Water elemental became a god, ultimately becoming the master of heaven, earth, mountains, and rivers

Chapter 40 Ghost Market
The night was deep and quiet, and the moonlight was hazy.

Several miles away from Yanziwu, in a remote, dilapidated temple in a secluded mountain, little known to anyone.

Yang Lu lowered her voice, coughed lightly twice, grabbed two handfuls of crickets, and without even roasting them over a fire, stuffed them directly into her mouth.

These crickets are plump and of excellent quality; in terms of nourishing blood and qi, they are in no way inferior to medicinal pills or dietary supplements.

A series of crackling sounds filled Yang Lu's mouth as thick juice and cricket meat paste exploded together.

It doesn't taste bad at all; on the contrary, it has a fresh, herbal aroma.

It's just sticky.

After a while,
Yang Lu's face immediately regained its rosy hue, and all her injuries were completely healed.

In fact, Yang Lu only suffered minor injuries during the fierce battle with Lin Shouzhou and others that day.

But that mysterious master of light-footed skills left Yang Lu with a huge psychological shadow.

After he left in fright, he was afraid that the person would suddenly appear behind him again.

He then fled, changed his appearance, and hid in a remote corner, preparing to return to Wuqing County only after his injuries had fully healed.

"But the blue match is lost, which is a real problem. The reason why the shipment of lamp oil was able to bypass the customs supervision of the South China Sea Prefecture was entirely due to this blue match..."

Thinking of this, Yang Lu's face showed worry.

Formatting the machine, formatting the machine...

Suddenly, the sound of gentle footsteps came from outside the temple.

Yang Lu's gaze sharpened.

After counting the interest,
Then a white-clad swordsman appeared at the door, with sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes, carrying a long sword on his back.

"The moon is bright and the stars are few. I am traveling through this place and may ask to stay the night."

Upon seeing Yang Lu in the temple, the white-clad swordsman politely stopped outside the door, revealing a set of bright, gleaming teeth.

Yang Lu frowned.

This dilapidated temple was hidden deep within the vines and branches, and in the past, apart from the occasional woodcutter who would stop here when he went into the mountains to cut wood, almost no one passed by.

However, being skilled and daring, Yang Lu had little to worry about.

"Please do as you wish."

The white-clad swordsman nodded slightly, entered the dilapidated temple, and without lighting a fire, swept out a clean space before sitting alone opposite Yang Lu, sword in hand.

Close your eyes and rest, silently circulating your qi and blood.

Seeing this, Yang Lu felt a little relieved and also began to meditate and regulate her breathing.

Time passed, and the chirping of insects and birds continued outside the temple.

The rooster crows three times, and the sun is about to rise.

Yang Lu slowly opened her eyes, her vision focusing.

Then he saw a handsome face, as clear as jade, with eyes as black as lacquer, close to his face, staring straight at him.

It was this white-clad swordsman who, from some unknown time, had been squatting in front of Yang Lu, silently observing him.

"You do indeed smell of hibiscus oil."

The white-clad swordsman smiled sinisterly.

"Um?!"

Yang Lu became highly alert, gathered her qi and blood, and threw a punch. It was as if thunder was exploding in her fist. Before she even made contact with the white-clad swordsman, she had already shaken the surrounding firewood and timber apart.

However, the white-clad swordsman simply delivered a light, effortless strike.

This sword strike was unpredictable, sometimes fast and sometimes slow.

In Yang Lu's eyes, it seemed to come from all directions and from all around her.

There's no way to hide, and it's impossible to defend against!
"Zhou Tian Liu Qi Sword, Guo Lu Society?!"

Yang Lu suddenly understood something, and her pupils contracted sharply.

The sword light flashed and disappeared in an instant.

Yang Lu stood frozen in place, like a statue.

It wasn't until several breaths later that a clear line of blood appeared on his neck.

With this sword strike, not only was Yang Lu's throat severed and his internal organs shattered, but even the 'Eye Thief' he had killed let out a mournful cry before vanishing in an instant.

The diseased tiger Yang Lu died.

"Bai Manlou, he only indirectly came into contact with the hibiscus oil lamp, he didn't actually eat it, why should we take his life?"

A helpless sound came from outside the dilapidated temple. From afar, a figure quickly approached and darted into the temple.

It turned out to be a thin man wearing a tattered, greyish-gray overcoat, with a bitter expression on his face.

The man glanced at Yang Lu's corpse, his face contorting with even more bitterness.

"How tragic! A top-notch martial artist, who has cultivated with great difficulty to this day, how could he be killed for no reason!"

Bai Manlou stood up, turned around, and said with his expression as usual,
"Hibiscus oil is a poison that will bring ruin to the country and its people. Although it has only just begun to spread, how can we, as chivalrous heroes, allow it to become rampant? We would rather kill a hundred than let one go!"

Bai Manlou sheathed his sword, his tone stern.

"Anyone who has come into contact with the hibiscus oil must die! I, Bai, will bear the infamy!"

Upon hearing this, the slender man was secretly alarmed by Bai Manlou's deep-seated murderous intent, and a hint of displeasure flashed in his eyes.

He said with a bitter face,
"Our purpose in coming to the capital is solely to extinguish this drug trafficking route from Nanhai Prefecture to the capital and to hand over the evidence we have collected of the twelve trades' collusion with foreign powers to the Emperor."

I do not seek to please the Emperor, but only to have a clear conscience; as for the rest, I must not cause any unnecessary trouble.

Bai Manlou gave the thin man a strange look and said,
"I'm not some kind of serial killer, and I'm not like those two cargo loader guys from Tianjin..."

The two exchanged a few more words in hushed tones before leaving the dilapidated temple one after the other.

The body of the man who had been the center of attention in life and was known as Master Yang was left lying on the ground like a blade of grass, unnoticed by anyone.

The night was as dark as ink, and the mountain wind rustled through the treetops.

The two stood on the cliff, their clothes fluttering in the wind.

In the distance, there was a county town, half dark and half bright, not yet prosperous.

But a hundred miles behind the county town, there stands a magnificent city that resembles a heavenly palace on earth.

Painted pavilions and towers are adorned with colorful lanterns, long streets stretch like ribbons, and the faint sounds of music drift in from the air. Even from a hundred miles away, one can clearly feel the grandeur and antiquity of the place.

"The capital of the Holy Dynasty... an ancient capital with thousands of years of history, where countless distinguished figures have longed to gather."

Bai Manlou's eyes revealed longing.

The thin man said bitterly, "I wonder how many filthy people and injustices there are."

"Ha ha……"

Bai Manlou smiled, not wanting to say more, and leaped down the cliff. His figure was like a falcon skimming over a cold pool, and after a few breaths, he disappeared into the shadows.

The slender man lingered for a moment, then, like smoke and clouds, headed towards Bai Manlou.

……

Sakano Tsuto, ghost market.

Even though it wasn't his first time there, Chen Shunan remained cautious, wearing black clothes and a mask, and even adding insoles to his shoes to disguise himself, afraid of revealing any physical characteristics.

This ghost market is not far from the Three-Forked River, situated on either side of a stone bridge, with the rushing river flowing between them.

Many thieves come here to sell stolen goods, usually late at night. The stall owner lights a lantern in front of him, with the wick twisted so thin that the buyer can't see it clearly.

They sell everything: the yellow jacket the emperor wore as a child, the ashes left behind by an immortal after his death, and clocks and mechanical watches from Southeast Asia.

Cultivation techniques, secret manuals, living refugees...

Anyway, it all depends on your eyesight; I can guarantee it's fake, but not genuine.

They pack up and leave before dawn, appearing and disappearing without a trace. If they encounter trouble, they plunge into the Three-Forked River. Even top-notch masters are unlikely to be willing to go through the trouble of chasing them in the water.

Chen Shunan didn't even glance at the stalls on either side, nor did he have any intention of asking about prices or finding a bargain. He simply lowered his head and walked quickly away.

The main reason was that back then, he was young and impetuous when he first entered the ghost market, and as a result, he suffered several setbacks and was swindled.

So I made up my mind to never touch anything from street vendors again.

They only go to vendors who have fixed locations.

The clanging sound of blacksmithing could be heard.

Chen Shunan walked to a blacksmith shop built by the river. The shop was not big, with a master craftsman and three or four apprentices, and all kinds of weapons were hanging in the room.

At the very back of the shop, there is a shrine dedicated to the God of Fire, with incense smoke curling upwards.

"Shopkeeper, I want to forge a custom-made weapon."

Chen Shunan spoke softly, a pebble in his mouth.

This master craftsman has a mysterious background and his weapon-making skills are extremely high, in no way inferior to those master craftsmen in the Armory who are in charge of making armor, weapons, bows and arrows, and boots.

It has quite a reputation in this ghost market, and as long as the price is right, it can even tailor-make top-quality weapons for people.

(End of this chapter)