Chapter 105: All Is Ready, Only the East Wind Is Missing

An opportunity once missed is lost forever.

Lu Yan naturally would not let such a chance slip by. He quietly closed in on Li Cangxin and his party. Although the demonic servants had ceased their pursuit, Li Cangxin’s group remained grim-faced and did not linger, sprinting wildly toward the north.

*Whoosh!*

A figure suddenly lunged out from the mountain forest nearby. A Li family retainer, a martial artist who had broken his limits five times, was startled. Thinking another demonic servant had caught up, he swung his blade in a slash.

Grandmaster-level noble houses are fundamentally different from Martial Marquis-level ones. A Martial Marquis-level house often relies on a single top-tier martial art as its foundation, but within a Grandmaster-level house, there is never just one such art. Senior retainers who have performed great deeds and gained the Li family’s trust are also granted access to top-tier martial arts. The retainer before him was one such person; he practiced a top-tier martial art and possessed combat prowess far superior to the average retainer.

But in Lu Yan’s eyes, they were all the same.

With a single punch, he shattered the broadsword into fragments and sent the man’s body flying, severed in two. Lu Yan quickly closed the distance to Li Cangxin.

Li Cangxin, carrying the bamboo basket, sensed the approaching danger and threw a full-force punch toward Lu Yan. Though protected, Li Cangxin was no weakling; in fact, he was quite formidable. A peak five-limit breaker with an innate martial body and blood-qi three times that of an ordinary person, few peers could withstand a single blow from him.

Yet, he could not withstand a single blow from Lu Yan.

As their fists collided, Li Cangxin’s thick blood-qi was instantly shattered, his arm buckled, and the bones in his hand were pulverized.

*Thump!*

Lu Yan followed up with another punch to Li Cangxin’s chest, caving it in. The immense force surged through his body, rupturing the flesh on his back. Li Cangxin’s eyes widened, staring with resentment at the unfamiliar middle-aged man before him, before his breath failed him forever.

"Second Young Master!"

The surrounding retainers roared in fury, eyes splitting with rage, yet for a moment, none dared to charge at Lu Yan. Killing Li Cangxin with a single punch—such combat strength could only be achieved by a Martial Marquis. A Martial Marquis’s power crushed limit-breaking martial artists too easily; to engage him would be suicide.

The sound of their roars carried far, and a long, piercing whistle echoed from the distance. Lu Yan’s expression shifted; that was a Martial Marquis of the Li family.

He drew his long blade, sliced the shoulder straps of the bamboo basket, and grabbed it, rushing toward the forest. Two retainers who stood in his path had no time to dodge and were sent flying by a punch and a kick from Lu Yan. Like a gust of wind, Lu Yan sprinted into the forest and vanished. He hadn't used his full strength, his skin hadn't turned the tell-tale golden hue, and he had used a technique to alter his appearance; these people would never recognize him.

A long time later, angry howls echoed from behind.

Lu Yan ran wildly for tens of miles before changing direction, traveling another hundred miles before finally stopping to open the basket. Inside, a strange beast was indeed contained. It was shaped like a tiger, with snow-white fur as crystalline as jade. However, it was quite small, weighing about twenty pounds, looking like a giant white cat.

This was the Jade-Bone Tiger.

After racking his brains and overcoming wave after wave of trouble, it was finally in his hands. The Jade-Bone Tiger’s limbs were bound with chains, and its muzzle was wrapped, leaving only its nose to breathe. No wonder it had been so quiet in the basket.

Lu Yan closed the lid, pulled a piece of dried martial food from his robes to chew on, and continued toward Baicao City. His speed was like the wind, his blood-qi thick, and his endurance long. He rested only twice, and after a day and two nights, he returned to Baicao City.

It was said that some Martial Marquises could travel a thousand miles a day, and this was no exaggeration. Lu Yan, or any Martial Marquis, possessed immense explosive power; once triggered, their speed was astonishing, but such bursts were meant for escaping, not for long-distance travel. Maintaining that pace for long would exhaust one's blood-qi or bone strength quickly. Even when pacing one's blood-qi for a long journey, one had to stop to consume martial food to replenish it.

Upon returning to the vicinity of Baicao City, Lu Yan did not enter immediately. He waited until the dead of night to slip into the city, returning to the Sanjue Martial Hall to place the Jade-Bone Tiger in an underground secret chamber. This chamber hadn't existed originally; Lu Yan had commissioned it after buying the property, with the entrance hidden in his bedroom.

Shortly after Lu Yan returned to the Sanjue Martial Hall, another figure returned to Baicao City. This was Li Wenlong, looking extremely disheveled. He bore a wound stretching from his chest to his abdomen, as if carved by a heavy blade. Had his vitality not been far superior to an ordinary person's due to his Martial Marquis cultivation, he would have likely been unable to stand. He had returned before the others specifically to report the death of Li Cangxin.

Li Wenxuan, as one of the two most prominent figures in the Li family, resided in a grand and imposing estate. In the council hall, Li Wenxuan sat at the head. He was fair-skinned with a long beard, dressed in scholar’s robes, looking like a man well-versed in poetry and books. But at this moment, his face was ashen, and a thick aura of murderous intent radiated from him. Besides Li Wenxuan, Li Canglin and Li Wenlong were present, but neither dared to breathe loudly.

Li Wenxuan practiced the top-tier martial art known as the "Canghai Sangtian Sword." In daily life, he was a humble gentleman, hence his nickname, the "Gentleman Sword." But only confidants like Li Wenlong knew how terrifying his methods were and how decisive he could be.

"Did you not see the killer?" Li Wenxuan asked coldly.

"We were busy containing the demon to give Cangxin time to escape. We never expected a thief to be lying in wait," Li Wenlong explained.

"What about clues? Are there any clues regarding the killer?" Li Wenxuan’s eyes were sharp as he pressed the point.

Li Wenlong lowered his head, not daring to meet Li Wenxuan’s gaze. "The man was cautious and left no clues. His face was not hidden, so he was likely using disguise. But according to the others, he was immensely powerful. Cangxin was killed in one blow—he must be a Martial Marquis."

"The goal of this person was clearly the Jade-Bone Tiger. That leaves only one primary suspect."

"Who?" Li Wenxuan asked.

"Wei Tuo, the one who snatched the Shell-Fish from the Zheng family at Linchuan Cliff, then infiltrated the Qiu family’s estate, killed their Martial Marquis Qiu Baiye, and made off with the fish."

"Originally, he had the most Shell-Fish and was ranked first, but we took his purchase quota. He likely held a grudge. We were cautious on the road, keeping a constant guard around Cangxin, but we never expected to encounter a demon on the way, and Wenjie died at its hands."

"Therefore, I suspect it is highly likely that Wei Tuo was tailing us, waiting for the right moment to strike," Li Wenlong explained.

"Wei Tuo? Do we know his background?" Li Wenxuan asked.

"Some say he might come from the Lian Wei family," Li Wenlong said.

"The Wei family? There is no such figure as Wei Tuo among the Martial Marquises of the Wei family. He is likely using an alias." Li Wenxuan tapped his fingers on the table, having regained his composure. "As you said, Wei Tuo is the prime suspect. A man capable of killing Qiu Baiye is likely a Martial Marquis, but he wanted the Jade-Bone Tiger—he must have a relative or disciple with an innate martial body. Investigate in that direction."

"Father, Wei Tuo’s origins are mysterious; he could be from any of the six counties of Lingdong. Investigating him won't be easy," Li Canglin ventured.

"It must be done regardless of the difficulty. I will not let Cangxin die in vain. Start the investigation with those who have innate martial bodies. Also, anyone who has broken through to the Martial Marquis level in recent times is a suspect. Investigate them all."

"Canglin, this matter is entrusted to you. No matter how much time it takes, find the truth."

"Yes," Li Canglin nodded. He knew his father doted on Li Cangxin most; he would not stop until he achieved his goal. With so few clues, he could only do his best.

Lu Yan stayed in the Sanjue Martial Hall for three days, appearing daily to teach his disciples. Three days later, he took a food box and quietly headed toward the secondary blood vein of Changfeng Mountain. It was time to hunt the Alienated Blood-Armored Lizard.

This food box of his was inlaid with Red-Blood Jade. Red-Blood Jade was produced in the depths of blood veins. Not all blood veins produced it; only a few did. Red-Blood Jade contained concentrated blood toxins, so food boxes made from it could not be used for cooked martial food, but they were perfect for storing exotic beast meat. The blood toxins constantly exuding from the Red-Blood Jade prevented the meat from rotting; it was said that meat stored within could remain fresh for twenty years. Lu Yan had bought it specifically to store the alienated heart meat. Once an Alienated Blood-Armored Lizard was killed, the heart meat would weigh twenty pounds; if he couldn't sell it, he needed a way to keep it from spoiling. Lu Yan had once lamented that there were no refrigerators in this world, or else he could extend the shelf life of the meat even further.

*Pfft!*

Inside the blood vein, Lu Yan thrust his blade into the neck of the Alienated Blood-Armored Lizard, ending its life. Though the beast was powerful, nearing the strength of a Martial Marquis, that was all it was—nearing. Lu Yan could already kill a Martial Marquis; killing an Alienated Blood-Armored Lizard was effortless.

With his Red-Blood Blade, he sliced through the lizard’s hide and, sure enough, found a lump of heart meat near the heart. Lu Yan carefully cut it out and weighed it—about twenty pounds, just as expected. He packed it into the food box, wrapped it in a cloth bag, slung it over his back, and left the blood vein.

Returning to the Sanjue Martial Hall, he placed the food box in the secret chamber.

"Now, all that's left is to cook the Alienated Nine-Section Heart Meat and the Beast King Bone-Protecting Soup. Who should I go to?" Lu Yan pondered.

He had long since prepared the supplementary ingredients for the heart meat, three portions in fact. As for the soup, he had acquired some in Baicao City, and the rest he had secretly bought through Wang Lin and Li Quan when he was in Nanyi City. Everything was ready; he only lacked the chef.

Hiring a master martial chef in Baicao City was no longer realistic. He had killed Li Cangxin and stolen the Jade-Bone Tiger; if he produced the tiger, he would be exposed. The master martial chefs in Baicao City had deep ties to the Li family. Going to Nanyi City was also ruled out; it wasn't safe there either. Who knew if the Zheng, Qiu, or Li families had agents in Nanyi City?

Finally, Lu Yan decided on Baiyue City. The Tuoba family of Baiyue City were the mortal enemies of the Gao family of Nanyi. The safety factor there would be much higher than in Baicao or Nanyi. Although there were risks, he had no choice; this was a step he had to take.

"It’s a pity I am not a master martial chef, nor do I have one under my command, otherwise why risk this?" Lu Yan sighed.

He packed the ingredients, cut off three pounds of the alienated heart meat, and packed it along with the Jade-Bone Tiger. With his backpack on, he left Baicao City under the cover of night, heading toward Baiyue City.

Baiyue City was to the east of Nanyi County, over a thousand miles from Baicao City. Lu Yan did not ride a horse, traveling on foot, and arrived in Baiyue City in a day and a half. He found an inn to stay in. This inn also served martial food, so they were quite knowledgeable about the master martial chefs in the city. For ten taels of silver, the waiter gave him all the information he needed.

There were two master martial chefs in Baiyue City. One was raised by the Tuoba family and cooked exclusively for them; it was very difficult for an outsider to hire him, as one had to go through the Tuoba family first. Lu Yan ruled him out. The other master martial chef was not affiliated with the Tuoba family and was relatively independent; he ran a restaurant in the city and had eight disciples, cooking for others. Of course, any master martial chef who could establish themselves in Baiyue City inevitably had some ties to the Tuoba family.

The next day, Lu Yan put on his backpack and stood outside the restaurant.

"Big brother, I am a junior hoping to ask Master Lu to cook some martial food for me. Could you please announce me?" Lu Yan said to a burly man guarding the door. Coincidentally, this chef was also surnamed Lu, named Lu Wenxuan.

"You want to hire the Master? Sorry, go back. The Master is fully booked for the next three months. He has no time," the guard said, looking Lu Yan up and down before waving him away.

"Big brother, please, just tell him I have high-level martial food that needs cooking." As he spoke, Lu Yan pulled a twenty-tael silver note from his sleeve and handed it to the guard. The man took it expertly, glanced at it, and slipped it into his sleeve without a change in expression, a smile already blooming on his face. "Fine, I'll go tell him. I'll put in a good word for you, but whether the Master agrees to cook for you is not for me to decide."

"No problem, thank you, big brother," Lu Yan cupped his hands.

The guard walked inside with a light step. A moment later, he returned. "The Master agrees to see you. He wants to know what kind of martial food you have. Follow me."

Lu Yan followed the guard to a parlor and met an old man. The man was of advanced age, but his spirit was vigorous, his skin rosy, and he was sipping tea.

"Junior greets Master Lu," Lu Yan bowed.

"Hmm," the old man nodded, waved for the guard to withdraw, and said, "I hear you have high-level martial food to cook? Tell me, what is it?"

"Alienated Nine-Section Heart Meat," Lu Yan said straightforwardly, opening his pack to reveal the three pounds of heart meat. He did not show the Jade-Bone Tiger yet.

Lu Wenxuan’s eyes lit up. "Three pounds of Alienated Nine-Section Heart Meat—you want to cook all of it?"

Lu Yan nodded. His blood-qi was six times that of an ordinary person, and his breakthroughs were harder, so he naturally needed to prepare more heart meat. Although the first portion of the meat provided the best effect, and subsequent portions would have diminishing returns, they still had an effect. And he didn't lack the meat.

"I was originally fully booked, but since you have Alienated Nine-Section Heart Meat, I can push some things back. However, the fee is 15,000 taels per portion," Lu Wenxuan said.

"That is acceptable," Lu Yan nodded. The price was quite reasonable.