Turbid World: Martial Arts Master of the Republic of China Era, I Cultivate Immortality!

Chapter 117 New Feature: From Fake to Real! (Please Subscribe!)

Just as Zhao Zheng was examining the dice formed from the Heart Sutra of Forgetfulness in his hand, a vague voice, not ethereal but carrying a hint of laughter, rang out.

"One throw and heaven and earth are dark and yellow—two throws and the universe is vast and boundless—three throws and the sun and moon—dice, masks are revealed—when falsehood is taken for truth, truth becomes falsehood—when nothingness becomes existence, existence becomes nothingness. When there is nothing left to deceive, take this as truth—the Mother of the Dipper above, hear this with me—I now enter the game, my spirit travels to the Taiyin. One thought, I sit in oblivion—"

As the muffled laughter subsided, Zhao Zheng subconsciously looked up at the roof. Strangely, the roof had disappeared at some point.

All there is is a clear blue sky!

In an instant, a chaotic black and white torrent swallowed the sky. In a twisted light and shadow, a phantom that could be sensed as having a hint of Tai Chi twisted and surged in the strange black and white light.

True or false, existent or nonexistent, lies — truth —

"Should my sanity level drop?"

"I don't feel anything, or rather, I just feel a little dizzy," Zhao Zheng muttered to himself, as he slightly squeezed the dice in his hand to crush them.

With a snap, the dice shattered, the black and white turbid currents in the sky disappeared, and the rooftop that had vanished reappeared before his eyes, as if everything before had been an illusion.

Zhao Zheng looked at the dice that his palm brother was trying to condense again, and took out the Dao Pivot Theory of Sitting in Oblivion left by his master from the space of the Five-Colored Divine Light Pearl.

"Where did my master's copy of the Dao Shu Zuo Wang Xin Jing (The Heart Sutra of Sitting in Oblivion) ​​come from? How did it lead me to comprehend this version of the Zuo Wang Xin Jing?"

Thinking about it, he looked at the skill panel on the control panel!

[Practice Method: The Heart Sutra of Meditation]

[Introduction: When truth is taken for falsehood, falsehood becomes truth; when nothingness is taken for existence, existence becomes nothingness. Forget form, forget things, forget life and death; deceive heaven, deceive earth, deceive even oneself. At the moment a thought arises, even the Mother of the Dipper bestows grace. Only by sitting in oblivion and entering the game can one see the true nature.]

【Special Feature: Fake vs. Real】

[Refining the False: Innate Realm (70%)]

[Really: Thirty-Six Forms of the Raging Wind Burning Heaven Blade]

"???"

What? Just because people believe I'm a pre-heaven martial artist, does that mean I am?!

Zhao Zheng's eyes were strange as he thought of the Thirty-Six Forms of the Raging Wind Burning Heaven Blade at the Perfected Realm in the cultivation manual. He felt that if others really believed it, then everything would come true.

"Then—can I use this to directly become an immortal?"

One bold idea after another arose in Zhao Zheng's mind. He was ready to go back and give it a try. If it worked, great; if not, it wouldn't matter.

Putting aside his bold ideas for the moment, Zhao Zheng put the dice he had just condensed into the Five-Colored Divine Light Pearl space and used the "Hundred Aspects of Life" diagram to scan the Dao Pivot Theory of Sitting in Oblivion left by his master.

Unfortunately, there was no response!

However, a series of information was revealed by the Dingcang Sword, the foremost of the Three Imperial Weapons, which surprised Zhao Zheng.

"So many features!"

[Item: Dingcang Sword]

[Introduction: This sword is crafted in accordance with the Mohist principles of defense and universal love, and is forged from Moyun Xuan Iron supplemented with copper from Shoushan. Its color is like the deep sea, its sharpness is concealed, and its righteousness is hidden, yet it carries its own malevolent energy. The wielder is prone to rampant desires. The spine of the sword is inlaid with a fire-resistant shield spring. It was specially forged by the Mohist school three hundred years ago to counter the four deadly weapons created by the Gongshu family.]

【Characteristic 1: Fire-Controlling Mystic Shield – The swordsman can activate the sword's spine spring through internal force, unfolding the Mo Family Fire-Controlling Shield, transforming the Dingcang Sword into the Dingcang Fire-Controlling Shield, thereby becoming immune to fire-attribute damage and forcibly neutralizing the mystic fire aura of the fierce weapon, the Burning Heaven Halberd.】

【Characteristic Two: Mechanical Balance – A swordsman can use the power of their weapon to suppress the four fierce weapons of the Gongshu family, weakening their power and the speed of their mechanisms.】

【Characteristic Three: Devouring Desire - This is a passive negative effect of the Dingcang Sword. Anyone wielding this sword will have greed and anger stirred within them, causing inner demons to fester. Only self-castration to sever these desires can suppress it; simultaneously, it permanently increases attack power by 30%.】

【Characteristic Four: Tranquil Defense – The sword body draws upon the defensive energy of the Mohist school, capable of defending against 30% of enemy attacks, thereby indirectly increasing its own defense.】

【Characteristic Five: The non-aggressive energy draws upon the Mohist school's righteous non-aggressive spirit, increasing the swordsman's internal energy by 100% and stabilizing its circulation.】

【Characteristic Six: Righteous Cultivation (Not Activated) - A swordsman can activate this characteristic by cultivating the "Dingcang Bixie Sword Scripture" originally contained within the sword. Only by cultivating the sword and scripture together can one follow the righteous path, which can suppress the backlash of desire. Those with extraordinary temperament do not need to castrate themselves. If this sword scripture is not cultivated, this characteristic cannot be activated, and the power of Characteristic Three [Desire Devours the Heart] will be enhanced simultaneously.】

"So why wasn't I affected by the third characteristic, the Desire to Devour the Heart?" This was the first thought that arose in Zhao Zheng's mind when he saw the sixth characteristic of the Dingcang Sword.

After careful consideration, Zhao Zheng concluded that it was because his Dao heart was too strong that the negative effects of the Dingcang Sword could not affect him.

However, to be fair, this sword is quite powerful, no wonder it was lost when he was a child. Thinking of this, Zhao Zheng summoned the Tai'a Sword with his left hand.

After the two swords clashed a few times, he finally decided that his Tai'a sword was superior. Putting aside everything else, the Tai'a sword's hardness was just like its master's.

Zhao Zheng sheathed the Dingcang Sword and stored it, along with its case, into his Five-Colored Divine Light Pearl space: "What should I do next?"

A dozen minutes later, outside the gate of Pingdu Escort Agency.

On the deserted street, Zhao Zheng, knowing what to do, glanced at the corpses of Lin Zhenting and his wife still standing at the entrance of the security company. He began to search the bodies.

In the end, he successfully obtained several martial arts manuals from the Liefeng Blade Pavilion series and some money from the corpses of Li Canglan and the others.

He possesses the Gale Sky-Burning Blade Technique, which he has already perfected by leveraging the unique characteristics of the Refining Clan, as well as the Heaven-Burning Flame Force, the internal energy that Li Canglan primarily cultivates.

With the Heart-Burning Palm and the Gale-Sweeping Phantom Leg, plus some combined attack formations, he secretly thought that he had finally become the protagonist.

Hmm, the supporting character has acquired a martial arts technique!

"It seems like we're still missing a few books—"

Zhao Zheng quickly flipped through the cultivation manual in his hand. He said there was no major problem, because he was preparing to go to the Gale Blade Pavilion next.

The reason? He killed the other party's entire family!

Since he's already playing the villain, he might as well go all the way and wipe out the Gale Blade Pavilion completely to avoid any future trouble.

After finishing his contemplation, Zhao Zheng reached out and looked at the fiery internal energy swirling around his palm as his internal energy surged. He began to understand why internal energy cultivation in this world placed more emphasis on nurturing.

The mechanical martial arts are more damaging to the user than the martial arts in his original world, which is why he pays more attention to nurturing himself.

Zhao Zheng glanced at the Heavenly Flame Force that had appeared and disappeared in the skill panel, which he had integrated into the Shangqing Great Cave True Scripture, then put away the skill and looked around.

*Snap! Snap! Snap* The faint sounds of doors and windows closing rang out. Zhao Zheng ignored the eavesdropping and looked at the Liefeng Blade Pavilion disciples who were charging towards him with their standard broad-backed heavy swords not far away.

"I will kill you to avenge the sect leader—"

The disciples of the Gale Blade Pavilion roared and charged at Zhao Zheng with their blades. Zhao Zheng, seeing this, said "boring" and moved his feet.

Swah—

A pebble flew out from the ground, creating a deafening sonic boom, and pierced straight through the forehead of the Gale Blade Pavilion disciple.

Zhao Zheng ignored the fallen disciple of the Gale Blade Pavilion and the sounds of people holding their breath in the shadows around him.

After noticing the two missing corpses at the entrance of the security company, his gaze followed his intuition and looked toward the alley not far away.

One breath, two breaths, three breaths —

At the corner of the alley, Lao Xuancheng, leaning against the wall, quickly and in a panic pressed the acupoint to silence Lin Ping, who was standing next to him with an angry expression.

Using this technique, he subdued his opponent with acupressure!

Thinking about Zhao Zheng's gaze, Ling Qingyao's eyes widened as she covered her mouth. After a while, she cautiously removed her hand and whispered, "Did he—see us just now?"

"Probably not—"

Lao Xuancheng peeked uncertainly at the entrance of the escort agency, and breathed a sigh of relief when he found no one there.

His gaze fell on the corpses of Lin Zhenting and his wife on the ground. Just as he was about to release Lin Ping's pressure points, a voice suddenly rang out: "Oh, you're here!"

"!!!" ×2

Clang! Clang—

The sound of two swords being drawn rang out. Ling Qingyao and Lao Xuancheng looked at Zhao Zheng, who had appeared in the depths of the alley at some unknown time, with wary expressions and pale faces.

"You—you stay away!"

It was Ling Qingyao who spoke; Lao Xuancheng didn't say a word, nor did Lin Ping, who was immobilized by having his acupoints sealed.

Even though Lin Ping couldn't move, his eyes blazed with boundless fury as he glared at Zhao Zheng, as if he wanted to devour him.

Zhao Zheng looked expressionlessly at Lin Ping, whose eyes were filled with the heart-wrenching pain of losing a loved one, and whose tears were swirling in his eyes but could not fall. He then spoke calmly.

"I wasn't the one who killed your parents. If you don't believe me, you can investigate. By the way, the Dingcang Sword from your old family home is now in my hands. If you want to take it back—you'd better cultivate diligently and strive to defeat me as soon as possible!"

"The Sword of Dingcang!"

"The foremost of the three imperial guards!"

Lao Xuancheng and Ling Qingyao's expressions changed, their eyes widened, and even Lin Ping was stunned. He didn't expect that his family really had a divine weapon.

In a daze, he began to understand why the Gale Blade Pavilion was making things difficult for his Lin family, just as Lin Ping was pondering this.

Although Lao Xuancheng was wary, he still took a small step forward and, with a hint of timidity in his voice, raised the Lingxiao Sword Mansion.

"Your martial arts are unparalleled, and we would never dare to offend you. However, our Lingxiao Sword Manor has always upheld the code of chivalry. This sword is the only heirloom of the Lin family. We hope that you will return it to Young Master Lin for the sake of justice in the martial world."

o

Although Ling Qingyao was surprised that Lao Xuancheng had become so bold, she lowered her eyes and dared not look directly at Zhao Zheng, speaking in a soft but pleading voice.

"Young Master Lin has already lost his family and all that remains is this sword as a memento. You are a hero, why make things difficult for this lonely young man?"

The two men drew their swords and spoke, their faces filled with wariness and vigilance, for they had not forgotten that Zhao Zheng had killed Li Canglan and the others.

Zhao Zheng glanced at the two of them with the look of someone looking at an idiot, then walked straight past them and out of the alley without looking back.

"Don't say such stupid things again!"

Lao Xuancheng and Zhao Zheng exchanged a pale glance but dared not speak again. They only breathed a sigh of relief after Zhao Zheng had walked away.

"How...how scary..."

Ling Qingyao was panting, wiping the cold sweat that had appeared on her forehead without her noticing.

Thinking back to the feeling that he would die if he opened his mouth, Lao Xuancheng wiped the cold sweat from his face and said with lingering fear.

"Thank goodness he didn't lay a hand on us—"

To be honest, he felt he had acted too impulsively just now, actually asking Zhao Zheng, that ruthless killer, for the Dingcang Sword.

"I think I understand why Father sent us here—cough cough, Second Senior Brother, please release Young Master Lin's pressure points first!"

Ling Qingyao realized she might have said too much, so she coughed twice and changed the subject to Lao Xuancheng.

Lao Xuancheng nodded and released Lin Ping's pressure points. Lin Ping didn't speak, but his eyes were filled with complicated thoughts of Zhao Zheng's words. He then spoke to Ling Qingyao and the other person.

"Please help me investigate the truth and find the real murderer who killed my parents—" Lin Ping said, about to kneel down.

However, Lao Xuancheng stopped him, saying, "Young Master Lin, you're too kind. By the way, Young Master Lin, why did you say before that your family didn't have any divine weapons?"

"Yes, if you had told the truth earlier, this divine weapon would not have fallen into this person's hands!" Ling Qingyao's tone was somewhat reproachful.

"I really had no idea there was a divine weapon in my house!"

Lin Ping smiled wryly. Zhao Zheng ignored the conversation between the three of them, because he was currently raising his eyebrows and looking at the alleyway in front of him, which was a little too quiet, from a hundred meters away.

"I hate the martial arts world—"

As soon as Zhao Zheng finished speaking, one after another, martial arts figures who wanted to make a name for themselves by killing him jumped down from the rooftops on both sides of the alley.

Looking at these martial arts figures, Zhao Zheng sighed softly and took a step forward. With a flick of his left hand, the Tai'a Sword materialized and intertwined in his grasp.

A cold glint, a flash of fire—there were no screams, only the sharp cry of a sword tearing through the air and the instantaneous explosion of cold light and fire.

The sword light vanished in an instant.

Zhao Zheng sheathed his sword, dispelled the Tai'a sword, and calmly walked past the thirteen frozen martial artists as he exited the alley.

He didn't look back once from beginning to end. Just as he walked out of the alley, the martial arts figures who were secretly watching were getting anxious because these thirteen people were standing there like idiots.

The thirteen martial arts figures frozen in the alley raised their hands in unison, clutching their necks with great difficulty, their pupils filled with utter horror and deathly silence.

The next moment!

Bang bang bang—

A series of dull, eerie thuds echoed as thirteen heads rolled down, tumbling several feet across the bluestone slab.

The martial arts practitioners who were secretly observing stared in horror at the crystallized sword wounds on the necks of the thirteen men.

There was no gruesome, bloody mess, nor any gushing blood; all that remained was a crystallized neck fracture.

Thud! Thud! Thud—

"A ghost!"

Exclamations of surprise rang out from the shadows, prompting Zhao Zheng to pick at his ears and look at the realm bar on the control panel.

[Realm: Mortal Transformation Realm (90%)]

Zhao Zheng, who thought to himself that it was good, looked at the Innate Realm, which had reached 80% of the Refining Attribute, and then looked at the Lesser Five Elements Creation Divine Light and the Innate Five Elements Dao Body, which had also reached 90% of the progress.

Withdrawing his gaze, Zhao Zheng thought for a moment, then swiped his right hand across the Five-Colored Divine Light Pearl in his left hand, took out the Dingcang Sword, and said calmly.

"By the way, the Dingcang Sword is in my hands now!"

Seven days later, in Wushan, on a mountain path that wasn't too rugged.

"Outrageous! I never imagined those so-called righteous people would act so ruthlessly, even killing an innocent servant for a divine weapon!"

A young man in fine clothes, riding on horseback, spoke angrily, as Zhao Zheng, riding a fine horse given to him by a kind person, also spoke.

"It's alright, I've already killed them all!"

"what?"

"Here's what happened—"

-

Zhao Zheng explained that he wanted to help the Lin family settle the matter, but Lin Zhenting was not going to keep his promise and even tricked him.

And the fact that Li Canglan wanted to kill him!

The well-dressed man, whom Zhao Zheng addressed as Brother Duan, was taken aback. He looked at Zhao Zheng with a strange expression and spoke.

"Brother Zhao, I know you weren't at fault, but—you—weren't you being a little too impulsive?"

"I had no choice. If I didn't kill them, they would keep harassing me, and might even kidnap my relatives and friends to threaten me. To ensure there would be no further trouble, I had no choice but to kill them. I was forced into it!"

"6

'

To be honest, what you said makes a lot of sense!

But I felt—something was off!

The man in fine clothes, Duan Jingchen, looked bewildered. He frowned and pondered for a moment, then looked at Zhao Zhengdao, who was riding alongside him on horseback to his left, with a puzzled expression.

"Brother Zhao, is there really no better solution? For example—cripple the martial arts of those hypocritical righteous people?"

"No, that will make their deaths even more horrible!"

Zhao Zheng looked at the puzzled Duan Jingchen, paused for a moment, and continued to explain: "Think about it, which martial artist doesn't have enemies? If I cripple their martial arts, those enemies will definitely come looking for trouble, and they'll only suffer a more miserable death then—"

"—Besides, didn't Buddha say, 'If I don't go to hell, who will?' So I'll just kill them directly, saving them the trouble of suffering afterwards!"

"...

Um, your Buddhist scriptures—

Who taught you that?!

Duan Jingchen, who claimed to have some knowledge of Buddhism, frowned as he looked at Zhao Zheng, but he didn't say anything. He just inexplicably thought of what his father had said.

"Once you're in the game, you're not in control of your own destiny!"

"really!"

"By the way, Brother Zhao, aren't you afraid that by doing this—that is, killing those righteous people—you'll attract their pursuit and kill you?" Duan Jingchen asked curiously.

"Don't be afraid!"

"Why aren't you afraid?"

"If you're not afraid, you're not afraid!"

'

'

Duan Jingchen rolled his eyes, indicating that he was somewhat at a loss for words when Zhao Zhengdao spoke. Just as he was wondering how to respond, Zhao Zhengdao said...

"And this is for the best, well, let me put it this way, I think it's better that those righteous people who were hunting me down are dead—"

"???"

Duan Jingchen was full of questions and subconsciously spurred his horse away from his brother Zhao. Then, he heard Zhao Zheng continue speaking.

"Think about it, any truly righteous person, with even a shred of conscience and sense of propriety, would first investigate the cause and effect of the matter, and would never come up and try to kill me right away!"

"That's true!"

Upon hearing this, Duan Jingchen nodded thoughtfully. Zhao Zheng continued, "If they really investigate thoroughly, they will find that this matter was not entirely my fault. But those who came to kill me without even investigating the reasons—do you think they are truly upright people? They are nothing more than a group of bad people who want to gain fame and notoriety by killing me!"

"That makes sense!"

Duan Jingchen nodded, his eyes showing confusion and contemplation. Zhao Zheng smiled and continued, "Brother Duan, do you think it's a good thing that people like them, so impulsive and reckless, who don't know right from wrong, have killed countless people and created so many innocent criminals in the past?"

"this----"

Duan Jingchen was momentarily at a loss for words when Zhao Zheng continued, "Actually, in my opinion, it would be better if such people died. It would be beneficial to both the martial arts world and the common people. After all, as the old saying goes, 'A hero uses his martial arts to break the law.' These people possess great martial arts skills but have no bottom line or morality whatsoever. They only know how to be violent and indiscriminately kill to establish their authority. Their existence is never a blessing for the people; on the contrary, it is a real scourge. What do you think?"

"That's right, Brother Zhao!"

Duan Jingchen was stunned for a moment, then nodded emphatically. Although he still felt that something was wrong, Zhao Zheng's words were reasonable and well-founded, and he didn't know where to refute them for a moment.

It's really strange!

"Furthermore, compared to those bandits and brigands, I think these brainless江湖人士 (jianghu figures) are a greater threat to the world, especially after they've had a few drinks with their friends—"

Zhao Zheng thought about what he had seen and heard along the way and said, while Duan Jingchen nodded, recalling what he had seen and heard on his journey after sneaking out of his home.

"Yes, they pose a greater threat—but unfortunately, this martial arts path cannot be severed, and there is no way to sever the connection between heaven and earth!"

After Duan Jingchen finished speaking, he noticed Zhao Zheng looking at him with a strange expression, which made him ask in surprise, "Brother Zhao, where did I go wrong?"

"Brother Duan, the dangers exist not because of martial arts, but because of human existence. Even if martial arts didn't exist, do you really think those acts of bullying the weak wouldn't happen?"

Zhao Zheng asked, and Duan Jingchen was stunned for a long time before giving a bitter smile. Then, not wanting to discuss this heavy topic, he changed the subject, saying, "By the way, I haven't asked where Brother Zhao is going yet?"

"Cut the weeds and eliminate the roots, wipe out the sect that the righteous person I killed belonged to!" Zhao Zheng said truthfully.

"Um—actually, I think Brother Zhao doesn't need to be so ruthless. There are still good people in the martial arts world."

"I know, but like I said, I'm only doing this to avoid trouble. Besides, think about it, it takes me time to get to the other sect from here. In such a long time, the remaining disciples of the other sect will definitely know that their sect leader is gone. Since they know, there will definitely be deserters. I only need to deal with the remaining die-hards. Hmm, I shouldn't be able to kill many people!"

"Well—I think Brother Zhao could read more Buddhist scriptures in his spare time, cough cough, I just think Buddhist scriptures can help cultivate one's character!"

Duan Jingchen said tactfully, but he actually wanted to say that Buddhist scriptures could dispel the resentment in Zhao Zheng's heart. However, he felt it was better not to say that, in case his brother Zhao beat him up.

"I've been reading Buddhist scriptures all along!"

"Hmm? Really? I wonder which Buddhist scripture Brother Zhao is reading?" Duan Jingchen became interested, though he mostly thought Zhao Zheng was just flattering him.

The Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Sutra!

"Oh, this book? I wonder where Brother Zhao is on his reading journey? If there's anything you don't understand, we can discuss it!"

Duan Jingchen said, while vaguely indicating that his elders in his clan all liked to study Buddhism, and he also knew a little about it because of this.

"Having read 'As is the cause, so is the effect; if not repaid, karma will not be lost,' thankfully, there's nothing I don't understand."

"Oh, that's good—"

Duan Jingchen nodded, but remembering Zhao Zheng's earlier words, he asked curiously, "May I ask how Brother Zhao understands this—"

"Hey, I planted this mountain!"

A voice interrupted Duan Jingchen's words. Duan Jingchen subconsciously looked over and saw six bandits at the crossroads ahead.

Before the six bandits could finish speaking, they collapsed to the ground with copper coins embedded in their foreheads, making Duan Jingchen's eyes widen. He opened his mouth and looked at Zhao Zheng with a wry smile.

"Brother Zhao, you—"

"There's always a reason why someone is pitiful!"

"this----"

Being forced into a corner is not a get-out-of-jail-free card!

"well----"

Upon hearing this, Duan Jingchen sighed heavily. Knowing he couldn't win an argument with Zhao Zheng, he chose to remain silent. He was taken aback when he saw Zhao Zheng dismount and walk towards the bandit's corpse. Then, with a look of delight, he followed him off the horse.

"Alright, everyone gets a share!"

Looking at Duan Jingchen who had followed him, Zhao Zheng frowned slightly and spoke, which startled Duan Jingchen, who didn't quite understand what "everyone who sees it gets a share" meant.

A moment later, Duan Jingchen was even more stunned. He looked at Zhao Zheng, who had searched the bandits for money and even removed their knives. His expression was even more stunned!

However, he didn't think it was a big problem. Anyway, these bandits would be buried soon, so burying these things along with them would be a waste.

However, soon after he saw Zhao Zheng remount his horse after hunting down five bandits, he said, completely bewildered.

"Aren't we supposed to bury them?"

"Uh, no, I just wanted to loot the corpses to see if they had any money or valuables on them, so I could help this poor guy!"

Zhao Zheng returned to his horse and asked curiously. Duan Jingchen looked bewildered and before he could speak, Zhao Zheng continued.

"Oh, you want to collect their bodies? No need for that. There are plenty of wild animals in the mountains; they'll be back in nature in a day at most!"

'

Duan Jingchen looked at Zhao Zheng with a strange expression, but soon after he remounted his horse, he was attracted by a piece of Black Tiger Saber Technique that he had obtained from looting corpses. He looked at it happily for a while, then put away the technique and asked with a puzzled look.

"Brother Zhao, I sense something's amiss. This mountain is home to the Eastern and Western branches of the Xuanji Sect. Why would there be bandits robbing travelers here?"

"Is it possible that they're in cahoots—"

Zhao Zheng tossed a Xuanji Sect token to Duan Jingchen, who stared wide-eyed: "They...they—"

"You'll get used to it!"

"Now I understand why Brother Zhao has such a bad temper—" Duan Jingchen said indignantly. He had only thought that there was collusion between officials and bandits, but he did not expect that the Xuanji Sect was also colluding with bandits.

"I have a very good temper!"

Zhao Zheng stared blankly at Duan Jingchen. Seeing Duan Jingchen nod and smile at his gaze, Duan Jingchen quickly agreed, saying, "Yes, yes, yes," before finally saying, "Now you know why I said you couldn't see the Mysterious Wall!"

"They probably wouldn't be that petty, would they?"

"You have neither fame nor high martial arts skills, so why would they let you see the Mystery Wall?" Zhao Zheng retorted.

Duan Jingchen frowned and remained silent. He looked at Zhao Zheng, and suddenly an idea struck him. His brows relaxed and he smiled.

"Brother Zhao must be famous—well, then it seems we really won't be able to see that Mysterious Wall!" Duan Jingchen said helplessly, thinking of Zhao Zheng's infamous name.

"What's so interesting about the Mystery Wall?"

Zhao Zheng asked, and Duan Jingchen, intrigued, launched into a long explanation: "Brother Zhao, you may not know this, but it is said that the Mysterious Wall contains the secret patterns of the Mo family's mechanical arts. Whether one is comprehending martial arts or studying the principles of mechanical arts, it is of great benefit. That is why I came here from home specifically for this purpose."

"Are you sure it's not a case of running away from home?"

"Oh, this—"

Duan Jingchen's eyes widened as Zhao Zheng chuckled and continued, "Your family forced you to practice martial arts, and you didn't want to, so you ran away from home to this place, right?"

"How did you know that, Brother Zhao?"

Duan Jingchen stared wide-eyed in shock, while Zhao Zheng chuckled and said, "Simple, because I've read the script!"

"script?"

Just consider me an expert in divination!

"Oh, so can I see the Mystery Wall?"

Duan Jingchen asked curiously, and Zhao Zheng nodded, saying, "Yes, and you will even master unparalleled martial arts!"

"Ugh, I hate practicing—"

Duan Jingchen paused, and for some reason, he realized that he didn't seem to hate practicing martial arts as much anymore. This filled him with doubt, wondering how his attitude had changed so quickly.

"Hmm? You don't hate practicing martial arts anymore? Oh, it seems you really listened to me. That's good. Keep it up!"

Looking at the mountaintop they were about to reach, Zhao Zheng, riding his horse, smiled and spoke, while Duan Jingchen looked at Zhao Zheng helplessly.

"Brother Zhao, if I didn't know your character, I would have started to suspect that you were a lobbyist hired by my father and uncle!"

"Your dad and the others can't get me to come!"

"Uh, that's true!"

Duan Jingchen nodded emphatically, then sighed helplessly, "But it's probably a bit late to start practicing martial arts properly now—"

It's not that he doesn't understand martial arts, he just knows a little bit, so little that even the Duan family's Mo Shu Yang Finger technique is sometimes effective and sometimes not.

"It's not a big problem. There's a martial art in this world that can absorb the internal energy of others—" Zhao Zheng said reassuringly upon hearing this.

"Devour the internal energy of others—Brother Zhao, could you be referring to Xiao Qingtian's Devouring Yuan Technique?" Duan Jingchen pondered for a moment before speaking.

"No, the cultivation technique I'm talking about is far more powerful than this one, and it has no side effects!" Zhao Zheng said.

Although the current storyline is a heavily modified version, he felt that some parts should remain unchanged. For example, the aftereffects of the Devouring Pivot Technique might be the same as those of the Star Absorbing Technique.

"Hmm? The Devouring Pivot Essence Technique has side effects?"

Duan Jingchen's eyes widened, then widened even more as he exclaimed, "Wait! Is there a martial art in this world more powerful than the Devouring Pivot Essence Technique? And one that absorbs the internal energy of others?!"

"Yes, I have!"

You'll see it soon!

Instead, your sister will be arriving soon!

Zhao Zheng muttered to himself, and Duan Jingchen was about to ask when a voice from the mountain path ahead interrupted him: "Halt! This is the headquarters of the Xuanji Eastern Sect. Please, you two—"

A disciple dressed in Xuanji Sect attire spoke loudly, but he was taken aback when he saw Zhao Zheng.

His eyes widened instantly. He pulled a portrait from his pocket, looked at it, then at Zhao Zheng's face. His expression changed drastically, and he turned and ran, shouting, "It's terrible! The Deadly Scholar is here!"

"What?! The Deadly Scholar is here!"

"Is it the deadly scholar who killed Pavilion Master Li?"

"The deadly scholar who stole the Lin family's Dingcang Sword?"

A series of horrified voices rang out from not far ahead on the mountain road. Duan Jingchen looked at Zhao Zheng with a blank expression.

"Li Canglan—Sect Master Li?"

"right!"

"—So, Brother Zhao, the righteous people you killed were members of the Gale Blade Pavilion, one of the nine righteous sects, right?"

"right!"

"You—you're still going to destroy the Gale Blade Pavilion?"

"Yes, that's right, I said that!"

"Forehead----"

Duan Jingchen felt like he was finished. Well, no, he wasn't finished. He had become a demonic person. After thinking about it, he looked at Zhao Zhengdao with a bitter smile.

"Brother Zhao, why didn't you say so sooner!"

Did you ask?

"Forehead----"

Okay, I really didn't ask!

Duan Jingchen was taken aback, and looked at Zhao Zheng with a bitter smile on his face. Before he could speak, he heard Zhao Zheng say with a smile.

"What, you don't dare acknowledge me as your brother Zhao anymore?"

"No, that's not it. I'm just afraid—my dad will break my legs if he finds out!" Duan Jingchen explained with a wry smile.

Furthermore, he felt that Zhao Zheng's reasons and actions were perfectly reasonable; the problem lay with those righteous people.

"It's alright, I can set bones!"

"!!!"

"Alright, go stand aside, someone else is trying to force me to kill him!" Zhao Zheng said, then spurred his horse forward. Duan Jingchen hesitated for a moment, then quickly spurred his horse to follow and shouted.

"Brother Zhao, wait for me—"