Starting as the heir of a marquis's mansion, I gained access to a summoning system.

Overnight, the name of the Azure Dragon Society spread throughout the entire Pingyang County.

In the battle in the Cangmang Mountains, all three forces suffered heavy losses, with more than half of their forces killed or wounded.

The news spread like wildfire from Qinghe City in all directions. In restaurants and teahouses, martial arts enthusiasts embellished the story—some said the masked youth was a disciple of a reclusive old monster, others said the gray-clad swordsman's sword was so fast that even a Xiantian realm cultivator couldn't stop it, and still others said the Azure Dragon Society was a remnant of an ancient sect with terrifyingly deep roots.

The rumors became increasingly outrageous as they spread.

But one thing everyone agreed on was that the Azure Dragon Society was not to be trifled with.

On the outskirts of the vast mountains, there is a hidden cave.

Sun Liangyu sat cross-legged deep inside the cave. He had long since changed out of his official robes, now wearing a gray hemp garment, his face covered in dust, looking like a down-on-his-luck old beggar. His left arm was wrapped in bandages, the bloodstains dried to a dark brown.

That night, he wanted to take advantage of the chaos.

Little did he know that Shen Lian had already been watching him. As soon as the battle broke out, the Zhenfu Division's men rushed straight to his hiding place. If he hadn't prepared an escape route beforehand, and if his men hadn't fought desperately to cover his retreat, he would have already been killed.

Now, the White Lotus Sect's Qinghe City branch has been almost completely wiped out. Only one man in black remains by his side.

"My lord," the man in black said in a low voice, "there are spies from the Garrison Command everywhere outside. Shen Lian hasn't left yet. Should we... retreat to a more distant area?"

Sun Liangyu opened her eyes. Her eyes were bloodshot, but her gaze remained calm.

"We cannot retreat."

His voice was deep and hoarse.

"The farther you retreat, the more it shows you have something to hide. Shen Lian only suspects me now, he doesn't have any concrete evidence. As long as I don't fall into his hands, he can't do anything to me."

"But sir, your identity..."

"My identity?" Sun Liangyu sneered. "Can Shen Lian, the leader of the Qinghe City branch of the White Lotus Sect, produce any evidence? If he could, he wouldn't just be pursuing me; he would be reporting directly to the imperial court."

He paused for a moment.

"Besides, everyone's eyes are on the Tianlan Mine right now, and Shen Lian can't possibly focus all his energy on me. Let's get through this and think of something else once things calm down."

"About that mineral vein..."

"Don't think about it for now," Sun Liangyu shook his head. "Blood Nether Sect, Heavenly Mountain Sect, Iron Sword Sect, Wanbao Trading Company, plus the Azure Dragon Society—five or six forces crammed onto one mine. Our small group would be sending them to their deaths. Let's survive first, then we can talk about anything else."

The man in black was silent for a moment, then nodded.

Sun Liangyu closed her eyes again.

In the darkness, the corner of his mouth twitched slightly.

No matter how much they planned, they didn't expect Shen Lian to come to Qinghe City in person, nor did they expect the Azure Dragon Society to suddenly appear out of nowhere.

One step wrong, step by step wrong.

The Blood Demon Cult's temporary camp in the vast mountains.

Tu Wanshan sat shirtless on a blue stone. His left shoulder wound was bandaged, but blood still seeped out, spreading a dark red stain on the white cloth.

His face looked terrible.

"Azure Dragon Society." He gritted his teeth and uttered these three words, his eyes filled with killing intent. "In my thirty years of wandering the martial world, I have never suffered such a great loss."

"Elder," a disciple cautiously stepped forward, "I've sent people to inquire. The Azure Dragon Society is a recent phenomenon, and nobody knows anything about them. There's not a single clue about the origins of the masked youth and the gray-clad swordsman."

Tu Wanshan frowned.

A force capable of establishing a base and possessing experts at the Innate Realm within just a few days could not have appeared out of thin air. Yet, no information could be found through any channels—this in itself was very strange.

"Continue the investigation," Tu Wanshan said coldly. "Also, send a message to the sect. Send more elders over. I will not easily relinquish this mine."

He paused, his gaze turning sinister as he looked towards the distant mountains.

"As for that masked boy... no matter who he is, if he dares to oppose the Blood Demon Cult, he can forget about leaving this mountain range alive."

Tianshan Sect Camp.

Han Songzi's face was even more unpleasant than Tu Wanshan's.

When had he ever suffered such humiliation in the borderlands? To be beaten so badly by a force he had never even heard of, how would the Tianshan Sect face the news?

"Elder," a disciple asked in a low voice, "Should we... retreat?"

"Withdraw?" Han Songzi sneered. "Withdraw and let the sect leader scold me for being incompetent?"

He stood up, paced around the tent a few times, and then suddenly stopped.

"Send a message to the sect to mobilize manpower. I want to see who dares to provoke the Tianshan Sect."

Zhenfu Division, Qinghe Branch Division.

Shen Lian hadn't left yet. He was sitting in Zheng Yuanlang's study, with a map of Pingyang County spread out in front of him, marked with several red circles.

"Lord Centurion." Zheng Yuanlang walked in from outside, carrying a stack of documents. "There's also movement from Guangling Prefecture."

Shen Lian raised his head: "Speak."

"Both the Iron Sword Sect and the Wanbao Trading Company have sent people. Zhao Tieyi, the deputy sect leader of the Iron Sword Sect, is at the early stage of the Innate Profound Gang Realm and has brought thirty-seven people. Jin Buhuan, the manager of the Wanbao Trading Company, is at the late stage of the Innate Qi Sea Realm and has brought twenty-three people. The two groups arrived in Qinghe City yesterday and are staying at different inns."

Shen Lian frowned slightly.

Both the Iron Sword Sect and the Wanbao Trading Company are local strongmen in the Pingyang County area. The Iron Sword Sect is famous for its swordsmanship and has been operating in Guangling Prefecture for over a century, with deep roots. The Wanbao Trading Company is more complex—on the surface, it does legitimate business, but secretly it engages in escorting goods, selling intelligence, and resolving grudges, operating in a semi-legal world.

It is no coincidence that both companies are eyeing Qinghe City at the same time.

"The news about the Tianlan Mine has spread," Shen Lian said calmly. "Everyone wants a piece of the pie."

"Then what do we do?" Zheng Yuanlang asked.

Shen Lian paused for a moment: "Let's hold back for now. Let them fight it out. The Azure Dragon Society has just seized the mine and is at its most vigilant. The Iron Sword Sect and Wanbao Trading Company can use this opportunity to probe our situation."

"What about the Blood Demon Sect and the Heavenly Mountain Sect?"

"They're also mobilizing manpower." Shen Lian flipped through another secret report. "Tu Wanshan and Han Songzi haven't left; they're both waiting for reinforcements. This mine will probably be fought until a result is achieved before they stop."

The vast mountain range, the stronghold of the Azure Dragon Society.

Dongfang Weiwo sat cross-legged in the secret room, his mind immersed in the system.

Energy Points: 13,500

This was the largest sum he had ever accumulated. Enough for one Bronze Summon, plus three Iron Summons. A Bronze Summon requires 10,000 points, a whole order of magnitude higher than Iron—he had no idea what kind of character could be summoned.

However, the Azure Dragon Society is in a period of expansion and urgently needs experts to oversee it. Although Han Tang is powerful, he is only at the early stage of the Innate Qi Sea Realm. Last time, he was able to repel Tu Wanshan by taking him by surprise and taking advantage of his carelessness. If the Blood Nether Sect sends an even stronger Innate Realm expert, Han Tang alone may not be able to stop him.

"System, consume 10,000 energy points to perform a bronze summon."

[10000 energy points consumed, 3500 remaining]

[Bronze Summoning Initiated...]

[Summoning successful!]

[Character Acquired: Meng Xinghun]

[Identity: One of the four great assassins of Happy Forest in the Meteor Butterfly Sword world]

[Specialties: Assassination, tracking, stealth, swordsmanship]

[Realm: Peak of the Innate Qi Sea Realm]

Loyalty: 100%

A light far more intense than the Black Iron Summoning shone forth.

After the light faded, a figure appeared out of thin air.

He was twenty-five or twenty-six years old, thin and with a delicate but expressionless face. His eyes were vacant, as if unfocused. He wore a faded gray robe, and a narrow longsword hung at his waist. The scabbard was undecorated, as plain as a piece of sheet metal.

He stood there, seemingly blending into the shadows. Though he was right in front of you, he gave the illusion that he might disappear at any moment.

"Meng Xinghun greets Your Majesty."