"Giddyup!"
"Giddyup!"
Steeds galloped from the west, crashing into the small county of Xiongshan at dawn, knocking on the tightly locked gates of the Li family, delivering a marriage alliance ssage from the Cao family.
The Li family, besides living in fear of the notorious flower thief these days, was also puzzled.
They were perplexed themselves. Why was it that after the initial deaths of the county captain, the martial arts schoolmaster, and the Martial Artist from the Li family, no one else died afterward?
Even this ti, despite so many deaths, the Li family remained unscathed.
Not only unscathed, but it seed... they might beco the biggest beneficiaries.
Why, you may ask?
The eldest madam of the Tian family ran away!
Other mbers of the Tian family scattered like birds and beasts.
The Li family, at an unimaginably low price, acquired the Tian family’s properties. They had already taken over two places, and in a couple of days, it seed they might even take over the chamber of comrce.
From now on, it was clear that the Li family would dominate Xiongshan County, like local emperors.
Any way you look at it, the Li family was getting a big bargain.
However, Master Li and the eldest madam were very puzzled.
Why would the Li family get such a big advantage?
This puzzle wasn’t solved yet.
And now a new puzzle arose.
The Cao family wanted a marriage alliance, and the prefect was willing to marry his precious daughter to beco a concubine.
This...
This was also a huge benefit.
The Li family had swallowed the whole of Xiongshan County, which surely couldn’t be done without unease. But if they were to gain the favor of a prefect-level official, wouldn’t that be like finding shelter under wings?
As for the marriage partner, Cao Yi, Master Li and the eldest madam had heard from Li Zhili that she was not an ugly and fat girl who couldn’t find a husband, but a young, beautiful, and talented maiden.
My heavens.
Could there be anything better than this?
Master Li couldn’t keep the smile off his face. Even though his son was away studying, he simply couldn’t refuse such a good thing.
He imdiately arranged an extravagant banquet to entertain the ssenger from the Cao family.
At the banquet, both guest and host enjoyed themselves thoroughly.
Afterward, Master Li presented a gift and promised to arrange the engagent as soon as his son returned.
The eldest madam sneaked a peek at the door. No one was outside, but she felt Miss Tian might hear about this...
So, after the guests left, she twisted her husband’s ear and said, "Don’t get too cocky. I’m going to have a word with Tian Yuan."
Only then did Master Li understand, nodding repeatedly.
These days, everyone had witnessed what kind of person Tian Yuan was. She was clearly a virtuous and good wife and mother. They didn’t want this daughter-in-law to beco estranged because of this matter.
...
...
A month later.
Yanzi Dock.
Peach Blossom Pavilion.
An old man with white hair stood in front of a large iron pot.
Beneath the pot was a fire that had just been extinguished recently, while inside were so iron sand covered in bright red liquid, steaming and giving off a choking sll.
Shush, shush, shush!
The old man swiftly stirred the iron sand with both hands, and every stir made the scalding iron sand and those liquids seem to drill into his pores like flas.
Yet his hands never beca red or swollen.
On closer inspection, one could see a thin layer of herbal mbrane covering his skin.
Shush!
Shush!
The old man continued to stir the iron sand with utmost seriousness.
In stark contrast to his seriousness were the screams and cries of battle from a distance.
However, the old man seed fully imrsed, continuing his cultivation as if he didn’t hear any noise.
After a while, seemingly hearing footsteps from the path behind him, the old man finally raised his hand, exhaling a long breath.
This old man was none other than Li Xuan.
After vanquishing Su Cangyuan, he had successfully obtained the two Grandmaster Cultivation Techniques hidden by Su Cangyuan, naly the "Fire Cloud Hand" and the "Tiger Flute Sword."
The forr was found on a corpse, while the book and the latter were discovered in a Cao family secret chamber, now rightfully his.
Li Xuan was extrely curious why Su Cangyuan could practice two Secret Martial Arts Techniques and remain clear-minded, so he began cultivating both, along with the "Evergreen Unwithering Skill."
Unfortunately, progress on the "Evergreen Unwithering Skill" was slow, having only reached a minor achievent;
Instead, the "Fire Cloud Hand" and "Tiger Flute Sword" progressed rather well.
Especially the "Tiger Flute Sword," advancing by leaps and bounds, nearly reaching perfection.
After all, this "agility-oriented" Cultivation Technique was like "a college student going back to solve elentary school problems" for him—very simple, yet it offered no improvent in skills or additional attribute gains.
Becoming a Secret Martial Artist requires crossing three thresholds.
The first is the Grandmaster Cultivation Technique and its fundantal illustration.
The second is Innate Talent; without it, one cannot succeed in cultivation.
The third is the demon blood, which must be obtained from demons—a task nearly impossible for regular Martial Artists.
At the mont, these three thresholds posed no problem for Li Xuan.
He aid for comprehensive developnt, needing to cultivate strength-oriented, physique-oriented, and agility-oriented techniques.
As for those related to Spirit... he hadn’t encountered any yet.
With these various thoughts flashing through his mind, he saw three figures approaching in the distance, stopping outside the pavilion, and clasping their fists respectfully as they spoke.
"Yao Qiu pays respects to Mr. Su."
"Zuo Hong pays respects to Mr. Su."
And the last voice was...
"Lin... Jianfeng pays... pays respects to Mr. Su."
Stamring slightly, with a hint of foolishness.
Li Xuan turned and instantly saw the man who had once taken the academy exam with him.
However, compared to his forr heroic and bright-eyed appearance, this man now had vacant eyes.
Yao Qiu stepped forward to explain: "Let inform you, sir, that before the demise of Lin Jieniu, my husband had already foreseen sothing amiss and pretended to be insane, even fooling .
Yet, my husband still did not escape that villain’s clutches.
However, perhaps due to the villain’s fear of killing my husband completely when realizing his madness, he gradually reduced the poison’s dosage, allowing my husband to narrowly escape death.
This ti, I intended to leverage my husband’s status as the legitimate eldest son to accomplish sothing, especially since many of the older mbers of the gang only recognize the legitimate son’s succession. But just as I was about to act, my husband held back, saying he... could join in the action."
Afterward, Yao Qiu reported each incident that happened during this ti one by one.
The complexity was akin to a grand drama, filled with various infighting and deceit within a gang.
Conspiracies and betrayals, slaughter and blood intertwined, until finally... those who reached Li Xuan’s side were the final victors.
Of course, there was another apparent winner.
This, of course, was Li Xuan.
The competition for things doesn’t always require personally intervening; Yao Xiaoxiao’s resentnt, Lin Jianfeng’s patience, Zuo Hong’s smoothness, and his backstage manipulation... were enough to overturn everything.
...
...
A few days later.
The two Grandmaster Cultivation Techniques from the Cao clan originally ant for the Canal Gang were in Li Xuan’s hands.
In addition, an old item was unearthed—it was Lin Jieniu’s diary.
Yao Qiu discovered this diary, but she chose not to hide it. Instead, she presented all the important items to Mr. Su for review before awaiting further instructions.
Li Xuan flipped through the diary.
It was quite thick, recording much of a youth’s admiration for his elder brother and secret love for his sister-in-law. Yet, these complex emotions morphed into an indescribable guilt, causing him to suppress these feelings and devote himself entirely to cultivating the Grandmaster Cultivation Techniques.
He was a genius of the martial world; although others failed to master the "Love-Soul Stealing Hooks," he could.
He vowed to protect his brother and sister-in-law.
He wanted to grow stronger, to beco a Grandmaster, to guard what he cared about.
Thus, to avoid the dark desires brewing inside him, he even skirted away from his sister-in-law when sighting her, and the frequency eventually led others to think he loathed her.
As a result, Lin Jianfeng had specifically sought him out to ask if Yao Xiaoxiao had done anything wrong.
Later...
He cultivated the Secret Martial Arts and began noticing his changes, but there was no turning back.
Li Xuan read quietly, suddenly catching a line.
’I heard him say ’just one more technique, and I can reach a higher realm,’ indicating that the Secret Martial Arts should have a form of complentarity.
Those distorted visionary illustrations must have a balance; as long as I beco stronger, strong enough, I can attain balance, or return to normal.
Sorry, brother.
Sorry... sister-in-law.’
Much later...
Li Xuan tossed the diary back and said, "Take a look."
Yao Qiu respectfully replied, "Yes."
With that, she began reading it directly.
The pages rustled continuously, flipping at a constant yet moderate pace, like replaying mories, spinning like a carousel.
But sowhere along the line, the sound of the pages turning suddenly slowed.
Yao Qiu pursed her thin lips, took a deep breath, slightly lifted her head, and her eyes turned red.
But even after she finished reading the entire diary, the tears in her eyes hadn’t fallen.
Yet...
What about inside her heart?
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