Chapter 816: Scout the Way
Not long ago, an herb gatherer from the Tieshan Martial Arts School made a startling claim. Deep within the Qinling Mountains, he said, he had discovered a spiritual herb at least five hundred years old. The man swore that the mere scent wafting from it was enough to invigorate his entire being, seemingly curing all his ailments on the spot.
Anything that could be called a spiritual herb was an extraordinary medicinal treasure. If put up for auction, even a common one could fetch tens of millions. A five-hundred-year-old specimen, however, was a priceless artifact that ten billion might not be enough to secure.
Upon learning of this, the head of the Tieshan Martial Arts School, his heart pounding with excitement, led a party of his men into the mountains, intent on claiming the prize. To their dismay, they found that a mysterious woman in a green dress had beaten them to it. She was impossibly powerful; they were no match for her at all.
The Woman in Green, however, was not one who reveled in slaughter. Though killing them in the remote mountains would have been simple—a body left in the forest would be swiftly handled by wild beasts, erasing all traces—she showed them mercy. She simply warned them away and let them go.
But the men from the Tieshan Martial Arts School did not give up. They immediately reported back to their true leader, the grandmaster Tieshan himself, who then personally led his people deep into the Qinling Mountains.
The ensuing clash was brutally short. The Woman in Green's strength far surpassed anything Tieshan had anticipated. Despite their superior numbers, they could not even slow her down, let alone contain her. She slipped through their grasp and vanished.
Ordinarily, there would be no need to fight such a master to the death, especially since she had previously spared his subordinates.
But as Tieshan stood at the edge of the valley, his gaze fell upon the freshly disturbed earth where the herb had been dug. Even with the prize long gone, he could still feel a surging, potent life force emanating from the soil.
A five-hundred-year-old spiritual herb? No, this felt far more ancient, far more powerful than that.
If he could obtain such a treasure, Tieshan was certain he could finally shatter his limits and break through to the Heavenly Human realm. He was already an old Martial Dao Grandmaster, his progress long stalled. Had it not been for injuries sustained in his youth, compounded by the decay of old age, he might have already reached that coveted peak.
With the key to becoming a Heavenly Human at stake, Tieshan cast aside all notions of martial ethics. He immediately ordered his men to give chase, but the woman had disappeared without a trace, not even a shadow left behind.
"If you find that spiritual herb, the rewards will be immense. The position of headmaster of the Tieshan Martial Arts School, my own successor—all of it could be yours. But if I find any of you are merely going through the motions," Tieshan's gaze swept over his men, cold and sharp, "do not blame me for being merciless!"
He suspected some of them were not putting in their full effort.
A heavy silence fell over the group. The men exchanged uneasy glances, their hearts filled with bitter complaints. The Qinling Mountains were vast and boundless. How could they possibly find a single expert of the Grandmaster level in such a wilderness? And even if they did, what could they do? They would be no match for her.
Their entire group, attacking in unison, had failed to hold her. What chance did they have searching for her individually?
"Heh," Tieshan sneered, his voice a low growl. "If you still can't find her, then you can go into that valley and look for another spiritual herb."
As soon as he spoke these words, the color drained from the faces of the sturdy, hardened martial artists. They looked as if they had seen a ghost.
It was as if the valley behind them was not a place of nature, but the very maw of a purgatorial abyss.
Tieshan himself cast a glance over his shoulder at the valley, which was perpetually shrouded in a thick, white mist. A flicker of deep-seated dread crossed his own eyes.
If extraordinary spiritual herbs could be found on the outskirts of the valley, then it stood to reason that even greater treasures lay within.
But the men he had sent to investigate had come stumbling out a short while later, their minds completely broken. They had babbled about seeing immortals in the mist, and then, under the horrified eyes of their comrades, they had simply turned into smoke and ash in the bright light of day.
Witnessing that scene had drenched Tieshan and his men in a cold sweat. A living person, reduced to a pile of ash right before their eyes, all while claiming to have met an immortal—had they encountered a ghost, or a genuine deity?
At the time, they had been so terrified that they had retreated a full ten li. Only after confirming that nothing was amiss outside the valley did they cautiously return to set up camp and wait.
'What exactly is in there? Immortals?' Tieshan had no idea, but he could guess that it was filled with good things. At the very least, there had to be more spiritual herbs inside than out, right?
But he didn't dare venture in himself. Not yet.
'First, find that troublesome woman and get the spiritual herb,'Tieshan thought, his cloudy old eyes narrowing to slits.'Break through to the Heavenly Human realm. Perhaps then, I will have the power to go inside and see for myself.'
"Who's there?"
Just then, Tieshan shot to his feet. His murky eyes, suddenly sharp and gleaming, bored into the dense forest ahead. The elites of the Tieshan Martial Arts School scrambled to their feet as well, their hands flying to their weapons.
Rustle, rustle, rustle…
The crisp sound of footsteps crunching on fallen leaves echoed from the dark woods.
The cadence was unhurried, almost lazy. The sound alone conveyed a sense of leisurely composure, as if the person approaching was not walking through a mountain forest filled with predators and poisonous creatures, but strolling through an elegant and luxurious banquet hall.
Tieshan's expression shifted, and he made a subtle gesture with the hand behind his back. Dozens of his elite followers tightened their grips on their weapons, their bodies coiled tight, ready to face a formidable enemy.
Sunlight struggled to pierce the dense canopy, casting flickering, mottled shadows on the ground. Beyond the small clearing, the forest was cloaked in a chilling, silent stillness.
Under the wary and solemn gazes of Tieshan and his men, a young man of unmatched handsomeness emerged from the trees. Cradled in his arms were two stunningly beautiful women.
"?"
Seeing this scene, Tieshan and the others could only stare, their minds completely blank.
"Dearest husband, people are watching," Liu Ruyan murmured, her breath like orchids against Shen Anyu's ear. Her snow-white, lotus-like arms were wrapped snugly around his neck. "Put me down now. Yan'er can walk on her own."
"Mmm, Brother Shen, you can put Lingyin down, too," Zhong Lingyin added, her pretty face flushed a delicate pink. In truth, both of them were perfectly capable of walking, but when Shen Anyu had insisted on carrying them, they found they couldn't bring themselves to refuse. She was secretly delighted, but felt a little shy now that they had an audience.
Shen Anyu just smiled and gently set the two women down on their feet.
"Lingyin? Heavenly Queen Zhong Lingyin?" one of the brawny men from the martial arts school blurted out, his eyes wide with disbelief as he stared at Zhong Lingyin's exquisite face.
Others who recognized the famous superstar were equally astonished, murmuring amongst themselves.
"Who is Zhong Lingyin? Is her background powerful?" Tieshan frowned. He had spent years in seclusion, diligently practicing his martial arts, and knew little of the outside world's affairs.
"She's the hottest superstar of the last few years, a Heavenly Queen active in both music and film! She has hundreds of millions of fans, both at home and abroad!" a burly man explained, his eyes fixed on Shen Anyu with a mixture of envy and jealousy. "I never thought Heavenly Queen Zhong Lingyin would have a man... let alone one she shares with another woman!"
His gaze flickered to Liu Ruyan. The woman beside the star was no less stunning; one was beautiful and pure, the other charming and seductive. There wasn't a man alive who wouldn't envy someone who could possess two such peerless beauties.
Tieshan's frown deepened. He cared nothing for celebrities; even the most popular ones were just actors in his eyes. But a man who could claim such top-tier women—let alone two of them—was definitely no ordinary person.
And for them to appear here, in the depths of the Qinling Mountains, suggested their purpose was anything but benign.
Unable to ascertain Shen Anyu's background, Tieshan decided on a cautious approach. He cupped his hands in a traditional martial greeting. "May I ask your name, friend? I am Tieshan, the headmaster of the Tieshan Martial Arts School."
Shen Anyu was in a fine mood. He smiled pleasantly at the old man. "Shen Anyu," he said. "You've heard of Yanxia's Shen Clan, I presume?"
Yanxia's Shen Clan!
Even if Tieshan had been in seclusion for decades, how could he not know of the Shen Clan? They were a top-tier noble family in Yanxia, one that had flourished for a thousand years. His Tieshan Martial Arts School was nothing but a speck of dust in comparison.
"So, it is Young Master Shen. My apologies, my apologies." A wide, practiced smile bloomed on Tieshan's old face. "May I ask what brings Young Master Shen to this place? If there is anything I can do to help, my school will certainly lend a hand." It would be no small thing to establish a connection with the mighty Shen Clan.
"You can definitely help," Shen Anyu said, his smile never wavering. His gaze swept over Tieshan and his nervous men before he raised a hand and pointed toward the valley shrouded in white mist. "Can you go inside and scout the way for me?"
The smiles on the faces of Tieshan and his men instantly froze, then shattered. Every drop of color drained from their faces as sheer terror took its place.
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