturned everything, especially catching the East Sea Sect's leaders, who had long wanted to annex the Tianyang Sect, completely off guard.
Gao Yulong braced one hand on the table, his brows tightly knitted, and snapped, "I didn't ask you to talk about this damned Sword Immortal. I'm asking whether we swallow the Tianyang Sect or let them go!"
The five elders exchanged glances. Third Elder Wang Tianfang spoke up. "Swallow them. I think we should cut through this tangled mess with a sharp blade. Only what we have in our hands is truly ours. Of those brothers in the Tianyang Sect, aside from Zheng Jianxin, the others might not even be fourth rank. I made inquiries before. Their new sect master, Zhang Qingyuan, is only in the seventh-rank realm. Even their eldest is merely at the Fifth-Grade Realm.
"But in our East Sea Sect, all six of us are fourth rank. What's more, we have numerous disciples, while there are only seven of them."
"Tianfang, what do you propose?"
"I think that if we fight them head-on, we'll definitely win."
"Third Brother, we can't fight them head-on," the first elder stopped him.
"Why not? Over two hundred against seven-the advantage is ours!"
Gao Yukai and Gao Yulong were brothers by blood, but Gao Yukai had the clearer head. He hurried to reason with him. "In terms of strength, we can indeed defeat the Tianyang Sect. But after we win, do you think their inheritances will belong to us?"
"Well..."
"If we'd acted half a month ago, we might have had some chance of success. But now, we have none at all."
"Why?"
Rather helpless, Gao Yukai continued explaining. "Do you think we're the only ones eyeing the Tianyang Sect's inheritances?
"Don't you know how much weight Zheng Jianxin now carries among the common people?
"We have no just cause to go to war!"
Afraid he would not understand, Gao Yukai continued, "In the three cities, Zheng Jianxin's image as a Sword Immortal has already taken deep root in people's hearts. If we attack the Tianyang Sect without a legitimate reason, even if we take it, we'll give people grounds to condemn us.
"Though the Tianyang Sect has declined, its inheritances remain intact. Those great sects want to swallow it and strengthen themselves even more than we do.
"Why haven't they acted?
"Because everyone knows that if you attack the Tianyang Sect without a legitimate reason, the other sects will use avenging it as an excuse to attack you!
"When the time comes, they'll kill us while still holding the moral high ground, and they'll have a legitimate claim to the Tianyang Sect's inheritances. No one will be able to find fault with them."
"Then we can join forces with the other major sects and do it together."
"You can't see a person's heart through their belly. Who do you think we could partner with who wouldn't stab us in the back once it was done?"
Old Third fell silent and sat on his stool, fuming.
Why was the East Sea Sect so desperate to obtain the Tianyang Sect's inheritances?
Because the East Sea Sect was a new force only a little over a decade old. It lacked foundations!
Seventeen years earlier, six young heroes who had only just entered the martial world had gathered to travel together. They supported and encouraged one another, discussing martial arts.
That continued until they encountered a second-rank senior living in seclusion in a valley near the coast in Donglin City.
That second-rank expert was nearing the end of his lifespan and passed all his supreme arts on to them.
Relying on the inheritances that expert had left behind, they reached peak fourth rank in just a few years.
Afterward, they carved out a place for themselves in the Eastern Realm and founded the East Sea Sect with those inheritances.
Their talent for martial arts might have been high, but they fell a little short in comprehending the Dao. For over a decade, they had remained unable to enter the third rank.
Without an expert of the upper three ranks in their sect, they felt insecure too.
So they turned their attention to the Tianyang Sect, setting their sights on its many centuries of martial inheritances.
They had previously sent a letter to the Tianyang Sect's eldest disciple.
Since the sect master was dead, the future sect master should logically have been the eldest senior brother.
So they sent him a letter to sound him out. Its general meaning was: Oh dear, look, your master is dead, and your sect has no experts. What if some villain sets his sights on you?
We only want what's best for you. Why don't we combine our troops and unite our generals?
Bring your junior brothers and your martial inheritances, and all of you can come to our East Sea Sect.
We'll call it a merger. We won't mistreat you once you come.
After the merger, as for who's sect leader or sect master, we can discuss all that.
Our martial inheritances might not have foundations as deep as yours, but we have money, manpower, and disciples.
Come on over. There are enormous benefits waiting for you!
But who could have known that the useless Zhao Guangqi would not even manage to secure the position of sect master?
Still less had they expected his sect to produce a Tianyang Sword Immortal in just over half a month.
How helpless they felt, how speechless!
After hearing his younger brother's analysis, Gao Yulong thought he had a point.
Open robbery certainly would not do. Wouldn't that make him the villain?
But leaving such a fat piece of meat in the hands of a few little brats was simply a wanton waste of heaven's gifts.
"Think about it. Is there any other good way to obtain their inheritances without getting into trouble?"
At that moment, Fourth Elder Ma Zhengyuan, who had remained silent all along, suddenly spoke. "Sect Master, First Elder, I have a plan!"
"Let's hear it."
Everyone turned to Ma Zhengyuan as he said, "We can't be the blade, and we certainly can't be the first to act. As the first elder just said, we're not the only ones who want the Tianyang Sect's inheritances. Other sects must have the same idea."
"That's right."
"Heh." Ma Zhengyuan sneered. "Right now, the only person the Tianyang Sect can show off is Zheng Jianxin.
"I've analyzed why he became famous so quickly. It comes down to nothing more than this newspaper. His actual strength remains unknown.
"Though Zhang Qingyuan isn't much of a martial artist, he's quite clever. He's used this method to forcibly elevate an expert for his sect, to intimidate the Eastern Realm's martial world.
"Zheng Jianxin may have taken deep root in people's hearts, but what if he dies?"
"Hmm?"
The others perked up, their eyes brightening.
Gao Yukai caught on as well. "That's right. Once he's dead, the Tianyang Sect will have no expert capable of intimidating the martial world. The remaining six will be lambs awaiting slaughter.
"When the time comes, we can cultivate a few minor forces and have them attack the Tianyang Sect. Once they storm it, we'll be able to use avenging the Tianyang Sect as our justification and legitimately take it!"
"Yukai, I don't think we'll be the first ones to avenge them."
Looking at his elder brother, Gao Yukai understood at once. "Right, we certainly won't be the first to avenge them. The other sects and forces will all step in, flying the banner of vengeance for the Tianyang Sect as they divide it up.
"But although others will share the meat, our East Sea Sect will still get a share of the broth.
"When one whale falls, myriad things flourish!"
After hearing this, Gao Yulong slapped the table and loudly praised his younger brother's brilliant plan.
"Then who among us will kill Zheng Jianxin?"
"Sect Leader, I'll go!" The third elder rose to his feet and promised, "I guarantee I'll make Zheng Jianxin's death clean and quick."
Gao Yukai shook his head and stopped him. "No. None of us can go."
"Huh?"
Old Third was a little bewildered.
Gao Yukai said, "Zheng Jianxin's death must not be connected to anyone, so we should secretly hire assassins, or stir up those swordsmen's anger toward him."
"Then do we hire assassins or stir up anger?"
"I think we should pursue both approaches!" Gao Yukai said. "Of all martial artists, swordsmen are the most aloof and care the most about their reputations.
"With Zheng Jianxin so famous, will they accept it? They certainly won't.
"I reckon the swordsmen who want to challenge him already form a long dragon of a queue.
"And with just a little incitement from us, they'll be itching to step on Zheng Jianxin to make their own names!
"Once enough of them challenge him, I refuse to believe he'll really be that formidable.
"Even if he really is that formidable and defeats every challenger, we'll still have the assassins.
"Their killing techniques are all but impossible to guard against. He'll certainly die!"
"Good!" Gao Yulong stood and gave his orders. "Fifth Brother, I order you to take ten thousand taels of silver and travel secretly to the Listening to the Rain Pavilion!"