Chapter 78: Two Clans Respond, Testing The Cultivation Method
There were simply too many people coming to Twin Dragon Gorge to watch the battle.
The news of this battle could not be concealed at all.
Ordinary people or common martial artists could only spread it by word of mouth, while those with considerable forces had already transmitted it through various channels, either by spurring horses onward, flying pigeon messages, or masters of lightness skills rushing to all directions…
It was as if overnight, the news spread like a gale sweeping through, reaching more than a dozen counties in Linjiang Prefecture.
“Unrivaled and unmatched, Startled Swan Spear” Hong Yuan at the Grain Transport Gang’s Twin Dragon Gorge headquarters, in one battle killed “Spear King” Han Ding Tian, captured “Surging Waves Hand” Lei Meng, two grandmaster masters, then single-handedly forced the Grain Transport Gang to surrender.
The news was like a thunderclap exploding, everyone who heard it was dumbfounded, their heads spinning in shock.
Many famous masters who had not witnessed it with their own eyes found it hard to believe, but as increasingly detailed information spread, these people all fell silent.
Quite a few small and medium forces that had not participated in encircling Hong Yuan felt both fortunate and gleeful at others’ misfortune, all turning their gazes toward the prefecture city.
That one hundred thousand taels sky-high bounty was issued jointly by the three major forces: Guo Family, Hua Family, and Grain Transport Gang.
Although there were also nearly twenty small and medium families and gangs, these people were scattered everywhere, targets too small. Since that “Divine Spear” had already taken down the Grain Transport Gang, would the Guo and Hua families fare any better next?
Linjiang Prefecture City.
Outside was bright sunshine, the city residents enjoying the rare mild weather in winter.
In a secret meeting hall, the two men drawing the outside world’s attention, the helmsmen of the Guo and Hua families, Guo Wei and Hua Shouren, sat facing each other, their faces ashen.
The atmosphere in the hall was oppressive, with no one else present.
“Divine Fist Sect Master and the Four Fiends of Black Wind have also refused our invitation.”
Hua Shouren spoke first, his voice indifferent, revealing little emotion.
The Divine Fist Sect Master he mentioned was also a grandmaster martial artist, who achieved force microscopic level at thirty-six and founded Divine Fist Sect in the prefecture city. Over twenty years, he had recruited many disciples, with numerous experts under him, and the sect was very prosperous.
The Four Fiends of Black Wind were four famous evil sect masters, who together had a battle record of forcing back a microscopic level expert.
“They’ve all been scared witless by that Hong kid. Unrivaled Soaring Swan Spear, what a grand reputation. Now everyone in Linjiang Prefecture knows it, no one is unaware, right?” Guo Wei sneered.
“Yes, but unfortunately it’s built on our faces. The Grain Transport Gang has already been thoroughly trampled by him. Given that kid’s temperament, I’m afraid it’ll be our turn soon.” Hua Shouren sighed.
“Lei Meng is truly a waste, and that Han Ding Tian, what Spear King, what Mingzhou’s number one spear? Bah! What a waste of the huge price we paid to invite him. In the end, the two of them together lost so miserably…”
Guo Wei gritted his teeth.
“To become a martial arts grandmaster, who is weak? We did not underestimate Hong Yuan either, but he was truly beyond ordinary.”
At this point, Hua Shouren could no longer remain calm, his face showing shock.
Even though Hong Yuan was merely a lone warrior, upon seeing his ferocity, he had been filled with murderous intent and had never underestimated him.
It was just that the terrain of Twin Dragon Gorge was unsuitable for encirclement, otherwise he really wanted to gather the elite troops of the Hua and Guo families to kill him together.
Of course, besides the terrain limitation, the main reason for not doing so was that the opponent’s martial arts were unfathomable, coming and going like the wind. Unless the opponent charged into the formation, there were no conditions for encirclement.
Even so, they had sent over a hundred elite soldiers led by Guo Ju as support, including dozens of archers.
With “Spear King” Han Ding Tian challenging, Lei Meng lurking in the surging waves waiting for an opportunity, plus numerous Grain Transport Gang disciples and Guo Ju’s group of fierce warriors, against only one opponent—Hua Shouren really could not imagine how they lost.
Who would have thought…
Guo Wei shook his head and changed the subject: “Talking about it now is useless. The key is how to respond next. Brother Hua, with my niece on your side, really can’t invite experts from Profound Ice Sect to act?”
He brought up the old matter again. This time Hua Shouren did not evade, his expression complex as he said: “The moment the Twin Dragon Gorge news came back, I sent someone by fast horse to Mingzhou Prefecture’s Profound Ice Sect, hoping Xiang Rong can still remember some affection for her old father.”
He sighed, seemingly unwilling to say more, and added: “Whether Profound Ice Sect will send someone is still unknown. Even if they do, they may not be a match for Hong Yuan. Our two families cannot place too much hope and must rely on ourselves to resist.”
“Brother Hua is right.” Guo Wei nodded and composed himself.
He stood up and paced in the hall thinking of countermeasures. Soon, he spoke: “Under our two families, the jianghu experts we’ve recruited number over a hundred…”
Hua Shouren waved his hand to interrupt: “Not that many anymore. Quite a few have already slipped away.”
At this point, a cold glint appeared on Hua Shouren’s face: “If it were usual times, those who took benefits and dared to sneak away—we’d have ways to make them regret it endlessly. But now we’re forced by a mere kid and can’t afford to punish them… These martial artists are all wall-top grass, not worth counting.”
“Good! Our two families’ elite soldiers gathered together can probably muster about two thousand men.” Guo Wei said.
“Only two thousand?” Hua Shouren was stunned, feeling the number too small.
For noble clans like theirs, with countless shops and fields under them, and tens of thousands of tenant farmers relying on them for livelihood, a single order should easily assemble a ten-thousand-man army.
Guo Wei knew he preferred literary pursuits and had left military matters to the Hua family elders, letting them place disciples in the army.
For an ordinary family, such a patriarch would have long been sidelined, but Hua Shouren had a daughter who entered Profound Ice Sect as backing.
Guo Wei explained: “Two thousand refers to those regularly trained daily, ready to take spear and blade into battle at any time. Those tenant farmers untrained, gathering more would only cause chaos, and there’s no time to train now.”
“I don’t understand marching and battling. Brother Guo is the expert here—speak your ideas freely. Now you and I are one, no need to hold back.”
Guo Wei gave a wry smile: “What expert am I? My younger brother Guo Zhen is the real one. Never mind…”
His face turned serious, and he spoke gravely: “Does Brother Hua remember there’s a Mingguang Courtyard in the south city’s Jinming Ward? It was originally barracks long ago, later bought by your Hua Family.”
The Hua Family had too many properties; Hua Shouren frowned in recollection, unsure, and waved for Guo Wei to continue.
“My meaning is that our two families temporarily move into Mingguang Courtyard—no! Not all, scatter some direct lineage disciples, the rest enter the villa. Repurpose the courtyard: demolish what’s needed, station the two thousand army inside to guard us.”
“That villa is surrounded by water on three sides, only one side for access. When the barracks were built, the terrain was deliberately raised; inside it’s spacious, easy to defend and hard to attack.”
Guo Wei pondered briefly and added: “Supply plenty of meat, use excellent weapons. I’m not sure about Hua Family, but my Guo Family can muster about two hundred sets of lamellar armor and leather armor.”
“My family has a bit less.” Hua Shouren said.
Guo Wei frowned: “Then borrow from other great families: Wei Family, Xiang Family—borrow as much as we can.”
“They’d love for us to fail and probably won’t lend easily.”
“They want us to suffer, true, but they want even less to be suppressed by a martial artist, a fierce eighteen- or nineteen-year-old, unable to lift their heads.” Guo Wei sneered repeatedly.
“They will lend.”
“Then, we just need to sit and guard the villa, see if that kid dares to attack.”
Even after hearing Hong Yuan single-handedly subdued the Grain Transport Gang, Guo Wei was confident in defending.
To him knowledgeable in military matters, the Grain Transport Gang’s thousands were just a rabble, while his two thousand were well-equipped, with several hundred armored soldiers, regularly trained in formation coordination—even tens of thousands of rabble would be routed.
Hua Shouren suddenly understood, clapping and saying: “Brother Guo’s arrangement is perfect.”
But soon he frowned: “However, if he doesn’t attack, us trapped in one place—even with prior grain storage—won’t last long.”
Guo Wei’s face flickered uncertainly: “Does Brother Hua remember your earlier proposal?”
Hua Shouren was startled: “You mean?”
Guo Wei slowly walked to face him again, sat down, pressed his palm on the table, and sighed: “I don’t want to deal with those people either, but even with two thousand elite soldiers arranged, we can guard our safety but may not keep him. We can’t live in constant fear forever, so we have to invite them to act.”
“No choice!”
Hua Shouren thought for a moment, cold intent flashing in his eyes.
Neither Guo Wei nor Hua Shouren had considered fleeing; for great families like theirs, running without a fight would truly throw away the glory and reputation accumulated over a dozen generations.
Moreover, they had to consider: the prefecture city’s other great families were also predatory. If they fled, without a backbone, their subordinates would falter, and other families swarming in might not let them keep their properties.
While the Guo and Hua families were sharpening weapons and preparing for battle, inside the Grain Transport Gang headquarters at Twin Dragon Gorge, in a secret chamber.
Hong Yuan’s palm pressed on a man with a knife scar on his face. The man’s body trembled, his face twisted ferociously, veins bulging. Suddenly his chest swelled, and with a ‘puff’, a burst of blood exploded from his kidney area.
Hong Yuan watched him collapse in an instant and sighed: “Failed again!”
This man was an evil sect expert gathered by the Grain Transport Gang, guilty of many crimes—perfect for Hong Yuan to test true skill on, putting waste to use.
Unfortunately, when Lei Meng deciphered the cryptic instructions for Hong Yuan, they were half true half false, causing Hong Yuan’s several attempts to end in failure.
That was normal.
After all, even if Lei Meng explained honestly without falsehood, the so-called “Tidal Wave Skill” was just a prototype evolved from the “Heavenly One True Water Skill” fragment, imperfect itself with inevitable flaws.
Testing skill on people—only Hong Yuan could do it; any other microscopic level expert could not.
Hong Yuan already had spiritual sense perception revealing every detail within three zhang, and now with a slight increase in comprehension, the range expanded several zhang, even more acute in subtleties.
Even his force input into another’s body could be finely perceived by his spiritual sense, as if the other’s body turned transparent. Previously, he followed the “Tidal Wave Skill” route, infiltrating force into the man’s kidney.
Unfortunately, the force exploded; Lei Meng gave wrong instructions, and since it was another’s body, there were differences, leading to repeated failures.
Actually, if it were Hong Yuan himself, with his comprehensively enhanced root bone, his organs were extremely tough and strong—even wrong instructions might not harm him.
“Forget it. This ‘Tidal Wave Skill’ is ultimately just a prototype. Even if I cultivate a thread of strange force like Lei Meng, I’d still need to perfect it. Better to directly comprehend ‘Heavenly One True Water Skill’.”
Only after force permeates human organs can true force or strange force be cultivated. With Hong Yuan’s physique, how powerful his strange force would be once cultivated—even he could not estimate.
“Set it aside for now. Deal with Guo Family and Hua Family first…”
Hong Yuan was a man of action, not leaving enemies unattended long. Staying a few days in the Grain Transport Gang was only because obtaining true skill piqued his interest, temporarily forgetting the prefecture city’s two great families.
Taking the Life-Snatching Throat-Locking Spear in hand, in no time Hong Yuan left Twin Dragon Gorge, heading straight for the prefecture city.
