Seeking Fame? As You Wish!

*Boom!* The stone was smashed apart by brute force, revealing a large deposit of ancient rock grease. Lu Changsheng took out the sack he had prepared beforehand and began scooping the ancient rock grease into it. "Stop!" "Who dares trespass into our mountain?" "You dare steal the ancient rock grease of our Blood Fiend Sect? Courting death!" Just as Lu Changsheng was harvesting the grease, a crowd bearing torches rushed up and encircled him. Judging from their attire, they were unmistakably men of the Blood Fiend Sect. "Put down the ancient rock grease, and we might spare your life!" one of the martial artists barked at Lu Changsheng. Lu Changsheng furrowed his brows. "Things that grow in the mountains—since when did they belong to your Blood Fiend Sect?" "Save the nonsense! Every bit of ancient rock grease in this mountain forest belongs to the Blood Fiend Sect! Taking without asking is stealing!" "Drop the grease and return to the sect to plead for mercy, and you might just live. Resist, and you will be slaughtered on the spot!" The Blood Fiend Sect disciples glared at Lu Changsheng with vicious eyes. "You are forcing my hand..." Lu Changsheng's gaze turned cold. "Obstinate fool! Take him down!" Instantly, the disciples pounced toward Lu Changsheng with savage momentum. There were over a dozen disciples here, every one of them in the Strengthening Blood Realm. The elder leading them was even a Refining Organs martial artist. Swarming all at once, they could force even a Refining Organs martial artist into dire straits. "Courting death!" Lu Changsheng had not wanted to kill anyone. Yet when walking the jianghu, certain confrontations could not be avoided. He had only wanted some ancient rock grease, but the Blood Fiend Sect had tyrannically laid claim to the entire mountain forest, refusing to let him harvest even a sliver. They even threatened to kill at the drop of a hat. The qi and blood inside Lu Changsheng erupted. He was already in the Divine Strength Realm, and following his second marrow transformation and blood exchange, his qi and blood were vastly more terrifying. Strands of qi and blood coalesced into Silken Thread Swords, shooting in all directions like rain with Lu Changsheng at the center. *Chi! Chi! Chi!* How sharp were the Silken Thread Swords? Crimson light flashed and vanished. Before the dozen or so Blood Fiend Sect disciples could even tell what was happening, their bodies were riddled with holes by countless threads of sword light. One after another, they collapsed lifelessly to the ground. "What?!" The lone remaining Refining Organs martial artist was frozen in utter shock. *Swish!* The next instant, Lu Changsheng drew his blade. A flash of white light flickered, and before the Refining Organs martial artist could even react, his throat was pierced through. With a heavy thud, the Refining Organs martial artist hit the dirt, turning into another corpse. Lu Changsheng sheathed his sword. He glanced down at the sack of ancient rock grease. It was almost full. With such a loud disturbance just now, the base of the mountain had already been alerted, and distant shouts were echoing up the slopes. Having obtained the ancient rock grease, Lu Changsheng did not wish to stir up further trouble. "Time to go!" Lu Changsheng hoisted the sack and vanished into the shadows with a few agile leaps. Soon, more people rushed up from below—all martial artists of the Blood Fiend Sect. When they reached the clearing, they found the ground littered with corpses of their fellow sect members. "Dammit! Who dares slaughter men of our Blood Fiend Sect?" "Search the area!" Dozens of disciples immediately fanned out to investigate. One of the Refining Organs martial artists crouched before the bodies with a grim expression, inspecting them closely. The more he looked, the more alarmed he became. "These disciples were killed by qi and blood. What's more, the qi and blood pierced through their bodies in an instant, proving their assailant possessed terrifyingly potent qi and blood!" "Elder Gu wasn't killed by qi and blood, but he was slain by a single sword strike before he could even react." "Such wounds, such swordsmanship... It's too similar..." Evidently, more than one person had the discernment to recognize it. Several other Refining Organs martial artists also caught the telltale signs. "Zhuang Thirteen!" "Only Zhuang Thirteen could inflict wounds like this!" "The prefectural yamen announced that Hero Zhuang Thirteen claimed the bounty and single-handedly wiped out the Thirteen Desert Riders. He even slaughtered hundreds of fierce bandits in their mountain stronghold. His martial might is staggering." "If it really was Zhuang Thirteen's doing, we are in trouble. Come, let us return and report this to the sect master. Only he can decide how to handle this!" These Blood Fiend Sect martial artists were well aware of Zhuang Thirteen. The prefectural yamen had deliberately publicized that Nanyang Prefecture had such a formidable warrior. Virtually every jianghu faction within Nanyang Prefecture knew of the figure named Zhuang Thirteen. Before long, the Blood Fiend Sect group returned to their headquarters. Inside the sect's meeting hall, several Refining Organs elders gave a solemn report to a middle-aged man: "Sect Master, the one who slaughtered our people is very likely Zhuang Thirteen, who has risen to fame across Nanyang Prefecture lately." "Zhuang Thirteen..." Blood Fiend Sect Master Yan Jiansheng sat lazily in his chair. The Blood Fiend Sect had also gathered some intelligence regarding Zhuang Thirteen. Though not much time had passed, some valuable information had surfaced. For instance, Zhuang Thirteen was not in the Divine Strength Realm. That much had been confirmed! Yet he had annihilated the Thirteen Desert Riders and slain hundreds of bandits single-handedly. Clearly, his strength was terrifying. He was not in the Divine Strength Realm, yet he far surpassed ordinary Refining Organs martial artists. Yan Jiansheng spoke slowly, "Speaking of which, this Zhuang Thirteen and I share a bit of history." "I reached the Divine Strength Realm not long ago. I kept a low profile before only to ensure that the ancient rock grease could be harvested without incident." "Later, the Thirteen Desert Riders blocked the trade routes and caused too much havoc. I originally intended to make my move, yet Zhuang Thirteen beat me to it, beheading the Thirteen Desert Riders, pacifying the bandit scourge, and rising to prominence to the praise of everyone in Nanyang Prefecture." "Heh, he stole my thunder!" "Now that the harvesting of ancient rock grease is growing by the day and our distribution channels for exotic incense are fully established, it is selling widely across the entire Great Fish Dynasty. With such immense profits, other factions will inevitably reach out their hands if we have no Divine Strength Realm expert overseeing things." "I was just wondering when to find an opportune moment to reveal my strength, and now this Zhuang Thirteen has walked right into my hands. Excellent. Slaying Zhuang Thirteen will serve to establish my renown!" "Go, publicly search for Zhuang Thirteen. Hunt him down, and I will execute him personally!" Yan Jiansheng waved his hand, and the Refining Organs elders hurried off to make arrangements. They were even feeling a faint surge of excitement. The Blood Fiend Sect had bided its time for far too long. Now that a Divine Strength Realm expert had finally emerged, their rise would be unstoppable! As for Zhuang Thirteen? He was merely a stepping stone on their path to dominance. Once Sect Master Yan Jiansheng killed Zhuang Thirteen, news of Yan Jiansheng being a Divine Strength Realm martial artist would spread like wildfire. With a Divine Strength Realm master guarding them and the exotic incense made from ancient rock grease as an endless source of wealth, the Blood Fiend Sect's ascendance was assured! *** Lu Changsheng returned to his courtyard in Miaoshou Garden. Getting back just now had taken considerable effort; he had nearly been spotted. Carrying such a massive sack made it difficult to conceal his movements. "Perhaps it is time to find a place of my own and move out of Miaoshou Garden..." Lu Changsheng looked around Miaoshou Garden. He was familiar with every corner of this place, and leaving it genuinely brought a touch of reluctance. However, he acted at night far too often. Living in Miaoshou Garden under such circumstances was simply inconvenient. Returning to his room, Lu Changsheng set down the sack. It was stuffed to the brim with ancient rock grease, filling the entire room with a peculiar scent that was not entirely pleasant. Unprocessed ancient rock grease was actually rather pungent. Still, Lu Changsheng did not mind. He picked up the grease and began smearing it over his entire body according to the method recorded in the Divine Dragon Transformation. A cooling sensation washed over him immediately, while the skin across his body flushed a faint crimson. He then circulated the technique. As time ticked by, Lu Changsheng clearly felt subtle changes taking place in his body. His physical toughness had not increased, but the ancient rock grease seemed capable of enhancing his body's flexibility and resilience. It was a quiet, imperceptible transformation. It would require accumulated time. A flash of insight struck Lu Changsheng, and he understood why the Divine Dragon Transformation required ancient rock grease to progress to the Second or Third Transformation. At its core, the technique squeezed the body, concentrating all physical strength into an explosive release. Yet when power surged so violently, the muscles, bones, and skin might not be able to withstand the strain. The muscles could even tear apart. With the aid of the ancient rock grease, the entire body grew tougher and more supple, allowing it to endure even more violent bursts of strength. It could even bear twice or thrice the explosive force. "Not bad. With the help of the ancient rock grease, reaching the Divine Dragon Second Transformation shouldn't be an issue." Lu Changsheng was thoroughly pleased. This kind of adaptation was exceedingly gradual and would take some time. Perhaps a month, perhaps two. No matter; right now, time was something Lu Changsheng had in abundance. *** The weather grew warmer day by day. There were hardly any refugees left inside the city, as many had hurried back to tend to the spring plowing. Though onerous taxes and levies remained numerous as ox hairs, "Zhuang Thirteen" had wiped out the bandit menace. The common folk no longer had to fear for their lives at every waking moment. Even if the work was grueling, they were eager to cultivate the land. It seemed as though everything was slowly taking a turn for the better. During this period, Lu Changsheng had firmly established his footing at Miaoren Hall. After months of holding consultations, his reputation had spread steadily. He had even surpassed Wang Ruhai, becoming the hallmark of Miaoren Hall. Many patients had even traveled long distances just to seek treatment from him. Lu Changsheng enjoyed this life. At times, when he fought in the jianghu, his killing intent ran rampant. Yet the moment he sat at his clinic desk examining patients, a profound calm settled over his heart. "You're pushing people too far!" Just then, a commotion broke out outside. Lu Changsheng frowned slightly. He disliked noisy disruptions when examining patients. "Zhang Huan, go see what's happening," Lu Changsheng instructed. "Right away, Doctor Lu." Zhang Huan hurried out, only to return shortly after and report in a low voice, "Doctor Lu, the Xiaoyao Inn across the street hasn't been doing well and wants to transfer the lease. The Blood Fiend Sect came to take it over and buy out the inn, but the two sides have a massive disagreement over the price." "I asked around carefully—the Blood Fiend Sect is basically trying to force the sale at dirt-cheap rates. The owner refuses to sell, but the Blood Fiend Sect warned that no one else in the city dares buy his inn." Lu Changsheng understood. In truth, he had seen members of the Blood Fiend Sect buying up storefronts throughout Nanyang City lately to sell their exotic incense. Moreover, the Blood Fiend Sect had abandoned its former low profile, turning aggressive and overbearing. "Come on, gather round and look!" "This man slaughtered disciples of our Blood Fiend Sect and provoked us! Our sect master is furious!" "Whoever has seen him and notifies the Blood Fiend Sect will be rewarded with a hundred taels of silver!" At that moment, another patrol of Blood Fiend Sect members posted a portrait on the wall. With the clamor outside, Lu Changsheng could not continue his consultations, so he stood and stepped out of Miaoren Hall. On the wall right next to Miaoren Hall hung the freshly posted portrait. Lu Changsheng took a closer look, his eyes narrowing slightly. The person depicted was none other than himself! Naturally, it was not his current appearance, but the disguise he wore when transformed. To be precise, it was Zhuang Thirteen! The onlookers pointed and buzzed with discussion. "Who is this? He looks unfamiliar. How dare he provoke the Blood Fiend Sect?" "Ever since the Blood Fiend Sect began selling exotic incense, they've grown more and more reckless. Even the authorities don't seem to care." "Heh, how would the authorities dare intervene? The Blood Fiend Sect is wealthy and powerful now from selling that incense, and they have so many martial artists that the yamen can't touch them." Seeing more and more people gather, the Blood Fiend Sect man announced loudly, "This man's name is Zhuang Thirteen! He's the martial artist who wiped out the Thirteen Desert Riders a while back. Remember this well: report any sighting to the Blood Fiend Sect immediately, and you'll receive a hundred taels of silver!" Yet upon hearing that the portrait depicted "Zhuang Thirteen," the crowd erupted into an uproar. "It's actually Hero Zhuang?" "Why does the Blood Fiend Sect want to kill Hero Zhuang?" "Hero Zhuang rid our Nanyang Prefecture of the bandit menace! How dare the Blood Fiend Sect target him?" "Hush, keep your voice down! The Blood Fiend Sect isn't afraid to kill! If they butcher you, not even the authorities will step in!" Zhuang Thirteen enjoyed the reputation of a righteous hero in Nanyang Prefecture. Many felt indignant, yet none dared voice their protest too loudly. "Hmph, what is there to fear? Hero Zhuang eradicated the bandits of Nanyang Prefecture so we wouldn't have to live in fear. He did a great service for all of Nanyang!" "That's right! What does the Blood Fiend Sect amount to? If Hero Zhuang could wipe out the bandits, he can crush the Blood Fiend Sect just as easily!" *Clang!* The next moment, the Blood Fiend Sect disciple drew his saber, barking coldly, "Anyone else who dares badmouth the Blood Fiend Sect will be executed on the spot!" The crowd scattered in fright. Even so, the Blood Fiend Sect's reputation had thoroughly soured. Yet they hardly seemed to care. They were a rough jianghu faction whose reputation had never been stellar to begin with; why would they care about the chatter of commoners? Before long, the Blood Fiend Sect members moved on to post portraits elsewhere. Lu Changsheng narrowed his eyes. In truth, the portrait of "Zhuang Thirteen" was only fifty or sixty percent accurate, clearly drawn from secondhand descriptions and guesswork. *The Blood Fiend Sect must have figured out it was 'Zhuang Thirteen' through my killing methods.* *Yet knowing it was Zhuang Thirteen who killed their men, they still dare issue a citywide bounty? Do they think they're stronger than the Thirteen Desert Riders?* *Or... does the Blood Fiend Sect want to use 'Zhuang Thirteen' as a stepping stone to build their fame?* Lu Changsheng roughly grasped their scheme. Having unlocked distribution channels for the exotic incense and grown rich, the Blood Fiend Sect no longer wished to keep a low profile. They wanted to step on Zhuang Thirteen to make a name for themselves. In all of Nanyang Prefecture, whose name resonated louder than Zhuang Thirteen's right now? "Since you want to step on 'Zhuang Thirteen' to earn your fame, then as you wish..." With ice in his eyes, Lu Changsheng turned and walked back into Miaoren Hall.