Please be my partner.

"Besides, didn't that person say, 'What happened today will surely be rewarded handsomely'? Judging from the appearance of this stranger, he is not the kind of person who talks big. Maybe one day our family will be blessed with good fortune."

After listening, Ah Da felt it made sense and calmed down. However, in order to prevent similar incidents from happening again, the training of the local militia would be made even stricter.

On his way to Emerald Rock, Murren's pace appeared slow, but in reality, it was extremely swift.

To be honest, Mellen actually wanted to leave something behind as a token of gratitude, but unfortunately he was truly penniless, so he could only leave directly.

Perhaps this is one of the drawbacks of getting used to the conveniences of modern life?

Mellen didn't plan to go directly to Emerald City either. After all, even a hero can be brought down by a penny, and he needed some 'start-up capital' to get around Emerald City.

According to the information obtained from the old man, a band of Swift Wind Bandits was active near Emerald Stone City, specializing in robbing caravans and travelers. Emerald Stone City had sent troops to suppress them several times, but the Swift Wind Bandits were as swift as the wind and always managed to escape. After many such incidents, the lords of the city probably felt that this 'business' was unprofitable, and gradually the matter was dropped.

Of course, part of the reason is that after being besieged, this band of Swift Wind Bandits became smarter. They didn't bother with the large caravans, and the small caravans could pass by as long as they paid some tolls. In the end, they simply killed the weaker ones to avoid them escaping back to the city and reporting to the authorities.

Thus, although people occasionally went missing on this road, with no trace of them, the security situation actually improved somewhat, which was naturally attributed to the officials.

The village of Xiaojiang organized its militia mostly to deal with these bandits.

An hour later, in a mountain hollow more than 30 miles away from Emerald City, Mellen flicked a pebble, piercing the head of the last Gale Bandit, before beginning to tally the spoils.

After becoming a Martial Saint, due to the gradual enhancement of one's spirit, in addition to being able to open one's divine treasures internally and communicate with heaven and earth, one also becomes a powerful force in oneself.

For example, one could hypnotize others at a glance, making them completely at one's mercy. Of course, in ancient times it wasn't called hypnosis, but rather soul-capturing.

For example, as long as one can detect even a trace of someone's aura, one can track them down for miles, leaving them with no way to escape.

Although Mellen is not yet a Martial Saint, his innate mental strength is already enough to show some of the abilities of a Martial Saint. Dealing with the mere Gale Bandits is naturally a piece of cake.

Gale Thief probably never understood why he was targeted by such a terrifying being, even until his death.

Mellen refused all items that were difficult to carry; he only took silver ingots, gold leaves, and gold exchange drafts.

Making a small fortune put Mellen in a good mood. Of course, what pleased him even more was the continuous improvement in his strength. In just one night, his life field was almost at level 9. It could be said that even if he didn't find the 'answer' that Li Xunhuan mentioned, his trip wouldn't have been a loss.

Upon arriving in Emerald City, Mellen's obviously outlandish attire made him stand out and immediately attracted the attention of the city gate guards.

With a flick of his finger, a silver ingot sank into the city wall in front of the captain of the guard, startling him so much that he sat back down.

After Mellen strolled into the city with an air of nonchalance, the captain of the guard's stiff face finally showed a hint of lingering shock. He knew he had encountered a formidable opponent, and he would certainly have to report this to his superiors, but before that…

The captain of the guard looked at the silver ingots embedded in the city wall and smiled broadly again.

After entering the city, Mellen first went to a clothing store to buy a scholar's robe that was appropriate for the current era, so as not to look conspicuous, before setting off for Wind Chime Pavilion.

When they arrived, Mellen discovered that the Wind Chime Pavilion, which the old man had described as a place for information trading, was actually... a brothel?!

With a somber expression and a critical gaze, Murren stepped inside.

Chapter 635 Encountering the Dust and the Wudang Sect

One day later, at Wind Chime Pavilion.

Mellen frowned and asked, "You don't have any records of the Divine Dragon Stream here?"

Before him stood a woman dressed in a flamboyant manner, still quite charming. This was Sister Hua, the manager of Fengling Pavilion. She covered her mouth with a palm-leaf fan and chuckled, "Our guest is a very important customer of ours. How could I dare to deceive you? I have already sent people to check a lot of information. There is no sect named Shenlongliu in the three prefectures and seven counties of Da Yu. As for places further away, Fengling Pavilion has no information. Or perhaps, our guest is looking for a hidden sect that has not yet appeared in the world?"

Faced with Sister Hua's probing, Mellen did not respond. Instead, after a moment's thought, she asked, "If I want to join the Wudang Sect, what would be the most appropriate thing to do?"

Sister Hua said with a smile, "Then we'll have to see what the guest's purpose is in joining the Wudang Sect."

Mellen said calmly, "I wish to obtain knowledge about martial arts techniques beyond the level of Martial Saint."

Sister Hua's smile vanished, and she said seriously, "Guest, you are indeed capable. The Swift Wind Bandits outside the city have been able to stir up trouble for so many years, so they must have some tricks up their sleeves. But as soon as you arrived, they were all brought to justice."

Mellen frowned, sensing another layer of meaning in Sister Hua's words, and asked, "Are you saying that there's someone behind the Gale Bandits?"

While the Swiftwind Bandits are certainly skilled, Emerald Stone City is a large city with a population of hundreds of thousands. If they really wanted to deal with a group of bandits, how could they be completely helpless?

Thinking about it this way, perhaps the Swiftwind Thief was actually a lackey of some important figure in the city, but was accidentally 'withdrawn' by Mellen.

Sister Hua quickly shook her fan and said with a smile, "Guest, please don't make wild guesses. Our Wind Chime Pavilion has its rules. Besides, even if those Gale Bandits have powerful backers, since they've fallen into your hands, they have no choice but to accept their bad luck."

Mellen nodded slightly, understanding that this was perhaps a gesture of goodwill from the person behind the Gale Bandits through the Wind Chime Pavilion. Mellen didn't care about it and saw no need to cause trouble for himself.

Mellen wasn't surprised that Wind Chime Pavilion was able to lock onto him so quickly, after all, he hadn't deliberately hidden himself, and now that he thought about it, the gold leaves and silver ingots he got from Gale Bandits might have been tampered with as well.

Mellen continued, "Is there a good solution to what I'm talking about?"

Sister Hua lowered her head and said, "May I ask, sir, from which school or sect do you possess such martial arts skills?"

"It's a family tradition," said Mellen.

Sister Hua's eyes lit up slightly, and she chuckled, "That's simple. For guests like you who have no background or lineage, the Wudang Sect has always welcomed all comers. If you bring your own skills to the sect, it will probably be very difficult to learn a few of the Wudang Sect's true martial arts techniques. But if you just want to obtain knowledge above the level of Martial Saint, it's simple. The Wudang Sect will not refuse a master like you. If nothing unexpected happens, obtaining a guest elder position should not be difficult."

Mellen fell into thought.

Just then, Sister Hua paused, her tone becoming even gentler: "Young Master Mei, would you consider joining my Wind Chime Pavilion as an outer steward?"

Mellen looked at Sister Hua and asked, "What's the story behind this outer seat steward?"

Sister Hua smiled and said, "Basically, it's similar to those sect guest elders. You can also see it as proof that my Wind Chime Pavilion has good relations with powerful martial artists."

"Once you become an outer steward of the Wind Chime Pavilion, you can access the information and data within the Wind Chime Pavilion for free. Every month, we will also collect the intelligence you need, whether it is from the martial arts world or the imperial court."

"Within the Great Yu Dynasty, there are three continents and seven prefectures, and more than a hundred cities of all sizes, all under the jurisdiction of my Wind Chime Pavilion."

"Moreover, the money and beautiful women are also plentiful. Of course, these may not matter much to a powerful martial artist like you, but when traveling, one always has to spend money on food, clothing, shelter, and transportation. If you also have beautiful women to accompany you, wouldn't that be even more carefree and comfortable?!"

"If Young Master Mei is willing, even if Cai Die'er were to become your maid, I'm sure she would be more than willing."

The "Colorful Butterfly" that Sister Hua mentioned is the most beautiful courtesan at the Wind Chime Pavilion in Emerald Stone City. Moreover, she has only recently debuted and is at the peak of her career, making money the easiest thing for her.

Mellen chuckled and said, "Sister Hua, your sweet talk is really sickening. Tell me, what do I need to give up to become this outer seat steward?"

Sister Hua smiled and said, "Our Wind Chime Pavilion has always respected the stewards of the outer seats. We usually only make offerings to them and don't bother them. At most, we will ask you for a small favor occasionally, and we will also give you a full reward."

Mellen scoffed inwardly. If the conditions were really that good, wouldn't Wind Chime Pavilion become a charity?!

However, Mellen did not refuse outright. After all, he was well aware of the importance of intelligence organizations, and it would be unrealistic to say that the Wind Chime Pavilion could be established throughout the three continents and seven prefectures of the Great Yu without some official background.

Making a fortune daily, having connections everywhere, and using money and beauty to win over martial arts masters—this kind of plot seemed somewhat familiar to Mellen.

In the future, Mellen might still have to deal with Wind Chime Pavilion, or even the entity behind it, so she couldn't speak definitively: "I need to think about this. I'll give Sister Hua an answer in a few days."

Seeing that Mellen did not refuse outright, Sister Hua's smile widened and her tone became even gentler as she said, "When I mentioned that girl Cai Die'er before, it wasn't just me making things up. When she was young, her family suffered a disaster, and she followed the last remaining members of her clan to Cui Shi City to seek refuge with her relatives. However, they encountered the Gale Bandits on the way, and in the end, only this girl escaped."

"Originally, with that person backing up the bandits, the girl had already given up hope. But you suddenly appeared out of nowhere and helped her get revenge. She asked me to pass on a message to you: if you're not in a hurry to leave, she hopes to dance for you tonight as a token of her gratitude."

Mellen looked surprised and asked, "Even your Wind Chime Pavilion can't deal with the person behind the Gale Bandits?"

Sister Hua's smile remained unchanged, but her tone seemed a little bitter as she said, "Wind Chime Pavilion has its own rules, and people like us are not qualified to break those rules."

If Sister Hua spoke of the Wind Chime Pavilion's 'rules' with pride before, now it's with helplessness.

The next day, Mellen left Emerald Stone City and set off for Mount Wudang.

Last night, he naturally went to see that courtesan. Cai Die'er's dance was beautiful and she danced very energetically. Mellen's evaluation was two words... very smooth.

Inside the Wind Chime Pavilion, Cai Die'er, draped in a thin veil, quietly gazed out the window toward the direction of the Jade Stone City gate.

The door was pushed open, and Sister Hua walked in. Looking at the somewhat messy room, she sighed and didn't say anything.

Instead, Cai Die'er said gently, "Sister Hua, thank you so much. The time was a bit rushed, but I was afraid that if I dragged it out any longer, I wouldn't be worthy of repaying this kindness."

Sister Hua shook her head and said, "You don't need to thank me, this is all the head steward's idea..."

She glanced around, as if to make sure no one was eavesdropping, before continuing, "Perhaps this Young Master Mei is more capable than we imagined. The Grand Steward also received some information, instructing us to spare no expense in trying to win him over. That's why I was able to agree to your request; otherwise..."

Cai Die'er remained silent; she didn't care about any of this.

Wudang Mountain may not appear very tall from a distance, but its thousands of peaks and steep cliffs give it a majestic and imposing presence.

The mountain path was steep, but there were many people coming and going, including martial arts masters who roamed high and low, wealthy merchants in fine clothes, and noblemen with distinguished bearing.

While enjoying the mountain scenery, Mellen slowly made his way up the mountain, taking half an hour to reach the summit.

In front of the huge sect gate, two martial artists in tight-fitting clothes were guarding. When they saw Mellen approaching, one of them stepped forward and said in a gentle voice, "Young master, if you go any further, you will be in the territory of my Wudang Sect. If you are here to enjoy the scenery of the mountains, please move along."

Mellen smiled and said, "I have come from afar, having long admired the Wudang Sect, and wish to pay them a visit."

The other person said in a cold tone, "The Wudang Sect is not a place that just anyone can visit!"

The person in front waved his hand and said, "Junior brother, guests are guests, so please don't be rude."

Then he bowed apologetically to Mellen and said, "Does the young master know any members of my faction?"

"No," said Mellen.

The man's smile faded slightly as he said, "Young master, please return. Our elders and senior brothers are usually very busy and probably don't have time to accept your visit."

Mellen didn't take the two gatekeeper brothers' back-and-forth banter to heart. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Actually, I want to join the Wudang Sect as a guest elder. Please inform them."

Just as the junior brother was about to make a sarcastic remark, he saw Mellen raise his hand and strike to the side, leaving a palm print on the bluestone three zhang away.

Upon seeing this, the senior brother's expression changed slightly, and his tone became more respectful: "I see. Young Master's Splitting Palm is truly remarkable. Please wait a moment, I will go and inform the elders of the sect."

The senior brother left in a hurry, leaving the junior brother somewhat uneasy.

Ignoring him, Mellen looked up at the two characters 'Wudang' on the archway. These two characters were vigorous and powerful, with a unique rhythm hidden within them. After looking at them for a while, Mellen seemed to see light and shadow changing in his eyes. It was an old man with a blurred face practicing a set of boxing techniques.

Speaking of which, the Wudang Sect is quite famous. It has been passed down for thousands of years, experiencing ups and downs and several dynastic changes, but it has always stood firm. Moreover, at least one martial saint has been born in each generation, and the lineage has never been broken.

Gradually, Mellen's body began to move unconsciously, practicing boxing with the blurry-faced old man in front of him.

Just then, my senior brother brought an old man to the front of the sect's gate.

Seeing that Mellen had suddenly started practicing his boxing, the other disciples were puzzled and wanted to speak up, but were quietly stopped by the old man who had come with them.

The gatekeepers couldn't tell, but the old man certainly did. The newcomer had clearly entered a state similar to enlightenment. For a martial artist, being interrupted at this moment would be no less than the hatred of killing one's father or stealing one's wife.

But as the old man watched, his expression gradually turned to surprise, because the boxing style the newcomer was performing was clearly one of the three secret techniques of the Wudang School... Wudang Fist.

Wudang Fist is not the strongest secret technique of the Wudang School, but it is absolutely the foundation of the school. It is something that non-true disciples can never even see. Moreover, even true disciples must place a forbidden mark in front of the ancestral tablet when inheriting Wudang Fist, and cannot pass it on to outsiders.

Therefore, the old man certainly didn't think that this person had obtained the Wudang Fist inheritance and then deliberately came to the Wudang Sect's gate to show off and court death. So...

The old man suddenly looked up at the two characters "Wudang" on the sect's archway. These characters were personally written by their founding patriarch. It is recorded in the sect's "Biography of the Patriarch" that after writing the two characters "Wudang" on the Xuanwu Stone with his bare hands, the patriarch sighed that he had left a trace of artistic conception on it. If one could understand it, one could receive the inheritance of his old master's boxing techniques.

Could this scene before us mean...?

Next, something even more astonishing happened. When Mellen performed the Wudang Fist for the first time, he was clearly still a bit hesitant, as if he was just copying the movements. But when he performed it for the second time, he had mastered it and could control it with ease.

By the third time, he had refined the techniques, transforming the general Wudang Fist into a version tailored to his own needs, making every punch and palm strike perfectly natural and seamless.

When Mellen finished his stance, he felt refreshed and even vaguely sensed the various wonderful uses of this nameless boxing technique.

When he opened his eyes, Mellen saw an old man looking at him with a complicated expression. The old man's clothes were somewhat similar to those of the blurry old man he had seen in the light and shadow.

The 'experienced' Mellen immediately guessed the connection, and couldn't help but feel a little amused and exasperated. Good heavens, he had only come to the Wudang Sect to learn some knowledge beyond the level of Martial Saint, and had no other intentions, but judging from the current situation, it seemed that it was impossible.

However, it doesn't matter. After these few days of delay, Mellen's life field has exceeded 10, so even if he faces a Martial Saint, he is not without any power to fight back.

That's right, Mellen deliberately stayed in Emerald Stone City a few extra days to wait for his strength to improve. Surely no one really thinks he's lingering in the world of pleasure?! No way! No way!!

Mellen, who was prepared to take things one step at a time, bowed slightly and said, "I have long admired the Wudang Sect. I am a helpless man and have been wondering if I could become a disciple of the Wudang Sect."

Upon hearing Mellen's words, the old man's expression softened slightly, but the gatekeepers were somewhat bewildered. Mellen had previously said that he would join the Wudang Sect as a guest elder, so how did he suddenly become a disciple?

It's important to know that these two are completely different.

If Mellen could hear what these two brothers were thinking, he would definitely tell them what it means for times to change. In this day and age, to succeed in the business world, you have to be able to adapt to changing circumstances, otherwise how will you make a profit?!

The old man stroked his beard and said, "I am the Third Elder of the Wudang Sect. I can tell that you have some martial arts lineage."

Mellen said, "Yes, it's some family-inherited skills. I've been learning them on my own for so long, but I've lost my way. So I'm thinking of joining a major school so I can receive guidance from a master."

The Third Elder nodded and said, "Your situation is somewhat special. There's no rush to join Wudang. You can first tour around my sect, and I will give you an answer in a short time."

After saying that, without waiting for Mellen's reply, he directly said to the gatekeeper brothers, "Wenfei, Xuanli, take this... young master around the gate at will, and do not slack off."

The fellow disciples were immediately alert and agreed.

Chapter 636 Perfection of Essence, Qi, and Spirit: The Path of Legend, The Journey to the Other Shore

"Tell me your thoughts, what should we do next?"

In a secret room, the five people with the highest status in the Wudang Sect—three elders, the sect leader, and a supreme elder—were gathered together.

After the Third Elder recounted what he had seen and heard, as well as his speculations, the secret room fell into a long silence. Finally, it was the Third Elder who spoke, breaking the delicate atmosphere.

The mountain lord glanced at the group, lingering particularly on the Supreme Elder for a moment, before saying, "The sect has its own records of the patriarch's affairs, but even so, we cannot be certain whether the person who came here truly received the patriarch's inheritance. After all, it is too unbelievable. Moreover, firstly, we have not investigated the person's identity clearly, and secondly, he came to the mountain with his own skills."

"I think it's best to wait until things are clear before making a judgment."