The county town was so big, yet why was every escape route exactly the same?
Traps had been deliberately set, waiting for them to walk right into the net.
Lin Yue circulated her cultivation technique and lunged toward the front-left. The blue tiles beneath her feet shattered instantly from the kick. Using the momentum, she leaped into the air and landed on another roof. Between her leaps, the surrounding scenery blurred past, and in a mere moment, she reached the base of the city wall.
This city wall was about thirty feet high. With the Great Perfection of a top-tier lightness technique, one could jump this distance vertically from the ground; a high-grade technique would require kicking the wall twice, while ordinary techniques required throwing a grappling hook.
Lin Yue quickly leaped toward the wall, gliding off the roof like a bird spreading its wings. After a few more steps and a flick of her toes, she soared into the sky toward the corner of the wall. In mid-air, her black clothes snapped in the wind. The sound of whistling air drew closer; her right shoulder was about to collide with a rapidly approaching arrow.
With a mid-air rotation, Lin Yue changed her flight path. The long arrow, thicker than a thumb and longer than an arm, streaked past her chest. The cold-gleaming arrowhead buried itself deep into the city wall.
This shot wasn't precise, but its power had reached the peak of the First-Rate. The intent was clear: first to intimidate, and second to intercept her. Lin Yue’s expression remained unchanged as she kicked off the city wall, switching directions to reach the top.
She quickly leaped to the other side of the wall and glided down. Just as her feet touched the ground, over a dozen rats suddenly surged out from the shadows to surround her.
The leader, who carried a bow and arrows on his back, drew a breath to speak, but Lin Yue immediately charged at his subordinates. Dagger and sword light clashed. With a loud clang, the subordinate was sent flying by her massive power. He smashed into a tree, nearly uprooting it, and fell unconscious before he could even cough up blood.
Her dagger swept left to block a sword strike, and taking advantage of the attacker's terror, she raised her leg and kicked him several yards away.
“Wait!” the leader shouted, growing frantic at the sight.
Lin Yue sent the surrounding men flying as a matter of routine. Since they were only around the First-Rate realm, brute force was enough. Before they could react, she activated her lightness technique directly. A black shadow, like a hunting leopard, suddenly vanished into the woods, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
During this time, Lin Yue thought she heard someone shout something about money.
She wasn't lacking any.
Having shaken off her pursuers by entering the forest, she suddenly halted her forward progress. In the shade of the trees ahead stood a tall, stalwart black figure. He had his hands behind his back and was gazing up at the sky; after a moment, he lowered his head toward her and stepped out.
Moonlight fell upon him, revealing a set of white silk clothes. Now that his face was free of its usual arrogant and unruly look, Lin Yue knew it wasn't just the passage of time—it was as if something was weighing him down.
“Lin Yue.”
Lin Yue did not respond. She looked at him with a cold gaze, tightening her grip on her dagger, ready to strike.
“I lost.”
There was loneliness on his face and a dejected tone in his voice. He had none of his former pride; it seemed he had been utterly defeated.
Lin Yue pulled down her face mask, her expression softening. She said, “There is always someone better, and the sky is always higher. Victory and defeat are common for a warrior. If someone is strong, someone else must be weak.”
“What do you want with me?”
Li Le sighed and said, “The Youzhou border is in turmoil. Great Ling intends to attack our Great Qian. It will happen within a year or two.”
Hearing this, Lin Yue lowered her gaze. Suddenly, she saw a shadow appear on the ground. Startled, she looked up to see an old man in black standing on a treetop. He stepped through the air as if walking down stairs, his robes billowing with an air of immense authority.
Lin Yue’s eyes widened. Wasn't this wuxia? Why was it suddenly cultivation?
She suddenly felt that her past delusions weren't so hard to accept after all.
The old man in black landed on the ground and stood beside Li Le, a trace of worry on his solemn face. “I am the Grand Elder of the Great Qian imperial family. My Daoist name is Xuan Kong.”
Lin Yue bowed her head in greeting. “Junior Lin Yue greets the senior.”
The old man nodded and spoke with great gravity.
“Great Ling has somehow obtained some great fortune. They have at least twenty-three Masters, which is twice as many as fifty years ago. Our Great Qian officially has only fourteen. Great Ling is rising with fierce momentum and has repeatedly provoked our border. According to our spies, Great Ling is massing grain, grass, and troops. They are expected to attack our Great Qian within the next two years.”
“The court is discussing a strategy, preparing to gather the nation’s Masters and all available forces to overcome this crisis. I have come today to invite you to join the army and protect Great Qian's territory.”
Join the army? Lin Yue fell silent. This would inevitably mean following their orders. If so, her opponents would likely be Masters, yet she hadn't broken through her realm yet, and she wasn't sure she could win.
“I am a person of Great Qian, and Great Qian is my home. I have a responsibility to defend my country. However, I have only recently ascended to the Master Realm and have neglected my martial arts. My strength cannot compare to my senior brother’s. If I were to face another Master, I fear my strength would be insufficient. However, if a great war truly begins, I will certainly do my part to help Great Qian.”
Xuan Kong looked at Lin Yue and said, “This Great Qian doesn't just belong to the imperial family; it belongs to all its citizens. If it is conquered by Great Ling, no one will be spared! Those in the Master Realm can face a thousand alone. If they form an array, they can sweep through thousands of troops as if entering an uninhabited land. When that time comes, the soldiers of Great Qian will suffer heavy casualties.”
“Most of the opponents are newly ascended Masters with strength similar to yours. When the time comes, the court will provide you with their information and arrange everything, selecting suitable opponents for you.”
“What you say is true, Senior. I will certainly do my best.”
Xuan Kong looked at Lin Yue, who was bowing with her hands clasped, and smiled. “Do you know that there is a realm even above the Master Realm?”
“Above the Master Realm?” Lin Yue looked up at him, her face filled with confusion.
“Indeed, there is a great realm above the Master Realm.” Xuan Kong placed his hands behind his back. “If you are willing to join the army, the imperial family can inform you of the path to this upper realm. At that time, what status, position, wealth, or martial path would be beyond your reach!”
Lin Yue’s eyes showed longing mixed with struggle, but then she said dejectedly, “It was pure luck that I reached the Master Realm. I am already over seventy years old, yet I am still lingering in the early stage with no progress. I find it deeply difficult. I fear I have no destiny with the realm above the Master Realm in this life.”
Xuan Kong turned to look at Lin Yue and laughed. “You need not be so discouraged! You are still quite young, and your talent is decent. The imperial family possesses Great Qian's top Masters, techniques, and resources. We naturally have the confidence to help you break through!”
“Is that true?” Lin Yue looked up and stared at him intently.
Xuan Kong nodded. “Naturally.”
Lin Yue immediately bowed. “To fight for the country is my bounden duty!”
“Hahaha, good! The words of a Master reflect their Mental State. You must keep your word!”
With that, Xuan Kong turned and left, covering a great distance in a single step. He disappeared before her eyes a moment later, as if he had never been there.
Lin Yue gazed in the direction Xuan Kong had gone, her eyes lowered. Whether considering national loyalty or the pinnacle of the martial path, she had no reason to refuse. If she did, would they suspect her of being a rebel? It didn't matter if the world cursed her; she was just afraid that he wouldn't follow the rules of martial decorum.
Turning her gaze to the person who was silently staring at the scenery, Lin Yue let out a soft snort. “Who did you lose to?”
Li Le grew a bit annoyed and turned his head away. “Him.”
Lin Yue realized who it was. “I thought it was Senior Xuan Kong, so I was going to comfort you. So it was him. Although I only met that young man once briefly, his character is both humble and proud; I could see it at first glance. You were always going to be suppressed by him.”
Li Le glared at her, seemingly unable to believe his ears. In the past, she had always advised him to take things lightly, but now... “Are you enjoying this?”
“Why else would I ask?” Lin Yue arched an eyebrow. He had told her he lost as soon as they met, and his dejected appearance had made her feel like she was facing a great enemy, causing her to immediately act submissively. But in the end...
“Fight me!”
Lin Yue shook her head. “I admit defeat. I can't beat you, number one in the martial world.”
“Fight me!”
Lin Yue turned and walked toward Puning County, her ears filtering out someone’s roaring. The forest was quiet as she stepped through the leaves and weeds with a rustling sound. A dozen people hurried toward her and stopped in front of her, all bowing and clasping their hands to call her senior.
“Senior!” the man with the bow said. “My name is Xie Rang. I didn't know you were a Master earlier. Please forgive my offense! We will follow you from now on and obey your orders!”
“We obey your orders, Senior!”
Lin Yue turned to look at him. “Xie Rang.”
“Yes!”
“Xie Rang, thanks for yielding... what a name that takes advantage of people.” Lin Yue nodded and offered a compliment.
Xie Rang stood there stunned, and before he could react, he heard her ask.
“Who was the peak First-Rate archer in the county town?”
“That was my brother, Xie Li.”
Lin Yue murmured in a cool tone, “Another good name.”
She continued walking forward. The crowd parted to make a path and followed unhurriedly behind her.
By the time she returned to the shop, it was already broad daylight. Lin Yue opened for business as usual, but this time no one came. The medicine shop was much quieter both inside and out.
Lying on the lounge chair, someone poured her tea. Lin Yue took a sip and waved for them to leave. The shop was too small and there were too many people; even the air felt stifling.
She still had a bit of time. Breaking through was the current priority. That old man in black could walk on air; did the realm above the Master Realm lead directly to cultivation? Perhaps. A Master's astral qi could be released externally, and they could live for two hundred years—they had already departed from the realm of mortals.
The reason she had been delayed in breaking through was that she didn't fully believe in her own martial path. She believed that martial arts were just martial arts—an external skill to be ground out—and that will was something internal and void. How could one turn the solid into the void, or the void into the solid? She had never been able to achieve the unity of intent and Dao.
Because she hadn't seen it, she simply didn't believe it.
She went to the backyard. Tai Chi moves began to evolve in her heart. Ward-off, roll-back, press, push... her intent moved with her heart, and her movements followed suit. Bone was qi, flesh was like water, and skin was cloaked in intent. They followed and harmonized with each other, yin and yang balancing. She felt its lightness, silent and formless...
Her breath billowed as day turned to night. She opened her eyes to look, but she didn't seem to be looking with them. Her pupils reflected a thin shadow that moved with her—slowly at first, then gradually matching her rhythm. That white figure became more solid and dense, and the techniques became lighter and more lively without losing their stability.
Finally, it attacked. Lin Yue moved into a bow-stance to block its wrist, leading the force away and neutralizing it before returning it. The shadow neutralized her force with yin-like softness, redirecting her strength against her. Lin Yue didn't resist head-on; she turned her body to shed the pushing force, yin and yang transforming, her techniques sticking and following...
As if sensing their target, both sides pushed their force in the same direction. Simultaneously, surging internal energy carrying the intent of both was unleashed, striking out several yards away and charging toward two people!
Xie Li and Xie Rang felt the sudden pressure and their pupils shrank. Before they could react, the qi-force struck their chests, as heavy as iron. It sent their internal blood churning as their bodies were blown backward. After several sounds of wood snapping, a muffled thud followed—they had likely hit the wall.
There was no movement for a long time.
Lin Yue watched the scene, then looked down at her hands. The qi-force of a Master is called true qi. True qi surged from her palms to wrap around her hands, condensing without dispersing. Her sleeves billowed.
“Astral qi... protects against all evils, nourishes life, and grants longevity. Quite good.”
Lin Yue reached toward a piece of gravel on the ground. The stone was instantly sucked into her hand. She opened her palm, and the stone was held aloft by her true qi, floating in the air.
Her gaze sharpened as her hand curved into a claw. The stone began to spin, faster and faster, until it became a blur. It whipped up a small whirlwind and flew toward the round stone table under the large tree. With a bang, the stone table exploded, and stone fragments sprayed outward. Several shards flew toward her but were bounced away by her protective astral qi.
Now this was real magic.
A slight smile appeared at the corners of Lin Yue’s mouth. She glanced at the dozen or so people who had rushed over at the sound. They stood frozen in place, eyes wide with shock, as if they had been turned to stone.
Ignoring them, she turned and entered the house. The force she had struck with wasn't massive; the two of them would be fine after resting for half a month.
Despite this, on the second day, not only did Xie Rang show up for work with his injuries, but he also brought his brother. Xie Li apologized profusely for his ignorance, speaking with great sincerity for the time it took to finish a cup of tea. Lin Yue waved her hand; she didn't care about such things.
However, the tables and chairs in the medicine shop were shattered, and there were two large indentations in the wall by the door that looked like the shape of human backs. With the load-bearing wall damaged, the medicine shop had suddenly become a dangerous building. Lin Yue told them to quickly repair the wall and restore it to its original state so that the property value wouldn't depreciate.
Rate on N.U.
