Jumping into the river

Longshenbao was built on the Wanlong River, about 20 miles away from Yongzhou City. There was a bustling town there called Wanlong Town.

Longshenbao is the local tyrant in the eyes of the people of Wanlong Town and the surrounding villages. In their eyes, what Longshenbao says is more effective than what the government says.

The Wanlong River is over twenty zhang wide, and its canal transport business is thriving. The only wharf in Wanlong Town is controlled by Longshenbao. Relying on this wharf, Longshenbao is extremely wealthy.

There are countless people who rely on Longshenbao for their livelihood, which is why when the townspeople encounter disputes, they like to seek help from their "superior," Longshenbao.

Over time, even the security of Wanlong Town came under the jurisdiction of Longshenbao.

The current lord of the fortress, Lei Zheng, has a fiery temper, cannot tolerate any wrongdoing, values rules highly, and is impartial in handling matters.

He earned the nickname "Thunder God".

Lei Zheng, nicknamed "Thunder God," is skilled with a broadsword and is a fifth-rank martial artist. Unlike the head of the Gongsun family, he is a frivolous man who is indifferent to women.

He only loved practicing with his sword every day, diving into the river with a large cleaver and swinging it five hundred times before he would come ashore.

The townspeople all say that if they ever see a section of the river surging with waves, it must be the Thunder God practicing his swordplay in the river.

Dragon God Castle, inside the main hall.

Lei Zheng took a sip of tea, stroking the large machete beside him, which made a buzzing sound.

"I'm going to practice my sword. What do you need? Get to the point and don't disturb my practice."

Lei Zheng is just over fifty years old, 1.9 meters tall, bald, with bulging muscles all over his body, and a physique stronger than that of young people. He gives the impression of a brute who would grab a knife and start a fight at the slightest provocation.

Indeed, that is true.

Beside Lei Zheng stood Gongsun Xiangyang, a womanizer in his youth, who smiled and said:

"You've practiced swordsmanship for so many years, how long will it take you to reach the fourth rank?"

Lei Zheng said coldly, "This is none of your business."

Gongsun Xiangyang chuckled, "I have to be careful of you. What if you advance to the fourth rank one day and cut me down with a single blow?"

The history of Longshenbao is shorter than that of the Gongsun Aristocratic Clan. When the ancestors of Longshenbao came to Yongzhou to conquer the world, they had many conflicts with the local power, the Gongsun Aristocratic Clan.

The two sides' sons fought daily, resulting in numerous deaths. Later, due to the large scale of the group battles, the people were affected, which had a very negative impact on the security of Yongzhou. The Yongzhou government intervened to mediate.

Of course, that was more than two hundred years ago. Even today, although there are still frictions between the two sides, they are all within reasonable limits.

There's something wrong in the tomb.

Gongsun Xiangyang's words dispelled Lei Zheng's intention to see the guest out, and the muscular, bald fortress lord frowned slightly.

What does this have to do with me?

The large tomb in Nanshan has already been occupied by the Gongsun Aristocratic Clan. Based on a tacit understanding, Dragon God Fortress will not interfere in it again unless the Gongsun Aristocratic Clan takes the initiative to invite it.

Gongsun Xiangyang relayed the situation at the bottom of the tomb and the story of the hermit in blue to Lei Zheng.

Lei Zheng's eyes widened in shock, just like Gongsun Xiangyang's when he first heard the news, a sense of impending doom rising within him, as if artillery shells had been planted at the door.

After calming down, he stared coldly at the head of the Gongsun family. "Why should I believe you?"

Gongsun Xiangyang slowly said:

"You can go down into the tomb yourself, if you're not afraid of death. I've already found out where that expert lives; it's in the tavern. He instructed the Gongsun family to guard Nanshan. Nanshan is too big; to keep a close watch on it, you'll need quite a few people."

"Both Dragon God Fortress and the Gongsun family make their living in Yongzhou; you can't stand idly by. Besides, whether what I said is true or not, we'll find out by visiting that expert ourselves."

Lei Zheng sneered, "You wanted to go yourself, but you were too scared, so you dragged me along for courage and to share the risk."

Gongsun Xiangyang chuckled and did not refute.

Lei Zheng gripped his sword and stood up. "Wait here for an hour. I'll go with you after I finish practicing my swordsmanship."

"You actually don't take that expert seriously?"

"Ha, whether you're a master or not, it all depends on your words!"

Lei remained skeptical. After all, he had neither entered a tomb nor eaten crabs at Yangbai Lake. How could Gongsun Xiangyang's words alone make him so apprehensive?

Gongsun Xiangyang was cunning and sly; he only referred to Lei Zheng as a master, without mentioning the poem. Otherwise, Lei Zheng's attitude would have been much more respectful.

Izakaya (Japanese pub).

On the table were fresh poisonous herbs, several porcelain bottles, and five ounces of sesame seeds. Xu Qi'an asked the waiter for a mortar and pestle and threw all the poisonous herbs in to crush them.

Then pour in the snake venom and continue pounding it vigorously.

Sitting by the window, Mu Nanzhi sniffed and frowned, saying, "What's that smell? It's awful."

Xu Qi'an said, "Open the windows to ventilate the room. I'm making poison pills."

As he spoke, he grabbed a handful of sesame seeds and sprinkled them into the mortar and pestle.

The princess opened the window as instructed, but instead of taking the opportunity to breathe fresh air, she walked to the table, sat down, arrogantly slapped Xu Qi'an's hand away, and snatched the jar.

She dipped her fingertip in the venom, put it in her mouth and sucked on it, then smacked her lips.

"These poisonous herbs are of average potency and won't be of much help to you, but the snake venom smells quite good."

To the goddess of flowers, poisonous weeds are still weeds, and poisonous flowers are still flowers; they are no different from ordinary flowers and plants.

Xu Qi'an exclaimed that he was an expert, and the two began to discuss it, as if they were talking about a food they both liked.

"I borrowed some venom from the ancient corpse in the underground palace this time. It's the essence that has been nurtured in the corpse for thousands of years. It can greatly stimulate the poisonous insects and make them evolve."

Xu Qi'an spoke, he took out the jade bottle containing the ancient corpse's venom and uncorked it.

"The flavor is too strong."

Mu Nanzhi covered her nose and slipped away.

Xu Qi'an tilted the small jade bottle, and a viscous, bluish-black liquid slowly poured out, dripping into the jar.

In an instant, the grass residue in the mortar turned a deep bluish-black, the color alone enough to suggest toxicity.

Next, he placed the mortar and pestle on a small charcoal stove and heated it over a low flame until it was slightly dry, then stopped.

The next step is to roll them into small pills and take one pill daily.

The ancient corpse's venom was too potent; with the current level of the poison-using gu, it couldn't withstand an excessive amount of toxicity at once, or it would be poisoned to death.

After rolling the pills into balls, Xu Qi'an placed them one by one on the table to air dry.

The air is filled with toxins. If an ordinary person were here, they would surely die from poisoning within the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.

Mu Nanzhi sat by the window, rolling her eyes as she read the books she had bought in the bustling city street.

Just then, there was a knock on the door, and the waiter's voice came. "Sir, two gentlemen are looking for you."

Looking for me?

Xu Qi'an was taken aback, then calmly replied to the waiter, "Who is it?"

The waiter said, "One of them calls himself Gongsun Xiangyang, and the other calls himself Lei Zheng."

Gongsun Xiangyang, a member of the Gongsun family? And who is Lei Zheng? Xu Qi'an pondered for a moment and said, "Please invite them in."

He guessed that Gongsun Xiangyang was a person of very high seniority in the Gongsun family, or perhaps the head of the Gongsun family.

According to custom, if a reclusive master who has attained enlightenment for eight hundred years were to come here, the Gongsun family, a mere martial arts force, would surely be a highly respected member of the Lineage if they wished to visit.

It's impossible to send a junior or a nobody from the Lineage.

At the very least, one must be a Lineage heir like Gongsun Xiu.

As for Lei Zheng, Xu Qi'an had never heard of him, but since he came with the Gongsun family, he must be a person of importance.

"Should I go behind the screen to hide for a while?" The princess looked up at her.

"No need, go and unlatch the door."

The princess pouted, swayed her plump and alluring buttocks, walked to the door, and unlatched it.

A moment later, two footsteps stopped outside the door, followed by a deep, respectful voice saying:

"Senior, I am Gongsun Xiangyang, the head of the Gongsun family."

Xu Qi'an said calmly, "The door isn't locked."

The door opened, and a middle-aged man in brocade robes entered, a smile on his face, with obvious crow's feet at the corners of his eyes—wrinkles caused by habitual smiling.

The other old man was burly, carrying a large machete on his back. He was bald, had a sharp demeanor, and gave the impression of being fierce and unapproachable.

"Lord of Dragon God Fortress, Lei Zheng."

The bald old man clasped his hands in a fist salute, his voice deep and resonant.

Xu Qi'an nodded slowly and raised his hand to indicate, "Sit."

At this moment, his gaze was gentle, his eyes containing the vicissitudes of time, his attitude was calm and composed, yet he exuded a natural and dignified air.

It's a pity that there are two streaks of gray at her temples.

Gongsun Xiangyang calmly surveyed the room, his gaze sweeping over the most beautiful woman in Great Feng before he sat down with a reserved and cautious air.

Lei Zheng seemed much more carefree, his gaze towards Xu Qi'an filled with scrutiny.

He had already been to the underground palace, but only circled the outer perimeter. He ultimately did not risk entering the main tomb, so he remained skeptical of Gongsun Xiangyang's words.

"Thank you so much, senior, for saving my daughter's life. The Gongsun family has no way to repay you and will certainly protect Nanshan and prevent anyone from entering the tomb."

This was also the first time Gongsun Xiangyang had met such a master, and his curiosity was no less than Lei Zheng's. He subtly observed him for a few moments but couldn't discern anything special about this master.

But it is precisely because of this that they become even more respectful.

Lei Zheng tentatively asked, "Senior, what is the identity of the ancient corpse in that underground palace?"

Xu Qi'an said gently, "Just a nobody."

Insignificant figures, those at least third-grade evil ancient corpses were nothing more than insignificant figures in his eyes. Gongsun Xiangyang was startled. He was about to speak when suddenly his nostrils twitched, accompanied by dizziness. He stood up in shock:

Yes, it's poisonous.

Lei Zheng also stood up, took a few steps back, and the two of them turned their gaze to the small black dumplings on the table.

What is this thing? The mere smell it emits is unbearable. Gongsun Xiangyang was horrified.

Once you reach the fifth rank of Transformation Realm, you can detoxify most poisons in the world with your powerful liver function. These poison pills in front of you could probably kill a fifth-rank cultivator with just one pill.

Xu Qi'an spoke gently, with an apologetic tone. "I just made a few poison pills to eat as snacks, so I'm putting them away now."

After saying that, he picked up a meatball, put it in his mouth, and chewed it carefully.

He ate, and then Gongsun Xiangyang was stunned, his face stiff and his back cold.

Lei Zheng's pupils contracted sharply, and the hairs on his body stood on end. His fear was about to explode in an instant.

The two fifth-rank experts stared intently at Xu Qi'an, at his mouth, at his throat, and saw his Adam's apple move, meaning that the pill had been swallowed.

Why would he eat poison pills as snacks? No, that's not the point. The point is that he is indeed a terrifying figure, a top-tier master in seclusion. Gongsun Xiangyang silently straightened his back.

Gongsun Xiangyang didn't lie to me. Lei Zheng was deeply shocked. He quickly reviewed his attitude and felt worried and annoyed about his previous arrogance, fearing that he had aroused the displeasure of this seemingly gentle master.

"Alright!"

Xu Qi'an put the small jade bottle into his bosom.

In terms of actual combat strength, he couldn't beat a fifth-rank expert unless he had a way to directly administer poison into the stomach of a fifth-rank expert.

Aside from poison, he lacked effective means to break through the copper-skinned, iron-boned body.

Of course, martial artists also cannot defeat him, because the Seven Deadly Gu's methods are unpredictable and there are too many ways to remain invincible.

Once I've digested all these poison pills, I should be able to defeat Xu Qi'an, a fifth-rank cultivator. He thought to himself, his outward expression remaining calm.

"Perfect timing. Even if you two hadn't come, I was already planning to pay you a visit."

Gongsun Xiangyang and Lei Zheng exchanged a glance, and the former immediately asked respectfully, "I wonder how this junior can serve you, senior?"

Xu Qi'an looked at the two of them, his eyes gentle and calm:

"I would like to ask for your help in convening the Yongzhou Martial Arts Conference, scheduled for one and a half months from now."

This was a plan he had come up with not long ago. Instead of aimlessly searching for hosts of dragon energy, he would find a way to gather them together and wipe them out in one fell swoop.

Although the martial arts tournament is open to people from all walks of life, given human nature's tendency to join in the fun, there will definitely be people from wealthy families who will come to participate.

The reason he entrusted the Gongsun family and Dragon God Fortress to take the lead in this matter was primarily to keep a low profile. He needed to be wary of Xu Pingfeng's backup plans, so staying behind the scenes was the best option.

The decision to schedule the event for a month later was made in consideration of the spread of the news and the inconvenience of transportation. It would take considerable time for people from all over Yongzhou to receive the news and travel to Yongzhou.

"May I ask the reason, junior?"

Gongsun Xiangyang probed.

Xu Qi'an originally wanted to suggest using the "power" of the heroes of Yongzhou to suppress the ancient corpse, but that would make him seem unfathomable. However, upon further reflection, he realized that as a highly skilled individual who had gained eight hundred years of experience, he still needed the help of the heroes of Yongzhou to suppress the ancient corpse.

This is inherently low-class and lacks taste.

He smiled faintly and said, "Because it's interesting."

Gongsun Xiangyang and Lei Zheng were speechless for a moment.

"To hold a martial arts tournament, we need an attractive gimmick."

"How about this: our two families jointly compile a list of the top 100 martial arts masters in Yongzhou, invite heroes from all walks of life in Yongzhou to take a written test, and create a ranking. This is an irresistible temptation for those martial arts practitioners who crave fame."

"There also needs to be a hefty reward."

Gongsun Yang and Lei Zheng were discussing animatedly, Xu Qi'an sipped his tea and listened with a smile.

Half an hour later, the two, having reached a conclusion, got up and took their leave.

After the two left, Mu Nanzhi looked at him and asked pointedly, "Were you impersonating Wei Yuan just now?"

Xu Qi'an ignored him and said, "We'll leave Yongzhou City tomorrow and travel around Yongzhou."

Fuyang County.

The mare was led by her owner, trotting along, and the man on her back, who had been the most handsome man, had become the most beautiful woman.

Sitting on horseback, Mu Nanzhi looked around. This was a small county town that wasn't very wealthy, as evidenced by the dilapidated streets and equally old houses.

The pedestrians' clothes were not particularly stylish; the styles and materials were rather ordinary.

However, the rice wine from Fuyang County is famous throughout Yongzhou.

Xu Qi'an came here specifically to drink, and the princess also enjoyed drinking, so she readily agreed. The two of them, on horseback, roamed the land, eating and drinking wherever they went.

We passed a small river with a stone slab bridge over it. The scenery was beautiful: white walls, black tiles, and flowing water. If there were a misty rain and a beautiful woman holding an oil-paper umbrella, it would be perfect.

Xu Qi'an led the mare onto a stone bridge when he suddenly heard a cry of surprise from not far away:

"Someone's diving! Someone's diving!"

He and the princess glanced sideways and saw a woman floating upstream, her situation extremely precarious.

Pedestrians on both sides of the river either pointed and whispered, or found bamboo poles and stretched them out to the woman in an attempt to rescue her.

The woman choked on some water, her face contorted, and she struggled desperately to save herself, but the current was quite strong, and she couldn't swim. The more she struggled, the more water she swallowed.

Gradually, he was left with only half a life.

"Help! Help!"

When the people in the distance saw someone at the bridgehead, they immediately shouted.

He leaped off the bridge, grabbed the woman's shoulder, and lightly touched the water's surface with his toes, returning to the shore. Xu Qi'an completed a series of actions in his mind before leaping off the bridge.

"Thump!"

He plunged into the icy river and swam with all his might toward the woman.

Of the seven abilities of the Seven Deadly Gu, none of them allow for flight.

With so many people around, Xu Qi'an abandoned the idea of using the Dark Gu to save people in full view of everyone.

Sometimes, even a crude and uncouth martial artist can more elegantly retrieve a drowning woman than those from other systems. This thought surged in Xu Qi'an's mind.

"Young man, hold onto the bamboo pole!"

An old man stood on the bank, extending a bamboo pole toward Xu Qi'an.

With the help of the old man and passersby, Xu Qi'an grabbed a bamboo pole and was pulled ashore with the woman.

The woman choked on water and became disoriented.

She was pale, but her features were quite attractive; she was a very pretty young woman.

Xu Qi'an slapped her on the back.

"Vomit"

The woman vomited a mouthful of water, and her dazed mind returned, but instead of feeling joy at escaping death, she burst into tears.

"Let me die, it'll be better to die, please."

She covered her face and cried.

"Isn't this Zhang the Cripple's wife?"

Why would someone jump into the water for no reason?

"Alas, she is a pitiful person."

The surrounding people were whispering among themselves.

P. S.: There are typos; I'll correct them later.