Chapter 161 The Sword Demon Emerges from Seclusion

While Yan Chu was in seclusion, the Martial Forest of Cangzhou Prefecture became increasingly turbulent.

All Jianghu figures, whether locals of Cangzhou Prefecture or outsiders, could not help but turn their attention to the Marquis of Annans Estate and the World Society in Longhua Prefecture.

However, beyond these two forces, there were other matters that captured the attention of the Cangzhou Prefecture Jianghu.

The first was the recent great battle in Tianshui Prefecture between the Protector of the Changle Gang—one of the four great gangs under heaven—"Northern Land Divine Fist" Meng Feixing and the First Uprising Gang's "Nine Heavens Vulture" Ji Guiying, which razed a small mountain outside Tianshui Prefecture, Hengshan, to the ground.

The second was news from Liangzhou Prefecture.

The imperial court dispatched a large army to Liangzhou Prefecture to suppress the rebellion, but they were ambushed by Heavenly King Xue's army, and the entire force of two hundred thousand was annihilated.

Heavenly King Xue pursued the victory, and countless cities surrendered at the mere sight of his army. Now, the entire Region, which borders Liangzhou Prefecture, has been occupied by the rebel army, and the majority of Pingzhou Province and Qinzhou have also been seized.

This event shook the entire world and left the imperial court in terror.

It is said that the Emperor, who was already suffering from an ailment, vomited three pints of blood right in the imperial court upon hearing this news and fainted.

The third matter was that the Jianghu had become increasingly chaotic.

Because the imperial court had suffered repeated defeats in the war against Xue Bai's army, its prestige had greatly diminished, and many Jianghu forces were now itching for action.

It is rumored that the Governors of Huzhou Prefecture and Nanzhou in the south, having respectively received support from the Holy Lotus Sect and Southern Wei, have effectively formed separatist regimes, replacing all officials appointed by the imperial court with their own people.

Since this news has spread, it is likely already a fact.

The Great Jin Dynasty is now truly precarious, like a crumbling ship, and everyone wants a bite.

Other Jianghu forces that were previously suppressed by the Six Doors have also begun to emerge from their mountain gates, acting recklessly.

For a time, Jianghu feuds were constant, as if the world had returned to the era of constant warfare and strife between nations a thousand years ago.

Yet, at this time, the imperial court was powerless to quell the chaos.

Although the Green Willow Villa was not far from Cangzhou Prefecture city, it was located deep within the mountains. It remained quiet and elegant, undisturbed by the turmoil of the outside world.

When Yan Chu exited seclusion, Zhu Qingluan was waiting for him outside the secret chamber.

"What is it?"

Seeing Zhu Qingluan pacing back and forth with some anxiety, Yan Chu felt a bit curious.

He had only been in seclusion for two days; could there be some other major event in the Jianghu?

"You've finally come out!"

Seeing Yan Chu, Zhu Qingluan let out a sigh of relief.

She handed him a letter and said, "This is news from Longhua Prefecture. Take a look!"

Yan Chu took the envelope, read it over roughly, and couldn't help but frown. "So many things have happened in the two days I was in seclusion?"

The letter was sent by Han Yunlu.

Besides the recent events in the Jianghu, it also mentioned that the people from the Changle Gang who had come to Cangzhou Prefecture had already begun to suspect Yan Chu.

They had followed Mao Dongchen's trail all the way to Tianshui Prefecture.

And on that day, the only person to appear in Tianshui Prefecture was Yan Chu.

However, because of the battle between the Changle Gang Protector Meng Feixing and Ji Guiying, both sides were slightly injured and had not come to trouble the World Society for the time being.

But two Grandmaster attendants following Meng Feixing had attempted to sneak into the World Society at night, only to be repelled by Yao Chuan and the others.

Seeing this, Yan Chu's eyes turned slightly cold.

The letter mentioned that a few days ago, those two Changle Gang Grandmasters had even paid a visit, wanting to meet Yan Chu in person.

Because they couldn't see him, they had investigated at night.

Their purpose was likely to test whether Yan Chu was actually there or not, right?

"When was the letter sent?"

"Early this morning!"

Yan Chu nodded.

Only Han Yunlu knew that he was away, and they maintained contact at all times to avoid any emergencies that could not be handled.

It seemed the situation was not looking good; otherwise, she would not have sent him a message.

Zhu Qingluan added, "There is one more thing!"

"The divine doctor I mentioned before who can cure the seven worm heart-corroding pill has run into some trouble recently and may be delayed for a few days."

"How long?"

The poison in Yao Chuan and the other person requires an antidote every three months.

Calculating it, there is less than a month left until the next flare-up.

"Hmm..."

Zhu Qingluan shook her head slightly and said, "I don't know for now. I estimate he must have encountered some trouble."

"I had originally planned to go find him with you after you exited seclusion, but now that there are matters in Longhua Prefecture, it will have to be postponed!"

Yan Chu pondered after hearing this and said, "There are seven days left until the day of my duel with Sima Tao."

"After I kill him, we shall go to Ningzhou together."

"Alright. How confident are you in the battle against Sima Tao?"

"Heh!"

Yan Chu chuckled softly and didn't say a word.

But his smile held an indescribable confidence, a confidence that infected Zhu Qingluan and made her naturally believe in him.

The Green Willow Villa was over a thousand li away from Longhua Prefecture.

The sky was clear today, the autumn air was crisp, and white clouds dotted the sky.

Suddenly, the thick clouds were torn apart as a figure descended at high speed, landing above the surging Yang River, with the entire Lanjiang Valley laid out before his eyes.

It was Yan Chu, who had rushed over all the way from the Green Willow Villa.

At his current speed of flight, it had taken him only a little over an hour to cover more than a thousand li.

Yan Chu appeared silently in the seclusion hall.

Given his cultivation Realm, no one could detect him.

Rumble!

The palace doors, which had been closed for over twenty days, were opened from the inside. The dull sound immediately startled Wang Ping and Liu Dayuan, who were standing guard outside. They hurriedly bowed and said, "Welcome, Young Master, on exiting seclusion!!"

"We wish for the Young Master's divine arts to advance greatly, to awe the Jianghu, to make all enemies bow their heads, and to sweep across all directions!!"

Wang Ping and Liu Dayuan were filled with excitement.

With the current chaotic situation in the Jianghu, they could not rest easy for a single day without seeing Yan Chu.

One must know that the safety of the entire World Society was tied to Yan Chu alone.

Now that they saw Yan Chu, their hanging hearts could finally settle.

In their hearts, Yan Chu was a figure like an invincible god.

No matter who the opponent was, when facing Yan Chu, they would be defeated within a few moves.

The rumor that everyone who became an enemy of Yan Chu was dead was not just spread casually; it was built upon the corpses of one powerful opponent after another.

Facing their salute, Yan Chu said expressionlessly, "Gather everyone in the main hall for a meeting. I have matters to arrange!"

"Yes!"

Wang Ping and Liu Dayuan hurriedly acknowledged and began to relay the order.

Before long, the members of the World Society who received the order excitedly arrived at the main hall.

Over these days, facing the many Jianghu figures flooding into Cangzhou Prefecture, the World Society had rarely refrained from expanding, instead contracting its forces, waiting for Yan Chu to exit seclusion before doing anything.

Now, Yan Chu had finally appeared.

Everyone finally had a backbone.