The King of Qi fell on Chong Mountain. The world was shaken!

Prince Fenyang, who had been living in seclusion in Ningzhou, rushed to the Capital City with the help of the border garrison. Within a month, he stabilized the situation in the Court.

「The following year.」

「Jiaxu Day.」

Prince Fenyang, Zheng Zhang, performed a ritual sacrifice to Heaven and Earth in the southern suburbs of the Capital City. He ascended the throne as Emperor, established the era name "Qianli," and waived the customary congratulations from all officials.

The new Emperor’s ascension was followed by a general amnesty for the entire realm.

He also strictly admonished all officials to treat the Celestial Emperor with piety, to honor the gods and respect the spirits, never to be negligent, and to act with caution and sincere reverence.

During this time, another piece of news spread throughout the land.

A century after the Unparalleled Grandmaster Fu Xuan died from a failed breakthrough, another powerhouse had ascended to the rank of Unparalleled Grandmaster.

The Martial World was in shock!

Unparalleled Grandmaster Zhu Ju!

The Association Leader of the Wancai Cloth Association, a mere merchant, possessed unfathomable power. Rumor had it that he was deeply involved in the death of the King of Qi.

The man’s origins were a mystery.

Countless factions tried every means to investigate him in secret, but they could only trace him back to a Martial Arts Hall in Yue City three years ago.

Afterward, as if a god had descended to the mortal realm, he entered the Gui Cang realm, broke the limit, and ascended directly to the Unparalleled realm in just three short years.

Perhaps, as the rumors suggested, he was an extraordinary being born of Heaven and Earth itself to counter the Demon Saber.

Otherwise, there was no way to explain his meteoric rise in power or his strange and mysterious origins.

...

「Yue City.」

"Young Master."

Yann Xiuxin said, holding a stack of invitation cards:

"The new Manor Master of Sword Casting Manor, the Sect Leader of the Iron Fist Sect, the Gang Leader of the Feng Mountain Gang... they’ve all sent invitations."

"Commander of the Imperial Guard Yan Jun sent over a few Martial Arts Secret Manuals and also invites you to the Capital City for a gathering."

"The Capital City?" Zhu Ju ignored the invitations, picked up the secret manuals, and glanced at them.

"The new Emperor wants nothing more than to see me dead. If I go to the Capital City, it’s debatable whether I’d come back alive."

Yann Xiuxin lowered her head.

No matter what Zheng Hong did, he was still the Third Prince, the King of Qi, and was on the verge of ascending the throne.

For Zhu Ju to kill Zheng Hong was an act of rebellion—an inferior striking a superior!

An unforgivable crime!

Besides, if he could kill Zheng Hong, who could guarantee that he wouldn’t kill Zheng Zhang over some matter in the future?

No one knew the true extent of an Unparalleled Grandmaster’s power.

The events on Chong Mountain had been magnified through word of mouth, turning Zhu Ju into a godlike figure capable of fighting ten thousand men alone.

Even in the Imperial Palace, that personage would not feel at ease.

"Sigh!"

With a soft sigh, Zhu Ju paced to the second-floor window and looked down at the bustling market below.

’I never thought Zheng Hong was actually trying to eradicate Martial Arts.’

The Martial Arts of Jinlun Temple were burned, the legacy of the Red Blood Sect was severed, and most of the Martial Arts from the major sects and noble families of the Martial World were lost.

Even the Martial Arts Secret Manuals in the Library Pavilion of the Imperial Forbidden Palace were burned to ashes.

Undoubtedly, Zheng Hong had been putting his philosophy into practice.

’Overturn heaven and earth?’

’A world of great unity?’

’People... are truly strange sometimes.’

Zheng Hong was by no means a good person. He employed corrupt ministers and greedy officials, allowing the world to fall into chaos and the people to live in misery.

But his goal was clear, and his methods were formidable.

If Zhu Ju hadn’t appeared out of nowhere, Zheng Hong would have already become the emperor of the mortal world and the supreme ruler of the Martial World. It’s even highly likely he would have caused Qi Blood Martial Arts to die out within his lifetime.

Even if it didn’t die out completely, the Martial Arts of this world would have withered. Perhaps many years later, Body Tempering would have become the ultimate limit of Martial Arts.

Gui Cang and Breaking the Limit would have become mere legends.

Even though Zheng Hong was now dead, the Martial World was already suffering a generational gap after this catastrophe, and many supreme martial skills were lost forever.

Such as: the Blood-Stealing Curse, the Seven Emotions and Six Desires Cross Method...

"Young Master."

Yann Xiuxin continued,

"Female Knight Fu has accepted the new Emperor’s appointment and become the Imperial Guard Chief Instructor. She sent over a saber manual."

"She said it might be useful to you."

"Oh?" Zhu Ju raised an eyebrow and took the book.

Cross and Vertical Saber!

The calligraphy on the cover was flamboyant and powerful, showcasing the writer’s domineering aura and boundless ambition.

Zheng Hong...

Gently stroking the book, Zhu Ju carefully turned a page.

The book contained the Demon Saber Technique. Although the Heart Method for channeling the Demon Saber was missing, the moves themselves were still extraordinary.

Shocking God!

Abstinence!

Illusion Breaker!

Three forms in total.

It seemed Zheng Hong often practiced this saber technique, as it contained many of his personal insights. This was probably why this saber manual had survived the fire in the Library Pavilion.

"Besides these matters, the new Prefecture has exempted the Wancai Cloth Shop from three years of commercial taxes, and the cloth merchants from Hezhou want to join the association..."

"Young Master."

Yann Xiuxin’s knees gave way, and she knelt on the floor.

"My father was momentarily blinded by greed! He had absolutely no intention of betraying you, Young Master. Please, spare his life!"

"Get up." Zhu Ju frowned.

"When I was wanted by the Court, it’s understandable that Hall Master Yann was forced into a difficult position. I never planned to kill him."

"However..."

"He is no longer fit to remain at the Wancai Cloth Shop."

When he was a fugitive, the Wancai Cloth Shop’s response had been very strange. It was hard to say whether Yann Jingfu had ulterior motives.

Regardless, Zhu Ju could not possibly keep such a person by his side.

It wasn’t just Yann Jingfu. The Patriarch of the Zhao Family and certain people from the Caoo Gang had also stirred up trouble during that time. They had all now been purged from the Wancai Cloth Association.

The color drained from Yann Xiuxin’s face.

She wasn’t sure what would happen to Yann Jingfu, who had tasted the peak of life, if he were to fall back into the gutter.

Besides, the marketplace is a battlefield, and many people had been coveting the Yann Family’s position these past few years.

"Yes."

She lowered her head gently.

"I understand."

’As long as I remain by the Young Master’s side, even if those people want to move against my father, they will have to think twice.’

"You may go." Waving his hand, Zhu Ju said slowly,

"Tell the others that as long as this new Emperor isn’t confident he can get rid of me in one fell swoop, he won’t make a move against the Wancai Cloth Shop."

"However, I will try to keep a low profile from now on, so as not to provoke this new Emperor."

"Oh, right!"

"And while you’re at it, tell the new Prefecture that even an Unparalleled Grandmaster must obey the Emperor’s command. It’s just that I’ve been feeling a bit unwell lately and am unable to travel to the Capital City to pay my respects to the new Emperor. It is a great regret."

Having given his instructions, he turned back to carefully study the saber manual.

「One month later.」

Zhu Ju had completely assimilated his accumulated power, and his Thirteen Body Refinement had also reached the peak of the Inner Refining First Realm.

He was just one step away from achieving Inner Qi Release.

「On the same day.」

Two letters landed in his hands.

One was from San Fen Hall in Hejian Prefecture, and the other was a wedding invitation from Fu Huanlian and Ye Liuyun.

*

*

*

「Hejian Prefecture.」

「Ye Residence.」

"My father made a mistake in his cultivation years ago, which damaged his Primordial Energy. That, combined with all the fighting in the Martial World over the years..."

Ye Xingxian sighed.

"Even though he dissipated his energy early on to recuperate, the damage was ultimately irreversible."

"This way, you two!"

Luu Pu and Zhu Ju followed him into a secluded courtyard where many visitors had already gathered.

Everyone nodded in acknowledgment but did not speak.

"Everyone."

Ye Xingxian clasped his hands and bowed to the crowd.

"All of you who could come today are friends. I don’t need to elaborate on my father’s condition; you will see for yourselves in a moment."

"I only hope..."

"...that you do not disturb him!"

"Of course." Luu Pu nodded.

"Brother Ye, rest assured. We’ll just take a look and then leave. Elder Ye has looked after me a great deal, and I only regret that I’m powerless to help."

"Indeed!"

"It is as it should be."

The crowd murmured in agreement.

Zhu Ju’s eyes twitched slightly. From the attitude of the people present, he could tell that Luu Pu’s status was now extraordinary.

It hadn’t been this way two years ago.

It seemed that ever since marrying Vice Hall Master Wan’s daughter, Luu Pu’s status in San Fen Hall had risen with the tide.

"Uncle Zhao." Ye Xingxian gestured to one of the elders.

"You first, please."

As he spoke, he carefully opened the door and led a few people into the room. The faint sound of conversation soon followed.

Before long.

"Sigh!"

The elder named Zhao came out of the room, sighing. His face was filled with sorrow as he muttered,

"Another old friend is about to leave us..."

"Zhu Ju." Luu Pu gestured.

"It’s our turn."

"Yes."

Zhu Ju acknowledged and followed him into the room. The sight that met his eyes made him gasp.

When he had seen Ye Chongshan two years ago, although the man was injured and had retired, his build was as sturdy as a tiger’s, and his presence was intimidating.

And now.

The old man lying on the bed was nothing but skin and bones, his body shriveled. He probably weighed less than a normal eight or nine-year-old child.