Ten Directions Sword Master

Chapter 82 is just around the corner

"Bai Lu Academy, which one is it in Yuzhang County? It seems that it doesn't even have a single Earth Ranking expert, so how could it produce such a monstrous talent?"

'

The young man with the mole was somewhat skeptical, as the top ranks of the list had always been the private domain of the most powerful forces.

"Could this be a deliberate gimmick, just something to make the academy look good?"

Even those from second-tier forces or those who are independent cultivators, despite their exceptional talent, face immense difficulty in reaching this position due to limited cultivation resources.

Conversely, the composition of the list is much more complex.

The last time a martial artist who rose from humble beginnings to fame and entered the top ten of the Human Ranking was twenty years ago.

Later, he was noticed by a high-ranking official in the Privy Council and promoted to the martial arts academy. He has not ventured into the martial arts world for many years, and it is unknown what level of cultivation he has reached.

"Uh, it shouldn't be that bad—of the three lists, the Human Ranking changes the most frequently, and the Martial Arts Academy attaches the most importance to it. They won't use any information that hasn't been verified several times. Ever since it was revealed thirty years ago that disciples from aristocratic families were cheating each other's battle records to boost their rankings, not only were the families involved permanently blacklisted by the Martial Arts Academy, but their reputations were also severely damaged, and they couldn't even stay in the local area anymore."

Qin Feng hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"There aren't many famous figures in Chungu County. Where should we go next? How about Qu'a? Although the battle for the top ten on the list has ended, there will surely be many fellow practitioners who come to pay their respects. It would be a good opportunity to make some new friends."

"By the time we get there, the event will have already ended long ago — let's go to Danyang County. It's the county seat, so the martial arts atmosphere must be much stronger there than in the smaller towns below."

Could I be the Bailu Academy disciple they're talking about?

Lu Li held his teacup and paused for a moment, thinking that among his peers in the academy, he was the only one capable of making it onto the list of successful candidates.

But how could he have gone straight to the twentieth level without doing anything significant? The martial arts school couldn't possibly know what happened in the Crimson Fire Secret Realm.

"Could it be that they reported my killing of the Silver Fish Envoy and included it in my battle record?"

The more I thought about it, the more I realized that this made sense. The Thieves' Bureau and the Martial Arts Bureau both belonged to the Privy Council and shared intelligence with each other.

Or rather, the highest-ranking martial arts room can freely access the exclusive information of the other four rooms.

Who made the Martial Arts Academy personally managed by the Deputy Privy Councilor, who oversaw all matters in the martial arts world and whose authority could be extended indefinitely?

As long as martial artists are involved, it has a reason to intervene.

And what matter in the world can do without the presence of warriors?

It seems that his killing of the silver fish and his escape had been reported to the Martial Arts Academy by the remaining officers of the thief-catching unit, which led to the change in the list of parachuted individuals mentioned by the young man.

While Lu Li was pleasantly surprised, he was also somewhat flustered.

He had seen the list of talented young people before. Each young talent's name was followed by an introduction, including their background, origin, teacher, martial arts skills, and a few of their most representative battles.

That means that when the next list of successful candidates is posted, it will be written down in black and white and spread throughout all the prefectures and counties of the Great Chu.

Given the authority of the three lists of Heaven, Earth, and Man, some might even lead them to the Great Zhou, the South China Sea, or to places beyond the control of the two dynasties.

Lu Li's inclusion on the list for killing the Silver Fish Envoy will be a heavy slap in the face to the Thieves' Bureau.

As long as he remains on the list, this record will exist.

And as his ranking rises higher, he will be mentioned by more people.

This feud has become a huge one!

He wanted to be on the list of people, but he didn't expect it to be in this way.

The martial arts department really showed no mercy, using the reputation of their brother unit for their front-page content, which really caused them a lot of trouble.

They were still hoping that Yu Ziqi's return would help the police to resolve the matter peacefully.

After all, it's somewhat unreasonable for the silverfish envoy to have engaged in such violent and humiliating behavior without explicit instructions.

But now that this has happened, Yu Ziqi's reputation is probably no longer of any use.

It was even conceivable that it wouldn't be long before the wanted posters from the thieves' office would spread throughout every county.

Otherwise, how will the thief-catching unit deal with martial arts practitioners in the future, and where will its deterrent power lie?

"Running away is the best course of action! Returning to Yuzhang is fine. While Bailu Academy can't manage to control several counties near the sect like the two temples and three monasteries, it won't allow the bandit police to storm into the academy and kidnap people!"

Nearly half of the officials in Yuzhang County graduated from Bailu Academy, making them all Lu Li's senior brothers and sisters.

Even if the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics really obtained the official documents from the Privy Council, it could still make it impossible for the Bureau to move an inch and would be restricted in every way.

Moreover, although the Lu family of Pengcheng could not be considered a high-ranking or wealthy family, they were definitely a large and influential family in the local area.

Tens of thousands of laborers and thousands of boatmen.

At worst, we can just hide in Pengcheng; hiding someone is easy enough.

If the thief's office can arrest him, then we can only accept it willingly.

Lu Li returned to his room, tidied up his belongings, paid the room fee, and bought a map from the waiter. He learned that the city's carriage and horse caravans departed daily to Danyang County.

There are many caravans traveling between the county seat and Yuzhang, so you can easily hitch a ride with one.

This is much more convenient than having to endure the elements and trek forward on your own.

Given his current level of cultivation, he still needs to rely on tools to travel long distances.

If Hao Xu Bu can run wildly for a day and a night, how could he possibly run for several days without sleep or rest?

Upon arriving at the carriage shop, we found that a twelve-seat carriage was scheduled to depart in an hour, and there was one seat left.

Lu Li paid five silver dollars, jumped onto the carriage, and looked up to see the four young men and women he had seen at the restaurant that morning.

It seems that their destination is also Danyang County, and they will be traveling together again.

Lu Li recognized them. None of the four had a photographic memory, so it was impossible for them to remember everyone in the noisy environment of the restaurant.

Out of mere curiosity, I glanced at the martial artist of my age who boarded the carriage.

With such striking eyebrows and bright eyes, this handsome young man is bound to attract attention wherever he goes.

Lu Li chose a seat from the remaining empty seats. The seats were covered with soft cushions and had sheepskin on the back. Each person also had a pot of tea to drink. The conditions were much better than he had imagined.

Besides the four young men and women, the rest of the passengers in the carriage were dressed as merchants. There was also a young woman with a maid, who must have returned from offering incense. She had a wooden fish for worshipping Buddha and scriptures on her person, which were packed in a brocade pouch.

After all, the fare was five silver dollars, and ordinary people would never choose this method of travel.

When the sundial pointer reached its mark, the coachman flicked his whip, and the four draft horses obediently set off, pulling the carriage slowly into motion.

Upon arriving in Danyang, first scout the area. If the authorities haven't launched a major manhunt for me yet, find a merchant guild from Yuzhang doing business in Danyang to give me a ride home. If they've already issued a warrant for my arrest, then I'll have to prepare plenty of provisions and endure the elements, relying on my own two feet to traverse the mountains and make my way home.

Lu Li calculated the distance and realized that by not taking the fastest route back to Wucheng, they had essentially gone in a roundabout way.

Even if the journey goes smoothly, it will still take almost a month to get back to Yuzhang.

At this moment, they actually hoped that the pursuit of Zhai Baishi would not end so quickly, so that the thief control office would not have to spare any energy.

There are only a few divine constables in total, and they are responsible for so many prefectures and counties in the Great Chu. It's impossible to just transfer another one back just to capture me.

"I am Qin Feng from the Tiantai Yunji Sect. May I ask how I should address you, sir? Are you also traveling to Danyang?"

Qin Feng was an easygoing person; he actually stepped over a portly businessman in the middle, clasped his hands in greeting, and started a rapport.

"I have come to Pengcheng for a visit to Wu County and am now preparing to return home."

Lu Li had overheard the conversation of the four people and knew that they did not know the name, background, or origin of the White Deer disciple, so he boldly revealed his family.

The main reason is that this kid seems to be well-informed, and I'm hoping to get some of the latest information related to the burglary squad.

"Oh, Pengcheng, isn't that in Yuzhang County? Brother Lu, are you a disciple of Bailu Academy?"

Qin Feng's eyes lit up, and he quickly asked.

"Lu is not talented enough to be admitted to the academy."

Lu Li shook his head and made a regretful expression at the right moment.

"Oh, what a pity! Bailu has produced—quite a few powerful individuals!"

Qin Feng shut his mouth, forcefully suppressing the urge to confide in someone.

Although it will be made public in a few days, communicating with close friends and telling strangers are two completely different things.

He likes to show off, enjoys prying into secrets, and knows what he can and cannot say.

He never caused any trouble for his uncle in the martial arts academy.

Then, changing the subject, they inquired about the famous young masters at Bailu Academy.

Lu Li chuckled inwardly, pretending not to know, and proceeded to introduce all four of the past prodigies, embellishing their strengths in great detail.

Qin Feng nodded repeatedly, probably already calculating which person best fit the characteristics of the person who would be parachuted onto the list.

Conversely, this also allowed Lu Li to subtly inquire and discover that the Privy Council had been extremely busy lately, as if the five branches were working together on a mission.

With many high-ranking officials leaving the capital, official documents could not be signed, causing delays in the process.

They've all gone after Zhai Baishi!

Lu Li knew the answer, of course. It seemed that the Dean of Yingtian Academy was putting a lot of pressure on the Privy Council, which was already drawing on strong people from all over the place.

But given that those few half-step Dharma Body cultivators who are stationed in one area cannot move lightly, would a few more Spirit Refining martial artists necessarily be able to stop him?

Based on Lu Li's understanding of those sects and aristocratic families, it would be considered that they were loyal to the Great Chu if they listened to even a third of the imperial court's orders.

The four Confucian academies were already considered quite obedient. Among those of the same caliber, it was good enough that the seven evil sects didn't take the opportunity to cause trouble, and the three major gangs mostly paid lip service while secretly disobeying.

Unless the imperial court is willing to make concessions in other areas, it is impossible to mobilize the powerful figures of these forces.

"Qin Feng, you talked to that person for so long, did you gain anything?"

"A person from Yuzhang, asking a couple of questions related to Bailu Academy, coming from a humble background and not even mentioning his lineage, probably feels embarrassed—could it be that Senior Sister Xiong has taken a liking to him because of his handsome appearance?"

"roll!"

Lu Li, who was pretending to be asleep with his eyes closed, twitched his ears and clearly heard the whispers the four of them were making in their ears.

She smiled slightly, leaned back on the fluffy cushion, and enjoyed a rare moment of leisure.

From the time he entered the Crimson Fire Secret Realm until today, it seems to outsiders that only a little over ten days have passed. However, in addition to the series of battles within the secret realm, he also experienced six months in the Floating Island World and one month in the Qingcheng World.

His nerves had been on edge for almost a year. The primordial spirit wielding a sword, brand-new martial arts, even blessed lands and star-slaying sword immortals, were all testing his endurance.

It's really not easy to be able to let go of everything like this and listen to a few people from the martial arts world joking around normally.