Chapter 346: Chapter 136: Buried in the Mountain, Awaiting Harvest, the Emperor’s Truth

Spring goes, autumn comes, and in the blink of an eye, it’s deep winter again.

On the western battlefield, the Divine Wood Hall and the Black Lotus Sect are in a fierce struggle, which has been ongoing for a year intermittently.

Although the core disciples of the Divine Wood Hall Inner City are few, its subordinate forces are terrifyingly numerous, absolutely overwhelming the Black Lotus Sect in numbers.

If both sides were to show all they’ve got, facing each other like two armies in battle, the Black Lotus Sect would be utterly defeated.

However, the Black Lotus Sect excels in its mysteriousness, and it has the aid of skeletons.

Meanwhile, another battlefield between the two sides is the confrontation among the Weapon Forgers.

To be more direct, it’s the contest between Master Zhu and Master Gong.

The Black Lotus Sect also has a Weapon Forger, but they have gone to support elsewhere.

There is also a reclusive Weapon Forger on the Mianzhou Path, but their whereabouts are unknown.

In this world, a Spiritual Artifact can’t be used just because it’s in your possession; even if someone else’s Spiritual Artifact is in your hand, it’s still theirs, because the principle of operation of Spiritual Artifacts is “connected by bloodline.”

Therefore, the status of a Weapon Forger is extremely important.

Thus, the behavior of that Hall Master greatly puzzled Li Yuan.

Yet, he heard some gossip from his subordinates, which hinted that “Master Gong” and “Master Zhu” seem to be at odds, and when “Master Zhu” completed his studies, “Master Gong” had already been famous for years.

Perhaps the Hall Master of the Divine Wood Hall is just doing it for Master Gong.

But this still doesn’t really add up.

Li Yuan faintly felt that there was a big problem within.

However, this ongoing war surprisingly brought benefits to Li Yuan.

He made a fortune from “war profits”!

The “Seventh Grade Top Level Weapons” he placed in the shadows have been speculated to some astonishingly high prices; after all, in this chaotic world, if the Seventh Grade cannot be improved, one can only rely on weapons.

Now, due to this shady dark trade, the Fujia Commerce Association is already ridiculously wealthy, and the Hengwu Restaurant has also merged into the association.

On the surface, Hengwu Restaurant is just a restaurant.

But secretly, Hengwu Restaurant is manipulated by the Fujia Commerce Association.

Yet in the depths of darkness, Mei’Er, the head of the Fujia Commerce Association, has to call the proprietress of Hengwu Restaurant “Madam.”

Meanwhile, Mei’Er’s assassin organization “Shadow Association” also rapidly expanded, and aside from lacking Sixth Grade experts, the Seventh Grade assassins are numerous.

However…

Li Yuan’s “Path of Chivalry” is still just a half-step away.

He felt very close, yet couldn’t grasp it.

Clearly, he had saved thousands of people, and even indirectly saved hundreds of thousands.

While the Fujia Commerce Association was making dirty money, he also secretly instructed the association to do good deeds with the money, setting up many porridge shops and providing shelter and bedding for many homeless people in winter.

The Fujia Commerce Association established the restaurant and employed some locals, boosting the local prosperity and giving a new path to those struggling to make a living, often supporting an entire family behind these people.

In the name of “White-clothed Blade King,” he suppressed the darkness of the whole Mianzhou Path as the “hidden ruler of the Beggar Gang,” reducing evil deeds…

Yet, he still couldn’t reach the end of the “Path of Chivalry.”

He couldn’t comprehend the final step’s “True Intent.”

If he couldn’t comprehend it, it was like a hundred rivers being blocked at the estuary; the rivers are still rivers, eventually not becoming the sea.

…

On this day, during a heavy snow in deep winter.

Li Yuan, under the guise of “White-clothed Blade King,” killed a whole group of bandits, rescued the women kidnapped by the bandits, and divided the bandits’ spoils among them, allowing them to return home.

He himself took not a single penny.

The women gave their deepest thanks and left one after another.

Li Yuan stood there in the wind and snow, looking at the ground scattered with blood and snow,

The blood was from the bandits, the snow pure as ever,

He grabbed the wine at his waist and laughed heartily, “Refreshing, refreshing!”

Then suddenly he heard some movement behind him.

Turning his head, he saw three men and two women.

All five were dressed as knights, three wielding knives, one with a sword, and another with a spear, cautiously ascending the mountain.

The five had heard of bandits causing trouble in this area and had come to find and eliminate them for the villagers.

Being young and not core disciples of any major faction, they naturally wanted to stand for something.

The five bet their lives to come here, prepared for a big fight, but they smelled blood several miles away. As they reached the mountain gate and looked inside, they saw a white-clad man sitting on a large boulder, drinking from a bottle.

Behind the man lay a field of corpses.

The five were struck with astonishment.

Upon closer inspection, they found that those corpses were all dressed as bandits.

The five respectfully stepped forward to salute, introducing themselves one by one.

“Hengjian Martial Arts Academy, Qian Zhengrong.”

“Falling Blade Sect, Wang Xiaoqian.”

“Cold Mountain Martial Arts Academy, Congzu Study.”

“Eight Blade Sect, Dou Zijuan.”

“War Spear Gang, Liu Buqu.”

Li Yuan glanced at the five and said in a deep voice, “Zhang Xiu.”

Zhang Xiu, was the name he gave himself as “White-clothed Blade King,” now a truly renowned name on the Mianzhou Path.

Sure enough, as soon as he announced the name, the five showed looks of admiration, turning into fans swarming around him.

Li Yuan shared his wine with them, making them even more joyful; the young men had eyes shining with excitement, the young women’s cheeks blissfully flushed, all calling out “Brother Zhang, Brother Zhang.”

What was meant to be a battle against bandits turned into a large fan meet.

As the sky began to darken, Liu Buqu from the “War Spear Gang” said, “Brother Zhang, it’s getting late. I know a nearby temple, which is quite popular. The monks there are good people, often performing acts of kindness. If you don’t want to travel further, why not join us and stay there for the night?”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep