Chapter 130: The Resolve to Grow Stronger

Lu Yan and Zhao Sirong searched through the village once more, but found nothing. There was not a single living person.

There was not even a living animal.

It was a true case of leaving neither chicken nor dog behind.

“Ordinary people have it far too difficult in a world like this,” Lu Yan sighed inwardly.

The common folk lived from day to day, never knowing whether they would see tomorrow.

No matter how hard they worked to survive, they might still be killed for no apparent reason by one of those uncanny beings.

There had been the Martial Spirit from Leaning Mountain Village, the Spider Demon they had encountered while pursuing Li Cangxin, and now these strange monsters.

An entire village could be wiped out in a single day.

Of course, this might also have something to do with the current age of chaos.

During the height of the Great Chu Dynasty, the nation had been powerful, its experts countless, and its armies of martial artists had suppressed the world. Demons, evil spirits, strange monsters, Martial Spirits, and fiends had all been exterminated or forced into hiding. How would they have dared emerge and stir up trouble?

But now the world was in turmoil. The great clans were locked in endless warfare, and every kind of demon and monster had begun to appear.

In this troubled age, who could pacify the world and restore the golden age of Great Chu?

The more Lu Yan saw, the more he learned, and the more he experienced, the more firmly he resolved to grow stronger.

His strength was already considerable, but if he encountered a demonic or uncanny creature at the Grandmaster level—or something even more terrifying—would he end up like the villagers here, slaughtered without the slightest ability to resist?

This world was vast.

Great Chu had seventy-two provinces, and Blackwater Province was only one of them.

Blackwater Province had twenty-eight commanderies, while the six commanderies of Eastern Ridge occupied merely one corner of it.

He was still insignificant.

These thoughts flashed through Lu Yan’s mind.

“Brother Lu, shall we go and meet up with Zhao Hao? I’m worried he may have run into an ambush as well,” Zhao Sirong said.

Lu Yan nodded.

The two of them left Mangwu Village and followed the route along which Zhao Hao had pursued the strange monster. They had not gone far when they saw Zhao Hao approaching them.

“Zhao Hao, are you all right?” Zhao Sirong asked, visibly relieved at the sight of him.

“I’m fine. I already killed that strange monster. What about you? Did you manage to kill yours?” Zhao Hao asked.

“We pursued it into Mangwu Village and encountered an ambush.”

Zhao Sirong briefly recounted what had happened.

Zhao Hao’s expression changed when he heard this. “I didn’t expect there really to be an ambush. Fortunately, Brother Lu came to your aid. Brother Lu, I wronged you earlier.”

With that, Zhao Hao cupped his fists and bowed to Lu Yan.

“There’s no need for that, Brother Zhao. You were simply too eager to kill the monster. How could I blame you?” Lu Yan replied with a smile.

For some reason, whenever he looked at Zhao Hao, he felt that something was amiss.

Especially when they had first met just now—when Zhao Hao had looked at him, Lu Yan had felt a faint chill run through him.

Yet after carefully examining Zhao Hao and observing him in secret, Lu Yan detected nothing unusual.

“Perhaps I’m just being overly suspicious,” Lu Yan thought.

“By the way, Brother Lu, are you heading to Ridge King City?” Zhao Sirong asked.

“That’s right. With demons and strange monsters running rampant, the great clans have joined forces to battle them at Ridge King City. I want to do my part as well,” Lu Yan said, his voice filled with righteous conviction.

“Brother Lu, your sense of justice is admirable. I, Sirong, truly respect you. We have been patrolling the surrounding area these past few days to prevent any demons or strange monsters from slipping into the rear. In a few days, another group will take over our patrol, and we will return to Ridge King City. Why don’t you travel with us?” Zhao Sirong suggested.

“That would be excellent.”

Lu Yan nodded.

Since he had the opportunity to establish a connection with the Zhao clan, he naturally would not let it pass.

Besides, Zhao Sirong and Zhao Hao were both young, no more than thirty, yet they possessed such impressive cultivation. Their status within the Zhao clan was certainly not low.

Becoming acquainted with them would only help him obtain the Heart Tempering Formula.

The three of them returned to the tavern where they had previously stayed and reunited with the three subordinates.

The two burly men and the woman who had been poisoned earlier had managed, after forcing the poison out, to suppress its effects with their vital blood.

Zhao Sirong instructed one of her subordinates to escort the three of them back to Ridge King City and find a physician to treat the poison.

The rest of them continued their patrol outside.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

They encountered no more demons or strange monsters during those three days.

At that point, another team arrived to take over Zhao Sirong and the others’ patrol. Lu Yan then traveled with Zhao Sirong, Zhao Hao, and the rest toward Ridge King City.

Before long, a massive ancient city appeared in the distance.

It was the most magnificent city Lu Yan had ever seen.

Neither Hundred Herb City nor Southern Barbarian City could compare with it.

The city walls stood five zhang high. They were blue-gray, thick and austere, bearing the weight of countless years.

Even from afar, one could see groups of martial soldiers patrolling along the ramparts.

Ridge King City was said to have been the royal city of a feudal prince of the Great Chu Dynasty a thousand years ago. That prince’s title had been Ridge King, which was how the city had acquired its name.

Ridge King City faced north from the south.

To its east and west stretched vast mountain ranges—steep, treacherous, and towering like sheer walls into the heavens. Ordinary people could never cross them.

“The demons are currently gathered north of Ridge King City. They usually hide in the mountains and can launch an attack at any moment. Experts from all the great clans have gathered in Ridge King City, forming a stalemate with them,” Zhao Sirong explained.

Lu Yan looked puzzled. “Judging from the terrain, the mountains on either side of Ridge King City may be dangerous, but they shouldn’t be able to stop the demons, should they?”

Although the mountains east and west of Ridge King City were precipitous and difficult for ordinary people to climb, they certainly could not stop martial artists who had broken through their limits.

Most demons and strange monsters had evolved from fierce birds and savage beasts. Their bodies were powerful—no weaker than those of martial artists, and often stronger. Combined with their innate advantages, how could such mountains hold them back?

Why didn’t the demonic army simply bypass Ridge King City from either side and attack elsewhere?

“Many people find that strange as well. Those demons seem fixated on Ridge King City, as though they are determined to break through it.”

“The demonic army obeys the Demon King. Some people speculate that the Demon King wants to kill someone inside Ridge King City. Others believe there may be something within the city that is attracting it,” Zhao Sirong explained.

They continued walking as they spoke, and soon reached the city gates.

The gates were naturally guarded by heavily armed troops, all of them experts. With a single glance, Lu Yan spotted several men with sharp eyes and powerful auras. They were unquestionably Martial Marquis-level experts.

Although Zhao Sirong and Zhao Hao were members of the Zhao clan, they too had to undergo a strict inspection before entering the city.

Lu Yan was naturally no exception.

Only after the inspection was completed were the group permitted to enter.

The streets were paved with bluestone and more than six zhang wide.

The noisy bustle of the markets rang out from both sides. Shops of every kind filled the streets, and people streamed past one another amid an atmosphere of vigorous life. Compared with the world outside the city, it seemed like an entirely different realm.

Besides ordinary people, Lu Yan saw many martial artists as well.

Martial artists differed greatly from ordinary people. During the Limit-Breaking stages, they developed the potential of their physical bodies, and with the aid of martial food, their physiques often became exceptionally massive.

Every time they broke through one of the body’s sealed gates, they grew taller and more robust.

That changed after reaching the Martial Marquis realm.

At the Martial Marquis realm, one developed the potential hidden deep within the bones. The focus was on tempering the skeleton and refining the body, shifting from the outside inward and emphasizing quality rather than bulk.

That was why, although Lu Yan had broken through several stages after reaching the Martial Marquis realm, his build had not changed very much.

The same was even more true after reaching the Grandmaster realm, when the focus shifted to tempering the internal organs.

“Brother Lu, we have to return and report our mission. My residence is Mingxiang Manor in the eastern district. If you need anything, feel free to come find me,” Zhao Sirong said.

“All right. I’ll have to trouble you then, Miss Sirong,” Lu Yan replied with a nod.

He had actually wanted to ask Zhao Sirong about the Heart Tempering Formula, but with Zhao Hao and the other three present, it was inconvenient to bring it up.

The fewer people who knew about this matter, the better.

There was no need to hurry. He could inquire with Zhao Sirong another day.

“By the way, Brother Lu, the Zhao clan has issued corresponding rewards to encourage martial artists to hunt demons and strange monsters. Every demon or strange monster killed earns battle merit, which can be exchanged for various resources from our clan. You killed two strange monsters earlier, and I will report them truthfully.”

“Also, to thank the martial artists from the various great clans who have come to help us, the Zhao clan is offering large quantities of martial food for sale. Anyone who has come to assist us can purchase it at a twenty-percent discount, which is far cheaper than elsewhere. If you need any, Brother Lu, you must not miss the opportunity.”

Zhao Sirong mentioned this just before leaving.

“Thank you for telling me, Miss Sirong.”

Lu Yan cupped his fists.

Both offers were quite favorable and would greatly increase the willingness of outside martial artists to come to their aid.

After bidding one another farewell, Zhao Sirong, Zhao Hao, and the others departed.

Lu Yan wandered through the city alone. He might remain in Ridge King City for more than a day or two, so his first priority was to find a place to stay.

Staying at an inn was out of the question.

He needed to practice, and inns provided too little space and no privacy. They were completely unsuitable for cultivation.

Ideally, he wanted to rent a secluded courtyard.

However, after making the rounds and asking around, he discovered that every private courtyard had already been rented out.

Lu Yan wanted a spacious, quiet residence with sufficient privacy where he could practice. Other martial artists wanted the same.

During this period, most of the great clans from the six commanderies of Eastern Ridge had sent people to provide assistance.

As a result, the number of martial artists in Ridge King City had increased dramatically, and the larger courtyards had long since been rented.

Some martial artists had even rented rooms in the homes of ordinary citizens.

Ordinary families could clear out a few rooms, and the privacy was still better than that of an inn.

Left with no other choice, Lu Yan decided to rent a room from one of the city’s residents.

After searching for a while, he finally found a suitable home.

The owner sold tofu. There were only three people in the family: a husband and wife in their thirties, and a sweet, adorable daughter of seven or eight years old whose nickname was Tofu.

The family had been making tofu for generations—fifth generation, according to them—so their circumstances were fairly comfortable. Their house was spacious, and its privacy was relatively good.

They could spare several rooms for Lu Yan, enough for him to practice his martial arts each day.

“Sir Martial Artist, if you need anything, please don’t hesitate to give me orders,” said the homeowner.

His name was Zhou Xiang. He was simple and honest, with dark, weathered skin.

Behind Zhou Xiang, his daughter Tofu stared at Lu Yan with a mixture of curiosity and fear. Whenever Lu Yan looked at her, she quickly hid behind her father.

“Since I have you here, let me ask you something. Do you know where I can buy martial food?” Lu Yan asked.

“Two li north from here, there’s a restaurant opened by the Zhao clan. They sell martial food there,” Zhou Xiang answered honestly.

Lu Yan nodded. The dried martial food he had brought with him had long since been eaten, so he needed to purchase another supply.

A twenty-percent discount was quite worthwhile.

Besides, he had earned a great deal along the way.

After asking Zhou Xiang a few more questions, Lu Yan left the house and headed north.

The Zhao Clan Martial Food House.

It was a very ordinary name. Many restaurants opened by great clans used similar names.

Zhao Sirong had been telling the truth. Outside martial artists could indeed purchase martial food at a twenty-percent discount. Second-grade martial food cost only forty taels per pound.

Even though the Zhao clan had put a large quantity of martial food up for sale, demand still far exceeded supply. A Martial Marquis could purchase no more than ten pounds of second-grade martial food per day.

Please send me your monthly votes—throw them all my way. Don’t spare me just because I’m handsome.

End of Chapter