Chapter 128: First Encounter with the Supernatural

After leaving Snake City, Lu Yan continued northward, gradually approaching the region under the control of the Wei clan.

During this journey, Lu Yan took action once more. This was because this particular aristocratic family possessed a top-tier martial art: a saber technique. Among the two dozen or so Marquis-level clans in Li'an County, they were the only ones to master such a technique. It was known as the Purple Gold Profound Heaven Saber. Lu Yan had already assessed the strength of this clan and knew they did not possess any martial artists at the fifth stage of the Marquis realm. He launched a direct assault, striking until the opponents were terrified into obediently handing over their Divine Intent Map and the saber manual. As before, Lu Yan found a secluded spot, mastered the technique, and returned the scrolls to them.

Afterward, Lu Yan did not strike again. Upon passing through the Wei clan's territory, he entered Da'an County. In Da'an County, he took action only once. He was not well-informed about the clans in this region and did not want to act rashly without knowing their true strength. However, he had heard of one clan that mastered a speed-based martial art called the Cloud-Walking Step. Once mastered, one could channel internal energy to become as light as a swallow, walking as if strolling through the clouds. The stronger one’s bone-forged strength, the greater the speed. This was practically tailor-made for Lu Yan, and it deeply intrigued him. After careful investigation, he learned that this clan was not particularly strong and was far from being a Grandmaster-level faction. Lu Yan marched directly to their gates and secured the Divine Intent Map and the secret manual. It took him one month to comprehend the technique and condense a martial avatar, after which he returned the items.

Since then, Lu Yan had refrained from further conflict. Over the course of his journey, he had struck four times, obtaining three top-tier martial arts and five second-tier archery techniques, which would be enough to sustain his growth for quite some time. He knew that if he continued to "comprehend" his way through the region, he would inevitably alert the Grandmaster-level clans. If that were to draw out a Grandmaster-level figure to deal with him, it would be troublesome. He decided that once he elevated all the techniques currently in his possession to the state of "Unity of Man and Martial Arts," he would then seek out other top-tier techniques. He believed that by then, his strength would have increased once more, and he would have greater confidence.

Traveling at full speed, he significantly reduced his transit time. Three and a half months after leaving Hundred Grass City, he finally arrived in Dongshan County, nearing Lingwang City. Of those three and a half months, over three were spent in seclusion comprehending martial arts, with only ten days spent on the road.

Mangwu Mountain was a lush expanse of mountains south of Lingwang City. It was a vast region with abundant wild beasts and few inhabitants, located over two hundred miles from Lingwang City. On a small mountain path, a tall, burly youth in his thirties was walking. His pace did not seem fast, but with every step he took, his body drifted lightly, covering ten meters in an instant.

"The Cloud-Walking Step truly lives up to its reputation as a top-tier martial art; it is far beyond what the Wind-Chasing Step can compare to. Even now, at the introductory stage, it has already shown extraordinary efficacy. If I can train it to the level of 'Unity of Man and Martial Arts,' my speed will undoubtedly skyrocket. By then, even if I face a Grandmaster who is not skilled in speed, I should be able to escape with my life," the youth thought to himself.

This person was, naturally, Lu Yan, who had traveled from afar. His thirty-something appearance was a disguise; it was not his true face. He practiced the Cloud-Walking Step as he traveled. Two miles further on, a scent suddenly wafted toward him. Lu Yan looked ahead and saw a small tavern by the roadside.

It consisted of a thatched hut and a wooden shed covered with straw to block the rain. Under the shed, there were six wooden tables. An elderly couple with tanned skin, appearing to be in their fifties or sixties, was busy working. In front of the hut stood a large pot with a wooden steamer on top, emitting steaming hot vapors; the aroma originated from there. Of the six tables, only one was occupied, seating two burly men and a woman who still possessed a hint of charm. All three carried weapons, clearly people of the martial world. They glanced at Lu Yan but paid him no further mind.

"Traveler, would you like to have a drink? It’s homemade farm liquor, mellow and rich; every traveler who has tasted it has nothing but praise," the old man called out upon seeing Lu Yan.

Lu Yan had been subsisting mostly on dried martial rations during his journey and was eager for a change of flavor, so he nodded and said, "Alright."

He chose a table and sat down, asking, "Besides the liquor, what else is there to eat?"

"We have fresh donkey meat buns. It's a donkey I raised myself, and the taste is delicious. They just went into the steamer, so you’ll have to wait a moment," the old man replied.

Lu Yan nodded and sat quietly. The three people at the neighboring table were clearly waiting for the buns as well. Martial artists needed to consume martial food to improve, but not every martial artist had access to such food for every meal, every day. They would usually supplement their diet with ordinary food. Even those who could afford martial food would occasionally eat ordinary delicacies for a change of pace. Lu Yan, for instance, did not lack martial food, but he would occasionally eat regular food to experience a taste of human life.

Lu Yan had been sitting for only the time it takes to brew a pot of tea when a group arrived from not far away. There were five people in total, led by a young man and a woman. Lu Yan's gaze was first drawn to the woman. She stood nearly 1.8 meters tall—a normal height for a female martial artist—but it was her physique that was truly striking. She wore a crimson half-armor that failed to conceal her proud figure; her curves were graceful, and combined with her superior beauty, she was a sight to behold. With her hair in a ponytail and a long spear in her hand, she looked crisp, efficient, and heroic. It wasn't just Lu Yan; the two burly men at the next table also cast frequent glances.

After a moment, Lu Yan shifted his gaze to the others. Beside the woman was a rather handsome youth carrying a long sword on his back. As for the three burly men behind them, they were clearly servants and not worth a second look. The five walked straight to the table next to Lu Yan’s and sat down.

"Five guests, what would you like to have?" the shopkeeper asked, walking over with a smile plastered on his dark, aged face, bowing his body.

"What do you have?" the young man asked.

"Our specialty is our homemade farm liquor, and we also have donkey meat buns," the old man replied.

"Then bring us three catties of liquor and five steamers of donkey meat buns," the youth ordered.

"Right away, travelers. The buns will be out of the steamer in a moment," the old man said.

Soon, steamer after steamer of hot donkey meat buns was placed on the tables. On Lu Yan’s table, there was also a steamer and a jar of liquor. Lu Yan’s nose twitched, and a flash of strangeness crossed his eyes. He did not start eating, but remained sitting still. The table with the ponytail woman did not eat either. Only the first table—the two burly men and the middle-aged woman—began to eat and drink heartily.

"Shopkeeper, now that Lingwang City is suffering from an invasion of demons and evil spirits, there is a constant risk of them bypassing the city and entering the rear. This place is quite remote; aren't you afraid of the danger in opening a tavern here?" the ponytail woman suddenly asked.

The shopkeeper was slightly stunned, then his face filled with an honest, simple smile again. "Danger? Naturally, I'm afraid. But we have to make a living; my family is waiting for a meal, so there’s no help for it. Recently, many martial artists have been passing through, and it's a good opportunity to earn a little more to give the children something better to eat."

"Where are you from?" the ponytail woman continued to ask.

"We are from the nearby Mangwu Village," the shopkeeper answered honestly.

"Oh, we came from Lingwang City to patrol the surroundings and prevent demons and evil spirits from sneaking in. We happen to be heading to Mangwu Village; could you lead the way?" the ponytail woman asked.

"Of course, that is only natural. After you have had your fill, I shall lead the way," the shopkeeper said respectfully, then added, "Travelers, the donkey meat buns should be eaten while hot; they aren't as good when cold. This is a donkey I raised myself, and the flavor is exquisite."

"Donkey meat buns?" A trace of mockery appeared on the ponytail woman’s face. "I think these are human meat buns, and the meat of martial artists at that. We wouldn't dare eat them."

As these words left her lips, the expressions of the elderly couple shifted slightly. Lu Yan remained calm and composed, as if he had already known. The three people at the first table, however, were stunned; they immediately spat out the buns in their mouths. One of them roared in anger, "Shopkeeper! Is what she says true?"

"Heh heh, can't you taste it yourself? Why ask me?" The shopkeeper sneered. His once honest-looking face now wore a sinister expression.

"You're courting death!" The two burly men and the middle-aged woman were furious. They shattered their table with a palm strike and stood up, ready to slaughter the couple. But the moment they stood, they felt the world spinning, and a hint of black mist appeared on their faces.

"Poison! There’s poison in the buns!" one of the men roared.

*Swish! Swish!*

Suddenly, the elderly couple lunged, scattering two handfuls of black powder that enveloped the ponytail woman, Lu Yan, and the others. Poison dust. Lu Yan had been prepared; he unleashed a surge of bone-forged energy with a palm strike, the wind from his hand blowing the dust away. The ponytail woman and the youth also struck simultaneously, using their internal energy to clear the poison. Both of them were clearly in the Marquis realm.

Once the dust was cleared, the ponytail woman thrust her spear toward the old man, while the youth drew his sword, cold light pointing straight at the old woman. At this moment, the couple’s faces were full of malice, and their bodies emanated an eerie gray mist, evoking complex feelings of coldness, brutality, resentment, and terror. Just looking at them made one feel agitated. Their fingers were withered, and instead of retreating, they lunged at the woman and the youth. The three burly men who had accompanied them held their weapons in a defensive stance but found it difficult to intervene; they were only "limit-breaking" martial artists.

*Bang! Bang!*

Both sides exchanged a blow. To Lu Yan's surprise, the couple was all bark and no bite; after one clash, their withered palms exploded. The woman and the youth pressed their advantage. The woman pierced the old man’s body with her spear and gave it a jolt, causing his body to tear apart. The youth similarly split the old woman in two with a single sword strike.

However, a shadow emerged from the couple’s bodies, moving like a ghost as it lunged at the woman and the youth. Lu Yan’s eyes narrowed. These two shadows were not just *like* ghosts; they were clearly spirits.

"They are evil spirits! Watch out!" the youth shouted, his internal energy surging and his sword light expanding like a torrential river, sweeping toward the shadow that had emerged from the old woman’s body.

After a series of collisions, the shadow retreated, its body nearly split in two by the sword light. But the shadow’s body writhed rapidly, and the massive sword wound began to heal at an incredible speed.

"Second stage of the Marquis realm," the shadow hissed in a hoarse, grating voice.

The ponytail woman, who was at the first stage of the Marquis realm, had been trading blows with the shadow from the old man’s body for over a dozen moves, with neither gaining the upper hand. These shadows possessed eerie methods, their attacks flexible and varied, making them difficult to handle.

"Sister Sirong, hold them off for a moment. I will assist you as soon as I resolve this spirit. You three, use the armor-piercing crossbows to provide support," the youth commanded as he surged forward, sword in hand.