Volume One, Chapter Four: The Alarmed Commander of Blackstone City

“May I ask which great grandmaster you are, esteemed sir? Now that you have entered the territory of the Great Qian Kingdom, I sincerely hope you will graciously proceed to the capital. Our kingdom wishes to host a banquet in your honor.”

“Yes, sir, since you have come, allow the Great Qian Kingdom to extend its hospitality.”

Jiang Yu and the others bowed deeply toward the empty air, showing utmost respect, no longer concerned with the chaos engulfing the White Tiger Army.

They didn’t even know where the enemy was.

“Ye Liuyun!”

“You have three breaths to leave, or you will die!”

The two men gasped sharply.

The lord of the Ye family from the Aolai Kingdom—Asura Iron Hand, Ye Liuyun—was once said to have shattered armor with a single punch, two thousand six hundred pieces in total.

And the armor he broke belonged to the Zhen Tian Army of the Liuli Kingdom, cementing his legendary status, even Wang Xianzhi regarded him with caution.

“Sir! We will leave immediately!”

Without hesitation, the two fled as fast as they could, their fierce momentum on arrival replaced by utter disgrace.

Meanwhile, in Liyang, both the civilian officials and military generals dared not act rashly, fearing death at any careless move.

Even Zhao Yi was confused, unable to grasp the true situation.

He cast his gaze toward Gu Changfeng, who remained composed and unruffled.

“Let’s go, everyone. We’re entering the city.”

Gu Changfeng was the first to step forward, heading toward Blackstone City.

Zhao Yi was the first to follow, with others gradually mounting their horses and trailing behind.

Inside, their hearts raced wildly — how could a grandmaster among the five greats, Ye Liuyun, appear in Liyang County? It was completely beyond belief.

After some distance, a civil official swallowed nervously and approached Zhao Yi, asking cautiously, “General Zhao, what are you planning...?”

Zhao Yi smiled helplessly; he knew nothing of the true circumstances, simply following Gu Changfeng’s lead.

“We will discuss this after returning.”

Hearing this, the officials breathed a collective sigh of relief, believing Zhao Yi must know something, since he was the one who communicated most with Gu Changfeng and traveled the chosen route.

This battle left the Great Qian Kingdom utterly shattered, while the old forces of Liyang emerged unharmed.

This meant everything had been premeditated—Ye Liuyun had personally come to Liyang County to protect Gu Changfeng.

At least, that was their only explanation.

At that moment, the commander of Blackstone City stood atop the walls, his limbs frozen, unable to respond.

A grandmaster!

That was the ultimate goal that every martial artist dreamed of—standing at the pinnacle of the martial path, looking down upon the world.

He swallowed several times before remembering that below were the prince and the people of Liyang.

He hurriedly turned to welcome them, stumbling down the stairs in panic, as if Ye Liuyun intended to strike him down.

Gu Changfeng led the way, followed by the old officials, none daring to utter a sound.

---

However, none of this had anything to do with Ye Liuyun; it was all orchestrated by Gu Changfeng.

The ability to transmit true energy through sound was a skill only a grandmaster possessed.

Earlier, Gu Changfeng had indeed intended to soar to the skies, charging into Great Qian alone with his spear.

But he soon regained his composure.

A wealthy young man surnamed Zhao once said, “This world cannot allow someone so formidable to exist.”

This truth applied universally; although he was now a grandmaster, he was, in fact, the weakest among them.

In this world, martial ranks ranged from one to nine, further divided into lower, middle, and upper tiers, each with early, middle, and late stages.

First-rank martial artists were slightly stronger than ordinary people, capable of some lightness skills, easily vaulting over ten-meter walls.

Only at the second rank could one begin to master inner strength; third-rank warriors could shatter stones, and fourth-rank could tread snow without leaving traces.

By the ninth rank, one gained a formidable reputation and could establish their own sect.

For instance, Zhao Yi and others could take enemy generals’ heads as easily as picking fruit.

Grandmasters no longer cultivated inner strength but true energy, nearing the ability to traverse heaven and earth.

Beyond that, records spoke of the Divine Journey Realm, also called Earthly Immortals, though Gu Changfeng had never seen anyone reach that stage.

He was currently a novice grandmaster—the weakest among the most powerful.

It sounded reasonable.

If he revealed himself now, Wang Xianzhi would surely march directly to Liyang and exterminate him.

That would be the least of his worries. The balance of power among the Three Mountains, Two Cities, and Five Dynasties must not be disrupted.

If he became a decisive factor, countless forces would rise against him, making it a thankless endeavor.

Why had he survived the Great Qian Empire?

One word: “Caution.”

With a survival rate of ninety-eight percent, what was the difference from risking death?

Only five grandmasters were known worldwide, and no one expected a dark horse to suddenly appear.

Now, Gu Changfeng’s task was to muddy the waters and turn the situation into chaos.

Did the three great sects not want to rule the world?

That was nonsense—just a matter of secret and open conspiracies.

The five grandmasters would inevitably clash; he intended to wait until both sides were battered and broken, then step forth to claim the spoils and unify the realm.

“Ha…”

“Heh!”

Gu Changfeng chuckled inwardly.

If his guess was correct, the Great Qian Kingdom was about to explode.

At this moment, he arrived beneath the city gate, where the commander and lord of Blackstone City had already gathered with the townspeople to welcome them.

---

The lord of Blackstone City trembled uncontrollably.

The mere mention of Ye Liuyun had set the entire city ablaze.

He was still trying to quell the panic.

Completely terrified, unsure if he could ever stand tall again.

“Lord of Blackstone City, Guo Kai! I pay respects to the Prince of Liyang!”

“We pay respects to the Prince of Liyang!” The people bowed in unison.

Gu Changfeng nodded slightly. “No need for formalities.”

The commander and city lord quickly stood, their faces full of reverence as they looked at Gu Changfeng and the ministers behind him.

“Why did you not sally out to rescue us earlier?”

Both hesitated, unable to find a proper excuse.

Guo Kai nudged the commander’s elbow, prompting him to speak, “It was too dark to recognize the royal convoy, Your Highness.”

“Oh? Is that so?”

“I don’t blame you,” Gu Changfeng said coldly, “But you can’t have mistaken the White Tiger Army’s banner for that of Liyang’s own troops, can you?”

“The enemy had already reached our doorstep, yet you stayed huddled inside the city.”

Sweat beaded on the commander’s forehead; he dared not stand. “Your Highness, our forces were too thin. The entire garrison numbered only a few dozen.”

“Heh! Does sending a scout require hundreds of men?” Gu Changfeng’s voice was sharp with dissatisfaction.

Zhao Yi had just passed his test, and Gu Changfeng had mended some of his meridians.

Loyal ministers were needed, but so were treacherous ones.

Yet, even traitors knew when to act.

These men, despite the enemy reaching their gates, had not sent a single soldier out.

That was sheer laziness.

Though the townspeople knew nothing of the details, the tense atmosphere was palpable.

They exchanged curious glances and whispered among themselves.

Thud!

The commander suddenly fell to his knees. “Your Highness, I am guilty. I deserve death!”

Gu Changfeng smiled. Using offense as defense?

“Good! I will grant your wish!”

“Zhao Yi, kill him!”

“Ah?”

The commander looked up in disbelief, realizing it was a spur-of-the-moment remark.