Wu Jing was dead.
He passed away peacefully, leaving behind no regrets.
His only wish was for Lu Changsheng to take his body back to his ancestral home for burial, letting the fallen leaf return to its roots.
Lu Changsheng had a fine coffin crafted for him.
Yet simply placing the corpse inside the coffin was not enough; in just a few days, the body would rot and reek.
Certain medicinal herbs had to be placed within to slow decomposition and stave off the stench.
Lu Changsheng was a physician himself, so he naturally understood how to use such herbs.
Miaoshou Garden cooperated fully as well, enthusiastically allocating whatever medicinal supplies were needed.
Furthermore, as word of Wu Jing's passing gradually spread, many people came of their own accord to pay their respects.
Some had even traveled from afar—all people whom Wu Jing had once treated and healed.
Among them were high-ranking officials, wealthy nobles, and humble commoners alike, every single one weeping bitterly.
After another ten or so days had passed in this manner, Lu Changsheng decided it was time to set out.
He procured a carriage and made a few modifications so the coffin could be sheltered inside, protected from the wind and rain.
After all, this was a long journey.
Wu Jing's ancestral home lay in Qianjiang Prefecture, a great distance from Nanyang Prefecture.
Lu Changsheng planned to drive the carriage alone and escort his master, Wu Jing, back to Qianjiang Prefecture.
At the carriage's unhurried pace, the journey would take anywhere from ten days to half a month.
On the day Lu Changsheng departed, commoners lined both sides of the road all the way from Miaoshou Garden to the city gates to see Wu Jing off.
Though the crowd did not stretch for several li, it was clear proof of the immense influence Wu Jing had held throughout Nanyang Prefecture.
Eventually, the carriage passed out of the city.
Leaving Nanyang City behind, Lu Changsheng felt an unexpected peace settle over his heart.
Old Wen was dead, and now his master, Wu Jing, was dead as well.
The two people Lu Changsheng cared for most were gone.
Now he had no ties or burdens left in the world. Vast though the realm was, he was free to roam wherever he pleased.
Yet Lu Changsheng maintained a tranquil state of mind throughout.
Driving the carriage, he traveled slowly.
Because "Hero Zhuang" presided over Nanyang Prefecture, the entire territory was remarkably secure.
Even with Lu Changsheng driving the carriage alone, he encountered no bandits.
However, once he crossed beyond the borders of Nanyang Prefecture, everything changed.
Only a few hours after leaving Nanyang's jurisdiction, a heavy stench of blood hung in the air.
Soon after, Lu Changsheng saw numerous corpses strewn across the road ahead.
Many wounded people were also groaning in agony.
Lu Changsheng slowly urged the carriage forward and saw a merchant caravan accompanied by many guards.
Most of the bodies lying on the ground belonged to mountain bandits.
Evidently, the bandits had attempted highway robbery, but after a fierce clash with the caravan's guards, they had been driven off.
The caravan's guards noticed Lu Changsheng arriving alone, driving a carriage.
Looking from behind, one could see that the carriage was carrying a coffin.
It was an exceedingly strange sight.
The caravan members instantly grew tense, their gazes fixed warily upon Lu Changsheng.
Lu Changsheng, however, paid them no heed.
He ignored the corpses covering the ground, steering his carriage right past them along the path.
Watching the carriage draw farther away, a burly, broad-shouldered man in the caravan spoke up. "Miss, tell the caravan to set off immediately and follow that carriage ahead."
"Huh? Uncle Dong, that person's origins are unknown. Haven't you always told me to be cautious and discreet in the jianghu? Why would we follow a stranger whose background is a mystery?"
The veiled woman addressed as "Miss" asked, her voice laced with confusion.
Uncle Dong took a deep breath and said in a low voice, "Miss, is the world chaotic right now?"
"Of course it is!" she replied.
She had encountered no fewer than three waves of mountain bandits along their journey; the times were already in utter turmoil.
"Indeed. In these times of war and chaos, bandits run rampant. Yet this man dares to travel the roads entirely alone with just a carriage and a coffin. Do you think he could possibly be an ordinary person?"
"From my experience in the jianghu, a man like that is almost certainly an expert. If we follow behind him, we might avoid a great deal of trouble. Even if trouble does arise, he will have already dealt with it ahead of us."
The young woman's eyes lit up.
She understood. Uncle Dong believed the driver was a master whose formidable skill gave him the daring to travel leisurely on his own. Following in his wake would surely spare them much strife.
She made an immediate decision. "Set off at once and keep pace with the carriage ahead. But do not follow too closely—keep a distance of a li or two, so we do not provoke his displeasure."
"Yes, Miss."
And so, the caravan set off as well.
Over the next few days, the caravan truly met with no trouble whatsoever.
Yet as they trailed behind the expert, they constantly spotted bodies strewn across the roadsides.
Uncle Dong's guess had been spot-on—the man ahead was indeed a formidable master!
Whenever trouble arose, the expert resolved it himself.
After three days of traveling, Uncle Dong looked ahead, and his expression shifted slightly.
"Miss, Eagle Mountain should be just ahead."
"Eagle Mountain is Liu Qi's territory. It is said Liu Qi obtained a divine art and cultivated to peak Refining Organs. He even had the fortune of undergoing a blood exchange, putting him half a step into the Divine Strength Realm."
"Against such a powerful martial artist, we have to pay a toll to buy safe passage every time we go through. While that expert ahead is strong, crossing paths with Liu Qi might still lead to trouble."
"I want to ride up and warn him."
The young woman nodded. "Yes, go and warn him. Invite him to travel alongside our caravan. At worst, we will simply pay for safe passage so he can cross Eagle Mountain safely without having to take unnecessary risks."
Over the past few days, the caravan had benefited greatly from trailing the expert.
They did not wish to see him come to harm.
Uncle Dong spurred his horse forward, quickly catching up.
*Clip-clop, clip-clop.*
Lu Changsheng heard the sound of galloping hooves behind him.
When the rider drew alongside, Lu Changsheng saw that it was a guard from the caravan trailing him.
In truth, Lu Changsheng had been well aware that a caravan was following behind him.
He simply had not bothered to intervene.
They seemed sensible and knew their limits, never tailing him too closely, so Lu Changsheng had let them be.
Uncle Dong approached and said respectfully, "Ahead lies Eagle Mountain. The bandits there, led by Liu Qi, are extraordinarily ferocious. Liu Qi in particular has stepped halfway into the Divine Strength Realm, and his strength is formidable."
"Would you be willing to travel with our caravan? We can pay the toll to buy safe passage, allowing us all to cross Eagle Mountain without incident."
Uncle Dong spoke with great courtesy.
In truth, he had come to give a warning and extend an invitation, hoping to prevent Lu Changsheng from being killed by the bandits of Eagle Mountain.
Lu Changsheng gave a slight smile and said nothing, merely continuing to drive his carriage forward.
Uncertain and bewildered, Uncle Dong eventually turned back to the caravan.
"Uncle Dong, how did it go?" the young woman asked.
Uncle Dong shook his head. "That expert seems supremely confident in his skill. He didn't take Liu Qi seriously in the slightest and continued driving toward Eagle Mountain."
"We should halt and rest for a while. We cannot stay too close, lest Liu Qi goes into a frenzy and takes his wrath out on us."
Uncle Dong already foresaw a violent clash between Liu Qi and the expert.
If the expert were killed, their proximity might cause Liu Qi to vent his anger on the caravan.
With so many lives at stake, they could not afford the gamble!
They could only stop for now and wait in silence.
Lu Changsheng continued driving his carriage, arriving leisurely at Eagle Mountain.
Sure enough, a band of mountain bandits appeared ahead and immediately charged toward him upon sighting his cart.
"A coffin?"
"Who hauls a coffin in a carriage? What bad luck!"
"Not necessarily bad luck. In times like these, who still leaves valuables out in the open? Maybe they're stashed inside the coffin!"
"Hurry up and pry it open!"
The bandits clamored, demanding that Lu Changsheng open the coffin.
"Who is Liu Qi?" Lu Changsheng suddenly asked.
"Hm?"
At that moment, a man clad in black stepped out from among the bandits and said coldly, "I am Liu Qi! Either hand over your silver or die. Choose."
A faint smile touched the corner of Lu Changsheng's mouth.
He did not bother wasting words. With a casual flick of his wrist, his saber cleared its scabbard.
*Clang!*
A flash of blood-red light streaked across the air. Before the bandits could even register what had happened, a squelching sound rang out.
Liu Qi's head was severed in an instant by the bloody saber light. Blood sprayed violently, and his headless corpse collapsed heavily to the ground.
"The chief is dead?!"
"Damn it, he killed the chief!"
"Kill him!"
The bandits were fierce indeed; even with their leader dead, they still dared to charge at Lu Changsheng.
Lu Changsheng showed no mercy. The qi and blood within him erupted outward.
In an instant, countless Silken Thread Swords shot toward the bandits like a storm of needles.
Within a single breath, the ground was blanketed with bandit corpses.
Lu Changsheng sheathed his saber. From beginning to end, he had not even stepped down from the carriage.
He flicked the reins and slowly continued onward.
The caravan waited for three full hours.
Only when afternoon arrived did they finally resume their journey.
Uncle Dong had even prepared the silver, yet when they arrived at Eagle Mountain, the sight before them left them utterly shaken.
Corpses covered the ground.
A thick stench of blood saturated the air.
Uncle Dong looked closely and could not help but cry out, "Liu Qi! Liu Qi is dead?!"
The others saw it as well: among the bodies lay a severed head, undeniably Liu Qi's.
He had clearly been decapitated with a single stroke.
The technique had been clean and decisive, leaving Liu Qi without the slightest chance to resist.
Uncle Dong took a deep breath, his eyes filled with shock and wonder. "That expert is most likely a Divine Strength Realm martial artist. Otherwise, there is no way he could have slain Liu Qi in a single blow."
"No wonder he dared to travel through prefectures and provinces all on his own..."
The young woman also gazed ahead, marveling aloud, "That expert did not appear very old, yet he is already a Divine Strength Realm martial artist. Traveling the world alone with a single blade, escorting a coffin over a thousand li... he is truly a marvel of a man!"
The caravan continued on its way.
They were not far from their destination now; having cleared Eagle Mountain, the remainder of their journey was largely safe.
Uncle Dong and the young woman felt only a touch of regret at not having had the chance to thank that extraordinary man in person.
***
Lu Changsheng traveled steadily for half a month before finally reaching Qianjiang City.
Along the way, he had scaled mountains, crossed rivers, and cut down bandits whenever they crossed his path, truly tasting the freedom of wandering the world with blade in hand.
Vast though the realm was, he could roam wherever he pleased!
Yet the more he traveled, the more tranquil his spirit became.
The seat of Qianjiang Prefecture was called Qianjiang City, said to be a place where "a thousand rivers converge."
Naturally, "a thousand rivers" was an exaggeration.
Yet Qianjiang City truly sat at the junction of three major rivers, fed by numerous tributaries that wove a dense aquatic network.
By all accounts, even if such a place was not a land of fish and rice, it should have been quite prosperous.
Yet what Lu Changsheng saw instead were displaced refugees everywhere, lining the roads as far as the eye could see.
To enter the city, one even had to pay silver; without it, entry was strictly forbidden.
Most of the refugees possessed no money at all and could only linger outside the walls.
Lu Changsheng drove his carriage carrying a coffin, which stood out conspicuously and drew many covetous eyes.
Some harbored ill intent, attempting to rush the carriage to fish in troubled waters.
In the end, Lu Changsheng displayed a fraction of his strength, instantly intimidating the crowd into submission.
Upon reaching the gates, Lu Changsheng paid the required silver and entered the city without incident.
Yet looking back at the tens of thousands of refugees outside, ragged and hollow-eyed, their numbers swelling by the day, Lu Changsheng knew trouble was bound to erupt sooner or later.
Still, that had nothing to do with him.
Following his master Wu Jing's instructions, he sought out Wu Jing's younger brother.
However, the brother had long since passed away, leaving behind only several nephews.
Though these nephews knew they had an uncle who was a renowned physician, there had been no contact with the family for many years, so they had never given it much thought.
They had never expected that when they met again, it would be with a corpse.
At first, when Lu Changsheng asked Wu Jing's nephews to choose a plot of land for the burial, they were evasive and reluctant.
Yet the moment Lu Changsheng produced a hefty sum of silver, their attitude shifted completely to warm enthusiasm.
In just three days, Wu Jing was laid to rest.
Wu Jing's tomb was grand and dignified; in this regard, Lu Changsheng did not skimp on silver.
Having buried his master, Lu Changsheng originally intended to leave Qianjiang Prefecture at once.
However, while wandering the prefecture, he heard about the "Qianjiang Great Bore."
This great bore was an annual spectacle.
When the time came, colossal waves would surge forward with torrential force—a breathtaking marvel unique to Qianjiang Prefecture.
Lu Changsheng recalled that his Ocean Wave Conception had seen little progress recently.
Perhaps witnessing this Qianjiang Great Bore would grant him an epiphany.
Thus, he chose to lodge in Qianjiang Prefecture for the time being, waiting patiently.
At last, the day of the Qianjiang Great Bore arrived.
Lu Changsheng headed straight to the viewing site.
The spectacle took place within Qianjiang Prefecture, drawing countless spectators.
Paying silver, Lu Changsheng secured an inn room that offered a close vantage point, providing a panoramic view of the surging tide throughout the bore.
*Rumble!*
At long last, the Qianjiang Great Bore arrived as scheduled.
From where the sky met the water on the distant horizon, a massive wall of water surged forward with thunderous roars.
Watching the entire scene unfold, Lu Changsheng gained a profound understanding even without physically stepping into the waters.
Sitting cross-legged on the floor, he released his Ocean Wave Conception, which gradually enveloped the entire inn room.
As if influenced by the Qianjiang Great Bore, his martial conception began subtly shifting toward the nature of this monumental tide.
The roaring of great waves seemed to reverberate even more distinctly within the room.
The inn attendant muttered to himself in confusion, "Why is the tide so loud this year? We can hear it this clearly even through the walls?"
The other guests in the inn were equally puzzled.
Yet none suspected that what they heard was not the actual sound of the Qianjiang Great Bore, but rather Lu Changsheng's Ocean Wave Conception.
Lu Changsheng's Ocean Wave Conception finally advanced, leaping by two percent all at once to reach ten percent.
A ten percent Ocean Wave Conception was unquestionably far more formidable. Even a slight manifestation of it made onlookers feel as if they were standing directly before towering, tempestuous waves.
Moreover, any saber technique, sword technique, or fist art Lu Changsheng executed would become immensely more potent when augmented by this martial conception.
Yet just as the crowds gathered to witness the great bore, an unforeseen upheaval erupted.
Shouts of battle suddenly echoed through the city as squads of soldiers charged through the gates of Qianjiang City.
Loud cries rang out from their ranks: "Heavenly King Min has arrived! We slay only corrupt officials and tyrannical gentry—the common people will be spared!"
Cries echoed across every corner of Qianjiang City.
"Heavenly King Min?"
Lu Changsheng's eyes narrowed slightly.
He quickly made his way toward the city gates.
Sure enough, massive ranks of soldiers had already marched into the city, all flying banners bearing the name of Heavenly King Min.
Clearly, Qianjiang Prefecture had been captured by Heavenly King Min.
This Heavenly King Min led a rebel army. Supposedly, he had once been a blacksmith who rose in revolt after being driven to desperation by the authorities.
Yet although he styled himself a righteous rebel, his forces behaved no differently from roving bandits, sweeping over lands like a plague of locusts and earning a foul reputation.
Regardless, Heavenly King Min had taken Qianjiang Prefecture and sealed the city gates, forbidding anyone from leaving.
Lu Changsheng looked at the large contingents of fully armored soldiers guarding the gate, clearly the elite troops of Heavenly King Min.
They stood arrayed in battle formations. A military formation of hundreds or thousands of soldiers possessed terrifying might.
Even a Divine Strength Realm martial artist caught in the charge of such a formation could be shot dead on the spot.
Yet Lu Changsheng had no desire to remain trapped within Qianjiang City.
A bold thought flashed through his mind.
*What if I simply charge their formation and see if I can break out of Qianjiang City?*
Chapter 96