Chapter 235 The sword demon enters Zhongzhou

"I am the Black Fiend Heavenly King, Bai Kun!!"

"This old man is the Ghost Ruins Wanderer, Luo Shengqiao!!"

"I am Ding Yun!"

"Ice Demon Sect's Jin Shuo..."

The seven Supreme Grandmasters introduced themselves one by one. No further explanation was needed; their names alone caused the members of the World Society present to cry out in surprise.

Although there were a few that the crowd had not heard of, those names that were recognized were all notorious Devil Heads of the Evil Path.

But now, these people were all following respectfully behind Yan Chu, making everyone even more in awe of him.

"I am Han Yunlu. Welcome to the World Society!"

Han Yunlu smiled charmingly, her eyes bright and full of spirit, as she bowed slightly to them.

"We wouldn't dare! You are too polite, Madam!"

"If Sect Leader Han has any instructions in the future, just ask. We will do our utmost..."

Rong An and the others hurriedly returned the salute.

Although Han Yunlu was only at the Sixth Realm, not even comparable to their Disciples or grand-Disciples, she was Yan Chu's woman, so they dared not show any disrespect.

Han Yunlu smiled with her red lips.

She knew they were only so respectful because of Yan Chu's presence.

These old monsters who had been famous on the Evil Path for many years were not easy to deal with.

"Alright, let's go back!"

Yan Chu waved his hand and led everyone into the mountain gate.

Everyone in the World Society was beaming as they crowded around Yan Chu. Along the way, all the Disciples knelt on both sides, their voices rising like a crashing tide as they welcomed his return.

...

"You're saying the Empress Dowager's people came five days ago with an imperial decree, telling me to hurry to the Imperial Capital as soon as possible?"

"Princess Yunshu's wedding procession is leaving for Northern Mang in the middle of next month?"

Inside Han Yunlu's room in the World Society.

A thick furry carpet covered the floor. A sandalwood table stood against the wall, and ambergris smoke drifted from a bronze beast-eared censer; the atmosphere in the room was tender and lingering.

It had been lively just a moment ago, but now it was quiet.

Han Yunlu lay in Yan Chu's arms, her slender white index finger tracing circles on his chest. Her chin rested on his chest as she nodded:

"It will be the New Year in a few days!"

"That palace maid named Luo Jin is the Empress Dowager's close attendant. She waited for a few days but couldn't find you, so she left the imperial decree, saying you should head to the Imperial Capital immediately upon your return."

Speaking of this, Han Yunlu asked:

"So, are you going?"

She knew that in his heart, Yan Chu didn't care about the Great Jin Imperial Court at all.

However, that Empress Dowager had given Yan Chu many good things several times. Even when that female official named Luo Jin arrived this time, she brought several scrolls of Cultivation Techniques from the inner palace as a reward.

So, the Empress Dowager's faction had been quite good to Yan Chu.

Of course, it was just a relationship of mutual exploitation. The other party likely only viewed Yan Chu as they did any other subordinate.

Yan Chu's right hand played with her smooth, soft skin as he pondered slightly.

After a moment, he nodded:

"Then I'll make a trip there!"

With his current strength, he could roam the world freely. There weren't many people left who could steadily defeat him.

This trip might yield a lot of experience.

The heads of the Northern Mang people shouldn't be harder than those of the people in the Great Jin Jianghu, right?

"Alright then!"

Han Yunlu's tone was a bit disappointed. Every time Yan Chu came back, he could hardly stay for more than a few days.

And during these few days, he was always doing these things...

Although she was most familiar with Yan Chu's nature, as a woman, she still felt a bit uneasy, though she wouldn't show it like Su Zhirou.

"Eh, you... you want to go again?"

Just as she was feeling melancholy, she saw Yan Chu's tall body pressing down again, and she couldn't help but look startled.

She really had no strength left; her whole body was weak and limp.

"I'll... find a few more people... wait a moment..."

...

Among the nineteen provinces of the Great Jin Dynasty, Zhongzhou was undoubtedly the number one province.

Not only was its area three or four times larger than other provinces, it was also the place where Jianghu forces flourished the most.

More than forty percent of the experts in the Great Jin Imperial Court were stationed in Zhongzhou.

This was also the location of the Great Jin's state religion, the Qingyang Palace.

Qingyang Palace was located on Baoxi Mountain in Zhongzhou. Along with Mount Dà Ruò in Yongzhou, where the Hanging Temple was located, and Dragon Tiger Mountain, the Daoist Ancestral Court in Qianzhou, they were known as the three great Immortal Mountains of the Great Jin Dynasty, standing above the Jianghu forces.

These were all forces that had been passed down for thousands of years.

They had existed since the previous dynasty, and their Legacy had never been broken.

Even the princes and nobles of the Imperial Court were respectful to the Disciples from these three major forces.

Besides Qingyang Palace, Zhongzhou also hosted two of the four major gangs, the Beggars Gang and the First Uprising Gang, as well as the Heavenly Saber Sect and the Thunderclap Sect from the nine major Sects of the Righteous Path.

Although the current Great Jin Imperial Court faced internal and external troubles, Zhongzhou was still peaceful and prosperous, unaffected by the turmoil, and its martial arts flourished even more.

Because many people in the Jianghu responded to the Imperial Court's call to join the army and suppress the rebellion.

To some extent, this also promoted the growth of the younger generation in the Jianghu.

Besides the Jianghu forces, Zhongzhou was also the most prosperous commercial area.

Walking on the streets, the common people one saw were more high-spirited than those in other places.

Recently, a piece of news suddenly spread throughout the Jianghu.

The Blade Demon Yan Chu was about to enter Zhongzhou.

No one knew where this news came from, but it was like throwing a stone into a pot of boiling water, making the entire Jianghu even more turbulent.

People were discussing this in every street and alley.

If one were to ask who had the greatest reputation in the world's Jianghu today, it would certainly be the Blade Demon Yan Chu.

His fame was no longer limited to the Great Jin Dynasty.

Even in the distant Western Regions, as well as Northern Mang and Southern Wei, his reputation had spread.

Within the Ice Demon Sect, the news of his battle with the White Lotus Holy Master had not leaked out.

But in Tongzhou Prefecture, his killing of the Nalanda Temple's Buddhist Son, Awakening to emptiness, in front of everyone was already known to the world.

Now at the age of twenty, he was ranked second on the Earth Ranking by the Number One Tower Under Heaven, becoming an idol for countless young Disciples in the Jianghu.

There was more specific news saying that Yan Chu's entry into Zhongzhou this time was to escort Princess Yunshu to Northern Mang for a political marriage, though the truth of the news was unknown.

The Imperial Capital, Heshen Zhai Clothing Shop.

This was a small clothing shop on Vermilion Bird Avenue, with only an old manager who was both the owner and the worker.

Late that night, Heshen Zhai had already closed, and the street was empty.

Knock, knock, knock!

A gentle knocking sound came from outside.

"Who is it? Customer, this old man has already laid down. If you want clothes made, come back tomorrow!"

The old manager's voice came through the crack in the door.

A muffled, deep voice sounded outside.

"The cloth shop in the east of the city, do you have Plain White Silk?"

"To be tailored into Mourning Clothes, to be picked up on a chosen day!"

After this voice, the shop fell silent for a moment. Then, the shop door was opened, and the old manager appeared at the entrance.

Outside, a tall figure completely covered in a black robe stood quietly.

"Please come in, Your Excellency!"

The old manager gestured, inviting the black-robed person into the shop.

...

...

The black-robed person followed the old manager into the clothing shop.

The outer room was no different from any other clothing shop, with various fabrics and finished clothes hanging on the shelves on both sides.

But as they went deeper, it turned out to be a different world.

Beneath the clothing shop was hidden a Deep Underground Palace covering an area of nearly a hundred square meters. A person in black wearing a faceless mask sat on a bronze chair in the center of the palace.

After bringing the black-robed person into the underground palace, the old manager withdrew without a word.

The black-robed person took in the entire underground palace and looked at the masked person on the central bronze chair, cupping his hands:

"I have long heard of the Red Sleeve Beckon's great name. I wonder which Wuchang Emissary Your Excellency is within the Red Sleeve Beckon?"

The faceless masked person's voice was ethereal, making it impossible to tell if it was male or female, as they said slowly:

"Your Excellency does not need to worry about that!"

"You only need to know that there are very few people my Red Sleeve Beckon wants to kill who manage to escape."

A light chuckle came from under the black-robed person's mask:

"Red Sleeve Beckon indeed rarely fails, but the one I want to kill this time is no ordinary person. I wonder if you dare to take the job?"

"Who does Your Excellency want to kill?"

"Blade Demon Yan Chu!"

"The Blade Demon?"

The masked person, who had been sitting loosely on the bronze chair, immediately sat up straight. Their solemnity could be felt.

"Yes, the Blade Demon Yan Chu!"

The black-robed person confirmed and continued:

"The Blade Demon Yan Chu is about to enter Zhongzhou under the Empress Dowager's orders. The person I want to hire your organization to kill this time is him!"

"I wonder if the Red Sleeve Beckon dares to take it?"

Upon hearing this, the masked person fell into silence.

The grudge between Yan Chu and Red Sleeve Beckon was not small.

Outsiders might not know this, but as one of the twelve Wuchang Emissaries, they knew it clearly.

The last of the Wuchang, the Great Joy Bodhisattva, most likely died at Yan Chu's hands.

Red Sleeve Beckon's people had specifically examined the Great Joy Bodhisattva's body; she was killed by several throwing knives that couldn't be more ordinary.

And Yan Chu had once used the same throwing knife technique!

Although he used it rarely, as a prominent figure in the Jianghu, his actions and the martial arts he had used had already been investigated by those with intentions.

The reason they hadn't continued to retaliate against Yan Chu was simply because this man progressed too quickly—so fast they couldn't even react.

Now, Yan Chu was already second on the Earth Ranking.

There were even rumors that the top-ranked on the Earth Ranking, "Red Sun Venerable" Li Zhou, might not be Yan Chu's match.

It was only because Li Zhou was suspected of already being a Heavenly Human that the Number One Tower Under Heaven didn't Rank Yan Chu as first.

In this situation, antagonizing Yan Chu for a past grudge was clearly an unwise choice.

It was very likely they would fail again.

After pondering, the masked person spoke:

"This person is quite troublesome. My Red Sleeve Beckon needs to consider it. Please wait here for a moment, Your Excellency. I will be right back!"

"Very well!"

The masked person bowed, their figure gradually becoming illusory, then dissipating like light smoke.

The black-robed person was not in a hurry and waited quietly in the underground palace.

About half an hour later, the masked person suddenly sat on the bronze chair again without warning. Their voice behind the mask became much more solid.

"My Red Sleeve Beckon takes this mission!"

The black-robed person looked delighted and was about to speak.

"Don't be in a hurry, Your Excellency. It's not too late to decide after hearing the price!"

The masked person waved their hand and said to themselves:

"Blade Demon Yan Chu's strength is such that few below the Heaven-Man Realm can rival him. Even the monk Awakening to emptiness from Nalanda Temple died at his hands."

"Based on his growth path, we cannot rule out the possibility that he has already advanced to the Heavenly Human stage."

"Therefore, to kill Yan Chu, my Red Sleeve Beckon must also send a Celestial Being Expert."

"To hire a Celestial Being Expert to act, Your Excellency needs to pay two Divine Weapons and five Purple Mist True Essence Pills."

"Provide one Divine Weapon and two Medicinal Pills first as a deposit."

"After the deed is done, pay the remaining reward!"

Hearing this, the black-robed person's breathing tightened, and they said in a deep voice:

"Aren't you being a bit too greedy?"

"No matter what, that Yan Chu is only on the Earth Ranking. Such a price is enough to kill a Heavenly Human!"

Setting aside the two Divine Weapons for now.

That Purple Mist True Essence Pill was the highest-grade Medicinal Pill of the Qingyang Palace. It was refined by the Daoist priests of the Qingyang Palace using the purple Qi of heaven and earth, plus many precious herbs from blessed lands. It was specifically for the cultivation of Celestial Being Experts, and one pill could increase a Heavenly Human's power by ten years.

This was ten years of a Celestial Being Expert's power, which was more than a hundred times more precious than a dragon tiger great restoration pill.

Its efficacy was not inferior to the Seven-Return Great Pill of Dragon Tiger Mountain.

The key was that these things were rare and highly sought after. Every time one flowed out from the Qingyang Palace, it would cause a frenzy among major forces. Those so-called first-rate Jianghu forces didn't even have the qualification to compete for them.

The masked person ignored the change in the other's tone and said indifferently:

"Killing Yan Chu is not much less difficult than killing a Heavenly Human!"

"Looking at the world, only my Red Sleeve Beckon will take such a commission, and only my Red Sleeve Beckon dares to take it!"

"If Your Excellency can't even produce these things, you'd better stop thinking about being an enemy of the Blade Demon and go back to your wife and kids!"

"You—"

The black-robed person was enraged by the other's tone, but they held back their anger and asked in a low voice:

"What if you fail to kill Yan Chu?"

"Since my Red Sleeve Beckon dares to take it, we will definitely do it!"

The masked person's tone held great confidence as they said coldly:

"If we cannot kill Yan Chu, all rewards will be returned!"

Given the Red Sleeve Beckon's way of doing things, they already wanted to retaliate against Yan Chu. Now that someone was conveniently offering a way and they could also gain two Divine Weapons and precious pills, why not?

As long as Yan Chu was alive for one more day, the Red Sleeve Beckon would surely stick to him like an adhesive, never letting go until one of them was dead.

Offend the Red Sleeve Beckon, and there will surely be a life-taking blade!

Death may be late, but it will arrive; do not scream in pain!

After hearing the masked person's confident words, the black-robed person fell silent.

After a moment, they nodded heavily and gritted their teeth:

"Fine!"

"At this time tomorrow, I will have someone deliver the deposit!"

"But I'll say this first: if you take the items but fail to kill Yan Chu, I am not someone to be trifled with either!"

"Rest assured, Your Excellency!"

Seeing the other party agree, the masked person's tone became a bit more friendly.

"Before Yan Chu enters Zhongzhou, you will hear news of his death!"

...

...

On the 28th day of the 12th Lunar Month, on the eve of the New Year, Yan Chu left the World Society and headed towards Zhongzhou.

Although it would be the New Year in two days.

But for him, the so-called New Year had lost its meaning.

As he left the World Society, the news that he was about to head to Zhongzhou spread through the Jianghu like the wind.

Today's Yan Chu was a top-tier figure in the Jianghu.

No matter where he went, there would be a group of followers catering to his tastes.

But this time, the place he was heading to was the Great Jin Imperial Capital, the place with the deepest waters in the entire Great Jin Dynasty.

Could Yan Chu handle it?

No one knew!