Martial Sage from the Vajra Skill

Shen Liang wasn’t like An Ping and his two companions, but he hadn’t dared to burn his bridges with them, fearing retaliation.

This was evident from the time the Gathering Essence Pills were auctioned off. Shen Liang had genuinely wanted to be friends with him, but he was forced to cut ties due to his relationship with An Ping and his two companions.

There had never been any major issue between them—he had simply embarrassed An Ping a few times and they had exchanged some heated words.

He never would have imagined that An Ping would stoop so low as to use the Blazing Blade to try and have him killed.

"An Ping!"

Adding the name to his little black book, Xu Yang strode toward his courtyard.

"Junior Brother Xu, you’re back! Let’s go, quick. I was just about to look for you."

Just as he reached the entrance to his courtyard, he ran right into Sun Tao.

"Senior Brother Sun, what did you need me for?" Xu Yang asked, puzzled.

Sun Tao shook his head. "It’s not me. The Steward from the Task Hall is looking for us. Let’s go."

The Task Hall?

Puzzled, Xu Yang hurried to the Task Hall with Sun Tao. It wasn’t just the two of them; more than a dozen other disciples were there, all being led into a side hall.

Xu Yang’s gaze swept across the room, and he spotted the familiar faces of Gu Haoming and Li Qiang. While he didn’t know the others well, they were all people he saw frequently around the Outer Sect.

Some were Dragon Ascending Disciples from their cohort, while others were from the previous one, though there were fewer of the latter.

No one knew why they had been summoned. They chattered amongst themselves for a while, but nobody could come up with a clear reason.

After a moment, Steward Sun Ke appeared.

"Greetings, Steward Sun!" everyone said in unison, cupping their hands in salute.

Sun Ke waved his hand. "There’s no need for formalities."

As he spoke, his eyes swept over the crowd. Once he confirmed everyone was present, he continued, "As you all should know, the biennial Martial Arts Examination is about to begin."

All the disciples nodded. It was already the seventh month; by their calculations, the Martial Arts Examination would begin in less than ten days.

They also understood that with so many of them being summoned, the matter at hand must be related to the Martial Arts Examination.

"The Martial Arts Examination is one of the ways the Great Xia selects talented practitioners of the Martial Dao. It is also the primary method our Purple Sun Sect uses to select disciples, guaranteeing a steady supply of fresh blood.

Nothing can be allowed to go wrong with the Martial Arts Examination."

Sun Ke said gravely, "The Sect has received intelligence that members of the Demon Sect may try to cause disruptions during this year’s Martial Arts Examination. Therefore, Tianquan Peak has issued a mission. You are all to return to your hometowns and ensure the examinations proceed smoothly."

Xu Yang’s heart sank. The others might not know how terrifying the Demon Sect was, but he did.

The Demon Sect plotted meticulously before making a move, always hiding in the shadows. When they did act, they rarely made mistakes.

During the Earth Vein Spiritual Fire incident, two Inner Sect Disciples and two Ten Heroes Geniuses had died. Sending them to face the Demon Sect this time was not going to be a simple job.

"Rest assured, the Demon Sect may only possibly take action; their appearance is not a certainty. The local garrisons will cooperate with you.

The base reward for this mission is thirty contribution points. If you are attacked by Demon Sect disciples, you will receive an additional ten points. If you can kill them, you will receive even more points based on their cultivation level.

Slaying a Demon Sect disciple at the Gang Qi realm will grant you twenty contribution points. For one at Gang Qi Minor Achievement, you’ll get forty..."

Sun Ke rattled off a list of rewards before finally taking out several tokens. He called out a few names, Li Qiang’s among them.

"You few will be the leaders for this mission. You will be responsible for leading the disciples from your hometowns and ensuring the security of the Martial Arts Examination. When the examination is over, you are to return to the Sect."

After handing out the Task Tokens and giving his instructions, Sun Ke departed in a hurry.

"You two junior brothers, let’s go."

Li Qiang, with Gu Haoming in tow, found Xu Yang and Sun Tao, a smile plastered on his face.

Xu Yang’s expression remained neutral, but Sun Tao’s heart sank to the pit of his stomach.

They had already had a falling out with Li Qiang, who had been looking for a chance to kill them for some time. Returning to Qingyuan with him now... things were bound to get ugly.

"Let’s go, Senior Brother Sun." Xu Yang patted Sun Tao’s shoulder and gave him a reassuring look.

’Besides, I was worried about the little one during the Martial Arts Examination anyway, so it’s good to go back and keep an eye on things. I can also settle some old scores while I’m at it.’

He hadn’t forgotten how Ji Yun had pushed him into a corner, ordering all the other disciples to kill him on sight during the Martial Arts Examination.

If the Purple Sun Sect hadn’t forbidden disciples from returning home without permission, he would have gone back to deal with Ji Yun long ago.

"Junior Brother Xu, Junior Brother Sun, why don’t you two go down the mountain and arrange for a carriage? We’ll wait for you here."

The moment they were out of the Purple Sun Sect’s gates, Li Qiang started ordering Xu Yang and Sun Tao around.

The journey to Qingyuan County would take five or six days, and he had no intention of walking. If the four of them shared a carriage, they would even have time to cultivate on the road.

Of course, the main reason was to get back at Xu Yang and Sun Tao for not helping him with his assessment mission.

Gu Haoming wore a gloating expression. Sun Tao started to argue but was pulled back by Xu Yang.

Xu Yang said, "Fine, we can get a carriage, no problem. But Senior Brother Li Qiang, you’ll have to give us the money for it. A carriage costs dozens of taels at least, and a good one costs several hundred. Senior Brother Sun and I don’t have that kind of money."

Carriages were something only wealthy families could afford, so the prices were outrageous.

There was no way Li Qiang was willing to part with dozens of taels for a carriage. He came from an ordinary family, and he’d earned every penny he had.

He was the mission leader and could order Xu Yang and the others around, but he couldn’t force them to spend their own money. In the end, the four of them decided to go to Cyan Yang City together to buy horses.

’I’ll deal with you after the Martial Arts Examination is over!’ A vicious glint flashed in Li Qiang’s eyes.

He had no intention of making a move against Xu Yang and Sun Tao just yet. After all, they would need the manpower for the Martial Arts Examination. If the Demon Sect really did show up to cause trouble, being short-handed would put him in danger as well.

Once the Martial Arts Examination was over, he could kill Xu Yang and Sun Tao on the way back and just cook up some excuse to cover his tracks.

As for Gu Haoming, that would depend on whether he knew what was good for him.

...

In Qingyuan County, the biennial Martial Arts Examination was about to begin, and the small, remote city was once again bustling with excitement.

One day, four fine horses came galloping from the distance, kicking up a huge cloud of dust. People along the road hastily covered their mouths and moved aside.

"On your guard!" the soldiers at the gate called out, tensing up.

Normally, they wouldn’t bother with people coming and going, but with the Martial Arts Examination approaching, an order had come down from on high to watch out for any visiting Jianghu People.

The four riders had powerful builds and fierce auras; they were clearly Jianghu People.

In a flash, the four horses reached the gate. Two of them began to slow, but the other two showed no signs of stopping, looking as if they intended to gallop straight into the city.

"Halt!"

The hearts of the city guards leaped into their throats. They immediately raised their long spears, rushing forward to form a blockade.

The galloping horses were forced to a halt, their hooves rearing high. "You blind bastards! You dare to block my path?"

Li Qiang’s furious voice rang out. He had left Qingyuan four years ago, and his cultivation had now reached Gang Qi Great Success, just one step shy of Marrow Cleansing.

This was supposed to be his moment of glorious homecoming, yet someone dared to stand in his way. How could he not be furious?

"I don’t care who you are. Dismount for inspection. And no riding is allowed in the city," the Junior Banner Officer in charge said grimly.

"You bastard, take a look at this!"

Enraged, Li Qiang threw the Task Token from his hand.

When he was just a nobody, the rich and powerful of Qingyuan could gallop through the city as they pleased. Now that he’d returned home hoping for a bit of glory, these lackeys were telling him he wasn’t allowed to ride his horse in the city. How was he supposed to show off to his hometown folks now?

The Junior Banner Officer caught the token and looked down at it. A great, purple sun was engraved upon its surface.

It was a symbol of the Purple Sun Sect.

But he was just a low-ranking officer; how was he supposed to recognize such a thing? He simply tossed it back. "I don’t know what this is. I don’t care who you are, get off your horse and enter the city properly.

I’ll count to three. If you’re not off that horse, don’t blame me for what happens next."

’These country bumpkins don’t even recognize a Purple Sun Sect token,’ Li Qiang fumed, exasperated.

"I am Gu Haoming of the Gu Family!" Gu Haoming shouted.

"Get off your horse!"

The Junior Banner Officer drew his saber, and Gu Haoming and Li Qiang nearly died of rage.

Xu Yang and Sun Tao, who had dismounted long ago, almost burst out laughing at the sight.

"Hicks!"

Left with no choice, Gu Haoming and Li Qiang finally dismounted. They didn’t dare actually start a fight with the city guards.

The commander of the City Guard Army was Li He, who was also from the Purple Sun Sect. If they dared to cause trouble, Li He would undoubtedly make them pay for it.