2: Each of them used their own tricks to seek the way to immortality

An hour later.

Xu Sanyan wrapped his arm around Xiuhe's waist and let out a long sigh.

"Mm... Master..." Xiuhe murmured, her face flushed and her eyes hazy.

"Let's cook."

"Mm."

Xu Sanyan went to the courtyard to practice his stance, pondering Wu Jue's words.

Dafeng Town is a major town in the Northwest, and its wealth is unparalleled. Everyone wants a piece of it, but the more than one thousand government soldiers are not just for show.

The government soldiers are better equipped, better trained, and relying on the city walls, they also have the support of the town's common people and large families behind them. Without three to five thousand people, it would be absolutely difficult to take it down.

Why did Wu Jue insist on biting this tough bone?

Unless there was a temptation he couldn't refuse!

Xu Sanyan habitually narrowed his eyes. The sandstorms in the Northwest are severe, and narrowing one's eyes can effectively prevent sand from getting in, so he had developed this habit over time.

Just then, there was a knock on the door, "Bang bang bang... Fourth Master, First Master wants you to come over."

Xu Sanyan opened the courtyard door, "Is Third Sister back?"

"She's back and waiting for you."

"Good." Xu Sanyan nodded and walked towards the discussion hall.

The Third Master, Tang Huanhuan, was Wu Jue's adopted daughter and the only female bandit in their den.

"Third Sister."

As soon as Xu Sanyan entered the room, he saw a young woman wearing a white sheepskin coat, with rough skin, sitting casually on a chair. Her long ponytail was tied behind her head, and she was tilting her head back, pouring wine into her mouth, revealing a long, narrow knife scar on her chin.

Tang Huanhuan turned her head and mumbled, "Don't lock the door tonight, okay? I'm coming to your place."

"Mm." Xu Sanyan nodded.

The two of them had been involved for quite some time, and no one found it strange.

Wu Jue clapped his hands and looked around at the three of them, "Everyone's here. It's time to talk business. Tomorrow, gather all the men, and we're going to Dafeng Town!"

Tang Huanhuan immediately became much more energetic. Judging by her expression, Xu Sanyan figured she had just heard the news too.

"Dafeng Town? There are over a thousand government soldiers there, how will we fight?" Tang Huanhuan asked.

Xu Sanyan also turned his head to look at him.

Wu Jue shook his head, "Not that many, only less than five hundred left. More than half were transferred away."

Xu Sanyan frowned, "Five hundred people isn't something we can take on either."

The Second Master, Liu Hong, sat calmly to the side, sipping his tea.

"Not just us, but also the Jin family and Geng the Cripple's group," Wu Jue revealed a secret.

Xu Sanyan pondered to himself. He knew Geng the Cripple, who was another group of bandits, slightly stronger than them, with over two hundred people.

As for the Jin family...

Xu Sanyan frowned in thought, "The Jin family in Dafeng Town?"

"Who else?"

"Then why..."

Xu Sanyan was about to speak but was interrupted by Wu Jue, "You want to say, why would the Jin family ask outsiders to fight their own people?"

Xu Sanyan nodded, and Tang Huanhuan also listened attentively.

A meaningful smile, looking somewhat ruthless, curved Wu Jue's lips, "Heh, these big families are sometimes more ruthless than us. The Jin family and Ma family in Dafeng Town have been fighting for many years, but now it's different."

Wu Jue spoke halfway, deliberately pausing, and seeing that both of them were looking at him, he then slowly continued,

"The Ma family produced a Genius, a rarely seen Genius!"

"The Jin family completely couldn't sit still, so they contacted us to nip the problem in the bud. After it's done, three sets of martial arts Secret Manuals, plus one thousand taels..."

Wu Jue paused, then emphasized, "Of gold!"

"What a grand gesture."

Xu Sanyan's face showed a hint of surprise, then he slightly lowered his head, his eyes flickering.

Tang Huanhuan voiced her concerns, "Could this be a trap? A trap set by the Jin family in collusion with the government?"

Liu Hong put down his teacup and chuckled, shaking his head, "No, because the government can't bear that responsibility. Think about it, once the city gates are opened and we're let in, how could the people in the city fare well?"

"If too many common people die, a few officials' heads wouldn't be enough to chop off. They wouldn't dare to take such a big risk."

"Besides... there really are only five hundred government soldiers left."

Xu Sanyan understood Liu Hong's meaning. Even if five hundred government soldiers set a trap, they couldn't stop them plus Geng the Cripple's group. Each of them was on horseback, with fast blades and fast horses. Even if their movement was restricted within the city, five hundred government soldiers wouldn't be able to stop them.

They and Geng the Cripple combined were nearly four hundred people, all cavalry. What would five hundred government soldiers use to stop them?

"I'm very curious, what kind of Genius did the Ma family produce to make the Jin family go to such great lengths?"

Tang Huanhuan's point of focus was clearly a bit strange.

Xu Sanyan was also very curious, he hadn't heard of this before.

Liu Hong's expression became serious, and he slowly began, "That Genius from the Ma family is named Ma Tianqing, he's eleven years old this year, and he's at Refining Essence Perfection!"

Wu Jue said, "If he's allowed to develop, he might truly have a chance to glimpse the legendary Tianren Realm. At that time, the entire Northwest will be ruled by the Ma family."

Martial Dao Realms are divided into three stages: Refining Essence, Inner Qi, and Tianren. Each Realm is further divided into initial, middle, and Perfection stages.

Ma Tianqing, at only eleven years old, truly had the chance to step into the Tianren Realm. This was a result no one wanted to see.

Xu Sanyan and Tang Huanhuan exchanged glances, both seeing the shock in each other's eyes. They themselves were only at Refining Essence to this day, still far from the Perfection Realm.

This eleven-year-old Ma Tianqing was even more formidable than them!

Xu Sanyan had not been in this world for long, so he didn't have much reference value, but Tang Huanhuan was a native, she had been practicing martial arts since she was young and was now nearly twenty years old.

In terms of age, the two were almost a generation apart.

Wu Jue said fiercely, "If this kid escapes with his life this time, none of us will ever have a peaceful day again, so we must kill him this time!"

"Mm."

The three nodded heavily.

Wu Jue picked up his teacup, "Everyone go back and prepare. We leave early tomorrow morning."

"Good."

Xu Sanyan got up and left. He actually had many concerns in his heart, but he couldn't say them in front of Wu Jue.

Because his biggest concern was Wu Jue himself. Xu Sanyan suspected that Wu Jue wasn't telling the truth.

Tang Huanhuan also shuffled along, following him, still carrying an empty wine gourd. The two walked side by side towards home, neither speaking.

At home, Xiuhe had already prepared the meal. Xu Sanyan ate a casual bite and went back to his room to lie on the bed.

Soon after, Tang Huanhuan also lay down, kicking off her boots, taking off her clothes, and burrowing into the quilt, instinctively wrapping an arm around Xu Sanyan.

Xu Sanyan gently patted Tang Huanhuan, feeling her breath, and slowly closed his eyes, his mind filled with countless thoughts.

"You say... what was Godfather after?"

Tang Huanhuan suddenly spoke.

Xu Sanyan's lips curved slightly. It seemed he wasn't the only smart one.

Wu Jue, that old man, was nearly sixty, even bald, yet he was still fighting so desperately. To say it was just for money, Xu Sanyan wouldn't believe it even if he was beaten to death.

Although one thousand taels of gold was a lot, it was not worth taking such a big risk at all.

The money Wu Jue had earned over the years was enough for him to live comfortably and carefree for the rest of his life. As for those three martial arts Secret Manuals...

Tsk...

Xu Sanyan scoffed inwardly. Martial arts were not about knowing as many as possible; one only needed to master one or two. The biggest taboo in martial arts was being broad but not proficient. What would he do with so many martial arts? They couldn't be eaten.

What was he most afraid of at his age?

Death, of course!

With Wu Jue's cultivation at the initial stage of the Inner Qi Realm, he could only live to about ninety years old. Coupled with the old injuries from years of fighting, living to eighty would be a stroke of luck.

Therefore, what he most desired was naturally something that could extend his life.

But what could prolong life?

Xu Sanyan's lips parted slightly, "Cultivation Technique."

Tang Huanhuan added, "Cultivation Technique."

The two exchanged glances, both seeing the eagerness in each other's eyes.