Bombarding Cultivators with Cluster Artillery

Sword Casting Manor.

In the front courtyard, two cups of clear tea were curling with steam.

”Bro Liu, I’ve come to bid you farewell.”

Not having seen each other for many days, Zhang Zihou’s complexion had become even paler as he cupped his fists in a greeting.

”Zihou Brother, you’re leaving? Why is that?”

Jiang Ding was surprised, feeling a bit reluctant in his heart.

Having an ordinary friend to chat with and relieve boredom, untainted by any interest and without bringing any troubles, was a good thing in the solitary life of another world.

”It hasn’t even been a month since we’ve met, and I’ve already considered Bro Liu a close friend. I had hoped to become more familiar with you in the future, but...” Zhang Zihou said with a bitter smile, ”the clan’s power has been greatly damaged, and with a major crisis arising, I can no longer stay in the capital.”

”Leaving the capital this time and going back to my rural hometown, I do not know if I will ever have the chance to see the prosperity of the capital again in this life.”

He said with a wistful tone.

”Zihou Brother, there will surely be a day like today again.”

Jiang Ding opened his mouth to speak, experiencing this kind of parting for the first time, his heart filled with complex and unnamable feelings.

Of course, just one thing, the two were actually acquaintances with a nodding relationship.

”I’ll take your auspicious words.”

Zhang Zihou returned the gesture, seemingly in a hurry. He said goodbye to the only person here who could be considered a friend and left hurriedly, not willing to linger even for a little while.

Jiang Ding saw him off to the edge of Jinshi Street.

”Bro Liu, if you...”

At the moment of parting, Zhang Zihou hesitated for a moment, speaking cryptically: ”If you have relatives outside Yuezhou, it might be good to visit them more frequently these days.”

After speaking, he did not wait for Jiang Ding to reply and hurriedly went on his way.

”Oh?”

Jiang Ding pondered in silence.

Through an unobserved perspective, Zhang Zihou hurried straight toward the city gates under the escort of an unfamiliar cultivator at the pinnacle of Internal Qi Perfection, in a great rush.

Later, he actually met up near the city gate with a Xiantian Martial Artist around forty or fifty years old, with a face devoid of white whiskers and a sinister aura, and they left the city directly.

In this Yue Country, which other clans still have the presence of Xiantian Martial Artists?

”...Zhang Zihou... Chen Zihou...”

Jiang Ding murmured a sentence, not caring much: ”Visiting relatives? Does the Yue Country royal family think that a major crisis might occur in the capital? Even to the extent that they need to evacuate direct descendants in advance?”

Having taken note of this small favor, Jiang Ding’s steps flashed, and he headed towards Tianjilou.

Along the way, the capital’s prosperity remained unchanged, and even because of many treasures unearthed from the Qixuan Secret Cave, the market was thriving more than ever, showing no sign of an impending major crisis.

In front of Tianjilou, Jiang Ding glanced at the list.

”Second place, ’Dream Eating Sword Demon’ Jiang Ding, of unknown origin... killed number seven on the Dragon and Phoenix List, ’Sea Splitting Saber’ Wei Xian.”

’No Patriarch Jin Dao Wei Tu? Good.’

Jiang Ding nodded, noticing that Tianjilou also wasn’t omnipresent; without many people witnessing the event, they wouldn’t know about it either.

Another name caught his attention.

”Twentieth place, ’Qingyun Sword’ Han Lin, from Qixuan School in Dongzhou, at the Great Achievement of Inner Qi realm, killed the ’Four Ghosts of Dong River’ in Chizhou, obtained a Thousand-Year-Old Qixuan School Flying Sword Charm left over from Master Qixuan in the Qixuan Secret Cave in Yuezhou, and killed two major Xiantian experts from Qingniugong, ’Fifth Starter of Thousand Transformations Godly Palm’, Senior Shang Xiu of ’Wind and Thunder Finger’, and a Xiantian expert from the Wolf God Cult.”

”Based on achievements, despite being first on the Dragon and Phoenix List, reliance on external power places him temporarily at twentieth.”

’Given his background, this person seems to be of relatively good character.’

Jiang Ding thought, stepping into Tianjilou with the same appearance as his last visit.

Naturally, while one may be able, it has nothing to do with him. When swordsmen step into the Jianghu pursuing their dreams, it is only right that they should take responsibility for themselves; no one will help them forever.

The other person doesn’t need it either.

”Guest...”

A beautiful maid greeted him.

”Power.”

The major crisis in Yuejing would naturally affect all aspects.

”Right this way, guest.”

The maid was startled and then led the way.

Inside the quiet adjacent chamber, amidst the curling incense smoke, the short and chubby steward bowed with his hands clasped together, ”What information about which power does the guest require? Except for the royal secrets and those of the Qingyi Building, everything else is available.”

Jiang Ding obviously did not believe him, and then he proceeded to inquire about the black-robed person and the suspected traces of cultivators near the Qixuan Secret Cave.

Never overestimate the bottom line of Jianghu people.

”What major upheaval will occur in Yuejing in the near future?”

Jiang Ding said in a deep voice.

The short and chubby steward’s expression changed slightly as he pondered for a moment.

”For the highest tier of heavenly information, will you be paying with a Centennial Elixir or precious materials?”

”Centennial Elixirs and precious materials?”

Jiang Ding frowned, not possessing any of those as he had already used them up.

But he still wanted the information.

”Does your building accept an exchange of information?”

After thinking, he asked.

”Of course,” the short and chubby steward smiled faintly, ”Our building was established on information, naturally we understand the value of information like no other.”

The implication was clear, don’t bring any ordinary information and expect to impress.

”I know where the second-ranked on the Dragon and Phoenix List, ’Dream Eating Sword Demon’ Jiang Ding, is. Is that enough?”

After pondering, Jiang Ding said.

”Naturally, that’s enough!”

The short and chubby steward’s eyes lit up, ”Since making his appearance, he has been elusive in Jianghu, always unpredictable. His whereabouts are something many influential people are willing to pay a high price to know.”

”That’s good.”

Clang!

A sword cry rang out as a twenty-centimeter-long pale blue Flying Sword from his sleeve turned into a streak of light, hovering over the head of the short and chubby steward with a faint Sword Qi emanating, ice-cold and forbidding.

”He is here.”

Jiang Ding’s tone was somewhat cold.

”I’ve seen Young Hero Jiang!”

The short and chubby steward instantly broke out in a cold sweat.

Just as he talked about selling someone’s information, that person appeared right in front of him; what kind of feeling was that?

This was not a man known for his good temper; along the way in Jianghu, he had left a trail of corpses of famed individuals, the ground soaked in blood.

”Did you verify the authenticity of the information I have provided?”

Jiang Ding asked.

”It’s as real as it can get,”

The short and chubby steward forced a smile, not daring to delay, ”A day ago, the royal Xiantian who commanded the Yue Divine Cavalry stationed at Chizhong Mansion, ’Mountain King’ Chen Wu, was assassinated. Following that, a large number of highly skilled disciples of the Wolf God Cult caused chaos, turning Chizhong Mansion upside down.”

”Seizing the opportunity, the recently advanced Xiantian, Duke Zhendong Marquis Tong Wang, led the Big Army to break through Iron Dragon Pass and approached Chizhong City. The stationed deputy general, a side lineage member of the royal family, Chen Jing refused to surrender. After a bloody battle, they breached the city walls of Chizhong Mansion and massacred the city for a day.”

”He is currently arming his forces and pointing his sword towards Yuezhou. In no more than fifteen days, he could be at the gates of the capital!”

”Massacre?!”

Jiang Ding’s face turned cold as he recalled the shrewd little boy and his sister, a faint murderous intent showing.

”Isn’t he afraid of provoking the world’s warriors to rise up against him?”

This kind of action falls far beneath any standards of dignity; even the most shameless in Jianghu would be ashamed to be associated with it. Any powers that might have been on the fence would instantly side with the opposition.

”I don’t know,”

The short and chubby steward’s lips quivered; he hesitated for a moment but still accepted this free bit of information.

”It’s not just Chizhong Mansion; where Duke Zhendong’s army encounters resistance in their conquests of Dongzhou, Wuzhou, Yanzhou, and other places, they mostly massacre the cities,”

”It’s said to be a strategic deterrence against resisting powers, and the effect has indeed been pronounced. Aside from a very few royal loyalists, most places submitted at the mere sight of them.”

Jiang Ding fell silent, leaving behind a one thousand silver ticket as payment for the last sentence before turning and walking away.