Chapter 273: The Chu Family

At noon, Xiao Li and her group ran into the aloof Lone Ranger again.

He had tied his horse to a post next to the inn and was sitting at a roadside wonton stall, eating wontons.

His aura was so unique that Wang Wanqing couldn’t help but stare.

"Your Majesty, do you think he’s also headed for King Xian’s Heroic Invitation?"

"He looks like one of those hidden masters. I wonder if he could beat Brother Rong."

Xiao Li didn’t even look up. "Why don’t you just ask Rong Qing that question directly?"

Wang Wanqing immediately looked at Rong Qing, who answered directly, "We’d probably be evenly matched."

This time, it was Xiao Li’s turn to be surprised. There weren’t many people who could be evenly matched with Rong Qing. ’He really is a master,’ she thought.

"How did you determine that?"

Rong Qing replied, "I observed him for a long time last night. His stance is firm and his aura is contained. He is without a doubt a master who has practiced a Cultivation Technique for many years."

"As for the level of his martial arts, you would normally have to fight to be certain. But he’s different."

Rong Qing gestured for Xiao Li to look over. "Your Majesty, do you see that sword?"

Xiao Li looked over. The man had a sword strapped to his back, but the entire thing, from tip to hilt, was wrapped in black cloth, obscuring even the handle.

"What can you tell from that?"

Rong Qing shook his head. "Your Majesty, that is not a sword. If I’m not mistaken, it should be a long spear."

Xiao Li glanced at its length. ’It doesn’t look like one.’

Rong Qing knew it didn’t look like one and immediately explained, "I once saw a long spear that was one *zhang* long but could be disassembled into three sections. The spearhead resembled a longsword, and the six-*chi* shaft behind it could not only be detached but also retracted."

"That spear was the final work of the master weaponsmith Wu Kui before his death. He poured his heart and soul into it, taking seven years to forge."

"It’s said that the material for the weapon was created by Master Wu, who fused eleven different types of ores. After repeated refinement and forging, the resulting raw material was incredibly hard. It took ten days of forging in intense fire just to hammer it by half an inch."

"He originally intended to forge a sword with this material, but in the end, to repay a debt of gratitude to an old friend, he used all of it to custom-make a one-of-a-kind long spear for him."

"Used alone, the spearhead is both a sword and a saber. Attached to the shaft, it’s like a long polearm that can sever a horse’s legs. When the shaft is extended, it becomes a one-*zhang* spear. On the battlefield, it could pierce any armor with a single thrust. ’Slay gods and buddhas who stand in its way.’ It was once the nightmare of enemy armies, and countless military generals admired it."

"This spear is unique in all the world. It requires a specific Cultivation Technique to be wielded freely, and it became the distinctive symbol of that family."

"His own martial arts are not weak, and with that spear, it’s as if he has divine assistance. If he can wield it skillfully, then there would be little difference between him and me."

As Rong Qing gave his objective assessment, Wang Wanqing sat bolt upright, staring at the man below in shock.

"He’s from the Chu Family?"

Xiao Li really didn’t know anything about this and was surprised that Wang Wanqing did. "Tell me more."

Wang Wanqing gave Xiao Li a strange look. ’How could Your Majesty not have heard of the Chu Family?’ But she didn’t ask, instead explaining.

"Your Majesty, the Chu Family is a great General’s family, often mentioned alongside the Rong Family as the twin titans of the military. They were founding military generals granted the title of Marquis Changying. The heads of the Chu Family for generations have all wielded a long spear named ’Du.’ Legend says it is an incredibly powerful Divine weapon."

"For generations, the Chu Family was responsible for guarding Heavenly Gate Pass against incursions from the Yue Country and Xiqi. Because the Chu Family’s Spear Technique was so unpredictable—slaying gods and buddhas in their path—neither Yue Country nor Xiqi dared to provoke the Chu Family. They were once known as the Northwest Divine Generals."

"However, over a decade ago, while the late Emperor was still alive, rumors suddenly spread that the Chu Family was embezzling military funds and committing treason. Later, the Marquis Chu committed suicide to prove his innocence, and the other members of the Chu Family died one after another on the battlefield. The charge of treason was never proven, so the title of the Changying Marquis Mansion has been preserved, but no one has returned to it in over ten years. Everyone says the Chu Family was wiped out."

This was why Rong Qing hadn’t been certain the man was from the Chu Family.

He had seen the spear before and recognized it by instinct, but he also knew the Chu Family was dead. So, he couldn’t be sure who was now carrying it.

Xiao Li finally perked up. After hearing them describe such a miraculous weapon, she was quite eager to see it for herself.

For the rest of the afternoon, the black-clad Lone Ranger followed behind them, neither too close nor too far.

He seemed to have no ill intent; they were likely just headed the same way.

And "heading the same way" led them straight to King Xian’s fiefdom—Changzhou.

King Xian was the late Emperor’s youngest brother. He was just over forty this year, in the prime of his life.

Changzhou bordered Beicang and was not far from the Yue Country, with only a single city between them.

Because of the Heroic Invitation, many martial artists from all over were converging here. The closer they got to Changzhou, the more people they saw carrying weapons.

Changzhou turned no one away. As long as you came carrying a weapon, you were allowed in.

Xiao Li observed for a while before making a decision. "We have to split up."

"Everyone inside is either a Lone Ranger or in small groups of three to five. Our group is too organized and conspicuous."

"When we were just passing through other cities, staying the night discreetly and leaving the next day, it wasn’t a big deal since we had travel passes from the court."

"But this is King Xian’s territory. He’s preparing to rebel, so he won’t recognize passes from the court. A group this large will definitely be noticed by him. If we get surrounded, it would be extremely disadvantageous for me."

The thirty of them ultimately split into seven teams, traveling light to blend in as they entered the city.

Hong Yue and Wang Wanqing went with Yang Jun, posing as a man traveling with his two wives, just passing through Changzhou on their way to Beicang.

Xiao Li and Rong Qing, accompanied by four others, rode into the city posing as a brother and sister from an escort agency.

The rest scattered into different groups to enter the city. Once inside, they would find adjacent lodging but not acknowledge each other, acting as strangers while they awaited the right moment.

Xiao Li knew that Xu Nianqing’s face resembled her own, so she deliberately changed into a very provocative outfit. She exposed a bit of her arms and calves, and her slender waist was tightly cinched, giving her the look of a fiery, feisty woman.

She painted a red, birthmark-like pattern on her left cheek with red pigment and then wore a white veil.

The birthmark was faintly visible through the sheer white veil, so anyone who looked would assume she wore the veil to cover the mark on her face.

As for Rong Qing, he hadn’t shaved his beard the entire trip for fear of being recognized.

His thick beard was a natural mask.

’Hmm, although acquaintances wouldn’t recognize us, doesn’t this brother-sister pair look a little too conspicuous?’

Xiao Li was feeling uneasy when she saw a skinny man carrying a greatsword and a burly man, who looked like a moving mountain, swinging a large warhammer.

The greatsword was bigger than the skinny man himself, and when the warhammer was dropped, it made the ground tremble.

Just as Xiao Li was gaping in shock, a seductive figure in red rode over on a horse. Her snow-white, jade-like legs were completely bare, and the bells on her thigh-rings jingled. A turbulent sea surged before her, instantly attracting countless gazes.

She had a bewitching face, and her smile could steal a soul, making the men around her wish they could instantly turn into wolves.

’Er... what can I say? I admit I’ve led a sheltered life.’

’My respects! My respects!’