Chapter 149: Young Hero Han and Young Master Yu

An isolated temple stood amidst the desolate mountains. Forked bolts of lightning flashed across the sky in rapid succession, and a torrential downpour poured down, turning the entire world into a hazy blur in the blink of an eye.

In the dead of night, whenever the lightning tore through the firmament and illuminated the earth with a blinding flash of white, even the boldest of souls could not help but shiver.

A fierce wind howled. The dilapidated wooden door of the old temple, riddled with holes, swung back and forth, emitting rasps and groans. In this dead of night, accompanied by the endless flashes of lightning, the atmosphere strongly resembled something out of a pulp fiction tale, as though a seductive fox fairy might manifest at any moment.

Inside the dilapidated temple, several bonfires were burning. Closest to the ruined mountain deity statue at the innermost part was a group of tough-looking martial artists. Judging by the flags planted beside them, these men were undoubtedly seasoned escorts from a transport agency.

Slightly further out, not far from the deity statue, was another bonfire. It was considerably smaller than the first. A young man dressed in cyan and an exceptionally handsome young master in brocade robes sat on either side of the fire, roasting food and chatting in low voices.

Though there were only two of them, their expressions showed not a trace of tension. Compared to them, the gang of pugilistic escorts seemed jittery, ready to jump at the slightest sound. Not only did they keep their weapons in hand, but they also cast cautious glances all around, frequently throwing suspicious stares at the other two bonfires.

As for the final bonfire, it was located near the temple doors. A colossal, heavy-set man sat before the flames, incessantly tearing apart a roasted chicken on a spit. He paid no heed to the outside world whatsoever. Even when the temple door swung open and a blast of freezing rain poured directly onto him, he merely wiped his face with his sleeve and continued eating.

Clearly, these three groups of people had all been driven here by the heavy rain. Judging by the positions of their bonfires, the escort agency was likely the first to arrive, while the other two groups had come shortly after.

Amidst the endless night and the pouring rain, the Mountain Deity Temple, emitting faint points of firelight, was undoubtedly a sanctuary for many martial artists traveling through the night.

Amidst the crackling of the flames, the doors of the Mountain Deity Temple were violently blown open once again. Only this time, they did not swing shut as usual. The moment the gap widened, a dark shadow flashed inside.

The burly leader of the escorts abruptly stood up, his hand pressing hard against the hilt of his saber. With a tense expression, he stared fixedly at the newcomer, clearly startled. As for the other two groups, they showed no reaction at all, appearing entirely oblivious to the arrival of the man in black.

As the firelight flickered, the features of the man in black gradually came into view. He was a tough-looking, fierce-looking man dressed in guard attire. Although he was thoroughly soaked, his expression betrayed not a shred of distress.

The fierce-looking man scanned the interior of the temple. His gaze lingered briefly on the large man gorging himself by the door, after which he paid the others no more mind. With one hand, he pushed the temple door open wider, while the other hand hung slightly low in a deferential gesture, saying, "Young Master, the temple is safe. There is nothing unusual inside."

This fierce-looking man was evidently not alone!

Just as the people in the temple realized this, a group of men filed in one after another. Only then did everyone notice that guards as formidable as the first one were not few in number—there were a full six of them.

Escorted by them was a young master clad in yellow robes, accompanied by two decrepit, white-bearded elders.

Though the young master wore an arrogant expression, his appearance was genuinely striking, likely rivaling the brocade-robed young master sitting beside the second bonfire.

Having received the guard's report, the young master already had a grasp of the situation inside the temple. He glanced around casually, lingering a bit longer on the brocade-robed youth, before gesturing toward the spot occupied by the escort agency. The Mountain Deity Temple was small to begin with, and with the heavy rain outside, anyone wishing to stay entirely clear of the wind and rain—especially a group of seven—would need the space currently held by the escorts.

"Step aside quickly. This spot is not something your kind can occupy. Consider this compensation from my Young Master."

The fierce guard who had first stepped into the temple strode forward a few paces, ignoring the ugly expression on the burly leader's face as he abruptly tossed down a golden sycee the size of a fist.

"You—"

A young escort sitting behind the leader could not help standing up, an expression of utter fury on his face. He made a move to draw his saber and fight.

"Humph, courting death!"

The fierce man sneered. Without any visible wind-up, the long saber at his waist leaped into his hand. With a gentle, effortless arc, the large head of the young escort flew into the air.

"Dutiful Blade Du Qian?!"

Amidst the ringing clash of blades being unsheathed, the burly leader threw out his arms to hold back his men, staring at the fierce man with a face as dark as charcoal.

"I have been living in retirement for quite some time, yet I didn't expect someone to still recognize Du Qian. Remarkable, truly remarkable. For old time's sake, clear out immediately. I'll spare your lives. Otherwise... heh heh."

The fierce man smiled faintly, flicked his wrist, and his saber vanished back into its scabbard. The speed was so blinding that hardly anyone present could track his movement.

"Let's go!"

The burly leader clenched his fists. In the end, he did not dare defy the other's command. The Dutiful Blade Du Qian alone was a first-rate expert, more than capable of slaughtering all of them single-handedly, to say nothing of the other formidable guards surrounding the young master—judging by their demeanor toward Du Qian, they were certainly no weaker than him.

Such figures were by no means people a minor escort agency could afford to provoke.

Although the escorts were burning with rage, the grim reality forced their hands. Under the suppression of the enemy's terrifying martial prowess, they did not even dare display their anger outwardly. Led by their burly captain, they stood up, abandoned the shelter of the rain, and plunged straight into the dark night.

The young master casually took his seat by the bonfire, served by his subordinates. He looked up at the dark night outside and shook his head, saying, "A San is too sloppy. Since he decided to make a move, he should have cut the weeds and dug up the roots. Though I care nothing for such small fries, I have no desire for future troubles. A Er, go kill them. Leave no survivors."

"Understood!"

A lean, wiry man standing beside Du Qian immediately nodded. Drawing the long sword at his waist, he darted out like a ghost.

"Lord Yu, shall this old man dispatch the others as well? This Mountain Deity Temple is so cramped, and with so many people gathered here now, it's bound to feel a bit crowded!"

One of the white-robed old men let out a ghoulish laugh, sounding chillingly like a mountain spirit in the dark night. His eyes took on a greenish hue as he cast an eerie gaze toward the large man and the other two young men.

To the old man's surprise, however, the three people who should have immediately turned pale with fright and fled in a panic continued to eat and drink as if nothing had happened, completely ignoring his group.

"Forget it!"

The young master rolled his eyes, ultimately lacking the nerve to order his subordinates to strike. The saying went that when the abnormal happened, a demon was afoot; for these three to remain calm after witnessing their methods meant they were either fools or individuals concealing their true depths. Judging by their composure, they undoubtedly fell into the latter category.

"We are all here for Miss Ling'er and the Blazing Fire Manual. Why ruin the harmony by fighting?"

"My name is Yu Feng. May I ask the names of you three gentlemen?"

"Hehe, this old fat eccentric dares not make friends with a little brat like you—such ruthless methods you have!"

The fat man shook his massive head, continuing to eat his roasted chicken without even raising his head. It remained a mystery where he had acquired so many chickens; no sooner had he finished one than another seemed to take its place. From the very beginning until now, the number of chickens roasting over his bonfire never seemed to diminish.

"So it is Lord Yu. I've heard much about you. I am Han Liuyun. To be frank with you, Young Master, I am also here for Miss Wu Ling'er and the Blazing Fire Manual."

The brocade-robed young master cupped his fists politely, then pointed across at the cyan-robed man sipping from a wine flask, introducing him: "The brother opposite me is Hu San, Brother Hu. He is heading to Sky Bear City on some business, though not for Miss Ling'er."

"Oh? Is Brother Han a man of Wuzang State?"

Lord Yu's eyes shifted, and he subtly flicked his right hand to signal the elder beside him not to act rashly. Not a single one of these three people in front of him was likely a pushover.

"My late father was from Wuzang State, while my mother was not. All things considered, Liuyun is half a person of Wuzang State. Seeing that the Young Master is both valiant and extraordinary, you must be bound to win the championship this time. However, since Liuyun has traveled thousands of miles to get here, I cannot simply concede. How about you and I settle the score on the day of the martial arts tournament?"

Han Liuyun smiled and nodded.

"Haha, Brother Han flatters me. How many renowned figures are there in the pugilistic world? Given the allure of Miss Ling'er and the Blazing Fire Manual, this tournament is bound to be filled with crouching tigers and hidden dragons. Since you and I have met here, it is a sign of fate. Before we reach the final showdown, we ought to join forces. Why engage in internal friction?"

"If Brother Hu does not mind, you are welcome to come sit with us. The journey ahead is long, and I have brought plenty of good things. If Brother Han were to miss out, it truly would be a pity."

Lord Yu apparently had no intention of fighting either, choosing instead to issue an invitation.

To everyone's further astonishment, Han Liuyun accepted without the slightest hesitation. Not only that, but he even pulled the young man beside him along with him.

"Interesting, interesting!"

The youth in cyan robes showed no hesitation, casually taking a seat beside the massive bonfire. Inwardly, however, he quietly observed the surrounding individuals, a corner of his mouth curving upward.

Needless to say, this young man was none other than Hu San! He had originally intended to ignore this so-called Lord Yu, but just moments ago, he had sensed a faint fluctuation emanating from the young master. It was a fluctuation unique to magic power—something that logically should never appear on an ordinary mortal.

Observing Lord Yu's aura once more, although his spirit was restrained and his vital energy surged—suggesting he was an extraordinary high-level martial artist—Hu San did not believe he was an immortal cultivator, unless the man had reached the later stages of Qi gathering. If that were truly the case, Hu San would have nothing to say.

This meant there had to be an immortal cultivator in Lord Yu's retinue who regularly unblocked his meridians. To Hu San, this was the only plausible explanation.

Since even an immortal cultivator had appeared, Hu San was practically certain that the secret of the Bear Fist had already leaked out, though the extent of the leak remained unknown. This realization only solidified his resolve to fish in troubled waters.

The moment the commotion caused by the Bear Fist became too large, he would abandon it immediately. If it was merely circulating among a few minor factions, however, there was still room for him to maneuver.

Having made up his mind, Hu San shifted his focus, while Lord Yu also turned his attention away from him. In his eyes, Hu San was at best a top-tier martial artist; the only one who truly posed a threat was Han Liuyun.