Chapter 6: Twenty Years of Inner Power
Chapter 6: Twenty Years of Inner Power
It was nighttime.
Zuo Meng and his group stayed at the Gu family courtyard, Gu Fei’s home. She had returned from the mountain to visit her family. As disciples of the Liuhe Sect, Zuo Meng and the others were treated with exceptional hospitality. Gu Fei no longer tried to drive Zuo Meng away, though she still mostly ignored him. Since he hadn’t found the information he needed, he saw no reason to leave yet.
In the side room, the two female disciples with Gu Fei cracked open a window and peered through the door slit at Zuo Meng’s quarters.
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“Older Sister, are we really going to move against Zuo Meng?”
“Having second thoughts?”
The one speaking was the female disciple Zuo Meng had mistaken for Gu Fei earlier. Gone was her daytime gentleness—now her eyes burned with icy hatred.
“Don’t forget how Zuo Han Sheng slaughtered your mother.”
“But what does that have to do with Zuo Meng?”
The merger of the Liuhe Sect hadn’t been peaceful. Zuo Han Sheng’s Taiyuan Sword Sect had joined through underhanded deals, which was why he’d settled for an elder position afterward. The process had been less a union and more a devouring of the weak by the strong. Rebellious clans were nearly eradicated, and Ma Wutong along with these two women were likely survivors of those swallowed sects.
“That old viper Zuo Han Sheng will die in time. But first, we’ll collect some interest.”
“But—”
“No excuses. Stay here if you lack resolve. I’ll handle it myself.”
After finishing speaking, the woman snatched her Long Sword and strode out alone.
Zuo Meng sat cross-legged in his room, eyes shut as he cultivated inner energy. His mediocre talent explained why years of training had yielded scant results, forcing him to rely on altering law chains to cheat his way forward. He vaguely sensed the schemes around him but dismissed them, focusing entirely on the faint currents of power within.
“No growth after all this time. Hard work and talent alone won’t make me strong.” Feeling his stagnant energy, Zuo Meng abandoned conventional methods entirely.
“The dream will come again tonight. Maybe this time I’ll learn more.”
Before sleep could claim him, shouts erupted outside.
“Senior Brother! Trouble!”
Two day-acquainted disciples barged in.
“What happened?”
Zuo Meng rose, Long Sword in hand.
“An intruder killed servants in the Gu compound. Junior Sister Gu is already confronting them.”
“Let’s go.”
Zuo Meng needed Gu Fei alive—her alchemy secrets remained undiscovered. Until then, her survival mattered.
The courtyard swarmed with people, torchlight painting everything orange.
At the center stood a masked man in black clutching a curved blade, Gu Fei poised across from him. Two servant corpses lay at his feet. Though outmatched by Zuo Meng in sect sparring, Gu Fei surpassed common martial artists. True inner power belonged only to prestigious sects—this man’s brutal techniques lacked such refinement.
“Not bad,” the intruder sneered, “but I’m done here.”
Spotting Zuo Meng’s approach, he slashed his longsword to force Gu Fei back, then hurled an object to the ground.
Smoke exploded, vanishing him from sight.
“After him!”
The Gu family patriarch, dressed like a wealthy merchant, stamped his foot in fury.
The Gu family servants immediately started searching. Since the intruder didn’t know inner power, he couldn’t have gotten far.
Hmm?
Zuo Meng was about to move when he suddenly noticed the bottle thrown by the masked man in black earlier. A strange energy had entered his body, making the vanished law chains reappear in his vision.
“What’s that?”
Wearing Liuhe Sect disciple robes, Zuo Meng got a careful answer from the servant.
“That’s dust powder. Grave robbers often use it.”
“Dust powder?”
Zuo Meng relaxed. He didn’t need to care about Gu Fei anymore – he’d found the source. He guessed Gu Fei had mixed dust powder into the Qingling Pill he took earlier.
“Where’s it from?”
“Refined from black dust stone. Very costly. That thief must’ve been desperate to use it for escaping.” The servant answered before rushing off to chase the thief.
Having absorbed a whole bottle of scattered dust powder, Zuo Meng stopped caring about the Gu family’s troubles.
He returned alone to his room and shut the door.
The law chains reappeared in his eyes. This time, ten times more energy gathered at his fingertips than during daytime, the thick power almost visible.
“Still inner power!”
As the law chains shook, the energy flowed from his fingers into the chains, then into his body. His inner power exploded at visible speed. This cheating sensation intoxicated him – like hacking a game to level up while others grinded normally.
Twenty years’ inner power!
When the energy at his fingertips faded, Zuo Meng’s inner power had reached terrifying levels.
Twenty years’ cultivation matched many Liuhe Sect elders. His master Zuo Han Sheng had thirty years’ power after decades of training. Zuo Meng nearly caught up in mere breaths – this growth speed would shock anyone.
“Things are clear now. Time to return to the mountains. The Gu family’s in trouble.”
“Not my problem.”
Stretching his limbs, Zuo Meng felt lighter than before. His main goal was achieved – the law chains needed dust powder. He’d ask about it later. Since he owed Gu Fei nothing, the Gu family’s issues didn’t concern him.
Best avoid trouble.
Without farewells, Zuo Meng grabbed his Long Sword and left the Gu compound.
“Who’s there?”
His horse had barely taken steps when Zuo Meng yanked the reins.
The steed reared as two hidden weapons shot through the air toward his throat. Hours earlier, he’d have died to this ambush. But with twenty years’ inner power, he now matched Liuhe Sect elders.
He flipped sideways off the saddle, leaving a Phantom Shadow.
His Long Sword flashed from its sheath!
Channeling inner power, he kicked mid-air. A crescent sword energy sliced the projectiles away.
“Die, dog!”
Before Zuo Meng landed, the second attack came. Dozens of masked men in black stood on nearby roofs, aiming longbows with blue-glowing arrows dipped in deadly poison.