The Martial God who started at Mantuo Manor

Page 162

"Coo-choo!"

It was accompanied by a nauseating, slippery, bubbly sound.

"what……"

Zhao Min's body convulsed violently one last time, letting out a short, painful groan, before collapsing completely to the ground, like a lifeless pile of mud.

"Next time, if you cooperate well, you won't have to suffer, right?"

Chapter 64: Yin Susu, what are you going to do to that girl?

Li Canghai leaned against the soft couch, wearing only a loose white silk robe, the lines of his chest faintly visible.

An ancient scroll, made of some kind of animal hide, lay open on her lap. Her slender fingers occasionally twirled the pages, making a soft rustling sound.

Inside the study, the finest ambergris burned, a unique fragrance that could calm the mind and soothe the soul. But at this moment, it mingled with another subtle, sweet scent in the air, creating a strange and decadent aroma.

She enjoyed Wang Yuyan's massage, which was the only pastime on this quiet afternoon.

Wang Yuyan is now kneeling naked behind her.

Her long, jet-black hair was tied up with a simple jade hairpin, revealing a section of her snow-white, slender neck, where a few faint, faded red marks still remained.

She was completely naked, her perfect body exposed to the air without any cover. Her snow-capped peaks, which had once haunted the dreams of countless men in the martial arts world, swayed slightly with her massage movements.

Her knees were numb and red from kneeling on the cold floor.

Her hands were carefully massaging Li Canghai's shoulders with a newly learned, extremely clumsy finger technique.

Every movement she made was filled with fear and uncertainty, as she was afraid of using too much or too little force.

Wang Meng entrusted the training task to Li Canghai, which was both a sign of his trust in her and a way to pass the time.

Li Canghai never really cared about such things, but occasionally he would use them to pass the time. Watching a pure and elegant white lotus be stained with ink and eventually sink into the mire of debauchery was not without its own kind of pleasure.

The door was gently pushed open, and Li Qingluo walked in. Her expression carried a hint of the aloofness of someone in a superior position.

Her gaze swept over Li Canghai, but when she saw her naked daughter kneeling behind her, her eyes showed no emotion.

There was no anger, no pity, not even a trace of disgust, as if the one kneeling there was not her own daughter, but an ordinary object.

"Auntie!"

Li Qingluo bowed slightly and presented a wax pellet tied with a thin string.

Li Canghai didn't turn around, he just stretched out his hand.

Li Qingluo quickly placed the wax pellet in her palm.

With a gentle twist of two fingers, the wax ball shattered, revealing a small roll of silk covered in writing.

She casually unfolded the silk, glanced at it, a faint, almost imperceptible smile appearing at the corner of her lips, and shook her head: "A blessed land?"

"This kid's actually pretty lucky!"

Upon hearing this, Li Qingluo finally showed a hint of worry, which is normal for a person. She asked softly, "Auntie, what did the letter say?"

A paradise on earth?

what is that?

Is things going smoothly for Meng Guan?

"Ok?"

Li Canghai didn't turn around, but only let out a slight, rising syllable from his nose.

Wang Yuyan's body trembled as if struck by lightning, and she almost fell to the ground.

She turned pale with fright and quickly focused her attention back on her hands, massaging Li Canghai's shoulders with even more effort and care. The strength in her fingertips was so precise, as if she had practiced it a thousand times, aiming to make her feel comfortable without overstepping any boundaries.

Only then did Li Canghai withdraw that invisible pressure with satisfaction, as if he had merely brushed away a speck of dust.

Only then did he turn his gaze to Li Qingluo, the faint smile still on his lips, with a hint of interest in explaining.

"What could possibly happen to him? Of course, there is danger involved."

However, whether this blessed land becomes a place of opportunity or a grave depends entirely on his own fate.

She spoke slowly and deliberately, her voice clear and melodious like the clinking of jade stones: "When I first entered that blessed land, I thought I had stumbled into the cave of some ancient immortal. It was a world unto itself."

But after visiting more often, I came to understand that it was merely a fleeting crack in the world, like a mirage, a brief moment of beauty, destined to close and vanish one day.

She paused, as if recalling something, a rare hint of reminiscence flashing in her eyes, but quickly returned to her deep, still gaze.

“You should reply to him and say that if conditions permit, he might as well give it a try.”

Tell him to rest assured that in this kind of place, there is an invisible threshold; the higher one's strength, the greater the repulsive force one will experience.

Entering the Grandmaster realm is almost impossible, let alone the realms above it.

He is now at the innate level, neither too high nor too low, just right, and once inside, he will thrive like a fish in water.

However, he should also be reminded that he's not the only lucky person in the world; he should be careful of people's hearts and not die in there, otherwise…!

Li Qingluo listened carefully, memorizing every word.

As Li Canghai finished speaking, he seemed to remember something, tapped the scroll on his lap lightly with his fingers, and added a sentence. This sentence made Li Qingluo's pupils shrink sharply.

"Oh, right.

Also, remember to tell him that the 'Exquisite Heart' was originally a supreme treasure found in a blessed land, and was later separated.

"Understood, Auntie!"

Jiangning Prefecture, the central hub connecting the north and south, does not entirely rely on the vast and boundless Yangtze River.

The Grand Canal is to Jiangning what the aorta is to the heart.

In the past, this canal was busy, but also well-organized.

Merchant ships, pleasure boats, and fishing boats traveling from the south to the north follow unwritten rules that have existed for thousands of years, giving way to each other on the not-so-wide waterway, weaving together a dynamic and prosperous scene.

However, today, this picture has been torn apart by a force so savage it is almost violent.

The first abnormality did not originate from the water, but from the land.

Along the banks of the Grand Canal, there are endless fertile fields and numerous prosperous villages and towns.

The afternoon sun was warm and languid. Farmers working in the fields, women washing clothes by the river, and merchants chatting in the teahouses at the town entrance were all immersed in the unique tranquility and peace of Jiangnan.

At first, it was just a very slight sensation.

Several elderly farmers who were resting on the edge of the field were the first to notice something was wrong.

They felt a subtle yet continuous tremor emanating from the ground beneath their feet, as if some enormous creature was awakening deep underground.

They put down their pipes in confusion, pressed their ears to the solid ground, and their expressions gradually became serious.

That's not an illusion. The vibrations are becoming clearer and stronger.

Immediately afterwards, a rolling yellow dragon appeared from the direction of the upper reaches of the canal.

That was a vanguard cavalry unit of fifty riders.

They did not travel along the official road, but instead galloped on horseback along the field ridges and dirt roads on the banks of the canal.

But after those fifty riders swept past like a black whirlwind, the real terror came from the water.

Before the roar of the cavalry on the shore had faded, an even deeper, more magnificent, thunderous roar, like a thousand thunderclaps, came crashing down from the upper reaches of the canal, carried by the wind, like a tidal wave.

The sound was a mixture of the roar of waves being forcibly pushed aside, the groans of the boat rubbing against the riverbank, and the heavy thuds of countless giant oars cutting through the water.

The water in the canal has gone completely mad.

The once calm water flow became turbulent and restless. A turbid, giant wave was pushed from the center of the river to both banks by an invisible force, frantically eroding the embankments and nearly sweeping away those who had not managed to escape far away.

The water level rose at a rate defying the laws of nature, as if the entire canal was about to burst its banks.

Finally, at that huge bend, one after another, the "King" banners that covered half the sky slowly appeared.

Then came the second page, the third page... and the tenth page...

When the first giant sand barge, resembling a mobile fortress, ruthlessly rounded the bend, almost bursting through the riverbed, everyone who witnessed it couldn't help but gasp.

That wasn't a ship at all, but a mountain floating on the water.

Its mainsail has been lowered in preparation for entering the canal.

It was propelled by dozens of shirtless, strong men on both sides using giant oars, and by boatmen pulling it from the shore.

Even so, the amount of water it displaces as it moves forward is enough to create storm-like waves in the narrow river channel.

Then came the second, the third... hundreds of sand barges, forming an endless steel dragon.

They filled the entire waterway, completely blocking this artery of the empire.

The hard hull of the ship rubbed against the narrow riverbank, making a teeth-grinding "creak" sound, and gravel and mud fell down in a rustling sound, as if the riverbank itself was groaning.

This was no longer a voyage, but a slow but determined "intrusion".

The composition of this fleet sent chills down the spines of all knowledgeable martial artists and government spies.

Countless Jiangnan bodyguards, dressed in various colorful outfits, stood densely packed on the deck and the ship's railing. Their weapons gleamed with a bloodthirsty coldness in the sunlight, and their eyes, like those of wolves, vigilantly scanned any movement on both banks.

These镖头 (bodyguards) and 长镖头 (chief bodyguards) who usually acted like tyrants in their respective territories were now like ordinary soldiers, dutifully performing their duties and remaining silent as mountains.

On those most magnificent and pristine ships, many disciples of the Emei Sect either sat cross-legged in meditation or leaned on the railings to gaze into the distance.

They were dressed in plain white Taoist robes, spotless, which seemed out of place with the solemn atmosphere of the surrounding fleet.

However, when a disciple occasionally rises to practice his sword, the sudden flash of his sword, clear and cold like autumn water, is more intimidating than any other flash of blades or axes.

In those inconspicuous corners, behind piles of goods, and under boat awnings, countless Beggar Clan disciples mingled among them.

Some of them were gambling, some were drinking, and some were fast asleep; they seemed like a motley crew.

However, upon closer inspection, one will find that their locations are meticulously arranged, forming an invisible network.

Any glance from the shore, any bird call.

An unusual action.

They would communicate with each other through a set of secret gestures and codes, which would be transmitted to the fleet's central command in an instant.

They are the nerve endings of the fleet, cheap, efficient, and ubiquitous.