Despite frequently teasing others, Xia He, one of the Four Madmen, harbored feelings for Zhang Lingyu, the man who had once shared a moment of passion with her. Though many assumed she was promiscuous, few realized that beneath her carefree exterior, Xia He was actually a deeply sentimental person. Not even the other three Madmen knew this about her.
Zhang Lingyu may have been on the receiving end of Xia He's playful advances, but their connection ran deeper than anyone could have imagined. While many saw Xia He as a provocative figure, she was, at heart, far more pure than she appeared.
Watching Zhang Lingyu get repeatedly beaten down, Xia He's heart sank. As a result, her mood darkened considerably, although she kept her feelings hidden.
After all, Zhang Lingyu might have lost his first love to her, but she had also given hers to him. No one would have guessed that the outwardly bold and brazen Xia He was actually someone who valued this connection so deeply.
"It ends here," Daniel finally said, sighing in exasperation as Zhang Lingyu stubbornly stood up once more. Despite holding back in their fight, it seemed Zhang Lingyu was unwilling to accept his defeat gracefully. Left with no other option, Daniel knocked him out cold.
"It's over," Daniel said, looking at the dazed referee before nodding in confirmation.
"Ah, Ge Nie wins!" The referee finally snapped out of his stupor and glanced at the Old Heavenly Master before officially announcing the result.
"You're quite the young talent," the Old Heavenly Master said as he and Lu Jin stepped forward. The outcome of the fight had caught many by surprise, but now that the champion had been declared, they couldn't avoid congratulating him.
"I have no intention of joining Longhu Mountain, so I won't be taking the Tianshidu. Just give me the Tongtianlu," Daniel replied bluntly, cutting straight to the point before Lu Jin could even speak.
"Here you go," Lu Jin said without hesitation, handing the Tongtianlu to Daniel.
"Thank you, Elder Lu," Daniel responded, accepting the ancient text.
With the champion decided, the Luo Tian Dajiao was officially coming to a close. Most of the spectators began making their way down the mountain, though a few cast lingering glances at the Tongtianlu in Daniel's hand, lost in thought.
If the Tongtianlu had fallen into Zhang Lingyu's hands, few would have dared to act on their greed. But with the ancient technique now in the possession of an unaffiliated rogue like Daniel, things were different. Even though the company kept watch over the yi ren world, as long as those who acted moved carefully enough, there would be little the company could do to stop them. After all, that's why temporary workers existed in the first place — to deal with situations like this.
In contrast to ordinary criminals, crimes committed by yi ren often left no witnesses or evidence behind. For them, concealing a murder wasn't nearly as difficult as it was for regular humans.
While some left the mountain immediately, others stayed. Although the competition had ended, the Luo Tian Dajiao was also a Taoist ritual that was yet to conclude.
"You should stay here for a couple more days," Lu Jin said, stopping Daniel as he prepared to leave. "I'll escort you when it's safe."
"If Elder Lu says so, I won't refuse. I'll stay," Daniel replied, understanding the elder's concerns. He had intended to leave and return in secret later, but now that Lu Jin had extended the offer, Daniel decided to stay. After all, he knew Lu Jin was worried about a potential attack from Wang Ai or his people.
Given how badly Daniel had beaten Wang Bing, it was certain that Wang Ai wouldn't let the matter go. Moreover, with Daniel now in possession of the Tongtianlu, there was even more reason for Wang Ai to target him. Staying on Longhu Mountain provided Daniel with the protection he needed — for now.
"Lu Jin truly lives up to his reputation as a man of unimpeachable character," Daniel mused that night as he lay on his bed, idly playing with the Tongtianlu.
Suddenly, Daniel sat up straight, his senses alert. Through his enhanced observation, he detected multiple fires breaking out in various locations around Longhu Mountain's back peaks. Several figures moved stealthily through the shadows, making their way toward the mountain. The members of Quanxing had made their move.
"Just cannon fodder," Daniel muttered to himself as he appeared on the rooftop, watching the distant skirmishes between Longhu Mountain's Taoist priests and the Quanxing attackers. Shaking his head, he observed the scene with calm detachment.
Quanxing had three main objectives for this attack. The first, naturally, was to tarnish the reputation of Longhu Mountain's Heavenly Master Mansion. Successfully attacking such a sacred place would bolster Quanxing's reputation, making it easier to recruit new members.
Not all yi ren were content to be bound by the company's rules. Some resented the restrictions placed on their powers, wondering why they, with their extraordinary abilities, should have to adhere to the same rules as ordinary humans.
In essence, Quanxing's philosophy was to preserve the innate nature one was born with — to be free from the constraints of external conditions, or to "preserve one's true nature," as they called it.
Their core belief wasn't necessarily wrong, but it had been twisted over time. The newer generations within Quanxing saw it as an excuse to indulge in lawlessness and chaos. In a way, it mirrored the absolute freedom ideology found in the West: the notion that one could do whatever they wanted without consequence.
Take Liu Yanyan from the Corpse Driving Clan, for example. She joined Quanxing because of this philosophy. Why, after ten years of studying talismans, was she told she couldn't use them as she wished?
The upper echelons of Quanxing used such rhetoric to rally their members, convincing them to attack Longhu Mountain. After all, the idea of wreaking havoc on such a sacred site was appealing to many of their followers.
Quanxing's second objective was to capture Feng Baobao. Using Lü Liang's soul-reading technique, they had discovered her anomalies and were eager to uncover the secrets she held. Additionally, Feng Baobao was potentially connected to Qi Body Source Stream, one of the Eight Great Techniques.
Lastly, Quanxing sought the truth behind the events of the Jiashen Rebellion and the disappearance of Wu Gensheng. The higher-ups in Quanxing wanted to uncover the mysteries surrounding these incidents.
Although Quanxing consisted of many unsavory individuals, their lineage and history were long and storied. Originally, they were one of the Hundred Schools of Thought, and even appeared in ancient records like Qin's Moon. However, due to their unorthodox philosophy, they had always been a more obscure faction with only a handful of disciples.
Their ideals were noble in theory but incredibly difficult to achieve in practice. Few, if any, could truly embody such principles. To live by such lofty standards would require the wisdom of a sage. Even Lu Jin, often regarded as a man of impeccable character, fell short of such perfection.
As Daniel pondered these things, a sudden movement caught his attention. He sensed someone approaching stealthily and, just in time, stepped aside as a flying dagger shot through the air, narrowly missing where he had been standing.
"Hmm, trying to lure me in, are you?" Daniel muttered as he watched the figure who had thrown the knife flee. After a brief moment of contemplation, he decided to give chase.
"They're really trying to lure me out," Daniel thought with a smile as he sensed the ambush waiting ahead.
"Of course. They're after the Tongtianlu," he mused. As he continued to pursue the fleeing figure, Daniel felt the presence of someone following him from behind.
"One group trying to lure me in, and another trying to trap me. How interesting," Daniel thought, easily identifying the newcomers as Lu Jin and his group, including Lu Linglong. Lu Jin was closest, while the others trailed farther behind.
"Sorry, Gong Qing, but you're being set up," Daniel thought with amusement. He could sense the presence of the Old Heavenly Master in the back of the mountain, guarding a remote house — the residence of Tian Jinzhong. Due to his fragile health, Tian Jinzhong lived in an isolated area.
With Daniel's tip-off, the Old Heavenly Master was personally standing guard. For Quanxing's Gong Qing, this would be walking straight into a trap.
Considering the company's involvement and the plans Daniel had in motion, it was clear that this would be Quanxing's most devastating loss in a century. The fallout would be even worse than the losses they suffered during the wars. It would take them decades to recover to their current strength.
"Why did you stop running?" Daniel asked as the figure he had been chasing suddenly halted and turned to face him.
"Because there's no need to anymore. Come out, all of you," the figure called, and with that, over a dozen figures emerged from the trees, surrounding Daniel.
"What do you think you're doing? Do you even realize where you are?" Daniel asked, recognizing only a few of the individuals around him, most of whom were strangers.
"We know exactly where we are. This is Longhu Mountain's Heavenly Master Mansion.
But we are Quanxing," the group responded, laughing mockingly at Daniel's words.
"Ge Nie, we know you're strong, but against all of us, you don't stand a chance. Hand over the Tongtianlu, and we'll let you live," said a small, sinister-looking old man in a blue robe as he stepped forward.
At his words, the rest of the Quanxing members advanced, tightening the circle around Daniel.
"You must think I'm stupid. If you want the Tongtianlu, dream on. I'd rather destroy it than give it to you," Daniel said, holding up the Tongtianlu in his left hand, channeling his energy into it as if preparing to destroy the ancient text.
"You wouldn't dare," the old man sneered. Though surprised by Daniel's boldness, he wasn't easily intimidated.
"You may be able to destroy the Tongtianlu, but that won't matter to us. After all, we never had it in the first place. But if you destroy it, you'll lose everything you've worked so hard to obtain," the old man said, unfazed.
Daniel's actions gave the impression of resolve, yet the old man remained calm. He had anticipated this response and wasn't about to let his nerves get the best of him.
"We don't want the original Tongtianlu; we just want a copy," the old man added.
However, Daniel wasn't swayed. "Quanxing isn't exactly known for keeping its word."
"If that's how it is, don't blame us. Kill him!" The old man's face twisted into a cruel smile as he gave the order.
Just as the group prepared to attack, a voice rang out from above. "Haha! You must be getting shameless in your old age, Yuan Tao, bringing so many people to deal with one youngster."
A figure descended from the sky, landing in front of Daniel. It was none other than Lu Jin.
Moments later, Lu Linglong and her team arrived, surrounding the Quanxing members and reversing the ambush.
"Lu Jin!" The old man, Yuan Tao, snarled. Realizing they had fallen into a trap, his expression darkened.
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