Chapter 248: Great Gains, Onward Again

When Lu Qing stepped out of the Treasure Vault, a smile lingered on his face.

The haul from this journey had been immense. Nearly all of Liu Yun Zong’s accumulated treasures over hundreds, even thousands of years, had fallen into his hands. The sensation was nothing short of exhilarating.

With this newfound wealth, the possibilities ahead of him were endless.

Yet…

Standing before the vault’s entrance, Lu Qing fell into deep thought.

Though the treasures within were abundant, he couldn’t shake the feeling that this was not the entirety of Liu Yun Zong’s hidden hoard.

It was simple: Mo Hu and Mo Zhen, with their selfish and greedy natures, would never have left all their treasures so openly in one place. There had to be more—other caches, hidden elsewhere.

Unfortunately, he had already scoured the entire sect thoroughly, finding no trace of such secret stashes.

Most likely, those treasures were either hidden beyond the reach of ordinary sight, or they weren’t even located within Liu Yun Zong’s territory at all.

Otherwise, they would’ve surely been detected by his abilities.

Still, though he couldn’t find them, Lu Qing felt no regret.

The world was vast. It was impossible for all its treasures to belong to a single person.

Content with what he had already secured, he decided not to dwell further on it.

He reached into the Qiankun Yiqi Dai and pulled out a plain cloth sack, stuffing a few items inside before heading toward the training ground.

“Huh? Mr. Lu is out.”

On the training ground, the Sword-Wielding Man, who had been chatting with Old Doctor, raised an eyebrow at the sight of Lu Qing.

As Lu Qing approached, he chuckled, “You’re out quickly. Didn’t find anything?”

“I did,” Lu Qing replied, gesturing to the sack on his back. “I found a Treasure Vault. There was quite a bit inside. Since I don’t know what’s valuable, I just took a few things at random.”

“Oh? Then congratulations, young master,” the Sword-Wielding Man smiled warmly, without pressing further on what exactly had been taken.

“Master,” Lu Qing asked, “now that Liu Yun Zong has been destroyed, when do we depart?”

Old Doctor pondered for a moment. “Once we return to the town, we’ll pack up and leave.”

“Leaving already?” the Sword-Wielding Man was visibly startled.

“Yes,” Old Doctor nodded. “With our business here concluded, it’s time to move on.”

“But you’ve just rid Yun Zhou of Liu Yun Zong’s menace and saved so many of our fellow martial artists. We haven’t even had the chance to properly express our gratitude!”

“That’s not necessary,” Old Doctor chuckled. “We came here by chance. There are more pressing matters awaiting us in Zhong Zhou. We can’t linger. Your kind thoughts are deeply appreciated—no need for formalities.”

The Sword-Wielding Man pressed on for a while, but once he learned that Lu Qing and Old Doctor truly had urgent business in Zhong Zhou, he finally gave up.

“Yan Ju Shi,” Old Doctor added, “please keep this to yourself. No need to make a big fuss.”

He didn’t want to be mobbed by well-wishers when it came time to leave.

“Of course… I understand,” the Sword-Wielding Man said, though he still felt it was somewhat improper. Yet, he had come to realize just how truly indifferent this man was to fame and honor—someone who cared not a whit for ceremony or formality.

When the three returned to Liu Yun Town, there was little commotion.

They hadn’t announced their intention to destroy Liu Yun Zong, so while some people suspected something was amiss, none dared confirm it.

“Master, are we really leaving?” Ma Gu asked, taken aback upon hearing the news.

He’d expected to stay in Liu Yun Town for at least another day.

“Yes,” Old Doctor said. “We’ve already wasted too much time in Yun Zhou. It’s better to press on to Zhong Zhou. The weather’s still good—we can travel two more hours before nightfall. No need to linger.”

Having witnessed how Liu Yun Zong had freely slaughtered innocents without anyone stepping in to stop them, Old Doctor was now more eager than ever to learn the truth about Zhong Zhou’s current state. There was no reason to stay.

“I’ll go prepare the carriage right away,” Ma Gu said, immediately stepping out.

“Chen Ye, Lu Xiao Langjun, you’re really leaving?” The Round Fat Middle-aged Man, overhearing their conversation, looked up in surprise. Xu Ping and the others turned to stare in equal shock.

“Yes,” Old Doctor replied. “This time, we must part ways.”

A pang of nostalgia stirred in his chest. He had sensed great danger in the Round Fat Middle-aged Man and his disciples before—now, that ominous premonition had vanished.

Clearly, their fate had been altered. For the time being, they were safe from harm.

“Chen Ye…” The man looked at Old Doctor, his expression filled with unspoken words, but he couldn’t find the right ones to say.

“Don’t worry,” Old Doctor smiled. “Meeting is fate. We’ve only parted for now. If destiny calls, we’ll meet again.”

“Master, the carriage is ready,” Ma Gu returned.

“Good. A Qing, let’s go.”

Old Doctor stepped toward the carriage first.

“Xu Qian Bei, everyone—until next time,” Lu Qing bowed to Ma Gu and the others.

“Gee-haw!” Ma Gu cracked the whip, and the carriage rolled forward smoothly.

“Bye-bye, Xu Ping!” Xiao Yan’s small head popped up at the window, waving energetically.

“Chen Shenyi is leaving?” The Yun Zhou martial artists, still recovering inside the inn, stepped out at the sound of the departing carriage.

Seeing Old Doctor’s party already vanishing into the distance, they were stunned.

Especially the Liu Fu Gong Zhu of Bai Hua Gong, who rushed forward in alarm.

“Why’s the doctor leaving so soon? I wanted to invite them to the Hundred Flowers Valley to repay their lifesaving kindness!”

She took a step forward—only to be gently stopped by the Sword-Wielding Man.

“Yan Elder…” Liu Fu Gong Zhu paused, bewildered.

The Sword-Wielding Man sighed. “Chen Ye and Lu Xiao Langjun said they have urgent matters in Zhong Zhou. They can’t stay long in Yun Zhou. I even invited them to stay at the Silver Moon Sect—they declined.”

Liu Fu Gong Zhu froze.

She understood.

Even she, a Xian Tian Jing herself, had failed to persuade them. What chance did she have? To chase after them now would only be futile—and possibly offend them.

Realizing this, she could only watch helplessly as the carriage disappeared around the bend.

The other martial artists, having heard the exchange, likewise gave up on any attempt to stop them.

They watched the carriage grow smaller and smaller, until it vanished from sight.

Then, one of the warriors suddenly spoke, “Come to think of it—just who exactly are Chen Shenyi and his companions? Does anyone know?”

All the Yun Zhou martial artists exchanged blank glances.

Then, they all turned their eyes toward the Sword-Wielding Man.

After all, it was he who had brought Old Doctor and the others into town.

But the Sword-Wielding Man shook his head. “I don’t know. The entire town was under Mo Hu’s evil array—meant to consume every soul. I tried to break it, but Mo Hu stopped me. Only when Chen Ye and his companions arrived did we manage to shatter the trap. As for their origins… I know little.”

He had tried to find out. After all, a Xian Tian Jing of such power, and a mysterious young prodigy—how could anyone not be curious?

But Old Doctor had revealed nothing. His inquiries had yielded no answers.

Then, it struck him—the Round Fat Middle-aged Man and his disciples had been brought into town by Lu Qing himself.

The others noticed too, and their gazes turned toward the group.

The Round Fat Middle-aged Man and his disciples felt a sudden chill. Being stared down by so many martial masters—especially one who was a Xian Tian Jing—was utterly overwhelming.

“Elder masters…” The man wiped sweat from his brow, forcing a smile. “We only met by chance. We hit it off, so we traveled together. I don’t know much about their background—only that they’re from Cang Zhou.”

“Did Chen Ye ever mention his real name?” the Sword-Wielding Man asked.

“No. He only asked to be called Chen Ye.”

“What about Lu Xiao Langjun?” the Sword-Wielding Man pressed.

“Lu Qing,” the man replied. “His surname is Lu, and his given name is Qing.”

“Lu Qing…” The Sword-Wielding Man repeated the name slowly, trying to place it.

Then, a memory sparked.

Ah yes—Chen Ye had called him “A Qing.”

But still, he couldn’t recall any record of such a name.

He ran through the lists of the most renowned disciples from the top sects across the land—but nothing came to mind.

Just then, someone gasped.

“Lu Qing… Lu Qing from Cang Zhou? Could this be the mysterious youth who appeared on the Qian Long Bang two years ago?”

“It is him?!” The others reacted instantly.

But the Sword-Wielding Man looked utterly lost. “Qian Long Bang? What’s that?”

He knew what Qian Long Bang was, of course—but what did it have to do with Lu Qing?

“Tai Shang Elder,” the Silver Moon Sect Master explained, “you’ve been deep in cultivation these past years. You haven’t followed the newer rankings. Two years ago, Tian Ji Lou released a new Qian Long Bang, and one of the names on it caused quite a stir. That name… was Lu Qing.”

“Since then, Tian Ji Lou has been… delayed. The list hasn’t been updated in ages. Most have forgotten about it. But back then, many believed that within ten years, this Lu Qing might break through and become a Xian Tian Jing—possibly the youngest Xian Tian Jing Qiang Zhe in history.”

After hearing this, the Sword-Wielding Man’s expression twisted into something strange.

He wanted to say: That boy? A Xian Tian Jing? He’s nothing compared to what I’ve seen.

Only moments ago, he’d watched with his own eyes as Lu Qing, with nothing but bare hands, reduced a Xian Tian Jing junior-level warrior to a pulpy mess.

But now… he hadn’t even entered Xian Tian Jing?

The thought struck him like a cold blade.

If that were true… then this Lu Xiao Langjun had killed a Xian Tian Jing-level monster while still in the Hou Tian Jing realm?

“…Hiss.” The Sword-Wielding Man instinctively drew in a sharp breath.

A wave of dread washed over him.

…

Lu Qing had no idea that, after their departure, the Sword-Wielding Man and the others had pieced together his identity.

Right now, he was recounting the events that had unfolded in Liu Yun Town and within Liu Yun Zong to Ma Gu and the others.

“So that’s why the town was so tense,” Ma Gu realized. “No wonder Xu Qian Bei climbed up the tree, stared at the sky for a while, then changed his attitude so drastically. He must’ve seen you and Chen Ye break the array.”

“Those Liu Yun Zong leaders were truly heartless,” Wei Zian growled. “Not only did they feed on humans, but they even slaughtered their own disciples. They’re nothing short of demons.”

“Of course,” Lu Qing replied. “They practiced an Evil Cultivation Method. Their hearts were corrupted long ago. Calling them demons isn’t inaccurate.”

“But the disciples deserved it,” he added. “They were arrogant and violent. To be killed by their own master? That’s just karma.”

Seeing Wei Zian’s anger, Lu Qing suddenly remembered something.

“By the way, Zi An… I have something for you.”

“What?” Wei Zian blinked.

Lu Qing reached under the carriage seat and pulled out a long, black staff, handing it over.

“This is a Divine Weapon. It belonged to Mo Hu, the former Tai Shang Elder of Liu Yun Zong. Now that Mo Hu is dead, I took it. It suits you perfectly.”

“A Divine Weapon… for me?” Wei Zian stared, stunned.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end