Chapter 225 - Eastern Nine Sects

Cassius set the document down and asked softly, "Does the opponent have any Covert Martial Arts lineage backing them?"

"Yes." The administrator Franz nodded. "Feng Liusi practiced the Red Falcon Fist and there is a Covert Martial Arts sect of the same name. It's a relatively small sect in the Wenxia County, meaning even among third-rate sects, it's considered small."

As Cassius listened, he continued scanning through the document. It detailed Feng Liusi's various battle achievements over the past two decades. In Federal Year 92, Feng Liusi, known as Blood Fist, mastered his Covert Martial Arts and emerged from seclusion, challenging two combat artists from the six eastern counties within a month. While he came out with one win and one draw, the defeated combat artist was left with three broken fingers and retired soon after due to the impact on his combat abilities.

In Federal Year 95, Feng Liusi engaged in a life-and-death battle with his arch-enemy in the Loka Mountains, killing his opponent after a day-long struggle. This was his first recorded kill of a combat artist.

That battle marked the beginning of Blood Fist's notoriety.

In Federal Year 98, the Red Falcon Fist sect somehow provoked Nightingale, a famous supernatural assassin organization in the eastern part of the Federation, resulting in its disciples targeting them in return. Feng Liusi emerged from seclusion in September, taking two months to hunt down and defeat all the surviving members of Nightingale. With Feng Liusi ruthlessly pursuing and killing them no matter what tactics they used, at least fifty assassins were recorded dead. Feng Liusi gained another bloody moniker in his fifties: "Kill Fist."

Sensing that his Covert Martial Arts had improved, Feng Liusi traveled alone to the northern Covert Martial Arts world, challenging numerous martial arts experts in Year 102. For the next year, he sparred with several combat artists. The deadly technique he developed, "Death's Fang," from the Red Falcon Fist was particularly fierce, earning him yet another title.

In the Year 107, a sixty-five-year-old Feng Liusi went into seclusion, likely due to declining vitality and strength. It seemed he chose seclusion to avoid the innumerable enemies his fierce fighting style had gained him, and retreated to the Death Canyon in the Loka Mountains.

From the Year 107 to the present, which was Year 110, Feng Liusi's seclusion in the Death Canyon had lasted for three years. If not for the occasional visits by disciples of the Red Falcon Fist to the canyon, outsiders might have assumed he had died from old injuries. According to the Black Ops Agency's intelligence, when Feng Liusi was at his peak, he was a formidable B-level combat artist. Cassius gauged that his strength had surpassed veteran combat artists, and was even stronger.

However, given that Feng Liusi was close to seventy, his vitality and physical strength had inevitably declined, reducing his combat effectiveness. Feng Liusi was now probably on par with a veteran combat artist. If the intelligence about hidden injuries were true, his strength might have diminished further.

This was perfect for Cassius. He wasn't looking to be overwhelmed in his challenge of a reclusive combat artist. The ideal target would be an old martial arts master with a weak physique but rich combat experience. Although Feng Liusi had a brutal fighting style, Cassius felt confident he wouldn't suffer any serious damage. After all, his body's regenerative abilities put him at a significant advantage.

His ability to quickly recover from physical injuries allowed Cassius to fight without the prudence that other artists needed to avoid any injuries that might hinder their path in Covert Martial Arts.

Furthermore, the man with the appellations of Kill Fist, Blood Fist, and Death's Fang had a combat style that leaned toward brutal slaughter.

One of Cassius's three core mindsets was the persona of slaughter, which might align with Feng Liusi's style, offering him an opportunity to learn something new.

Franz and Cassius continued their conversation, with Cassius gaining a more comprehensive understanding of the necessary information. Apart from Feng Liusi, the Red Falcon Fist sect had no other artists, with the sect leader only at the pugilist master level. There was a significant gap between Feng Liusi and the other Red Falcon Fist practitioners in terms of combat style and dominance; his bloodthirsty and slaughter-oriented style wasn't typical of the Red Falcon Fist and was unique only to him.

There were also other related pieces of information about the sect, mostly tied to the Red Falcon Fist. For example, the sect master would visit the Loka Mountain Range every few months, often bringing talented disciples to the Death Canyon where Feng Liusi was secluded.

If Cassius wanted to visit Feng Liusi, he'd have to connect directly with the Red Falcon Fist. Unfortunately, just before entering seclusion, Feng Liusi had announced he wouldn't meet outsiders. Thus, only one other path remained.

Cassius would have to venture alone into the Death Canyon in the Loka Mountain Range.

The route was simple: follow the main river upstream along the Mata River, and pass through the dense forests of the Loka Mountain Range, and he'd get there.

For an ordinary person, the venomous snakes and wild beasts along the way would be incredibly dangerous. But Cassius, who had the physique of a Class B combat artist, would have no trouble traversing the forest alone. It would only involve a little hardship and take a little more time.

As he continued conversing with Franz, Cassius gained deeper insights into the Covert Martial Arts world of the Hongli Federation, specifically, the southern Covert Martial Arts world.

It was divided into eastern and western regions according to county levels: the six eastern counties and five western counties. Due to the Eastern Sea County's Cloud Dog Sect promoting Covert Martial Arts exchange competitions in the eastern region, the atmosphere around Covert Martial Arts become more tense over the past decade.

Nine Covert Martial Arts sects had established dominance in terms of disciple numbers, powerhouse influence, and top-tier strength. These nine were collectively known as the Eastern Nine Sects, and this term had gained prominence in recent years.

Beiliu County's Singing Water Sect was among the Eastern Nine Sects and over the past decade, the sect had grown increasingly formidable. Its talented disciples had consistently demonstrated strength, bringing the sect into the ranks of second-rate Covert Martial Arts sects.

Singing Water Sect ranked eighth among the Eastern Nine Sects. However, the Red Falcon Fist was not among the nine, being similar to the Wind Elephant Sect and occupying only a small territory.

After their conversation, Cassius's thoughts became clearer. Having accurate and comprehensive intelligence was truly invaluable.

In the afternoon of June 19, at around two, the two little brats Xiala and Toma were taken away by personnel from the Black Ops Agency where they would then take the train to the Eastern Sea County where Ms. Kiara worked.

The next day, Cassius boarded a train to the same destination, at eight in the morning. He was alone with only a suitcase of clothes in hand.

At 112 Caesar Street in Beiliu County, the standalone house where Cassius and Toma had lived, a man dressed like a thief broke in on June 22 at two in the morning. After some searching, they came up empty-handed.

At nine in the morning, the landlord of 112 Caesar Street encountered a strange tenant at the door. The tenant had a peculiar accent, deathly pale skin, a unique skull-shaped ring on his right hand, and a stiff, cold demeanor.

Cassius arrived in Eastern Sea County on June 22 at four in the afternoon, and by six, he had boarded a connecting train to Wenxia County. The next morning at six, just as dawn was breaking, a thick white fog shrouded the surroundings.

Wenxia County, Simu City, Maple Leaf Train Station.

The tall, grayish-white flat-roofed building loomed in and out of the fog. A dozen or so passengers waited on the rectangular platform for the train.

𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

With a piercing whistle that cut through the thin mist, a black locomotive belching thick smoke surged forward like a shooting star, tearing through the fog as it approached. It came to a deafening stop, and a vast cloud of steam dispersed from the train's body, quickly merging with the surrounding mist.

As the conductor shouted, the train doors opened. A figure clad in a black coat, wide-brimmed hat, and sunglasses stepped off, striding purposefully toward the station exit where a boxy car was parked on the grayish-white road outside Maple Leaf train station.

Upon seeing Cassius emerge, someone slipped out of the driver's seat. Two minutes later, the car drove smoothly away.

The driver was an approximately twenty-five-year-old black-haired youth with a smattering of freckles on his well-defined face. His name was Jeremy, a commissioner for the Black Ops Agency in Simu City. The old administrator, Franz, had everything arranged in advanced for Cassius; he needed only to focus on his challenge.

Half an hour later, he checked into a small white villa.

It was a pleasant environment and even had a maid and a butler. Both the dining and service were up to standard. But Cassius didn't really care about those details. He continued to practice his fist techniques tirelessly, aiming to keep himself in peak condition. To challenge Blood Fist Feng Liusi when he was at his optimal strength was the greatest respect he could offer. This conditioning took the entire day.

On June 24, mist billowed over the Loka Mountains. At the boundary of a lush forest and grassy field, a river flowed gently. From above, it looked like a glistening silver ribbon had split a thick green carpet in two where on one side, three black dots were moving.

"This is the spot, Mr. Jeremy," said a man dressed as a tour guide, pointing ahead.

The freckled youth nodded and glanced at Cassius, who was dressed in black, to his right. He didn't know what Cassius was looking for in such a place, but orders from the Black Ops Agency were absolute.

After a brief pause, Cassius asked, "If you follow the Mata River, how far is it from here to the Death Canyon?"

The tour guide considered and then replied, "At least forty kilometers. I haven't been to Death Canyon myself, but some old hunters have gotten close. The poisonous snakes and fierce beasts that roam deep in the Loka Mountains are aplenty. Sometimes, even carrying a gun isn't safe..." He shot a glance at Cassius, seemingly trying to offer a subtle warning.

Cassius's expression didn't even so much as flicker. He looked at the twinkling river under the sunlight. "Jeremy, you can head back. And bring me the map of the mountains."

Five minutes later, Cassius stood alone on the grassy field, with a gentle breeze rustling the low-lying grass and his black long coat billowing. He glanced at the map in his hand and stepped forward.

The Loka Mountains were mostly primitive forests, and with summer now fully underway, the woods were damp and stifling. As far as the eye could see, the forest was a deep, dark green. The trees, about three to four meters high, were densely packed and varied in thickness. The ground was covered with thick leaves, dense shrubs, and tangled undergrowth.

Cassius stepped onto the moist riverbank, his gaze following the river's course upward. The drop-offs were about ten meters each, not waterfalls but somewhat steep. The gaps between the jagged rocks were overgrown with shrubs, and the humidity was intense.

In about a half hour, his fast pace had allowed him to enter the Loka Mountains for at least five kilometers. Cassius did not proceed cautiously like an ordinary person. Instead, he ran at high speed. With his physical prowess and reflexes, he could dodge obstacles while sprinting through the forest. He moved like a shadow, darting between tree trunks.

The water flowed and splashed against the rocks, the humidity thick. Several white birds circled above.

Cassius ran expressionlessly, his feet springing off the ground and shooting him up over four meters high. He quickly reached into a rock crevice, and with a light push, he shot into the air like a cannonball.

In just four powerful jumps, he landed firmly on the top of a rock wall dozens of meters high. Ahead was still the bank of the Mata River, but there was a massive figure looming nearby: a predatory beast in the form of a brown bear standing over three meters tall and weighing several tons.

"

Roar

!"

Seeing Cassius from afar, the brown bear got on its hind legs, its body expanding into a menacing black cloud. Its fur was tough, and its gaping mouth revealed snow-white fangs. Compared to normal brown bears, those deep in the Loka Mountains were even larger and more aggressive. After its bellow, the bear charged toward Cassius like a car on a collision course.

"

Hiss...

"

Cassius narrowed his eyes, a deep, snake-like breath emanating from his mouth and nose. His black clothes fluttered about even with the lack of wind.

The life magnetic field of the Golem Covert Martial Arts technique was released instantly, and the surroundings fell into silence. For a moment, the air and water seemed to solidify, displaying a formidable essence of life.

Immediately, the charging brown bear started. It tumbled onto the ground and then scurried back into the forest.

Splash, splash, splash...

Freshwater fish leaped out of the river. In the bushes and trees on both sides, small animals scampered away, and even insects in the soil fled from Cassius.

The effect was impressive; perhaps this could be sustained.

Cassius continued along the river, encountering no obstacles for several kilometers. Poisonous snakes and fierce beasts naturally avoided him, and even mosquitoes stayed a meter away from him. It wasn't until about thirty kilometers in that he encountered a swarm of black ants.

These ants, about the size of eyeballs, moved rapidly in swarms. Their exoskeletons were as hard as turtle shells and they released scalding acid. Sensing the golem's aura, instead of fleeing, they swarmed closer.

Cassius fought them off, but even a punch at full strength could not kill a single black ant. He had to activate the Third Breath technique, entering a breathless chain strike mode, to force his way through the sea of black ants, but he didn't escape unscathed; his body sustained several acid burns. Even though they were just skin injuries, it took half an hour to heal them.

Later, he encountered other unusual creatures like predatory birds with mouths full of teeth, giant pythons with grayish-white scales on their foreheads, and leeches as thick as forearms. The Loka Mountains indeed harbored some peculiar wildlife.

At around one in the afternoon, with the sun glaring down from the sky, Cassius stopped. Before him was a stretch of grayish mist suspended in the air, moving and swirling as if alive. He took a deep breath, feeling a burning sensation in his nose.

Poison.

After a moment's thought, Cassius charged into the mist, relying on his extraordinary physique and recovery ability. Over half an hour later, he wiped the blood from his nose and stopped once again as, a hundred meters away, a narrow canyon came into view.