The mountain mist was hazy.

An old man ambled over.

He wore a bamboo hat and a straw rain cape. In his left hand, he carried a fish basket, and in his right, he held a segmented bamboo fishing rod.

The fish basket was heavy, as if he was returning with a full catch.

Beneath the bamboo hat, his face was a web of wrinkles. His murky yellow eyes, having witnessed countless worldly affairs, were now without ripples—as calm as a dark, secluded pool.

This was none other than the Limit-Breaking Grandmaster known as one of the "Overseas Strange People"—the Whale Rider, Mui Beiting!

"Chairman Zhu of the Wancai Cloth Shop, the youngest Grandmaster of the Gui Cang Realm in the Martial World in the last hundred years."

Mui Beiting’s voice was filled with emotion as he gazed at Zhu Ju.

"Seeing you today, I can say your reputation is truly well-deserved!"

"Senior, you flatter me." Zhu Ju dismounted, slapping his horse’s flank to send it away before turning to face the old man.

"Senior, you are one of the world’s most peculiar masters. Power, fame, and fortune are all within your easy grasp. I never thought you would take an interest in the Wancai Cloth Shop."

"Wancai’s dyed cloth sells far and wide. Who doesn’t know of it?" Mui Beiting showed no hurry to attack, speaking slowly.

"Someone told me that in less than ten years, the Wancai Cloth Shop could amass a mountain of gold..."

"With such immense profits, who wouldn’t be tempted?"

"What’s more!"

His eyes narrowed as he stared at Zhu Ju.

"You are not yet twenty, yet you’ve already reached the Gui Cang Realm. Even that worthless disciple of mine, Zou Yan, was no match for you. Given time, forget becoming a Limit-Breaking Grandmaster—it wouldn’t be impossible for you to become a second Fu Xuan."

"The tree that stands tallest in the forest will be the first to be destroyed by the wind."

Zhu Ju frowned.

He could feel the bone-chilling killing intent from the old man, but the tone of his words suggested he wasn’t here just for money.

’As for fame...’

’The Whale Rider, Mui Beiting, has been one of the top masters of this age for decades. He’s likely grown numb to fame by now.’

’Besides, at his age, it’s impossible for him to advance any further.’

"Did someone hire you to kill me, Senior?"

Zhu Ju’s eyes flickered.

"Who?"

Since arriving in this world, he had never left Yue City, nor had he ever offended anyone with a powerful background.

How could a top-tier master suddenly pop up to assassinate him, just because he had the potential to become the best in the world?

"Heh..." Mui Beiting chuckled.

"Such is the Martial World. Many things will never have an answer."

"Senior," Zhu Ju said, taking a deep breath.

"Can you spare my life?"

"I cannot."

"BANG!"

The dirt beneath Zhu Ju’s feet exploded as he shot toward Mui Beiting like an arrow loosed from a bowstring.

Compared to Qi Blood, Strength had a clear advantage in terms of instantaneous burst power.

Red Blood Divine Claw!

This Claw Technique was vicious, deceptive, and swift. Before any gust of wind could be felt, his five fingers were already before his opponent’s face.

"Techniques from the Red Blood Sect?"

Mui Beiting’s eyes flew open, and a terrifying Qi Blood, as vast and boundless as a misty sea, erupted from his withered body.

In an instant.

Zhu Ju felt that he was not facing a man, but a colossal, primordial beast wearing human skin.

A giant whale that roamed the North Sea!

Breaking Limit!

The path of Qi Blood Martial Arts. First Realm, Blood Strengthening: strengthening the Qi Blood within the body. Second Realm, Blood Coagulation: condensing the Qi Blood. Third Realm, Body Tempering: tempering the physical body with Qi Blood. Four Realms, Return to Storage: Qi Blood can be projected out of the body, forming a beacon of Qi Blood smoke or an intangible Gang Qi. Breaking the Limit of Five Realms: reabsorbing the vast Qi Blood into the body, breaking the human body’s limits, and taking another step forward from the pinnacle.

Compared to Strength, the Qi Blood Martial Arts path was at a great disadvantage in the early stages; the Blood Strengthening and Blood Coagulation Realms barely increased one’s combat power.

But starting from Body Tempering, the Qi Blood Martial Arts path gradually revealed its extraordinary nature. By the Gui Cang Realm, it had already compensated for its earlier weaknesses, and as for Breaking Limit...

That was a master whose physical body had reached Perfection, comparable to those in the Inner Qi Realm!

"SWISH!"

Mui Beiting’s wrist trembled slightly, and the fishing line, refined from tiger sinew, wove a net in the air, casting it over the approaching figure.

The fishing line formed a net and scooped down sharply.

"BANG!"

Powerful Qi clashed in the air.

The Thirteen Body Refinement plus the Pure Yang Qi Technique versus the Vast Sea Dragon Skill.

Powerful Qi surged around the two combatants. Fallen leaves danced in the air, and clumps of turf were ripped from the ground as their figures crossed in mid-air.

Iron Tree Silver Flower!

A sky full of palm shadows appeared, completely enveloping Mui Beiting’s figure as terrifying bursts of Powerful Qi erupted one after another.

"What a fine Palm Technique!"

Mui Beiting roared to the heavens. The Powerful Qi around his body layered itself like an ocean whirlpool to meet the incoming palm shadows.

"BANG!"

"BOOM..."

In the ensuing chaos, one figure shot backward, his toes tapping the ground lightly before he launched himself toward the dense woods to the side.

"Trying to escape?"

Mui Beiting’s expression darkened.

"You won’t get away!"

Before the fight, he might have lamented the early death of a martial arts prodigy and looked down on his employer for making a fuss over nothing.

’Now...’

’Not yet twenty, and he can actually trade blows with me for a short time. His strength is unbelievable. If he breaks his limit, what then?’

’A potential Unparalleled Grandmaster?’

’It’s no empty boast!’

’Even if he doesn’t become a second Fu Xuan, as long as Zhu Ju can break through the Gui Cang Realm to achieve Breaking Limit, he’ll surely become a figure on the level of the Red Blood Sect’s Sect Leader or Saint Monk Yuanding.’

’Kill him!’

’This boy must not be allowed to live!’

...

「A short while later.」

"BANG!"

Two figures collided on a cliff’s edge. One of them, unable to withstand the force, staggered backward and tumbled toward the deep chasm below.

"AHH!"

Zhu Ju’s body arched back as he plunged from the cloud-shrouded cliff, a desperate, final roar escaping his lips.

"Mui Beiting, I’ll haunt you even as a ghost! I won’t let you go!"

"Hmph!"

Mui Beiting landed at the edge of the cliff and glanced down. He frowned slightly, then cast out his fishing line, wrapping it around a protruding boulder below. Using it for leverage, he began to descend, repeating the process several times to slowly reach the bottom.

At the bottom of the cliff was a rushing river.

"No body?"

He searched the area but found no sign of Zhu Ju’s corpse. It must have fallen into the river and been washed downstream.

From such a height, without being able to break one’s fall midway, even an Unparalleled Grandmaster wouldn’t survive.

Once you fall from a certain height, the soft surface of the water becomes as hard as steel. A body of flesh and blood would be smashed to pieces on impact.

Mui Beiting stroked his chin. He didn’t give up, but instead followed the river downstream to continue his search.

He had lived for more than seventy years. Surviving a fall from a cliff, while rare, was not unheard of. As an old veteran of the Martial World, he didn’t mind spending a little extra time to ensure there were no loose ends.

*

*

*

「A few days later.」

Zhu Ju’s figure appeared in his courtyard in Yue City. The sound of him vaulting the wall alerted someone inside.

"Who’s there?"

Qin Lingwei threw on an outer robe, leaping out with a longsword in hand.

"It’s me." Zhu Ju clutched his chest, his face pale as he staggered into the room.

"Where’s Xiuxin?"

"She returned to the Martial Arts Hall." Qin Lingwei sheathed her longsword and helped him to a seat, her face etched with worry.

"Young Master, what happened?"

"I was hunted by an old monster and was lucky to escape with my life." Zhu Ju sighed softly and waved his hand, signaling for her not to ask any more questions.

"I’m lucky just to be alive. Let’s not talk about the rest!"

"How are things at the Commerce Association?"

"The same as always," Qin Lingwei replied.

"Hall Master Yann said you were visiting a friend and hadn’t returned. Other than that, nothing has changed."

"Good." Zhu Ju breathed a sigh of relief.

It was fortunate that he often disappeared, and each time he left, it would be a while before he reappeared. The people at the Commerce Association were already used to it; otherwise, explaining would have been a hassle.

"I’m seriously injured. I’m afraid that old monster won’t give up so easily. For the near future, no outsiders can know about my condition."

Taking a deep breath, Zhu Ju spoke in a low voice.

"Also, I need some Nourishing Essence Soup. Go and get it for me quickly. Remember, don’t tell anyone else."

"Yes."

Qin Lingwei’s expression turned solemn.

"Don’t worry, Young Master. I’ll go prepare it right away."

With that, she helped Zhu Ju sit up straight, then hurried out the door, running toward Yann’s Boxing Hall under the cover of night.

As she neared Martial Arts Dojo Street, a glint flashed in her beautiful eyes. She glanced back, then changed direction and leaped onto a roof ridge.

She then used a Body Technique to reach an empty courtyard, vaulting into a side room and taking out a carrier pigeon.

She quickly wrote a message, stuffed it into the small tube on the pigeon’s leg, and was just about to release it when she suddenly froze.

"Just as I thought..."

Zhu Ju’s figure had appeared outside the window at some unknown time. He looked at her and shook his head gently.

"That day, Dugu Ming said you had ulterior motives. I thought it was strange then. It turns out you really do have other backing."

"Who is it?"

That day, he had appeared to fall from the cliff, but he had actually returned to the Main World. Naturally, he wasn’t injured at all. This little test of his, however, had yielded an unexpected reward.

"..." Qin Lingwei stared intently at Zhu Ju.

"You never trusted me?"

"Couldn’t be helped." Zhu Ju shrugged.

"I’ve never met a woman who threw herself at me before, so it was hard not to be suspicious. I just took some extra precautions."

"It seems I wasn’t overthinking it."

"Young Master," Qin Lingwei said with a bitter smile.

"With your status and position, if you were willing, there would be no shortage of women throwing themselves at you."

"Is that so?" Zhu Ju remained unmoved.

"So, talk."

"Who do you work for? The Red Blood Sect? That seems unlikely. So who else could you be loyal to? The one who hired the Whale Rider to kill me?"

"SWISH!"

A cold light flashed.

Zhu Ju flicked his finger, sending the thrusting Soft Sword flying.

"The Young Master’s Divine Skill is magnificent. This humble woman is impressed." Qin Lingwei had only been making a last-ditch effort. Seeing it fail, a look of despair immediately crossed her face.

Hm?

Zhu Ju’s expression changed slightly, and he rushed forward.

"PUH!"

Qin Lingwei’s delicate body trembled as dark blood trickled from the corner of her mouth. She slowly collapsed to the ground.

"Suicide by poison?"

Zhu Ju’s expression was grim.

"What a move!"

To make a woman go to such lengths... they must be quite something.

His gaze swept the room. He reached out and grabbed the carrier pigeon, removed the note tied to its leg, and his eyes twitched slightly.

"The Fu Family?"