Within the remote, humble inn, a motley crew had gathered this night.

After the five figures exited their room, the maiden Yao Lingzhi found her breathing labored.

This bewildered her.

The fear she felt towards the young retainer was a complex blend of emotions – the intuition of a fragile woman facing a man with ill intentions, the reverence of a subordinate towards unseen power, and the innate aversion of a virtuous soul towards those steeped in darkness.

However, the suffocating feeling Yao Lingzhi experienced when regarding the five figures on the same floor was far more direct.

In the same forest, rabbits and deer flee from tigers and bears. In the same river, fish and shrimp tremble before dragons.

Yao Lingzhi had served as a frontier scout for three years, enduring two near-death experiences. Never once had she considered retreating, making this sensation all the more perplexing.

She was the most outstanding martial arts prodigy of her generation in the Yao family. At just fourteen, she had already reached the Fourth Realm, with promising prospects of breaking through. Whether at fifteen or seventeen, a Fifth Realm martial artist could rightly be called a “genius.” Across the Great Spring Dynasty, whether in the military or the martial world, Yao Lingzhi was a gem, requiring only refinement to shine brilliantly. No one doubted her future ascent to the Wind Riding Realm, becoming a martial arts grandmaster capable of safeguarding a region.

Especially those experts with military backgrounds possessed devastating power, a fact beyond dispute.

In the martial world, grandmasters often fought evenly matched duels. On the battlefield, the goal was to be a one-man fortress, a slayer of hundreds, even thousands.

Yao Lingzhi clutched a silver ingot-shaped object – a priceless military armor pellet. It was the “Sweet Dew Armor,” ridiculed by mountain cultivators as “puddle armor,” but of an even higher quality, the “Pond Armor” Golden Crow Warp and Weft Armor, a true immortal treasure. The high expectations the Yao family held for Yao Lingzhi were evident.

The young retainer looked at the five figures on the second floor and slammed the table, feigning anger, “Relying on numbers, trying to scare me?”

As he spoke, a smile played on his lips.

Three tables of people were inside the inn, with hundreds of elite cavalry outside. Perhaps even he felt a bit shameless, and he couldn’t help but chuckle.

Two tables of retainers, elites of the military, joined in the merriment.

They completely disregarded the commotion on the second floor. Though those upstairs exuded a powerful aura, even somewhat awe-inspiring, so what?

Just martial world brutes.

The martial world of the Great Spring Dynasty had long been broken, a pack of dogs crawling at the feet of the imperial court, begging for scraps.

And the one who had personally shattered the spine of the martial world was coincidentally sitting at a table in the inn today.

The benevolent do not come, and those who come are not benevolent.

The innkeeper, nicknamed Nine, didn’t feel relieved by Chen Ping’an’s presence. Instead, her mood grew heavier.

Third Master had already announced his name, yet the other party was still so aggressive, clearly targeting the “Yao” surname.

Once a conflict arose, she feared they would escalate the matter, ultimately causing trouble for the Yao family.

The hunchbacked Old Tuo nodded towards the woman from behind the curtain.

The woman gave a bitter smile. The other party’s true intentions were elsewhere, perhaps even deliberately stirring up trouble to drag the entire Yao family into the mire.

Knowing that the Yao family should remain quiet during these turbulent times, she and the inn could only endure. Yet, she couldn’t persuade the people upstairs to retreat now. They were kindly helping her, but to ask them to cower in fear was something she couldn’t bring herself to do.

The scholar in green robes asked, puzzled, “Who are these people?”

The woman said with a wry smile, “Dignitaries from the capital, we can’t afford to offend them.”

The scholar let out an “oh,” hesitated for a long time, and was about to speak when the woman said helplessly, “Zhong Kui, I’m begging you, don’t cause trouble. Things are already complicated, I’m not in the mood to deal with you.”

The scholar sighed and obediently shut his mouth.

Chen Ping’an looked down at the hall and asked, “Bullying a widow innkeeper, isn’t that a bit unkind?”

The young retainer grinned and said, “Running a business, pouring a few drinks for guests, how is that bullying?”

Chen Ping’an pointed to the young man’s chest, “Search your conscience.”

The young man was taken aback, then picked up a wine bowl, took a large gulp, wiped his mouth, and laughed, “If those words came from old Master Chu of the academy, I would definitely think about them carefully. As for you, are you worthy?”

Chen Ping’an smiled, “Reason is reason, does it matter who speaks it? Aren’t you just bullying the weak and fearing the strong? I believe that as long as someone has a harder fist than yours, you’ll listen, regardless of reason, right?”

The young man nodded, “I heard those words, they do make sense.”

Then he casually smashed the wine bowl, raised his arm high, spread his fingers, and lightly clenched his fist, “Then let’s compare who has the harder fist? I want to see how many people in the Great Spring Dynasty dare to arm wrestle with me.”

The woman was worried that Chen Ping’an would be impulsive and act first, putting himself at a disadvantage, so she quickly warned, “Young Master, don’t be rash. These people are on official duty from the capital, carrying an imperial edict. If you strike first, you’ll have no chance to explain yourself.”

The young retainer’s eyes turned gloomy as he turned to the woman, “Shut up! What right does a worn-out widow have to interrupt? Do you know who I am?”

The woman’s face paled.

The young retainer pointed at Nine, then at Chen Ping’an and the others on the second floor, and sneered, “Yao’s Nine, secretly colluding with foreign martial artists, attempting to intercept a prisoner transport, a heinous crime.”

The woman was filled with grief and indignation and finally shouted, “Who the hell are you, you little bastard?!”

The young man pointed at himself, feigning innocence, “Me? A little bastard?”

He coughed, straightened his clothes, and smiled, “According to this Madam Yao, Gao Shizhen is an old bastard, haha, isn’t that funny? When I get home, I’m going to tell Gao Shizhen this joke.”

The woman Nine and the hunchbacked Third Master exchanged a look, both shocked.

Duke of Shen, Gao Shizhen!

The last remaining Duke of the Great Spring Dynasty, deeply trusted by the current Emperor.
For generations, the Great Spring Dynasty has enjoyed peace. The Liu family has ruled for two centuries. At the dynasty’s founding, meritorious retainers were ennobled, totaling three commandery kings and seven dukes. Yet, only the Shen Duke’s lineage has endured to this day, the others having squandered the legacy earned by their ancestors with their lives. The Shen Duke has but one son, a child born late in life, none other than the young Duke, Gao Shuyi. This fellow is notorious in the capital, a veritable princeling of arrogance, famed throughout the court. Time and again, he has relied on his ancestral grace to commit heinous deeds, yet each time, he emerges unscathed. The Emperor’s leniency toward Gao Shuyi surpasses even that shown to the princes and princesses.

Thus, in the capital’s bureaucracy, there’s a saying: “When the young Duke departs his manor, the earth trembles and the mountains shake.”

How could such a debauched and infamous wastrel possibly be involved in this southward journey? While the Emperor favors the Shen Duke’s lineage, surely his wisdom would preclude such a frivolous decision.

Within the Great Spring Dynasty, the person least afraid of courting trouble is likely this lawless Gao Shuyi.

Even the illustrious General Song Xiao, concurrently serving as Minister of War, could only curse Gao Shuyi as a “shit-stirrer” after his eldest grandson was bullied by the young Duke.

Upstairs on the second floor, Wei Xian softly explained the background of the Shen Duke to Chen Pingan.

Chen Pingan nodded, and just as everyone thought he would concede defeat, in the blink of an eye, he used some kind of mystical short cut to appear before the young Duke.

Outside the inn, on the road, a mounted scout sitting behind the coachman was chewing on some barely edible dried provisions, occasionally lifting a waterskin for a drink.

He raised his head, watching a carrier pigeon take flight from behind the inn. Immediately, someone sprinted over, awaiting the scout’s orders. This man had a snow-white, divine-looking falcon perched on his shoulder. The scout waved his hand, “Pay it no heed.”

The man silently retreated.

The scout was the same person who had arrived at the inn earlier to deliver the message. The coachman beside him sat ramrod straight, not daring to move.

An old man lifted the curtain, smiling and asking, “Your Highness, why not join them inside the inn?”

The man chuckled and shook his head.

Self-discipline is a profound art.

As for governing others, those born into imperial families have been immersed in it since childhood, and can learn from history, so it is not difficult.

Inside the carriage, two Qi Refinement cultivators sat cross-legged, one old and one young, guarding a prisoner of utmost importance, to be escorted to the Great Spring capital, Mirage City. The person who spoke to the scout was an aged Daoist priest wearing a blue and purple robe and a fish-tail crown, holding the end of a rope in one hand and a horsetail whisk in the other.

The prisoner was disheveled, covered in blood, and kept his head lowered, making it impossible to discern his features.

His golden robe was tattered, and his wrists and ankles were pierced by vajra-like instruments.

Furthermore, a black rope was tied around his neck, one end of which was held by the old cultivator.

Most grievously, a flying sword pierced the prisoner’s forehead, the tip protruding from the back of his head, stuck there.

This major criminal was a formally ordained Mountain and Water Deity, once a peak Seventh Realm Qi Refinement cultivator. Within his dominion, he possessed at least an Eighth Realm cultivation, reigning as a king and sage within his mountain and waters. He could even contend against a Ninth Realm Golden Core expert. It’s unknown why he has fallen into such a state.

Inside the carriage, besides the Daoist elder, was a young woman, her eyes full of affection when she looked at the scout. Though she said nothing, the meaning was clear.

The woman’s appearance was merely pretty, but her demeanor was extraordinary, her skin like snow. Compared to the beauties in the eyes of ordinary people, she could withstand closer scrutiny. After all, in the eyes of mountain cultivators, worldly beauty was ultimately just a stinking skin, rough and emitting various odors. Upon closer inspection, it was full of flaws.

The scout suddenly turned his head, looking towards the inn, seemingly surprised.

The old man revealed a hint of astonishment. “Such astonishing martial artist’s aura, and in such numbers. Could this small, remote inn truly be harboring hidden dragons and crouching tigers? Could it be that the young Duke has stumbled upon something, and these are desperate Northern Jin experts come to seize the prisoner?”

The woman tentatively asked, “Should I go and warn the Duke?”

The scout shook his head, smiling. “We are already within the borders of the Great Spring Dynasty. Unless the Yao family is plotting treason, what danger could there be?”

A glint flashed in the old Daoist’s eyes, but he remained silent.

A moment later, just as the old immortal was about to speak, the scout dismounted from the carriage and headed straight for the inn.

After the scout had left, the young woman from the mountain sect softly asked, “Master, the young Duke is pressuring the Yao family so much, and His Highness isn’t restraining him. Won’t something bad happen?”

The old man waved his hand. “Anyone in the world could rebel, but not the Yao family. Being a loyal minister and stalwart pillar of the nation for too long…”

The old man’s lips curled into a cold smile, “Can become an addiction.”

The prisoner, still with his head lowered, gleefully said, “To speak of upright, unyielding ministers and border defense pillars as a joke, what can your Great Spring Dynasty achieve, even if it’s momentarily powerful?”

“Still daring to be stubborn!”

The old immortal flicked his wrist, and the rope instantly tightened around the prisoner’s neck. The prisoner trembled violently, clenching his teeth, determined not to make any sound.

Inside the inn, an anomaly occurred.

A figure in white robes appeared in the lobby without warning.

The young Duke, Gao Shuyi, sensed something was amiss and was about to retreat in horror, but before he knew it, his shoulder had been grabbed by the figure.

At another table, the three people, except for the eunuch who continued to drink, ignored what was happening.

The high-crowned immortal master and the silver-armored general abruptly stood up, intending to rescue Gao Shuyi, but then stopped in their tracks.

This was because a scarlet longsword from the second floor was suspended between the two tables, its tip pointing directly at the high-crowned immortal master.

And the silver-armored general, after stopping, turned his head to look. Someone on the second floor moved sideways a few steps, a smile on his face, gripping the hilt of his saber. The narrow saber, “Snow Stop,” was about to be drawn.

The short man vaulted over the railing, landing near the threshold of the inn, seemingly intending to single-handedly block the hundreds of riders outside.

The hunched old man squatted on the railing, smiling and looking down, fixing his gaze on the most composed eunuch.

The middle-aged eunuch in the crimson python robe looked no more than thirty years old, but was actually eighty years of age, one of the Great Spring Dynasty’s martial arts grandmasters. He was known as the “Guardian Locust Tree” of the Great Spring imperial city. After he rose to fame, all the strange rumors that had haunted the Great Spring imperial city vanished without a trace.
However, the eunuch’s true prowess lay in his past orchestration of a purge among the martial artists. He ensnared a great number of Jianghu lackeys, systematically eradicating over a dozen top-tier martial arts sects within the Great Quan Dynasty. Within three years, a tempest of blood and carnage swept through the Jianghu. Both righteous and heretical factions launched countless assassination attempts against the old eunuch, yet all ventures were met with oblivion, none ever returning.

Sharing the table with the eunuch were two others. The high-crowned Immortal Master, named Xu Tong, was the current master of the Herb Cottage, the foremost immortal sect within the Great Quan realm. He excelled in lightning techniques, able to command spirits and deities for his bidding. He was also a distinguished physician, proficient in the art of alchemy. The elixirs he concocted were coveted treasures among the nobles and ministers of the Great Quan Dynasty.

The silver-armored martial general, Xu Qingzhou, was a rare master within the Great Quan army. Not yet forty, his mastery of external martial arts had already reached its zenith. His saber, “Great Dexterity,” was a treasure of military significance, a perfect blend of offense and defense. Every time he charged into battle, he led the vanguard, invincible and unstoppable.

Gao Shuyi circulated his vital energies, struggling in vain.

Instead of fear, a deeper smile spread across his face. “Is the Yao family truly plotting treason?”

The man slightly increased the pressure, causing Gao Shuyi a surge of pain. Yet, he still desperately maintained his smile.

The man said to him, “I’m just a passerby. You’re so fond of provoking me, so after I kill you, I’ll just flee to the Northern Jin Kingdom. As for the Yao family’s involvement or lack thereof, you can sling whatever mud you want; it’s none of my concern.”

Who would believe such nonsense?

Gao Shuyi grimaced, sweat beading on his forehead. “If you have the guts, then kill me.”

Chen Pingan stared at him.

In an extremely soft voice, Gao Shuyi whispered to Chen Pingan, “Do you know that it’s their fortune that I took a liking to that mother and daughter? Otherwise, after the Yao family is seized, they’ll soon be sent to the brothel, becoming public property for all to defile. Then, you can also get a taste.”

Before the young Duke could finish his words, Chen Pingan’s fist had already arrived.

It struck Gao Shuyi’s forehead directly.

The force was immense, like a siege ram battering a city gate.

Gao Shuyi’s head snapped back. Although a burst of five-colored light emanated from the jade pendant at his waist, instantly converging on his forehead, he was still knocked unconscious on the spot by the punch, frothing at the mouth.

After the punch, cracks appeared all over the talismanic jade pendant.

Since his shoulder was still being held by Chen Pingan, Gao Shuyi’s head swung back and forth like a pendulum. Chen Pingan’s second punch then slammed towards him.

One move affected the whole body.

With a snap, the middle-aged eunuch heavily placed his chopsticks down, his voice effeminate, “Young man, that’s enough.”

Although his impression of the scheming young Duke was quite poor, he couldn’t just allow Gao Shuyi to be beaten to death right before his eyes.

After the eunuch spoke, Immortal Master Xu Tong and Martial General Xu Qingzhou breathed a sigh of relief.

But the man still didn’t stop his punch.

Gao Shuyi’s ancestral jade pendant shattered with a bang.

As the jade pendant shattered, Gao Shuyi instead regained consciousness, his face flushed red, his eyes bloodshot, and his expression twisted in a horrifying manner. “You bastard, I will make sure you and the Yao family die without a burial ground!”

The eunuch in his scarlet python robe suddenly stood up, enraged. How many years had it been since someone dared to be so impudent in his presence?

The proprietress shrieked, “Stop!”

Chen Pingan turned his head to look. The woman gently shook her head, her eyes shifting, filled with anxiety. She wanted to speak but hesitated, resorting to ambiguous words, “Young master, let’s talk things out calmly. Sit down and chat slowly. I believe the young Duke was just joking with us.”

The middle-aged eunuch, his anger turning into shame, declared, “There’s no need to talk. Your Yao family conspired with the Northern Jin to rebel. Death is too good for you!”

As he spoke, the eunuch brought his two fingers together and swept them across the table.

Chen Pingan’s gourd flew out, Fifteen and First, each shattering the lightning-fast chopsticks.

The third punch sent Gao Shuyi flying out, his body crashing heavily outside the inn. Wei Xian, the attendant at the door, stepped aside, allowing the young Duke’s corpse to fall outside the inn.

The cavalryman had just walked to a point not far from the door. Looking at the corpse on the ground, he was still somewhat in disbelief. Clearly, he couldn’t believe this was real.

Chen Pingan turned to the proprietress and said, “Do you know why Old General Yao was almost assassinated? Because you are too accommodating. It’s obvious that some people think that even if the old general died, all the Yao family’s descendants wouldn’t dare to express their anger.”

The woman didn’t seem to have heard Chen Pingan’s words, her expression dazed, muttering, “Dead, he was beaten to death just like that. Duke Shen will definitely go mad, and His Majesty will definitely be furious. The Yao family is finished.”

The hunchbacked old man who worked as a cook in the inn was also lost and confused.

The young woman, Yao Lingzhi, was even more horrified.

Inside the inn, only the faint sound of a little girl reading upstairs could be heard.

At this moment, the down-and-out scholar patted the woman’s shoulder. Although his back was to Chen Pingan, his voice echoed clearly in Chen Pingan’s mind: “You just kill, I’ll take care of the burial.”