Volume 1, Chapter 22: An Overnight Fortune

The moment Li Hanzhou grasped Autumn Funeral, the spiritual energy within his body flowed directly into the blade.

Hum!

Autumn Funeral trembled violently. The blade aura that Zhao Qianqiu had painstakingly nurtured for years shattered instantly. The weapon surrendered itself entirely to Li Hanzhou’s spiritual energy. Because Li Hanzhou’s energy was far purer than Zhao Qianqiu’s inner breath, Autumn Funeral fell under his command immediately—why would it care about Zhao Qianqiu anymore?

Who was Zhao Qianqiu? It didn’t even know him.

After being nourished by such superior spiritual energy, Autumn Funeral felt as if it had spent its entire life eating chaff, only to suddenly taste braised pork for the first time. It knew it could never go back.

With a casual flick, a blade of light flew out, instantly shattering an ancient tree nearby. Li Hanzhou was slightly surprised; this blade was truly excellent. It must be worth quite a lot.

He was also curious about what else was in the storage bag, but since Ye Ziying and Yu Qingyang were still present, he didn't want to bring it out and appear as if he had never seen a valuable item before.

"Thank you, sir, for saving my life," Yu Qingyang hesitated for a moment before stepping forward and bowing respectfully.

"No matter. I had already promised to keep you safe," Li Hanzhou waved his hand.

"Sir, you just now... you used the Great Heavenly Phenomenon Arts, didn't you?" Yu Qingyang asked, unable to contain his curiosity.

"It seems... I did?" Li Hanzhou only then remembered that the Xingluo Kingdom and the Shenque Kingdom were mortal enemies. Liu Dongyue had previously mentioned that using the Great Heavenly Phenomenon Arts in Shenque would attract the attention of the Imperial family. "I learned a bit of the basics by chance; I am not proficient in it, and I have nothing to do with the Xingluo Kingdom." He distanced himself from the kingdom, leaving it to Yu Qingyang to decide whether to believe him.

"I meant no offense," Yu Qingyang said hurriedly. "I only hope that, for your own sake, you refrain from displaying this martial art in front of others. It could easily invite trouble."

"Understood."

Yu Qingyang glanced at the bag hanging at Li Hanzhou’s waist. He desperately wanted to ask how the Thousand-Life Ghost Lotus had ended up in his hands, but he ultimately held his tongue. If he asked too much in this godforsaken place, what would happen if Li Hanzhou decided to silence him?

"The pine forest is just ahead. I will see you there," Li Hanzhou patted Yu Qingyang on the shoulder.

"Thank you, Mr. Li," Yu Qingyang bowed respectfully. Ye Ziying followed suit. After tonight’s battle, she saw clearly that Li Hanzhou was a supreme powerhouse. His true strength was unfathomable, but undoubtedly formidable. It was baffling that such a figure existed in Dongyan Province without anyone in the martial world knowing his name.

He was hidden far too deep.

Once Li Hanzhou and the others had departed, the Holy Lord of Taixuan emerged from the shadows. He approached Zhao Qianqiu’s riddled corpse, finding the situation surreal. Zhao Qianqiu was a name that resonated throughout the martial world, a top-tier expert of the Blood Sacrifice Pavilion. Many had sought revenge against him, only to be killed in return. His blade, Autumn Funeral, had painted the pugilistic world red, and his name struck fear into the hearts of many. Yet, this legendary figure had died on such an ordinary night, killed by someone whose name was completely unknown.

"Who exactly is he?" The Holy Lord watched Li Hanzhou’s retreating figure. "He knows the Xingluo Kingdom's Great Heavenly Phenomenon Arts and possesses the Tang Sect’s supreme treasure. This man is truly mysterious."

At dawn, in the Imperial Capital of Shenque, the Emperor Yu Yang emerged from a small pagoda within the Dragon Court. As the sunlight hit him, his imperial robes shimmered. He exuded a faint, intimidating pressure. Though he was over sixty, he looked no older than forty.

A eunuch had been waiting outside the pagoda for some time.

"Your Majesty." The eunuch stepped forward and respectfully handed over a memorial. "The Great Heavenly Phenomenon Arts have appeared," he whispered.

Yu Yang remained silent, quietly opening the document to review the information. "The Great Heavenly Phenomenon Arts, the Thousand-Life Ghost Lotus," he murmured, his expression unreadable. He folded the document and looked at the eunuch. "What do you make of this person?"

"This servant dares not speak out of turn," the eunuch replied quickly.

"Speak freely; I will not punish you," Yu Yang said, walking toward the distance.

The eunuch hurried to keep up. "Your Majesty, this man knows the Great Heavenly Phenomenon Arts, a secret technique of the Xingluo Kingdom. Among the remnants of that kingdom, there are fewer than a handful who know it. Therefore, this Li Hanzhou must have ties to them. But that is not what worries this servant."

"You are worried about the Tang Sect," Yu Yang remarked.

"Yes," the eunuch said after a moment of thought. "The Tang Sect is one of the strongest sects in our Shenque Kingdom. When the late Emperor was alive, they helped suppress rebellions multiple times. Even though the Sect Master is a martial artist, he was enfeoffed as a local lord. Now that the Tang Sect's Thousand-Life Ghost Lotus is in the hands of this Li Hanzhou, and he has ties to the Xingluo remnants, it is hard to say..." He left the sentence unfinished, trusting the Emperor understood the implication.

"Hmm." Yu Yang only grunted in response.

"Your Majesty, what should be done about Li Hanzhou? Should we have him watched?" the eunuch asked cautiously.

"Does this Li Hanzhou hail from the Changsheng Temple?" Yu Yang asked.

"He does."

"Leave him be for now," Yu Yang commanded.

The eunuch was left perplexed. Usually, upon hearing news of Xingluo remnants, the Emperor would order them executed without hesitation, preferring to kill the innocent rather than let a guilty one escape. What had changed today? Li Hanzhou had openly displayed the forbidden arts, yet the Emperor chose to ignore it.

"The heart of the Emperor is truly unfathomable," he thought.

***

After collecting the remaining thirty thousand taels from Ye Ziying, Li Hanzhou returned to the Changsheng Temple. He was worried about the little ones left behind, and he was eager to see what treasures were inside Zhao Qianqiu’s storage bag.

"I'm back."

"Uncle-Master!"

Shi Ming was cooking with Yun Qianzhu; Liu Dongyue was nowhere to be seen.

"Where is your Second Senior Brother?" Li Hanzhou asked curiously.

"He went to the back mountain to practice," Yun Qianzhu said. "Second Senior Brother has been working so hard lately."

"Practicing?" Li Hanzhou blinked, then remembered that in a few days, the Tyrant Blade Sect, the Zhao family, and the Yueshan Sect would be coming to challenge him. Was he trying to cram at the last minute? *I'll refine some pills to boost your cultivation once I'm done with my business!*

Li Hanzhou returned to his room and impatiently opened the storage bag. The contents were a pleasant surprise: several cultivation manuals, various materials, spiritual artifacts, and most importantly, a massive stack of banknotes. As a hitman for the Blood Sacrifice Pavilion who was also notoriously greedy, Zhao Qianqiu had carried a fortune. Li Hanzhou grabbed the stack and counted it six times.

Seven hundred thousand taels!

His heart raced. Seven hundred thousand taels! This was a massive sum for the Changsheng Temple. He could finally renovate the place properly; no more living in such a dilapidated ruin. He would buy a decent bed, get better quarters for Shi Ming and Yun Qianzhu, and fix up the temple so it at least looked like a proper sect.

Li Hanzhou tucked the money away and walked outside, planning how to renovate the temple. The Changsheng Temple was actually quite spacious, just empty. He realized he had never truly explored the place since he arrived. As he walked, he noticed that the grand hall at the very front had always been locked. He hadn't paid it much mind before.

What was inside? A temple would usually enshrine a founder, but he wondered who was worshipped here.