This Dao Ancestor is too young.

A multitude of thoughts surged through Zhang Yuanzhu's mind, eventually coalescing into one.

If we can kill our enemies, the spoils of war will be enough to save many more lives.

"The Shang family?"

Zhang Yuanzhu whispered.

For the past seven days, there has been a constant sense of being spied on from outside the door, and as time has passed, it has become more and more obvious, to the point that it is almost no longer concealed.

The boy's eyes were half-closed, and a chilling smile spread across his face.

He strode out the door.

He stretched out his palm and pressed it against the door, exerting force.

crunch~

The door was open, and two burly men dressed in black cotton coats and wearing red headbands were leaning against a tree trunk, chatting idly.

Despite the cold weather and heavy snowfall, the two showed no intention of leaving.

He kept glancing at the tall, slender figure walking out of the courtyard.

As they sensed the boy approaching, a simple, honest smile appeared on their faces.

"Young man, are you from this...?"

Stab it!

The sword light tore through the wind and snow, raising a large amount of blood, and a head was thrown off and rolled to the ground.

Zhang Yuanzhu tilted his head slightly, looking at the remaining burly men:

"You've been talking here every day for the past five days; you certainly have a refined taste."

Arm raised, longsword slowly rested on the burly man's shoulder, and the question was uttered, word by word:

"Tell me, which faction sent you?"

The burly man in black robes stiffened, sensing the blood splattered on his cheek and the sword blade on his shoulder, and forced a smile:

"Sir, you've misunderstood, we are..."

stab~

The sword flashed, and an arm flew out, blood gushing out like a spring.

Before the piercing wail could even be uttered, it was drowned out by whispers colder than ice and snow:

"You still have one arm and two legs, think carefully before you answer."

The burly man clenched his teeth, his forehead band soaked with cold sweat, and his eyes revealed despair. He opened his mouth, but remained silent.

Zhang Yuanzhu remained indifferent as he swung his longsword down once more.

Another arm fell to the snow, and a mournful wail had just begun when a flash of sword light turned the teeth and tongue into mincemeat.

The burly man collapsed, whimpering, his body convulsing.

The boy raised his foot and slowly placed it on his thigh:

"You're afraid of retaliation from the forces behind you, but not of me. Do you think I won't wipe you out completely?"

Click~

His legs twisted, and the big man convulsed even more violently.

Zhang Yuanzhu raised his foot again and stepped on his only intact leg:

"You guessed right. I really won't hold a grudge against truly innocent people, nor do I care if those who harbor resentment grow stronger in the shadows."

Click~

Amidst the crisp sound of bones breaking, the boy's voice was low and somber:

"However, people are sometimes not as strong as they imagine themselves to be."

During his escape, he witnessed the kindness of the world, but he also saw the worst evils and the many ways people were tortured.

Even the weapon-refining techniques in "The Art of White Bone Refining" can be applied to living beings.

With a flick of his fingertip, a wisp of eerie blue light fell, seeping into the burly man's heart, protecting his vital energy and preventing him from dying.

The next moment, the boy dragged the burly man and the corpse back to the courtyard, followed by loud sobs.

Soon, Zhang Yuanzhu walked out again, looking towards the inner city.

"Shang Lian, the eldest son of the Shang family?"

Zhang Yuanzhu murmured.

He got the answer he wanted.

Carrying a long sword, he strode forward and soon arrived at the riverbank.

The wind and snow danced, the waves surged, and the clamor from the opposite bank of the river could be faintly heard.

Zhang Yuanzhu seemed not to see the river and strode forward.

slap~

He waded across the river as if it were flat ground, and in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, he reached the other side.

This is the art of water control!

There are countless spells, but the most powerful ones have always been people, not spells.

Zhang Yuanzhu casually rested his hand on the hilt of his sword and slowly walked forward as the crowd gradually increased.

There were vendors hawking their wares, beautiful women beckoning customers, noble ladies sitting elegantly in sedan chairs, and beggars kneeling on the ground begging for survival. The swirling snow did not diminish the prosperity of the inner city.

"I don't know what the city lord was thinking, but he actually allowed beggars and disaster victims to enter the city. It's one thing for them to stay in the outer city, but he didn't stop them from entering the inner city."

"When did Lord Liu become so generous? He has always been stingy and never misses a single benefit; he is known for his extreme greed."

"Who knows what madness the city lord has gone mad to defile the peaceful inner city?"

.....

A cacophony of noise reached my ears.

The boy's expression remained unchanged, his eyes showing no emotion whatsoever.

He arrived at the steaming bun stall and pointed to the hot buns:

"I'll take them all, pack up all the steamed buns, and distribute them to the disaster victims on the street."

As the words fell, a piece of silver was tossed in front of the stall owner.

The stall owner squeezed the silver coins, a smile spreading across his face:

"The guest is a kind person. My steamed buns are hot. They can keep beggars and disaster victims full for a long time."

Then, the stall owner directly instructed his staff to start distributing the steamed buns.

After confirming that the other party had not cheated or slept around, Zhang Yuanzhu started walking towards the Shang family again.

He moved at a moderate pace, and after about half an hour, a manor came into view.

The manor was spacious, with its gates tightly closed. Two stone lions stood in front of the gate, and the two characters "Shang Mansion" on the gate plaque shone brightly.

Several burly men patrolled the streets, keeping watch in all directions.

Zhang Yuanzhu did not go immediately, but instead went into a teahouse next door, ordered a pot of tea, and sat quietly by the window on the second floor to observe.

The lobby on the first floor was bustling with activity, as storytellers ate fried beans and told various tales.

Suddenly, one of the guests shouted:

"Old Yu, you tell these clichéd stories every day. I'm sick of hearing them. Why don't you tell something more interesting?"

Immediately, many guests began to speak:

"Yes, Old Yu, let's hear a different story."

The storyteller was an elderly man with gray hair. He leaned back in his chair, slowly sipping his tea, and looked at the excited crowd with a satisfied expression in his eyes.

As expected of a paid shill, their skills are quite good.

Snapped!

Old Yu put down his teacup, stood up, and bowed to those around him.

"Since you guests have graced me with your presence, this old man will naturally not keep anything to himself. Today, I will tell you a new story."

The old man sat down again and uttered each word carefully:

"Internal strife among the immortal soldiers, the Dao Ancestor has fled!"

Boom~

As the noise subsided, all the tea drinkers, whether they were listening to the storytelling or not, turned to look at the old man.

The Great Dao Ancestor—Zhang Yuanzhu, a name that was once unknown, now resounds throughout heaven and earth, and is at the center of the storm in this world.

The glorious era under the rule of the nine major meridians is something to be longed for.

After an unknown amount of time, a deep sound finally came from the second floor:

"However, the Tai Ri Dao lineage proposed that the seven Dao lineages of the Immortal Soldier Valley jointly decide the life and death of the Dao Ancestor, intending to imprison him at the mountain gate."

"No, no. Although this matter is dangerous, the Dao Ancestor will have already reached the Foundation Establishment stage and will have already displayed his talents. The four major Dao lineages of Sword Sect, Chess Star, Beast Taming, and Weapon Refining will not allow this to happen."

The old man chuckled and shook his head.

His smile faded, and he pointed to the ground beneath his feet:

"What I want to tell you is what happened in this land."

At this moment, everyone fell silent, their eyes burning with intensity.

Everyone probably knew what the old man was going to say, and they understood it in their hearts, but the feeling was completely different from hearing it with their own ears.

Old Yu's murky eyes swept across the teahouse, a hint of smugness flashing in them.

"In the chaotic lands, outside Blackhorn Market, twelve Foundation Establishment cultivators hunt a 'Young Dragon,' while a witch appears and forces a Dao Ancestor to confront her; from this moment, a romance begins to blossom!"