Why do I have so many masters?

The stars and moon in the sky were bright; it was the color of a winter night, so it was extremely quiet and clear.

Fei Poyue sat alone on a stone bench in the courtyard.

He heated wine alone, and drank alone.

The martial artists from Jianghu who had been summoned earlier and those who had graduated from the martial arts school had all left one after another. Though it had been quite some time since they had studied under Fei Poyue, none dared to defy the old man, so he was the only one in the vast ancestral home.

Steam rose from the pot above the clay stove.

The old man poured himself a cup of wine; across from him were three other cups, but no one sat before them. The proof that years slowly passed was not in the changes to one's body and spirit, but more in the disappearance of familiar things.

One day, everyone will face defeat.

This, Fei Poyue understood more and more clearly.

No one can win against time.

Including himself.

Sipping the wine laced with a hint of sweetness, the hot and heavy sensation lingered in his throat, mixing with a slight intoxication. The old man sipped his drink after drink, his face solemn and silent, as if he was engaging in combat with someone. But in reality, he was alone in the courtyard; even so, he sat with his body as straight as a rod.

The feeling of drunkenness gradually emerged in his heart.

His thoughts unconsciously scattered as he thought of Tan Yurou, his younger family members, the Giant Whale Gang youth who appeared before him today, the secret discussions in the chamber, and the manual of spear techniques he had passed on to the young man.

This wasn't an impartation of martial arts but a trade.

He exchanged the spear manual he had created in his lifetime for the Giant Whale Gang's promise of thirty years of protection for the Fei family, with the condition that the Fei martial arts school would remain nominally under the Giant Whale Gang's name but would not be ordered around by them.

Right, he called himself Ying Lie.

The old man took another gulp of wine, his mouth curling with a cold smirk.

Ying, a surname seldom seen.

If it had been thirty years ago, or even twenty, or ten, he would never have made such a decision, let alone imagine doing so, but now, an old man who could see the end of his life was capable of it.

He cared about his martial arts.

So, he was even less willing to let his martial arts disappear.

He was also unwilling to let the martial techniques that once dominated become disgraced by the younger generations of his lineage.

"Ying Lie, huh... Ha, go ahead and use my spear techniques, and have a good interaction with this Jianghu..."

The last sip of wine went down his throat. Fei Poyue, who had been as straight as a pine, seemed to no longer hold up. He leaned his hand on the stone table, his eyes half-open. In his daze, it seemed as if three people appeared behind the cups before him.

An aloof and stern divine doctor, a reckless and passionate young man, a frail scholar who coughed continuously but laughed heartily.

His authority was so formidable that no one dared meet his gaze or go against his will.

His laughter commanded even more respect than his anger.

But these three people in front of him cared not a bit; they could joke and laugh with him, boldly mock him, stand shoulder to shoulder with him, had once fought with swords as enemies, only they had never drunk together.

Fei Poyue wobbled, overcome by the alcohol, and collapsed onto the stone table, drifting into a deep drunken sleep.

Then in his dream,

he saw Jianghu...

.........…

The next day, as the morning light was faint,

Xi Dingzhou City was much more peaceful than usual, but many constables in the Ministry of Punishment yawned continuously. They had spent a long time cleaning a bloody site, washing it clean with well water, rinsing it repeatedly until no trace of odor remained before they were allowed to return, having suffered much in the process.

Those experts had enjoyed their fight, but it was left to these low-ranking constables and government officials to deal with the ruined walls and floors, and bloodstains everywhere.

Hawks circled in the sky, crying twice, then swooped down over the Giant Whale Gang's territory.

Gongsun Jing reached out to catch one, taking a letter from the hawk. He glanced at it and laughed, waving his arm, and the hawk soared from his arm back into the sky. Wang Anfeng had just finished practicing his spear technique. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and looked at Gongsun, asking:

"What's the news?"

"Is it from the third brother and the others?"

Gongsun Jing turned and bowed, responding with a smile:

"No, it's from Immortal Pavilion."

"When we parted ways with the Great Elder of Immortal Pavilion earlier, I took the liberty of exchanging a hawk with them for communication purposes."

Immortal Pavilion.

A flicker of interest passed through Wang Anfeng's eyes. He looked at the letter in Gongsun Jing's hand and asked:

"What does it say?"

Gongsun handed the letter to Wang Anfeng, a strange smile on his face as he said:

"They're asking if we need help taking over the Tan Residence's territory..."

"It seems that, on one hand, they want to restore their sect's reputation, and on the other hand, they also want to foster good relations with us. Maybe they even plan to plant some roots here in Xi Dingzhou for future purposes."

"But they definitely didn't expect that Tan Yurou had left those records behind. The true power of the Tan Residence has been in our grasp from the beginning."

As he said this, a schadenfreude smile spread across Gongsun Jing's face.

Wang Anfeng took the letter and after scanning its content, he found it was just as Gongsun Jing had described, though the language was even warmer and more familiar, almost as if regarding Gongsun Jing as his own brother. Looking again at the signature, it was indeed from the Great Elder of the Immortal Pavilion, Qu Kang'an.

Gongsun Jing spoke from beside:

"He mentioned he would descend the mountain in some time and might pass through Xi Dingzhou."

"By then, Young Master, do you wish to meet this person?"

He still remembered Wang Anfeng's plan—to foster good relations with the Immortal Pavilion for future events. As the leader of the Giant Whale Gang, it was only proper to get acquainted with important figures from the Immortal Pavilion beforehand.

After pondering for a moment, Wang Anfeng shook his head:

"No need, as long as they are aware of my identity's existence, that will suffice."

"I will leave Xi Dingzhou City tomorrow and head towards the county city to help Miss Meng search for the classics."

"Afterward, there are still many matters to attend to. I do not know when I will have the chance to return."

He still clearly remembered the purpose of his leaving the mountain this time.

More than two years ago, at the birthday celebration of the Great Elder Qingfeng Edge, he met the Grandmaster Jiu Zizai, who roamed the world.

At that time, Jiu Zizai had made a promise with him.

As long as his cultivation reached Seventh Rank and he could pass through thirty levels of the Fu Character Tower in Fufeng County City, the old man would tell him everything he knew about the White Tiger Hall affairs. Even Gongsun Jing, who served as a covert agent of the Military Family, knew little about that organization.

Wang Anfeng's palm tightened slightly, a barely perceptible force within.

Although his martial arts had long since transformed and he had experienced much in Jianghu, the thought of that shadowy organization, seemingly omnipresent yet elusive, still filled the youth's heart with a sense of oppression.

White Tiger Hall.

Gongsun Jing felt a tinge of disappointment but then added:

"Do you need your subordinate to accompany you?"

Wang Anfeng dismissed the scattered thoughts in his heart, looked up at him, and smiled:

"You are now a gang leader, and the Giant Whale Gang has only just reached such a scale. Surely, it will attract the wariness of other Jianghu forces. You won't have quiet days ahead."

"About the Fei Family…"

His voice paused, and Wang Anfeng's expression grew serious. He had told Gongsun Jing about his promise with Fei Poyue from the previous day. Suddenly remembering that the old man had stayed alone in Xi Dingzhou City, he did not know the reason, but since the elder had given him the Martial Spear Manual, albeit as part of a deal, he was still a senior. Wang Anfeng decided to say:

"If you have spare time, Gongsun, please visit Elder Fei on my behalf."

Gongsun Jing was taken aback. Although he was a covert agent of the Military Family, primarily active in North Martial State City, he knew little about Grandmasters like Fei Poyue who secluded themselves. However, since it was an order from Wang Anfeng, he naturally would not refuse, and saluting with clasped hands, he said:

"Your subordinate understands."

............

Wang Anfeng did not stay in Xi Dingzhou City for long.

He had returned to Xi Dingzhou City only because he had heard of the 'death' of Tan Yurou.

Now knowing that Tan Yurou was not dead and the matters of the Tan Residence were concluded, he naturally would not waste time here. He immediately switched back into his blue attire, took up his sword, and left with a light leap. These past few days in Shaolin Temple, his third Master had taught him the Qinggong that followed reaching Middle Third Rank from the Divine Thieves Sect. His movement techniques were incomparable to the state they were in when he rushed back to the state city days ago.

With a light tap of his toes, he soared into the sky like a fleeting shadow.

The bustling Xi Dingzhou City was quickly left behind, shrinking rapidly, until it was eventually obscured by slowly gathering wisps of cloud.

Wang Anfeng's eyes slightly closed.

His fingers lightly undulated, and the wind twirled around him, not appearing the least bit violent.

"Heaven and Earth emerge alongside me, and all things are one with me."

"To harness the righteousness of Heaven and Earth, and to command the essence of the six energies, to journey without end…"

As these words from the first time his third Master taught him Qinggong flashed through his mind, Wang Anfeng's figure subtly shifted in mid-air, and as naturally as a fish flicking its tail, he 'glided' a vast distance forward.

He was not like the average person in Jianghu who stepped on Vigorous Qi. When he employed his Qinggong, it was more akin to the mythological beings riding the wind, unfettered and unrestrained, with the breeze forming an invisible barrier around him; the faster he went, the more mysteriously unfathomable, capable of resisting even the barrage of a Powerful Crossbow.

The true marvels of a top sect usually revealed their extraordinary aspects when one reached Middle Third Rank.

And below, on the official road,

A party of a dozen strong horses pressed forward. These horses, rarely seen by ordinary folk, were large, black steeds without a single patch of mixed color. Their riders bore an imposing presence, all sporting long Great Qin sabers unchecked by scabbards on their backs, making the blades seem all the more ferocious.

No one dared to block the path of these formidable-looking martial artists on the official road.

What was strange, among these rough men, there were two who stood out.

One was veiled, yet her clear and bright eyes betrayed her exceptional beauty, while the other was a delicately dressed young man, seemingly a bit obtuse, with jet-black hair tinged with streaks of blood, riding next to a stocky man—a subtle hint of eeriness.
Enjoy exclusive chapters from My Virtual Library Empire

It was Chuan Lian and his group.

Recovering, they had purchased two fast horses. Being formidable martial artists themselves, they galloped swiftly along the road. What had taken them seven or eight days before, they had now covered in just over a day.

Lao San, gripping the reins, looked ahead at the state city and grinned:

"Without any message from the Flying Eagle, we can surely give the Young Master a wonderful surprise."

"Let's go!"

PS: Here's the first update…

Many thanks to 'The Sound of Lei Yin in the Sea of Law' for their generous donation, greatly appreciated.