Late at night.

  On the vast and cold blue lake, a boat cut through the waves like an arrow leaving its bowstring.

  On the boat, a middle-aged man wearing a tattered cotton-padded jacket and with disheveled hair, emitted a primordial true yuan glow from his body, slapping the lake water, causing the boat to move forward quickly. On this boat, there was another person, wearing a long gown with cyan color and black stripes, carrying a long sword on his back.

  Silver hair, handsome as a young man!

  It was indeed Zhao Dan Chen! By his side stood a majestic black stallion.

  A moment——

  The boat arrived on shore.

  "Zhao Lao. " The boatman, dressed in tattered clothes and with an ordinary face, had a very deep and low voice, "This time you go to kill Teng Qing Shan... I follow the order of my master, cannot go with you together. However, Zhao Lao, please make sure to capture Teng Qing Shan alive, do not torture him to death... this hatred in my heart will not be relieved."

  The boatman's eyes seemed like those of a ferocious lion.

  "Gǔ Yōng, Téng Qīng Shān can capture me alive, I will definitely capture him alive. If he can't capture me alive, I will kill him." Zhao Dàn Chén nodded, "However, Gǔ Yōng, Master let you be a boatman to temper your heart. You want to kill him and then feel relieved, no one would blame you. But if this hatred is stuck in your heart and prevents you from calming down to cultivate, that would be a big mistake."

  "I get it!"

  The boatman said in a low voice, "I understand the reason, but it's too hard to do... I've always wanted to make Qinghu Island stronger, but I... became a sinner of Qinghu Island! I am a sinner! And my son Shiyu, he died. And more than 10,000 Silver Python Army soldiers, all dead, all dead!"

  "In that case, this time I will definitely kill Lü Qing Shan."

  Zhao Dan sighed, "Gu Yong, your talent is the highest among all the disciples of Qing Hu Island in this generation. Our Master's years are already advanced! Until now, Qing Hu Island still hasn't given birth to a second Void Realm expert. If we wait until our Master's life comes to an end and Qing Hu Island still doesn't have a Void Realm expert born, that will be the most terrifying crisis!"

  More than half of the congenitally powerful people who have died are not as dangerous as those without a virtual realm.

  It must be passed down from generation to generation, and there must be a strong practitioner of the Void Realm within the sect.

  "Master let you go to Jianfeng Mountain to practice sword, personally instructing you. It's a great hope for you to place your trust in him. As long as you reach the Void Realm! You will be the greatest contributor of Qinghu Island! The greatest contributor! Later generations of disciples will never forget you." Zhao Dan Chen said solemnly.

  The boatman was silent, but his eyes were very bright.

  A powerful cultivator of the Void Realm can live for up to 500 years! This is enough to ensure that a sect will prosper for three or four hundred years.

  As long as three or four powerful Void Realm experts emerge in history, they can make a sect prosper for over a thousand years. Ordinary disciples are like bricks and tiles, innate talents are like pillars, and Void Realm experts are the foundation that supports the entire building! Without Void Realm experts, everything is just an empty castle in the air!

  "Ah!"

  Zhao Danchen rode on the black demon horse, clenching his legs around its belly. The black demon horse immediately let out a loud whinny, and its eyes seemed to have a hint of dark light in them.

  Whoosh!

  The entire horse suddenly turned into a black shadow and disappeared at the end of the road in an instant.

  "Xīn xìng……” The boatman stood at the bow of the boat, he heard that Zhao Dan Chen, although his right arm was broken and his left hand's swordsmanship had greatly decreased, but this blow, instead made Zhao Dan Chen have an epiphany. In just over a month, Zhao Dan Chen actually created a new set of left-handed sword techniques based on his original swordsmanship.

  Although the time is short, even if it can't be compared with before, the top 20 of "Tian Bang" is still within grasp.

  "The Master wanted to break through, so he gouged out his own eyes. Every day, he sat on the Sword Blade Mountain, and eventually achieved an unimaginable and terrifying power. And Elder Zhao also cut off his right arm, but instead had a breakthrough." The boatman muttered in a low voice, "There are indeed people who become stronger after being disabled... But that's extremely rare!"

  The vast majority of disabled people, and it can be said that 'almost all' disabled people, are unable to recover their strength to what it was before.

  "Void Realm..."

  The boatman muttered to himself as he shook the oars and the boat slowly moved towards Qinghu Island again.

  *******

  Late at night, Yu Zhou Wucheng.

  Hong Qingshan lived in a hostel, in the back house of a wine building across the street, where one window had a faint candlelight.

  Inside the house.

  The three of them were all wearing white fur coats, one was a thin, silver-haired old man, one was a tall and sturdy man, and the other was a beautiful young woman. The three of them were gathered around the table, on which there were some delicious dishes, pastries, etc., and in front of each of them was a wine jug, from which they poured their own drinks.

  "The people of Qinghu Island, when are they going to make their move?" the young woman asked.

  "Qinghu Island's innate golden elixir, should arrive before dawn." The robust man said in a low voice, "However, they will absolutely not let our people get away. So, they will immediately dispatch their troops stationed around Wucheng County to Qinghu Island. Even with the fastest carrier pigeon speed, plus the stationed troops don't have any of the three great dragon horses. To rush over, it's also until dawn. So, I estimate that we'll make our move tomorrow during the day."

  The thin old man's eyes drooped as he held a piece of cake and ate: "Tomorrow afternoon they will probably be ready, tomorrow noon or afternoon, they will take action!"

  "It seems we have to wait another day." The young woman said helplessly, "Actually, what's the big deal if we just kill Tan Qing Shan directly?"

  "It's not good to spread this around. Our Yu Huang Men has become the knife of Qing Hu Island!" The thin old man sighed, "Although Teng Qing Shan said he would withdraw from Gui Yuan Sect, everyone understands the truth. Teng Qing Shan did that to protect Gui Yuan Sect! Gui Yuan Sect will probably value Teng Qing Shan even more. Don't forget, Gui Yuan Sect also has a Void Realm expert. Although we don't care... but since it's not necessary to offend them, why go and offend?"

  "We, the Yu Huang Gate, are the oldest among the eight major sects! We have always stood tall and unshakeable. And it's not just because of our military might."

  The other two also nodded in agreement.

  Force is important, but the actions of this sect are also crucial. Yu Huang Men, who dares to look down on it in the nine states? Even the Mani Temple fears the unfathomable Yu Huang Men.

  But the people of Yu Huangmen are not arrogant in their dealings, and they rarely offend others. However, if someone dares to provoke them, they will ruthlessly eliminate their opponents without mercy.

  It is said that being overbearing will not last long. If one is always too arrogant, even the most powerful sects cannot exist for a long time. Even the Mani Temple only exists in two western states and rarely leaves those two states. Being overbearing will not last long, while being gentle on the outside and firm on the inside is the king's way!

  "But isn't this method even better? We'll let the people of Qinghu Island kill Qing Shan, and then we'll take away the Kaiming Divine Axe! The Kaiming Divine Axe was originally a personal item of Yu Huang's ancestor, so we're in the right. The thin old man smiled and said, "With justice on our side, we'll be even more powerful! At that time, Qinghu Island will dare not to covet the Kaiming Divine Axe?"

  ……

  The people of Yu Huang Men had long laid out a trap, waiting for the people of Qing Hu Island to make a move. But Teng Qing Shan was completely unaware at this moment.

  Late at night, inside the inn.

  Bang! Bang! Bang!

  Hong Qingshan walked down the stairs step by step. The little second who stood at the counter and kept watch at night smiled and greeted him: "Sir, what would you like to eat?"

  "Bring me a jug of wine, Kaoliang wine, put it on the bill." Teng Qing Shan ordered.

  "Alright, sir." The shopkeeper immediately took out a jug of huangjiu.

  Although Teng Qing Shan moved downstairs, he wasn't worried about the trunks and chests placed in his room. Because inside each trunk and chest, Teng Qing Shan had set up a small mechanism that would trigger a bell to ring as soon as the box was opened. As long as there was one sound, as long as it was within the inn, with Teng Qing Shan's keen senses, he could easily detect it.

  Carrying a jug of wine, Teng Qing Shan went upstairs again and returned to his own room.

  "Ah!" The door closed with a creak.

  The room was dark and cold. Teng Qing Shan carried a wine jug to the window and directly opened it.

  "Ah!" The cold winter wind blew against his body, but Teng Qing Shan seemed to be unaware of it. He sat directly on the windowsill, leaning lazily against the window frame with one foot propped up on the sill.

  "The annual festival is coming! Dad, Mom......"

  Every time a good festival comes, I miss my relatives more. The upcoming New Year's Day also makes Teng Qingshan think of his loved ones in Yangzhou, where his parents, sister, master, good brothers and many clan members are. Unfortunately, he cannot be with them now, but can only be alone in a small city called 'Wu City' in Yuzhou.

  "Xiao Yu and Xiao Yun will probably get married soon too." Teng Qing Shan's face revealed a hint of a smile.

  "After they get married and have children, their parents can take care of the kids and will definitely be very happy."

  Hong Qingshan imagined, "The clansmen are already in Jiangning Prefecture. The master will definitely help take care of them. I also gave my uncle 'Zhu Guo Wine' and 100,000 taels of gold tickets. Enough to make the clansmen live a happy life... The annual sacrifice is over... The six-year-old children in the clan have to be tested again. I wonder, how heavy can this year's six-year-old children lift?"

  Scene after scene emerges in my mind.

  In Tengjiazhuang, at the age of six, there were those who could lift a 100-jin stone roller... and lead hunting teams to bring back prey, returning to cheers from the villagers... There were also those who, under threat from Tie Shan Bang, secretly intimidated the second-in-command of Tie Shan Bang, forcing him to retreat on his own.

  Those scenes were very warm and cozy.

  "When I have achieved my goal one day, I will also be willing to stay in the sect. Or stay in the Guiyuan Sect and point out the younger generation." Teng Qingshan said silently.

  "But it's too far away. It's too far away from me now."

  A face involuntarily emerged in Teng Qing Shan's mind.

  "Green green."

  Hong Qing's heart ached secretly, she was a pure and unadulterated girl, an ethereal girl like a banished immortal.

  Kitten.

  That strong and cold female assassin who roamed the world with me, would only show tenderness in my arms, the woman I cherished for a lifetime.

  "Green, green, little cat..." These two women both wanted to spend their lives with them.

  And they're all dead!

  "Perhaps I shouldn't have talked about love." Teng Qing Shan raised his head and directly poured the strong liquor from the wine jug into his mouth. The fiery liquor was like a fire dragon entering his throat, immediately making his entire chest feel scorching hot.

  Cold night!

  Fiery liquor!

  And that lonely heart.

  In my mind, the little cat and the green scenes appear one after another. There are scenes of experiencing life and death with the little cat, and warm scenes of taking a night boat ride with Qingqing. Teng Qingshan continues to drink wine, unaware of when the wine jug is empty.

  Hong Qingshan closed the window upstairs and went back into the house, putting the wine jug on the table.

  "Just now, I was decadent for a while!" Teng Qing Shan took a deep breath, his eyes profound. "I shouldn't be decadent now, nor do I have the qualifications to waste time in decadence! I still have to go back, return to Yangzhou, return to Jiangning! Only with absolute power can I return gloriously!"

  When he was in a business group, Teng Qing Shan could smile all over his face, tell jokes and dirty stories to others, appearing very generous because he was the "wolf".

  Wolf!

  Will be furious, once really crazy, will stop at nothing, even if it means sacrificing their own lives, just to kill the enemy.

  When the gap in strength is too great, he will also endure, endure, until the time when his strength becomes strong, and then give the enemy a ruthless blow.

  Even when injured, he will find a deserted place to lick his wounds. He doesn't need anyone's pity.

  This is wolf.

  "The best way to eliminate depression, sadness and worry is to keep oneself busy, so that one has no time to think." Teng Qing Shan muttered with his eyes closed, starting to calm down.

  This night...

  Hong Qingshan spent his time practicing San Ti and quiet meditation.

  （）