Daily News: You promised yourself to be a fisherman, but you've become a martial arts god?

Ji Boyong said:

"Speaking of which, Zhou Long is from the same hometown as us. He has mediocre talent and only reached the peak of tendon training when he was almost thirty years old."

"A month ago, our Great Zhou and the Yue Kingdom clashed at the border of Hong'an. Zhou Long, as the centurion of the Swift Falcon Squad, was in charge of frontline reconnaissance. He held a high position when the two armies faced each other. For some reason, he requested permission to return to his hometown at this critical juncture. The commander of the thousand refused to grant his request. As a result, this scoundrel conspired with his men to murder his colleagues, steal military treasures, and defect!"

"The higher-ups know that my senior sister and I are from Qianhu County, the same hometown as Zhou Long, so they assigned us to capture this scoundrel."

"When we passed through the prefectural city, we met our senior brother. After he learned about our situation, he joined us in investigating Zhou Long's whereabouts."

Meng Yao continued:

"Our investigation revealed that Zhou Long's parents died early, and he only had a younger brother named Zhou Hu, who practiced martial arts at the Haoran Martial Arts School in the east of the city. The two brothers had a very good relationship."

"Zhou Hu is of poor quality and has connections with the Hai Sha Gang in the east of the city. About two months ago, the Hai Sha Gang fought with the Giant Whale Gang, and this person suddenly disappeared."

"Our investigation revealed that this person never left Qianhu County, and we suspect that he was most likely murdered."

"Based on Zhou Hu's disappearance and the timing of Zhou Long's request to return to his hometown, it's highly likely that Zhou Long returned to avenge his brother. We plan to keep an eye on the Giant Whale Gang in the east of the city. If our guess is correct, Zhou Long will definitely show up!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Qinyun sneered and said:

"So Zhou Long was connected to the Haoran Martial Arts School after all. No wonder he killed his colleagues, stole military treasures, and deserted!"

After a pause, Liu Qinyun looked at Qin Geyue and said:

"Meng Yao, you may not know this, but about two months ago, Su Jingheng, the eldest disciple of Haoran Martial Arts School, ambushed Ge Yue, causing her serious injuries."

"If it weren't for your junior brother Li Nian, whom you've never met before, who happened to catch a ten-year-old jade fish and allowed me to refine a batch of pills, Ge Yue's future martial arts path would probably have stopped here, let alone his successful breakthrough to the Dark Force realm!"

Song Xingzhu exclaimed in amazement:

"Junior Sister is only in her early twenties, yet she has already broken through to the Dark Force realm. Her future is promising. She should consider coming to our Chaoyuan Pavilion; breaking through to the Transformation Force realm is just around the corner!"

"Did you corrupt me by taking me to Chaoyuan Pavilion?"

Meng Yao gave a cold rebuke.

Then he said to Qin Geyue:

"Junior Sister, you must not go near this pig-headed Song."

"This fellow is idle, womanizing, and unruly. Ever since he broke through to the Dark Force realm, he's been slacking off. He hasn't even opened his two acupoints yet, what a waste of his talent. He's destined to die on a woman's belly!"

Song Xingzhu wasn't angry at all. She gently shook her folding fan and swayed her head as she said:

"To die beneath the peony blossoms, even as a ghost, is a romantic endeavor."

"ill!"

Do you have any medicine?

"Song, you pig-headed idiot, don't look at me like that, or I'll rip your lecherous eyes off with my eagle claws!"

Seeing the two playfully bickering, Liu Qinyun's beautiful face broke into a relieved smile.

Meng Yao, Ji Boyong, and Song Xingzhu were all martial artists who graduated from Qinyun Martial Arts School in their early years.

Back when the three of them were learning martial arts at the academy, Qin Geyue was still a naive junior sister who followed her senior brothers and sisters around every day, watching them practice martial arts.

Before she knew it, it was time for Qin Geyue to leave the martial arts school.

If Jiyun were still alive, now...

Thinking of this, a hint of melancholy appeared in Liu Qinyun's beautiful eyes.

Seeing his beloved disciple present, he secretly hid his longing for her.

After a moment, Liu Qinyun asked:

"Meng Yao, Boyong, as members of the Shaking Mountain Camp, are you aware of the Shaking Mountain Martial Banquet arranged by the Ji family?"

"The Ji family has always valued the Xuan Turtle Essence Pool and has never opened it to outsiders. What is their purpose this time, that they would bring it back to the county town to hold the event?"

Meng Yao said:

"Master, we also have doubts."

"The Xuan Turtle Essence Pool has always been used exclusively by the military. In fact, after it opened three years ago, a notice was issued that ten people with high military merit and better cultivation in the next three years would be selected to enter the Xuan Turtle Essence Pool for cultivation."

"The Ji family's sudden arrangement has caused considerable resentment among many in the military."

"However, regardless of the Ji family's considerations, this is a great thing for the martial artists of Qianhu County."

Liu Qinyun nodded thoughtfully.

Ji Boyong, who was standing to the side, asked:

"Master, is anyone from our martial arts school attending the Mountain-Shaking Martial Arts Banquet?"

Liu Qinyun pondered for a moment and said:

"The Xuan Turtle Essence Pool will surely attract many martial arts elites who will fight tooth and nail for it. It is difficult to win unless one has mastered the Tendon Refining Technique. It would be bad if one participated rashly and suffered from hidden injuries or even died."

"Currently, only Ge Yue and Qing Wei are at the level of Mastery or above in the academy. I would like to have them participate."

Song Xingzhu suddenly thought of something and said:

"Master, I've heard that there's a junior brother in the academy, the one you just mentioned, Li Nian."

"Just now in the hall, I heard many junior brothers talking about him. He started martial arts at the age of sixteen. His talent was mediocre, but his comprehension was amazing. He opened the door to blood refining in just fifteen days, and then opened the door to bone refining in less than a month."

"His cultivation level has increased rapidly in a short period of time, but he has not neglected his actual combat skills. On the way to escort the two young ladies of the Yi family out of the academy, he encountered Liu Tanqi, the tenth leader of Shenyuan Village, and three of his blood-refining experts. While everyone else was injured, he was able to remain unharmed, which shows that his combat skills are quite good."

"Master won't let him go out and gain some experience?"

Upon hearing this, Meng Yao and Ji Boyong also looked at Liu Qinyun with curiosity.

Upon returning to the academy today, they heard many stories about their junior brother Li Nian, whom they had never met before, which surprised even the three experienced individuals.

Liu Qinyun looked at the three of them, took a deep breath, and said solemnly:

"Do you know who killed Liu Tanqi?"

Song Xingzhu and the others exchanged glances, and finally Song Xingzhu said:

"I heard it's Yi Jifeng, the head of the martial arts hall of the Yi family."

"no!"

Liu Qinyun looked at the three of them intently, her gaze burning as she said:

"It's your junior brother, Li Nian, whom you've never met before!"

"Liu Tanqi, along with his three Blood Refining subordinates and dozens of elite water ghosts, were all killed by Li Nian single-handedly without sustaining any injuries!"

hiss!

Upon hearing this, Song Xingzhu and the others were stunned and couldn't help but gasp.

Liu Tanqi was at the peak of Bone Refinement and had been licking blood from the edge of a knife for many years. He was a notorious bandit. Yet, he was killed by Li Nian, who had just broken through to Bone Refinement.

In addition, there were three skilled blood cultivators and dozens of elite water ghosts!

Just as the three were about to ask and confirm, Liu Qinyun parted her lips slightly and said:

"More than ten days ago, the Crescent Moon Island where your junior brother Li Nian was stationed was attacked by Tu Yue, the fifth leader of the Shenyuan Village, who led over a hundred bandits in a large-scale invasion. Among his subordinates were Ge Xiong, Ma Mianbiao, and Li Hanhai, three martial artists who had practiced tendon cultivation. Guess what happened?"

"Could it be that my junior brother...?"

"Li Nian is unharmed, and moreover, he instantly killed Ge Xiong, the seventh leader of Chenyuan Village and a peak-level cultivator at the Tendon Refining stage!"

"Li Nian has already reached the tendon-strengthening stage!"

"This child is arrogant and spoiled. I don't want him to take any risks, so I don't want him to participate in the martial arts banquet."

As soon as he finished speaking, the entire room fell into dead silence.

Everyone's face was filled with shock and terror.

They knew that Liu Qinyun was always stern and had a close relationship with the Yi family, so he was not joking.

He began practicing martial arts at sixteen, opened the Blood Gate on fifteen, and within a month entered the Bone Refinement stage, slaying a peak-stage Bone Refinement bandit. Less than a month later, he broke through to the Tendon Refinement stage, instantly killing a peak-stage Tendon Refinement cultivator...

Two words simultaneously popped into everyone's mind—

evildoer!

Just then, two figures stood outside the door.

A strikingly handsome man spoke:

"Master, your disciple Li Nian requests an audience!"