The night passed without further incident.
Wu Ming and Lin Xinlan, preferring to keep a low profile, naturally paid no heed to the shocking robbery that had occurred in the city.
After resting for the night and replenishing supplies, the two immediately set off on their journey toward the imperial capital of the Wu Dynasty.
Five hundred years ago, this place had been the center of the Shenwu World. However, after the mysterious disappearance of the Martial Emperor and the subsequent rebellion of the Eight Great Clans, which led to the destruction of the imperial palace, it had become a ruined wasteland.
Yet for Wu Ming, it was a place he absolutely had to visit.
As for the Martial Emperor—the man who singlehandedly ushered in the golden age of martial cultivation—he was definitely someone Wu Ming would not overlook.
“My lord…”
The two once again leapt over the city walls using their martial prowess, retrieved the carriage they had left the previous day, and resumed their journey. Lin Xinlan, however, appeared hesitant, as if she wanted to say something but held back: “Last night… it seemed rather unsettled.”
“Of course it was unsettled. If I’m not mistaken, the four major factions of Luofeng City, including the city lord’s mansion, were probably all robbed. There will be chaos in the city today…”
Wu Ming smirked indifferently: “But what does that have to do with us?”
“Indeed…”
Lin Xinlan rolled her eyes inwardly. Having served as Wu Ming’s maid for so long, she had come to understand his temperament.
Unless something directly caught his interest, even if the sky were to collapse, he would remain indifferent.
Leaving early this morning was likely also a way to avoid trouble.
Unfortunately, sometimes trouble finds you, even if you don’t seek it.
After two hours of travel, a thunderous sound of hooves suddenly came from the direction of Luofeng City.
Clippity-clop! Clippity-clop!
The riders were swift and powerful, quickly catching up to the carriage and surrounding it: “Stop!”
“You are… from Luofeng City?”
Lin Xinlan asked calmly.
“Correct! You two entered the city yesterday and are now hastily leaving. We suspect you are involved in last night’s theft. Please accompany us back for investigation!”
The group of knights was elite and formidable. At their head stood a man with sharp eyes and bulging muscles, exuding a dark and eerie aura—an evident martial expert.
“We have urgent matters to attend to!”
With Wu Ming beside her, Lin Xinlan naturally felt no fear and replied directly: “Moreover, we have nothing to do with last night’s incident. The inn staff can testify to that. Please excuse us, but we cannot comply.”
“Dare you defy us!”
Before Lin Xinlan could respond, one of the knights shouted: “Girl, do you know who this honorable gentleman is?”
Before she could speak, another voice cut in: “This is our Zhang Clan’s patriarch, Zhang Tianjie, known as the Iron Arm and Iron Leg! He personally came all the way here to chase down the criminal across a hundred miles. How dare you still argue?”
“Rank twenty-five on the Earth Yuan List!”
Lin Xinlan gasped softly, feeling slightly disheartened, realizing this was beyond her ability to handle.
“Young lady… come back with us. Old man here, with my reputation and the credibility of the four factions, I assure you no innocent person will be wronged…”
Zhang Tianjie waved his hand, and the men immediately moved forward, exuding menace.
“Hehe…”
Seeing this, Wu Ming could no longer stay silent. He stepped forward and faced Zhang Tianjie: “And if we still refuse?”
“Dare you!”
The knights around were furious, but Zhang Tianjie, experienced and shrewd, remained serious and gave a slight bow: “May I know your name, sir?”
“You’re quite the schemer!”
Wu Ming sneered faintly: “Under the guise of righteousness, you’d rather kill the innocent than let a criminal escape. If we are indeed thieves, then all the better. If not, we must return to the city with you to prove our innocence, and perhaps even help you capture the real culprit. Am I right?”
“Hehe… thinking you can play me for a fool, I wonder where you found the courage!”
At these words, Zhang Tianjie’s expression changed instantly, for Wu Ming had indeed pierced the secret hidden in his heart.
“Unfortunately for you, you’ve miscalculated two things!”
Wu Ming raised two fingers: “First, I’m not a good person. Second, my martial arts skills are very high. Why should I play by your rules?”
Zhang Tianjie’s face darkened, and a golden glow appeared on his arms: “Then, young sir refuses the old man’s goodwill?”
“I’ve always disliked unnecessary bloodshed…”
Wu Ming’s expression was indifferent: “I’ll give you three seconds. If you don’t move aside by then, don’t blame me for being ruthless…”
“Hmph, big talk!”
Zhang Tianjie snorted coldly, waiting for Wu Ming to count to three.
Suddenly, a chill ran through him as he recalled a certain description from the Earth Yuan List and the latest Heaven Omen List.
“Wait a moment…”
Unfortunately, his realization came too late.
Wu Ming calmly counted to three. The next moment, water surged violently!
Hiss!
Tiny streams of water, shooting forth at incredible speed, transformed into merciless harbingers of death. In an instant, the surrounding knights and their horses were severed at the neck.
“You… you are…”
Zhang Tianjie’s face turned pale with terror, but before he could speak further, a thin red line appeared across his throat.
Thud!
His head fell. The surviving men cried out in fear.
Such a supernatural method of killing was beyond their comprehension!
“Go back and tell your superiors: I’m no good person. If you send more men, I’ll kill every last one of them!”
Wu Ming said indifferently, and the carriage resumed its journey.
“My lord…”
Lin Xinlan hesitated, wanting to say something.
“Do you think I went too far?”
Wu Ming smiled.
“No!” Lin Xinlan replied honestly: “If it weren’t for your unparalleled martial prowess, we might have ended up worse than them. I’m just curious why you didn’t just prove your innocence directly?”
“Because it’s too much trouble…”
Wu Ming explained: “Besides, if they later have a request of me, how would they act? Some people are always insatiable. If you help them once, they’ll expect you to help a second and third time, and if you refuse, they’ll brand you as not a righteous person…”
Lin Xinlan was momentarily speechless.
“If I followed the path of righteousness, wouldn’t I now be surrendering willingly, showing restraint, going back to Luofeng City with them, risking my life to find the real culprit, and then leaving with nothing but empty fame and praise… Hmph… Such a protagonist role isn’t worth playing at all…”
After this incident, whether out of fear or something else, Luofeng City remained quiet, and no one came to bother them again, much to Wu Ming’s satisfaction.
It seemed that in this Shenwu World, being strong and ruthless still had its advantages.
The carriage continued on its way, and two days later, they arrived at the outskirts of the Wu Dynasty’s imperial capital.
“The mountains rise like a gathering crowd, the waves surge like anger. The land and rivers remain as they were, the ancient road and western wind still exist, only the palace has changed…”
Once the imperial capital of the world, it was now a ruined wasteland. Only the roads remained wide enough to accommodate four or five carriages side by side. Though long neglected, the grandeur of the place still lingered.
Lin Xinlan looked at Wu Ming, who had stepped out of the carriage and was walking alone, her eyes filled with confusion.
Since the fall of the Wu Dynasty five hundred years ago, countless martial artists and thieves had visited this place, digging deep into the earth. If there were any hidden treasures left, they should have been discovered long ago.
Unknown to her, Wu Ming had come not for any potential treasures.
Before a yellow building.
“This should be the location of the imperial palace back then…”
Given that this was part of the same universe, certain rules applied universally. Naturally, the imperial palace would be built in the most auspicious location in the capital, especially the Martial Emperor’s residence.
Wu Ming stood there silently for a long time.
“The Main Temple…”
He softly called out in his mind. Beyond this world, above the amber-like crystal barrier system, the Main Temple roared, emitting a flood of light. A single thread broke through the barrier, connecting to Wu Ming’s consciousness at great cost.
“Time Reversal, Heaven and Earth Search!”
As the incantation sounded, Lin Xinlan was horrified to see some changes around Wu Ming. In the hazy mist, the ruins seemed to repair themselves automatically, forming a magnificent and grand palace.
She instinctively stepped forward but could see no more.
A thick fog appeared, completely blocking her vision.
Naturally, Wu Ming did not possess the power to reverse time itself. However, with the Main Temple’s Da Luo power, he could extract a trace of the past from this ruin.
To extract a “variable” from this eternal stillness required the Main Temple’s immense power!
Scene after scene of illusions appeared, various figures flickering, the surroundings changing rapidly, finally settling on one figure.
He wore a golden crown adorned with twelve strings of pearls and an imperial robe embroidered with mountains, rivers, plants, trees, sun, and stars. Just standing there, he seemed like the master of the world, the supreme ruler of the nine heavens!
The Martial Emperor!
Who else could leave such a unique mark in history?
“Hmm?”
Just then, the emperor in the vision paused, as if sensing something. A pair of eyes that pierced heaven and earth turned directly toward Wu Ming, initiating a confrontation across the river of history!
“Hmph!”
Wu Ming snorted coldly. With a surge of his immense spiritual power, the entire scene shattered: “Just a sixth-level martial artist. Even if it were your real body, I wouldn’t fear you. A mere imprint… hehe…”
With a wave of his right hand, a golden-yellow aura emerged and was drawn into the Main Temple.
Buzz!
In an instant, he felt the Main Temple vibrate with a tone of joy.
“Indeed… there was a component of the Main Temple here?”
A smile curved on his lips: “This Martial Emperor, even if he were a chosen of fate, must have obtained a component of the Main Temple. Perhaps he even slightly activated its divine power, allowing him to rise so quickly!”
With this clue, this visit to the Wu Dynasty’s imperial capital was definitely not in vain!
“Good… Although I had my suspicions from the beginning, I can now be certain: the Main Temple’s components are definitely related to the Martial Emperor. The search area has been significantly narrowed down…”
Wu Ming murmured: “Next, I must seek out information about the Martial Emperor or his hidden treasures…”
The mist dissipated, revealing Lin Xinlan outside, who had been watching anxiously. Seeing Wu Ming, she immediately smiled: “Was your task successful, my lord?”
“Everything is under control!”
Wu Ming smiled and left the imperial palace with Lin Xinlan.
Just as they reached the outer city, a sudden change occurred!
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