Urban Martial Saint

Late at night, at a mountain pass in the southern suburb of Tianhui City, an elder sat cross-legged atop a massive boulder. Not far behind the elder, a slender young girl sat leisurely.

The girl seemed to be in her early twenties, her face serene and refined as if she were a ethereal fairy detached from the mortal world. However, her eyes lacked any luster; she was a blind girl.

It was unknown how long the elder had been sitting there, as he had not moved at all. The girl sitting behind him did not seem to mind the loneliness, simply resting her hand on a green stone tablet, amused by a little ant that circled the palm of her hand now and then, letting out a chuckle as if she found it very interesting.

The moon hung midway across the sky, and the night deepened, yet neither of them showed any intention of leaving. It was early winter, and despite being in the South, the late night was still somewhat cool. But the two of them seemed utterly unaffected by the chill, as if they were waiting for something.

It was not until the appearance of Venus in the sky that suddenly, a burst of giggling laughter came from the mountain pass. The elder finally opened his eyes, and looking closely, he saw a monk, his robe tattered and smeared with grease, walking towards them. The monk reeked of meat and wine, giggling in a manner that made him look no different from a drunken vagrant in the streets. Yet, it was this very monk who had saved Ye Qing and Huangfu Ziyu beneath the cliffs of Tianhui City and, together with the elder, had unblocked the meridians in Ye Qing’s right arm.

Seeing the monk approaching, the elder stood up, hands clasped behind his back. The mountain breeze blew through the pass, lifting the hem of the elder’s robe. His tall figure stood firm against the wind, resembling a straight javelin that not even Mount Tai could topple!

”He hasn’t come?” the elder asked softly.

”Hahaha...” The monk walked up to the elder with a laugh and said, ”It seems like he doesn’t care at all about what’s happening in the Southern Six Provinces; he hasn’t shown any intention of appearing.”

”Twenty years have passed, and Seven Treasures will reveal itself to the world once again. Countless eyes are fixed on Xihang. With his personality, how could he possibly miss such an opportunity?” The elder shook his head, ”Or perhaps, he knows we are here waiting for him, and so he deliberately took a different path. It’s possible he has already entered the Eastern Province, and we are none the wiser.”

”I don’t think so.” The monk shook his head and said, ”The appearance of Seven Treasures this time is set to be the greatest opportunity ever. After this, Seven Treasures will sink into obscurity for a century before it can reappear. No mighty warrior, no matter how powerful, can afford to wait another hundred years. Thus, this time, all the strong figures in the world will not lay dormant; they will all find ways to vie for Seven Treasures. With so many formidable foes taking action, even if he enters Xihang and manages to grab something, he may not be able to keep it. With his character, I think he is more likely to be watching in the shadows, waiting for others to weaken each other in the scuffle before he makes his move.”

”Everyone thinks the same, but once Seven Treasures appears, how many can remain unmoved?” The elder sighed softly, looking at the monk, ”Enough, I won’t wait any longer; I’m going back!”

”You’ve gone for twenty years, why decide to return all of a sudden?” asked the monk.

The elder looked up into the distant sky where three dazzling red stars stood out. The Three Stars were positioned in a triangle, dominating the horizon, as if the whole world lay prostrate beneath their gaze.

”Seven Kills, Defeated Army, Greedy Wolf reemerge, the configuration of Killer Breaker Wolf is set, and no one can change it. With the Three Stars in chaos, the world shall descend into turmoil once more.” The elder waved his hand, ”Twenty years have passed, and the Shen Family has fulfilled its duty. From now on, the chaos and order of the world have nothing to do with the Shen Family.”

Gazing at the three red stars in the sky, the monk’s expression turned unusually melancholic. However, he quickly regained his giggling demeanor and said, ”You’re only looking at one aspect but not the other. The pattern of Killer Breaker Wolf may be set, but look over there, what is that!”

The monk pointed, and the elder followed his gesture. Not far behind the three red stars, a dim white star was faintly twinkling. Though the light of the white star was weak, it persisted in gleaming amidst the three garish red stars, as if challenging their dominance. While the red stars shined brilliantly, they could not suppress the white star. They were like three huge stones among which a delicate sapling grew—feeble and fragile, yet stubbornly growing. One day, that sapling would stand unyielding and break through the pressure of the boulders.

The elder paused briefly, then said, ”Amidst great chaos, heroes will emerge. Yet, how many can truly save the world? ’For one man to be revered, thousands must perish.’ If one wishes to stand firm in this world, how many must die for his cause?”

”Even without turmoil, people die every day. You’re truly too compassionate for your own good—I’m a monk and even I’m not as merciful as you!” The monk waved his hand dismissively, ”Thinking too much is less useful than doing more. Since there is such an opportunity, why not seize it, rather than overthink?”

The old man sighed and said, ”These matters are best left to you. The Shen Family has preserved the Seven Treasures for twenty years, fulfilling their responsibilities. It’s time to let go, and the Shen Family should not become a sacrifice in this great disturbance!”

The monk said, ”If you bring out the Seven Treasures now, the world will truly be in chaos. How about this, let’s make a deal. You keep them for a little while longer. As soon as I find this person, you can let go immediately, and the Shen Family will no longer be involved in future matters. How does that sound?”

After a long moment of eye contact and deep thought with the monk, the old man finally nodded slowly and said, ”Since you have decided this, I will stake this old life and take one more gamble with you!”

”Why risk your life for such matters?” the monk laughed. ”If it really comes to it, just throw them away. I don’t want to lose an old friend in the future!”

”Hahaha...” the old man laughed heartily, ”If that is fate’s will, neither of us can defy it. Alright, I must return to Xi Hang now. If anything happens, we’ll meet in Xi Hang!”

”I see you still can’t let go!” the monk smirked and said, ”Alright then, you can go back, I won’t see you out!”

With a faint smile, the old man turned around and, with the girl in tow, slowly left the mountain pass.

The monk, however, did not leave; instead, he looked up at the sky at the three red stars and the white star. After a long silence, he sighed softly and mused, ”One thread of Heavenly Dao’s lifeline, upon whom shall it fall? Who will obtain this once-in-a-century opportunity? Forget it, forget it, I’d better go search slowly.”

Ye Qing and Du Tianyi were among the first to rush to Xi Hang, traveling light and with no need for preparation, which naturally made them much faster.

On the road, Ye Qing still made calls to Li Lianshan and Zhao Chengshuang, asking them to look after his brothers back home and the matters at the orphanage. Ye Qing wasn’t too worried about the situation in Shenchuan City because the current issues involved people from the martial arts world, who generally don’t act against ordinary people. Moreover, with police assistance from Zhao Chengshuang, Ye Qing was somewhat reassured about Shenchuan City.

What Ye Qing was most worried about now was Xi Hang. The people from Sha Men had left Shenchuan City and were surely heading for Xi Hang. Additionally, Xu Cunxiao and others from the Western Province were plotting as well and might be observing everything in secret. If they also arrived, then the Xihang Shen Family would really be in trouble this time. If Xu Cunxiao’s plans succeeded, the consequences could be unimaginable. At least, Ye Qing was very clear about one thing—if Fire Butterfly Chen Si, White Horse Chen San, and others decided to fight to the death with those people from the Western Province, no matter who won or lost, there would definitely be a significant loss of life.

Ye Qing didn’t care much about these family feuds and sect struggles; he was only afraid that more innocent people would be involved. He rushed to Xi Hang overnight to prevent the great battle between Sha Men and the Shen Family, hoping to preserve as many lives as possible.

Although Ye Qing and Du Tianyi had arrived at Xi Hang, neither of them knew exactly where the Shen Family was. Everyone talked about the Xi Hang Shen Family, but who really knew where they were located? Ye Qing and Du Tianyi asked several passersby on the road, but all replied that they didn’t know, indicating that the Xi Hang Shen Family was well-known only among those in the know, and the average person was entirely unaware of their existence. Knowledge of the exact location of the Shen Family Manor was even rarer, and finding it was not an easy task.

Fortunately, the Lin family would definitely know the location of the Xi Hang Shen Family. Ye Qing made a call to Lin Zhen Nan, and this time the call connected. Before Ye Qing could speak, Lin Zhen Nan hurried to express his gratitude.

In fact, last night, Lin Zhen Nan and others were hiding in the Lin Family Courtyard. However, they received a warning before Sha Men’s people burst in, so they took the main family members into the secret rooms they had previously built, evading capture. But they were trapped, unable to call out for help with cell signals blocked, and were thus in a dire situation.

Luckily, Ye Qing arrived and called the police, which led to Zhao Chengshuang and the others ensuring the safety of the Lin family. Because of this, the Shenchuan City Police Department dispatched twenty officers to patrol near the Lin Family Courtyard to prevent any potential sudden incidents. Even so, the Lin family members were still worried, and Lin Zhen Nan was in the process of hiring better bodyguards to protect his family.

When Lin Zhen Nan heard Ye Qing was going to the Shen Family in Xi Hang, he hesitated. In the end, though, he still gave Ye Qing the address of the Xi Hang Shen Family. He warned him, ”Although the Shen Family is in that place, remember, when you reach the outside of the Shen Family Manor, if there is a pile of stones outside, do not enter that pile of stones, or it could be dangerous!”