The Fall of Zhuyang City
Jiang Feng walked over without hesitation, drawing the gaze of both men at the same time.
He took a small gourd from his waist, uncorked it, and handed it over, smiling as he asked, “I overheard you just now discussing events in the capital. I would like to hear the details—could you tell me more?”
The scent of rich fruit wine drifted from the gourd, causing both men’s eyes to shine. In unison, they exclaimed, “Excellent wine!”
The man who had been speaking before took the gourd, drank a mouthful, and praised it again, “Truly excellent wine!”
Jiang Feng smiled. “I found this monkey wine by chance while in the mountains. The monkeys live among the trees, where beehives hang. When they brew the wine, some nectar and pollen fall in, giving it a unique flavor.”
The two men took turns drinking, finishing the wine together, spirits lifted. True to their word, they recounted in detail all that had transpired in the capital.
Zhuyang City is the residence of the Zhu Kingdom’s sovereign; setting aside its environment, its defenses are remarkably tight. Each corner of the inner city is guarded by an extremely powerful artifact. Should any ordinary person attempt to sneak in by irregular means, the artifacts will automatically activate and destroy them before the city walls.
Ten years ago, a Mind-Clarified Martial Lord was humiliated by a prince who then fled to hide within Zhuyang City. Enraged, the Martial Lord intended to storm the inner city to kill him. Capable of flying on the wind, he planned to soar directly over the walls—only to be incinerated to ash by the automatic response of the city’s artifact, right atop Zhuyang City.
That incident caused a major stir. Normally, a Mind-Clarified Martial Lord, though generally above mundane affairs, holds a status far superior to that of a mere prince. The whole affair began with the prince’s provocation, which incited the Martial Lord’s wrath. Yet, the matter was suppressed in the end, and Zhuyang City’s power and authority were established all the more firmly.
After the Dawn stage comes the Daybreak, then Sunlit, then Bodily Clarified, and finally Mind Clarified. A Mind-Clarified Martial Lord can fly through the sky and, within his domain, even command the wind and rain. In a sect, such a person would be either the sect master or an elder.
And yet, such a figure died in vain? That alone shows how formidable Zhuyang City is.
The most recent incident occurred two days ago. It was said that in the dead of night, a sword came streaking from the east like a meteor, crashing straight into Zhuyang City! Under its blow, the city walls and much of the buildings within were destroyed in one fell swoop. The inner city was left in shambles, casualties so numerous they have yet to be counted.
Ministers living in the outer city feared for the sovereign’s life, but fortunately, King Zhuyang appeared in time to reassure the ministers and the people.
The two men’s faces glowed with excitement as they relayed these events, so rich in detail it seemed as if they’d witnessed them with their own eyes.
Jiang Feng frowned deeply and suddenly asked, “What about Lord Fuliu? Was he harmed?”
The two men laughed together. “How could anything happen to the Grand Preceptor?! He attained the rank of Intention-Clarified Martial Emperor a hundred years ago and is said to be but a step away from Soul-Clarified Martial Lord! That sword was indeed fearsome, but nowhere near enough to harm him!”
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“Fuliu is gravely injured.”
In another corner of the Half-Month Market, a voice was quietly making its report.
Chong Fan wandered leisurely through the market, examining goods, listening closely to the haggling around him, occasionally squatting down to inquire about a price himself.
He had not fused with a Heart-Clarifying Seed, was not a martial cultivator—something obvious to everyone. Yet, for some reason, he exuded a natural dignity that made people overlook this and answer his questions patiently.
The sun shone overhead, casting a long, slanted shadow behind him.
If one stared at the shadow closely, they would notice it was a few shades darker than an ordinary shadow.
A voice issued from the shadow, forming a slender thread that slipped into Chong Fan’s ear.
Upon hearing the news, not a single muscle moved on his face. He thanked the stall owner with a smile, stood up, and walked on, asking, “Fuliu may be far from the Soul-Clarified realm, but his Intention-Clarified stage is extremely stable. Who managed to injure him?”
The shadow whispered, “We investigated. The sword energy appeared to come from the east, but its power actually originated in the north!”
“The north!” Chong Fan finally reacted, pausing for a moment before continuing to walk. “The Zhu Kingdom lies in the southwest—what ‘north’ do you mean?”
“Lord Feiting refers to the Northern Continent.”
“The Xuanji Continent?”
Chong Fan’s expression grew even more grave. The Mind-Clarified World has two continents, one north, one south, separated by the Endless Sea. The southern continent is called Jiutian, with eight countries; the northern, Xuanji, with two.
The Xuanji Continent is blessed with superior Heart-Clarifying Trees, denser energy, and more secret realms than Jiutian. As a result, the powerful warriors it produces far outnumber those of Jiutian.
The greatest figures in the Mind-Clarified World are known as “The One Emperor, Two Sovereigns, Four Saints, and Seven Sages.” The Emperor and both Sovereigns are all from Xuanji; of the remaining eleven, most are there as well.
The two continents rarely interact. Xuanji is generally unwelcoming to people from Jiutian and ignores their affairs.
That an incident in the Zhu Kingdom’s capital could be linked to Xuanji Continent—what could this mean?
Chong Fan frowned. “Any further news?”
The shadow replied, “All four Five-Line Nation-Grade Artifacts guarding Zhuyang City were damaged by that one sword. One is beyond repair.”
Chong Fan narrowed his eyes. “One sword destroyed four nation-grade artifacts and gravely wounded Lord Fuliu… Who was this person? Does Feiting have any guesses?”
The shadow’s voice dropped even lower. “Lord Feiting tried to divine it, but suffered backlash.”
“Backlash? Is he alright?”
“Only minor injuries, but this is beyond his abilities. He said that to possess such power, and to be able to block his divinations, it is likely to be ‘one of those few’.”
Chong Fan pondered for a long while, then said decisively, “Tell Feiting to rest and leave this matter alone. Assign the rest to the Five Hidden Group—have them continue investigating, but stress caution!”
Now his gaze was sharp and his tone decisive—nothing like a chronically ill youth who would be left breathless by even a little exertion.
The shadow agreed without hesitation, as if long accustomed to such orders: “Yes!”
Chong Fan smiled faintly and added in a low voice, “Also, tell my mother it’s time to make preparations. Since four nation-grade artifacts were destroyed with a single sword, King Zhuyang will have to pay dearly this time…”
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With a gourd of wine, Jiang Feng had exchanged for all the news the burly men knew, but he left still slightly uneasy.
In truth, they knew little—most of it was mere conjecture.
A single sword could destroy Zhuyang’s city walls and cause countless deaths and injuries. Whoever the enemy was, they must be unimaginably powerful.
Who was their target? What did they want to accomplish? Had they succeeded? If not, what would follow?
Once, Jiang Feng’s world had been limited to the small Jiang family, at most extending to nearby Luming Town. Now, his concerns were tied to the capital as well.
My lady, Jiang Chen, are you both safe?
Jiang Feng had always been a calm person.
With his current abilities, even if something happened to his lady, he would be powerless to help. He had to become stronger.
He took several deep breaths, calming his restless thoughts, and began to observe the market’s bustle.
He had come to the Half-Month Market not only to sell beast materials for some living expenses, but also to buy a few things.
Moreover, this market was a hub for martial cultivators to exchange information—one could learn much about the world of martial arts here.
Perhaps in a big city, such an atmosphere is commonplace, but in a small place like Luming Town, the twice-monthly market is a rare opportunity.
Ahead and to the right, a stall displayed a few scattered books. The stall owner, an old man with graying hair and beard, sat with his eyes half-closed, dozing as if he cared little whether anyone bought his wares.
“There are myriad truths in books.” His lady had told him this not long after they met.
Jiang Feng had grown up a wild child, barely literate, but after a year’s tutelage from his lady, he had developed the habit of reading.
He wiped his hands clean, squatted down, and carefully leafed through the books.
The old man’s eyelids lifted slightly and, seeing Jiang Feng’s caution, closed again in satisfaction.
The first book was titled “A Record of Strange Beasts of Taiwu,” cataloging the distribution of rare creatures in the Taiwu Mountains.
Arranged from lowest to highest, it listed each beast’s name, level, characteristics, attributes, usable parts, vital weaknesses—everything Jiang Feng might want or need to know, clear and thorough.
His lady’s study had also contained books on exotic beasts, but mostly in the form of scattered travel notes, far less systematic and detailed than this.
That was understandable. When he first met her, she had not yet fused with a Heart-Clarifying Seed and was just a newcomer to this world.
But now he was at the Half-Month Market, where everything was tailored for martial cultivators. Naturally, the content was very different.
If the first book merely delighted Jiang Feng, the second shocked him.
“Guiding Light Manual.”
The title seemed ambiguous at first, but upon opening it, Jiang Feng immediately grasped its value.
This was clearly a martial technique powered by clarifying energy!
There were two types of martial techniques in this world: ordinary and energy-powered.
Ordinary ones—such as the Falling Thunder Palm—could be practiced by anyone; with energy, they became even more powerful.
But energy-powered martial techniques could only be cultivated by martial practitioners, requiring the use of clarifying energy. These were a family’s true secrets, never taught to outsiders.
Even his lady had never been allowed to see such a manual; the Jiang family always delayed with the excuse, “After you have fused your Heart-Clarifying Seed.”
Yet here, in a small town’s martial cultivator market, one had appeared!
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Halfway through reading “Way of Choices” and I’ve hit a writing block… ORZ, I’ll take a break today and go see Avengers tonight, clear my head…