I Can Strengthen Infinitely-Chapter 73 - 67: Making the Ranking

On the way back to Su Mansion.

Su Lanyin held Ah Hu, occasionally poking her head out of the window, anxiously looking toward the direction of Gusu River.

Cao Zhengchun was always following beside the carriage. Seeing Su Lanyin’s actions, he couldn’t help but say: "Miss Su, the young master will definitely be fine, don’t worry."

Su Lanyin just bit her lip, tightly gripping the pendant Qin Yuesheng gave her, without saying a word.

...

Under Qin Yuesheng’s Spiritual Swallow Body Skill, he quickly arrived at Cyan Yang City yamen. At this moment, the tumultuous commotion by Gusu River had already alarmed the authorities, and quite a few constables were continuously running out of the yamen, heading towards Gusu River.

Qin Yuesheng, carrying Li Tianle, stepped forward and straightforwardly told the gatekeeping government official that he wanted to see Lord Xun Sheng.

A city’s governor is naturally not someone you can see just because you want to. Qin Yuesheng could only wait outside the door as a government official ran inside to report to his superiors.

Soon after, a skinny old man with a goatee came out of the yamen, smiling politely at Qin Yuesheng: "Are you Qin Yuesheng, Lord Qin?"

"Huh?" Qin Yuesheng was surprised: "I am indeed Qin Yuesheng, but where does this ’Lord’ come from?"

The old man chuckled: "Since the lord has joined the Seven Star Monitor, even as the lowest-level member, your official rank is far higher than mine, a mere keeper, so I naturally must address you as ’lord’."

"Oh." Qin Yuesheng had no idea about this; Bai Hao hadn’t mentioned it to him.

"Please follow me, my lord. I will take you to see Governor Xun right away."

At this moment, the old man suddenly noticed Li Tianle being carried by Qin Yuesheng, and felt somewhat puzzled. However, there were certain matters beyond his authority to question.

Having stayed in the yamen for many years, this kind of seasoned person is naturally very clear about what they should and shouldn’t do.

Following the old man through a few halls and corridors, Qin Yuesheng arrived at the place where Xun Sheng worked.

Candles were lit in the room at this time, and one could faintly see a figure standing outside the door.

"Lord Governor, Lord Qin is here," the old man said to the door.

"Come in."

The old man immediately and eagerly opened the door for Qin Yuesheng: "Lord Qin, please."

Dragging Li Tianle’s body into the room, Xun Sheng, who was dealing with official duties, was immediately attracted by this scene.

"What’s this?" Xun Sheng asked, puzzled.

Qin Yuesheng immediately explained the entire sequence of events vividly.

"Someone tried to assassinate you?" Xun Sheng put down the wolf-hair brush in his hand and stood up to observe Li Tianle’s face.

"This man is tight-lipped. I asked him properly, but he wouldn’t talk. I figured there must be something fishy about this matter, and I wanted to trouble the lord to help me use the yamen’s methods to extract the mastermind from his mouth."

"No problem, no problem." Xun Sheng patted Qin Yuesheng’s shoulder: "Now that you’re a member of the Seven Star Monitor, it’s a great help to Cyan Yang City, and as the city’s governor, I must get to the bottom of this matter for you."

"Someone come." Xun Sheng called to the outside.

A government official immediately ran in.

"My lord."

"Escort this person to the prison for rigorous interrogation, and remember to inspect him thoroughly, don’t let him have the chance to die."

"As you command."

Qin Yuesheng reminded: "Lord Xun, this fellow’s martial skills are not low; he shouldn’t be underestimated. He must be tightly bound with chains..."

Xun Sheng: "His martial skills aren’t low? In that case, give him a pipa bone, and strip him of all his skills."

Qin Yuesheng: "..."

Government official: "As you command."

Indeed, not without the demeanor of a governor, truly ruthless.

For martial artists, getting pierced through the pipa bone is tantamount to severing one’s own meridians; once the pipa bone is pierced, all strength is lost, and even the best martial skills will dissipate completely, reducing the person to a cripple.

Just like some martial artists add special refined iron to their weapons to achieve the effect of countering martial artists in Outer Forging Perfection, the government’s torture tools are naturally the same.

They’re designed for ordinary people and for martial artists. Even if a martial artist of Outer Forging Perfection falls into the hands of the government, they can still use various devices and tools to completely overpower you.

Therefore, the court has always been a force that makes people of the Jianghu feel afraid.

Watching Li Tianle being bound and dragged away by several government officials, Qin Yuesheng said to Xun Sheng: "My lord, now that this matter is dealt with, I’ll be heading back. I need to inform my family about what happened tonight."

"Alright, feel free to come over for tea when you have time."

"Hmm." Qin Yuesheng nodded and walked out of the room.

Watching Qin Yuesheng’s figure gradually disappear outside the house, Xun Sheng suddenly said: "I wonder how Lord Bai’s search for his disciple is going."

...

Next day.

By Gusu River, Wind Tea House.

"Whoa! The young man wielded a black blade and fought ten people, each one was skilled, launching ferocious moves, while a masked archer secretly attacked from the side, truly perilous.

But the young man was not to be taken lightly; amidst the gleam of his blade, he possessed a mystical blade skill, slaying the villains who were crying out in anguish and desperation.

With one stroke, there would be a hole, and the blood spurted out like water, you can imagine how satisfying that was."

The storyteller wanted to continue, but was suddenly interrupted by an audience member from the stage.

"Hey, hey, who exactly was that young man?"

This question stirred up a chorus of agreement from the entire audience.

"Yeah, who is this person?"

"Tell us quickly."

The storyteller opened his folding fan and smiled, "I happened to be present at the scene and witnessed the entire process. I got a clear look at that person’s appearance. You may not believe it, but that young man was the young master of the Qin family... Qin Yuesheng."

The whole crowd was immediately in an uproar.

They knew a little about Qin Yuesheng. As a young master from a wealthy family, he actually had a pretty good reputation among the people.

He didn’t resort to coercion and robbery like other spoiled young lords, nor did he do things that would incite public anger. What left the deepest impression on everyone was his fondness for ’frequenting brothels and gambling dens.’

"It turns out to be the young master of the Qin family. Is his martial art really that good? I don’t think I’ve ever heard of it before."

"Now that you mention it, it does seem that way."

"What are you imagining? He’s the young master of a big family. When he goes out, he’s protected by guards. Whenever something happens, he wouldn’t need to take action himself. If he knows martial arts, would we ever find out?"

"That’s true as well."

Everyone was talking about it, but no one noticed a young Daoist in the corner of the tea house quietly writing three words in a notebook using a small brush pen.

Qin Yuesheng.

Below Qin Yuesheng’s name, there were a few more lines.

Defeated Li Tianle, replaces ninety-nine.

Blade, Black Rakshasa.

Owner, Qin Yuesheng.

Realm, Outer Forging Bones and Skin.

Martial Arts, Unknown.

Background, Wealthy Family.

"Outer Forging Bones and Skin, his strength should be ranked within the top sixty, but unfortunately, he only defeated Li Tianle, so he replaces him. This is the usual rule of the Hundred Soldiers List." The Daoist thought to himself, then tore off the piece of paper and left the tea house with his bamboo backpack.

After leaving the tea house, the Daoist walked into an empty alley. He placed two fingers in his mouth and blew hard, and immediately a loud sound rang out.

From the sky, a black hawk swooped down swiftly, landing precisely on the Daoist’s arm.

"Thank you for your hard work. Deliver this quickly this time, and I’ll treat you to some meat when you return." The Daoist smiled, stroking the head of the black hawk, and tucked the piece of paper into a bamboo tube attached to the hawk’s leg.

"Go."

With a flick of his arm, the black hawk soared into the sky, disappearing swiftly into the vast expanse.

...

The world is vast, with countless extraordinary individuals emerging from everywhere.

Within the martial arts realm, numerous sects stand tall, truly making it a world filled with renowned experts and martial artists like clouds.

Among the many forces, Celestial Secret City and Divine Calculation Pavilion stand out.

Celestial Secret Elder of Celestial Secret City.

Divine Calculation Elder of Divine Calculation Pavilion.

These two are biological brothers who, thirty years ago, joined forces to compile the Jianghu (martial arts world) Rankings, documenting the experts across the land.

This endeavor, upon its release, caused a sensation in the martial arts world. After all, who among those practicing martial arts wouldn’t want to gain fame and see their name on the list, bringing them joy?

First, it signifies that their skills are decent, and second, it greatly satisfies their vanity. In the future, wherever they go, as long as they report their name, they would receive admiration and respect from others, which is truly delightful.

However, spots are limited, and there are too many martial artists in the world, so not everyone can be listed.

There are those who cultivate their character without competing for fame and fortune.

And those unwilling to settle under others.

Thus, many martial artists wander the lands, seeking to challenge and replace those whose names are on the list.

This has been going on ceaselessly from thirty years ago until now, like cultivating and breeding the strong, resulting in the emergence of many formidable characters.

The borderland by the East Sea.

The jade sea meets the sky, and seagulls call in unison.

The waves crash against the cliffs, barren mountains withered stones.

On a hundred-foot cliff sits a majestic city.

This city stands solid and groundbound, the walls soar to the clouds, its surface smooth as a mirror, with no place to lay foot.

Its internal buildings spiral around a central high tower, with pavilions, terraces, and towers everywhere, along with gardens and lakes.

The scenery is beautiful and the view delightful.

A black hawk soared swiftly from the horizon, its speed far surpassing ordinary birds.

It dove into the majestic city, passing through open windows and doors of various pavilions, grazing over the tranquil lake, causing rippling waves, and finally stopped outside the high tower in the city.

There, in an open space of white jade drilled ground, bronze bird stands were placed every five steps.

Some stands were empty, while others had various predatory birds resting on them, creating an impressive sight.

A round-faced child saw the black hawk land and quickly trotted over, taking a piece of fresh beef from the bamboo container on his shoulder and offering it to the hawk.

Once the hawk began eating, he reached for the paper in the message tube attached to the hawk’s leg and turned to run into the tower.

"Sir, there’s new information." The child handed the paper to a white-faced gentleman reading a booklet, speaking very respectfully.

The gentleman extended his hand, took it, and glanced at it briefly.

He then brought out a red-covered booklet and started writing.

"Qin Yuesheng of Cyan Yang City, listed on the Jiangnan Hundred Soldiers List."