Chapter 70: Want to be Famous? I Shall Grant Your Wish!

A sharp crack echoed through the forest as the boulder split apart, revealing a large amount of ancient rock resin. Lu Changsheng swiftly swung open a bag and began scooping the resin into it.

"Stop right there!"

"Who dares trespass our mountain?"

"How dare you steal the Blood Fiend Sect's ancient rock resin? Do you have a death wish?"

"Put down the ancient rock resin. Then perhaps we'll consider letting you live."

Lu Changsheng frowned. "Since when did everything in these mountains become the private property of the Blood Fiend Sect?"

"Shut up! Everything here belongs to us. If you take it without reporting to the sect, that counts as theft."

"If you put down the ancient rock resin and come to the Blood Fiend Sect to admit your mistake, you may still live. But if you resist, we'll show no mercy!"

Every disciple glared at him, their expressions cold and full of threat.

Lu Changsheng's gaze also turned cold. "If anyone dies here tonight, it won't be me."

"Stubborn fool! Seize him!" someone shouted.

𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

More than ten Blood Fiend Sect disciples lunged toward him viciously. All of them were martial artists at the Blood Strengthening Stage, and their leader was at the Organ Refinement Stage. With so many martial artists charging at one, any Organ Refinement martial artist would normally be forced back—but not Lu Changsheng.

"You have forced my hand," Lu Changsheng murmured. "Seems like some things never change in the jianghu."

He had no desire to kill; he merely wanted some ancient rock resin, but the Blood Fiend Sect had brazenly taken the entire forest as their own, threatening to kill anyone over the slightest offence.

Blood qi surged through Lu Changsheng's body. Having reached the Divine Strength Realm and undergone marrow transformation and blood replacement a second time, his blood qi was even more astonishing than before. It instantly erupted into strands of the Silken Thread Sword, shooting out in all directions like pouring rain.

Splurt! Splurt! Splurt!

The silken threads were terrifyingly sharp and fast. The Blood Fiend disciples merely saw a flicker of red light before getting pierced by the crimson threads and dropping dead one by one.

"What?" The last remaining Organ Refinement martial artist stared at Lu Changsheng, stunned by what had unfolded before his eyes.

Schwing!

Lu Changsheng drew his sword, and before the martial artist could say anything else, the blade dug into his throat. He collapsed with a heavy thud, joining the others on the ground.

Lu Changsheng sheathed his sword and picked up the nearly full bundle of ancient rock resin. At the same time, shouts drifted up from the foot of the mountain; the other disciples had heard the commotion.

With the ancient rock resin already in hand, Lu Changsheng had no intention of stirring up more trouble.

"Time to go."

With a few swift leaps, he disappeared into the trees.

Before long, more martial artists of the Blood Fiend Sect made their way up from the foot of the mountain. When they arrived, they were greeted by the gruesome sight of their own people lying dead across the ground.

"Damn it! Who the hell dares to go against us? Search the entire area!"

Dozens of disciples spread out at once while an Organ Refinement martial artist knelt beside a corpse to inspect it. As he studied the wounds, his expression grew darker and darker.

"These disciples were killed by blood qi. These puncture wounds... They were killed instantly. Whoever did this possesses terrifying blood qi.

Another knelt beside the Organ Refinement martial artist Lu Changsheng had stabbed in the throat. "Elder Gu wasn’t killed by blood qi, but judging from his expression, it doesn't seem like he had time to react either."

"These wounds... This swordsmanship... It must be that Zhuang Shisan."

"You are right. Only Zhuang Shisan could have caused injuries like this."

Other Organ Refinement martial artists examining the bodies reached the same conclusion.

"Zhuang Shisan... His strength is terrifying. He's the one who completed the Prefectural Yamen's Call for Heroes, single-handedly wiping out the Thirteen Riders of the Great Desert and cutting down hundreds of vicious bandits at their mountain stronghold."

"If this really was Zhuang Shisan's doing, then we’re in serious trouble. We need to report this to the master. Only he can decide what to do next."

The Prefectural Yamen had deliberately spread word of a powerful martial artist appearing in Nanyang Prefecture, and by now, nearly every force in the jianghu knew that name. As strong as these Blood Fiend martial artists were, they knew that Zhuang Shisan was not someone they could confront lightly.

Soon, the Blood Fiend Sect disciples returned to their fortress. Inside the main hall, several Organ Refinement martial artists stood before a middle-aged man, their expressions heavy.

"Master," one of them reported, "the one who slaughtered our people is most likely Zhuang Shisan, the man who recently rose to fame in Nanyang Prefecture."

"Zhuang Shisan..." Yan Jiansheng, the master of the Blood Fiend Sect, reclined lazily in his chair.

The Blood Fiend Sect had gathered some intelligence on this name—not much, but enough. They knew that even though he was not a Divine Strength martial artist, he had managed to single-handedly wipe out the Thirteen Riders and hundreds of bandits. He was far stronger than anyone in the Organ Refinement Stage.

"This Zhuang Shisan intrigues me..." Yan Jiasheng said languidly. "I've recently advanced to the Divine Strength Realm but stayed hidden to ensure that the ancient rock resin mining could continue smoothly.

"When the Thirteen Riders blocked our trade routes and caused chaos, I was preparing to step in, but Zhuang Shisan acted first, and now everyone in Nanyang Prefecture sings his praises..."

He fell silent for a moment. Then, his voice turned cold. "Well, that glory should have been mine."

With a slight frown, he went on, "There's a steady supply of ancient rock resin pouring in daily, and the ancient rock incense is selling well throughout the Da Yu Dynasty. With enormous profits like this, people will try to steal from us unless they know that a Divine Strength martial artist is controlling the supply.

"Zhuang Shisan's thievery gives me the perfect pretext to make it clear that the ancient rock resin belongs to the Blood Fiend Sect." Yan Jiansheng waved his hand dismissively. "Find him. I'll kill him and establish my name across Nanyang Prefecture."

The Organ Refinement Elders of the Blood Fiend Sect left at once to carry out the order. A few of them even showed a spark of excitement.

The Blood Fiend Sect had kept a low profile for far too long, but now that a Divine Strength martial artist finally emerged among them, it was time to reveal their true strength. And Lu Changsheng would be the perfect sacrifice to herald their emerging dominance.

Once Yan Jiangsheng killed him, news would spread quickly throughout Nanyang Prefecture, and everyone would learn that the Blood Fiend Sect now had a Divine Strength martial artist in its ranks. With such strength behind them, and with ancient rock resin and its incense providing a constant flow of wealth, the rise of the Blood Fiend Sect seemed all but inevitable.

Lu Changsheng returned to the courtyard of Miaoshou Garden. The journey back had been rather arduous; he had nearly been discovered on the way. After all, moving around with such a large bundle was bound to attract unwanted attention.

Maybe I really should move out of Miaoshou Garden and find another place to live...

Lu Changsheng glanced around the courtyard. He knew this place by heart, and the idea of moving out tugged at him more than he liked to admit. But because he often moved around at night, living in Miaoshou Garden had become rather inconvenient.

He went into his room and set the bundle down. The peculiar scent of the rock resin filled the room. It was rather unpleasant, but he didn't really mind.

He took the resin and proceeded to apply it to his skin, following the instructions recorded in the Divine Dragon Transformation. A cool sensation spread slowly across his body, and his skin turned red. Once he was all covered in resin, he sat down and began practicing the secret technique.

As time passed, Lu Changsheng started sensing small changes in his body. He hadn't gained more strength, but he felt that his body was growing more flexible, little by little. The improvement was slow and subtle, the kind that built up only after long periods of training.

Suddenly, a flash of realization struck Lu Changsheng. Now, he understood why the Second and the Third Transformation required the ancient rock resin.

The core principle of the Divine Dragon Transformation was compressing physical strength and releasing it in a single, explosive burst. However, if the martial artist's body was not prepared, the force behind that burst would tear their muscles and bones apart. The ancient rock resin made the body tougher and more flexible, allowing it to endure far greater bursts, up to two or even three times the force without sustaining any damage.

Not bad. With the ancient rock resin, achieving the Second Transformation should be easy.

Lu Changsheng nodded, satisfied. Although improvement could take one or two months, that didn't bother him. There was no urgency.

The days grew warmer and warmer, and most of the refugees had returned to their hometown to prepare for spring. The city still charged its residents excessive taxes, but now that Zhuang Shisan had wiped out the bandits, common townsfolk no longer lived in fear. Life was still harsh, but it had become bearable. With each sunrise, Nanyang City seemed to breathe a little easier.

During this time, Lu Changsheng had completely established himself at Miaoren Hall. Months of treating patients had earned him a solid reputation. Before long, he surpassed Wang Ruhai and became the heart of the clinic. People even traveled from distant places just to see him.

Lu Changsheng enjoyed this kind of life. When he wandered the jianghu, a murderous aura always simmered within him, but the moment he put on his physician robe and saw his patience, the violent impulses within him faded.

On a peaceful day, Lu Changsheng was treating patients as usual when loud yelling rang from the streets outside.

"You people have gone too far!" someone yelled.

Lu Changsheng frowned. "Zhang Huan, go take a look at what's happening," he instructed. He disliked noise when treating patients.

"Yes, Physician Lu."

Zhang Huan hurried out and returned a short while later.

"Physician Lu, it's the inn across the street," he whispered. "Their business has been terrible lately, so they planned to transfer ownership. The Blood Fiend Sect wants to buy it, but they are offering a price so low it's practically robbery. The owner tried to refuse, but the sect threatened that they would pick a fight with anyone else who tried to buy the place from him."

Lu Changsheng nodded slowly. Truth be told, he had already noticed members of the sect buying several shops in Nanyang City over the past few days, using them to sell their special incense. So far, they had been quiet and restrained, but now they acted with utmost arrogance.

At that moment, another group from the Blood Fiend Sect marched down the street. They stopped in front of Miaoren Hall and pasted a portrait onto the wall.

"Come, come, everyone look!" one disciple shouted loudly. "This man provoked the Blood Fiend Sect and killed our disciples. Our master is furious!"

"Anyone who has seen him, report to the Blood Fiend Sect," another disciple added. "There is a reward of one hundred silver!"

Lu Changsheng could no longer focus due to the loud commotion outside. He stepped out of Miaoren Hall and looked at the portrait on the wall. Narrowing his eyes, he studied it closely.

The man in the portrait was him! More precisely, it was him disguised as Zhuang Shisan.

The people nearby began whispering among themselves.

"Who is that supposed to be? I've never seen him before. Why would he provoke the Blood Fiend Sect?"

"Ever since they started selling that special incense, they've gotten more and more aggressive. And the prefecture officials aren't doing anything."

"

Heh

, they wouldn't dare. The sect is swimming in money now, and they have so many martial artists under them. What can the officials even do?"

As more people gathered, the Blood Fiend Sect disciples raised their voices again. "This man goes by the name

Zhuang Shisan

! He is the martial artist who wiped out the Thirteen Riders of the Great Desert. If anyone sees him, report it to the Blood Fiend Sect at once. The reward is one hundred silver!"

When the crowd heard who the Blood Fiend Sect was after, they fell silent.

"Did he say Great Hero Zhuang?"

"Why would they want to kill him?"

"Great Hero Zhuang cleared out the bandits for all of Nanyang Prefecture. Now the Blood Fiend Sect wants to go after him?"

"

Hush

, quiet down. If they hear you question them, they'll kill you."

Zhuang Shisan was regarded as the savior of Nanyang Prefecture, so naturally, many people reacted to the sect's announcement with indignation and anger. Of course, none dared raise their voice.

"

Hmph

, there's no need to be afraid. Great Hero Zhuang wiped out all the bandits. Thanks to him, we can finally live without fear. He saved everyone."

"That's right. The Blood Fiend Sect is nothing compared to him. If Great Hero Zhuang could eliminate the bandits, he can get rid of the Blood Fiend Sect too!"

Schwing!

In the next moment, the sect members drew their sabers.

"Anyone who dares speak against the Blood Fiend Sect again will be killed without mercy!" one of them declared in an icy voice.

At once, the crowd scattered like startled birds.

The Blood Fiend Sect were ruining their reputation, but they did not care. After all, they were a force in the jianghu, and their reputation was never great to begin with. There was no reason to start caring now.

Once the street had emptied, the Blood Fiend Sect disciples marched off to paste more portraits of Zhuang Shisan elsewhere in the city.

Lu Changsheng kept studying the portrait. The figure in the sketch only vaguely resembled him—perhaps fifty or sixty percent at most. Whoever had drawn the portrait had clearly done so based on rough descriptions and guesswork.

They must've identified me from the way I killed their people.

And even knowing it was Zhuang Shisan, they still dare put out a bounty for him. Do they believe they are stronger than the Thirteen Riders? Or perhaps, are they trying to trample on Zhuang Shisan's name to gain more fame?

Piece by piece, their intentions became clear to him. After making fortunes from their silver, they were now hungry for fame, even if it meant becoming infamous. And what better way to do it by challenging the savior of Nanyang prefecture, Zhuang Shisan?

"So you plan to make a name for yourselves by trampling on the name of Zhuang Shisan..." Lu Changsheng murmured, a cold gleam flickering in his eyes. "Very well. You want to be known throughout Nanyang? I shall see to it personally."

With that, he turned and walked back into Miaoren Hall.