Why do I have so many masters?

Inside Shaolin Temple.

Wang Anfeng sat cross-legged at the summit of a solitary peak.

Above him, his ordinary cloth garments gradually transformed in texture, no longer fluttering with the wind, but hanging down, their color growing ever deeper, like fine iron forged and tempered, stripped of impurities.

The youth's eyes were slightly closed, his face showing no emotion, but his body trembled slightly.

The vital energy packed within his meridians was compressed, continually crashing against the meridians, causing his complexion to involuntarily pale.

The scholar in blue lifted his right hand from Wang Anfeng's shoulder; between his fingers, three crystal clear Lost Treasures lost their spiritual essence, slowly crumbling into powder—such items were extremely rare, and this time, almost one-third of a two-year reserve was used up.

The direct consequence of such a massive expense was that his clothes had been utterly transformed.

The youth slowly opened his eyes and, without using Inner Strength, merely lifted his palm with his physical body, sensing that weight which seemed like water waves, constantly adjusting with his movements and showing a hint of surprise on his face, he said:

"How powerful..."

Mr. Ying withdrew his hand and said indifferently:

"It's just something trivial, not worth mentioning..."

Wang Anfeng shook his head, marveling:

"But in the Wind Character Tower, I have never even seen such impressive things."

The scholar stood with his hands behind his back, imperceptibly lifting his chin slightly, and snorted coldly:

"A frog in a well."

Then he turned, walking slowly to a bamboo chair, lying down on it with a book in hand, seemingly engrossed in the world within the book, though the frequency of his left hand tapping on the armrest changed slightly.

The youth turned his back to the scholar, the corners of his mouth slightly lifted, his black eyes brimming with a smile.

Earlier, on the mountain, after riding the red horse to a secluded corner, he directly communicated through the Buddha Beads to transport both himself and the thin red horse into Shaolin Temple.

To quickly transform the vital energy in his body to at least a level where he could mobilize Inner Strength, Wang Anfeng once again added weight to himself.

But this time, it was no longer the thousand-jin chains of his earlier years. This black Vigorous Attire, refined by Mr. Ying using the Spiritual Pearl Lost Treasure, weighed upon him with an estimated weight of over ten thousand jin.

In fierce combat, the weight on his body could naturally be reduced by the speed of the flow of Inner Strength within him, making it extremely miraculous.

Through this weight enveloping his body, the vital energy was forcibly pressed into his body, refining his physique.

The last time he had done this was three years ago; revisiting it now evoked a somewhat nostalgic feeling.

The youth stood up, his right fist raised, and assumed a Shaolin Changquan stance, letting out a low shout as he smashed a punch forward, the fist piercing the air and making a dull breaking sound.

.....................

Meanwhile, on the mountain behind the town.

Two Patrol Officers chasing the wind halted their movement technique, landing steadily on the ground, surveying the surrounding chaos.

The shattered crucibles, the fallen disciples of Immortal Pavilion, and Zhao Guang, already decapitated by a single sword strike, dressed in a long robe, together constituted this solemn and icy battlefield.

Bing Hongcai, holding a war saber, walked leisurely in the area, his eyes sharp as blades, carrying the unique scrutinizing presence of someone from the Ministry of Punishment's judicial family, carefully scanning over the battlefield.

This was the battlefield.

With that earlier slash that had split the sky and clouds, there was no doubt about it, even without employing the methods of his tradition.

The man bent down, unhesitatingly grasped the white-haired, hoary head in his hand, and eyed the open, manic eyes filled with viciousness. He slightly furrowed his brow, looked the head up and down, and said,

"Aliu, come here."

Behind him, a youth of about twenty-seven withdrew his gaze from the tree trunk Mei Feng had leaned against before and walked up to his companion. After just one look, he said,

"This man is named Zhao Guang."

"Zhao Guang?"

Aliu nodded and continued,

"A Seventh Elder of the Immortal Pavilion, known for his amiable conduct. Yet, he holds extreme views in trivial matters and has solid support from some disciples. His poison skill reached the Sixth Rank, masterfully adept, specializing in using his palms against foes. He habitually offers high rewards for various exotic poisons in several major cities of Fufeng."

"To gather enough treasures for these bounties, he has violated the Immortal Pavilion's rules numerous times."

"Due to his personality and obsession with collecting exotic poisons, there are records about him in our Ministry of Punishment's files."

"Judging by the heavenly phenomena triggered during the battle just now, his Internal Strength Martial Body has reached at least the pinnacle of the Sixth Rank. He must have used some special means to forcibly enhance his martial power."

Just with one glance, Aliu had outlined Zhao Guang's personality and martial arts style. Given the Ministry of Punishment's way, they surely had grasped even more.

But at this moment, there was no need to disclose everything.

Bing Hongcai slightly nodded, glanced at the viciousness in those eyes, felt considerable disgust, and casually threw the aged head at his feet. He scanned the area and said, "The remaining poison here has dissipated. Stay here and gather evidence."

"I'll go to the town to help rescue the civilians. Once you're done, come find me immediately."

"Yes."

.....................…

Bing Hongcai activated his qinggong, moving as swiftly as a soaring swan, and in the blink of an eye, he had covered dozens of yards. As he arrived at the foot of the mountain, he saw the flames that were holding back the poisonous fog and a grey-clothed elderly man beside them.

Though still coughing, he incessantly fetched corresponding medicines from nearby and threw them into the fire, purifying their medicinal properties.

Bing Hongcai's expression subtly changed. He twisted in midair and gently landed beside the elderly man.

The sudden appearance startled the elder, who exclaimed in surprise. Yet, upon seeing the vermilion clothes on Bing Hongcai, the fear and horror on his face dissipated, and he let out a long, murky breath.

After all, he was old and not a martial artist; his tense nerves relaxed at this moment, making him feel an indescribable weakness. He staggered and started to fall backward.

At that moment, Bing Hongcai had already appeared beside the elder, raised his left hand, and placed it on the other's shoulder. His profound Inner Strength streamed into the elder's body, ruthlessly crushing and expelling the remaining poison, and then he lifted his palm and gently asked,

"Elder, do you feel better now?"

The old doctor exhaled weakly and said,

"You've finally come…"

Bing Hongcai held an apologetic look, apologized, and then slightly furrowed his brows. He looked around with an unsettled expression and asked softly,

"May I ask, Elder, where is the Great Qin arrest officer here?"

"Why have they left you alone here?"

The elder, seeing the hint of anger on the big man's face, instantly understood and waved his hands repeatedly, saying, "Patrol Officer, please don't misunderstand... please don't misunderstand."

"Actually, these herbs were brought here with their help. Afterward, I sent them to evacuate the poisoned villagers from this area. The toxicity here is too severe for the villagers to endure."

Bing Hongcai's expression improved slightly upon hearing this, but he still said,

"You should not have left yourself here alone."

The old man replied,

"That's because a hero has gone up the mountain."

"Then the toxicity suddenly reduced by ninety percent. It seems that the main culprit was eliminated by that hero. That's why I persuaded the arrest officer to leave and help gather the medical practitioners from the town to treat the people."

Bing Hongcai's expression changed slightly, and he asked,

"A hero?"

The elder hadn't seen his expression and simply marveled, "Yes, after the hero went up the mountain, it wasn't even the time of one cup of tea when I saw a green cloud rise in the sky, and it seemed like a flood dragon was swirling within it."

"I was almost scared stiff, but before I knew it, the green flood dragon was slashed to pieces, and the green clouds disappeared as well. It seems that the hero has already eliminated the danger…"

"Impressive, truly impressive."

The old man continuously praised, and the expression on Bing Hongcai's face became more solemn.

In his mind, he recalled the assessment his deputy had made just moments ago.

Zhao Guang's Inner Strength Martial Body had just reached the peak of the Sixth Rank, but judging by the old man's description of the green cloud and the swirling flood dragon, it was almost comparable to the force displayed by an ordinary Fifth Rank expert unleashing their full power. Clearly, Zhao Guang had used all his methods and power.

But such a powerful expert, to be beheaded in one strike?

When they had rushed here, they had also seen that sky-cleaving slash that shattered the light and shadows, a mighty blade energy soaring into the sky. They had thought it was the final strike driven by combat will. Enjoy exclusive content from My Virtual Library Empire

Yet, it turned out to be just the first slash.

A master!

Bing Hongcai's heart trembled, and it was only after a few moments, drawing on his decades of case experience, that he managed to keep his expression calm, not letting any shock show, as he said to the old man:

"Old man, since the danger on the mountain has already been eliminated by the hero, why don't we quickly return to the town and attend to the people's treatment?"

"I can take you there in just a moment."

The elder hesitated briefly and then said, "But the residual poison here... "

Bing Hongcai replied,

"Don't worry, old man. My colleague is currently on the mountain."

"Let him take care of the residual poison."

Hearing this, the elder finally let go of his worries and said,

"That would be for the best!"

"Please, Patrol Officer, hurry. Let's set off right now!"

The old man, who had been reluctant to leave, now hurried more than anyone upon hearing that someone was handling the situation, losing all his composure.

Bing Hongcai couldn't help but smirk inwardly. He carefully shielded the old man in front of him and, without soaring through the air, moved rapidly forward using his Qinggong. As the scenery on both sides flipped past, the old man finally relaxed a lot now that things were resolving one by one.

Turning his head, he saw that this arrest officer, who couldn't be more than in his early thirties, was already capable of soaring through the air, a high-ranking Swift Patrol Officer, and couldn't help but express his admiration:

"Your younger generation is truly remarkable… To be so young and already a Swift Patrol Officer."

Bing Hongcai replied with a smile,

"You flatter me, old man... "

"Just like the hero earlier, who is only in his early twenties and is already so powerful."

"It's hard not to feel old."

The elder sighed repeatedly, while Bing Hongcai's gentle smile momentarily stiffened.

He stumbled involuntarily, stepping into thin air, but as a Middle Third Rank martial artist, he lightly tapped his toes and regained his balance in midair, avoiding embarrassment. Instead, he drew further praise from the old man.

But at that moment, he felt no pride at all.

His eyes widened in disbelief.

Twenty years old.

A single strike to decapitate a Sixth Rank peak.

Then leaping through the air, he gritted his teeth and dashed forward.

Dammit.

What kind of monster popped up out of nowhere?!

On the hillside past the back mountain.

A young man named Aliu squatted atop the body of an Immortal Pavilion disciple, scanning the wound at the neck. His usually calm eyes now violently turbulent, he slowly stood up, surveying his surroundings.

Around his feet lay the bodies of eight Immortal Pavilion disciples, their martial arts ranking from the Eighth to the Seventh Rank, each different.

Among them was Zhao Guang, who had reached the peak of the Sixth Rank, his head right at Aliu's feet.

A look of confusion flickered in the young man's eyes.

"One strike to directly kill nine martial artists?!"

"And these nine were all in different positions... When did such a swordsman appear around Xi Dingzhou... "

"How did I not know about this?!"

"Could there be a record I haven't read...? It's impossible for him to have just appeared out of nowhere..."

He kicked out, sending the white-haired head tumbling away with a kick that hit a tree and bounced twice.

Zhao Guang stared blankly up at the sky.

Dying with his eyes open.

PS: Today's first update...