Chapter 26: Zhang Yuan, Late Stage of the Xiantian Realm

“Yu Cheng was nothing but a hollow name. Though his nickname was the 'Cloud Hawk,' his movement techniques were only mediocre; it took me only three to five moves to capture him.” Zhang Yuan placed the baton on the table and pulled a stack of scrolls from the pouch at his waist.

“These are confessions from the Bai Chou Mountains regarding their crimes over the years, along with some land deeds and banknotes.”

The currency of Great Qin was primarily gold, silver, and copper, with official banknotes used for large denominations of silver.

Depending on their value, banknotes came in three colors—gold-red, silver-white, and copper-green—all bearing watermarks and security marks. Anyone daring to forge them would face the extermination of their entire clan.

Master Tao nodded. He coughed twice and began counting the banknotes in his hand.

“The patron paid a deposit of one thousand taels, with another three thousand to follow upon completion of the task.”

“There is a total of one thousand three hundred and sixty taels here. The land deeds are hard to move and will need to go through the black market; I expect to get about thirty percent of their value. As for this evidence...”

Before he could finish, the sound of a bell rang from the front courtyard.

“Why hasn't Chen Wu come today? Those fellows are waiting for him to teach the evening lesson.” Master Tao picked up several scrolls covered in black ink and spoke with a frown.

Yulin Academy held morning and evening lessons. The morning lessons were academic, taught in rotation by Master Tao and his clan cousin, Tao Hong—whom the children called Little Master Tao.

The evening lessons were martial; they taught fist techniques, taught by Chen Wu from the Martial Guard Office.

“I sent him to drink with his colleagues at the Osmanthus Boat,” Zhang Yuan said with a smile, explaining the matter he had entrusted to Young Master Feng. He then added, “I’ll take the evening lesson. I was the one who taught Chen Wu his Iron Armor Fist.”

“By the way, Old Man Zheng has left. We will head to the Zheng Family Village tomorrow.”

With that, he stood up and walked out.

As he watched Zhang Yuan leave, Master Tao’s gaze fell upon the baton on the table.

“A Xiantian Realm expert renowned for many years, yet unable to last more than three to five moves against you. Your martial combat power is truly peerless...” Master Tao whispered to himself as he slowly organized the banknotes and land deeds, his expression a complex mix of awe and envy.

Having returned from Fengtian County, although he had escaped with his life, his path of martial arts had been severed, leaving him to serve merely as a teacher in the academy.

In contrast, Zhang Yuan had displayed unimaginable cultivation talent since the bloody battle at Fengtian.

Since his return, his martial cultivation, techniques, and combat skills had progressed by leaps and bounds every single day.

Even without the opportunity to enter formal martial studies, it did not hinder his understanding and perception of cultivation.

Outsiders did not know, but Master Tao and Hu Qingniu knew clearly: Zhang Yuan had stepped into the Xiantian Realm four years ago.

A Xiantian expert under the age of eighteen was not just unique within the Luyang Prefecture; in the entirety of Great Qin, such a person would likely be as rare as a phoenix feather.

Taking a linen scroll covered in writing from his robe, Master Tao carefully unfolded it, pressing his hand over the name "Zheng Qiang."

“The debts of your brothers are almost cleared; the shackles binding you must be nearing their end as well...”

A flash of pain flickered in Master Tao's eyes. He covered his mouth and coughed heavily until his face turned flushed.

“Rest assured. For the five years you sacrificed, I will fight with my life to win them back for you.”

Martial cultivation was the accumulation of blood and qi, the tempering of true essence.

For elites, the younger they were, the faster they had to ascend; otherwise, once the blood and qi stabilized, further advancement would become difficult.

Yet, Zhang Yuan had wasted his most rapid period of growth in this small border town of Luyang Prefecture, all just to redeem the merits earned by his comrades.

“Tao Hong,” Master Tao called out sharply. A young man in a Confucian robe stepped quickly into the room.

“Brother Yulin,” Tao Hong whispered, bowing slightly.

Master Tao took out an iron token and placed it on the table.

“Yu Cheng of the Bai Chou Mountains has been eliminated. Go help Zhang Yuan exchange his merits, then head to the black market to dispose of these land deeds.”

Pausing, Master Tao tapped his finger lightly on the table. “Collect the remaining payment from the patron who commissioned Yu Cheng's death. Black Tiger took only twenty moves to kill Yu Cheng; his ranking on the Elite List could break into the top hundred.”

“Once he reaches the top hundred, I fear Zhang Yuan's identity won't stay hidden for long.”

Looking up at Tao Hong, Master Tao said solemnly, “Find a way to make the Black Ice Platform divert suspicion regarding Black Tiger's identity elsewhere.”

The Black Ice Platform.

The legendary, long-extinct Black Ice Platform of Great Qin.

“Understood.” Tao Hong cupped his fists, gathered the items Master Tao had placed on the table, and bowed before retreating.

Outsiders would never understand why he was so respectful to his own clan cousin.

Outsiders would never know that he was not a member of the Tao family at all.

He was a Black Ice Platform undercover agent, reporting directly to the man sitting before him, Master Tao.

His mission, along with Master Tao's, was to handle all the loose ends for Zhang Yuan.

The Black Ice Platform possessed undercover agents, secret guards, and Black Armored Cavalry.

The task of the secret guards and agents was to assist the Black Armor in reconnaissance, intelligence gathering, and cleaning up aftermaths.

***

Having finished teaching the fist techniques, Zhang Yuan ate dinner at the academy. Having made an appointment with Master Tao to leave the city tomorrow morning, he carried his baton and returned to his small courtyard in Ding Family Alley.

Upon reaching the mouth of the alley, many neighbors greeted him with smiles.

The children of the past were now adolescents.

The middle-aged men of the past now had white at their temples.

Just as he reached the entrance of his courtyard, several surprised calls rang out.

“Master Zhang is back!”

“Master Zhang!”

“Has Master Zhang had dinner yet?”

Zhang Yuan's courtyard was not empty.

On the contrary, two families who had fled from Fengtian County resided there.

The large man guarding the gate was named Guo Da. His mother had passed away from illness, and his home in Fengtian had been destroyed, so he stayed in Zhang Yuan's courtyard to watch the house.

The other family, Old Man Xu and his three kin, were also there. The elderly couple was aging, so the young couple helped Zhang Yuan with errands and cooking, never returning to Fengtian.

Although the Yan army had withdrawn from Fengtian County, no one knew when the next battle would occur.

The battle five years ago had made too many people unwilling to return to Fengtian.

Seeing that Old Man Xu and his wife were in decent health, Zhang Yuan headed toward the side rooms in the back courtyard.

Guo Da and the others quickly withdrew.

Standing in the center of the courtyard, Zhang Yuan set down the baton and placed his hand on the hilt of the blade at his waist.

*Clang—*

Two long blades unsheathed simultaneously.

The left-hand blade was three feet long with a slender edge and a hilt over a foot long. The right-hand blade was four and a half feet long, heavy-edged, with a blood groove tinged with a faint red.

*Hum—*

A resonant vibration erupted from the two blades, accompanied by a clear, flowing light.

Blade Qi.

This blade qi appeared thin, yet it possessed a sense of solidity.

It seemed as if the blade qi were about to materialize, condensing into a part of the blades themselves.

With the twin blades in hand, Zhang Yuan stepped forward. He held the left blade horizontally for a diagonal slash, while the right blade was held in a reverse grip, pulling across his body.

The man moved with the blades, and the blades moved with the man, the twin blades transforming into a brilliant sphere of light.

The forms were not numerous, yet they possessed a coexistence of agility and weight.

After three passes, he retracted the heavy right blade and reached out to grasp the baton.

*Click—*

The baton twisted onto the hilt of the slender left blade, transforming into a nine-foot long-handled war blade.

With the long blade in hand, a phantom image resembling a mountain appeared behind Zhang Yuan.

“Kill!”

With a low shout, he swung the long blade down.

The whistling gale carried a piercing shriek that was soul-shaking.

With every downward strike, it felt as if a mountain were collapsing or a great river were surging.

After another three passes, Zhang Yuan sheathed the blades, held the baton in his hand, and walked into the side room.

In his mind, a green phantom slowly dissipated, and a golden light screen condensed.

**[Zhang Yuan]**

**Identity:** Zhang Yuan, 8th-Rank Black-Clad Guard of Luyang Prefecture, Great Qin; Black Tiger, Black Armor Lieutenant of the Black Ice Platform; Black Tiger, Bounty Hunter; Red Fox, Leader of the Red Fox Caravan; Zhang Erhe, Co-Lord of the Eighteen Green Mountain Camps.

**Cultivation:** Late Xiantian Realm. Upgrading requires 850 Blood and Qi Beads, 360 True Essence Beads, Grandmaster Tribulation, and Heavenly Dao Opportunity.

**Martial Cultivation:** Mountain and River Movement (Great Perfection)

**Battle Formations:** Azure Wolf Formation (Great Perfection), Tiger Stride Battle Formation (Great Perfection)

**Chaos Space:** 3,540 Blood and Qi Beads, 732 Insight Beads, 562 True Essence Beads, 221 Demon Qi Beads

**Chaos Auxiliary Combat:** Not Unlocked

No one in the world knew that Zhang Yuan's cultivation had already reached the Xiantian Realm, just one step away from the Grandmaster Realm—the pinnacle of worldly power.

Even Master Tao and Hu Qingniu believed he was only at the early stage of the Xiantian Realm.