Quickly conquer the martial arts world, and let your fists dominate the heavens!

"No need to rest."

Chen Zhan shook his head, his tone still calm, "We'll continue our march to Fanyang tomorrow. How long will it take for the army to march?"

Li Guanglu replied, "If we set off before dawn and march at full speed, we will arrive at the city of Fanyang by noon."

Chen Zhan nodded and took out a neatly folded piece of paper from his pocket. The paper had several names written on it, as well as the name of an inn in Fanyang City.

The secret report came from the three people: Jingzhe, Qingming, and Lidong.

"You lead your army on a normal march. Once you reach Fanyang at noon, attack the city directly. Don't worry about me."

Chen Zhan carefully put the note away and gave instructions to the two of them.

Although Wang Guangzu and Li Guanglu were puzzled and didn't understand what Chen Zhan was going to do alone, they didn't dare to ask any questions and quickly bowed and agreed: "Your subordinates will obey your orders!"

That night, while the army rested, Chen Zhan left the camp alone.

His blood and qi surged, and blood wings quietly unfurled on his back. Under the cover of night, he sped off towards Fanyang.

At this time, the people of Fanyang City were already in a state of panic.

Reports of successive victories by the Song army in capturing seven southern cities have caused the morale of the Liao soldiers to plummet, and the people are filled with anxiety, fearing that the flames of war will spread to them and they will be displaced.

Inside an inconspicuous inn in Fanyang City.

The three people, Jingzhe, Qingming, and Lidong, were sitting anxiously inside the house. The tea on the table had long since gone cold, but the three of them were completely unaware of it.

As night deepened, the streets and alleys outside the inn were already silent, with only the occasional sound of the Liao soldiers' clappers ringing out, making people's hearts tighten.

They had been lying in wait in Yanyun for many days, but now Chen Zhan's army was pressing in, and the Liao army was on high alert. The slightest mistake could lead to their deaths.

"Knock knock knock!" Three knocks suddenly sounded on the door, neither too loud nor too soft.

That's not the way we agreed to knock!
The three of them stood up instantly, their auras tense. Qingming placed his hand on the long sword at his waist, Lidong gripped the short blade in his sleeve, and Jingzhe quickly made a silencing gesture.

This is the heartland of the Liao Kingdom. The vast Liao Kingdom was not only known for its iron cavalry.

The Liao Kingdom was not like Dali, which could be easily slaughtered. Even in Dali, there were many experts in Tianlong Temple.

The Ordos secret guards of the Liao Dynasty were everywhere, fraught with danger.

The three exchanged a glance, their expressions all grave.

Jingzhe walked slowly toward the door, her steps light and almost silent. Qingming and Lidong followed closely behind, standing on either side of the door, ready to strike at any moment.

With a creak, Jingzhe gently opened the door a crack, her sharp gaze sweeping towards the outside.

A waiter stood at the entrance, dressed in a gray cloth jacket and an apron, holding a lacquered wooden tray with several dishes of meat and a pot of strong liquor on it. He looked somewhat uneasy.

"Sir, here's your meal." The waiter lowered his head, his voice not loud, but his eyes unconsciously glanced towards the inn's main hall.

"What time is it now?" Jingzhe asked calmly, without stepping aside to let him in.

"It's 11 PM, sir," the waiter replied hastily.

"None of us ordered any food; you delivered it to the wrong place."

The waiter quickly waved his hand: "That's right, that's right. It wasn't ordered by you, sir. It was a customer downstairs who asked me to bring it over, saying that he wanted the three of you to try it."

"Who asked you to deliver it?" Jingzhe pressed, her tone suddenly turning cold.

The waiter pointed to the hall downstairs: "Those are the three guests downstairs."

Jingzhe peeked in the direction he pointed and saw three men sitting in the corner of the hall.

Clad in leather armor inlaid with copper, a narrow-sleeved robe with the left side overlapping the right, and a bronze wolf-head token hanging at his waist, he had a fierce expression as he was swallowing mutton with his head down. The earthenware bowl in front of him was filled with strong liquor, and his ravenous eating exuded a ferocious aura.

Jingzhe understood and took the tray from the waiter: "I've accepted the food. Go back and report back. Tell them you thank them for their kindness. Also, find a place to hide, and no matter what noise you hear, don't come out."

The waiter was just an ordinary citizen with no malicious intent; he didn't want to harm the innocent.

The waiter, feeling as if he had been granted a pardon, hurriedly bowed and scraped as he retreated, leaving in a hurry.

As soon as the door closed, Qingming stepped forward and asked in a low voice, "What's going on? Are they Liao soldiers?"

"They are the wolf guards of the Ordo secret guard."

Jingzhe placed the plate on the table, poked at the meat with her fingertips, and sniffed it lightly. "Since they've sent this meal in such a grand manner, it's to tell us that this inn is surrounded and we can't escape."

The Ordo Secret Guard held an extremely high position in the Liao Dynasty. It was divided into four courtyards: east, west, south, and north, each with a head of the courtyard who was directly responsible to the Liao Emperor and wielded immense power.

Below the headmaster are the Eagle Guards and the Wolf Guards. The Eagle Guards are the headmaster's elite troops, and only experts above the Innate Realm can be selected.

The Wolf Guards are slightly inferior, but they still need to be at least at the Innate Realm to be eligible for the position. They are responsible for surveillance and espionage, and their whereabouts are very secretive.

Li Dong paused for a moment, then said, "Master has conquered seven cities in a row, which must have alarmed the Ordo Secret Guard. There are several times more experts in the city than usual. The Wolf Guard is always cautious. Since they dared to expose their whereabouts, they must have made full preparations. The three downstairs are definitely not all of them. There must be more ambushes outside the inn. What should we do now?"

Jingzhe shook her head, her tone calm: "No rush. I have already sent a secret message to inform Master of our location. The three of us are all at the peak of the Innate Realm. Even if the enemy has more people, they may not be a match for us. We can hold out for a while until Master arrives."

A look of joy flashed in Qingming and Lidong's eyes, and their tense expressions eased slightly. "Great! As long as Master arrives, even if all the elite guards of the Ordos are dispatched, they won't be able to do anything to us!"

Qingming gripped his longsword tightly, a fighting spirit flashing in his eyes. He had been lying in wait for many days, and he was itching to fight.

"Let's go down and meet them. They've been hiding long enough."

Jingzhe turned around first, pushed open the door, and walked lightly downstairs. Qingming and Lidong followed closely behind, their auras tensing up again, ready to make a move at any moment.

Downstairs in the hall, three wolf guards were devouring mutton, each with several pounds of cooked meat piled in front of them. They were drinking strong liquor with gusto, their mouths smeared with grease.

Seeing Jingzhe and the other two come down the stairs, the three of them paused, a hint of panic flashing in their eyes.

The mutton and wine bowl in his hands stopped in mid-air without his noticing.

They had already ascertained the identities of Jingzhe and the other two, and knew that these three had been active in the Yan-Yun region for the past few months, assassinating Liao generals and burning down supply lines. Their methods were ruthless, and even several Liao generals who had led troops for many years had fallen to Jingzhe's sword.

They came here under orders from their superiors, knowing that a tight net had been laid outside the inn, with Eagle Guards and Wolf Guards surrounding it layer by layer, which is why they dared to be so provocative.

Unexpectedly, the three of them, including Jingzhe, were so audacious that they went downstairs on their own initiative without any fear.

After a brief moment of panic, the burly man at the head of the group put down his wine bowl, wiped the grease from the corner of his mouth, stood up, and stared fiercely at Jingzhe and the other two: "Three friends from Song, you have come from afar, it is only right that you have some food and wine, no need to be polite."

Jingzhe's ears twitched slightly, and a smile suddenly appeared on her originally serious face.

His previous caution and solemnity vanished without a trace, and his tone became relaxed: "Thank you for your kindness, but unfortunately, the wine and meat are poisoned, and I am not fortunate enough to enjoy them."

Before the words were even finished, "Whoosh—!"

A sword light suddenly flashed, as fast as lightning, far exceeding the reaction speed of the three wolf guards.

Jingzhe drew her longsword, its sharp light carrying a chilling aura, aimed directly at the neck of the leading man.

The burly man's expression changed drastically. He tried to dodge, but it was too late. The sword flashed, and with a "splat," blood gushed out.

Qingming and Lidong also acted instantly. Qingming drew his longsword, its blade flashing, aiming straight for the heart of the wolf guard on the left. Lidong's short blade flew out from his sleeve, its cold light flashing, precisely slicing towards the neck of the wolf guard on the right.

The three men attacked swiftly and decisively, without any hesitation, each using deadly moves.

"Pfft! Pfft!"

Two muffled thuds rang out in succession. Before the three wolf guards could even scream, blood gushed from their necks, and their heads rolled to the ground. Blood stained the table and the floor in front of them, and the mutton and liquor were mixed with blood, making them look utterly wretched.

The Eagle Guards and Wolf Guards lying in ambush outside the inn did not expect them to act so quickly. Before they could surround the inn, they started killing people.

It was already late Hai hour.

There were no other diners on the first floor of the inn, and the waiter had hidden himself as Jingzhe had instructed. Only the three of them remained in the hall.

Jingzhe raised her hand and waved it, her true energy surging around her, scattering all the blood droplets that had splashed onto her.

The longsword in his hand trembled slightly, emitting a buzzing sound.

"Hahaha!"

Jingzhe burst into laughter, his tone full of exhilaration, "After lying in wait for so long, always being cautious and hiding our heads, starting today, we finally don't have to endure it anymore! Brothers, let's have a good fight!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he flipped his hands over and simultaneously obtained a long sword and a short blade.

With a leap, he landed at the top of the stairs on the second floor, his sharp gaze sweeping over the guest rooms.

"Whoosh!" Two figures suddenly rushed out from the guest rooms on both sides of the second floor. Both were dressed in black tight-fitting clothes, with bronze eagle-head tokens hanging at their waists. Their aura was sharp, far surpassing that of the wolf guards from before.

It was the Eagle Guard of the Ordo Secret Guard.

Each of the two held a curved sword, their blades gleaming fiercely, aimed straight at Jingzhe's face.

Jingzhe's eyes turned cold, and she wielded both long and short weapons simultaneously. The sword light and blade shadows intertwined, and with a crisp clang, the swords clashed, sparks flying everywhere.

Eagle Guard's scimitar was fierce and sharp, carrying the valor of Liao martial arts, but Jingzhe's sword moves were strange and agile, with sword energy swirling around it.

With a single move, the two Eagle Guards were forced to retreat repeatedly, their arms went numb, and a look of astonishment flashed in their eyes.

A series of hurried footsteps and the sound of swords being drawn came from outside the inn. Countless eagle guards and wolf guards in armor swarmed in, surrounding the entire inn.

The leaders were even more powerful, all of them being Eagle Guard commanders at the Innate Upper Realm.

Qingming and Lidong immediately stepped forward and stood side by side with Jingzhe. The three of them had their true energy surging around them, their sword energy was sharp, and their expressions were solemn but without the slightest fear.

"kill!"

Since we've already taken action, there's no point in negotiating anymore.

The leader of the Eagle Guards shouted and took the lead in attacking, his curved blade carrying immense force as he cleaved straight at Qingming.

The remaining Eagle Guards and Wolf Guards also charged forward, their swords flashing and shouts of battle shaking the heavens and the earth. The entire inn instantly turned into a battlefield.

Qingming moved nimbly, wielding his longsword with sword light that flowed like water.

Every move he made precisely parried the Eagle Guard's scimitar, and his occasional counterattacks were deadly strikes.

Li Dong, on the other hand, moved with composure, his short blade flashing from his sleeve, targeting the vital points of the Eagle Guards and Wolf Guards with ruthless and deadly moves.

Jingzhe wields both long and short weapons, her swordplay unpredictable and varied, her sword energy crisscrossing, each strike capable of forcing back several enemies.

Although the Eagle Guards and Wolf Guards were numerous and powerful, each of them was fearless and undaunted.

However, all three of them were experts at the peak of the Innate Realm, with superb martial arts, strange sword moves, and sharp sword energy. Before long, dozens of Eagle Guards and Wolf Guards fell under their swords, their blood staining the ground of the inn, and corpses littered the ground.

The three worked together seamlessly. Although surrounded by enemy troops, the inn was small and the enemy had a large number of people, making it difficult for them to make their moves. After dozens of rounds, the three still had the upper hand.

However, the Ordo secret guards kept coming in, killing one batch only to have another arrive.

This inn has almost been completely destroyed by sword and saber energy.

The three of them had not yet entered the Profound Realm and were unable to connect with the Bridge of Heaven and Earth to replenish their true energy, so they gradually felt their physical strength failing and their breathing becoming somewhat disordered.

"Hmph, stop now."

A dignified, cold snort came from outside the inn, the voice deep and resonant.

Upon hearing the sound, the Eagle Guards and Wolf Guards who were besieging Jingzhe and his companions stopped abruptly, withdrew their attacks, and respectfully made way for them.

A figure in a purple brocade robe walked in slowly. The old man's face was deeply lined with wrinkles, and his hair and beard were half white, but his figure was as upright as a pine tree. A gilded jade pendant hung at his waist, engraved with the two characters "Northern Courtyard" in Liao script. His aura was as heavy as a mountain, far surpassing that of all the secret guards present, making it hard for people to breathe.

"Yelü Hong, head of the Northern Courtyard of the Ordo Secret Guard."

Jingzhe whispered to the two people beside her, "This old man's aura is not only at the initial stage of the Profound Realm, but far surpasses their Innate Realm level."

The difference between innate talent and profound understanding is not just about the level of attainment.

Yelü Hong's gaze, sharp as a hawk's, swept over the corpses of the wolf guards and eagle guards scattered on the ground. He frowned slightly, and finally fixed his gaze on Jingzhe and the other two.

“Three Song people, who have been lurking in Yan and Yun for months, have finally been caught today.”

"Tell me who's behind you, and I'll give you a quick death."

He stepped forward slowly, the gilded jade pendant jingling softly with each step.

Jingzhe chuckled, "Hehe, if I really told you, you probably wouldn't be happy."

Yelü Hong's gaze sharpened, his aura suddenly surged, and he said coldly, "Why haven't you confessed yet?"

Before he finished speaking, he leaped up, raised his right palm high, and his true energy surged like a tidal wave. His palm was surrounded by a pale white aura, which seemed to explode with the power of heaven and earth, and a field was actually formed.

"Azure Nether Palm!"

The palm strike, carrying a chilling aura, pressed down on Jingzhe and his companions. Its force was so great that the surrounding tables and chairs shattered, sending splinters flying.

The three dared not be negligent and took two steps back in unison. A faint white light shone on their longswords as they poured out all their inner strength. The three sword energies intertwined to form a rainbow, desperately resisting the palm strike.

However, the true energy of the Profound Realm was too terrifying. As soon as the sword energy collided with the palm wind, it trembled violently. The three people's arms went numb, their blood and qi surged, and their bodies swayed and were about to collapse, like candles in the wind. They were about to give up in an instant.

In the nick of time, a dragon's roar that shook the entire inn suddenly rang out, "Roar—!"

The roar of a dragon echoed across the four seas, drowning out the howling of the palm wind. A powerful and domineering force suddenly erupted from outside the inn, crashing directly into Yelü Hong's palm strike.

"Bam—!"

Two loud explosions rang out, and the shockwaves radiated outwards from the point of their clash, shattering all the doors and windows of the inn, cracking the walls, and sending rubble raining down.

Yelü Hong and the newcomer simultaneously took three steps back, the bluestone slabs beneath their feet shattering under their weight. After regaining their balance, the newcomer didn't forget to support Jingzhe and the other two, helping them to steady themselves.

Jingzhe looked up and saw that the newcomer was dressed in coarse cloth beggar's gang clothing, with a burly figure, a rugged face, thick eyebrows and big eyes. It turned out to be the beggar gang elder he had fought with in Kaifeng Prefecture last time.

He is now Qiao Feng, the leader of the Beggars' Sect. (End of Chapter)