My Martial Dao Has No Bottlenecks

Martial Arts Academy, True Inheritance Peak, Courtyard Three.

Li Mu hurried over and reported in a low voice, "Senior Brother, I've looked into it. Uncle Wang does have a nephew in his hometown who just got married three days ago. All the neighbors can attest to it. During his trip home, aside from attending the wedding banquet, he spent his time tidying up the ancestral house. He didn't make contact with anyone out of the ordinary."

Liang Cheng stood in the courtyard, slowly finishing his forms. The faint blue True Qi flowing around him gradually subsided. He nodded. "Understood. Keep watching him when he returns. Don't let up."

"Yes."

Li Mu agreed, then added, "One more thing. Commander Yue Shan has woken up. A few Masters from the Martial Arts Academy are preparing to visit him."

Liang Cheng's expression hardened. "Get the carriage ready. I'm going to see him as well."

...

City Lord's Mansion, a quiet chamber in the Inner Courtyard.

Yue Shan lay on a soft couch, his face ashen and his lips dry and cracked.

This man, once boisterous and hearty with a voice that boomed like a great bell, now had a listless aura. His chest was wrapped in thick bandages that faintly smelled of medicine, along with a trace of a sinister, cold energy.

Lü Bingchen was already in the room. Liang Cheng, who entered last, gave a fist-and-palm salute to Yue Shan on the couch. "Commander Yue."

Yue Shan's lips twitched, as if trying to laugh, but the movement aggravated his wounds. He gave a few muffled coughs, spitting up flecks of dark-colored blood.

A personal guard standing nearby quickly offered a soft cloth for him to wipe his mouth.

"Liang Zhenchuan, you've come as well."

Yue Shan's voice was hoarse and weak. "You've come to see me in a sorry state, haha."

Lü Bingchen said grimly, "Commander Yue, you shed blood for our city. There is no shame in this. How are your injuries? What exactly happened at the Border Sea?"

Yue Shan closed his eyes, as if reliving the memory. When he opened them again, a trace of residual fear lingered in his gaze.

"The massacre of the Three Towns at the Border Sea was just a lure. By the time we arrived, there was nothing left but ruins and a massive Jingguan. The main force of the Fire Worship Sect hadn't retreated at all; they were hiding on a few deserted islands just off the coast."

He gasped for breath a few times before continuing, "City Lord Shen and I split our forces to search. I led the Black Flood Dragon Guard in pursuit near Ghost Tooth Reef and fell into an ambush by the Fire Worship Sect."

"It was as if they knew our exact route and the weak points in our deployment. No less than five True Qi Realm masters surrounded me."

"If the City Lord hadn't realized something was amiss and arrived with the main force to provide timely reinforcements, fighting desperately to pull me out, I'm afraid I'd already be..."

Yue Shan shook his head, not finishing the sentence, but his meaning was clear.

The room fell silent.

'The Fire Worship Sect wasn't just vicious—they also knew the defensive layout of the Border Sea like the back of their own hand?'

"This is all because of my incompetence, which led to such devastating losses."

Yue Shan looked at Lü Bingchen, his gaze pleading. "Master Lü, the situation at the Border Sea is dire, and City Lord Shen is struggling to hold the line alone. I must swallow my pride and implore the Martial Arts Academy to send more capable people as reinforcements!"

Lü Bingchen's expression was solemn. He exchanged a look with Yan Song. "Rest assured, Commander Yue. This matter concerns the safety of Lin Wu City. The Martial Arts Academy has a duty it cannot shirk. We will report this to the Dean upon our return and discuss who to send."

Liang Cheng stood silently to the side, his gaze sweeping over everyone in the room. He suddenly realized that he hadn't seen a certain person in a long time, not since he had arrived in the city.

"Lord Shen."

Liang Cheng looked toward Shen Wenyuan and asked, "How is it I haven't seen Wu the Treasurer for so long? Is he occupied with official business?"

At these words, a complicated expression flickered across Shen Wenyuan's face. He lowered his voice. "Wu the Treasurer went into seclusion half a month ago to attempt a breakthrough to the True Essence Realm. He hasn't emerged yet. He must be at a critical juncture."

'A breakthrough to the True Essence Realm!?'

Liang Cheng's heart skipped a beat.

'Was Wu Zhenshan's seclusion at this critical juncture a coincidence, or was it planned all along? If he succeeds in Breaking Realm, the political landscape of Lin Wu City is bound to shift again.'

Just then, Shen Wenyuan took a step closer and lowered his voice even more, speaking so that only Liang Cheng and the adjacent Lü Bingchen could hear.

"Liang Zhenchuan, Commander Yue is gravely wounded. Soon, I will have to take his place and reinforce the Border Sea. With Wu the Treasurer in seclusion, I must ask you to pay more attention to the City Lord's Mansion from now on. It would be best if you came by often."

Liang Cheng understood the deeper meaning behind his words. 'Shen Wenyuan is worried about the powers that remain in the city, particularly Wu Zhenshan in his seclusion and his backer, Vice City Lord Situ Lang.'

"Shen the Treasurer, you speak too gravely."

Liang Cheng nodded and said calmly, "Commander Yue was injured in service to the city. I will, of course, visit him often. Should the need arise, I am certain the Martial Arts Academy will not simply stand by and watch."

Lü Bingchen did not object. Hearing this, Shen Wenyuan breathed a sigh of relief and offered a solemn, cupped-fist salute. "My thanks."

After they left the City Lord's Mansion, Lü Bingchen sat with his eyes closed in contemplation on the carriage ride back to the Martial Arts Academy. Liang Cheng was also silent, his mind churning with thoughts.

'How exactly did the Fire Worship Sect know about the defenses at the Border Sea? What secret lay at the heart of this matter?'

...

Three days later, the Martial Arts Academy reached a decision.

Two Masters specializing in coordinated attacks and formation combat would lead a detachment of twenty elite Steward Disciples, departing immediately for the Border Sea to reinforce City Lord Shen Jun.

Shen Wenyuan would accompany them, escorting a shipment of urgent military equipment and supplies.

At the East Gate of Lin Wu City, the farewell party stood in solemn silence. Shen Wenyuan, clad in light armor, bid farewell with a cupped-fist salute to Yue Shan, who was in a wheelchair, and to the others gathered.

Yue Shan's face was still pale, but his gaze was resolute. He clapped Shen Wenyuan firmly on the arm—a gesture that said more than words ever could.

Liang Cheng stood with Lü Bingchen, Yan Song, and others at the head of the Martial Arts Academy's contingent.

His gaze swept across the crowds from the various families who had come to see them off. He spotted the Lu Family's contingent. Lu Mingyuan wore a solemn expression, and Lu Qingzhou was absent due to his injuries. Standing just behind and to the side of Lu Mingyuan was none other than the high-spirited Lu Qingfeng.

As if sensing Liang Cheng's gaze, Lu Qingfeng looked over. Their eyes met for an instant. Lu Qingfeng gave a slight nod before looking away.

In that fleeting moment, a thought suddenly flashed through Liang Cheng's mind. Back at the Qilin Banquet, when he had exchanged a palm strike with Lu Qingfeng, the extremely subtle, sinister coldness within his opponent's True Qi had felt... strangely familiar.

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