My Journey to Immortality Begins with Hunting-Chapter 098 – City Toppler - Part 2

Outside, autumn rains poured down from the grey sky, forming puddles that wagon wheels splashed through as they rolled into the inner district. Evening approached, and mud and water kicked up in all directions.

Li Yuan now carried the Horse Butcher on his back. After comprehending City Toppler, he’d developed a special attachment to the blade—like it was an extension of his own body. Leaving it behind felt as though he were tearing off a limb.

All this time, he’d encountered countless people and quite a few demonic beasts, yet not one of them, man or beast, surpassed him in Gemhill County.

Tie Sha’s peak power was 235, and he’d barely improved in the past year. That was already considered the highest ceiling in the county.

Most outsiders still saw Li Yuan as an eighth rank disciple, weaker than Zhao Chunxin and lately obsessed with taming to the neglect of his blade. Little did they know he was the true apex.

He no longer felt a need to hide. By any measure, he was truly capable of dominating Gemhill County. Since that was the case, there was no harm in easing up on being overly cautious.

Shortly, a carriage arrived outside the residence. Yan Yu, Xue Ning, and Nian Nian— who’d grown familiar with the place—stepped down together.

“Husband, you seem a bit different today,” Yan Yu said quietly.

“Different how?”

“You look...happy.”

“I’m smiling?”

“No. But I know you. Standing beside you, I can tell your mood right away.”

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“Is that so?” Li Yuan said with a grin.

Yan Yu thought to herself, Besides, you usually don’t bring your blade when you come to pick us up. She leaned closer, rising on her tiptoes. “Did you have a breakthrough?”

“Hardly. Just figured out a new move,” he replied.

“Oh...”

They continued chatting, while nearby, Xue Ning and the maids finished setting out dinner.

Soon, Xue Ning called out, “Time to eat! Time to eat!”

“All right!” Li Yuan answered, heading in.

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That night, the autumn rain drummed on without pause. Within the residence, the rush of playful warmth and passion finally settled into drowsy calm. Only the soft sound of breathing remained as the evening wore on.

Suddenly, the frantic clatter of hooves echoed outside like a pounding drum. The inner district gate did not open at night. Yet the rider dismounted and, hat dripping with rain, shouted urgently.

“Something’s happened! Open the gate!”

The guards, unmoved, simply watched him stand there in the downpour. Only after a long pause did someone go to notify the higher-ups. Soon, Elder Liu, who oversaw internal affairs, arrived.

She opened the gate and brought the messenger inside, taking him straight to Tie Sha.

At the news, Tie Sha immediately rose to his feet. Elder Liu then set out with her people for a round of door-to-door checks.

They soon discovered that many inner disciples were missing. Some might have been at their martial halls outside, but many were supposed to be home.

Among the missing was Fang Chengbao, one of the Fang brothers. Having recently advanced to the eighth rank, he’d been training in the inner district to strengthen his eighth rank skills and solidify his new cultivation.

Yet tonight, he was nowhere to be found.

When Elder Liu reached Residence No. 38, a maid announced her presence, and Li Yuan carefully extricated himself from the two women draped over him. Pulling on a pair of trousers and strapping the blade to his back, he stepped outside.

Waiting there in the cold rain, lantern in hand, was Elder Liu. She was wearing dark robes with white trim, her gaze sharp and severe. She nodded to him, then turned to leave.

“Elder Liu,” Li Yuan asked, puzzled, “what’s happened?”

“Nothing for you to worry about. Just keep your head down for the next few days. Don’t go anywhere unfamiliar.”

She turned back to the rain. Li Yuan, watching her vanish into the gloom, frowned. After a brief pause, he rushed to the small ant colony in the courtyard, scooped up three ants, and established links with them.

Next, he dashed out of the residence. A maid at the gate handed him an oiled-paper umbrella. He popped it open, raced down the street, and caught up to Elder Liu.

She turned at the sound of footsteps.

“What is it?” she asked.

“Elder Liu...I have a bad feeling about all this. Could you at least tell me something?”

Elder Liu regarded him. Li Yuan was a rare talent in the sect, currently focusing on taming, so she wasn’t entirely dismissive.

“It looks like an incursion by some outside force. Don’t worry. Just stay inside and focus on your taming. The sect master and I will handle it. Once the matter is settled, we’ll make an announcement.”

“All right...” Li Yuan nodded, not pressing further.

As she turned away again, he flicked his hand, releasing the three ants onto the edge of her pant leg. Then he headed back.

Returning to his room, he discarded his wet trousers, slipped back onto the bed, and allowed the two women to curl up against him again. Warm as they were, he felt little inclination to sleep.

Closing his eyes, he opened them again through the ants. Images flashed in his mind—muddy roads, the team checking house after house before...finally returning to Blood Fury Hall.

Elder Liu walked in. One ant tumbled from her pant leg onto the threshold and hid in a corner, while the other two crept forward with her. Through their tiny eyes, Li Yuan could see who was present—Tie Sha, Elder Liu, Elder Tian, plus four individuals of varying builds—short, tall, slim, fat—and an older man in the shadows, hair white as a crane’s, face that of a youth.

Elder Liu spoke up, “Sect Master, aside from Li Yuan, Zhao Chunxin, and You Zhongyu, every inner disciple we expected here tonight is gone. Fang Chengbao is among them.”

“You’re saying 17 people are unaccounted for?”

“Likely 16. One was already outside the inner district and never returned.”

BOOM! A heavy thud like a thunderclap rang out.

“Idiots! They’re all idiots!” Tie Sha roared, slamming his hand on the table, face dark with fury. He clutched a letter, its envelope stamped with a blood-red seal.

"Sect Master Tie, do you wish your disciples returned? If yes, come to the southern slope of Merging Water Mountain, north of Gemhill County, before dawn. Otherwise..."

The threat was obvious.

Dawn was fast approaching; not much time remained. The inner district had only around 30 inner disciples total—10 stationed at the Wei Family’s three townships, and about 20 within the inner district. Those 20 were mostly eighth rankers, the new rising strength of the Blood Blade Sect. Tie Sha couldn’t possibly abandon them.

He gritted his teeth, then growled. “I want to know why Li Yuan, Zhao Chunxin, and You Zhongyu were not taken.”

He mulled it over aloud, “I get it with You Zhongyu. He’s too weak—both in strength and temperament. He hardly ever leaves his place, so that’s logical. Li Yuan...that kid always seems to land on his feet somehow. Not surprising. As for Zhao Chunxin, maybe she’s lucky just because she’s close to Li Yuan?”

Fingers tapped the wooden table, rapid and tense. Suddenly, he asked, “Has Li Yuan still been giving Zhao Chunxin his eighth rank demonic beast meat?”

The short, stocky figure known as Ah San stepped forward. “Yes, Sect Master.”

Tie Sha closed his eyes and reopened them, spitting out two words, “Underground market.”

Elder Tian frowned. “What underground market?”

“A place that’s been selling eighth rank demonic beast meat outside the county. We investigated at first, found nothing suspicious, and dropped it. It must be connected.” Tie Sha snapped upright.“Old Ding, Ah Da, Ah Er, Ah San, and Ah Si, come with me. Elder Liu, Elder Tian, you stay and guard the inner district.”

“Please don’t worry, Sect Master,” Elder Tian said. “The inner district is impregnable.”

“Good!” Tie Sha swept out into the wind and rain. His killing intent churned like an army of marching steel. “Let’s see who’s trying to play me for a fool!”

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Outside the inner district, in a cold autumn forest...Gongshu Yang—once the Wei Family’s sworn enemy, now an enforcer of the Blood Blade Sect—lay hidden beneath a rain cape and conical hat. His eyes gleamed with ferocity. Behind him loomed a mass of shadowed figures.

He glared at the inner district in the distance, coldly silent. He’d waited for this day a long time. The Third Miss of the Wei Family and numerous other family members had all died for this goal, to place him firmly within the Blood Blade Sect.

Meanwhile, deeper within another forest near Silver Creek, more men waited. One of them was the same elder of the Sun Family whom Tie Sha had once intercepted.

Yet in that group, Elder Sun didn’t stand at the forefront, meaning someone of even higher status was present.

Up front stood a hat-wearing figure. His voice, hoarse as gravel, gave quiet orders.

“At first light, move into Silver Creek. Once you see the signal, attack the inner district. Wei Yang will seal off the demon enclosure and puppet pavilion.

“All we have to do is kill every shred of resistance, then shut the gate and take our time wiping them out.

“My Wei brothers, your day for vengeance has come. The women in the Blood Blade Sect’s inner district? They’re all yours afterward!"

“Sun Family Head, you are truly righteous! From now on, the Wei Family will stand under the Sun Family’s banner!” A man’s voice hissed in the darkness, trembling with bloodlust.

Then silence fell once more, as they waited in the rain for dawn.