u201cSepuluh hari kemudian, di County Songquan.u201d
Kabut pagi menyerupai kain tipis menyelimuti sawah di kedua sisi jalan utama. Dalam cahaya yang redup, gunung di kejauhan tak lain hanyar siluet biru pucat.
Bergae putih seperti bulan, dengan Cloud Splitting Sword (Pedang Pemecah Awan) di pinggang, Fang Han berjalan dengan tenang di sepanjang jalan.
Setelah meninggalkan Kota Wangxi, ia berjalan ke arah barat siang dan malam, akhirnya menempa kaki di County Songquan.
Saatnya berjalan melintasi County Songquan, pikiran Fang Han terus bergulir.
u2018Apakah kematian Meng Zhao sudah memberi tahu Sekte Red Flame?u2019
u2018Aku membakar mayat Meng Zhao dan tiga orang temannya hingga habis dan sengaja menghilangkan segala jejak pertarungan.u2019
u2018Tapi aku tak bisa menjamin tidak ada satu saja yang terlewat.u2019
u2018Jika Sekte Red Flame menelusuri jejak itu kembali ke arahku, akan menjadi kekacauan besar.u2019
u2018Dan tentang Grandmasteru2019s Tomb (Makam Grandmaster)? Itu yang membuat Meng Zhao, seorang Elder Tingkat Pertama, bepergian jauh untuk merahasiakan pencariannya di County Songquan. Apakah Sekte Red Flame sudah menemukannya?'
u2018Ketika seorang Grandmaster meninggal, barang suci biasanya berharga melimpah. Salah kecil jika aku tidak tertarik.'
u2018Kini Xuanwu True Skill (Keterampilan Sejati Xuanwu)-ku sudah mencapai Minor Achievement, dan kekuatanku melonjak. Aku bahkan bisa bertarung melawan yang terbaik di kalangan Praktisi Martial Tingkat Pertama.'
u2018Jika Grandmasteru2019s Tomb belum terbuka, Aku tak keberatan untuk memerangi demi kepemilikannya.'
Di kejauhan, bentuk sebuah kota semakin jelas muncul dari kabut pagi.
Tembok kota tak terlalu tinggi, mungkin tujuh puluh atau delapan puluh kaki, dibangun dari blok batu abu-abu. Di puncak tembok, bendera-bendera menggantung lesehan di angin pagi.
Fang Han berhenti di luar gerbang kota, mengeluarkan Topeng Kulit Manusia (Human Skin Mask) yang tipis sepenu ingguk dari Cincin Penyimpanan (Storage Ring)-nya, lalu hati-hati memasangnya di wajahnya.
Dia pernah menukar 3.000 Kontribusi (Contribution Points) untuk topeng ini di depot pasokan Sekte. Topeng ini bisa mengubah penampilannya, dan kini akhirnya akan berguna.
Dia memeriksaan cermin wajahnya di sungai, memastikan kelihatan seperti orang lain. Baru kemudian, dengan santai, membalut Pedang Pemecah Awan (Cloud Splitting Sword)-nya dengan kain, mengikat di punggung, dan berjalan menuju gerbang kota.
Para penjaga kota yang bersandar di gerbang dan mengantuk, hanya memberi pandangan lega saat dia melaju, lalu memberinya isyarat masuk.
Setelah masuk ke dalam kota, Fang Han bertanya petunjuk pada seseorang yang lewat, dan menuju tavern terbesar di kota.
u2018Untuk mengumpulkan informasi, tehdan dan tavern adalah tempat terbaik.'
u2018Para pedagang yang bepergian, mereka yang hidup dari pedang dan ilmu bela diri... setelah seberapa pun sedikit anggur murah, lidah mereka akan melongok dan mengatakan apapun itu.'
Tavern Guest-welcoming (Restoran Guest-welcoming) adalah yang terbesar di kota. Terletak di tengah-tengah jalan utama, bangunan yang mengesankan dengan gajet melengkung yang ditata, dan seperangkat lampion merah menggantung di pintu masuk.
Meskipun sudah siang, tavern tetap ramai dengan para pelanggannya. Suara obrolan dan tawa bergelantar dari jendela terbuka, bercampur dengan aroma makanan dan minuman yang menguap ke jalan.
u201cIni ke sini, Tuan!u201d seorang pelayan menyapa dengan bersemangat.
Fang Han tidak bermalam di aula utama di lantai pertama, langsung menuju lantai dua.
Dia memilih meja di dekat jendela, menaro Pedang Pemecah Awan (Cloud Splitting Sword) yang sudah terbungkus kain di samping kursinya, lalu dengan santai memesan beberapa hidangan.
Makanan datang cepat: seplatter daging sapi yang direbus, seekakung ikan yang dikukus, dan sehidangan sayuran dengan bawang putih.
Dia mengangkat sumpitnya dan makan pelan-pelan, sambil mendengarkan obrolan dari meja sekitarnya.
Awalnya, kebanyakan apa yang dia dengar hanyar obrolan biasa.
Toko mana yang baru restock, geng mana yang baru merekrut anggota baru, anak perempuan siapa yang menikah ke dalam keluarga apa, siapa yang membunuh Demon langka di luar kota. Semuanya remeh, tak berarti baginya.
Ekspresinya tak berubah sama sekali saat dia makan pelan-pelan, menunggu dengan kesabaran.
Tiba-tiba, percakap dari meja berikutnya terdengar di telinganya.
u201cKalian yakin First-Grade Elder dari Sekte Red Flame, Meng Zhao, benar-benar dikillao oleh Longquan Manor?u201d
Pembicaranya seorang pria berusia sedang dengan kulit sawo matang dan suara serak, seolah tenggorokannya rusak oleh anggur murah.
u201cLongquan Manor membantolnya,u201d seorang pria tua kurus mengatakan sambil mengambil sekawan besar dari mangkuk anggurnya. u201cTapi jika aku di posisinya, aku takkan mengakuiinya meskipun sudah dilakukan. Susah untuk bilang apakah memang dilakukan oleh mereka atau tidak.u201d
Chopstik Fang Han terhenti sejenak.
u2018Sekte Red Flame menyalahkan Longquan Manor atas kematian Meng Zhao?u2019
Dia menempatkan irisan daging sapi yang direbus ke dalam mulutnya dan mengunyah perlahan.
u201cAku pik kemungkinan besar memang Longquan Manor. Setelah semua, Grandmasteru2019s Tomb berada di hadapan,u201d seorang pria gemuk yang terlihat seperti pedagang menyela, dengan suaranya lebih pelan.
u201cBetul. Grandmasteru2019s Tomb adalah alasan cukup untuk Longquan Manor bertarung melawan Sekte Red Flame,u201d pria sawo matang itu setuju.
u201cSayangnya, akhirnya, tidak ada Sekte Red Flame maupun Longquan Manor yang mendapatkan Grandmasteru2019s Tomb,u201d pria tua kurus tertawa.
Fang Han makan pelan-pelan, tapi pikirannya berputar cepat.
u2018Jadi Grandmasteru2019s Tomb sudah ditemukan, tapi bukan oleh Sekte Red Flame atau Longquan Manor. Ini adalah faksi lain.u2019
u2018Faksi mana yang bisa dapat hasrat ini?u2019
u201cTapi faksi yang menemukan Grandmasteru2019s Tomb tak bisa mendapatkan hasilnya untuk lama.u201d
Para pedagang gemuk menggondong kepala, nada suaranya campur antara senang dan sedih.
u201cSeluruh faksi mereka dibungkam saat malam itu. Ratusan orang, dari puncak ke dasar. Tak ada satu pun yang selamat.u201d
Fang Han mengangkat gelas anggurnya, tapi terhenti sejenak.
u2018Sebuah faksi sejumlah ratus orang, dibunuh sekaligus seperti ini.'
u2018Ini adalah kekejamannya Dunia Bela Diri. Tanpa cukup kekuatan, mendapatkan u2018harta karunu2019 yang tak bisa dilindungi bukanlah berkah—itu adalah kutukan yang membunuh.'
u201cFaksi mana yang menyerang?u201d
tanya pria tua kurus, sedikit ketakutan dalam suaranya.
u201cSulit untuk diketahui,u201d katanya, menggondong kepala. u201cBeberapa kelompok berbeda menyerang di malam itu bersamaan.u201d
u201cApa dengan harta-harta dari Grandmasteru2019s Tomb?u201d
u201cMereka dibagi di antara penyerang, lalu faksi lain mulai bertarung untuk mereka. Sekarang, tak ada yang tahu siapa pun yang punya apa. Yang kami tahu adalah orang-orang masih bertarung dan tewas demi harta-harta itu.'
Fang Han menelan sisa anggur di gelasnya. Dia menemukan situasi ini lucu sekaligus menyedihkan.
u2018Sekte Red Flame mengirim Elder Tingkat Pertama mereka, Meng Zhao, untuk diam-diam merangusi County Songquan, berencana menguasai Grandmasteru2019s Tomb untuk diri mereka sendiri. Dan akhirnya, semua sia-sia.'
u2018Meng Zhao sudah mati, Sekte Red Flame dapat tidak ada, dan mereka bahkan membuat musuh baru: Longquan Manor.'
u2018Ini adalah kasus klasik mencuri ayam, hanya untuk kehilangan beras lalu. Yang disangkakan, hanya kekalian yang kehilangan.'
u2018Sayang sekali, aku datang lima belas menit terlambat.'
u2018Jika Grandmasteru2019s Tomb masih utuh, dengan kekuatanku saat ini, Aku tak keberatan untuk memerangi demi kepemilikannya.'
Dengan tenang meletakkan sumpitnya, ia melunasi tagihan, lalu turun ke lantai dasar.
Bergabung dengan kerumunan di jalan, ia berjalan ke gerbang kota.
u2018Karena Grandmasteru2019s Tomb sudah ditemukan, tak ada gunanya tinggal di County Songquan. Aku semestinya kembali ke Sekte.'
Meninggalkan kota, Fang Han terus berjalan di jalan utama.
Setelah berjalan sejam, jalan sempit, dan pohon di kedua sisi menjadi lebih rapat.
Pohon purba menyentuh langit, rantangannya dikelilingi oleh tanaman merambat. Matahari sore yang terfilter melalui raksanya, menciptakan pola cahaya terpecah di lantai hutan yang dipenuhi daun kering.
Burung dalam kejauhan hanya menekankan kedamaian hutan.
u2018Hmm? Ada orang yang bertarung!u201d
Fang Han terhenti. Dia merasakan dua kelompok di kejauhannya, terjebak dalam pertarungan.
dentang senjata terdengar.
SWOOSH!
Dia melompat ke hutan yang rapat di samping jalan, menyekutukan aura, dan bergerak senyap ke arah suara.
Sesaat kemudian, dia berhenti di belakang pohon purba yang begitu besar sehingga membutuhkan beberapa orang untuk memelukannya. Dia memandang melalui celah daun-daun yang ramping di depan.
Di seberang jalan, ada sebuah lapangan terbuka, dikelilingi oleh pohon purba. Lantai dipenuhi dengan lapisan tebal dan diam-diam daun kering.
Di lapangan itu, dua kelompok bertarung dengan keras.
Pisau dan Qi Force meledak, menghancurkan semak dan rumpun di sekitarnya.
Beberapa pohon kecil yang sebesar mangkuk makan, terpotong di pangkalnya. Potongannya masih segar, menunjukkan baru saja ditanam beberapa menit sebelumnya.
Satu kelompok tujuh atau delapan orang memakai pakaian martial gelap dengan motif gelombang perak di sisinya.
Pemimpin mereka seorang raksasa tuna panjang, telanjang dada, mengungkapkan otot-otot otot logam kuning. Dua naga hitam mengintai di lengan lengannya.
Dia memegang sepasang gergaji besi dengan handle pendek, setiap ayunan cukup kuat untuk menghancurkan batu.
Kelompok lain, lebih dari belasan orang, memakai pakaian martial hitam.
Pemimpin mereka seorang laki-laki gonjang dengan pendekatan setengah. Kulitnya kuning, tulang pipi tinggi, matanya lancip dan tajam.
Dia memegang Thick-Backed Ghost Head Saber (Golok Berpunggung Tebal Kepala Hantu) dengan Saber Technique yang ganas dan berani, setiap ayunan menghembuskan angin.
Pandangan Fang Han beralih ke mereka. Dengan menilai aura mereka, pemimpin gonjang memiliki Cultivation yang sedikit lebih tinggi, sekitar Tahap Menengah Tingkat Empat, sementara pemimpin tuna panjang agak lebih lemah, Tahap Awal Tingkat Empat.
u2018Dengan kekuatanku saat ini,u2019 pikirnya, u2018Aku bisa membersihkan kedua kelompok ini dengan mudah.'
Dia tidak mengungkapkan keberadaannya, cukup menonton dengan tenang dari belakang pohon purba itu.
u201cSerahkan barangnya, dan Aku akan menyingakan hidupmu,u201c katanya ketika mereka bertarung.
u201cSuatu mimpi! Aku lebih suka menghancurkan itu sebelum memberikannya!u201d
teriak tuna panjang, memaksa lawannya mundur dengan ayunan palu. Suaranya kasar dan
「Ten days later, Songquan County.」
The morning mist, like a thin veil, shrouded the fields on both sides of the main road. In the hazy daylight, the distant mountains were nothing more than pale blue silhouettes.
Dressed in a moon-white robe with the Cloud Splitting Sword at his waist, Fang Han walked at a leisurely pace along the main road.
After leaving Wangxi County, he had traveled west day and night, finally setting foot in Songquan County.
As he walked through Songquan County, Fang Han’s thoughts churned.
’Has Meng Zhao’s death already alerted the Red Flame Sect?’
’I burned the bodies of Meng Zhao and his three companions to ashes and deliberately destroyed all traces of the fight.’
’But I can’t guarantee I didn’t miss something.’
’If the Red Flame Sect follows the clues back to me, it’ll be a huge mess.’
’And what about the Grandmaster’s Tomb? The one that made Meng Zhao, a First-Grade Elder, travel so far to secretly search for it in Songquan County. Has the Red Flame Sect found it already?’
’When a Grandmaster passes away, their burial goods are usually incredibly valuable. It’d be a lie to say I’m not tempted.’
’Now that my Xuanwu True Skill has reached Minor Achievement and my strength has surged, I might even have a fighting chance against the best of the First Grade Martial Artists.’
’If that Grandmaster’s Tomb hasn’t been discovered yet, I wouldn’t mind fighting for it.’
Ahead, the outline of a city gradually emerged from the morning mist.
The city walls weren’t particularly high, perhaps seventy or eighty feet, built from ash-gray stone blocks. Atop the walls, banners drooped lazily in the morning breeze.
Fang Han stopped outside the city gate, took a Human Skin Mask as thin as a cicada’s wing from his Storage Ring, and carefully applied it to his face.
He had exchanged 3,000 Contribution Points for this mask at the Sect’s supply depot a long time ago. It could alter his appearance, and now it would finally come in handy.
He checked his reflection in the river, confirming that he looked like a completely different person. Only then did he casually wrap his Cloud Splitting Sword in cloth strips, sling it over his back, and stride toward the city gate.
The city guards, leaning against the gate’s archway and yawning, merely gave him a lazy glance as he approached before waving him through.
Once inside the city, Fang Han asked a passerby for directions and headed for the largest tavern in town.
’To gather information, teahouses and taverns are undoubtedly the best places to go.’
’Those traveling merchants, those Jianghu Travelers who live by the blade... after a few cups of cheap wine, their tongues get loose and they’ll say anything.’
The Guest-welcoming Tavern was the largest in the city. Located halfway down the main street, it was an impressive building with ornate, upturned eaves and a string of red lanterns hanging by the entrance.
Even though it was afternoon, the tavern was still bustling with customers. The noisy chatter and laughter drifted from the open windows, mingling with the aroma of food and wine that wafted out onto the street.
"This way, sir!" a waiter greeted him eagerly.
Fang Han didn’t linger in the main hall on the first floor, heading straight up to the second.
He chose a table by the window, propped his cloth-wrapped Cloud Splitting Sword against his chair, and casually ordered a few dishes.
The food arrived quickly: a plate of braised beef, a whole steamed perch, and a dish of greens with garlic.
He picked up his chopsticks and ate slowly, all the while listening in on the conversations from the surrounding tables.
At first, most of what he heard was just idle chatter.
Which shop had gotten new stock, which gang had recruited a few new members, whose daughter had married into what family, who had hunted a rare Demon outside the city—it was all trivial, with nothing worth his attention.
His expression remained unchanged as he ate slowly, waiting patiently.
Just then, a conversation from the next table drifted over to him.
"Do you guys think that First-Grade Elder from the Red Flame Sect, Meng Zhao, was really killed by Longquan Manor?"
The speaker was a middle-aged man with a swarthy complexion and a hoarse voice, as if his throat had been ruined by cheap liquor.
"Longquan Manor denies it," a skinny old man said, taking a large gulp from his wine bowl. "But if I were in their shoes, I wouldn’t admit it even if I had done it. It’s hard to say whether it was their doing or not."
Fang Han’s chopsticks paused for a moment.
’The Red Flame Sect is blaming Longquan Manor for Meng Zhao’s death?’
He impassively placed the slice of braised beef into his mouth and chewed slowly.
"I think it was most likely Longquan Manor. After all, a Grandmaster’s Tomb is at stake," a portly man who looked like a merchant chimed in, lowering his voice.
"True. A Grandmaster’s Tomb is reason enough for Longquan Manor to risk making an enemy of the Red Flame Sect," the swarthy middle-aged man said.
"A pity that in the end, neither the Red Flame Sect nor Longquan Manor was the one to get the Grandmaster’s Tomb," the skinny elder chuckled.
Fang Han continued to eat slowly, but his mind was racing.
’So the Grandmaster’s Tomb was found, but not by the Red Flame Sect or Longquan Manor. It was some other faction.’
’Which faction could it be?’
"But the faction that found the Grandmaster’s Tomb didn’t get to enjoy their prize for long."
The portly merchant shook his head, his tone a mixture of schadenfreude and lament.
"Their entire faction was wiped out that very night. Hundreds of people, from the top down. Not a single survivor was left."
Fang Han’s hand paused as he raised his wine cup.
’A faction of several hundred people, wiped out just like that.’
’This is the cruelty of the Martial Arts World. Without enough strength, obtaining a ’treasure’ you can’t protect isn’t a blessing—it’s a death sentence.’
"Which faction was it that attacked?"
the skinny old man asked, a hint of dread in his voice.
"Hard to say," the portly merchant said, shaking his head. "Several different groups attacked at once that night."
"What about the treasures from the Grandmaster’s Tomb?"
"They were divided up among the attackers, and then other factions started fighting over them. Now, nobody knows who has what. All we know is that people are still fighting and dying for it."
Fang Han drained the rest of the wine in his cup. He found the situation both laughable and lamentable.
’The Red Flame Sect sent their First-Grade Elder, Meng Zhao, to secretly infiltrate Songquan County, scheming to claim the Grandmaster’s Tomb for themselves. And in the end, it was all for nothing.’
’Meng Zhao is dead, the Red Flame Sect got nothing, and they even made an enemy of Longquan Manor.’
’It’s a classic case of trying to steal a chicken, only to lose the rice used as bait.’
’It’s a shame I was a step too late.’
’If the Grandmaster’s Tomb were still untouched, with my current strength, I wouldn’t have minded fighting for it.’
He put down his chopsticks, settled the bill, and went downstairs. Merging with the crowd on the street, he headed for the city gate.
’Since the Grandmaster’s Tomb has already been discovered, there’s no point in staying in Songquan County. I might as well head back to the Sect.’
Leaving the city, Fang Han continued along the main road.
After about an hour of walking, the main road narrowed, and the trees on either side grew denser.
Ancient trees reached for the sky, their branches draped with hanging vines. The afternoon sun, filtered through the dense canopy, created a pattern of dappled light on the forest floor, which was carpeted in decaying leaves.
The occasional birdsong in the distance only accentuated the tranquility of the wilderness.
’Hmm? Someone’s fighting!’
Fang Han paused. He could sense two groups ahead, locked in battle.
The faint clang of weapons reached his ears.
SWOOSH!
He darted into the dense woods beside the road, suppressed his aura, and moved silently toward the source of the sound.
A moment later, he stopped behind an ancient tree so massive it would take several people to encircle its trunk. He peered through a gap in the foliage.
Ahead lay a relatively open clearing, surrounded by ancient trees. The ground was covered in a thick, silent carpet of decaying leaves.
In the clearing, two groups of people were locked in a fierce battle.
Blades flashed and Qi Force erupted, devastating the surrounding shrubs and undergrowth.
Several small trees, as thick as a dinner bowl, had been severed at the trunk. The cuts were fresh, showing they had been felled only moments before.
One group of seven or eight men wore matching dark gray martial arts attire, with a silver wave pattern embroidered on their cuffs.
Their leader was a burly, bald brute. He was bare-chested, revealing bronze-colored, powerful muscles. Two menacing black dragons were tattooed on his arms.
He wielded a pair of short-handled iron hammers, each swing carrying enough force to shatter stone.
The other group, numbering over a dozen, wore black martial arts attire.
Their leader was a gaunt man approaching fifty. He had a sallow complexion, high cheekbones, and a pair of narrow, sharp eyes.
He wielded a Thick-Backed Ghost Head Saber with a fierce and domineering Saber Technique, each slash whistling through the air.
Fang Han’s gaze swept over them. Judging by their auras, the gaunt man’s Cultivation was slightly higher, around the Middle Stage of Fourth Grade, while the bald brute’s was a bit weaker, at the Early Stage of Fourth Grade.
’With my current strength,’ Fang Han thought, ’I could wipe out both of these groups with ease.’
He didn’t reveal himself, content to watch quietly from behind the ancient tree.
"Hand over the item, and I’ll spare your life," the gaunt man said as they fought.
"Dream on! I’d rather destroy it than give it to you!"
the bald brute roared, forcing his opponent back with a swing of his hammer. His voice was rough and hoarse, filled with suppressed fury.
"Then you can die."
The gaunt man wasted no more words. His figure blurred, and the Ghost Head Saber became a streak of black light, slashing straight for the bald brute’s face.
The two men clashed once more.
The flash of the saber and the shadow of the hammer intertwined. The roar of exploding Qi Force was incessant as the surrounding trees suffered, their branches and leaves shredded by stray gusts of saber energy and the wind from the hammer.
Fang Han watched quietly. ’What on earth are they fighting over?’ he wondered.
’Could it be something from the Grandmaster’s Tomb?’
The tide of the battle slowly turned. The gaunt man’s group gained the upper hand, and the bald brute’s men began to fall one after another.
Screams and roars mixed together, only to be drowned out by the sickening thuds of blades striking flesh and the sharp cracks of breaking bones.
In less than fifteen minutes, only the bald brute was left, struggling to hold on.
His body was covered in seven or eight wounds, large and small. The most severe was on his left shoulder—a gash so deep that bone was visible. His left arm hung limply at his side, blood dripping from his fingertips.
He had only one of his short-handled iron hammers left; the other had flown from his grasp at some point and was now embedded in the trunk of a nearby tree.
The gaunt man gave the bald brute no chance to catch his breath.
His Ghost Head Saber slashed out with the speed of lightning, each strike faster and more vicious than the one before. The bald brute, unable to dodge, could only raise his remaining hammer to parry.
CLANG—!
The sound of metal on metal exploded through the forest, sending sparks flying.
The force of the blow knocked the hammer from the bald brute’s hand. He staggered back and slammed hard against the trunk of a tree, spewing a mouthful of blood before sliding to the ground.
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