I Grind to Martial Saint

”Oh?”

”Looking for me?”

Han Yuan’s interest was piqued.

He thought for a moment and shot Liao Tu a look.

The other man understood immediately. He hauled the wiry man up and left the valley.

”Daoist, I’ll go take care of this,” Han Yuan said with a smile.

”Go on.”

Chunyangzi nodded.

Once Han Yuan was out of the valley, he turned to the wiry man. ”What’s your name?”

The wiry man answered in a low voice, ”Luo Fang.”

Han Yuan asked, ”Luo Fang... I don’t believe we’ve met.”

”What business do you have with me?”

Luo Fang knew that at this point, he’d suffer if he wasn’t completely honest. He said with resignation, ”Director Han, someone paid a hefty sum to track you down... I was just trying to earn a bit of the reward money.”

Han Yuan narrowed his eyes. ”But from what I’ve heard, you entered the mountains with a dozen or so men. That tells me you’re not working alone. You have an organization backing you.”

”Speak... What organization are you from?”

Luo Fang hesitated, but seeing the impatience on Han Yuan’s face, he quickly said, ”Director Han... I’m a leader in the Thousand Threads Workshop.”

Han Yuan was taken aback. ”Thousand Threads Workshop? That’s not an organization from the Jianghe Province Martial World, is it?”

Luo Fang shook his head. ”No... We’re an intelligence organization active throughout the Great Ling Martial World... Someone posted a large bounty for your whereabouts. I accepted the job and tracked you all the way to Taicang Mountain...”

As he spoke, Luo Fang was filled with regret.

’If only he hadn’t taken this job,’ he thought, ’he wouldn’t be in this mess.’

”A hefty sum... Do you know who posted it?”

Han Yuan inquired.

”Well... it was probably the Spirit Sun Sect.”

Luo Fang, utterly devoid of professional ethics, sold out the Spirit Sun Sect in a heartbeat.

”Looks like the Spirit Sun Sect is truly devoted to me.”

Han Yuan smiled.

He had Liao Tu take the man away, then pulled him aside to a corner to speak privately.

”I’ll have to trouble you to deal with these men, Leader Liao.”

”Make it clean.”

Han Yuan said softly.

”Don’t worry, Hero Han.”

”I’ll make sure not a trace of them is left.”

Liao Tu said gravely.

”Good... Also, I need you to spread a rumor for me.”

”Say that I’ve left Taicang Mountain and headed for the Ten Thousand Mountains.”

Han Yuan instructed.

”No problem.”

Liao Tu committed his words to memory.

”Then I’m counting on you, Leader Liao!”

Han Yuan said, cupping his fist.

”You’re too kind, Hero Han.”

”If it weren’t for you, I doubt a single person from the Wuhuo Tribe would have survived.”

”Doing this for you is nothing.”

Liao Tu waved his hand dismissively.

After Liao Tu and his men departed, Han Yuan returned to the valley.

The sudden appearance of the men from the Thousand Threads Workshop didn’t disrupt Han Yuan’s plans.

In fact, it solidified his resolve to leave.

After packing his belongings, Han Yuan went to formally bid Chunyangzi farewell.

”Han Yuan... as you travel the Martial World, you should keep an eye out for any news regarding the Immortal Sect.”

”With the current eruption of Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi, the Immortal Sect may open once more.”

Chunyangzi advised.

”Daoist, what exactly is the Immortal Sect?”

”Isn’t the Source Seed something that came from the Immortal Sect?”

Han Yuan couldn’t help but ask.

”I don’t know what the Immortal Sect is, either.”

”You could say that the Immortal Sect is the very calamity that triggered the Chaotic Ancient Era.”

”If the Immortal Sect appears again... we may be doomed to repeat the tragedies of the Chaotic Ancient Era.”

Chunyangzi said gravely.

This was his greatest worry.

After all, he could still keep the fragments of Source Seed Flesh in the Alchemy Furnace under control.

But if the Immortal Sect were to open, it would be useless even if his Cultivation reached the Void Realm.

Back then, before the start of the Chaotic Ancient Era, there were quite a few Abnormal People who had reached the Void Realm.

In the end, most of them died within the Immortal Sect in their quest for Ascension to Immortality.

What’s more, his Cultivation was a far cry from the Void Realm. In fact, his level had fallen so far that he wasn’t even considered a Spiritual Technique Abnormal Person anymore.

Han Yuan nodded. ”Don’t worry, Daoist. I’ll keep an eye out on my journey.”

”If I hear anything, I’ll have word sent back to you.”

Chunyangzi cupped his fist in a salute. ”Then this old Daoist wishes you both a safe journey!”

”Take care, Daoist!”

”Take care, Daoist!”

Han Yuan and Ding Zihu cupped their fists in return.

”MEOW~~”

”Take care, old Daoist.”

Even the Orange Cat chimed in.

After bidding farewell to Chunyangzi, Han Yuan and Ding Zihu headed in the direction of the emerging Middle Spiritual Land.

That place was the Ten Thousand Mountains in Nanwu Province.

Liao Feng had mentioned it to them before.

The environment of the Ten Thousand Mountains was far more complex than the Taicang Mountain Range. In addition to all manner of venomous creatures and fierce beasts, it was also home to many Primitive Tribes, bands of mountain bandits who ruled their own peaks, and practitioners of various wicked arts.

In short, one could expect to find all manner of ghouls and goblins there.

After leaving the Taicang Mountain Range, Han Yuan, Ding Zihu, and the Orange Cat journeyed over mountains and through valleys, making their way toward the Ten Thousand Mountains.

...

「Half a month later.」

The sky was gloomy.

”MEOW~~ The Purple Mist has appeared again!”

”It seems even thicker than last time!”

Perched on Han Yuan’s shoulder, the Orange Cat gazed at the deep purple glow in the distant sky, its tone that of an expert.

”It seems the time of its emergence is indeed drawing near.”

Han Yuan nodded.

”Let’s not rush. We should find a place to rest first.”

That was Ding Zihu’s main concern.

Before long, they found an abandoned, ruined temple by the side of the road.

Having stumbled upon it, their natural impulse was to go inside and rest for the night.

After all, having a roof over their heads was always a good thing.

Han Yuan naturally had no objections.

As for the Orange Cat, it didn’t care where it stayed, as long as there was dried fish to eat.

However, when Han Yuan and Ding Zihu stepped into the ruined temple, they found that there were already people resting inside.

What’s more, it was two separate groups, distinctly divided and gathered around two separate campfires.