Chapter 176: Chapter 176: Strike While the Iron is Hot

On October 4th, the cool breeze was refreshing.

Zhou Heng took a boat down the Wujia River heading east, and at last he arrived at Wujiang Prefecture City.

When it was time to disembark,

he packed away his disguise and reverted to the handsome, extraordinary youth, stepping off the boat ahead of everyone else.

The disguise on the boat was to avoid unnecessary trouble.

Now that the boat had reached its destination, and after disembarking he would be in Wujiang Prefecture City, the place where he intended to hone his martial arts, there naturally was no need to hide his identity any longer.

However, even though he disembarked first, there were still sailors and other passengers who saw him, including some who had seen Zhou Heng’s portrait.

Moreover, since most of the people on this boat had departed from Huangtong Mansion, many had heard of Zhou Heng and the deeds of Chang Xing Sect, aware of his reputation.

Thus, the news spread, and instantly the entire boat was abuzz.

Zhou Heng had been on this very boat, traveling with them to Wujiang Prefecture City—just this experience alone was something to brag about when they returned home!

We once shared a boat with a high-ranking martial artist, drinking fine wine and enjoying pleasant conversation!

The former was true, while the latter could be artistically embellished.

Upon learning that Zhou Heng had been on the boat as well, Wang Xiuye was momentarily stunned, then chuckled lightly and thought to himself, “Could this be considered making an unintentional friend with a young master?”

During the past few days on the boat, he had taken every opportunity to praise Zhou Heng.

On one hand, he sincerely believed that Zhou Heng’s strength was extraordinary, and on another hand, he also wanted to lay some groundwork for a good relationship with Zhou Heng in the future.

He was born into a collateral branch of a major family. Although he had attracted the family’s attention due to his exceptional talent and potential, he was well aware that personal effort alone was not enough to completely change the status of his branch within the clan.

Unless he became a Grandmaster or even reached the pinnacle, he would still need to forge good relationships and have a wide network in the martial community. Only then would his words carry more weight within the clan, ensuring a brighter future for his collateral line.

Zhou Heng was not only a rising young expert who had gained fame in the past six months, but he was also suspected to be the reincarnation of a great power, the Sixth Generation disciple of Pure Yang Palace, and the junior brother of Tao Lord Yan Shouyi.

Such a status was something Wang Xiuye had longed to befriend, but never found an opportunity to do so. Little did he expect that this would be an act of serendipity.

…

“Purple Lightning Thunder Blade” Zhou Heng had come to Wujiang Prefecture City.

As more and more people from that boat disembarked, the news quickly spread throughout Wujiang Prefecture City, instantly exciting many people.

This was the third influential list-ranking expert to come to Wujiang Prefecture City.

Last month, when Zhou Heng battled dozens of Seventh Rank martial artists alone at the gates of Chang Xing Sect, it was considered a phenomenal spectacle that astonished all who heard about it.

Therefore, even though Zhou Heng’s current ranking on the list was only thirty-first, the attention he received was actually no less than that of the prodigies in the top twenty.

Especially since not long ago “Dragon Spear” Li Wuwang openly stated that he did not consider Zhou Heng to be his equal; now that the main player was here, it was certain there would be a grand battle!

This was undoubtedly a matter of great interest to both martial artists and ordinary people alike.

In no time, on the streets, in tea houses, brothels, taverns, and inns, people were discussing the topics of Zhou Heng and Li Wuwang.

In the lobby of Xinmiao Inn, three sturdy men dressed like martial artists were eating and drinking while discussing.

“Hey, what do you think, is Zhou Heng really a match for Li Wuwang?”

“Zhou Heng’s strength is undoubtedly formidable, or he wouldn’t have managed to suppress an entire sect alone, but he is, after all, of Eighth Rank in the martial path. Compared to Li Wuwang, there probably is some gap.”

“Actually, I think this whole business of one man suppressing a sect seems a bit inflated. We are more than two thousand miles away from Huangtong Mansion, and things might have been exaggerated in the telling.”

“That could be, but if Zhou Heng and Li Wuwang really do fight, it will surely be a clash of titans, Thunder Sword versus Dragon Spear. Just the thought of it is thrilling.”

A young man at a nearby table perked up his ears, stood up, and with a jug of wine in hand, approached the three men’s table.

The youth appeared to be around eighteen or nineteen years old, dressed in a golden brocade robe, crowned with a jade crown, exuding nobility. With his handsome features and golden pupils, he was clearly no ordinary person.

“Do you gentlemen know much about Zhou Heng’s Thunder Blade?” The youth placed the wine on the table and smiled, “Consider this jug of wine my treat.”

“Wow, thirty-year vintage Wujiang Spring, what an excellent wine! The young master is too generous.” The three men immediately brightened up; this wine was not cheap. Despite only filling a three-liang jug, it cost a full ten silver pieces.

“To inquire about matters demands a reward, isn’t that the rule of the rivers and lakes?” The youth chuckled lightly, his gaze warm as he smoothly took a seat and asked further, “The list only states Zhou Heng has a mysterious Thunder technique, at least Sect Fifth Rank. Do any of you brothers have more information?”

“Heh heh, young master, you’re asking the right people. We’ve heard from the folks at the municipal yamen that Zhou Heng’s Thunder Blade technique is likely more than just Sect Fifth Rank; it’s very possible that it’s a Fourth Rank ultimate skill—extremely powerful,” one of the robust men laughed heartily.

“If the young master is so interested in Zhou Heng’s Thunder Blade, could it be that you wish to challenge him?” another sturdy man asked in a low voice, a scenario quite common, in fact, very common.

Martial artists just emerging into the world often fancied their skills and sought to make a name for themselves by challenging renowned experts.

When the news of Zhou Heng’s arrival in Wujiang Prefecture City spread,

Many were the people who held the belief that challenging Zhou Heng would be a no-loss proposition if defeated, and a bloody profit if victorious.

Failing to beat Li Wuwang, couldn’t they try their hand at Zhou Heng?

“Challenge?” The youth, however, shook his head slightly and smiled, “No, I just want to see if his ‘thunder’ truly deserves to be called Thunder.

…

In a residence by the river, on the southern side of Wujiang Prefectural City.

The flowers, plants, and trees were all withered, even the water in the pond was stagnant, without a fish or even small insects to be found.

The entire courtyard reeked of illness, as if the flora, fauna, mountains, waters, and soil were all sick.

Even the sunlight that filled the yard seemed somewhat gloomy.

In front of the main hall, a man who appeared to be in his forties with a square face was dressed in a snow-white brocade robe, his whole appearance meticulous and clean, as he played with a black cat.

Suddenly, he frowned and looked towards the front gate of the courtyard.

A young man in dark blue tight-fitting clothes came running over and knelt on one knee, saying with the utmost respect, “Uncle Ma, there are rumors outside that Zhou Heng has come to Wujiang Prefecture City.”

“Oh?” The middle-aged man raised his head and casually tossed the black cat aside, “Is the news confirmed?”

After being discarded, the black cat tried to leap back to its owner’s side to continue playing, but suddenly its legs gave out and it couldn’t jump.

Soon after, its flesh began to shrivel, its teeth and nails rapidly falling out, its fur quickly withering away. In the span of merely three or four breaths, the once lively black cat became a dried-up corpse.

It had died of disease.

“It should be correct.” The young man lowered his head, replying respectfully, “After hearing the news, this disciple cross-checked with multiple sources and captured a few sailors to confirm it, and it’s almost certain that it is indeed Zhou Heng who has arrived.”

“Good!” The middle-aged man stood up and laughed, “Continue to send out spies to keep an eye on Zhou Heng. When the time is right, I will personally take action and kill him.”

“Uncle Ma, are you going to take him on personally?” Surprised by the remark, the young man said, “He is merely Eighth Rank on the Martial Path, and even though his power is extraordinary and he has strange abilities, a Sixth Rank Innate like you surely need not personally deal with him.”

A Sixth Rank on the Martial Path means one’s qi has returned to the Innate, merged with the external scenery, leading to a fundamental improvement in one’s life essence, as well as absolute suppression over Martial Artists of the Lower Third Rank. Even the peak of the Seventh Rank would have no chance of resisting an ordinary Secret Sixth Rank.

Hence, typically, a Sixth Rank on the Martial Path taking action against someone of the Lower Third Rank is considered an extreme form of self-degradation.

“Do you want to go get yourself killed one by one and make him stronger before I step in?” The middle-aged man sneered, saying, “Do you think you can kill him? Are you treating yourself as a tool for sharpening his Martial Arts?”

“Zhou Heng’s rise has been extremely rapid, his growth phenomenally fast. If we don’t hurry up and kill him, once he truly becomes powerful, he will undoubtedly be a major threat to our sect. We must act early!’

“Moreover, Zhou Heng has more than once displayed terrifying abilities that absolutely do not match his Cultivation Realm, which can basically confirm him as a reincarnation of a great being, or even possibly not an ordinary Celestial Man but a Tao Lord, a master from ancient times!

“Certainly, those formidable abilities should just be the remaining trump cards arranged by his previous life, diminishing with each use, and probably come with many restrictions, but who dares to be certain that he has no more unused ones?

“Considering all these factors, even if I take action myself, I will definitely not confront him directly. I must strike without his knowledge, make him fall victim, let him be infected by the disease, little by little succumbing to it. Only then might I have a chance to truly kill him.”

The young man was dumbfounded, shocked by these words.

He could never have imagined that an Eighth Rank on the Martial Path would be so difficult to kill and that there were so many unforeseen circumstances.

His uncle was exceedingly cautious, seeming to have considered everything.

This made him admire his uncle sincerely from the bottom of his heart.

“Uncle’s meticulous mind ensures that Zhou Heng is undoubtedly doomed this time!”

…

Walking along the streets of Wujiang Prefecture City, enjoying the feeling of the Wujiang River’s moisture blown by the wind and feeling quite at ease, as if he had arrived in the southern water towns, Zhou Heng was very content.

He was not in a hurry to find someone to challenge.

Instead, he planned to find an inn to settle down and sort through the insights into his own Martial Path that he had gained over the past few days on the boat.

With the ceaseless waters of Wujiang River, Zhou Heng had spent his days on the boat observing the river, which gave him some preliminary ideas about what kind of inner scenery and small world he wanted to build in the future.

However, before he could reach the inn, he was stopped in the street by a handsome young man dressed in a golden brocade robe and wearing a Jade Crown.

The young man first gave a polite bow, then said in a loud voice, “True disciple of Shenxiao Sect, Chu Qingchuan, here to learn from the high techniques of the Purple Lightning Thunder Blade!”

Full of youthful vigor, the young man issued a challenge on the street.

What is Jianghu?

This might well be it.

“Alright!” Zhou Heng immediately accepted.