"I have a question that I would like to ask the Grand Tutor."
Wang Junning said respectfully.
"Please speak, Lord Wang."
"Today in the palace, regarding the matter of Mount Liang's surrender to the imperial court, was the Grand Tutor's handling of the matter somewhat biased? The soldiers of the Shannan Army have fought bravely and repeatedly achieved meritorious service. Isn't the Grand Tutor afraid that his handling of the matter will demoralize the troops?"
Wang Junning remained respectful, without a single flaw, but his questions were quite sharp.
Yuan Feng narrowed his eyes, looking at the censor. "Why didn't you stand up and report to His Majesty at the court assembly today?"
Wang Junning pursed his lips slightly. "I imagine the Grand Tutor must have a deeper meaning behind this, so I will come to consult the Grand Tutor again after the court assembly."
Yuan Feng chuckled, then his face suddenly turned cold. "How much did Dong Zhuo give you in private to give you the audacity to come up to me and say these things?"
Wang Junning's expression changed drastically. "Grand Tutor, you've misunderstood, this humble official..."
"Enough!"
Yuan Feng interrupted him without any politeness.
The Yuan Family is the head of the Four Great Aristocratic Clans of the time, Yuan Feng is the current head of the Yuan Clan and also holds the title of Grand Tutor. His sudden gesture and immense authority made Wang Junning turn pale and dare not speak again!
Yuan Feng was too lazy to say another word to Wang Junning. He summoned his guards, who helped him walk away.
As he crossed the plaza outside the Taiji Hall, the head of the Yuan Clan suddenly stopped, glanced back at the Taiji Hall, and sighed softly.
Today's meeting in the hall seemed to have reached a consensus and resolved all issues, but in reality, there were hidden secrets.
"A storm is brewing."
Yuan Feng's eyes were deep, and his face, weathered by life, was full of wrinkles. "I wonder how many more days of peace this world can have?"
The guard beside him kept his head down the whole time, his expression unchanged, like a deaf-mute.
Finally, the guards helped the old man out of the imperial city.
Note 1: The "golden bricks" of ancient palaces only resembled gold and made a metallic sound when struck, but they were not real gold. These "golden bricks" were also called "Beijing bricks."
190 The world is vast, yet the name of Grandmaster.
Shu Province City, South Street.
The streets here are wide, and there are many pavilions on both sides of the road, with flying eaves and brackets layered on top of each other.
The streets were teeming with people: peddlers carrying loads, coachmen, merchants dressed in silk, and wandering swordsmen, all bustling about in a lively and bustling atmosphere.
In an inn in the middle of South Street, people came and went, and the inn was almost full. Most of these people were wandering swordsmen, dressed in short clothes, long robes, and bamboo hats, and carrying all kinds of weapons.
The crowd was buzzing with discussion, almost all of them talking about the same thing.
"I heard that Liu Yan, the ' Iron-Slaying Sword ' of Mount Qingcheng, only lasted ten moves before admitting defeat!"
"This man stood still and received three hidden weapons from Master Tang, the Seventh Master Tang Family. Seventh Master Tang was completely defeated."
"..."
The martial arts practitioners present were all talking about the same person: this person had arrived in Shu Province City yesterday and defeated three First Rate masters of Shu Province in a single day!
Shu Province is the capital of Jiannan Circuit, a place of outstanding people and abundant resources, and prosperous in all aspects. It also First Rate more top-notch masters than other prefectures, so sometimes First Rate between top-notch masters will occur.
But to defeat three First Rate masters in a single day is something that has never happened in Shu Province in decades!
"I heard this man's Lin Qian. He used to be the instructor of 200,000 Imperial Guards! He was already a well-known First Rank expert in the capital, but later he joined Mount Liang and became a rebel!"
"What are those Mount Liang rebels doing in our Shu Province? Could it be that the Mount Liang army has already attacked?"
"The neighboring Yi Province and Xi Province are doing just fine."
"It seems he came alone this time."
"What exactly is this guy surnamed Lin trying to do?"
"..."
The crowd began to discuss amongst themselves.
As they were talking, the group suddenly walked into the inn.
Several wandering swordsmen who had been sitting at the entrance of the inn, talking and laughing loudly, suddenly fell silent, their eyes filled with obvious fear as they looked at the group.
The leader was a middle-aged man in his forties, wearing a worn-out black robe and carrying a long sword at his waist. Behind him were four men, each with a muscular build and sharp eyes.
Inside the inn, more and more martial arts practitioners noticed these people, and the once bustling lobby suddenly fell silent.
The group of martial arts practitioners looked at their leader like mice before a cat!
Although the people who walked in were not wearing official robes, many of the martial arts practitioners in Shu Province recognized them; they were from the Six Doors of Shu Province.
The middle-aged man at the head of the group had sharp eyes. He glanced at the martial arts practitioners present and strode towards the second floor of the inn.
This middle-aged man's name is Liang Zheng, and he is the chief constable of the Six Doors in Shu Province!
He led his men up to the second floor, where the innkeeper personally led them into a private room.
Liang Zheng sat by the window, and the others followed suit.
"Master, why do you think Lin Qian is being so high-profile?"
After the group sat down, a relatively young man spoke up and asked a question.
Liang Zheng said sternly, "People in the martial world either seek fame or fortune."
The young man was still puzzled. "But he's already joined Mount Liang, he's a rebel now."
Liang Zheng shook his head; this was also what puzzled him.
If Lin Qian was scouting ahead for the Mount Liang rebels, he shouldn't have been so high-profile.
"Chief Constable, who do you think is more skilled in martial arts, Lin Qian or Sect Leader Li?"
Another person spoke up and asked.
The reason so many martial arts figures have gathered at this inn today is because Lin Qian announced yesterday that he would challenge Li Xiao, the leader of the Mount Shu Sect, today!
The Mount Shu Sect's headquarters in Shu Province City is located diagonally opposite this inn.
Although there are many First Rate experts in Shu Province, there are only a few First Rank experts. Li Xiao of the Mount Shu Sect is one of them and has always been recognized as the number one expert in Shu Province!
Liang Zheng remained silent, but his disciple spoke first, "Sect Leader Li is definitely more powerful! Lin Qian has only been a First Rank expert for a few years, while Sect Leader Li reached the First Rank- Rank sixteen years ago. Over the years, his swordsmanship has become increasingly profound and unpredictable. How could Lin Qian possibly be a match for Sect Leader Li?"
Clearly, he greatly admired Li Xiao of the Mount Shu Sect.
Liang Zheng spoke up at this moment, shaking his head slightly. "The First Rank Realm is different from other realms, requiring extremely high Mental Power. And strengthening Mental Power relies on opportunities and comprehension, not on tedious grinding. Therefore, the strength of First Rank expert cannot be judged solely by the length of time it takes to break through."
The others nodded in agreement, but the young apprentice was somewhat unconvinced.
"No matter how strong Lin Qian is, this traitor dares to openly appear in our Shu Province City. This is a blatant provocation against the authority of the government. Today, we must arrest him and bring him to justice!"
Liang Zheng said in a deep voice.
"Boss, do we really need to break ties with Lin Qian?"
One of the subordinates asked with some concern.
Knights-errant use their martial arts to break the law, but local governments have always been very tolerant of First Rate -notch masters.
Unless things go too far, local officials usually won't completely break ties with First Rate martial arts masters.
Firstly, First Rate- tier experts are powerful and each possesses secret techniques to unleash their potential, making them difficult to kill. Secondly, if someone is determined to cause destruction, it will be very difficult to resolve the situation.
Secondly, officials and dignitaries in various regions were also afraid of being assassinated First Rate top-notch assassins.
Lin Qian is not only First Rate expert, but also First Rank powerhouse. People in the martial arts world may not know this, but the Six Doors have Lin Qian's personal file and know about the things he did in the capital.
This man managed to kill several officials and escape in the capital; why should Shu Province provoke such a powerful figure?
Liang Zheng looked at the person who had asked the question and said in a deep voice, "This is an order personally given by the Inspector General!"
Everyone was startled by these words, and their expressions turned serious.
Liang Zheng glanced through the window at the Mount Shu Sect hall diagonally opposite, his eyes deep in thought.
As the chief constable of the Six Doors in Shu Province, he knew more inside information.
The Mount Liang rebels' army should have already been defeated and will no longer be able to reach Shu Province, which is why the Inspector General has such a tough attitude towards the Mount Liang rebels.
Secondly, how could the Mount Shu Sect, a martial arts sect, manage to secure so much business in Shu Province, with connections in both the legitimate and illegitimate worlds? Surely they have powerful backing.
It would be one thing if Lin Qian challenged people from Mount Qingcheng or the Tang Family, but he just had to be reckless and challenge the leader of the Mount Shu Sect.
Do they really consider the Mount Shu Sect to be a purely martial arts sect?
Liang Zheng used to be a wandering swordsman, and he naively believed that as long as his fists were strong enough and his sword was fast enough, he could make a name for himself.
I later learned that the martial arts world wasn't just about fighting and killing.
After he had thought it through completely, he joined the Six Doors and gradually became the chief constable of the Six Doors in Shu Province, becoming a true big shot in Shu Province and even the entire Jianghu of Jiannan Circuit!
Even those whose martial arts skills surpass his have to bow respectfully to him and address him as Chief Constable.
The group of charlatans downstairs fight and fight fiercely all day long, dreaming of becoming famous.
In Liang Zheng's eyes, they were nothing more than a bunch of pathetic creatures who hadn't even figured out how to live their lives.
"Lin Qian has come to visit the Mount Shu Sect. He challenges Sect Leader Li to a duel!!!"
A voice, driven by powerful internal energy, suddenly resounded through the long street, interrupting Liang Zheng's thoughts.
Liang Zheng's expression changed slightly, and he turned to look out the window.
The others in the private room also got up and went to the window to look outside.
At the end of the long street, a man dressed in a gray robe walked towards them, holding a long spear upside down.
It was Lin Qian!
The inn on the first floor erupted into chaos as a group of wandering swordsmen rushed out.
"He actually came all by himself?"
Liang Zheng muttered to himself, a mocking look appearing in his eyes.
On the street, the bustling crowd seemed to be parted by an invisible hand, retreating from the middle to both sides to make way.
Lin Qian walked through it and arrived outside the Mount Shu Sect's guild hall.
Soon, a group of people walked out of the guild hall.
A man walked at the front, looking to be in his early forties, with a tall and slender figure, wearing a white robe and a long sword hanging at his waist, exuding an otherworldly air.
This person is the leader of the Mount Shu Sect, and the undisputed number one expert in Shu Province.
Li Xiao!
He stood with a group of people on the steps outside the guild hall, looking down at Lin Qian, who was twenty paces away.
"Lin Qian, if you were still the head instructor of the Imperial Guards, I would naturally respect you and be willing to fight you."
Li Xiao said loudly, "But you are now a traitor, someone everyone has the right to kill. What right do you have to fight me?"
Upon learning yesterday that Lin Qian wanted to challenge him, Li Xiao never even considered playing any one-on-one tricks with him.
It wasn't that he believed he would definitely lose, but rather that there was no need to take the risk.
Today, the Mount Shu Sect's guild hall is not only filled with a large number of elite disciples of the Mount Shu Sect, but also surrounded by experts from the Six Doors and a large number of government troops!
There's no need to talk about chivalry with a traitor; we just fight side by side!
Lin Qian calmly met Li Xiao's gaze. "I, Lin, have withdrawn from Mount Liang."
"Oh?"
This surprised Li Xiao somewhat, but he remained calm. "Who knows if what you say is true or false? You suddenly came to my Shu Province City, who can be sure you don't harbor malicious intentions?"
Lin Qian ignored his words and continued, "Before I broke with the Mount Liang heroes, I had a battle with Lu Yulin. In that battle, I was defeated by Lu Yulin, and he broke through to the Great Grandmaster realm right in front of me!"
These words were met with gasps of surprise from the crowd on the street.
Even the usually composed Li Xiao's expression changed.
Great Grandmaster!
Each of them is a figure at the pinnacle, wielding significant influence both in the imperial court and in the martial arts world.