Chapter 146: Venturing Outside the Fortress for Field Training

Within a single hour, the Liu Family Fortress was restored to its original state. The bloodstains were thoroughly washed away, and the corpses were transported out of the city in batches to be buried in the wilderness. Xu Xuan handled the matter with utmost efficiency, resolving it quietly and without drawing attention.

Liu Zhen sat in the reception hall, his brow furrowed as he pondered the day's events. Upon receiving Xu Xuan's report that the task had been completed, he called him back and asked, "Xuan'er, take a guess at who might be pulling the strings behind these assassins."

"Father, I have already sent men out to investigate. We should have news very shortly."

"We inspected the bodies, but their uniforms and blades are all standardized, offering no real clues. When they clashed with Brother Ye, they seemed utterly terrified, striking back in blind panic. It was impossible to discern their martial arts school or sect..."

Liu Zhen waved his hand and said, "No matter. You investigate for now, though I already have a fair idea of who is behind this."

Xu Xuan bowed and asked, "Father, with Brother Ye here, wouldn't we be far more confident in dealing with that Wei Feiliang? He single-handedly wiped out those hundreds of assassins in a flash, and his strength is unfathomable. Are you certain you want to let him leave?"

Liu Zhen frowned, replying, "Sansui's ambitions do not lie here. We should not trouble him with these mundane and trivial worldly disputes. Besides, Shuang'er is with him, and staying in the Liu Family Fortress is simply too dangerous..."

"Father, are these enemies of yours?"

"If my guess is correct, they were sent by Wei Feiliang. His reach is finally extending toward our Liu Family Fortress. By the way, Xuan'er, do not mention any of this to Sansui and Shuang'er. When the time is right, send them out of the city and off to Fangcun Immortal Island. We must not let them get entangled in these murky waters."

"Understood."

"Give the order to strengthen the city gates. Scrutinize everyone entering the city. If you spot anyone suspicious, let them pass first, but tail them discreetly. It would be even better if we can draw out their accomplices. I imagine there are quite a few of Wei Feiliang's agents within the city already. Your patrol units must exercise extreme caution; do not let the enemy pick you off piece by piece. Issue the hidden weapons from the Smithy to every disciple for self-defense. Go and see to it."

Understanding Liu Zhen's intent, Xu Xuan nodded briskly and said, "Father's foresight is unmatched. I hadn't yet considered Eldest Miss's safety. These hundreds of assassins were likely merely the vanguard; we can expect plenty more such sneak attacks in the future."

"Let them come!" Liu Zhen stood up, slamming his palm on the table as he declared loudly, "My Liu Family Fortress is not to be trifled with! Anyone who comes shall be eradicated! Xuan'er!"

Although Ye Sansui had expended some energy in the battle, he remained completely uninjured. After resting for an hour, he was fully recovered. He already had his suspicions regarding the identity of the assassins, but he chose to keep them to himself. For Liu Lingshuang's safety, he knew he had to take her away from this troubled place.

He understood that Wei Feiliang would never let the matter rest. Should more assassins be dispatched, casualties would be inevitable, so he had to remove his wife and companions.

"Yes," Xu Xuan acknowledged, bowing as he withdrew. He committed every word of Liu Zhen's instructions to memory, mentally refining the plan for any potential flaws. Gathering the sharpest among the disciples, he briefed them thoroughly before dispatching them on their missions.

Though many disciples had been sent out, Xu Xuan had no intention of idling. Following Liu Zhen's advice, he planned to head to the Smithy to pre-order some practical weapons to equip every single disciple.

"Sansui, do you have any idea who these people might be?"

"Who knows? Probably just bandits who saw the vast wealth of the Liu Family Fortress and hoped to loot some silver. Pay them no mind. Now that not a single one of them survived, the rest should be terrified enough. There's nothing to worry about."

Liu Lingshuang hovered by Sansui's side, asking softly, "Sansui, are you alright? Shall I fetch a physician to examine you?"

Ye Sansui shook his head and smiled. "Silly, what could possibly be wrong with me? I was merely tired, but now I'm completely recovered. Those assassins were certainly bold, daring to provoke the Liu Family Fortress."

"Oh, I certainly don't have Taiyi's level of comprehension, but I haven't slackened in my cultivation either! Senior Brother Fangyuan even praised my diligence. Among disciples of our generation, I can at least rank in the top fifty, so don't underestimate me!"

Ye Sansui's expression was filled with fond indulgence as he stroked Liu Lingshuang's head, smiling, "Shuang'er, accompany me for a walk outside. After such an incident, the disciples of the fortress are bound to be on edge. Besides, we should go pay our respects to Father; he must be terribly worried."

Liu Lingshuang nodded, slipping her arm through Ye Sansui's and resting her head against his shoulder. "Sansui, you were incredible! In the blink of an eye, you wiped out those bandits. I couldn't even follow your swordplay—truly amazing."

"You, oh you! Once we head to Fangcun Immortal Island in a few days, don't slack off. Study your arts diligently. You started learning your Universe Lock ages ago, yet you still aren't as proficient with it as Taiyi. Reflect on that!"

Ye Sansui smiled, "Though my strength has grown considerably over the past few months down the mountain, defeating those bandits relied heavily on the magical artifact I acquired. Such mortals possess only flesh and blood; ending them in an instant is effortless..."

Recalling pressing matters, Liu Zhen hurriedly asked, "When do you and Shuang'er plan to leave the Liu Family Fortress?"

"Very well." Ye Sansui stood up and walked toward the door, crossing paths with Liu Zhen just as he stepped out.

Seeing that Sansui was unharmed, Liu Zhen let out a sigh of relief. He patted the young man's shoulder and laughed, "Good lad! You truly exceeded my expectations. To think you single-handedly wiped out hundreds of formidable enemies and emerged completely unscathed—it's nothing short of miraculous."

Knowing Liu Zhen's mind—that he had deduced who was behind the attack and wanted Lingshuang away from the fortress—Ye Sansui smiled and explained, "Shuang'er, Father has your best interests at heart. Consider this: our journey was meant to be a trial of experience away from the island. Remaining in the Liu Family Fortress is far too comfortable; it feels nothing like real training. We ought to go out and temper ourselves in the world. What do you think?"

Ye Sansui's words made sense. Lingshuang nodded in agreement and smiled, "Very well. By my reckoning, it's only about ten days away anyway. Tomorrow we'll gather Taiyi and leave the city. Oh, and Father, since the five grandfathers are in closed-door seclusion, please convey our farewells to them."

Lingshuang chimed in eagerly, "Father, I've only been married a few days! Have you taken on an adopted son just to forget your own biological daughter? Are you really trying to chase us away?"

Hearing Lingshuang put it that way, Liu Zhen laughed heartily without answering.

Liu Lingshuang covered her mouth and giggled, "Taiyi, you got wind of that news awfully quickly,哈哈哈."

Li Taiyi scratched his head and chuckled, "Father and I were strolling outside when we heard the faint sounds of fighting. It stopped almost immediately, so we didn't pay it much mind. On our way back, we ran into Xu Xuan and only then learned of what happened. I must say, the news was locked down tight, and the cleanup was so swift that outsiders would never have guessed..."

Liu Zhen laughed, "Well~~ As for you, it seems your five grandfathers are going to shed a few more tears over this~~"

Rapid footsteps echoed from afar. The three of them looked up to see Taiyi approaching. He came to a halt and took a long moment to catch his breath before managing to speak: "I heard... I heard the Liu Family Fortress was attacked! Are you all alright?"

Ye Sansui smiled, "I shall accompany you to pay your respects to Big Brother."

Li Taiyi led Ye Sansui away. Liu Lingshuang pouted and complained, "Father, what about those novel trinkets from the Smithy you promised? Did you pick any out for me?"

Ye Sansui said, "Taiyi, you've arrived just in time. Go back and pack your things; we set out tomorrow."

"Understood. I'll go inform Father right now. He's been itching to get out and wander freely, and I've barely managed to hold him back. Now that we're leaving the city, he'll be thrilled."

"And aren't you the one to thank? You mentioned how clever and novel the Smithy's hidden weapons were, so I thought to equip the Liu disciples with a set. That way, if bandits ever try to raid us again, they'll have the means to handle them."

Looking thoroughly proud of herself, Liu Lingshuang beamed. "Naturally! How could anything I set my eyes on possibly be wrong?"

Liu Zhen was slightly taken aback before smiling. "Of course. I've already sent Xuan'er to procure them, but it will take some time. Tomorrow morning will likely be too early."

"Very well then. But speaking of purchasing them, Father, why did you buy so many?"

Watching Lingshuang's retreating figure, Liu Zhen muttered to himself, "Once you leave, a hard-fought battle will inevitably follow. I only hope you remain safe on Fangcun Immortal Island. Sansui is exceptionally sharp and guessed my intentions precisely. With him by her side, Shuang'er will surely be safe. At last, I can set my mind at rest."

...

"You, girl, your eye for a husband is truly commendable, hahaha! Finding me such an exceptional son-in-law is truly the fortune of our Liu family. In the days to come, you must accommodate him in all things and never throw tantrums..."

"I know, I know, you're so nagging! I'm off to find Sansui and the others." With that, Liu Lingshuang skipped away.

The three of them offered a salute, and with a flick of Ye Sansui's wrist, the *Sky Wrath* sword flew out from his Jade Bracelet, circling a few times in the air before hovering before him. Sansui leaped onto it gracefully, followed closely by Liu Lingshuang and Li Taiyi, who also summoned their flying swords.

During these past days, to prevent disciples from Mount Tianluo from keeping a secret watch on Ye Sansui, he had dared not reveal the *Sky Wrath*. Now, however, with the Liu Family Fortress patrols intensified and the outer city heavily guarded, any external spies would surely not dare linger.

The next day marked the moment of parting. Qi Feifei was nowhere to be seen; he had likely slipped away a hundred miles off, wishing to avoid the tediousness of farewells. Slipping away freely was entirely in character for him.

The trio packed light, storing their essential belongings within their Jade Bracelets, before exchanging brief farewells with Liu Zhen.

Noticing Sansui altering his course, Lingshuang and Taiyi quickly followed suit.

Before even entering Jianzhou, Ye Sansui sensed something amiss and turned back to regroup with the other two.

The *Sky Wrath* had been cooped up for far too long. In an instant, it shot straight into the clouds, leaving Lingshuang and Taiyi far behind. Ye Sansui chuckled and patted the sword's hilt, saying, "You truly are like a child, not even waiting for Shuang'er and the others. There will be plenty of time for you to play later. How about we head to Jianzhou instead? We can slaughter another batch of enemy troops and contribute a little strength for the Liu Family Fortress—what do you say?"

At Ye Sansui's words, the *Sky Wrath* instantly inverted its blade and surged toward Jianzhou City. It had been far too long since it last tasted blood, and its pent-up killing intent had nowhere to vent. It was time for a great massacre.

Gazing down at the realm below, Taiyi remarked, "This place is neither Jianzhou nor Lingzhou. I've never been here before. We're total strangers in a strange land, and that is a powerful great demon—we certainly won't be able to handle it. We'd better turn back."

"The demonic aura ahead is oppressive, far surpassing that of Wei Feiliang. Judging by the momentum, it's immense. We shouldn't venture inside."

Li Taiyi asked, "What is it, Brother Sansui? Why have you slowed down?"

Unwilling to abandon innocent people to their fate, Liu Lingshuang asked softly, "Sansui, can you handle this demon? Since we've encountered it, if we have the power to deal with it, we cannot simply look away."

"Deal with it? That I can, but I worry you might be put in danger. This demonic aura is extraordinary; you must stay close and be careful."

The two nodded repeatedly. This was to be the very first trial of their journey away from the island...