Why do I have so many masters?

The issue with this private post station was discerned only by those few martial artists with relatively high skills. The rest were just ordinary disciples, with mediocre martial skills and average vision. The extent of their insight was severely limited. Their attention, at most, was focused on the idea that "the shopkeeper actually has such skill," while the hidden matters behind it remained unexplored.

For instance, whether there was a stronger force behind the shopkeeper.

Or, what attitude this expert had towards them, friend or foe.

The only ones who were truly shocked were the two young men who had come earlier, who broke out in a cold sweat, feeling relieved that they hadn’t attacked the station keeper out of annoyance. With the martial skills the keeper had just displayed, would they still be alive now?

Meanwhile, Mei Feng and several others maintained extremely composed expressions.

Though they had become vigilant inside, they showed not a trace of fear.

Moments later, the burly chef brought over a food box with three layers, a total of six dishes, and placed it on the table of Mei Feng’s group. Then, that brute quietly stepped back. Despite his heavy body, the sound he made while moving was extremely soft, and the muscles on his back moved as one, harmonious like the waves.

Mei Feng thought to himself.

Another one...

Just then, the sound of a horse’s neigh rang from outside, seemingly signaling the arrival of someone, followed by a steady voice, saying:

"Shopkeeper, heat up a pot of wine and slice three pounds of cooked meat."

"Make it quick."

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This voice caught the attention of everyone in the Immortal Pavilion. The young man who had reserved the hall saw the Great Elder frown and stand up, ready to go out and drive the newcomer away. But before he could act, the corpulent shopkeeper had already stepped out with heavy footsteps, seemingly even less skilled than the waiters in the hall.

The Great Elder sneered inwardly, dismissing the man as a pretender.

Yet he thought again, after having just revealed his martial arts cultivation, now he grotesquely pretended to be weak.

Truly a peculiar character.

Jianghu was never short of peculiar characters.

With that thought, he felt somewhat emotional and raised his hand to take a sip of tea.

His nonchalance wasn’t out of arrogance. Born in the Immortal Pavilion, his poison skill had attained a profound level; he didn’t dare claim to be immune to all poisons, but ordinary exotic ones were but a fool’s dream to harm him. Thus, when traveling in Jianghu, he didn’t care much about these matters.

Suddenly, a dispute erupted outside.

"Apologies, dear guest, our place is really already reserved..."

"Perhaps you could try the place across the street."

"I see there are only three tables occupied inside. Do you mean to say there’s no place for me to have a meal?"

"Dear guest, please be understanding, otherwise... don’t blame me for getting physical."

"Getting physical?"

"Hahaha, what a tyrannical host! I must see just how you intend to get physical...

The conversation outside had quickly become very sharp, with a barely concealed aura of anger and killing intent. The young man who had reserved the inn grew paler, sensing the shopkeeper’s temper was quite volatile, and felt lucky that he hadn’t angered the man earlier. And the Great Elder, along with his four Sixth Rank martial artists, was now somewhat intrigued.

They wondered about the scene the shopkeeper would present when he took action.

Mei Feng took a sip of his tea, seeing it as an opportunity to glimpse the shopkeeper’s strength.

Not that he harbored malicious intent or a will to kill, but as a martial artist, it was instinctual to want to understand these matters.

The shopkeeper, with his back to the people inside, secretly swallowed several elixirs, and then with raised fists, he shouted:

"Fine! Then do not blame me for being impolite!"

Having said that, he fiercely activated his inner breath.

The elixirs were simply pills containing vital energy; once ingested, they would burst forth, causing strong Qi force to swirl around the martial artist. The higher the martial arts, the fewer pills one could take. His cultivation was quite low, so he swallowed a full five at once.

Suddenly, a violent Qi, like a dragon, twisted around his body, completely out of his control.

And at the same time, under the stimulation of the elixirs, the aura that the shopkeeper emitted became even more powerful, like a fierce beast tearing off its disguise, the savagery and magnitude of it terrifying to witness.

The Great Elder’s eyes lit up slightly, but he felt relieved.

Judging by this Qi mechanism, it was only slightly stronger than middle level Sixth Rank, far from the pinnacle.

He was no match for him.

At that thought, he felt much more relaxed. The feeling of control returning to his hands emerged in his heart. Although his face did not show any change, from the subtle signs one could see a sense of indifference and composure.

Mei Feng witnessed this scene and knew that the shopkeeper was no match for the Great Elder. He relaxed slightly as well.

He cared no longer about the fight outside and raised his hand to sip his tea.

But at that moment, he heard a clear and piercing whistle. It started high-pitched, gradually turning mournful and deadly, as if a sharp blade was tearing through the void at an unrivalled speed.

The entire post station seemed to fiercely tremble in an instant.

The teacup in Mei Feng’s hands cracked in two, with one half falling to the ground and the other half still clenched in his hand.

The break was sharp and smooth.

A fierce crack spread from the doorway, swiftly overtaking the main hall of the post station.

Three breaths later, the inscrutable shopkeeper flew backward, crashing heavily against the wall, vomiting a great amount of blood. His aura instantly weakened, as he fell to the ground, his face deathly pale, unable to rise for a long time.

The crowd was stunned.

The Great Elder’s pupils dilated instantly, his palm subtly trembling.

Ripples surfaced on the tea in his cup.

How... how is this possible?!

Even an ordinary Sixth Rank martial artist, how could he be defeated so easily?

Who was the newcomer?

Mei Feng looked down stiffly at the teacup in his hand. Half of the tea had spilled out yet not a drop fell, the Qi vaporized it, leaving half still in the cup in his hand. It was supposed to flow down but seemed to be blocked by an invisible force, only trembling violently, disappearing gradually at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Shattered?

Mei Feng’s heart almost stopped beating.

Who is the comer?

A prolonged deadly silence.

And within the silence, calm footsteps arose, steadily approaching.

The sound suddenly grew louder, a middle-aged man stepped leisurely into the inn, dressed in vigorous attire, yet his right shoulder, wrist, and both knees were protected by armor. The front of his vigorous attire overlapped right over left, revealing metal armor beneath that emitted a faint metallic chill, giving off the impression not of a Jianghu swordsman but more like the ornate battle robe of a military commander.

In his right hand, he held a spear at an angle.

Accompanied by the serene steps, the tip of the spear rhythmically and gently tapped on the ground, producing a crisp ’ding ding ding’ sound that seemed to resonate at the very bottom of everyone’s heart, creating an oppressive atmosphere.

The Great Elder recognized the face and lost his composure, standing up with a swoosh, his expression violently fluctuating as he exclaimed,

"The Cloud Swallowing Spear?"

How could it be him?!

How could it possibly be him?!

How could he possibly be so strong?!

The elder felt as if a thousand-foot-high wave had erupted in his heart, ceaselessly trembling. The man’s displayed strength had far exceeded the Immortal Pavilion’s internal assessment of him, which could greatly impact the overall plan if not handled carefully.

This was an anomaly…

And an unforeseen variable!

Gongsun Jing took in the changes on everyone’s faces.

His expression was cold and unforgiving, like the eternal ice that never melted atop a snowfield, yet he felt a hint of self-satisfaction as he murmured,

"With this... the Young Master should be pleased, right?"

Reining in his thoughts in an instant, the man looked up with a cold gaze and, holding the spear in his hand, he said indifferently,

"Indeed, it is I."

"Members of the Immortal Pavilion, you have come to the territory under the control of the Giant Whale Gang."

"Although you have not announced yourselves, I must still come to offer the courtesy due to a host…" When he reached the last sentence, his voice gradually deepened, each word punctuated, as if a mighty tiger were growling low.

His eyes grew colder as he locked gazes with the people from Immortal Pavilion.

The spear in his hand began to rise slowly.

The blade of the spear was bitterly cold.

And with it, air currents began to stir.

........................

Thirty li away.

A martial artist clad in black, amidst various secretive gazes of surprise and curiosity, sat at a tea stall, his gaze serene, contemplating in his mind.

Gongsun must have already set off by now...

Wang Anfeng continued to reflect on the plot he had devised for the first time.

First, through a series of actions, infuriate Immortal Pavilion, and at the same time, feign an unyielding desire to eradicate the Immortal Pavilion branch in Xi Dingzhou unless every one of them is removed, using the momentum of Jianghu to force them into assaulting the ’Mo Blade’ outside Guangfeng City.

Then, using the disguise of the inn’s shopkeeper followed by Gongsun Jing’s cooperation, making the arrivals overestimate Gongsun’s martial arts prowess to be around Fifth Rank, favoring decisive combat martial arts and best countering the Immortal Pavilion’s multitude of intricate methods. Despite their suspicions, the Pavilion dared not act rashly to test him.

Next, after demonstrating power, Gongsun would attempt to recruit them through a show of goodwill.

Given Immortal Pavilion’s conduct over the past two years, they would certainly not miss this opportunity.

Afterward, have Gongsun fight me in front of the Immortal Pavilion warriors, creating a great commotion but feigning defeat and retreat.

By then, based on their initial misjudgment, they would surely assume my martial arts to be far beyond their expectations.

In this manner, the invaders would retreat without a fight, buying time for Meng Gu Niang and the others, and also avoiding potential danger for myself.

Secondly, it would also ideally position the Giant Whale Gang to ’befriend’ the Immortal Pavilion, laying down an early spy.

Having found no flaws in his plan, Wang Anfeng exhaled a turbid breath, his gaze calm as if contemplating an invisible chessboard laid out on the table, where strategy intertwined with peril, and every move was part of a lethal trap.

The young man lifted his hand to drink tea.

Recalling the ’Three Sects’ that suddenly appeared after Fire Refining Sect closed its gates, and the past events of thirty years ago overhead at the Zhao residence in Xi Dingzhou City, his eyes slightly narrowed.

The Three Sects, eh...

I shall see what tricks you all have up your sleeves.

Throwing back his head, he drained the last of his tea and placed the silver on the table.

Under the various watchful eyes around him, Wang Anfeng stood up, and instead of mounting a horse, he walked slowly toward the center of Guangfeng City.

With each breath, his aura grew sharper.

Like a blade drawn from its sheath.

The youth’s eyes were calm.

It was time to join the game.

PS: First update

Thanks to Fahailei Yin for the 13,000 Qidian coins, and thanks to Wuyou Zuisheng Jixiang for the generous rewards, very much appreciated…