Origin Paradise!

The chief disciple of the Five Dou Daoist and his 54 entourage were all wiped out, with the chief disciple being killed by the Northern Barbarian Dragon City with three punches.

This group of Five Dou Taoists was originally escorting the princess from the capital back to Daming Prefecture, but they deserted midway and headed south to intercept Longcheng. Now they have been reduced to ashes.

Upon receiving the news, the martial arts practitioners of Daming Prefecture were outraged and flocked to the local martial arts leader, Daming Sect, requesting that it organize a gathering of heroes to jointly attack Dragon City. However, the powerful deputy sect leader had disappeared, and Daming Sect was temporarily closed to the public.

In the north of the city, Jiang He rode his horse into the street.

Among the numerous vendors on both sides, several immediately turned and left, inconspicuous in the bustling crowd.

Gun King San stroked his chin and said, "It seems you're not very popular. The Posuo Step of Daming Prefecture and the Yanyu Step of Yanyu Tower are two of the top ten martial arts forces in the world. Even I would have a headache if they were in your shoes. I'll stay at your residence for a while."

"Okay," Jiang He replied briefly.

Wuhe on his shoulder whispered, "Boss, there are three things. First, the Lord of Yanyu Pavilion took the initiative to approach the Yan family and Madam Chen, and roughly figured out the cause and effect. Now Yanyu Pavilion has issued an assassination order against you."

Jiang He nodded. His challenge to the Lord of Misty Rain had initial clues in the death of Young Master Yan. As long as the Lord of Misty Rain and the Yan family broke down the barrier of trust, it would be easy to identify the real culprit. This result was as expected. Even if it happened ten more times, he would still kill Young Master Yan.

"The second thing is that the Grey Knights' organization, Fenglei Baozhuang, has encountered trouble. With the Sword Tournament approaching, people from all over the martial arts world are gathering. Jubaolou, which has always been at odds with Fenglei Baozhuang, has accelerated its pressure. Simply put, they want money and goods."

Wuhe explained the situation in detail. The Grey Knight, once the eighth strongest in the world, was renowned for his thunder magic. He had joined the Five Dou Dao Palace and, with his exceptional talent, secretly learned all the thunder magic techniques. However, when the matter was exposed, the Supreme Elder of the Dao Palace stepped in to punish him, but he was humiliated and defeated.

After this incident, the Daoist leader expelled the Gray Knights, and the Supreme Elder, having lost all face, chose to commit suicide. His chief disciple, in order to avenge his master, killed all of the Gray Knights' servants and maids in the Daoist Palace, and was also forced to leave the Daoist Palace.

In order to collect resources, the Grey Knights founded the Wind and Thunder Treasure Manor, and the chief disciple countered by establishing the Treasure Gathering Pavilion. Both were organizations that traded rare and precious materials.

With the disappearance of the Grey Knight, also known as Lei Junzi, twenty years have passed. The branches of Fenglei Baozhuang have been completely devoured, and the headquarters has withdrawn from the capital and moved to Daming Prefecture, the second largest city in the world.

As the second-in-command of Jubaolou, the deputy head of the building was ordered to launch the final offensive. He had an ambiguous relationship with Madam Chen of the Prince's Mansion and had also made connections with Yanyulou, putting him in an absolute advantage.

“Boss, you’ve seen this deputy building master before. He should be the guy you were trading ginseng with,” Wuhe said.

"What a small circle." Jiang He muttered to himself. As his strength and status increased, he had encountered a bunch of masters who were rare to ordinary martial artists. Whether it was the Master of Misty Rain Pavilion or the Gun King San beside him, they should have been just background characters.

Wuhe continued, "The third thing is that after you wiped out the Black Prison Mountain bandits, the Yan family immediately invited Dao Chi to live in their home, without giving us any chance."

Many experts died in Black Prison Mountain, and the Yan family's support force was severely reduced. In order to prevent the enemy from launching a strong attack, the Yan family head directly relied on the Prime Minister's influence to invite one of the four direct disciples of the Daoist Master. Recently, the eldest disciple of the Daoist Palace died, and the prestige of Dao Chi is still increasing. Although his strength is not yet that of a Grandmaster, his background is powerful. There is a world of difference between a Grandmaster and a Grandmaster.

Jiang He felt slightly troubled. The Grandmaster had already broken through twenty points in all four basic attributes. Strictly speaking, he was still at the level of the Bronze Age elite, separated by an entire peak stage. There was almost no possibility of a direct victory.

But it's not that they can't be killed by bombs; it mainly depends on whether it's worth it, and the situation may not necessarily escalate to the worst possible outcome.

Upon returning to the Marquis of Pingluan's residence, Steward Wu greeted them with servants and maids, though the number of servants was nearly half that of others.

"My lord, all the guards have been wiped out. I thought you had met with some misfortune." Butler Wu sobbed uncontrollably, his acting skills were superb.

"This is a distant relative of mine who is staying here temporarily."

Jiang He introduced Gun King San, but did not reveal his true identity. According to this guy, as soon as the news spread, martial arts practitioners would line up all over the street to become his apprentices.

Gun King San chuckled and picked out a room.

“Young Master, the Jianchi Mountain Sword Tournament is quite interesting. With your skills, you are more than capable of winning the title of the younger generation. If you also learn my spear manual, apart from me and Longcheng, no other grandmaster will be your match.”

Jiang He didn't have time for idle chatter. After changing into casual clothes, she clasped her hands in farewell and then turned left to visit the Prince's residence.

Chapter 145 The Birth of the Qilin

Prince Anbei's Mansion.

The princess received someone in the Hall of Valor.

“My lord, men are not allowed to enter, and the backyard is a mess. Please forgive us.”

Inside the Hall of Valor, the space was spacious and open. The morning light of late autumn shone through the carved windows, and the floor was paved with smooth and flat blue bricks. On the main table, incense smoke curled up from the burner, mixed with the special fragrance of ambergris.

Jiang He sat down and said directly, "When the assassins attacked Chu Yao Lou before, I saw you seemingly use a kind of unorthodox paper-making technique."

The princess took a sip of tea and smiled, saying, "I thought you were going to ask about talismans."

The authentic lineage of the Nine Provinces Talismans is held solely by the Five Dou Dao Palace, and very few people master the art of talismans. What this means is something the two of them understood without saying a word.

"We'll talk about the future later." Jiang He waved her hand and flipped over the paper. "I need a set of paper clothes, made in the shape of a Qilin."

The princess was surprised, "It's not difficult at all, but don't expect the paper-crafting technique to turn the fake into the real."

Jiang He took out the clothing-changing brooch and said, "This thing can change the appearance of clothing. All that's needed is to scan it beforehand, and the appearance of the Qilin should be in the ancient books."

Princess's pupils contracted slightly. She naturally knew the legend of the Qilin. The founding emperor of the Great Qian Dynasty was a Grandmaster of Qi Refining. It was said that he had been recognized as a master by the Qilin, whose belly was engraved with the words "Immortal Profound Everlasting Green," which had profound meaning. Once the Qilin was born, it would definitely be a major event that would shock the world.

If there was anything that the emperor, who spent so much time in the deep palace discussing metaphysics, still cared about, it was definitely the qilin.

"Do you wish to enter my palace?" the princess asked.

The so-called "promotion by chance" refers to a way of getting promoted without relying on merit, but rather on the approval of superiors.

"Yes and no," Jiang He said. "The Qilin was discovered jointly by me and the Prince's Mansion, and was presented as tribute to the imperial court."

"Isn't this just another case of calling a deer a horse? Even if it can gain greater support for the canal transport, once it is exposed, the Prince's Mansion will suffer a great disaster in the future."

"If we can't survive the winter, what's the point of talking about the future? Don't tell me you didn't see the cutscenes of the mission."

A long silence.

After pondering for a long time, the princess said, "Come with me on a hunting trip tomorrow. We happened to encounter a Qilin."

"A horse can give birth to a unicorn, and a pheasant can give birth to a phoenix," Jiang He said.

"The operation was carried out in the middle of the night, and the servants discovered the abnormality and reported it to the Prince's Palace early the next morning."

"It's best to do it in full view of everyone."

The princess said fiercely, "This matter can only be handled by the two of us. Moreover, horses only give birth in spring and summer. If they give birth prematurely in late autumn, they are likely to die young. There is not much room for maneuver."

"There are still some."

……

Early the next morning.

The prince's personal guards were all mobilized, and notices were posted to the public that the princess's favorite mare was seriously ill. This mare was a gift from the Earl of Pingluan, who had hunted it on his way back home. It urgently needed to be treated by a renowned physician, and a reward of one thousand taels of silver and a set of top-grade martial arts manuals from Chengxuan Tower would be offered.

Generally speaking, a high-grade martial arts technique can lay the foundation for a second-rate sect. If someone were to master it and become a grandmaster, there would be a great chance of elevating the sect to a first-rate status.

In a short time, many quack doctors gathered at the Prince's Mansion. Even those who were not veterinary professionals were unwilling to give up this opportunity easily. Some quacks who were determined to try their luck came to the mansion under the guise of doctors, but they did not expect that the Prince's Mansion would conduct such an easy inspection.

"Let's treat a dead horse as a living horse doctor."

"Please come in, everyone. My princess has been waiting for a long time."

The steward led nearly a hundred people to the Prince's stables, where a chestnut mare lay on a straw mat, barely alive.

The princess, her face veiled in white, paced slowly back and forth. Though her demeanor remained dignified, her anxiety was palpable.

An elderly doctor with long white hair stepped forward to examine the patient and said with surprise and doubt, "Princess, this patient's tongue is purple, his pulse is weak and blue veins are visible, it seems to be a disease of depletion of qi and blood."

The princess was startled. "You can even feel a horse's pulse?"

"It looks more like blood and qi stagnation to me."

A traveling doctor dressed as a physician said, "Let me prescribe a few formulas to promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis, and see if it can survive."

"How dare you! This is the princess's prized horse!"

"This quack doctor is harming the horse! Get him out of here!"

"She looks to me like she's pregnant."

Among the crowd, an old soldier from the Anbei Army's Horse Breeding Division noticed something was wrong. Most of the Horse Breeding Division had gone to the front lines with the army, and he was only able to stay in Daming Prefecture because he was ill.

"Let the old gentleman do it," the princess said.

The old soldier stepped forward to check, but he didn't expect that with just a slight touch, the mare would quickly wither, her flesh and blood dried up, as if all her nutrients had been squeezed out. Then a little monster slid out, with a sheep's head and wolf's hooves, a round head, a body like a colorful deer, and majestic scales and antlers.

"what!?"

The old soldier slumped to the ground, propped himself up with his hands, and desperately tried to get away, shouting as he did so.

The princess secretly covered her face. This was a premature foal, covered in a tightly sealed paper garment. After being modified by props, it had been transformed into the shape of a Qilin. As for why it was born like this, the explanation was not accurate. It was actually born prematurely last night. Someone had modified it and then stuffed it back in. Her assessment of this was that it was a sadistic act.

When the monster was born, all the doctors turned pale.

The princess seemed to feel dizzy and reached out to support herself on a wooden pillar in the stable. Her maids quickly helped her up.

"This is a demon!"

"It has words on its belly!"

"Immortal...Mysterious...Evergreen!?"

Upon hearing those four words, everyone was horrified and turned pale.

At the same time, under the clear blue sky, several thunderous sounds, the result of chaotic bombings, echoed from high above.

"A Qilin has been born!" The old soldier was dumbfounded. The story of the founding emperor and the Qilin was already well-known to everyone.

Several martial arts practitioners exchanged glances, silently left the crowd, and ran out of the palace to spread the news. This was tremendous news.

……

The top of the pavilion in the Earl's Mansion.

Jiang He put away the cinnabar mirror. The "Qilin" had been born, which was considered the first step in his and Elder Yue's plan. Inside the Qilin's belly was a black gemstone with a timer. Through the conversion of withering power and healing energy in the Withering and Flourishing Heart Sutra, the foal's life was successfully saved at the cost of the mare.

Wuhe descended from the sky; he had just detonated several black gems high in the air, and he had to create some kind of spectacle to be befitting the identity of a Qilin.

"Boss, the Northern Barbarian Dragon City is approaching Daming Prefecture. At the current speed, it should arrive tonight."

Across from the small table in the attic, Gun King San, now dressed in simple clothes again, narrowed his eyes slightly.

Wuhe glanced at him and continued, "Hong Zhou, the sect leader of the Daming Sect, has publicly declared that he will represent the Jianghu of Yizhou to block Longcheng."

"Seventh in the world is not enough." Gun King San said that there was a considerable gap between the Misty Rain Pavilion Master and the fifth place. As for Long Cheng, he was far ahead of everyone else. In the past twenty years, several people had been ranked as the number one in the world, but they were all killed by Long Cheng. Long Cheng always refused that unique position and even said that the entire martial arts world of Kyushu was useless. It was as if as long as he was alive, no one could surpass him and become the king of the martial arts world.

"Locate the location of that deputy lord. I'll kill him tonight. There's probably something he left behind in the Wind and Thunder Treasure Manor. I'm leaving this to you," Jiang He said. When the Gray Knight handed over the World Invitation, he hoped that Jiang He would protect his forces as a reward. Although this agreement wasn't legally binding, he had made up his mind at the time and didn't mind fulfilling it.

"Understood," Wuhe replied.

Chapter 146 Northern Barbarian Dragon City

Night falls in Daming Prefecture.

As dusk settles, the central street that runs from south to north through the entire city is deserted.

Since the start of the Sword Tournament, the once bustling night market and Rouge Street have become unusually quiet. Martial arts practitioners and local residents alike flocked to the central street to watch the second-best swordsman in the world pass by.

As early as dusk, wandering martial artists were already riding horses to spread the news everywhere. Countless people were extremely curious about Dragon City, which had single-handedly suppressed the martial arts world of Kyushu.

Ever since Long Cheng drove his master, the Tantric Zen Master, to the Ten Thousand Mountains to meet the Demon King, wave after wave of martial arts masters have launched attacks. To date, the number of grandmasters who have died at Long Cheng's hands has exceeded two hands. Among them, the top disciple of the Daoist leader, who was second only to the top ten in the world, was killed with three punches, and the sword he relied on for fame shattered.

On the main street, a robust old man held a large sword, closed his eyes to meditate. With each breath, white mist spewed from his mouth and nose, like spears and arrows. Hong Zhou, the leader of the Daming Sect, was famous throughout the world for his Grandmaster-level technique, Yangwu Sword. He once cut the Jian River in the city with three sword strikes, thus establishing his unshakable and lofty position in the Daming Sect.

Countless onlookers lined both sides of the street.

The Lord of Misty Rain Pavilion remained seated in a roadside tavern, sipping his wine. His Misty Rain Sword showed no sign of being drawn. His gaze occasionally drifted toward the direction of the Marquis of Pingluan's residence, his eyes blazing with killing intent. However, according to the Yan family, now was not the time to retaliate. After the battle of Black Prison Mountain, the Yan family head immediately sent a messenger to the capital.

Upstairs in Chuyao Tower, Elder Du Nan and Yin Shengzi were drinking together.

For the first time, this naive and ignorant Yin Shengzi revealed a burning gaze.

What are Hongzhou's chances of winning?

Elder Du Nan laughed upon hearing this, "There is no chance of winning unless Long Cheng deliberately lets him kill him. In terms of one-on-one combat, it would be good if Hong Zhou could survive. Looking at the world today, the only one who can force Long Cheng to use the Heaven, Earth and Man Secret Technique is the one in Guan City. The only other person who has a chance is the Lord of Yan Yu."

Yin Shengzi's gaze intensified. Apart from the transcendent Grandmasters, Longcheng was the pinnacle of martial arts. Any Jianghu person might have had the thought of taking their place. But at the same time, the opponent was the Right Wise King of the Northern Barbarians, whose 40,000 Floating Iron Cavalry roamed the grasslands. Their elite status was unimaginable.

In the direction of the Yan family, Dao Chi and a Supreme Elder of the Five Dou Dao Palace stood side by side.

At the entrance of the Daming Prefecture government office, a nobleman from the imperial family, carrying a long, unguarded sword, stood gazing into the distance. This young prince was the most talented and outstanding young man in the palace, and was guarded by a red-robed eunuch, one of the Twelve Directors.

Countless geniuses, experts, and common people waited quietly. Even the King of Anbei did not have such an air. Everyone knew that Longcheng would come and would definitely take the most eye-catching central street. After all, this was not the first time that the martial arts world of Kyushu had intercepted the other party. From the southern border to Jiangnan, and then to the border of Jiangbei and Yizhou, Daming Prefecture, as a key town on the front line, was the last stop.

A strong wind blew up.

The crowd's eyes were fixed on the south gate.

But Hong Zhou had already picked up the hundred-pound cleaver.

It wasn't until the master made a move that people were astonished to discover that, at some point, a gray-robed monk had appeared on the main street. He wore a straw hat, held a wooden staff, appeared to be middle-aged, had an ordinary, even unremarkable, face, and even his eyes were no different from those of an ordinary person.

All they heard him recite was:

"Where can I find a worthy opponent? All the elites in the city are hunched over. Three years of friendship have been lost to the east. Ah, I was born to be the best among men."

"With both fists, I conquer the nine provinces, sweeping across the north and south in endless battles. Heroes gather at Bailong City, and when the fighting ceases, I am left to live as long as the heavens."