Visitors from the Central Land, Has She Truly Learned Real Skills?

Rippling water caught the light. After the clearing rain, the lake possessed a charm all its own. A young girl stood holding a kitchen knife, gazing at the fish swimming in the water with a curious gleam in her eyes. "Are these really guifish? They don't look any different from ordinary fish." "Do villains walk around with 'evil' stamped on their foreheads?" "Good point, Old Cai!" With a swift flick of the kitchen knife, she brought the three principles of swiftness, accuracy, and ruthlessness to their absolute limits. It had to be said that chopping vegetables had been a tremendous boost to Jiang Yunxi's combat capability. After all, she was of noble blood, born with a silver spoon in her mouth, and possessed virtually no real combat experience. Chopping vegetables with a kitchen knife already counted as one of her few rigorous training regimens. "You have slain a guifish with a single strike. Slight increase in experience." A cold, mechanical chime sounded. Jiang Yunxi blinked. "Who is speaking? Slaying fish increases my experience? What kind of experience?" Jiang Yunxi babbled incessantly like a lit string of firecrackers. "Pardon me, but killing the guifish gained me experience," Qi Yuan answered truthfully. "You gain experience, but what do I gain?" "You gain... experience in butchering fish. When you cook in the future, you'll be able to gut fish quickly, right?" "Huh?" "Don't just stand there dazed. There are plenty of guifish down there. Chop faster." "All right!" "Be careful! If I hadn't turned aside just now, you would have cleaved the boat right in two!" "Sorry, my mistake!" "Nice knife work, though. You sliced that guiling straight into sashimi." "What raw fish? Isn't this dead fish?" On Yeshan Lake, battle unfolded continuously as Jiang Yunxi wielded her kitchen knife, constantly slaying the fish beneath the surface. Her expression was focused, her eyes filled with delight. To her, every guiling deserved death. Her astonishing perseverance had no audience. Yet that hardly mattered; she would return and write in her diary, recording this thrilling, perilous battle. On the other side, aboard their own vessel, Yun Li and Yun Hu felt somewhat dizzy—both were mildly seasick. "The commandery princess... actually has some ability." "Taking out her anger on ordinary fish, however, is truly..." "It matters not. Just fish. As long as she doesn't go too deep and doesn't run into the Water Lord, all will be well." "It's almost dark. We should probably head back soon." "The commandery princess is afraid of the dark." ... Deep within Yeshan Lake, a man resembling a water snake slipped through the depths and entered a submerged palace. If any weapon wielder were present, they would instantly recognize this person as an elder of Thorn Blood. After all, few explored the path of fusing humans with guiling as extensively as Thorn Blood. The Water Snake Elder slithered into the subterranean palace and moved deeper inside. The surroundings shifted; the water vanished, as if held back by a water-repelling bead. The underwater palace was indistinguishable from dry land. A faint metallic scent of blood drifted through the air, tinged with rust. "How goes it?" The Water Snake Elder twisted his torso, his serpentine pupils cold and detached. "Reporting to Elder, the eerie spirit blood is almost fully brewed. However... the darlings we released recently seem to have been slain by a young girl. Two Earth-rank weapon wielders follow behind her, so we dared not make a move," a grey-robed man said apprehensively. "Hmm?" A chilling gleam flashed through the Water Snake Elder's cold eyes. "Discovered? No, if we were exposed, the Heavenly Sect wouldn't be reacting like this. It must be a coincidence. Keep an eye on it. Release more fish tomorrow. I want this entire body of water transformed into a gui domain!" The Water Snake Elder's expression twisted into a ghastly, terrifying grin. "Once the gui domain forms, bolstered by the Water Lord, this Jining Prefecture will become my territory. Even if a Heaven-rank weapon wielder arrives, they won't be able to touch me!" ... "Another hardworking day. I slew quite a few guifish. "Sigh, I truly am magnificent—quietly contributing to the world without seeking fame, keeping my noble deeds hidden away." Jiang Yunxi penned these words into her diary. Just then, the silent kitchen knife spoke. "Haven't you noticed there are more and more guifish lately?" Hearing this, Jiang Yunxi tilted her head in thought, her face growing serious. "You're right. The guifish seem to be multiplying. They're endless." "There are too many of them. Relying on your hands alone, you can't kill them faster than they multiply." "Then what should I do?" Jiang Yunxi looked worried. "You need to upgrade your gear." "Hmm?" "Killing them one by one is too slow. You need to electrocute them. One flash of lightning, and an entire school dies!" While electrocuting fish was unethical back on the Blue Star, this was the Qingshan Realm—it wasn't against the law here. Besides, she would be electrocuting guifish. "How do I electrocute them?" "Simple. Buy some materials to help me evolve, and I can gain the lightning attribute. However, such materials are precious and usually impossible to find on the open market," Qi Yuan said. He had plenty of money, but many implement-crafting materials couldn't simply be bought off the shelf. Jiang Yunxi was clearly a wealthy, naive target who likely had access to numerous exclusive channels. "If you lack silver, ask the old man. He has plenty on him." "All right, tell me what you need, and I'll buy them tomorrow!" Jiang Yunxi said earnestly. The following day, Jiang Yunxi didn't chop vegetables. She slipped the kitchen knife into a pouch, hung it at her waist, and headed into the city. Roughly two hours later, she stopped before an ancient-looking pavilion. The pavilion was only about fifteen meters tall, but what drew the eye was how weathered it looked, as though a gust of wind could topple it. "Good thing I'm well-traveled and know of this Tiangong Hall branch. Tiangong Hall possesses even more rare materials than the Implement Master Association." Thinking this, Jiang Yunxi made her way toward the Tiangong Hall branch. A young man stepped forward to block her. "Private area. No entry." Certain branches of Tiangong Hall were closed to outsiders and conducted no public trade. "I am a VIP of Tiangong Hall!" Jiang Yunxi produced a jade pendant. The young man's expression changed instantly, shifting into an ingratiating smile. "Take me to your treasury. I want to purchase some materials." Many of Tiangong Hall's rare materials were not available to the public, but VIPs like Jiang Yunxi were an exception. "Right away." Jiang Yunxi was in good spirits as she followed the young man toward the vault. "Tiangong Hall's treasury is a dazzling sight. Its treasures far outshine those of the Implement Master Association," Jiang Yunxi remarked to Qi Yuan after stepping inside and taking in the vast array of materials. The young man beside her smiled proudly, though a hint of suspicion arose in his heart. Who was this VIP talking to? "I need Heavenly Thunder Wood, Fangxing Stone, Dan Cinnabar..." Jiang Yunxi reeled off the materials Qi Yuan required. "Please wait a moment, esteemed guest. I will have them fetched at once." The young man spoke while feeling inwardly shaken. The materials Jiang Yunxi had listed were worth over three hundred thousand taels of silver in total. He was intensely curious about this guest's identity. Isn't she... way too wealthy? After the young man departed, Jiang Yunxi sat in an armchair, swinging her legs in high spirits. About a quarter of an hour later, the sound of footsteps approached. A petite woman pushed the door open. Upon spotting Jiang Yunxi, a flash of surprise crossed her eyes. "Yunxi, it really is you!" "Sister Ye Zhen, why are you here too?" Delight filled Jiang Yunxi's eyes. Her VIP jade pendant had been given to her by Sister Ye Zhen in the first place. Qi Yuan also sensed the newcomer. She was an acquaintance—the very woman who had once invited him to join Tiangong Hall. Feeling indifferent, he went back to sleep. "I heard a VIP had arrived at this branch to purchase rare materials in bulk, and it turned out to be you." Ye Zhen looked at her curiously. Jiang Yunxi was a commandery princess, yet she didn't possess the slightest talent for implement crafting. "What are you buying these materials for?" Ye Zhen was straightforward by nature and shared a close bond with Jiang Yunxi, so she asked directly. "Ahem, it's a secret." Jiang Yunxi wasn't completely foolish and kept quiet. "These materials add up to three hundred thousand taels. Little Sister Yunxi... could you have been deceived by some scoundrel?" Ye Zhen's tone turned slightly cold, laced with worry. This little sister of hers was an easy mark. An enormous sum like three hundred thousand taels was something she'd probably have to 'steal' from home to obtain. Ye Zhen feared Jiang Yunxi was being swindled out of both her fortune and her virtue by some young implement master. "Don't worry, Sister Ye Zhen, I'm not that foolish. The money isn't mine," Jiang Yunxi replied nonchalantly. *Not that foolish?* Ye Zhen mused to herself. Still, hearing that the silver wasn't Jiang Yunxi's brought a sigh of relief. Jiang Yunxi had bodyguards following her whenever she went out, so they wouldn't allow her to walk into grave danger anyway. "Since you're so short on materials, do you want to attend the implement master conference in a few days? Many rare materials should appear there," Ye Zhen remarked casually, though a persistent cloud of gloom hung in her eyes. Right now, powerful figures from all quarters had gathered at Yeshan Lake, especially implement masters. The renowned Master Huolie and several other Earth-rank implement masters had all assembled, examining Weilong Xuanyuan. Yet none of them felt confident in repairing Weilong Xuanyuan. If Earth-rank weapon wielders couldn't do it, could anyone else? This implement master conference would likely end in failure, and the Water Lord... would remain nearly impossible to eliminate. "I probably won't have time." The materials she was buying today were sufficient for the kitchen knife's evolution, so Jiang Yunxi had no intention of attending the conference. "Don't you love joining in on the fun the most?" Ye Zhen asked in surprise. "Sister Ye Zhen, I'll tell you a secret, but you must promise not to tell anyone." Jiang Yunxi was a chatterbox who could never keep anything to herself. "All right." Jiang Yunxi glanced around. Seeing that they were alone, she spoke with utmost gravity. "I recently encountered an old immortal!" *An old fraud, more likely,* Ye Zhen thought. "He said I possess extraordinary talent and have the potential to save the world!" *Little Sister Yunxi, why don't you take a look in the mirror before talking about saving the world?* "Lately, I've been undergoing frantic training! I can chop three hundred jin of cabbage and seventy jin of meat in a single day, mincing all of it into fine paste!" *Do you even hear what you're saying? Who saves the world by chopping vegetables?* "Not only that, I graduated a few days ago! Every day, I sneak off to Yeshan Lake to slay guiling in secret! Yesterday alone, I killed several hundred tail of guiling!" *Using the counter for fish to describe guiling? Do you think they're fish? And killing hundreds a day—do you think they're heads of cabbage?* "Little sister is truly amazing. Your name will surely go down in history!" "Hehe! The guiling have been multiplying lately. I can't be as lazy as I used to be. I must work hard to slay them and restore purity to this world!" Jiang Yunxi declared with conviction. ... Inside a grand courtyard, an elder dressed in opulent robes wore a curious expression. "Yunxi spent three hundred thousand taels to buy a pile of rare materials?" The elder was the Prince of Zhenshan, younger brother to the reigning emperor of the State of Ning and Yunxi's father. Listening to his subordinate's report, surprise surfaced in his eyes. Three hundred thousand taels was no small sum. Fond as he was of Yunxi, she had only carried a little over two thousand taels in banknotes when she slipped out this time. "The silver was likely provided to the commandery princess by that elderly gentleman," the subordinate surmised. "To produce three hundred thousand taels all at once means he is no ordinary person." The Prince of Zhenshan remained calm, rolling golden sandalwood beads in his hand. "Investigate that old man's background. Treat him with courtesy, and take care not to offend an expert." The Prince of Zhenshan had grown intensely curious about Chen Kangbao's identity. Initially, when he heard his daughter was neglecting proper pursuits to learn cooking under Chen Kangbao, he hadn't objected. Learning culinary skills wasn't a bad thing; he could enjoy the benefits and eat some of the food, and he had even sent subordinates to buy some of the buns she made by hand. Yet the situation had developed far beyond his expectations. That old man could casually produce three hundred thousand taels of silver. Could anyone capable of producing three hundred thousand taels be ordinary? "Understood." Right then, Wang Qingyi of the Heavenly Sect spoke up. "From what was reported, most of the items the commandery princess purchased at Tiangong Hall were rare implement-crafting materials. Could that elderly man be... a powerful implement master?" The Prince of Zhenshan nodded. "If he is a powerful implement master, that would indeed explain it." With the implement master conference approaching, more and more craftsmen were flocking to Yeshan Lake. The old man might very well be a formidable implement master, which was why he could produce three hundred thousand taels of silver. "He must be at least an Earth-rank implement master, perhaps even at the peak of Earth rank. I have never met him. I wonder when I might pay a visit and request him to inspect Weilong Xuanyuan!" As an elder of the Heavenly Sect, Wang Qingyi had worried herself sick over Weilong Xuanyuan. She desperately hoped an implement master could repair Weilong Xuanyuan. Only then would they hold better odds against the Water Lord. Otherwise, once the Water Lord consolidated his power, the safety of Jining Prefecture would hang entirely upon his whim. Wang Qingyi continued solemnly, "Rumor has it that a group of... powerful weapon wielders has arrived in Ning's imperial capital?" As she spoke, she observed the Prince of Zhenshan closely. The prince's demeanor grew equally grave. "Not just one group, but two. They appear to be hostile to one another, hailing from... the Central Land's Rakshasa Country." Mentioning this, the Prince of Zhenshan hesitated, speaking with caution. "The legendary Central Land!" Wang Qingyi's eyes held boundless yearning. "It is said that Heaven-rank weapon wielders are commonplace in the Central Land, and even legendary God-rank weapon wielders make appearances. If we were in the Central Land, how could the Water Lord dare make waves?" The Central Land was the holy ground in the hearts of all weapon wielders. It was a golden age of cultivation, home even to passages leading beyond the realm. "Could they... be persuaded to intervene?" Wang Qingyi asked tentatively. "Our Heavenly Sect is willing to offer our greatest treasures!" The Prince of Zhenshan offered a bitter smile. "Treasures we cherish are beneath their notice. They came to the State of Ning for a momentous task and have no interest in meddling in minor local affairs." Hearing this, Wang Qingyi felt a wave of disappointment. The Water Lord, whom they viewed as a catastrophic foe, was nothing more than a trivial matter to those people. "What did they come to the State of Ning for?" Wang Qingyi asked curiously. Compared to the Central Land's Rakshasa Country, the State of Ning was like an impoverished backwater; prominent figures had no reason to visit. "Word has it... they are searching for a god." "A god?" Wang Qingyi's eyes went wide with shock. A god! A deity had actually appeared within the borders of the State of Ning. Yet how had she heard nothing about this? "Which revered deity?" "The God of Judgment, also known as Divine Descent..." "What? It's that one? Hasn't it long since been shattered?" Wang Qingyi was astonished. Rumor held that the founder of the Heavenly Sect had an enigmatic connection with the mysterious God-rank implement master Sheng Nü. That God-rank implement master had once forged a divine artifact named Divine Descent. Aside from Sheng Nü, no one in the world had ever seen what the divine artifact Divine Descent looked like. Yet from the moment of its creation, it was the greatest divine artifact of Rakshasa Country. Unmatched and invincible. One needed only invoke 'Divine Descent' to eradicate all malevolence. "I do not know the deeper secrets either. However... if we obtain news of Divine Descent and inform them, we might be able to request their assistance once," the Prince of Zhenshan said. Wang Qingyi's expression turned resolute. "I shall return at once to report this to the Sect Leader and order an investigation into any traces of Divine Descent. Hopefully... this exalted artifact has appeared within our Jiangzhou!" With Weilong Xuanyuan currently unfixable and the threat of the Water Lord looming ever closer, perhaps only securing the aid of those mysterious Heaven-rank weapon wielders could save Jining Prefecture. Meanwhile. Back in the courtyard. Qi Yuan said placidly, "When traveling the world, beware of people surnamed Ye. Take your Sister Ye Zhen, for instance—does she have any cousins or brothers?" "Huh? I don't know. Why should I beware of people surnamed Ye?" "People surnamed Ye usually possess protagonist destinies, naturally extraordinary. I know plenty of formidable figures named Ye. "Ye Fan, Ye Chen, Ye Chen, Ye Chen, Ye Liangchen... oh, and Nobita Ye, too," Qi Yuan said in all seriousness. "Huh?" Jiang Yunxi committed this carefully to memory. This was Old Cai's experience; it had to be immensely useful. "When dealing with figures possessing protagonist destinies, you either chop them down immediately or cling to their coattails," Qi Yuan continued. "All right, take me and the materials to the old man. I am about to begin evolving." "Okay!" Jiang Yunxi nodded repeatedly, though a hint of hesitation lingered in her eyes. "After you evolve, will I get electrocuted when I hold you?" She was a little frightened. "No..." *At least this 'host' knows to hold up an umbrella when it rains. She's not entirely hopeless.* ... After clearing yesterday, today brought a misty drizzle. Jiang Yunxi carried the evolved kitchen knife, her face radiating excitement. "With a kitchen knife like this, I am truly invincible!" She was thrilled. Yesterday, after wrapping the steamed buns, she had used the kitchen knife directly to electrocute them all until cooked through. It left her feeling thoroughly high-spirited. Now, sitting aboard a skiff, she cradled a fish in her hands. "Little fishy, tell me, where are all the bad guifish hiding?" Soon, the fish in her hands wriggled, slipped into the water, and led the way for Jiang Yunxi. Jiang Yunxi rose to her feet, paying no mind to the drizzle falling upon her shoulders. Suddenly, she pinched herself. "Ouch!" "Why are you pinching yourself?" Qi Yuan asked curiously. This 'host' was truly bizarre. "What if there's no such thing as a world-saving girl, and this is just a dying delusion? I'm afraid... that I died long ago." Jiang Yunxi felt as if in a dream; everything seemed too surreal. Could she truly sweep aside the guifish and save the world? "Since you have such an active imagination, once the world is saved, go... write memoirs." Jiang Yunxi's heart skipped a beat. "...What about you?" "Me? Naturally, I'll continue playing through life. You and I are merely passing travelers in each other's journeys." "Oh." For some reason, Jiang Yunxi felt a pang of melancholy. She understood that just like the protagonists in those stories, possessiveness was at play—she always wished good things could belong entirely to her. Just then, the guide fish swimming ahead came to a halt. A rare ferocity—or rather, killing intent—surged in Jiang Yunxi's eyes. "Hmph, mere guifish dare act so rampant!" Meanwhile, trailing far behind, Yun Hu and Yun Li appeared exceedingly relaxed. A special artifact was placed aboard their boat; with Jiang Yunxi's strength, she couldn't detect anyone following her. "Sigh, coming out to kill fish every day. If the commandery princess earns herself the title of 'Fish-Slaying Fiend' in the martial world, that would be hilarious," Yun Hu chuckled. "Wait... don't you think... the fish ahead look a bit strange?" Yun Li squinted into the distance. "Pull closer!" Yun Hu dropped his casual demeanor, his expression turning grave. "Now that you mention it, something is wrong. The fish ahead... there are too many of them, a dark, swarming mass." Yun Hu looked closely. The waters ahead of the commandery princess were pitch-black, as though countless dark fish lurked beneath. Crowded tightly together in vast numbers, the sight was genuinely eerie. "Something is amiss. Some of these fish species should be devouring each other. Why would they gather together like this?" Yun Li looked bewildered. "I seem to smell the scent of guiling... Wait, could those fish actually be guiling?" Yun Hu tensed, a stormy wave of shock washing through him. "Damn it, the young miss is in danger! Hurry over!" Yun Hu shouted urgently. Right at that moment, an astonishing scene unfolded before Yun Hu and Yun Li. The young girl, Jiang Yunxi, raised her kitchen knife. Her expression was fierce, yet her voice remained sweet. "Mere guiling, dare to make trouble before me? Perish for your big sister!" The kitchen knife slashed downward with tremendous force. In an instant—*crackle! Pop!*—countless arcs of electrical current erupted. Across a hundred meters of water, it was as if tens of thousands of thunderclaps roared at once. The entire body of water transformed into an ocean of purple. Tens of thousands, upwards of a hundred thousand guifish were numbed by the terrifying lightning. Wielding the kitchen knife, the young girl resembled a divine maiden commanding the thunder. With a single strike, countless guifish perished. The water within a hundred meters boiled violently, bubbling like a cauldron over a fire. As for the guifish, they were the ingredients. The guide fish, meanwhile, had long since leaped safely onto the skiff. "Not bad. You've mastered another dish today: electro-poached fish!" Qi Yuan offered his review. The thunderous roar subsided at that moment. The boiling water gradually calmed, and the lightning dissipated. Jiang Yunxi looked thrilled and excited. "I'm actually this strong!" At the same time, aboard the boat not far away, Yun Hu and Yun Li stared with wide eyes, completely unable to comprehend what they had just witnessed. "This..." "What... what on earth just happened?" "Could she... really have learned real skills?" The two were utterly dumbfounded; the scene before them exceeded their comprehension. Even several hundred meters away from Jiang Yunxi, they could still feel the sheer horror of that lightning. If they had been caught inside that vortex of thunder, they would have died without question! Yet their commandery princess, wielding a kitchen knife, had summoned lightning with a single slash. This was simply terrifying! The pair exchanged stunned glances, shock churning within their hearts. But when they looked back, both the skiff and the young girl had vanished. The waters ahead lay dead silent, the lightning gone without a trace. Were it not for the dense blanket of floating guifish carcasses, Yun Hu and Yun Li would have thought everything they had seen was merely an illusion. Yun Hu swallowed hard. "The commandery princess is gone!" Yun Li grew anxious. "That kitchen knife is definitely extraordinary—at least a Heaven-rank artifact!" Even if the young miss had learned real skills, she could never have executed such a horrific strike on her own. Evidently, that kitchen knife was miraculous. "We actually lost track of the young miss! We're finished!" Yun Hu was torn. "Hurry, look for her... This matter must be reported to the Prince!" Both felt that something monumental had occurred—the kind of incident that could tear the sky asunder.