Chapter 34: Is There Truly a Secret Realm?

After shaking the blood from his blade, Shang Lu sheathed his knife. Looking up, he saw San Niang dragging Yuan Guilong’s corpse toward the wasteland below the main road.

Shang Lu walked over for a closer look. It turned out that, while he was fighting and interrogating moments earlier, San Niang had already dug a deep pit in the wasteland and dragged the bodies of Feng San and his group over, tossing them in. The pit was clearly the work of an experienced hand—deep enough that there was no risk of wild dogs digging up the corpses.

Shang Lu glanced at the pit, then at San Niang, and sighed, “The two of us—a killer and a gravedigger—are truly a perfect match.”

He didn’t let San Niang do all the work alone. Turning back to the road, he dragged over the bodies of Hu Tie and the other two Vajra, tossing them into the pit. Then, together with San Niang, he pushed the pile of soil back in, burying the corpses.

Before covering them, however, he stripped Yuan Guilong’s broken axe and the boots from the four Vajra, planning to put them to use later.

When they had finished, San Niang, as if presenting a treasure, pulled Shang Lu aside. On a rock nearby, Shang Lu found some silver, copper coins, and a book. San Niang’s oil-paper umbrella was floating above, sheltering the book from the rain.

Shang Lu was momentarily stunned, then realized these were spoils that San Niang had collected from the bodies while burying them. Truly, she was a resourceful partner.

He picked up the silver and coins, checked them for any marks, and, satisfied, slipped them into his robe with a smile. “Tomorrow, I’ll use this money to buy you a silver hairpin.”

He then picked up the book, flipping through a few pages, and his face lit up with delight. It wasn’t a manual of secret techniques, but rather the cultivation insights of a Qi-Refining cultivator. According to the preface, the author was a junior officer in the army of the State of Ba. Shang Lu guessed he must have been the superior of Yuan Guilong and his men during their military days.

The author had recorded his experiences because he believed that cultivation was like sailing upstream: if you do not advance, you fall behind. One must constantly reflect and learn to improve.

The booklet chronicled the author’s progress from Bone-Cutting, through Meridian-Passing and Marrow-Cleansing—the three postnatal stages—up to Qi Refining. For each realm, there were summaries and reflections.

Though this notebook did not offer Shang Lu new techniques or a direct increase in strength, it would undoubtedly help him avoid detours and double the results of his future cultivation.

As for how the booklet ended up in Yuan Guilong’s hands, Shang Lu surmised that after a defeat, the original Qi-Refining officer had died in battle, and Yuan Guilong’s group had found it on his corpse. Realizing its value, they had kept it to study. Little did they know, today it would fall into Shang Lu’s hands.

He tucked the notebook close, then set off with San Niang for Zhao Hai’s villa outside the city.

The horses that Yuan Guilong’s group had ridden were long gone, but Shang Lu didn’t bother to chase them; even if he caught up, he couldn’t ride anyway, and it was easier to go on foot.

Zhao Hai’s estate was about ten miles from Luoshui County town. The property was vast and of high quality, all acquired over the years by Zhao Hai through force and cunning, annexing land as he pleased. The original owners were either dead, sold into slavery or prostitution, or, in a few lucky cases, allowed to remain as tenant farmers—though the rent was so exorbitant they could barely fill their stomachs with a year’s labor. Still, that counted as good fortune, for at least their families weren’t destroyed.

At the center of the estate was a grand compound where Zhao Hai resided. The courtyard was spacious, divided into several smaller yards, with towering walls and men of the Black Wind Gang patrolling as guards.

But on this night, with rain pouring down, the guards were all shirking their duties, huddling under the eaves to avoid getting wet. Not that it mattered; even if they had been on patrol, they would have been helpless.

As soon as Shang Lu reached the outer wall, San Niang slipped through and, in no time, had mapped out the guards’ patrol routes inside. Guided by her, Shang Lu found a deserted corner and, using his Monkey Step technique, vaulted lightly into the yard.

There were some guard dogs inside, but tonight they had their tails tucked between their legs, cowering in their kennels, not daring to make a sound, as if something truly terrifying had entered.

Once inside, San Niang led the way, taking Shang Lu to find Zhao Hai. She had not only scouted the patrols but also pinpointed Zhao Hai’s exact location. With her help, the business of killing was far more convenient.

Shang Lu, marveling at her capability, hurried after her to the small courtyard where Zhao Hai could be found.

Zhao Hai had no inkling that an uninvited guest had entered his estate, nor that this guest was coming straight for him with the intent to kill. He was in a side room of a secluded courtyard, deep in discussion with his two chief enforcers over some startling news he had just received. Apart from the three of them, no one else was present; the guards had all been driven out, with orders that no one was to approach without permission.

“Old Ma says a secret realm may have appeared on Yunhua Mountain. The two shamans who arrived today came for that very reason. Damn it, Luoshui County is Black Wind Gang territory, yet we knew nothing about a secret realm’s appearance. What are our people doing?”

“It’s not really their fault. Most of our business is in town; who would wander into the mountains for no reason? But could there really be a secret realm at Yunhua Mountain? The shamans are stationed far away at the prefecture seat—how did they even learn of something happening here in Luoshui?”

The speaker was Xu Biao, the Left Guardian. Like Zhao Hai, he had reached the entry level of Meridian-Passing, and was his top fighter. Though Zhao Hai wanted to recruit even stronger men, none would stoop to join him.

“There’s a shaman temple at Yunhua Mountain. The shaman-priests must have noticed something strange and reported it up the chain. Hmph, I’ll have to find a way to teach those priests a lesson, remind them who they should report to first in Luoshui County!”

The Right Guardian, Huang Bao, had some martial training but little talent, and was only at the entry level of Bone-Cutting. Still, he was sharp-witted and full of cunning schemes, serving as Zhao Hai’s chief strategist and coming up with many ruthless plans.

After a few words about Yunhua Mountain, Zhao Hai turned the conversation to Shang Lu. “Old Ma says the reason Shang Lu was able to fully recover from his grievous wounds in just a few months, and even reach the peak of Bone-Cutting, is because he had a stroke of great fortune in the secret realm at Yunhua Mountain. He wants us to capture Shang Lu at once, force out the secret of the realm, and beat the shamans to the punch. What do you think—how much of this is true?”

Huang Bao shook his head. “Hard to say. But Shang Lu really was badly injured before. Without some extraordinary opportunity, he could never have made such a recovery.”

Xu Biao agreed; that was his thinking as well.

“So, regardless of whether there’s a secret realm at Yunhua Mountain, Shang Lu must have obtained some great fortune.”

Zhao Hai’s eyes gleamed. “If we can steal that fortune, wouldn’t our own cultivation soar? If I break through to the Marrow-Cleansing stage, I could be admitted to the Shaman Academy and learn the secret arts of immortality!”

Great fortune, Shaman Academy, secret arts of immortality—these words, spoken together, left both Huang Bao and Xu Biao breathing heavily.

“Old Ma doesn’t dare make a move himself and wants to use us as pawns. Ha! He has no idea that we’re masters of double-crossing. When the time comes, we’ll take everything for ourselves and leave him nothing!”

The three roared with laughter, not sparing a thought for Head Constable Ma. His cultivation was slipping, his evaluations were poor, and next year he might not even keep his job—what was there to fear?

All they hoped now was for Yuan Guilong to capture Shang Lu quickly, so they could interrogate him and seize his fortune. The Shaman Academy’s upcoming recruitment was a once-in-a-lifetime chance—they would not let it slip by.

At that moment, a shadow flickered outside the tightly closed window.

“Who’s out there eavesdropping? Bold indeed!” Xu Biao’s face darkened as he snorted coldly, rose, and strode into the rain.

Zhao Hai and Huang Bao thought nothing of it at first, assuming it was just a disobedient underling. After all, in Luoshui County, they couldn’t imagine anyone daring to cross them.

But they waited and waited, and Xu Biao did not return.

“Old Huang, stay here. I’ll go take a look.” Sensing something was wrong, Zhao Hai grabbed the knife from the table and hurried outside.

There, he saw Xu Biao standing in the courtyard, facing away from him, unmoving, doing who knew what...