Clan Rise: Starting as a Grandfather

Chapter 408: Chapter 394 Aren’t You Planning to Hide?

Yang Zhenshan did not converse much with Ji Hai; the two exchanged only a few words before parting ways.

Yang Zhenshan continued his journey southward, only staying in Jizhou City for one night before departing the next day.

However, upon arriving at Xinping Town, he encountered a familiar face.

Wei Cen!

Xinfu Inn, inside a guest room.

Yang Zhenshan looked on in surprise at the sudden appearance of Wei Cen.

He had just arrived at Xinping Town the night before, and Wei Cen found him this morning. It was obvious that the Secret Martial Guards had been keeping a close watch on him.

“Why are you here?” Yang Zhenshan asked in surprise.

Wei Cen spoke calmly, “To deliver something to you.”

“What is it?” Yang Zhenshan was curious.

Wei Cen took out a booklet from within his robes and handed it to him, saying, “A list of people who want to assassinate you.”

Yang Zhenshan took the booklet and opened it, examining its contents.

Sect Master Fu Shanhong of the Nanshan Sect wielding the Great Sorrow Saber.

Island Master Ye Changkai of Jiuhua Island, a Swordsman of the Smoky Waves.

Heart Shattering Palm Xiang Qiaohe from Suzhou.

Hall Master Luo Jingsong of the Yuheng Star Hall.

Guardian of the Sword from the Star Moon Sect, Sun Chunsheng.

The Xuanbing Sword wielder, Lu Ke.

Shadow Bat, Partridge, and Poison Bee from the Mountain River Tower.

Looking through the pages, Yang Zhenshan’s lips curled into an increasingly intrigued smile, “I never expected the Jade Dew Spirit Peach to be this tempting, tsk tsk, nine experts!”

The Great Sorrow Saber Fu Shanhong, Smoky Waves Swordsman Ye Changkai, and the Heart Shattering Palm Xiang Qiaohe were all notorious figures in the Da Rong worldly society, in no way inferior to the renowned Ji Zhen.

As for the Hall Master Luo Jingsong of the Yuheng Star Hall, he was also a significant character, though still young, he had already attained the Postnatal Ninth Layer of cultivation.

Yang Zhenshan was not familiar with Sun Chunsheng, the Guardian of the Sword of the Star Moon Sect, but he was no stranger to the Sect itself.

The Yuheng Star Hall was one of the seven halls of the Star Moon Sect, so the Guardian of the Sword must be one of the sect’s outstanding experts.

Lu Ke, who wielded the Xuanbing Sword, was a figure who had risen in prominence in the Da Rong worldly society in recent years. It was said that his Xuanbing Sword was extraordinarily formidable, and usual martial artists of the Postnatal Ninth Layer were no match for him.

Shadow Bat, Partridge, and Poison Bee were long-established assassins from Mountain River Tower; assassins, after all, are always elusive.

Yang Zhenshan didn’t know much about Mountain River Tower, but since they dared to take the tasks from the list of bounties, it indicated that they were confident in their abilities.

These nine were at least at the Postnatal Ninth Layer, and amongst them were likely masters close to the Innate Realm.

“Wrong, not nine, but these are just the nine we have discovered so far!” Wei Cen corrected.

Yang Zhenshan nodded knowingly. The Secret Martial Guards were not omniscient; it was quite an accomplishment for them to have uncovered these nine so far. As for those they had not discovered, there were certainly more.

“Are there any Innate Martial Artists?” Yang Zhenshan asked with interest.

Wei Cen gave him a peculiar look, “No, you’re not yet qualified to have Innate Martial Artists after you!”

“…”

Yang Zhenshan was somewhat speechless.

That kind of felt like a blow to his pride.

What do you mean I’m not qualified to have Innate Martial Artists come after me? Clearly, the Jade Dew Spirit Peach isn’t tempting enough for Innate Martial Artists to bother.

As for whether there were other martial artists of the Postnatal Ninth Layer and those close to the Innate Realm who might take action, Wei Cen couldn’t give a definite answer. However, he could confidently say that no Innate Martial Artists would participate.

The reason was simple; every Innate Martial Artist was a key focus of the Secret Martial Guards, and their every move was under surveillance.

Of course, this didn’t mean that the Secret Martial Guards could monitor the Innate Martial Artists; rather, it was an unspoken understanding formed between the court and the Innate Martial Artists.

I’ll just find a place to stay and mind my business, you leave me alone.

This was the tacit agreement between the court and the secluded Innate Martial Artists.

Otherwise, with a group of Innate Martial Artists appearing and disappearing unpredictably, the old Emperor would likely have trouble sleeping soundly in the Imperial City.

“Where are they all?” Yang Zhenshan took another look at the booklet in his hand.

Wei Cen replied, “Almost all of them are on the road ahead of you!”

Yang Zhenshan nodded slightly and put down the booklet in his hand.

“Aren’t you planning to hide?” Wei Cen looked at him oddly.

“Hide? Why should I?” Yang Zhenshan said.

“They want to kill you!”

“Can they?” Yang Zhenshan said indifferently.

“They probably can!” Wei Cen said uncertainly.

Wei Cen didn’t have a precise idea of how strong Yang Zhenshan was.

Yang Zhenshan had made a move previously at Chongshan Pass; his opponent was the eunuch Zhang Yu, who was by Prince Qing’s side, and he demonstrated the strength of someone close to the Innate Realm.

But whether this was Yang Zhenshan’s true strength, Wei Cen couldn’t be sure.

Yang Zhenshan looked at Wei Cen with a smile that was not quite a smile, “I hope they won’t disappoint this old man too much!”

Wei Cen was taken aback.

Yang Zhenshan didn’t say anymore but stood up and walked out of the room.

“It’s getting late, we should set off as well!”

“By the way, tell the brothers that if we encounter any trouble, there’s no need for you to take action. Just watch the battle from the sidelines!”

Yang Zhenshan told his personal followers.

His personal followers were all battle-hardened soldiers, and now each of them had the cultivation of the Postnatal Sixth Layer. Their strength was far superior to that of ordinary soldiers.

But in front of a master of the Postnatal Ninth Layer, these personal followers seemed somewhat insufficient.

“General!” A follower seemed to want to say something.

Yang Zhenshan waved his hand to interrupt, “All right, that’s an order. This old man never wages wars unprepared!”

Seeing his firmness, the group of followers didn’t say more.

They had been following Yang Zhenshan for many years and were very clear about his temperament, knowing that he was a man of his word.

Of course, if Yang Zhenshan were in danger, they would still rush forward without hesitation to protect him.

Yang Zhenshan walked out of Xinfu Inn and rode his horse towards the outskirts of Xinping Town.

Just as he left Xinping Town, many Jianghu Martial Artists closely followed behind.

Most of these Jianghu Martial Artists were just there for the excitement.

Of course, if possible, they wouldn’t mind tagging along and seizing an opportunity.

As for those truly intending to kill Yang Zhenshan, they were closely monitoring his every move at this moment.

Jizhou belonged to Shanhe Province, and it was the northernmost state of Shanhe Province. Leaving the boundary of Xinping Town also meant leaving the boundary of Jizhou.

Continuing south along the official road would lead to the Yan Hui Mountain Range.

The Yan Hui Mountain Range was the mountain of Shanhe Province, while the river in Shanhe Province was the Ru River.

At this moment, on the banks of the Ru River, an old man wearing a bamboo hat was leisurely fishing.

With his long bamboo pole tapping on the surface of the river, a thin line dangled into the water.

Autumn winds rustling, the river surging, the old man remained as still as a rock.

“Brother Xiang, since you’ve come, there’s no need to hide and skulk about!” The old man suddenly spoke.

As his voice fell, a slender figure emerged from the reeds not far away.

“I didn’t expect Mr. Ye to have such leisure to fish here!”

The man who came was none other than Heart Shattering Palm Xiang Qiaohe.

Xiang Qiaohe appeared to be in his sixties, dressed in a crimson robe with a square face that had endured the hardships of life. His dignified glance was full of authority.

Xiang Qiaohe was not a Sect figure; his life’s encounters were full of legend.

Born ordinary, as a youth, he caught the attention of a Loose Cultivator from the worldly society who imparted to him the basic Cultivation Techniques to become a Martial Artist. However, that Jianghu Martial Artist was not powerful, merely a Martial Artist in the Lower Realms, teaching Xiang Qiaohe for three years before passing away due to injuries.

In his twenties, Xiang Qiaohe became a wanderer in the Jianghu, traveling everywhere and making friends.

It wasn’t until he was thirty that he broke through to the Innate Realm. According to his life trajectory, his cultivation would not exceed the Postnatal Fourth Layer in this lifetime.

However, life is sometimes unpredictable.

Around the age of thirty-five, due to offending a Sect, he escaped to Suzhou Town in the northwest of Da Rong, and when he reappeared in the worldly society, he already possessed the cultivation of the Postnatal Eighth Layer and immediately slew the Sect that had hunted him down.

Since then, Heart Shattering Palm Xiang Qiaohe began to make a name in the Jianghu and became a formidable power in the worldly society.

“There’s no use being anxious; the person will come sooner or later,” the old man said calmly.

“Isn’t Mr. Ye afraid that someone else will get there first?” Xiang Qiaohe said.

“Heh, someone would need the strength to do that first!” the old man laughed.

Xiang Qiaohe gazed at the old man, “It seems Mr. Ye is determined to get it!”

“I have no other choice,” the old man said with disappointment, looking at the fishing rod in his hands as he slowly stood up, revealing a face as sharp as a chiseled stone under his hat.

“No other choice!” Xiang Qiaohe pondered for a moment, “Indeed, both you and I have no other choice!”

The elder before him was the Island Master of Jiuhua Island, the Shadow Bat Swordsman Ye Changkai.

Different from Xiang Qiaohe, Ye Changkai was a typical product of Sect cultivation, a Martial Arts Master. Jiuhua Island was a long-standing Jianghu Sect, having reached the thirteenth generation with Ye Changkai.

But whether a Loose Cultivator or a Sect warrior, becoming an Innate Martial Artist was not an easy task.

Talent, opportunity, resources, accumulation, understanding, and so forth – all were indispensable.

The process of breaking through to the Innate Realm is one of accumulating thickness and unleashing it thin. Whether one can break through is not something that can be controlled by human effort, but rather depends on fate and personal fortune.

A Jade Dew Spirit Peach wouldn’t help them much, but as long as there was the slightest chance, it was worth fighting for.

Not everyone can be as open-minded as Ji Zhen.

Not everyone has immense caution towards the court.

Both Xiang Qiaohe and Ye Changkai desired to vie for the suddenly emerged Jade Dew Spirit Peach.

Undoubtedly, their target was the head of Yang Zhenshan.