My Martial Dao Has No Bottlenecks

On the shady side of Reef Island, Liang Cheng found a hidden reef cave, just barely large enough to fit inside. Hanging sea vines concealed its entrance.

He tore off his sea-soaked robes. A three-inch-long sword wound was visible, so deep the bone could be seen. The flesh at its edges had turned a bruised black, and wisps of cold energy seeped from the injury.

Profound Yin Sword Qi.

He ripped off a cleaner strip of cloth from his inner shirt and dipped it in seawater to clean the wound. The saltwater sent a piercing sting through him. He then reapplied Golden Sore Medicine and bandaged it.

Only after finishing all this did a wave of fear wash over him.

His Copper Armor Realm physique was resilient and had blocked most of the Sword Qi’s penetrating power; otherwise, that strike would have pierced his heart. Fortunately, his foundation was solid and his Hard Skills were formidable. With the Broken Wave Technique and a Qi Blood Pill, he figured he wouldn’t suffer any lasting damage.

"I have to get back to the Martial Arts Academy as soon as possible..." he muttered through gritted teeth.

But he was still a hundred miles from Lin Wu City by sea. He didn’t know if the Black Tide Pirates had set up blockades to search for him. Traveling by sea would be like walking into a trap.

Liang Cheng’s gaze shifted to the other side of Three Bays. Detouring by land would add over two hundred miles to his journey, but it would be far more covert and safe.

He sat cross-legged and regulated his breathing for an hour. Once dusk fell and his injuries had stabilized, he broke off some sea vines and wove them into a simple pack. He wrapped his Zhenxian Saber in a damp cloth and slung it onto his back, then stuffed a few handfuls of shellfish into his robes.

Under the cover of night, he swam to the shore.

...

「On the eighteenth day of the first month, news of the Chen Bainian merchant caravan’s destruction and Liang Cheng’s disappearance finally reached the Martial Arts Academy.」

Martial Arts Academy, Mingxin Pavilion.

Lü Bingchen slammed his palm down, shattering the rosewood desk. "Investigate! We must get to the bottom of this!"

This normally amiable Master’s beard and hair were bristling with rage, his eyes burning with a palpable fury. "Eighteen years old! A Celestial Dormitory Disciple! Master of Copper Armor Realm Hard Skills! He even killed He Jiuyou in battle! How many years has it been since the Academy has seen such a talent? And he’s just... lost to a bunch of Sea Bandits?!"

Elder Yan Song, the head of law enforcement, said grimly, "The Black Tide Pirates have always confined their raids to the coast. For them to venture deep into Three Bays to set an ambush just as Liang Cheng was returning is illogical."

"I fear someone tipped them off and is pulling the strings from the shadows." Lü Bingchen sneered. "The Xu Family? The Martial Preparation Hall? Or is there someone else in the city who can’t bear to see our Martial Arts Academy produce another True Qi Realm master?"

He looked at Yan Song. "Elder Yan, I want to personally lead a team to search north along Three Bays. I want to see him alive, or I want to see his body."

"Understood. I’ll make the arrangements at once!"

Yan Song wasted no time, heading straight out the door to gather his men.

Lü Bingchen then turned to the other two Stewards. "Issue an Academy order: a reward of ten thousand Contribution Points for any clue about Liang Cheng’s whereabouts. Anyone who conceals information or obstructs the investigation will be considered an enemy of the Martial Arts Academy!"

Ten thousand points!

The two Stewards exchanged a look, seeing the shock in each other’s eyes. This was a reward on par with that for a True Disciple.

Master Lü was truly enraged this time.

...

City Lord’s Mansion.

Shen Wenyuan stormed directly into the Treasury Office of the Martial Preparation Hall.

Wu Zhenshan was reviewing his ledgers. Seeing Shen Wenyuan enter, he didn’t even lift his eyes. "Special Envoy Shen, you seem to be in high spirits today."

"Wu the Treasurer," Shen Wenyuan said, taking a seat across from him, his voice calm. "The Black Tide Pirates ambushed a merchant ship at Three Bays and killed the Martial Arts Academy’s Celestial Dormitory Disciple, Liang Cheng. Are you aware of this matter?"

The brush in Wu Zhenshan’s hand suddenly paused. "Pirate activity is under the jurisdiction of the Sea Suppression Bureau. Special Envoy Shen, you’re asking the wrong person."

"Is that so? You have an old grudge with Liang Cheng, and because of me, I imagine you’ve long considered him a thorn in your side, haven’t you?"

Wu Zhenshan’s expression changed.

"Absurd accusations," he said coldly. "Special Envoy Shen, if you wish to frame me, you had best produce concrete evidence. Otherwise, don’t blame me for disregarding our collegial relationship."

Shen Wenyuan couldn’t help but laugh. "Wu the Treasurer, you’d best watch yourself."

"And you, Special Envoy Shen, should calm down and not make baseless accusations."

...

Martial Arts Academy, Human Dormitory.

Li Mu was polishing his longsword when the door was kicked open with a BANG.

Three Earth Dormitory Disciples burst in. The leader was a young man with narrow, triangular eyes. He was a member of the Fishermen’s Gang who had once been polite to Li Mu, but his face was now full of arrogance.

"Li Mu, it’s time to pay this month’s ’dormitory mutual aid fee’."

Li Mu’s grip on his sword tightened. "Senior Brother Zhang, when Senior Brother Liang was here, didn’t you say it was waived?"

"Senior Brother Liang?" The narrow-eyed man sneered. "Which Senior Brother Liang? Oh, you mean that Liang Cheng who’s probably fish food by now? The man is gone, and you’re still dreaming?"

The two behind him burst into boisterous laughter.

Li Mu gritted his teeth, pulled a Jade Token worth thirty Contribution Points from his robes, and handed it over. The narrow-eyed man snatched it. "Only thirty? Not enough! The price went up this month. It’s fifty!"

"You—"

"What? Not happy about it?" The narrow-eyed man took a step closer. "If you’ve got a problem, go complain to your Senior Brother Liang in the sea!"

Li Mu gripped his sword hilt so tightly his nails dug into his palm. In the end, he took out another twenty points.

The three of them swaggered away.

He had once thought the Fishermen’s Gang was a form of protection. Only now did he see clearly that it was just another case of the strong preying on the weak. Senior Brother Liang had been right.

On the Martial Dao, one can only rely on one’s own strength.

...

Earth Dormitory, Yun Jinghong’s Quiet Chamber.

Yun Jinghong wiped his longsword over and over again.

A sea chart was spread out on his desk. The location of Three Bays had been circled with a Vermilion Brush. He stared at the red circle, then suddenly sheathed his sword and pushed the door open.

He went to the Foreign Affairs Hall to accept a mission. He overheard people discussing Liang Cheng’s disappearance but paid them no mind and left directly.

’Liang Cheng... how could he possibly be dead?’

’I haven’t even beaten him once yet. He’ll definitely come back.’

...

Celestial Dormitory, Lu Qingzhou’s private courtyard.

Lu Qingzhou sat on a stone stool, the tea in his hand long since gone cold. A letter lay open before him. It was from the Wang Family, delivered that morning. It no longer mentioned recruiting Liang Cheng, instead inquiring if the Lu Family was interested in several coastal warehouses.

The world is fickle, and human relationships are cold. This was a perfect example.

"Junior Brother Liang..." Lu Qingzhou closed his eyes. ’How could someone like him die so easily at sea?’

He suddenly stood up and walked out of the courtyard.

’There are some things I have to investigate myself.’

...

Qiao Mansion, rear garden.

When Qiao Zhi heard the news, she was facing a Copper Mirror, trying on a new hairpin. The maid finished her report, trembling. Qiao Zhi’s movements froze, the mirror reflecting a stunned face.

A moment later, she suddenly burst out laughing. Her laughter grew louder and louder, doubling her over until tears streamed from her eyes.

"Dead? He just died like that?" She wiped the tears of laughter from the corners of her eyes. "Good! That’s wonderful! That’s what he gets for not helping the Qiao Family! That’s what he gets for acting so high and mighty! And now? Not even a corpse left, just food for the sea fish!"

Beside her, Uncle Wang whispered, "Miss, be careful what you say. Liang Cheng was a Celestial Dormitory Disciple of the Martial Arts Academy, after all. The Academy is thoroughly investigating this matter..."

"Investigate? Investigate what?" Qiao Zhi sneered. "He provoked the Sea Bandits. If there’s anyone to blame, it’s him for having such a weak fate, unable to bear the weight of his own reputation!"

She slammed the hairpin down on the dressing table, and the Jade Hairpin snapped in two.

’I went to see that old geezer myself, and he didn’t give me any face at all. He deserved to die!’

...

Xu Mansion.

Xu Zhang held a letter and handed it to Xu Feng.

"Wu the Treasurer says the Xu Family should keep a low profile for a while and not get caught in the crossfire. Our refined iron quota will be doubled in the second half of the year."

Xu Feng nodded.

"It’s best to stay low-key for now. Those lunatics from the Martial Arts Academy are not to be trifled with. Once this blows over, everything will be fine."

"Zhi’er, did you hear me? Stay in the mansion during this time. Don’t go anywhere."

Xu Zhi looked exasperated but understood the gravity of the situation, so he nodded.

...

Liang Cheng took the land route for four days, hiding by day and traveling by night. He stuck to desolate mountain paths, drinking from streams when thirsty and eating wild fruits from the roadside when hungry.

He avoided any villages he came across and hid whenever he saw people.

Along the way, the Profound Yin Sword Qi in his body flared up three times. When it did, his Meridians felt as if they were being pierced by needles of ice. He forcibly suppressed it with the Qi Blood of his Broken Wave Technique, and with the help of a Qi Blood Pill, managed to lock the cold energy outside his vital organs.

The sword wound on his back had already formed a thin scab. Thanks to his powerful Copper Armor Realm physique, the external injury had mostly healed and was no longer a major concern, but the internal injury was difficult to mend.

「On the twenty-second day of the first month, at dusk.」

He finally arrived outside Lin Wu City.

He bought a cart of firewood from a woodcutter, smeared his face with charcoal dust, and hunched his back and shoulders to disguise himself as a common old farmer, pushing the cart through the city gates.

Liang Cheng kept his head down, pushing the cart into a dark alley.

He looked up toward the mountain behind the Martial Arts Academy.

That was where Elder Huang’s Alchemy Room was.

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