“What business do you have in Green Hill? The Green Hill Faction has been quite conscientious lately, you scared them out of their wits previously with your sword!” Su Ru placed her scroll down and sat up lazily as she yawned.

　　After she arrived at the Snow Lunar Pavilion, Su Ru was no longer a maid. She spent her time reading and cultivating daily, and became more unoccupied, which slowly caused a change in her temperament.

　　“Hmph, they’re not frightened to death at all! They’re just working on something else so they have no time to bother about the Snow Lunar Pavilion!” Chu Li sneered.

　　Su Ru understood his words at once. “What did they do this time?”

　　Chu Li told her about what happened in the High Duke’s Public Houses.

　　“Six Protectors died?” Su Ru’s face became surly instantly.

　　She had always treated the High Duke’s Public Houses as her home, so the Public House’s Guards were like family to her. Even if she was at loggerheads with them at times, they were still family to her.

　　Su Ru asked, “Who’s the murderer?”

　　“I received news that it’s a collusion between the Green Hill and Feng Huang Mountain, with the alliance of the Returning Sword Sect, Golden Blade Faction, and Nine Spirits Hill, the work of five factions simultaneously! It looks like the High Duke’s Public Houses were too hot on their tails a while ago, so they’re doing anything out of desperation!” Chu Li said.

　　“The alliance of five factions?” Su Ru frowned.

　　The five factions were not ordinary factions, the Green Hill and Feng Huang Mountain were both first class factions, whereas the Golden Blade Faction, Huan Jin Sect, and Nine Spirits Hill were strong factions among the second class, their reputation was equal to the Tai Hua Valley.

　　The Tai Hua Valley was only concealing their true strengths, if they wanted to reveal themselves completely, they might not actually lose to the Green Hill.

　　Yet who knew if those three factions were concealing their strengths like the Tai Hua Valley?

　　When compared to the High Duke’s Public Houses separately, the factions were weaker, but when joined together, the five factions were stronger than the High Duke’s Public Houses. When they launched a sudden attack, it was impossible for the High Duke’s Public Houses to defend themselves, so it was natural that six Protectors were sacrificed.

　　Nonetheless, if it went on, more Protectors would certainly be lost.

　　Chu Li said, “The Eldest Master made a right decision to withdraw all the Protectors back to the House to stay protected there so that no more lives are lost.”

　　“Only the Eldest Master can do something like that.” Su Ru smiled.

　　Chu Li nodded in agreement. “Without that move, more Protectors will be lost if they’re caught off guard! … I want to pay a visit to Green Hill to verify the veracity of the information.”

　　“… I’ll bring you there! I’ve been to Green Hill once,” Su Ru pleaded.

　　“Let us leave quietly, we’ll leave now, I still have unsettled matters,” Chu Li said.

　　“You’re not going to meet Hanyan? She talks about you all day long.” Su Ru grinned.

　　Chu Li shook his head. “Maybe next time, we have to settle this first.”

　　“Alright. Let us leave then,” Su Ru said.

　　Chu Li took a glance at her.

　　Su Ru came to a realization. “I’ll change into another set of clothes.”

　　She rushed into the house beside them and changed into a dark green outfit, which made her skin look as white as jade, and made her look even more beautiful.

　　Chu Li held her small waist and disappeared from the water pavilion at once. They arrived at the foot of the mountain then moved quickly in the direction according to Su Ru’s instruction.

　　It was as if Chu Li had shrunk the ground to inches, each leap he took was over ten meters, he was as fast as lightning.

　　A bright moon hung on the night sky and the surroundings were tranquil, they could only hear the tweeting of the birds. The moonlight shone on them like a stream of water, which fascinated Su Ru, however, Chu Li could not be bothered to admire it as he flew past the mountains hastily.

　　Suddenly, he stopped on the treetop of a peach tree. “It’s too late, I have to return immediately, wait for me at the foot of Green Hill, I’ll go over there tomorrow!”

　　“Alright.” Su Ru nodded.

　　Along the way, Chu Li had already updated Su Ru about everything that happened after they last parted, so she understood Chu Li’s condition that he could not raise the suspicions of Xu Huande, the Deputy Commander of the Secret Guardians Hall.

　　Chu Li plucked two strands of hair from Su Ru, then appeared in the East room in the courtyard at the Secret Guardians Hall.

　　Xu Huande’s call could be heard from outside, “Chu Li! Chu Li!”

　　Chu Li said in a hoarse voice, “What’s the matter!”

　　He pushed the windows open and said unhappily, “I’m cultivating, I can’t be disturbed!”

　　Xu Huande looked at him for a brief moment. “You’re too inattentive!”

　　Chu Li stared at him with an unpleasant look. “Quickly tell me if you have anything to say!”

　　“You’re not having dinner?”

　　“No!”

　　“Alright then, I’ll eat by myself. So bad-tempered.” Xu Huande shook his head.

　　“Bam” Chu Li slammed the window close and laid back on the bed.

　　Chu Li shut his eyes and the Golden Lohan appeared in his mind, when his mind settled down, he slowly entered a still state of mind. He adjusted his body posture on the bed and slowly matched the posture of the Golden Lohan in his mind.

　　His breathing became slower and slower, which eventually became the same frequency as the Golden Lohan in his mind. With every breath Chu Li took, it was faint and indistinct, long yet unbroken.

　　When Chu Li finally woke up in the morning, his entire body felt so warm as if he was submerged in a hot spring. He was full of energy, refreshed and there was an indescribable joy such that the entire world became a little more alive.

　　After his breath flowed for a moment, the water ball caused by the Heavenly Demonic Energy appeared again and spun around Chu Li’s body very quickly, it absorbed his breath and returned to his chest.

　　Chu Li’s body became very light and empty, but his bones became more solid than ever, and he was extremely high spirited. As expected, the Golden Lohan Power was not ordinary, he would try it again without the engulfing of the Heavenly Demonic Energy.

　　Chu Li stood up and left the East room, then saw that Xu Huande was practicing his fist technique in the courtyard. His movements were slow yet elegant, it was like he was dancing, which made him look more pleasing to the eye under those circumstances.

　　He took a leap towards Xu Huande and launched a fist.

　　Xu Huande met Chu Li’s fist with his palm leisurely.

　　“Bam!” When the fist and palm energy collided, Chu Li drew a step back.

　　Xu Huande fell back too.

　　Xu Huande looked hostile.

　　He finally concluded that Chu Li and his cultivation level were equally matched!

　　Chu Li kept his fist and said, “It looks like it’s hard to tell which one of us is better, Commander Xu, you look like you’re relaxed. You’re not slacking, are you?”

　　“Everyone is carrying out their own duties, I have nothing on my hands now!” Xu Huande said coldly.

　　Chu Li did not say anything else, he started practicing the Dark Yin Palm.

　　Xu Huande continued practicing the fist technique from where he left off too, the courtyard became silent again.

　　When a maid delivered their meals over, the two of them ate at the stone table then returned to their own houses.

　　Xu Huande was determined to watch over Chu Li no matter what, so he went out to the courtyard again just after a short while in his own house. He then started to practice his palm technique. He was dead set on watching over Chu Li, he could not let him leave at all.

　　—

　　Green Hill was a towering and sky-high mountain, such that it towered into the sky, so the hillside was covered with clouds.

　　On the hillside, there was a ravine, and in that ravine were rows and rows of pavilions with hints of vintage. The Green Hill Faction which had been inherited for almost a thousand years was located over there.

　　A grey basilica was built along the precipice, the upright basilica was seamless with the cliff.

　　In the basilica, it was empty with except for a few armchairs. A map of Green Hill was hung on the wall on the North side, which gave off an imposing manner.

　　Three men sat in the armchairs, the huge yet empty basilica was filled with a dense and intense atmosphere.

　　“Big Brother, what do we do now? It sounds like purely monkey business to me, since when are the High Duke’s Public Houses easy to mess around with?!” A round-faced, chubby elder pulled a long face and said angrily.

　　“That’s enough, Third Brother, by now there’s no point in talking about that, we attacked them regardless!” The square-faced elder who was in charge waved his hand.

　　He had a head of gray hair, his maroon face had a hint of red, his eyes were bright and clear.

　　Another elder had a sallow face that looked ill, but his eyes were very shiny and he had a look as sharp as knives. “Third Brother, are you going to kneel and beg at the High Duke’s Public Houses then? Regardless, those men were killed, I only regret that we killed too little. We only killed six of them, a bunch of good-for-nothings!”

　　“The High Duke’s Public Houses will take revenge for sure! They won’t just let this be!” The round-faced elder shook his head continuously.

　　“Haha, you have overestimated them. Initially, I thought about how powerful the High Duke’s Public Houses was since they had an awe-inspiring reputation and an influential prestige, but in the end, they just shriveled away when we attacked them, they’re just cowards!” The shallow-face elder put on a mocking smile.

　　“They did shrivel away, but they’ll strike back very soon. If they know that it’s the alliance of the five of our factions, they won’t just let us go so easily!” The round-faced elder said anxiously.

　　“So what! With the alliance of the five factions, we are more powerful than the High Duke’s Public Houses, what can they do?!” The shallow-faced elder laughed disapprovingly.