Volume 1, Chapter 197 – The Invitation

No matter how the situation changed, for ordinary commoners, war brought nothing but suffering and a life of drifting from place to place.

When the realm flourished, the people suffered; when the realm fell, the people suffered. It was nothing more than that.

Along the way, Shi Lan had more or less figured out the reason behind such a great upheaval in the world—the golden light of fortune hidden within that dragon vein was Qianyuan’s national fate.

With its national fate severed, the Qianyuan Dynasty, which had endured for a thousand years, was already on its way to ruin.

On the road, besides ordinary commoners, Shi Lan also encountered several people from the martial world.

What puzzled her was that whenever these martial artists saw her, they would immediately bow deeply, address her as “Senior,” and show the utmost respect.

Among them were not only middle-aged men, but even elders.

It was not until Shi Lan saw the wanted notices issued by the Qianyuan Dynasty that she finally understood.

Leaving aside the hefty bounty, the way those wanted notices described her strength seemed deliberately exaggerated.

“A Martial Grandmaster… engaged in battle with Wu Xu Zhenren, Dao Lord of Xuanshi Dao… then fled…”

That young Daoist was Wu Xu Zhenren?

Seeing this line, Shi Lan felt a twinge of doubt. When she read the list of charges on the wanted notice, her brows knit even tighter.

“Assassinating the Left Chancellor…”

“Throwing the world into chaos…”

“Intending to rebel…”

Who was this Left Chancellor? Throwing the world into chaos?

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Staring at each of these crimes, Shi Lan felt utterly baffled for a moment.

That Wu Xu had deliberately let her go that day, and now the Qianyuan Dynasty had issued such a wanted notice. What exactly were they trying to do?

The dragon vein had been dug up… the Qianyuan Dynasty’s national fate had collapsed, its mandate nearly spent. Taking advantage of this chaos to fish in troubled waters and complete her trial would undoubtedly be much easier.

But all of this was far too coincidental, as if a hidden hand were deliberately pushing things along.

This cast a shadow over Shi Lan’s heart. Was this also arranged by the Guiyun Sword Sovereign?

If so, what meaning did this trial still have?

After thinking long and hard with no answers, Shi Lan did not linger. She turned her head and began the journey back.

The world outside was in the throes of war and chaos. Her current strength was still not that great, and with a bounty on her head, strutting about openly was far too risky.

As for the turmoil gripping the world now, she neither had the ability to intervene, nor the desire. To this world, she was, in the end, only a passerby.

The Sovereign’s legacy, and the various trials that came with it, were all tossed to the back of her mind. Right now, she only wanted to wait out the three-year term. Perhaps then she could return to the Lingyang Realm.

Thinking so much would only add more troubles for herself and had no meaning at all.

The road back was always much shorter. In only seven or eight days, Shi Lan returned to the valley.

In just a little over twenty days apart, A Qi had already stepped into the first stage of the Body Tempering Realm and become a martial artist. That unknown internal art had also begun to take effect, allowing him to cultivate inner qi.

Compared to ordinary people, this speed could already be called astonishingly fast. After all, less than a month ago, A Qi had still been a frail little beggar.

Casting aside the turmoil of the outside world, Shi Lan calmed her heart and went into seclusion in the valley.

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The seasons turned—autumn winds and falling leaves, then the melting of heavy snow.

The valley was secluded and quiet, cut off from the world, with no one coming to disturb them. Shi Lan ended up staying for more than a year.

The single thatched hut had become two wooden houses.

“Hoo—”

After her morning cultivation, Shi Lan exhaled a mouthful of turbid air, clearing her internal organs.

More than half of the three-year term had already passed. In this year and more, even though Shi Lan had not devoted herself entirely to cultivation, her strength had still reached the peak of the ninth stage of the Body Tempering Realm.

She was only a single step away from the Innate Realm.

By walking the Body Tempering Realm from the beginning once more, Shi Lan had gained many new insights.

Back in Twin Moon City, when she had stepped into the Innate Realm, she had been in a coma the entire time, never truly experiencing many of the finer details.

Stepping into the Innate Realm was the first step in shedding the mortal body, and within it lay countless subtle mysteries beyond words.

To experience it all over again would allow Shi Lan’s understanding of the Martial Dao to become just that much more complete.

Shi Lan rose, pushed open the door, and walked out.

Outside the wooden house, flowers bloomed and butterflies danced, vitality everywhere.

It was early spring. It had rained all through the previous night, and under the gentle sunlight, a fresh, rising scent filled the air, clearing the mind and lifting the spirit.

On the open ground in front of the wooden house, a black-clad youth was practicing his fists. The sharp wind stirred by his punches and kicks swept up a layer of grass clippings.

Not far away, an old man in his sixties was lying at ease on a simple rattan chair, eyes half-closed as he dozed.

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Next to the old man stood two wooden stakes, with a tree vine tied between them. Hanging from the vine were the hides of ferocious beasts such as tigers, leopards, wolves, and bears.

Over the course of this year and more, A Qi’s strength had also improved by leaps and bounds. He had already stepped into the seventh stage of the Body Tempering Realm, and his inner qi was likewise quite dense.

With Vajra Divine Fist tempering his body, and his robust inner qi, even those long-famous experts of the martial world would not be his match.

A Qi was at the age of growth, and he was cultivating Vajra Divine Fist besides, so his height shot up rapidly. By now he was already a bit taller than Shi Lan. He was no longer the frail child he once was; his body had become as strong as a tiger’s.

“Sister Lan.”

Seeing Shi Lan come out, A Qi stopped his boxing and greeted her.

Shi Lan gave a slight nod.

Ever since she began teaching A Qi martial arts, she had never mentioned taking him as a disciple, and A Qi had never spoken of formally bowing to her as his master either.

Shi Lan did not take a disciple because she did not want to leave any ties behind in this world.

As for A Qi, his reason was simple—he just felt that the title of master and disciple… did not sit right.

As usual, after giving A Qi some pointers on his martial arts, Shi Lan was just about to leave the valley for a walk when a few uninvited guests arrived.

There were six in the group: an old man, three middle-aged men, and a young man and woman. All of them wore close-fitting outfits suited for travel, their auras thick and solid.

Especially the old man at their head—his qi was deep and profound, not far from the Innate Realm, lacking only the moment for things to naturally fall into place.

“So Senior really has been living in seclusion here. When this old man first heard the news, I scarcely dared believe it.”

When the old man saw Shi Lan, he was overjoyed.

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“And you are?” Shi Lan frowned slightly.

“This old man is Wang Chunshan. We are all people of the Cangshan Sect. We have come to invite Senior to leave seclusion and uphold justice for our fellows of the martial world.”

The old man bowed deeply, speaking with respect.

“Uphold what justice?” Shi Lan asked in puzzlement.

“That dog of an emperor Zhao Yi has been pressing us step by step, slaughtering people of the martial world, killing countless of our comrades. Many righteous men went to assassinate him, but all were cut down by that Daoist Wu Xu. Xuanshi Dao has even chosen to act as the tiger’s accomplice, helping a tyrant in his cruelty!”

The old man grew more agitated as he spoke. After taking a deep breath, he bowed deeply once more.

“Senior is a Martial Grandmaster, and to retreat intact from under that Daoist Wu Xu’s hand—truly, you are the number one person in today’s martial world…”

“I’m not worthy of that. Get to the point,” Shi Lan said, waving a hand and cutting him off.

“We wish to invite Senior to leave seclusion and, together with the Sect Master of Tianshan, hold that Daoist Wu Xu in check for a time, so that we may gain an opportunity to assassinate that dog emperor.”

The old man said excitedly, “This is to save the common people from fire and water, to quell the strife in the world and…”

“I’m not going.”

Shi Lan shook her head expressionlessly. Those three words cut off the old man’s speech at once.

Hold Wu Xu in check for a time?

With her current strength, how was that any different from throwing her life away?