plumnovel Chapter 21 Earth-Rank Cultivation Techniques, Gathering of Heroes in Seven Heroes Town
Chapter 21 Earth-Rank Cultivation Techniques, Gathering of Heroes in Seven Heroes Town
Yang Qian frowned as he looked at the notice.
A low-grade Earth-rank cultivation technique, the Profound Ice Technique!
Although he wasn't entirely clear on the classification of cultivation techniques in this world, he knew that the "Hun Yuan Gong" that Wang Hu had snatched, which he had mistakenly identified as a low-grade Yellow Rank technique, was actually the "Seven Limits of Devouring Heaven and Destroying Earth," a technique of the God and Demon level.
The Celestial Star Sword Technique practiced by Grandmaster Lin Yichen was only at the mid-grade of the Profound level.
Now, in order to avenge Chen Xiaotian, or rather, to save face, the Nanyang Prefectural Government has actually offered a local-level cultivation technique as a reward!
This is quite a large undertaking.
"Earth-rank cultivation technique..."
Yang Qian silently calculated in his mind,
"The value of this thing is probably enough to drive all the martial arts masters in Nanyang County, and even the surrounding counties, crazy."
Yang Qian knew very well what a high-level cultivation technique meant to a martial artist or a sect.
That represents inheritance, the future, and the possibility of instant success.
Under the reward, there must be a brave man.
It is foreseeable that in the days to come, the small town of Qixia will become the center of a huge vortex.
Countless people from the underworld, driven by fame and fortune, will swarm in like sharks smelling blood.
This was a huge problem for him.
With so many people around and so many eyes on him, can he still maintain his position as "acting captain"?
(Please remember 1219.m.k.com for the fastest chapter updates.)
Will my plan to kill Lin Yichen and frame him be seen through by some shrewd expert?
More importantly, with so many people flooding in, how can the safety of my sister-in-law be guaranteed?
"Owner……"
Qian Si's voice pulled Yang Qian back from his thoughts.
Looking at Yang Qian's unpredictable expression, he felt a mix of emotions.
"Look at this... the Prefectural Governor's Office has really gone too far! A Rank 1 cultivation technique! I've heard that even the most powerful sect in Nanyang Prefecture, the Blazing Fire Sect, only has a sect leader whose ultimate technique is only a High-Grade Profound Rank! With this Rank 1 technique appearing, even those old monsters who usually stay in seclusion will probably be alarmed!"
Qian Si's voice was filled with worry:
"Our Qixia Town is probably going to become a den of dragons and tigers!"
He finally managed to integrate the underground order of Qixia Town with the help of his master's divine power, and became a veritable local tyrant.
He hadn't even had a chance to sit down properly before the prefectural governor's office pulled this stunt on him.
This isn't a bounty hunt for a murderer; it's clearly an attempt to use the power of the entire Jianghu (martial arts world) in the county to turn Qixia Town upside down!
Not only will he, the "ruthless bandit Qian Si," be in trouble, but his master will likely be dragged into endless trouble as well.
"What's the panic?"
Yang Qian glanced at him indifferently.
Although he felt it was a difficult situation, he was also filled with a strange sense of excitement.
Crisis, crisis, but within crisis lies opportunity.
This is both an unprecedented crisis and a tremendous opportunity.
The more experts arrive, the muddier the waters become.
The muddier the waters, the more benefits he, the fisherman hiding behind the scenes, can reap.
Killing Li Wei, a fifth-level Acquired Realm cultivator, will reward you with fifty potential points.
Killing Lin Yichen, a Grandmaster-level cultivator, along with his spoils of war, is worth several hundred potential points!
If a few more foolish grandmasters were to arrive...
A cold, murderous glint flashed in Yang Qian's eyes.
What he lacks most right now is potential!
As long as he has enough potential points, his strength can be increased indefinitely!
At that time, let alone a small Nanyang County, he was confident that he could uproot that damned "Heavenly Sword Sect"!
"The Prefectural Governor's Office is doing this for two reasons."
Yang Qian slowly began to analyze.
"First, they do want to find the 'real culprit' who killed Chen Xiaotian to save face. Second, they are also sending a warning to us 'local bullies' that the government still calls the shots in Nanyang County."
"Then... what should we do?"
Qian Si asked nervously:
"Should we... lay low for a while?"
"avoid?"
Yang Qian sneered:
"Where can we hide? This Qixia Town is our foundation, our base! Once we leave, everything here will be devoured by those jackals who will come running at the first sign of trouble, leaving not even bone fragments!"
"Besides, do you think trouble won't come knocking just because we're gone?"
Qian Si fell silent.
He knew his master was right.
They have no way out now.
"Pass down my orders."
Yang Qian's voice became steady and powerful.
"From today onwards, Qixia Town will be outwardly relaxed but inwardly tense!"
"Wai Song means that we shouldn't interfere too much with those wanderers from other places. Whether they want to stay in an inn or drink, as long as they don't cause trouble, let them be. We can even provide them with some conveniences."
"The 'internal tightening' means concentrating all our core forces back around the mansion to strengthen security, especially around my sister-in-law's courtyard. We must ensure it's secretly protected 24/7; not even a fly can get in!"
"Furthermore, mobilize all our informants to keep a close eye on every newcomer to the town! I need to know their background, their strengths, who they meet each day, and what they say immediately!"
"yes!"
Qian Si nodded emphatically; his master's arrangement calmed his panicked heart considerably.
"remember,"
Yang Qian gave his final instructions:
"Our goal isn't to clash with those wandering martial artists. We only have one enemy: the Prefect of Nanyang, who's trying to muddy the waters with a low-level martial arts technique!"
"And there might be another, even stronger, hidden expert from the Heavenly Sword Sect, lurking in the shadows!"
Qian Si shuddered, a look of horror flashing in his eyes.
He then realized that what he had seen was only the tip of the iceberg.
The enemy that the master will face is far more terrifying than he imagined!
"Go."
Yang Qian waved his hand:
"Remember, chaos in Qixia Town would be beneficial to us. But this chaos must be kept under control!"
"Understood!"
Qian Si accepted the order and respectfully withdrew.
The room fell silent once again.
Qin Shuyu looked at Yang Qian, her beautiful eyes filled with worry and heartache.
Although she couldn't understand those terms like "earth-rank cultivation techniques" or "grandmaster experts," she could sense an oppressive atmosphere of impending storm from the conversation.
Her uncle is about to put himself in danger again.
"Uncle..."
She walked to Yang Qian's side and gently smoothed his furrowed brow with her small hand.
"Sister-in-law, I'm fine."
"Don't worry, I'll take care of everything."
Yang Qian looked into her eyes and said earnestly:
"I promise, all of this will be over soon. Then we'll leave here and go to a beautiful place where nobody knows us and live our own lives."
"Um."
Qin Shuyu nodded vigorously, her eyes slightly moist.
She knew this was a promise her uncle had made to her.
For this promise, she was willing to stand by him through thick and thin.
……
The proclamation from the Prefectural Governor's Office swept through the entire Nanyang Prefecture and several surrounding prefectures and counties like a whirlwind.
Earth level technique!
These four words have a fatal attraction for people in the martial arts world.
In an instant, countless martial artists flocked from all directions to Qixia Town, an obscure little place.
There was a lone swordsman carrying a tattered bundle, with fierce eyes;
There are local gangs that roam in large groups, howling past.
There were distinguished disciples riding tall horses, exuding an extraordinary air;
There are even some older generation masters who rarely venture into the martial arts world and whose aura is obscure and difficult to discern.
In just a few days, the population of the small town of Qixia has increased several times over.
All the inns in town were fully booked.
Restaurants and teahouses are filled with江湖人士 (jianghu figures) carrying swords and knives.
They gathered in small groups, loudly discussing the "lone bandit Lin Yichen" and the local-rank cultivation technique "Mysterious Ice Technique".
"Have you heard? That Lin Yichen is supposedly a sword master! He killed over a hundred elite cavalrymen from the prefectural governor's mansion with a single sword strike!"
"My God! A grandmaster? Wouldn't we just be easy prey if we went there?"
"What are you afraid of! The notice says that although Lin Yichen is powerful, he was seriously injured in his bloody battle with Commander Chen! He might be hiding in some corner now, barely clinging to life! This is a golden opportunity!"
"That's right! A Rank 1 cultivation technique! If I could get it, I'd be set for life! Maybe I could even start my own sect and become a grandmaster!"
Greed permeated the air.
The entire town of Qixia is like a powder keg with a lit fuse, ready to explode at any moment.
Scenes of people drawing knives and fighting each other frequently occur on the streets due to arguments or accidental collisions.
But strangely, whenever a major conflict is about to break out, a group of men dressed in black with cold faces always appear like ghosts.
They neither made a move nor spoke; they simply stood there silently, watching the two sides of the conflict with cold eyes.
Those arrogant and domineering martial arts figures would involuntarily shiver the moment they met their eyes, then reluctantly put away their weapons and disperse.
Everyone knows that these people are the current controllers of Qixia Town, the henchmen of "ruthless bandit" Qian Si.
No one knows just how strong Qian Si is, nor how many people he has under his command.
All people know is that this newly emerging force wiped out the Black Tiger Gang and the city guards of the government overnight.
Moreover, they seemed uninterested in the local conflicts and disputes.
As long as you don't provoke them or cause trouble in their designated restricted area—that luxurious mansion in the town center—they won't bother you.
This strange balance makes the situation in Qixia Town even more unpredictable.
Night falls.
A magnificent carriage, escorted by several guards on tall horses, slowly drove into Qixia Town.
The carriage stopped in front of the best inn in town, Tongfu Inn.
The innkeeper, upon seeing the golden "Lie" banner on the carriage, was so frightened that his legs went weak, and he hurriedly bowed and scraped as he went to greet it.
"No... I didn't know it was a distinguished guest from the Blazing Fire Sect. Please forgive my lack of hospitality!"
The carriage curtain was lifted by a slender, delicate hand.
A beautiful young woman with a stunning figure and wearing a fiery red dress stepped down from the carriage.
She didn't even glance at the bowing and scraping shopkeeper, but instead scanned the staring, stoic men around her with a lazy yet aggressive gaze.
"Book all the best rooms in your area, the VIP rooms, for me."
Her voice was clear and melodious, yet it carried an unquestionable command.
"Yes, yes! I'll arrange it right away!" The innkeeper didn't dare to say a word of nonsense and scrambled into the inn.
"Senior sister, this little Qixia Town is really lively."
Behind the woman, a handsome young man dressed in the same Liehuo Sect uniform, but with a hint of sinister intent in his eyes, smiled and spoke.
"A bunch of worthless scoundrels."
The woman in the red dress scoffed disdainfully.
"He's just a fool who came here to die for that local-level cultivation technique."
"What you say is true, senior sister."
The young man smiled obsequiously:
"A mere low-grade Earth-rank cultivation technique is hardly worthy of the attention of our Blazing Fire Sect. We're only here to give the Prefectural Governor's Mansion face and, incidentally, to watch the show."
"Good to know."
The woman in the red dress glanced at him and said indifferently:
"Remember Master's instructions: don't cause trouble easily. Our target isn't that broken cultivation manual, but that... 'Lin Yichen' who killed Grandmaster Lin Yichen."
"A person who can kill a grandmaster must have a greater secret."
The woman in the red dress had a light in her eyes that was even more intense than flames.
She raised her head, her gaze seemingly piercing through layers of barriers, looking towards the town center, at the mansion that everyone considered a forbidden zone.
"I'm more interested in that 'bandit' Qian Si, who dared to occupy the Grandmaster's mansion."
A playful smile appeared on her lips.
"Let's go and have a look at him."