Chapter 931 - 421: Peerless Beauty, Fated to Die Young—Gains Martial Arts Once More, Striking Down the Petty!

Chapter 931: Chapter 421: Peerless Beauty, Fated to Die Young—Gains Martial Arts Once More, Striking Down the Petty!

The day’s patrol shift ended.

Li Xian walked out of the cage tower; it was already dusk. The fog on Evil Suppression Island had not dispersed, obstructing the view. The setting sun cast an orange glow everywhere, yet it couldn’t be seen here.

Li Xian calculated the days; nine days had passed. The half-month period was approaching. He had taken everything in, and Zhang Qiusheng, Hong Dexin, and Wang Jue had secretly enacted their plan and begun to take action.

The Steward of Evil Suppression Island either knew nothing about it or had already made prior arrangements and absolutely did not interfere. Li Xian already had a foolproof plan and thus didn’t need to rely on external forces.

After a simple dinner, Li Xian headed to the Marquis’ outpost, thinking, "Today, by chance, I learned the heart knot of the courtesan. She is born with a fragile fate, seemingly ill but not ill, appearing to be fate-driven yet not bound by fate. It’s very peculiar, but her life is short. Although I feel sorry, it eventually doesn’t concern me. Then I gained the Integration Body Skill, Cage Body Force, Human Garment Technique, and Hundred Forms Skill. These four martial arts form a school, can attach to the human body, transform into clothing, harness force through the body, and hide invisibly. Quite powerful and strange, but if I were to learn it all, it would be as if I were crippling myself. But if I don’t learn it at all, it would be a waste. I might as well take my time to study and ponder them closely after leaving Evil Suppression Island. The martial arts path is long and cannot be rushed."

When he returned to the Marquis’ outpost, he just happened to come across Hong Dexin, Zhang Qiusheng, and Wang Jue returning from different directions. Li Xian thought, "These three have exhausted their efforts to dispel my doubts. Had I not been vigilant from the moment I boarded the ship, I started to discern the trio’s scheme. Once on the island, I might truly not have suspected that these three harbored evil intentions."

After greeting the three, he returned to the courtyard to change clothes, take off armor, bathe, and rest. Li Xian continued to practice the ’Dubhe Saber Technique’, ’Stone-Pushing Palm Technique’, and ’Suffering Body Scripture’. He had already learned the "Holding up the Sky Stance" of the Stone-Pushing Palm Technique.

This stance required spreading the legs apart, visualizing a giant stone pressing on the top of the head. Li Xian raised his hands, maintaining this deadlock. The visualized stone seemed like something real, pressing Li Xian’s feet into the mud. Passersby nearby felt their hearts tremble, as if the stone was pressing down.

’Only I have a Heart Skill’ focuses on mind and involves visualization. The stronger the Heart Skill, the heavier the visualization stone. The heavier the stone, the more Li Xian’s strength, Qi-Blood, and Heart Skill are honed.

From afar, Zhang Qiusheng jealously remarked, "This boy truly has exceptional talent. I have been in the Gold Appraisal Guard for a long while, yet I have only seen him able to practice the ’Stone-Pushing Palm Technique’ to such an extent. Fortunately, he will drown in the lake."

The tenth day, the eleventh day, and the twelfth day all passed peacefully. On the thirteenth day, Zhang Qiusheng began to show symptoms of catching a cold, his complexion turning pale and his limbs weak.

Li Xian knew the plan had begun and feigned an offer to look after Zhang Qiusheng’s health. Zhang Qiusheng declined the kindness, citing the recurrence of an old illness, and forced himself through routine tasks such as patrolling the lake and island...

On the fourteenth day, Zhang Qiusheng’s symptoms worsened, his cheeks sunken, and his pupils protruding. He seemed to have heard that Li Xian was somewhat skilled at medicine, thus pretending convincingly and even using different methods, feigned a strange illness, appearing thoroughly weak.

On the fifteenth, sixteenth day... the illness worsened further. Seeing as it was already difficult for him to get out of bed, Zhang Qiusheng’s patrol duties naturally fell to Li Xian, Hong Dexin, and Wang Jue.

Leveraging the convenience of the patrol, Hong Dexin and Wang Jue chose a few vicious criminals to poison their food, and after they died from the poison, they secretly hid them in the Tiger and Boa Ship in advance, fabricating traces of escaping imprisonment and hiding within the ship.

For this phase, without Liu Quan’s assistance, it would have been extremely difficult for Hong Dexin and Wang Jue to accomplish this alone. Li Xian was fully aware but silently took note without speaking up.

Thus, on the seventeenth day, it was time to return to the city. Early that day, Zhang Qiusheng, citing his illness and difficulty being in the wind, continued to rest quietly indoors, allowing Li Xian, Wang Jue, and Hong Dexin to return first. ℯℯ𝑙.

The three brought with them over a hundred soldiers. As they returned, half stayed on the island to continue their duties, while half returned with the ship. Li Xian knew that the special nature of Regretful Lake’s waters meant that even those who were not Second Realm Martial Artists, as long as they have swimming and lightweight skills, might remain afloat temporarily. But, over time, they were bound to drown. Most of these soldiers returning with the ship were likely to end up buried here, marking this journey as grandiose.

This potential loss was recorded as an achievement.

Moved by sympathy, he said, "We are all soldiers and have shared this experience. The water in this lake is cold; I have a pot of strong liquor. Who wants to join me for a drink?" This strong liquor contained ’Drunken Flower Wine’, which he had pilfered from Bi Xiao Long Dream Tower, stealthily intoxicating anyone who drank it. Though Li Xian carried it with him, he was reluctant to drink it all, as good wine was hard to come by, and this excellent brew was even a rarer encounter.

He intended to use this wine to get the soldiers drunk, so that they could stay on the island for an extra day, avoiding the doom. Hong Dexin, not wanting any further complications, sarcastically said, "Drinking is prohibited in the military. Brother Li may drink upon completing his duties without issue, but these more than fifty soldiers don’t have that privilege. If they truly drink it, they’ll be punishable."

Li Xian said, "Today, Mr. Li is in a good mood. Even if punishment should follow, so what? Who dares to accompany me, a gentleman, and drink a satisfying sip to dispel the chill?"

The soldiers remained silent but shifted slightly towards Hong Dexin and Wang Jue. Li Xian sternly said, "Truly, no one? The military is strict, but also values camaraderie. Drinking here would at most mean some lashes upon returning. But I, Li Xian, will remember you! Can you not afford some lashes for the worth of being remembered by Li Xian?"

His voice was very loud, fully capturing the emotion. Yet the soldiers didn’t know the inside story. During the half-month patrol shift, they frequently heard Hong Dexin, Wang Jue, and Zhang Qiusheng secretly discussing Li Xian’s background, learning that his status was ordinary, even inferior to that of Hong Dexin, Wang Jue, and Zhang Qiusheng. Despite Li Xian’s impressive manner, their preconceptions ran deep and they remained unmoved.