Chapter 248: Yunhu Gathering

Chapter 248: Yunhu Gathering

As Ning Xiaochuan left the Sword Intent Martial Academy, the night was hazy, and the soft moonlight cascaded down like a thin silver veil over the ancient city.

Instead of immediately returning to the Jade Viewing Tower, he headed straight out of the city toward Haitang Manor in the South Mountain Gathering.

While Ning Xiaochuan was on his way to Haitang Manor, the Head of Sword Intent Martial Academy and Liu Wenyu secretly entered the Jian Pavilion Marquis House through the back gate to meet with the Jian Pavilion Marquis.

They reported everything that had happened that day to the Jian Pavilion Marquis.

Both of them were trusted confidants of the Jian Pavilion Marquis, and whenever major matters arose, they could directly seek an audience with him.

Upon hearing their report, the Jian Pavilion Marquis narrowed his eyes slightly and asked, "You truly saw him produce the Azure Jade Token?"

"Absolutely certain," the Head of Sword Intent Martial Academy replied.

"How old did he appear to be?" the Jian Pavilion Marquis inquired.

Liu Wenyu answered, "Though he wore a mask, my eyes are sharp when it comes to judging people. I can confirm he was definitely around twenty years old."

A faint, imperceptible smile tugged at the corners of the Jian Pavilion Marquis's lips, and the heavy weight in his heart finally lifted.

He could now conclude that the so-called "Marquis House Special Envoy" was none other than Ning Xiaochuan.

Since he had already begun taking over the Marquis House's shops and was making strategic preparations, it meant he was undoubtedly safe, and there was no longer any need to worry about him.

The Jian Pavilion Marquis, wise as he was, naturally understood why Ning Xiaochuan had not returned to the Jian Pavilion Marquis House—he intended to remain hidden in the shadows to carry out matters he wished to keep secret.

"It seems this child Xiaochuan is not only highly talented in martial arts but also possesses a steady mind, understanding the virtue of biding one's time."

The Jian Pavilion Marquis felt even more assured about entrusting the Marquis House to him as his successor. After a moment of contemplation, he said, "Do not inquire further about his identity. From now on, follow all his orders without question. By the way, how confident are you about controlling half of the Imperial City's weapon trade within six months?"

Liu Wenyu sighed helplessly. "This is practically an impossible task. However... the Special Envoy mentioned he would personally handle the weapon markets of Marquis Qi Tian's Manor and the Kirin Prince's Manor. If he can subdue these two giants, we still stand a considerable chance."

Marquis Qi Tian's Manor and the Kirin Prince's Manor were both major powers in the Imperial City. Could Ning Xiaochuan truly take on these two behemoths of the weapon market single-handedly?

Even the Old Marquis found it hard to believe.

Meanwhile, Tianchenzi and Lin Sanzhi had joined forces, leading Ghost Manor's forces to attack the Situ Family at Yunhu Gathering for an entire month.

Yet, they had made little progress and instead suffered significant losses.

When Ning Xiaochuan arrived at Haitang Manor, Tianchenzi returned in the Green Deer Horse Carriage, wounded.

Ning Xiaochuan frowned. "How can a mere Situ Family be so formidable? They can withstand a Martial Venerable?"

Lin Sanzhi was at the Earthly Venerable Realm, and Tianchenzi was on the verge of breaking into that realm as well. With the combined strength of these two experts, they still couldn't breach a single family—this was truly hard to justify.

Tianchenzi sat cross-legged on a stone platform, a bloody palm print visible on his chest. His face was pale, and streaks of blood continued to seep from the wound.

Despite his cultivation level, he struggled to stop the bleeding.

Ning Xiaochuan examined his injuries and discovered a scorching force invading his body through the wounds, seeping into his bloodstream.

This scorching force resembled Fire Poison, capable of keeping a martial artist's blood in a boiling state for an extended period.

Fortunately, Tianchenzi's cultivation was sufficiently high; otherwise, he would have long since burst into flames, reduced to ashes.

Ning Xiaochuan activated the Demonic Sword within him and pressed a palm onto Tianchenzi's shoulder, drawing out the scorching energy strand by strand from his body and refining it into his own.

Once Ning Xiaochuan had fully absorbed this scorching force, he immediately withdrew his hand and refined it, converting it into his own power.

Tianchenzi also swiftly circulated his Profound Qi to stop the bleeding, stabilizing his injuries in just half an hour. "Many thanks, Manor Lord, for your assistance."

In truth, Tianchenzi was far more shaken than his composed expression suggested. What technique had Ning Xiaochuan just used? Could it truly be the legendary Northern Abyss Divine Art?

It would be strange if Tianchenzi wasn’t tempted, but now was not the time to turn against Ning Xiaochuan, so he restrained himself as much as possible.

Standing under the dim light, wearing a mask with his hands clasped behind his back, Ning Xiaochuan asked, "The one who injured Senior Tianchenzi must be no ordinary figure, correct?"

Tianchenzi nodded. "A Martial Venerable hired by the Situ Family."

"Who?" Ning Xiaochuan frowned slightly.

Tianchenzi replied, "If I’m not mistaken, this Martial Venerable is likely the Fire God Child from the Kirin Prince's Manor. I was wounded by his Martial Arts Divine Ability—the Thunderous Fire God Palm."

Ning Xiaochuan's brows furrowed deeper. "So the Situ Family has the backing of the Kirin Prince's Manor."

Tianchenzi chuckled. "The Imperial City is a place where the world's greatest fortunes converge, and martial artists from all over gather. If there are ten top-tier martial artists in the entire Yulan Empire, five of them are in the Imperial City. The strong are as numerous as fish in a river, with hidden dragons and crouching tigers, and the distribution of power is intricate. Any family that can establish itself in the Imperial City—even a minor one—must have extraordinary connections. For Ghost Manor to carve out a place here, we must inevitably clash with all manner of formidable forces. It’s only natural."

"Of course... the Situ Family was never ordinary to begin with."

Tianchenzi added meaningfully, "Manor Lord, do you know why I’ve been so eager to take down the Situ Family and seize Yunhu Gathering?"

Ning Xiaochuan had already done his research and was quite familiar with the Situ Family. "Yunhu Gathering, along with the surrounding Yunnan Gathering, Phoenix Ridge Gathering, Celestial Immortal Gathering, Taixing Gathering, Dama Gathering, and Hunchuan Gathering—these seven major markets are the richest in mines around the Imperial City, abundant in rare ores used for forging large quantities of Mystic Artifact weapons."

"Five hundred years ago, a branch of the Kirin Prince's Manor established the Situ Family in Yunhu Gathering and seized control of the mining regions across the seven markets. Over the centuries, with the Kirin Prince's Manor pulling strings behind the scenes, the Situ Family became the top forging clan in the Imperial City, producing vast quantities of Mystic Artifacts and Ordinary Items for the Kirin Prince's Manor annually. This allowed the Kirin Prince's Manor to dominate the Imperial City’s weapon market, unshakable by any other force."

Tianchenzi said, "Exactly. If we can take down the Situ Family, we’ll gain control of numerous mines and possess the largest forging base in the Imperial City, allowing us to supply Ghost Manor with an endless stream of weapons."

This was precisely what Ning Xiaochuan intended to do. He declared, "We must spare no cost to seize the Situ Family. Tomorrow, I will personally lead the attack at Yunhu Gathering alongside the Left Guardian King and take them down in one fell swoop."

"I will accompany the Manor Lord," Tianchenzi offered.

Ning Xiaochuan waved his hand dismissively. "The envoy is still injured and should not exhaust himself with travel. Ghost Manor needs you to hold the fort. I will go with the Right Guardian King instead."

To maintain a low profile, Ning Xiaochuan and Murong Hua set off the next morning in a simple Green Deer Horse Carriage, heading toward Yunhu Gathering.

On the outskirts of the Imperial City, there were a total of 217 Border Markets.

These Border Markets were far more than just marketplaces—they spanned vast territories, comparable in size to a county.

Some of the central Border Markets were designated as key strongholds of the Imperial City, fortified with military checkpoints and garrisoned with large armies. Their territories were even more expansive, rivaling the size of a prefecture.

Thus, while the Imperial City might seem like just a single city, when combined with the Inner City, Outer City, and Border Markets, it was comparable to a smaller domain—the 64th domain of the Yulan Empire.

It was no surprise, then, that the Imperial City gathered half of the empire’s martial artists.

(The Yulan Empire’s administrative divisions, from highest to lowest: Domain, Plain, Prefecture, Province, County, Town, Village.)

Yunhu Gathering was one of the Imperial City’s sixteen major strongholds, guarded by the Son of Heaven Pass and garrisoned with 200,000 troops.

Of course, the primary duty of these forces was to defend against external threats and large-scale conflicts. As for internal disputes within Yunhu Gathering, they were managed by the Border Market Patrol.

The Situ Family was the most dominant force in Yunhu Gathering, with a legacy spanning over 500 years. Deeply entrenched, they had recruited many powerful martial artists and, backed by a noble prince, openly disregarded the Border Market Patrol. They ruled like local despots, wielding immense influence.

By noon, Ning Xiaochuan and Murong Hua arrived at Yunhu Gathering and entered an opulent restaurant to eat.

No matter how high one’s martial cultivation, one could not completely forgo food.

In Ning Xiaochuan’s view, delicious food could sometimes be more tempting than beautiful women.

"Manor Lord," Murong Hua said with a slight frown, "though Ghost Manor has gathered all manner of rogues from 36 Border Markets, confronting a deeply rooted family like the Situ head-on would result in a pyrrhic victory at best. Moreover, with the Fire God Child now supporting them—a Martial Venerable—our fight will be even more difficult."

Ning Xiaochuan smiled. "The Situ Family may have deep roots and many experts, but they operate in the open while we remain in the shadows. The Fire God Child’s cultivation may be unparalleled, but he is still just one man. He might protect their main stronghold, but he can’t possibly guard all seven Border Market mines at once."

"So the Manor Lord means… to strike at the mines first?" Murong Hua narrowed his eyes.

Just as Ning Xiaochuan and Murong Hua were deep in discussion, a clamor erupted outside.

Amidst the crowd, a stunningly beautiful woman stepped forward, clad in a Mystic Artifact Spirit Garment, her black hair cascading like a waterfall and her skin as fair as snow. Waves of powerful Profound Qi emanated from her as she made her way toward the restaurant.

Behind her followed twelve formidable Martial Artists, all dressed in cyan robes and enveloped in Profound Qi, their gazes sharp as blades. Like twelve Guardian Vajras, their presence forced the other Martial Artists in the restaurant to retreat.

The overwhelming surge of Profound Qi filled the entire restaurant, leaving the more timid Martial Artists too frightened to even breathe loudly.

"Could she be the sixth daughter of the Situ Family, Situ Fengwu—one of the Imperial City's Ten Outstanding Youths?"

"Among the Imperial City's Ten Outstanding Youths, three are women, and Lady Situ is one of them. Her cultivation has reached the pinnacle, making her nearly invincible among her peers."

"Rumor has it that Lady Situ shares an extraordinary relationship with the Crown Prince and may very well become the first Crown Princess."

The Martial Artists in the restaurant whispered among themselves, casting glances of admiration and reverence toward Situ Fengwu.

Figures of the Imperial City's Ten Outstanding Youths were not ones one could encounter at any given moment.

Hearing the murmurs of the crowd, Ning Xiaochuan and Murong Hua also turned their gazes toward Situ Fengwu.