Chapter 27: Chapter 27: Lie Mountain Valley
The journey from Linhai Town to Lie Mountain Valley was a nearly three-hundred-li trek, requiring an overnight stop at Lao Ya Posthouse to rest and recuperate.
Inside the carriage, Zhou Hu reminded them, "We should reach Lao Ya Posthouse before noon tomorrow. The posthouse is situated in a treacherous pass between two mountains, so we’ll need to be on high alert tonight."
Hearing this, Liang Cheng and Zhao Yuan’s gazes fell upon the red symbol marking the posthouse on their map, and they nodded slightly.
Zhou Hu continued, "Wu Tianxiong’s men might be waiting for us there."
"What do you mean, Senior Brother?"
"On the surface, the Spring Hunt is a competition, but in reality, it’s a pretext for redistributing the resources of the various towns. Zhen Nan Martial Arts Hall suffered a loss before the new year, so they’ll definitely be looking for a way to regain face this time.
Lao Ya Posthouse is on our mandatory route. Attacking us there would serve to dampen our spirits without technically violating the rules of the Spring Hunt."
"Caution is never a mistake."
...
Lao Ya Posthouse was even more crowded than they had anticipated.
The carriages and horses of the six Martial Arts Halls from the Three Towns nearly filled the front courtyard of Lao Ya Posthouse. Dozens of Martial Artists were gathered in the mountain pass station, their shouts mingling with the neighing of horses. The very air was taut with a restless energy.
As the Yangwei Martial Arts Hall caravan drove through the gates, a crowd had gathered by the hitching posts on the east side. Under the banner of the Zhen Nan Martial Arts Hall, Zheng Biao stood with his arms crossed, speaking with the leader of the Iron Palm Martial Arts Hall. When he saw Yang Wei dismount, his gaze swept over, pausing on Liang Cheng for a moment as the corner of his mouth curled into a smirk.
Wu Xiao stood half a step behind Zheng Biao.
Having not seen him for over three months, Liang Cheng noticed Wu Xiao had changed significantly. His once flamboyant and aggressive aura had been reined in considerably. He was quieter, but all the more dangerous for it.
Liang Cheng could clearly sense it. Wu Xiao’s Qi Blood was condensed and unified, and his Dark Force circulated smoothly and without obstruction. He was now firmly at the Dark Force Peak, just a hair’s breadth away from the Transformation Force realm.
’He’s more than just a step stronger than before,’ Liang Cheng thought. ’It seems Wu Tianxiong used quite a few Treasures of Heaven and Earth on him. Otherwise, his injuries wouldn’t have even healed, let alone allowed him to improve.’
"Martial Arts Hall Master Yang, it must have been a long journey," Zheng Biao said first, his voice booming with a contrived warmth.
Yang Wei nodded slightly. "Nephew Zheng, you seem to have recovered quickly."
"All thanks to your hall’s Junior Brother Liang. After a few months in bed, my bones have finally mended," Zheng Biao said with a chuckle. "I do wonder, though, how is Junior Brother Zhou’s injury? I heard he tried to break through to Transformation Force... Ai, what a pity."
Zhou Hu’s expression remained calm, as if he hadn’t heard a thing.
Just then, the posthouse staff invited Yang Wei to the main rooms, where the other Martial Arts Hall masters were also gathered, leaving only the disciples in the courtyard.
Zhao Yuan stood just behind and to the side of Zhou Hu, his eyes downcast. He unconsciously clenched his right fist, his knuckles turning white. He could feel Wu Xiao’s gaze fixed on him.
Sure enough, Wu Xiao spoke. His voice wasn’t loud, but it was clear enough for everyone in the surrounding circles to hear.
"Senior Brother Zhao, I’ve missed you so since we parted at the grand competition. Judging by your complexion, have your injuries not yet fully healed? The Spring Hunt is no child’s play. If you enter the fray while injured and your old wounds flare up, that would be a real pity."
The words were utterly vicious.
The surroundings fell silent for a moment. People from the other Martial Arts Halls glanced over, their eyes shifting back and forth between Zhao Yuan and Wu Xiao with a mixture of amusement and a hint of pity.
Had this been three months ago, Zhao Yuan would have already charged forward. But now, he merely lifted his head slowly to meet Wu Xiao’s gaze. His face was expressionless, but he even managed to twitch the corner of his mouth into a faint smile. "Thank you for your concern, Junior Brother Wu. It’s just a minor injury. Nothing to worry about."
He paused before adding, his tone as casual as if he were discussing the weather, "As for you, Junior Brother Wu, your progress has been astonishingly fast. It seems your defeat that day served as a whetstone to sharpen your skills. My congratulations."
The smile on Wu Xiao’s face froze for an instant.
Zhao Yuan’s words sounded polite, but they were like a velvet-gloved dagger, striking precisely at Wu Xiao’s sorest spot: he, Wu Xiao, had once been defeated by Liang Cheng, and in a most humiliating fashion.
A savage glint flashed in Wu Xiao’s eyes but vanished just as quickly as he calmed himself. He no longer looked at Zhao Yuan, turning instead to Liang Cheng with a restored smile. "Brother Liang, I trust you’ve been well."
Liang Cheng nodded. "Thank you for your concern, Senior Brother Wu. All is well."
Their eyes met, and the people around them subconsciously held their breath. Many of those present had witnessed the grand competition before the new year. Now that the two main parties involved were meeting again, it naturally drew everyone’s attention.
But the tense, sword-drawn confrontation everyone expected didn’t happen. Wu Xiao gave Liang Cheng a deep look, then suddenly smiled. "We’ll see who comes out on top in Lie Mountain Valley."
With that, he surprisingly turned and walked toward the East Wing where the Zhen Nan Martial Arts Hall was staying, not looking back. Zheng Biao shot a glance at Zhou Hu before leading his own men to follow.
A potential conflict dissipated into nothing.
But everyone knew this was merely the calm before the storm.
...
In a common room in the West Wing, an oil lamp flickered as Zhao Yuan sat on the edge of the sleeping platform, flanked by Zhou Hu and Liang Cheng. Accommodations at the posthouse were tight, so most people had to share rooms.
"You did the right thing," Zhou Hu said slowly. "Wu Xiao was deliberately trying to provoke you. If you had accepted his challenge, you would have consumed your Qi Blood before the Spring Hunt, regardless of the outcome. You might have even aggravated your old injury. His aura is stable and condensed now, and he’s just one step away from Transformation Force. With your injuries still unhealed, fighting him head-on would have been unwise."
"I know," Zhao Yuan replied, his voice betraying no emotion. "I’m just biding my time."
Liang Cheng leaned against the window, watching people from the other Martial Arts Halls come and go in the courtyard. The disciples of Liuyun Martial Arts Hall moved with a light and nimble Body Technique; the members of Cyan Blade Martial Arts Hall carried Heavy Swords on their backs; and most from Hai Chao Martial Arts Hall were dark-skinned and carried the faint smell of the sea...
The elites of the Three Towns were all gathered here.
’I can sense at least five or six auras in the crowd that are no weaker than Wu Xiao’s,’ he thought. ’The competition is much stronger than it was at the grand competition before the new year.’
’For them to improve so much in such a short time, the six Martial Arts Halls must have spent a fortune. There’s no other way this would be possible.’
Zhou Hu nodded. "The Three Towns Grand Competition is, after all, just a local affair. The Spring Hunt, however, is for all twelve towns under Lin Wu City’s jurisdiction. There’s even a chance of being noticed by the Martial Arts Academy. Those who can make a name for themselves here are the ones who truly leap the dragon gate."
The three fell silent. No more words were spoken that night, but no one truly slept soundly.
...
「The next morning, the caravan set off again.」
The atmosphere for the rest of the journey was even more delicate. Although the caravans of the six Martial Arts Halls traveled together, they kept a clear distance from one another, staying more than ten zhang apart and remaining mutually wary.
On the rare occasions they crossed paths, the leaders would only exchange cold nods, while the disciples mostly remained silent.
Liang Cheng could sense at least three different groups secretly observing the Yangwei Martial Arts Hall’s contingent, their gazes often singling him out.
As the champion of the Three Towns Grand Competition, he naturally attracted attention. He acted as if he didn’t notice, spending most of his time in the carriage with his eyes closed, regulating his breathing to maintain his peak condition.
「Two days later, at noon.」
As the caravan rounded the final mountain ridge, a vast valley suddenly appeared before them.
Lie Mountain Valley.
The terrain at the mouth of the valley was flat and had been cleared to form a massive encampment. Hundreds of tents were scattered about like mushrooms, banners fluttered in the wind, and the air buzzed with a cacophony of voices.
From a distance, there appeared to be no fewer than a thousand people. The auras of many among them were powerful and formidable, far beyond anything comparable in Linhai Town.
What drew the most attention, however, were several exceptionally tall banners in the center of the camp.
"’Lieyang Martial Arts Hall’ from Jinhu Town... ’Frost Martial Arts Hall’ from North Mountain Town... ’Zhenyue Martial Arts Hall’ from Qingshi Town..." Zhou Hu squinted, identifying the banners one by one, his voice grave. "These are all major towns of note under Lin Wu City’s jurisdiction. The strength of their Martial Arts Halls is far beyond what our Three Towns can compare to."
The caravan slowly entered the camp and, under the guidance of a Steward Disciple, arrived at a designated area to set up their tents.
They had just begun to settle in when a commotion erupted from the other side of the camp.
Liang Cheng looked up.
A group of about twenty people was approaching from the valley entrance. Each one rode a tall, fine steed and wore a uniform of silver-gray martial attire, their auras fierce and formidable.
Leading them was a young man who looked to be no more than eighteen or nineteen years old. He was handsome, but his eyes held an oppressive arrogance.
He wasn’t deliberately releasing his aura, but wherever he passed, the surrounding Martial Artists subconsciously held their breath and made way.
"Transformation Force..."
Zhou Hu’s pupils contracted, and his voice was dry.
The young man seemed to notice his gaze and glanced toward the Yangwei Martial Arts Hall. When his eyes swept past Liang Cheng, a chill ran through Liang Cheng’s heart.
’A powerful foe!’
The corner of the young man’s mouth lifted into a smile. He then turned his head and led his group away, paying Liang Cheng no mind.
The camp fell silent for a moment before a buzz of discussion erupted.
"That’s the Young Master of Feiyun Martial Arts Hall, Yun Jinghong! He’s twenty-one, but he broke through to Transformation Force a year ago!"
"A genius renowned even in the Commandery, as expected. I heard he’s already qualified for the Martial Arts Academy but has delayed his enrollment just for this Spring Hunt."
"Looks like there’s no suspense left as to who will be champion of this Spring Hunt."
Liang Cheng retracted his gaze, regulating his breathing and focusing his mind.
