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

Pingyang County City, North Wharf.

The Grand Canal flows through the north of the city, where merchant ships traveling from the north and south stop to unload their cargo.

The docks were bustling with activity all day long, with porters carrying sacks to and fro and vendors hawking their wares incessantly.

Today, a somber atmosphere permeates the docks.

Lei Potian stood at the bow of a three-masted cargo ship, overlooking the entire dock. His physique was as imposing as an iron tower, his hands clasped behind his back, his gaze as sharp as a hawk's. Behind him stood more than twenty elite disciples of the Mad Saber Sect, each with a long sword at their waist and a cold, stern expression.

Lei Zhendong stood beside his elder brother, his lean figure somewhat inconspicuous in Lei Potian's shadow, but the sinister light flashing in his triangular eyes made him a force to be reckoned with.

The men were carrying goods, crates one by one, from the ship's hold onto the dock. The crates bore the Iron Sword Sect's emblem—a long sword standing upright, tip pointing upwards. The seals had been roughly torn off.

Lei Zhendong leaned closer, lowered his voice, and said with excitement in his eyes, "Brother, this batch of goods is all from the Iron Sword Sect. Pills, weapons, and five Heavenly Tide Stones. The total value is at least 100,000 taels of gold."

Lei Potian's lips curled into a slight smile: "Where are the Iron Sword Sect members now?"

"The branch in the east of the city doesn't know the goods have been hijacked by us yet." Lei Zhendong laughed, revealing a set of yellow teeth. "The dock manager has been taken into custody, so the news can't get out."

"Then let them not know." Lei Potian waved his hand, his tone indifferent. "Hurry up. After unloading the cargo, burn the ship. Burn it completely, don't leave a single piece of wood."

"yes!"

Half of the cargo had been moved. A rapid, hurried sound of footsteps echoed from the east side of the dock—like drumbeats striking the ground.

Lei Potian turned his head and looked over, his smile instantly freezing.

The Iron Sword Sect has arrived.

Leading the group was Zhao Tieyi, the leader of the Guangling Prefecture branch of the Iron Sword Sect. He wore a blue robe, a long sword at his waist, and his face was ashen. Behind him followed more than thirty Iron Sword Sect disciples, each wielding a long sword, its blade gleaming coldly in the sunlight. Their steps were synchronized, and their killing intent was palpable.

"Lei Potian!" Zhao Tieyi's voice, like the clash of metal, echoed across the dock. "You dare touch my Iron Sword Sect's goods?"

Lei Potian stood motionless at the bow of the ship, looking down at Zhao Tieyi, too lazy to even reply.

Lei Zhendong understood, leaped off the bow of the boat, landing with barely a speck of dust. Arms crossed, head held high, his triangular eyes filled with provocation.

"Chief Zhao, this dock is the territory of the Mad Saber Sect. I, Lei Zhendong, call the shots here. Your Iron Sword Sect's goods pass through my dock—did you pay the toll?"

"Toll fees?" Zhao Tieyi sneered, his gaze sharp as a knife. "This is blatant robbery!"

"That's not how it works." Lei Zhendong slowly shook his head, tapping his sword hilt lightly with his fingers. "The rules of the martial world dictate that you pay to pass through, it's only right and proper. Your Iron Sword Sect doesn't understand the rules, so today I, Lei Zhendong, will teach you a lesson."

"court death!"

Zhao Tieyi drew his sword. The sword flashed like a bolt of lightning, so fast that its trajectory was almost invisible—heading straight for Lei Zhendong's throat!

Lei Zhendong neither dodged nor evaded. He struck out with his palm. The palm wind was fierce and unparalleled, colliding head-on with the sword's edge.

"bite--"

The clang of metal rang out.

Zhao Tieyi took three steps back, each step leaving a footprint about an inch deep in the bluestone ground. Lei Zhendong remained motionless, his feet seemingly nailed to the ground.

"Mid-stage Innate Profound Realm, indeed quite skilled." Zhao Tieyi steadied himself, slightly turning his wrist so the tip of his sword pointed diagonally at the ground. His heart sank—he was a whole realm higher than him; a direct confrontation wouldn't end well.

"You're not bad either." Lei Zhendong cracked his knuckles as he moved them. "To be able to withstand my palm strike without getting hurt at the early stage of the Innate Profound Realm—the Iron Sword Sect's techniques are something. Unfortunately, that's all they have to offer."

Zhao Tieyi fell silent. With a flick of his longsword, sword light poured forth like a torrential downpour. Countless sword shadows enveloped Lei Zhendong's entire body, each strike accompanied by a sharp whistling sound.

Lei Zhendong let out a long laugh, a laugh like an owl in the night. He unleashed both palms simultaneously. His palm technique was not flashy—it was fierce, domineering, and unstoppable. Each palm strike carried the power to shatter stone and shake the incoming sword shadows into pieces.

The two fought fiercely, sending sand and stones flying. No one dared to approach within a ten-zhang radius.

The disciples from both sides also rushed forward. Blades clashed, blood splattered, and screams echoed everywhere. The dock was in complete chaos—porters and merchants scattered in all directions, goods were kicked over, and grain, cloth, and porcelain were strewn all over the ground.

Lei Potian remained standing at the bow, observing coldly. From beginning to end, he hadn't even moved a finger. With his cultivation at the mid-stage of the Innate Divine Meridian Realm, if he were to make a move, Zhao Tieyi wouldn't last three moves.

But he didn't need to take action—his younger brother, Lei Zhendong, was more than capable. He only wanted to establish his authority, not to wipe out the entire sect. Killing Zhao Tieyi would trigger a full-scale attack from the Iron Sword Sect's headquarters, which wouldn't be worthwhile.

The battle ended half an hour later.

Corpses littered the docks. Blood flowed through the cracks in the bluestone slabs, forming dark red streams that eventually flowed into the canal, staining the water a pale red.

The Mad Saber Sect suffered twelve dead and twenty-three wounded. The Iron Sword Sect suffered nine dead and eighteen wounded.

Zhao Tieyi suffered internal injuries from Lei Zhendong's palm strike, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. He was helped back by his disciples.

Lei Zhendong was also stabbed in the left arm, the skin and flesh were torn open and blood was gushing out, but he just tore off a piece of his robe and wrapped it around his arm twice, without even frowning.

The cargo was all stolen by the Mad Blade Sect. The cargo ship was burned to ashes, with black smoke billowing into the sky, visible for miles around.

Iron Sword Sect Branch, Council Hall.

The atmosphere was as oppressive as the sky before a storm.

Zhao Tieyi sat shirtless in a grand chair, while an elderly doctor with graying hair and beard carefully bandaged his wounds. A purplish-black palm print, with clearly visible five fingers, marked his chest—a gruesome sight.

Lei Zhendong's palm strike penetrated his meridians, and dark red bruising was faintly visible beneath the skin of the wound. It would definitely take three to five days to recover.

Zhou Wenhai stood to the side, his face as solemn as water.

"Master, this shipment is for the main headquarters." His voice was low, as if afraid of being overheard. "It's being sent through the expedited channel. They say it's for the Heavenly Tide Stones urgently needed to refine a batch of Breakthrough Pills. If we lose this shipment, we won't be able to explain it to the main headquarters."

"I know," Zhao Tieyi gritted his teeth, veins bulging on his forehead. The old doctor was applying medicine; the powder sprinkled on the wound made his muscles tense with pain. He endured it without uttering a sound.

"But that treacherous Lei Zhendong is a whole realm higher than me, I can't beat him in a head-on fight." Zhao Tieyi took a deep breath, "What's more, he has Lei Potian above him—a mid-stage Divine Meridian Realm cultivator, who could crush me with a single finger. The Mad Blade Sect has a large and powerful force, and our branch alone can't handle just those two."

Zhou Wenhai remained silent for a moment. He knew that what Zhao Tieyi said was true.

"Then what should we do? Just let it go like this?" Zhou Wenhai asked unwillingly.

"Forget it?" Zhao Tieyi sneered, a ruthless glint in his eyes. "He's dreaming."

He paused, then closed his eyes, as if making a difficult decision. After a moment, he opened his eyes, his gaze becoming resolute.

"Write me a letter and send it to the Iron Sword Sect headquarters in Guangling Prefecture."

He said, enunciating each word clearly, "Please have the main headquarters send three elders at the peak of the Profound Realm. I want the Mad Saber Sect to know—the things of my Iron Sword Sect are not so easy to take."

Zhou Wenhai's eyes lit up, and he turned and strode quickly to his desk. He ground the ink, laid out the paper, and picked up his pen to write a letter.

Zhao Tieyi leaned back in his chair, his eyes closed. But his mind was racing, calculating something else entirely—

The Green Dragon Society.

If the Azure Dragon Society sides with the Mad Blade Sect, he's completely doomed. Meng Xinghun is already troublesome enough, and I've heard that the Azure Dragon Society has recently gained several new faces with unfathomable strength.

We must win over the Azure Dragon Society before the Mad Blade Sect does.

He opened his eyes and called out to the door, "Someone, go and prepare a generous gift."

I will personally visit the Meng family tomorrow.