Starting as the young master of a medicine shop, he practiced swordsmanship for twenty years

"Good riddance!"

Zeng Fan breathed a sigh of relief. He never wanted to see those bastards from the Blackbird Guard again in his life.

"Also, all of you listen up."

"No one is allowed to provoke the Shen family. Otherwise, this official will make sure they die without a burial!"

Zhao Sheng and the others specifically reminded Zeng Fan before leaving.

Zhao Sheng and the others' warning made Zeng Fan feel a chill down his spine, a cold sweat involuntarily sliding down his back, soaking his official uniform.

That meant the Shen residence had someone at or above the Blood Refining Realm's peak. Even Zhao Sheng and the others wouldn't dare provoke such a master.

In Jinlin Township, Yunze County, a turbulent river, hundreds of feet wide, snaked like a dragon across the boundless plain.

The river water was clear and green, its momentum majestic, reflecting the blazing sun in the sky, shimmering with golden light.

Less than ten miles from this great river lay a small town.

The town was hidden among verdant fields, with only a wide and flat bluestone road leading to the outside world.

Smoke curled from the chimneys, and a constant stream of people could be seen coming and going.

At this moment, four lightning-like figures slowly emerged from the distant horizon.

They rode fast horses, the sound of hooves approaching rapidly in a cloud of dust.

These four people were Lu Xuan and Zhao Sheng's group.

"Senior Xuan, the town ahead is called Taiping Town. What do you think about resting for a while? We still have to cross the Jinlin River later."

After these few days of travel, Zhao Sheng and the others had learned Lu Xuan's name.

Lu Xuan nodded slightly upon hearing this, his gaze deep as he looked towards the small town.

"Alright."

Lu Xuan and Zhao Sheng didn't stop, entering the town smoothly.

Then, they arrived in front of a small inn.

However, the inn's unique style caught Lu Xuan's attention.

The inn had no wooden boards for walls, and the roof was just a sturdy wooden plank laid on top.

The inn's signboard was made of mottled wood, with several large characters scrawled on it.

Peace Inn.

Then, Lu Xuan and Zhao Sheng casually found a spot on the edge of the inn and sat down. Zhao Sheng directly said, "Hey, innkeeper, bring us some tea quickly."

"Alright, coming right up, esteemed guests, please wait a moment."

Afterward, Qian Hao, who was sitting beside him, took off the package on his back and placed it on the simple wooden table.

Then, Qian Hao reached out and opened the package, revealing high-quality dried meat inside.

Lu Xuan, on the other hand, remained silent, sitting calmly to the side with a serene expression.

"Senior Xuan, after we cross this Jinlin River, we'll only have half a day's journey left to Baidao Prefecture City."

"Town Chief, please, I beg you, spare my son, Xiao Pang. He's still young. Can I take his place to be sacrificed to the river god?"

"Hmm?"

Zhao Sheng was about to say something when he was interrupted by a woman's cry.

Zhao Sheng and the others all turned their heads, focusing their attention on the direction of the sound.

Lu Xuan, however, didn't make any movements, still sipping the tea in his hand expressionlessly.

In the distance, on the street, a group of men dressed in uniform black uniforms, with stern faces, seemed to be carrying out a ruthless mission.

Several men were holding the hands of innocent and ignorant children, about seven or eight years old.

A woman wearing white clothes, her dark hair styled into a married woman's bun, appeared.

She stood in front of the group, with a strong man behind her.

"Sigh, Wu Sheng, you know the rules of our Taiping Town. Please, accept your fate."

"You should quickly take your wife away and stop her from disrupting our important affairs."

In front of the group of black-clad men was a man wearing delicate and exquisite brocade robes, about fifty or sixty years old.

The man looked kind and dignified, with slightly frosted temples, a tall figure, and a slightly portly build.

The man was the Town Chief of Taiping Town. He ignored the woman's pleas and instead looked at the man behind her.

"Wu Sheng, you still have several children. This is already considered good."

"Some families who were drawn only have one child, and they still have to obey the overall situation."

"The rules of Taiping Town are that every year, 20 young boys and girls are drawn to be sacrificed to the Jinlin River God."

"Three days later, it will be time for the annual sacrifice to the Jinlin River God. No one can stop this major event."

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"Three years ago, the draw fell on me, and I still handed over my child."

"Wu Sheng, does your family want to disrupt the peace of Taiping Town!"

The Town Chief of Taiping Town's tone was very gentle, only because the Wu Sheng in front of him was a Bone Refining Realm martial artist.

His powerful strength was second only to him, a Marrow Refining Realm martial artist.

The woman behind the strong man seemed to have already sensed her husband's inner struggle and pain, and she already knew the result.

"Sigh."

"I understand, Town Chief!"

Then, Wu Sheng stepped forward and hugged the woman, giving way to the Town Chief of Taiping Town and the others.

"Sigh, Wu Sheng, you know, I don't want to do this either."

"None of us can bear the consequences of disobeying the Jinlin River God."

Finally, the Town Chief of Taiping Town said with emotion as he passed Wu Sheng, then slowly left under the woman's desperate gaze.

The pedestrians on the road were also indifferent to this scene, as if it were a normal phenomenon.

Zhao Sheng and the three of them were all Blood Refining Realm martial artists, and their five senses were extraordinary.

Although the group of people across the street was hundreds of meters away, Zhao Sheng and the others still heard everything.

Zhao Sheng and the three of them's faces changed drastically, but the next moment, they quickly returned to their original state, pretending that they didn't know anything.

Damn it!

How could it be so coincidental!

They actually encountered the time when that thing in the Jinlin River appeared, unlucky!

Zhao Sheng's heart was like a rolling wave at this moment, difficult to calm.

The Blackbird Guard of the Prefecture City was naturally very clear about this thing hidden in the Jinlin River.

Because the Jinlin County Magistrate had once reported it to the Blackbird Guard of the Prefecture City, asking them to quickly kill the monster in the Jinlin River.

However, the monster hiding in the Jinlin River was a large fish with the peak strength of the Blood Refining Realm, and it already had the intelligence of a child.

This Blood Refining Realm great fish monster, relying on the terrain advantage of the Jinlin River, could completely rival experts of the Inner Qi Realm.

Therefore, facing such a powerful monster, even their Xuan Envoy adult couldn't fully guarantee that he could kill it.