Wushan City, Long Fei of the Barbarian-Slaying Saber!

The next morning, Lu Changsheng rose early. Even though he had gone to bed quite late the night before, perhaps because his continuous blood exchange was still underway, he felt fully energized and brimming with vitality, without the slightest hint of exhaustion. A servant from Gao Family Fort brought breakfast. Lu Changsheng attended to his master through the meal, after which the group headed to the fort master's manor to bid their farewells. Upon arriving at the manor, it was not Gao Zhanhu who received Wu Jing, but rather Gao Zhanhu's wife. She claimed that Gao Zhanhu had urgent matters to attend to and was unable to see Wu Jing and the others off in person. This left Wu Jing somewhat displeased. Lu Changsheng, of course, knew very well that Gao Zhanhu was already dead. Madam Gao appeared calm on the surface, but Lu Changsheng could catch a sliver of panic and exhaustion in her eyes. For Madam Gao, she had clearly already sensed that the disappearance of Gao Zhanhu and the others was deeply unusual. Not wishing to linger, Lu Changsheng urged his master to take their leave at once. And so, the group boarded the carriage and slowly departed Gao Family Fort. Along the way, several apprentices still seemed reluctant to part with the life at Gao Family Fort. In just a single day, the luxury of the fort had thoroughly captivated them. The journey went without incident, and the group returned safely to Miaoshou Garden. Having felt disrespected at Gao Family Fort, Wu Jing vented his temper on the apprentices. Lu Changsheng, meanwhile, continued as usual to temper his bones and consume his medicinal cuisine. Because his blood exchange was constantly ongoing, his daily appetite had grown substantially. Being an apothecary himself, he knew that this bodily "blood exchange" demanded a tremendous intake of nutrition. He purchased some tonics to replenish what his body required. Just like that, twenty days slipped by in the blink of an eye. "Falling Leaf Saber Technique mastered. Comprehension +3." "Hundred Victories Fist Technique mastered. Comprehension +3." "Nine Palaces Steps mastered. Comprehension +3." On this day, lines of small characters surfaced before Lu Changsheng's eyes one after another. "The martial techniques are finally mastered." "These martial techniques truly are at least third-rank. Otherwise, given my current comprehension, it would have been impossible to master one in just twenty-odd days." Lu Changsheng was not particularly surprised. He brought up his attribute panel to examine his status. Host: Lu Changsheng Comprehension: 265 (considerable potential) Cold Ice Tempering Bone Technique: Fifth Layer Nine-Word Thunder Sound Secret Method: Not initiated Over the course of these twenty-odd days, Lu Changsheng had trained ten third-rank martial techniques to mastery, gaining thirty points of comprehension. Consequently, on the attribute panel, his comprehension had soared to 265 points. Yet even with comprehension this high, he still had not managed to initiate the Nine-Word Thunder Sound Secret Method. Lu Changsheng reckoned that it would likely require at least 300 points of comprehension to initiate the secret method. Then there was the Cold Ice Tempering Bone Technique. With the boost from his ongoing "blood exchange," his progress with the Cold Ice Tempering Bone Technique had also been rapid, having already reached the fifth layer. The fifth layer of the Cold Ice Tempering Bone Technique, combined with the eight bone temperings from his previous two ordinary bone-tempering techniques, meant that Lu Changsheng had now progressed to tempering the inner layer of his bones. Bones were divided into three zones: the outer surface, the inner layer, and the bone marrow. Once he reached the inner layer, even with the support of medicinal cuisine and his blood exchange, the efficiency of the Cold Ice Tempering Bone Technique dropped sharply. The fundamental reason was that he had not satisfied the most crucial condition for the technique: cold. Only in a freezing environment could the Cold Ice Tempering Bone Technique achieve its highest efficiency. "The weather is growing colder, but for Nanyang City to become truly freezing might take another month or two." "Wasting a month or two isn't worth it. I've heard that further north, Wushan City has already seen snowfall, and even the rivers are frozen over. Inside Mount Wu itself, the temperature is even lower." "Perhaps I can spare some time to visit Mount Wu and train the Cold Ice Tempering Bone Technique to mastery first." After turning it over in his mind, Lu Changsheng went straight to the medicine shop to see his master, Wu Jing. "Master, I have some personal matters that require me to take a long journey. I should be back in a month or two." Wu Jing looked up at Lu Changsheng. Had it been anyone else, Wu Jing would never have indulged them. Lu Changsheng, however, was different. Wu Jing was thoroughly satisfied with his performance, regarding him as his true successor—dearer to him than his own flesh and blood. "Traveling ten thousand miles teaches more than reading ten thousand scrolls. It is good to go out and see the world. By the way, do you have enough travel funds?" Wu Jing asked with concern. "Master, your disciple has enough." "Good. Then go ahead. While you are away, avoid looking for trouble. Avoid conflict whenever possible, and never rush to play the hero." "I will bear Master's teachings in mind." Lu Changsheng turned and left. Wu Jing truly treated him well, holding nothing back and imparting nearly all his medical knowledge. It brought a touch of warmth to Lu Changsheng's heart. As for the other apprentices, their faces were full of envy. Yet none of them were Lu Changsheng. Had any of them dared to leave like this, they would most likely have been cast out of Miaoshou Garden. Lu Changsheng returned home to pack his belongings. This trip to Wushan City would certainly take ten to fifteen days on the road alone. Factoring in the time needed to cultivate the Cold Ice Tempering Bone Technique, the entire journey would take at least a month. For such a prolonged period, Lu Changsheng naturally needed to bring an ample supply of Nine Treasures Bone-Tempering Powder. Then there were weapons. Relying solely on a dagger was not entirely practical. When roaming the jianghu, blades and swords were indispensable. Lu Changsheng chose a short sword. Executing the Instant Kill Technique with a short sword was fundamentally no different from using a dagger. Moreover, with his current physical constitution, qi and blood explosive power, and overall foundation, even without relying on the Instant Kill Technique, his various sword arts and fist techniques made him a match for any Refining Organs martial artist. "Disguise is an essential skill when walking the jianghu." Unfortunately, Lu Changsheng did not know the art of disguise. True disguise techniques were secret arts and not easily acquired. Nevertheless, by simply altering his style of dress, applying a false mustache, and dabbing medicinal herbs onto his face to darken his complexion slightly, Lu Changsheng's appearance changed drastically. Unless someone knew him intimately, they would hardly recognize him. Lu Changsheng soon set out. He rented a horse and took three days to reach Wushan City. The moment he arrived in Wushan City, Lu Changsheng felt a chill in the air. Strictly speaking, this was Lu Changsheng's first time truly wandering the jianghu, so he remained cautious at every turn. Even when choosing an inn, he checked several before finally settling on one named Fulailin. Inside the inn, Lu Changsheng ordered a plate of braised spiced beef and sipped some wine. The patrons around him included merchants, common folk, and martial artists carrying sabers and swords. A few martial artists, high on liquor, were chatting enthusiastically about tales from the jianghu. "Have you heard? Not long ago, the great hero Long Fei of the 'Barbarian-Slaying Saber' pursued the You brothers across a thousand li, finally running them down and slaying them deep in Mount Wu!" "Those You brothers were no pushovers. They were notorious flower-plucking thieves. Even top-notch Refining Organs martial artists couldn't necessarily match their footwork, which is how they roamed free for all these years without anyone being able to do a thing to them. Who would have thought they'd finally fall at the hands of Hero Long Fei?" "Heh, Hero Long Fei fought his way out from mountains of corpses and seas of blood left by the northern barbarians! Known as the 'Barbarian-Slaying Saber,' he despises evil like a sworn enemy. How many villains has he slain over the past few years? He's survived no fewer than twenty bloody battles! The You brothers were truly courting death—they actually dared to kidnap the daughter of one of Hero Long Fei's close friends." "I heard Hero Long Fei was wounded and has been lying low right here in our Wushan City. Several of his enemies are searching all over for him as we speak..." Long Fei clearly had quite a reputation in the jianghu. These martial artists all seemed to hold great admiration for Long Fei of the "Barbarian-Slaying Saber." *Clatter.* Just then, seven burly, fierce-looking martial artists with thick waists and broad shoulders strode in through the entrance. The entire inn fell silent at once. With vicious expressions, the seven men swept their gazes across everyone in the room. Finally, their eyes locked onto a table in the corner. Seated at that table was a man wearing a hooded cloak, with a saber and a travel bundle resting on the surface, dressed entirely like a traveler of the martial world. The seven martial artists marched straight toward the cloaked man. As they walked, they drew their sabers, surrounding the cloaked man from all sides. "Long Fei, don't think we can't recognize you just because you're wearing a cloak!" "Seven years ago, you killed my younger brother. Today, it's time to settle that debt!" As the words rang out, a murmur of surprise rippled through the patrons in the inn. Could that cloaked man truly be the renowned Hero Long Fei?