Noon.

The sun was at its zenith.

The newly appointed Prefecture, Lord Qian, was not on duty at the Government Office. Instead, he had fabricated an excuse to return to his private residence and rest.

"My lord!"

His concubine from the Qin family brought over a box of pearls. She took one out, rolling it in her palm, her eyes filled with smug satisfaction.

"Look at this pearl, my lord. It’s so large and perfectly round. In the Capital City, it would be worth at least a hundred taels of silver."

"My second sister tried to persuade me not to follow you here. She said that a remote place like Yue City would only bring me hardship. Thank goodness I didn’t listen to her, otherwise I’d never be enjoying such a blessed life."

"What does a woman like her know?" Lord Qian said with a sneer.

"Pearls are a rarity in the Capital City, but they’re nothing special here by the coast. People won’t even take the low-quality ones for free."

"Just wait a few days. When the second payment of silver arrives, I’ll buy you anything your heart desires!"

"Really?" The woman from the Qin family’s eyes sparkled, but she hesitated before asking, "Will they actually pay up?"

"They wouldn’t dare refuse!" Lord Qian’s eyes bulged.

"This money is for the Court! Not paying is an act of defiance against a Court decree, making them nothing more than bandits and traitors. If it comes to that, I’ll just order their assets seized."

"You are right, my lord," the Qin woman said with a smile.

"They handed over the tens of thousands of silver taels last time, and this time you’re asking for even less. There’s no reason they wouldn’t pay."

She clicked her tongue in admiration.

"Being an official really is the best. ’Three years a prefecture, a hundred thousand snowflake silver.’ No business compares to this."

"That’s the truth!" Lord Qian laughed loudly.

"But it’s not so easy being a successful official. If I didn’t have powerful backing, I wouldn’t dare act so unscrupulously..."

"Powerful backing?" The Qin woman’s lovely eyes fluttered.

"You mean... the one who is destined for the throne?"

"Shhh..." Lord Qian’s face grew stern.

"Watch what you say!"

"I understand," the Qin woman said, propping her chin on her hand. "More silver is always better, of course, but I worry they’ll be pushed into a corner and do something desperate. They were reluctant to pay last time, and I hear the Association Leader of the cloth shop is quite formidable."

"Hmph!" Lord Qian snorted.

"He’s just a young man. So what if he knows a few martial arts? How formidable can he be? It’s all just exaggerated rumors."

"He certainly acts important, though. I’ve been in office all this time, and he has yet to once come and pay his respects..."

"But don’t you worry," he said, comforting her.

"The Wancai Cloth Shop isn’t a one-man show run by that Zhu fellow. Besides, something seems to be happening in the Martial World. He left Yue City for Ping Mountain a few days ago."

"That’s a relief," the Qin woman sighed.

"Your life is precious, my lord. There’s no need to lower yourself by dealing with people like that..."

PFFT!

Before she could finish, a flying saber materialized from thin air, slicing open Lord Qian’s throat.

Hot blood spurted from the gash in his neck, and a moment later, the Qin woman’s shrill scream rang out.

SWISH!

Another flying saber flew through the air, and the screaming stopped abruptly.

*

*

*

Early morning.

A hazy mist hung in the air.

A small skiff cut through the calm water’s surface, gliding into Yunlan Lake at the foot of Ping Mountain.

Zhu Ju stood at the prow, hands clasped behind his back. His robes billowed in the wind as he gazed up at the mountain peaks shrouded in mist.

"I’ve long resented that this body is not mine to command; when will I ever forget the struggle for gain?"

A familiar, ancient, and raspy voice drifted from the front, thick with exhaustion and helplessness.

"The night wears on, the wind falls still, the ripples on the water are serene."

"Worldly affairs are but a grand dream; a lifetime sees but few cool autumns," Zhu Ju replied, looking toward the source of the voice, his tone serene. "Senior, since you understand that one trapped in the game can never be truly free, why not take a step back and find your own contentment?"

"Easier said than done." A battered fishing boat, about ten feet long, emerged silently from the dense fog. An old man in a conical bamboo hat and a straw cape sat cross-legged at the stern, holding a fishing rod. "When you’re in the Martial World, your fate is not your own."

The Whale Rider!

Limit-Breaking Grandmaster Mui Beiting!

Zhu Ju was not surprised to see the man. In fact, he nodded as if it was to be expected.

"Senior, for you to wait this long before seeking me out... it seems you wish to stop me from observing the duel between two Limit-Breaking masters on Ping Mountain?"

"Correct." Mui Beiting flicked his fishing rod. A fish flew from the lake into his basket. He nodded and said, "Chairman Zhu, can I persuade you to turn back?"

"Haha..." Zhu Ju laughed out loud. "Could it be, Senior, that you’re afraid?"

’Given the man’s power, his reputation, and their last encounter,’ Zhu Ju thought, ’why would he be so polite unless he wasn’t confident of victory? Asking me to turn back? Last time, he would have attacked long before this! But now he starts with some strange poetic melancholy and then tries to persuade me, showing none of the tyrannical presence he had at our previous meeting.’

"..." Mui Beiting’s gaze was profound. "You knew I was hunting you, Chairman Zhu, and yet you still dared to show your face. You must have already broken your limit."

"Correct," Zhu Ju nodded. "A pity. I waited and waited for you, Senior, but you only show up now. Can it be that you are the most mysterious of the Red Blood Sect’s Three Capitals Guardians?"

’Right now, only people from the Red Blood Sect have a reason to stop me from ascending Ping Mountain,’ Zhu Ju mused. ’Mui Beiting has fought me before. He knows exactly how powerful I’ve become as a Limit-Breaking Grandmaster. I could very likely change the entire situation on that mountain! So... even if Mui Beiting knows he’s probably no match for me, he has to come and fulfill his "mission".’

"At this stage, what difference does it make if I am or not?"

Putting away his fishing rod, he slowly rose to his feet. "I was born a simple fisherman. When I was young, I had the fortune to consume a rare treasure from the sea that altered my body. Afterward, I joined the Sanhe Gang and struggled to survive. I have faced death countless times and endured decades of ups and downs to achieve what I have today."

"I have long heard of your experiences, Senior." Zhu Ju cupped his fists in respect. "To rise from such humble beginnings and become a legend of your generation... I am truly impressed."

"Haha..." Mui Beiting boomed with laughter. "Chairman Zhu, you carry the air of nobility. You could never understand people like me. The world is in turmoil and its people suffer. Only by tearing down the old world can we build a new one. And I will not let anyone interfere with the duel on that mountain!"

BOOM!

Before his voice had even faded, the fishing boat beneath his feet exploded. A figure launched from the blast, soaring through the air to deliver a palm strike.

Vast Sea Dragon!

The physical body of a Limit-Breaking Grandmaster was like tempered steel, a casual palm strike capable of shattering stone.

This full-force attack made even Zhu Ju’s stance dip slightly.

"A fine attack!"

Zhu Ju tapped his toes lightly. The force seemed minimal, but his whole body shot forward to meet the blow at a startling speed.

Red Blood Divine Claw!

Mixed Element Iron Hand!

He switched between the two ultimate skills at will, his hands changing from claw to palm to fist in an instant.

Iron Wire Fist!

BANG!

With a muffled explosion of force, Mui Beiting was sent flying backward.

If Yann Jingfu ever saw his Iron Wire Fist send a Limit-Breaking Grandmaster flying, he would probably gasp in astonishment and call it the fortune of three lifetimes.

"Such terrifying strength!"

Mui Beiting landed on a piece of driftwood. His massive weight only made the plank dip slightly. He shouted, "Even before you broke your limit, you could fight me to a standstill. Now that you have, I am no longer your opponent, Chairman Zhu."

"Fortunately..."

"This is my battlefield!"

WHOOSH!

As his Qi Force surged, the lake water around him erupted upward, forming a pillar of water that blasted toward Zhu Ju.

Outer Binding Lion Seal!

This was a Buddhist Sect art. The hand seal could be used to gather one’s internal Qi Blood, but it could also focus scattered currents of water into a powerful, straight line.

"Scattering Hand, Mixed Family, Buddhist Sect... Senior, your arsenal of techniques is certainly diverse."

Zhu Ju grunted and charged forward against the torrent.

A flurry of palm shadows lashed out, moving so quickly that they shrieked through the air and instantly dissipated the oncoming column of water.

Iron Tree Silver Flower!

The sky was filled with palm shadows that surrounded his opponent, cutting off every escape route before they suddenly converged.

Ten Thousand Ridges Return to One!

Abruptly, the air-rending shrieks ceased. The turbulent Qi Force vanished. Mui Beiting’s face fell.

BOOM!

Their palms met in mid-air. The water below them erupted. Zhu Ju floated backward, his brow furrowed as he stared at the surface of the lake.

A few trickles of blood floated on the water, proof that Mui Beiting had been injured in the exchange.

But...

That didn’t mean it was over.

Mui Beiting had chosen this place as his battlefield for a reason. He was born a fisherman and was a master of fighting in the water.

Aquatic combat...

Was his greatest strength!

...

Ping Mountain.

The summit. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

Ye Liuyun, a longsword hanging from his waist, ascended the stone platform step by step.

He had long lost his former dashing charm. His hair was a mess, his beard was as stiff as a halberd, and his robes were so tattered it was clear he hadn’t changed them in a long time. The man looked as if he had aged more than ten years.

The only thing that remained was a pillar of Sword Qi, thick with killing intent, that soared to the sky, forcing any who looked upon it to turn their heads.

"Ye Liuyun!"

Dugu Wuwang, clad in a blood-red cape, his massive frame like that of a great bear, turned his head at the name.

"Not bad!"

"It seems the younger generation of the Martial World has finally produced one half-decent figure."

His voice was level, almost casual, yet dozens of meters away, the faces of every martial artist in attendance drained of color.

"The Blood God Skill!"

"Careful! Block your ears! His voice can agitate your Qi Blood, and even control your blood until it bursts your heart!"

"Back up! Get back!"

...

Even those dozens of meters away were terrified, yet Ye Liuyun, standing directly before Dugu Wuwang, showed no change in expression.

"Red Blood Sect..."

"...You must all be exterminated!"

ZWIING!

His longsword slid from its scabbard, its point aimed squarely at Dugu Wuwang.