Chapter 35: Undercurrents Surge
Upon reaching the Body Refinement Realm Level Six, with Qi Blood reaching 124 points, Lu Yu felt an unprecedented power within himself.
With a casual punch, the power was equivalent to his previous full-strength strike, marking a significant increase in his strength.
The Fierce Tiger Fist technique had been practiced to a pinnacle realm, making Lu Yu almost unrivaled among the Body Refinement Realm Level Six. With the Hundred Refined Great Sword in hand, Lu Yu was confident in facing off against those at Body Refinement Realm Level Seven.
After his upgrade was completed, Lu Yu left Han Manor for Windmill Town to see if the upgrade of his Hundred Refined Great Sword was done, and to resolve matters concerning the Divine Weapon Pavilion.
Just moments ago, the shopkeeper of the Divine Weapon Pavilion had sent someone to Han Manor to invite Lu Yu to the pavilion, claiming there were urgent matters to discuss.
On the way, Lu Yu pondered whether the shopkeeper of the Divine Weapon Pavilion was seeking him out because of the rare iron.
Before his realm advancement, Lu Yu took nearly five minutes to cover a distance of twenty miles, but after reaching Body Refinement Realm Level Six, it took him less than three minutes to easily return to Windmill Town.
First, he went to Tang's Blacksmith Shop to check if his Hundred Refined Great Sword was ready.
When Lu Yu saw Tang's Blacksmith Shop reopening for business, he knew his sword must have been enhanced.
He found Mr. Tang, who took him to the warehouse. The center of the warehouse had been cleared out, and on a sturdy iron rack lay a sword that appeared somewhat unusual in shape, or rather, a saber.
Lu Yu couldn't quite determine whether it was a sword or a saber.
This weapon had a handle taking up one-third of its entire length. The middle part of the blade was slightly narrower than the ends, and it had no sharp tip; instead, two sharp protrusions extended slightly from either side at the top.
The volume of the Hundred Refined Great Sword was slightly compressed, making the blade appear thinner, but compared to ordinary weapons, it was still quite thick.
Mr. Tang looked at the enhanced Hundred Refined Great Sword with satisfaction and explained to Lu Yu, "Due to its size and material constraints, the blade couldn't be sharpened."
"So I specially crafted two protruding points at the top of the sword to make up for the blade's lack of sharpness, allowing it to pierce defenses when facing certain special enemies."
After listening, Lu Yu picked up the enhanced Hundred Refined Great Sword. Looking at this uniquely shaped weapon, Lu Yu couldn't help but think of the weapon used by Xiang Yu in "Honor of Kings," which had a very similar shape.
"During the re-forging process, I added some other materials, and now this weapon weighs 632 pounds."
Mr. Tang suggested, "Since it has undergone such changes, why don't you give it a new name?"
After pausing for a moment, Lu Yu said, "Then let's call it—the Overlord Saber."
The weapon bore a strong resemblance to Xiang Yu's weapon, so Lu Yu decided to name it the Overlord Saber, after Xiang Yu's title.
The reason it's called a saber and not a sword is because I practice sabers, and calling it a sword feels a bit out of place.
"Overlord Saber, that's a great name. I hope you can make a name for yourself with it."
Lu Yu left Tang's Blacksmith Shop with the Overlord Saber, leaving a hundred gold for Mr. Tang as compensation for the days the shop was closed to reforge the weapon.
Mr. Tang gladly accepted the money. The cost of closing the shop was trivial compared to the value of the extra materials added during the reforging of the Overlord Saber. However, he never intended to ask Lu Yu for any material costs.
To Mr. Tang, using some materials he'd collected over the years but never used to create a divine weapon was a worthwhile endeavor and a dream of his.
Lu Yu walked into the Divine Weapon Pavilion and was led to the third floor…
The Wild Wolf Gang leader, Black Wolf, hid within a residence in Windmill Town that had long been secretly purchased by the gang. This house was used as a relay point during the Wild Wolf Gang's operations in Windmill Town.
Concealed entirely in the darkness, Black Wolf's voice was hoarse as he spoke, "Did you find that person?"
Night Wolf, the Wild Wolf Gang's hidden asset, had never publicly appeared. Only the gang leader knew who Night Wolf was, while the rest of the gang only knew there was a Night Wolf, unaware of their gender.
At this moment, Night Wolf stood masked in front of Black Wolf, reporting what they knew.
"It was Lu Yu who discovered the hiding place. Four days ago, when I was watching his residence, I discovered he had already left, unseen for four days, but returned this morning before leaving quickly again."
"Following Lu Yu's trail, I noticed he was heading towards Han Manor. By the time I realized he had led people towards Little Tang Mountain, it was too late to report."
"Lu Yu? I will kill you!" Black Wolf's face contorted with rage, the veins on his temples bulging angrily.
Night Wolf thought for a moment before revealing their new findings, "I discovered that Ma Gang may have been killed by Lu Yu. Recently, Tang's Blacksmith Shop seems to have been smithing something. I snuck in and saw they were forging a weapon for Lu Yu."
"Ma Gang's wounds could very well have been caused by that weapon."
Black Wolf remained silent, his eyes burning with increasing fury.
"Boss, let me give you one last piece of information," Night Wolf suddenly said.
"Hmm? You're thinking of leaving?" Black Wolf inquired.
"Yes, thank you for taking care of me over the past year. Windmill Town has become too small for me."
Night Wolf's body lingered where it stood, but their voice gradually faded into the distance, becoming faint and indistinct.
"Lu Yu has already received an invitation from the Divine Weapon Pavilion. Once he reaches Beifeng City, you won't have a chance to kill him in this lifetime."
Poof~ The silhouette at the spot burst like a bubble and vanished into the air.
Black Wolf's face was full of apprehension, "Night Wolf, who are you really?"
A year ago, Night Wolf suddenly appeared in Black Wolf's bedroom, saying he wanted to join the Wild Wolf Gang and revealed many secrets to him, causing the Wild Wolf Gang to grow rapidly within a year and become the foremost underground gang in Windmill Town.
If it weren't for Night Wolf repeatedly demonstrating he meant no harm and showing a strength level only of the sixth level of Body Refinement realm, aside from some strange secret techniques, he posed no apparent threat.
Only then did Black Wolf allow him to stay in the Wild Wolf Gang, partly due to fear of the information he held.
The Wild Wolf Gang was able to use this information to become the top underground faction, and other forces could achieve the same.
After listening to Night Wolf's words, Black Wolf hesitated for a moment and then left…
Night Wolf walked along the road to Beifeng City, feeling at ease.
He had finally completed the assessment task assigned by the main hall; spending a year to accomplish it, the speed should not be considered slow!
Seeing the convoy ahead, Night Wolf hurried over and called out, "Uncle, can you give me a lift? I can pay for the ride."
Seeing that he was a young man with a clean face, naturally giving off a feeling of friendliness, appearing to pose no threat, the convoy leader said, "Hop on! No need for fare, it's on our way anyway."
"Thank you, Uncle."
...
Yang Xiu moved through Han Mansion, feeling urgency for the first time. At present, the underground gang he collaborated with was wiped out, with only Black Wolf escaping. If he waited any longer, he feared he would be stuck in Han Mansion.
No opportunity seemed available, so he could only act forcibly.
Arriving at the small courtyard where Han Yu lived, he walked in and said, "Han Yu, I have good news for you. The Wild Wolf Gang that attacked you last time has just been completely eradicated by us."
"Really?" Han Yu was both surprised and pleased, having had restless sleep these days. Now that the Wild Wolf Gang was destroyed, her nightmares could finally end, and she could have a good night's sleep tonight.
Yang Xiu said with concern, "I've noticed you haven't been sleeping well these days. Let me accompany you for a walk to relax and enjoy the scenery. You'll be able to sleep better tonight."
Han Yu received Yang Xiu's invitation for the first time, her heart fluttering with excitement and pounding away, coupled with the news of the Wild Wolf Gang's demise, she accepted Yang Xiu's invitation without hesitation.
"Wait a moment, let me touch up my makeup first." With that, Han Yu ran quickly back into her room and called over a few maids to help with her makeup.
"It's my first date with Yang Xiu, should I go for light makeup or heavy makeup?" Han Yu gazed at herself in the mirror, lost in thought.
"Miss, you are so beautiful, you look good with both heavy and light makeup," said the maid.
...
Yang Xiu waited outside, growing impatient after a while. Why does this woman have so many things to do? How can she take so long to apply makeup?
The longer they linger here, the more problems could arise. Yang Xiu was now eager to leave Han Mansion.
"Brother Yang, let's go!" Han Yu cheerfully remarked as she walked out of the room, calling out warmly.
The impatience on Yang Xiu's face vanished instantly, and as he turned to look at her, he showed surprise, seemingly amazed by her beauty after applying makeup. Yet his eyes were calm, devoid of any emotion.
Han Yu was very satisfied with Yang Xiu's reaction and smiled as she took his arm, blushing. This was her first time taking Yang Xiu's arm willingly.
Yang Xiu felt nothing from this, wearing a faint smile and speaking softly to her, "Let's go!"
"Mm." Han Yu responded softly, feeling somewhat nervous and regretful, wondering if she had been too impulsive and if she appeared too forward.
Along the way, the guards saw Han Yu holding Yang Xiu's arm, keeping their heads down as if not to see, not daring to greet them, for fear of disturbing the besotted Han Yu.
Yang Xiu nodded gently in acknowledgment to everyone he met along the way. Zhang Lun, seeing them like this, stood frozen in place, taking a long while to regain his composure after they passed, with a look of despair on his face.
Housekeeper Zhang encountered Zhang Lun, seeing him like this, he frowned and asked, "What happened to you? Why do you look like this?"
"I saw Miss with Yang Xiu," Zhang Lun responded blankly.
"What about them?" Housekeeper Zhang was puzzled. What did Yang Xiu and Han Yu do to make his nephew look this way?
"Nothing, nothing..." Zhang Lun muttered as he walked past Housekeeper Zhang.
"Come back and explain clearly!" Housekeeper Zhang shouted, jolting Zhang Lun out of his sorrow.
...
Lu Yu walked out of the Divine Weapon Pavilion, with a token made of neither gold nor wood in his hand, the Hero Recruitment Order of the Divine Weapon Pavilion.
With this Hero Recruitment Order, reporting to the Divine Weapon Pavilion branch in Beifeng City would enable him to join the Divine Weapon Pavilion. Naturally, there would be some tests during the process.
The Shopkeeper Ge of the Divine Weapon Pavilion also explained to Lu Yu the last incident of sending people to follow him, to avoid leaving a barrier in Lu Yu's heart, affecting his impression of them.
Approaching the courtyard entrance, Lu Yu was perplexed that the Little Tail was not in the courtyard. Since the first time he took Little Tail gold panning, Lu Yu hadn't arranged anyone to guard her, perhaps she was active within the herb shop and courtyard.
Usually, when he was absent, Little Tail would stay in the courtyard. Today, Lu Yu returned but could not see her, finding it puzzling.
Entering the room, just as he was about to call for Little Tail, he noticed a dagger pinned to the table in the living room, nailing a paper oil hat that Little Tail often wore, upon which was written.
"If you want to save her, meet me at the summit of Xiao Tang Mountain."