Returning to Lingjiang!

When the trio heard Fang Huo’s strategy, they agreed that it was indeed quite characteristic of him.

“Only you, Fang Huo, could pull off something like this so naturally,” Hua Yanli remarked, shaking his head.

Grinning proudly, Fang Huo responded, “There’s more subtlety to my rough approach than you think. What you often see is just the surface, a facade.”

He continued, “To avoid drawing attention prematurely, I’ll start by challenging the smaller sects in the outer city before moving on to the inner city’s five major sects. At that point, countless eyes will be watching, and amidst the chaos, we’ll naturally find opportunities to exploit.”

Fang Huo went on to explain a Lion Spirit Mountain tradition unique to their eldest senior brother. They would challenge the strongest of their generation in Qingzhou to announce their breakthrough and join the ranks of the strong. This was the usual style of Lion Spirit Mountain’s martial artists.

Though Fang Huo’s method was a bit brusque, it was indeed very effective. Qin Huai and the others didn’t have any better ideas to gather more prodigies.

“Brother Zhou, shouldn’t we have a name by now?” Fang Huo asked, looking at Qin Huai eagerly. “With so many gifted individuals here, it won’t look good if we don’t have a name in the future.”

Hua Yanli and Yun Qi agreed. “We do need a name. Explaining to people earlier took up a lot of time.”

Unable to wait any longer, Fang Huo suggested, “Since it’s an alliance of prodigies, why don’t we call it Heaven’s Favorites Alliance?”

With a sigh, Hua Yanli waved his hand. “Our goal is to slay demons. How about we call ourselves Demon Slayers?”

Yun Qi chimed in with a smile, “Actually, most of us are on the Qingzhou Green Hero Ranking List. Why not simply call it the Green Heroes?” Slowly, Qin Huai said, “I feel that we are united by the destiny we share with the Emperor of Qingzhou. He is also the one who knows the truth about Qingzhou. In the future, we’ll aim to follow Senior’s example and become invincible prodigies of the entire province.” He scanned the faces of the three men. “How about we call it the Qingzhou Alliance?”

Fang Huo slapped his thigh in agreement. “I have no objections. Then, as the one who inherited the legacy of the emperor, Brother Zhou, you will be the leader of the Green Alliance, right?”

“I might not want to admit it, but this guy does have some fighting strength,” Hua Yanli reluctantly admitted, speaking of Qin Huai. They were all very impressed with Qin Huai’s ability to defeat Tang Xinglong.

“By the way… Did you really meet the Senior Emperor of Qingzhou?” asked Fang Huo, his eyes gleaming with excitement once the decision on the Qingzhou Alliance was made.

“Yes,” Hua Yanli confirmed with a nod.

“Really? Was Senior very tall and born with three heads and six arms?! Even from miles away, did his appearance stun you all?”

Fang Huo was quite excited. However, Hua Yanli and Yun Qi found it a little difficult to respond.

“Senior is formidable, but your description…” Yun Qi chose his words carefully, “is a bit exaggerated. He’s quite nonchalant.”

Hua Yanli couldn’t help but give him a thumbs up. “As expected of someone who’s studied for several years. That is…just perfect.”

“Then, for now, I’ll use Brother Fang’s approach to get in touch with the prodigies of various sects,” Qin Huai abruptly suggested.

“Brother Zhou, do you have something urgent to attend to?” Fang Huo asked, puzzled.

“Well, I do have something, but it’s not suitable to discuss at the moment,” Qin Huai answered, keeping them curious. Even to his trustworthy friend Fang Huo, he chose not to disclose that he was from Lingjiang for now.

“Leave these tasks to us. It shouldn’t be too difficult until we reach the five major sects,” assured Fang Huo, thumping his chest confidently. Qin Huai hesitated for a moment. “If you can’t win, you three must think carefully. Though the prodigies who entered the bronze realm aren’t demons, no one can guarantee they won’t join them. Especially now, when the demons are so influential, they practically dominate the higher ranks of Qingzhou.”

“Don’t worry. We’ll aim to approach those we know first. As for mistakes and accidents… I’m afraid they’re inevitable,” Yun Qi reasoned thoughtfully. They all understood the risks when they undertook this mission.

“Alright, let’s get started!”

Bang!

Fang Huo pushed the table and stood up, revealing a huge grin at Hua Yanli and Yun Qi.

“Hey, you’re not going to…”

Boom!

Suddenly, the boat erupted into flames. Waves splashed onto the dock as the river water stirred.

In the ensuing chaos, Qin Huai quietly walked in the opposite direction of the crowd.

He had gathered enough knowledge to unlock the second palace. Now, he needed to return to Lingjiang and utilize the dragon corpse as his second guardian spirit item.

…

After more than two years, Qin Huai finally returned to Lingjiang. His own speed now surpassed that of a demon-blooded horse — a journey that took over half a month now only took him ten days.

Stepping on the border, Qin Huai caught sight of the city in the distance, a familiar scent hitting his nose. He mused, “This is probably what they call the scent of home.”

Emerging from the forest, he saw a group of commoners covered in dust on the main road. Families were dragging along their belongings, their faces thin and their expressions exhausted.

Qin Huai frowned as he looked at the long line that stretched for miles. According to his plan before he left, Lingjiang should have been flourishing by now.

Had the disciple from the Nine Dragons sect turned into another corrupt county governor in just two years?action