The Feast of Clouds Rising… Meng Qi nodded with a smile and accepted the invitation:
“Tell your young master that Su will certainly attend as scheduled.”
The banquet date marked on the invitation was New Year’s Eve, seemingly carrying the implication of bidding farewell to the old and welcoming the new. Calculating the time, Meng Qi’s schedule wasn’t tight, so he planned to go to Wen’an first to fulfill the task entrusted by Yun Zhongzi.
…
Wen’an in Jiangdong, nearing the end of the year, was swept by chilly northern winds. Though no snow had fallen to cover the land or freeze the rivers, the damp cold and gloomy weather seemed impervious to even the thickest clothing, offering a sensation entirely different from the northern landscapes.
Lu Jian, known for his wide social connections and nicknamed “Harmony Brings Wealth,” walked along the cold streets with his hands tucked into his sleeves, holding a red copper hand warmer. Smiling and nodding frequently, he greeted people as he went, seemingly familiar with everyone around him.
In his youth, he had been ambitious, venturing into the martial arts world. With his talent for socializing, he had met many influential figures. Unfortunately, he later suffered a severe injury that wasn’t treated in time, leaving him with a lingering ailment. With no hope of breaking through, he returned home and became a local magnate by leveraging his connections.
Coughing softly, he hugged his hand warmer tighter, resisting both the external and internal cold.
It was his old wound; winter always made it especially difficult. If not for this, how could such cold possibly affect a Seven Orifices expert?
“The martial world is full of hardships…” Lu Jian sighed, muttering to himself.
Every winter, when his body stiffened with cold, he would feel this way. If only he had chosen to inherit the family business instead of venturing out, he might have steadily become an Eight Orifices expert. Although reaching the Threshold of the External Scenery would remain out of reach, at least he wouldn’t suffer through a few months of near-death agony every year. Alas, when he was young and full of vigor, he believed that failing to reach the Threshold would be unworthy of his life, so he traveled far and wide, through fire and water, seeking the path of the External Scenery.
Looking back now, despite countless individuals having unlocked their meridians, how many truly managed to transcend the生死玄关 (Life-Death Barrier)? For ordinary martial artists, the hope seemed so distant!
“Second Uncle, why do you lament like an old man?” His nephew, Lu Huo, couldn’t help but laugh. At no more than forty, his uncle often spoke of martial affairs like a man in his seventies or eighty, sighing and lamenting.
Lu Jian smiled and scolded, “Once you’ve experienced the martial world, you’ll understand my current feelings…”
As he spoke, memories of his past adventures flooded back:
Eradicating bandits, hunting down evil cultivators, risking his life for ancient ruins…
He had once drunk at the Louwailou Pavilion, won fortunes at the Tianziyi Gambling House, ridden through wind and moonlight for three hundred miles, and rushed through fire and water to fulfill promises…
Jin Li, a concubine-born son who never complained, Xue Rui, always smiling and playful, Zhong Meixian, always blushing and shy but never abandoning comrades in battle… Friends’ faces flashed in Lu Jian’s mind, filling him with warmth. He sighed again, realizing that if he hadn’t chosen to wander the martial world, his life would have been dull and monotonous, with pale memories. Sighing, if he could return to that time and choose again, he would probably still make the same decision.
Lu Huo, at the age full of dreams about the martial world, paid no heed to his uncle’s words, instead gazing at sword- and knife-wielding martial artists.
Suddenly, he exclaimed, “Second Uncle, look! The new Human Rankings are out!”
They had passed by the Wen’an branch of the Six Gates Bureau.
“The Human Rankings?” Lu Jian was quite surprised. The rankings had been updated so quickly? Could there be major changes?
As one of the local powers, staying informed about martial world news was essential. He led his nephew and guards to the plaza in front of the government office to read the rankings.
“Look! Kuangdao Su Meng’s ranking has risen again!” Lu Huo exclaimed. It hadn’t even been three months, yet Su Meng had climbed the rankings again. It was almost unbelievable!
Usually, rankings changed every six months because improving one’s cultivation required time and effort; it wasn’t something that could be achieved overnight. Yet Su Meng, having defeated the “Five Emperors’ Blade” less than three months ago, had already done something astonishing, demonstrating a power level that seemed impossible for the same person from just two months prior!
“What?” Lu Jian was also greatly shocked. He focused on the list and found that the rankings of He Jiu and others hadn’t changed, but the following entries were different:
“Name: Su Meng, previously known by the dharma name Zhen Ding.
Martial Arts: Seven Orifices. Initially trained in Golden Bell Cover, currently suspected of switching to a similar protective technique. His mental strength surpasses ordinary Nine Orifices, and his physical power is extraordinary. Primarily uses a saber with his right hand, supplemented by a sword in his left. His sword techniques lack a complete system but excel in life-or-death combat. He has mastered the true essence of the first and second forms of the A-nan Breaking Precepts Saber, and can use them consecutively without drawing on his blood essence.
With his precious weapon, he can manifest thunder-like external saber techniques. When exerting his full strength, he can unleash a near-external scenery-level strike. Additionally, his saber techniques have reached mastery, refined to an extraordinary level, earning him a place among the greats. He also possesses the ability to summon heavenly lightning.
Achievements: Slew the heretic An Guo, “White-Headed Vulture”; narrowly defeated Wang Zai, the “Upright Sword,” by half a move at the martial arena of Yedu Prefecture; escaped unscathed from the deadly attack of Jiang Hengchuan, “Shocking for Hundreds of Miles,” causing the winds and clouds to shift and lightning to flash at Jiangzhou’s Maoling Guan’s garden; forced Wang Siyuan, the “Calculating for Immortality,” into a defensive stance at Dongyang’s secondary mansion; narrowly defeated Qingyu, the “Five Emperors’ Blade,” at the street of Changchuan, Jiangzhou…
Traveled thousands of miles and, at a shrine beside the Longyan Mountain road, faced an ambush by the Demon Shadow Cold Palm, the Flame Human Demon, and the Soul-Stealing Flute. He single-handedly defeated all three, details of the battle unknown. However, Kuangdao Su Meng, with hard techniques like Golden Bell Cover, is clearly more adept at handling such situations compared to other Human Rankings experts.
Rank: 6th.
Nicknames: Wild Saber, Fierce Vajra, Thunder Saber Mad Monk.
Identity: A former Shaolin disciple, now a wandering martial artist.”
A single battle that eliminated Demon Shadow Cold Palm, Flame Human Demon, and Soul-Stealing Flute? Lu Jian could hardly believe his eyes.
Although Demon Shadow Cold Palm had once suffered from a backlash that weakened his strength, worsening with each passing moment during the fight, he was still a legitimate Half-External Scenery expert with formidable palm techniques and exceptional speed. Combined with Flame Human Demon, one of the top-tier Human Demons, and the famous left-handed practitioner Soul-Stealing Flute, the trio formed a well-balanced team capable of both long-range and close-range attacks, control and overwhelming force. Even a normal Half-External Scenery expert would struggle against such a combination, let alone Su Meng, who was merely at the Seven Orifices stage.
It was simply unbelievable!
Moreover, with such achievements, even a top-five ranking wouldn’t be questioned. Considering Su Meng’s martial techniques were more suited for life-or-death combat and ambushes, the Six Gates Bureau placing him at sixth seemed almost like an act of suppression.
“Wow, that’s amazing! Surviving an ambush by three such powerful villains and defeating all of them!” Lu Huo was ecstatic, murmuring to himself, “Dual-wielding swords and sabers is that strong? I really want to learn it!”
Perhaps because he was only at the Seven Orifices stage… Lu Jian ignored his nephew’s excited chatter and continued pondering.
Upon hearing the mention of dual-wielding, he suddenly felt that Su Meng’s latest Human Rankings profile seemed somewhat different from before—not in terms of achievements, since the Rankings had limited space and mainly highlighted the most important and recent feats, but in that the dual-wielding aspect had been downplayed. It seemed that Su Meng now relied more on the saber and used the sword less frequently, with the descriptions of his sword techniques becoming increasingly brief.
Of course, since the information wasn’t completely removed but rather rephrased, Lu Jian didn’t dwell on it too much, shaking his head with a bitter smile.
In his younger days, he had worked hard and risked his life repeatedly, striving to make it onto the Human Rankings but failing. Now, just a few years past thirty-five, he was witnessing how quickly someone could rise in the Rankings—truly a case of how some people make others envious!
The rankings following Su Meng did not simply shift accordingly; there were minor changes, with new names entering the list and some leaving due to breakthroughs or age limits.
“Let’s go. Hurry back home,” Lu Jian tightened his grip on the hand warmer and urged his nephew. Every time he looked at the Human Rankings, he couldn’t help but feel nostalgic, especially in the harsh winter wind.
Still reluctant, Lu Huo turned and walked a short distance to a bridge before suddenly asking, “Second Uncle, do you know which sect specializes in dual-wielding swords and sabers?”
“If you can’t even master wielding a single sword or saber well, how can you dream of dual-wielding?” Lu Jian felt a bit frustrated with his nephew’s naivety.
“Maybe I’m just good at combining both!” Lu Huo replied excitedly.
Before Lu Jian could speak, he suddenly spotted a young man in a green robe standing ahead.
The young man stood quietly by the bridge, hands behind his back, gazing at the riddles hanging from nearby trees. Dressed in a neat green robe and wearing a silk headpiece, he exuded a scholarly and graceful aura.
At first glance, he didn’t seem particularly striking. But upon closer inspection, one would notice that this green-robed young man blended seamlessly with the stone arch bridge, the river, the trees, and the ground—an entirely harmonious presence, neither more nor less than what belonged. It was as if he were the embodiment of this entire space, capable of accepting or rejecting intrusions with a mere thought.
On this moonless night, the water flowed gently, the green trees were withered, the arch bridge undulated, the ground was still, and the surroundings were silent except for the sound of water. A dreamlike atmosphere filled the air. Lu Jian’s expression turned serious, and his gaze instinctively focused on the young man’s hands. They were clasped behind his back—long, strong, and glowing faintly, as if carved from jade, exuding an indescribable and peculiar charm.
“Are you Lu Jian?” The young man turned his head, revealing a face that, though seemingly plain at first glance, combined its features into a strangely enchanting and demonic allure. His voice was steady and deep.
Lu Jian shuddered slightly and regained his composure. “That is me. May I ask what business you have, sir?”
“I have been entrusted to find the whereabouts of Jin Li. Can you confirm that his last known location was Wen’an?” The young man spoke calmly.
This young man was none other than Meng Qi. Since the matter involved the Primordial Celestial Venerable, he couldn’t directly come under his true identity, nor could he constantly wear a mask. Thus, using the Eight-Nine Mystical Art and disguise techniques, he had altered his appearance once again to assume a new persona.
Lu Jian glanced at his surroundings, signaling his guards to take Lu Huo a bit further away before bowing respectfully and asking, “Are you from the Jin family?”
“I am a close friend of Jin Li, bonded by life and death. More than three years ago, he suddenly arrived in Wen’an, saying many things that seemed ordinary at the time but now, upon reflection, appear quite strange. Then, in the rain one night, he left my residence. At the time, I didn’t think much of it, assuming he had urgent matters elsewhere. Not long ago, someone from the Jin family came inquiring, and I learned that he had been missing for several years. Calculating the timeline, it was precisely around the time he was in Wen’an.”
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