Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Imperial Guard’s Saber: Main Quest Complete

Internal strife within a triad is hardly a strange occurrence. Every time a newcomer rises to power, it is inevitably accompanied by bloodshed. Yet, Huang Wen and Fisher-man Qiang never imagined that the person behind this would be Yang Sheng, nor that it would happen so quickly.

Although Huang Wen managed the triad's finances, he held no real authority. Fisher-man Qiang was even less significant, serving as little more than a mascot. Furthermore, both men harbored deep resentment toward He Wenchang; their relationship was built on calculation, not loyalty.

After exchanging a glance, the two spoke in unison: "Greetings, Dragon Head!"

A faint smile touched the corner of Yang Sheng’s mouth. "You are both elders, there is no need for such formalities. Whether it is He Wenchang or myself calling the shots, the rules of the Hongshenglian remain unchanged. Wen, you will continue to manage the triad's finances. Qiang, you are still young; it would be a waste to retire so early. Since you are a veteran of the underworld, I will leave the oversight of the main hall to you."

Huang Wen and Fisher-man Qiang were instantly visibly relieved. In the cycle of power, they had assumed that with He Wenchang dead, the "Three Elders" of the Hongshenglian would become a relic of the past. They had considered themselves lucky just to survive, so this unexpected favor came as a pleasant surprise.

In truth, Yang Sheng simply could not be bothered with the administrative burden. He would not be in this world for much longer—he intended to leave after the Dragon City Tournament—so he had no desire to waste energy managing the triad. While Huang Wen and Fisher-man Qiang were largely useless, they were seasoned members familiar with the intricacies of the organization. Moreover, one lacked the courage and the other the strength, so Yang Sheng had no fear of them plotting behind his back.

"Ah Wen, go dispose of He Wenchang's body. Dilu, you are sharp; take some men and reorganize the main hall's personnel. Ah Bao, you and your men are to garrison the hall today to prevent outsiders from sensing anything amiss and trying to cause trouble."

Turning to Huang Wen and Fisher-man Qiang, Yang Sheng added, "Since you two elders acknowledge my position as the sitting head, please notify the other bosses of the Hongshenglian to come to the main hall tomorrow to bear witness. Also, hand over your keys; I intend to take possession of the Hongshenglian’s heirloom."

Huang Wen and Fisher-man Qiang felt a slight sense of confusion. He Wenchang was dead, Yang Sheng’s strength was unrivaled, and with the recognition of the two elders, he was already the undisputed Dragon Head of the Hongshenglian. An heirloom was merely a symbolic trinket—why was Yang Sheng in such a rush to acquire it? Even the Dragon Pole of the Heyixing, for instance, was just a symbol.

The current Dragon Head of the Heyixing, Huang Juekun, had also ascended by killing his predecessor, and the original Dragon Pole had been burned to ashes during that internal struggle. The one currently in use was merely a replica carved by Huang Juekun himself, yet no one dared to challenge it. However, since Yang Sheng had just taken power, they dared not speak too much. They retrieved the key from He Wenchang and had the others bring their respective keys to unlock the secret chamber of the Hongshenglian and retrieve the Yulin saber.

The moment he touched the Yulin saber, a cold, mechanical voice echoed in his mind:

"Congratulations to the Reincarnator for acquiring the Yulin saber. Task completed. Reward: Five-Fiend Soldier Soul. To be issued upon departure from this world. The Reincarnator may choose to leave this world at any time."

Now that Yang Sheng focused his attention on the saber, he could perceive information about it—far more than he had before. It was clear that only by killing He Wenchang and substantively becoming the leader of the Hongshenglian could he be considered its true owner and fulfill the task requirements.

Name: Yulin
Category: Weapon
Quality: High-Grade
Info: A military saber used by the Qi Family Army of the Ming Dynasty. Since its forging, it has served six masters and beheaded 284 Japanese pirates. From the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, it was venerated by the Hong Sect, slaying over a thousand traitors and bandits. Having been nourished by incense for over three hundred years, it has fostered a soldier's soul.
Skills: Blade-Breaker (After accumulating enough sharpness during intense combat, it can shatter any weapon of lower than high-grade quality. As the duration of combat increases, the excess sharpness can even sever rare-quality weapons, though with a 50% failure rate.)
Passive Skill: Xinyou (The user passively gains mastery of the Xinyou Saber Technique, which increases with the number of battles engaged in.)
Passive Skill: Soldier Soul (The saber houses the soul of the Qi Family Army, which can unleash its power at specific moments. However, this power is finite and requires special methods to maintain, or it will gradually dissipate.)
Note: This blade and its former masters were once honored with incense and declared City Gods by the Emperor. Though the incense has faded, it retains higher-level power that the Reincarnator must gradually discover.

After dismissing the others, Yang Sheng examined the Yulin saber carefully. Even as its master, some things remained unclear. How was the "Soldier Soul" activated? What constituted a "specific moment"? And what did the note mean by "higher-level power"?

One thing was certain: the power contained within this blade did not belong to this world. Whether it was Zuo Kun or Zhou Chengyuan, the powers of these martial arts masters were grounded in reality, following traceable paths. But the power within this blade was undeniably supernatural. Skills like "Blade-Breaker" and "Soldier Soul" had no place in a normal world.

Yang Sheng then gave a wry smile. His very presence here was the greatest anomaly of all. He finally understood what "Fatty Wang" had told him. In the Reincarnation World, as long as one completed the tasks, one could obtain unimaginable power—power akin to that of gods and demons. This unknown strength did not frighten Yang Sheng; instead, it left him feeling a subtle, mounting excitement.

He turned his attention inward, where lines of black text appeared in his mind:

Name: Yang Sheng
Strength Rating: Ninth-Turn Mid-Stage (Temporarily Enhanced)
Title: Reincarnator
Identity: Low-level member of the Hongshenglian, Sunset Triad
Specializations: National Martial Arts 92% (50% temporarily acquired), Xinyou Saber Technique 10%
Weapon: Yulin Saber

After completing the task, his personal information had changed, including the addition of a strength rating and a title. He was unsure what "Ninth-Turn" implied, though it seemed to categorize his strength among other Reincarnators. The 10% mastery of the Xinyou Saber Technique had appeared automatically upon acquiring the blade, accompanied by vague, flickering visions of its former master fighting off pirates.

Yang Sheng had never been proficient with weapons, let alone one as classical as the Yulin saber. This 10% mastery was enough for him to handle the blade with basic competence, but he was far from unleashing its true potential. According to the information, his mastery would increase through constant combat, but unfortunately, there was no weapons division in the Dragon City Tournament, and he could hardly go around slashing people in the streets.

He shook his head, set those thoughts aside for now, and began to practice his swings in the courtyard of the main hall. While the means to gain power in the Reincarnation World were direct, Yang Sheng remained steadfast in one belief: true kung fu is forged through time, and strength is honed through every punch and kick. Otherwise, even with these enhanced specializations, the practical effectiveness in real combat would be vastly different.