Wolf Prison Dockyard.

On the sprawling water fortresses crisscrossing the lake, moonlight and firelight mingled and reflected off each other. The whole dockyard was silent, with only the sound of patrolling sentries' footsteps—quiet as if a mountain flood was about to break forth.

Inside the drill ground built atop the water, a solitary figure was practicing swordsmanship on a narrow single-log bridge.

When Wolf Prison Dockyard was first established, the 'Single-Log Bridge Drill' had been a required trial for every formal Heyang Army soldier, because Heyang's main strategic enemy, the Sea Barbarians, attacked by boarding ships. On board, balancing one's body was of utmost importance, and only those who passed the 'Single-Log Bridge Drill' earned the right to fight at sea.

But as the three main defense lines were built in Chenfeng District and the Sea Barbarians' main force was drawn over there, Heyang Army's pressure was vastly reduced. Plus, as the sea trade routes stabilized year by year and Heyang's ships grew stronger and better-armed, boarding battles became rare, and unless the Silver Blood Association asked, Heyang rarely provided merchant escorts.

Thus, the 'Single-Log Bridge Drill' went from being a required course, to an elective, and eventually to a hobby class. After all, this skill was only good for boarding combat—there was really no need to learn it.

Like a fish in the ocean, who wouldn't try to learn how a bird flaps its wings.

Unless.

It wanted to fly too.

Zheng—!

The sword sang in the wind, his footsteps moving in and out of the light. He didn't swing all that fast, but every movement left endless afterimages. Moonlight flowed around the shirtless swordsman like water, so that no one could tell where his blade was headed—sword energy radiated in all directions, and his silhouette barely reflected off the water.

Occasionally, a sentry passing by would sneak a glance—at first, it seemed almost like a dream; by the second look, their head felt like it would split. "The more you stared at those shifting lights and shadows, the more your brain trembled, forcing you to close your eyes and walk away just to keep your guts down."

Just as he lunged forward with a thrust—

Suddenly.

The sword flew straight out of his hand.

It looked no less embarrassing than a complete beginner who, for failing to grip properly, accidentally tossed the blade away.

He showed not a shred of surprise or hesitation. Instantly, both hands shifted into a classic Defensive Embrace, ready to intercept the silent strike of a pale-blue staff streaking toward his back.

He was standing on a single-log bridge with nowhere to dodge, yet he grabbed the moon-white staff as it came, using the force to haul his attacker toward him. His left leg shot out like a blade, kicking high-speed for the assailant's waist—the blinding flash of power screamed that, if this hit, there'd be no more happy days (or nights) for the rest of the guy's life!

Clang!

The attacker blocked the kick with a raised knee and yanked the staff back, trying to shake the swordsman—still gripping the staff—clean off the bridge!

But the swordsman simply let go, allowing the staff to be snatched back, and at the same time stomped down hard on the attacker's right foot!

Yingu Yue gasped in pain.

He looked at Lan Yan just inches from his face and blurted, "I wasn't—"

"You still can't get the Assassin's habits out of your system."

Plop!

Lan Yan slapped Yingu Yue into the water with a single swing and said flatly, "The Liaoyuan Combat Technique never lets anyone get within two steps."

Yingu Yue crawled up soaking wet, grumbling, "I thought you'd panic at least a little without your weapon..."

"I did panic, you just missed your shot." Lan Yan walked over, grabbed the towel, and wiped off his sweat. Under the moonlight, the muscles on his upper body gleamed, and the grotesque scar across his waist stood out in stark relief. "If I were you, I'd attack the lower body directly, or even break the single-log bridge; if someone else grabbed my weapon, I'd ditch it for a direct fight. Never let the opponent lead you around by the nose."

"But the problem is, General, your Liaoyuan Combat Technique is stronger than mine! If you got your hands on the Mountain-Moving Staff, I'd be nothing but a punching bag!" Yingu Yue half-complained, half-flattered as he wrung the water from his long hair. "Honestly, the Mountain-Moving Staff should be wielded by you, General. It really doesn't suit me..."

"No, I think it's perfect for you." Lan Yan sat on the railing and laughed, "The Mountain-Moving Staff's overwhelming force works in perfect harmony with your off-the-wall thinking."

"But I haven't really practiced the Liaoyuan Combat Technique before..."

"Then you should start now."

"Even if I start now, I'll never catch up to those who've been training since birth."

"There's always a mountain taller. Every great mountain was born from its parents, made of flesh and bone, all babbling and learning to walk. You say there's no point in practicing unless you'll be number one, but everyone else is fighting to be number two." Lan Yan said, "The gods wander outside the world, but on earth, we're all just mortals. 'Why won't you believe your own spear could be unstoppable?'"

"The gods all wander outside the world?" Yingu Yue shot him a look, "I'm not so sure I buy that..."

"And besides, I can't find anyone else to wield the Mountain-Moving Staff," Lan Yan twisted open his canteen, "I'm not interested myself, and wasting it would be a shame. Only you can use it."

Yingu Yue was stunned, "Why? It's a Divine Weapon! Granted, it's only an Extreme Divine Weapon, but still, it's a Divine Weapon!"

To get this Extreme Divine Weapon, they'd shattered the Heyang Army's lines and even chased their governor, Gai Shiwen, across the lake before finally snatching it back.

Everyone had expected Lan Yan to keep it for himself. No one thought he'd hand it over to Yingu Yue so casually.

Lan Yan shook his head, "Don't get me wrong, it's not that I think the Mountain-Moving Staff is bad. Quite the opposite—I think it's exceptional. In Gai Shiwen's hands, it was completely wasted."

"I just don't want to rely on an unreliable external power."

Yingu Yue looked incredulous, "Unreliable?"

"Just look at how Divine Weapons are classified: Absolute Divine Weapons—beyond fantasy, conquerors of the impossible." Lan Yan gazed at the still waters, "Except for the nearly all-powerful, reality-breaking Absolute Divine Weapons, Illusion Divine Weapons and Extreme Divine Weapons get crazier and more specialized; only in the right hands do they truly shine."

"Just like the Veil of Strife, just like the Mountain-Moving Staff."

"A Hidden Sword martial artist with the Veil of Strife… a Liaoyuan martial artist with the Mountain-Moving Staff… each can create a one-shot-kill environment, nearly invincible. That's what you think, right?"

Yingu Yue nodded.

A Hidden Sword Assassin with the Veil of Strife went without saying, and the Mountain-Moving Staff's "Invisible Force" was a perfect fit for a Liaoyuan martial artist.

"Invisible Force"—by expending the wielder's Spiritual Power, it allowed the user to exert a directional push on any target, instantly shifting it up to ten paces. The simplest trick: Yingu Yue would attach a spearhead to the staff, push an enemy forward into it, and let them impale themselves.

Used on yourself, it let you chase down a fleeing opponent or move in midair.

Used on an enemy, it let you drag, block, or trap them.

Used on objects, you could disarm your enemy—just like when Yingu Yue made Lan Yan's sword fly away earlier.

The Mountain-Moving Staff got its name from a legend of someone using this weapon to move entire mountains—sounded like total bullshit, but in theory, it was possible.

For all his complaints, Yingu Yue absolutely loved the Mountain-Moving Staff—because it was just that damn useful.

The Liaoyuan Combat Technique was without doubt the perfect technique for the Mountain-Moving Staff. Ten paces was just long enough to cover with a spear, and Liaoyuan warriors were battlefield juggernauts. This all-in-one Divine Weapon could shine in open combat.

"So even if anyone thought Lan Yan was giving favors for a price, Yingu Yue couldn't really get it—never mind that Lan Yan knew he blew with the wind, but if Lan Yan truly wanted a Divine Weapon, he'd stop at nothing to get it and never hand it over."

There was only one possibility—Lan Yan really didn't want it.

"But if I'm holding a Divine Weapon and I get hit by the Veil of Strife's dark silence, or if you push my weapon away first—doesn't that make me useless?" Lan Yan spread his hands, "Divine Weapons are awesome, but relying on them is putting all your eggs in one basket; if someone reads you, it's your life and divine weapon both on the line."

Yingu Yue asked, "But what if someone else has a divine weapon and you don't? What then?"

Lan Yan just looked at him calmly. Yingu Yue blinked, suddenly realizing he himself was the perfect example—jumping someone with a Divine Weapon and still losing... what a joke.

"He'd actually tried to push Lan Yan off the bridge with Invisible Force, but the push only lasted an instant. The very moment it hit, Lan Yan hooked his toes on the bridge and used opposing force to negate it completely. Yingu Yue practically wanted to snap the Mountain-Moving Staff in half in frustration."

"Normal people faced with a sudden push would try to resist by instinct, but at best, they could shave off some of the power. Regular soldiers could weaken it by ten or twenty percent, good ones maybe forty or fifty. Lan Yan? He canceled it like he wasn't even human."

"Before I fight, I always make sure to prepare. Timing, terrain, the people, enemy stamina, intel, their track record, even their habits..." Lan Yan said evenly, "I only make a move when I have a real chance to win."

"What if your opponent suddenly brings out a trump card you've never seen and crushes you?" said Yingu "Nitpicker" Yue.

Lan Yan said, "Then that's fate—timing and luck. That's why I'm giving you the Mountain-Moving Staff."

Yingu Yue blinked, instantly understanding Lan Yan's plan—he'd become Lan Yan's doorman. Anyone wanting to take on Lan Yan would have to beat him first.

Even if the enemy had a hidden trump card, it'd be Yingu Yue who'd 'enjoy' it first.

From that angle, Lan Yan's gift of the Divine Weapon was genius!

"Strengthened Yingu Yue, raised the bar for enemies to challenge him, cut down on his own fighting, and now, if there was trouble, Yingu Yue would handle it—if not, Xia Lingguo could!"

Of course, the only reason Lan Yan dared split the spoils this way was—

In any circumstance, he was confident he could squash Yingu Yue's ambitions.

"Go back to sleep, I'm going to keep training for a while." Lan Yan picked up another longsword from the side and walked back onto the single-log bridge. "Looks like rain's on the way."

"Why are you up so late, anyway?" Yingu Yue wondered, "You never had this habit before, General."

"My mind's restless tonight."

"Is it because we're getting a big chunk of military funds tomorrow and you're too excited?"

"I think it's the opposite." Lan Yan's face was expressionless. "There might be trouble with that batch of funds."

"No way!?" Yingu Yue shook his head, "Who in Dongyang would dare touch our money? Captain Wan Qisha embezzling? Or Jing Zhengwei—"

"Captain Wan's all about loyalty, and President Jing's not after money. Neither of them would touch those funds."

"Then who else in Dongyang would have the guts? Xuanzhu County's full of gutless losers..."

"You know," Lan Yan suddenly said, "apart from Jing Zhengwei, there was another Silver Blood Association guy who tried to attack me at the banquet."

"How'd I miss that?" Yingu Yue was stunned.

"Because he did it in the dark."

Yingu Yue ran through the Silver Blood Association members in his head and quickly got it. "Wait, you mean that guy..."

Lan Yan smiled, "I heard there's a thing called 'glow pigment' in Dongyang's overseas trade—supposed to absorb light and shine, but it's rare as hell, basically never seen on the market."

"Anyone with a weird hair color is probably not your average joe."

"You think he did it?" Yingu Yue looked totally lost, "But why would the Silver Blood Association do something like that? Forget us—even Jing Zhengwei wouldn't let them off!"

"Just remembered him, that's all," Lan Yan said casually, "Not a lot of Dongyang people I bother remembering."

"Besides, if those funds really are gone, then there's probably no Silver Blood Association left. Jing Zhengwei's probably in deep shit too."

"If you don't muddy the water, how's a local crook supposed to steal a meal from a river dragon?"

Just then, urgent footsteps echoed at the training ground entrance, and a plain-looking man strode in, speaking just loudly enough for them to hear. "General Lan, urgent report."

"Mr. Xia is here." Lan Yan lowered his sword. "I'm guessing it's not good news."

"Eh? General, are you finally in trouble?" Yingu Yue heckled with glee, "No way, no way, the great General Lan… tricked at last—"

"Don't be afraid of deceit; the whole world was built on lies."

Lan Yan walked off the single-log bridge and shrugged on his dark blue jacket.

"I'm honestly looking forward to seeing who's going to spice up this boring play."

…

…

He did it!

"Even with a sleepiness pounding down like a hurricane—one not even the Ice Blood Physique could dull an inch—Leye was still so fired up inside he felt ablaze; his eyes were shining."

"By rights, Leye shouldn't have had enough Spiritual Power to activate the 'Veil of Strife' again. The knockoff Veil made from a Saint's Relic devoured Spiritual Power, and even after finishing the 'Qian Yuliu's Gauntlet,' he'd only have enough juice for one more go."

"But he'd absorbed a lot of life force during his ten-on-one brawl at the Black Sun Blood Casino just now, so his Spiritual Power had recovered a fair bit."

"More importantly, Leye didn't need to keep up the darkness for tens of seconds—just a few breaths would do!"

"Plus, he had a massive advantage: when someone's Spiritual Power dropped below ten percent of normal, they'd pass out immediately. But Leye, unless he hit zero, could keep dragging his body around with the Ice Blood Physique—right up until the body itself gave out."

He had waited for this chance!

"He'd waited for Qin Leyin to start winding up a big move, then he'd strike with darkness and break his casting!"

"Unless you were a Hidden Sword Assassin, the moment the darkness swallowed you, you'd be silenced—panic, fear, and desperation would give Leye the opening for a killing blow!"

"He didn't know any Hidden Sword Techniques, so he couldn't go wild on Qin Leyin during the darkness."

"But he knew exactly when the night would fade."

"The instant moonlight lit the alley again, that would be Leye's trumpet call to turn the tables!"

But in those few breaths before the darkness faded, a pair of hands gripped Leye's collarbones.

The brutal edge of a strike pierced his flesh and locked him firmly in the darkness in his attacker's hands.

He heard Qin Leyin give his death sentence—

"Your life's nothing more than a candle in the wind."