After being demoted, my 300,000-strong army trampled the imperial city!

Several days later, the group arrived in Blue City.

Chen Futu placed all the items from Mingyue Pavilion into the warehouse, and then Huahua retrieved what she wanted from it. She then said that she had to return to the Celestial Clan, and that this mysterious item was of great importance to the clan and had to be sent back as soon as possible.

Ding!

[Detection indicates that Hua Hua intends to return to the Heavenly Clan. Please make a choice, host.]

"Incline towards cultivation."

[1. Choose to go to the Celestial Tribe with Hua Hua to fulfill the invitation to be a guest. The host will be rewarded with an increase in cultivation level to the mid-stage of the Great Sage.]

[2. If you choose to stay in Blue City and enjoy a high-quality martial arts life, you will be rewarded with the complete eight major cuisines and high-quality true essence ingredients.]

[3. Choosing to recruit a third martial arts disciple at Mirror Lake will reward the host with an exclusive martial arts divine ability: Intent Kills Across Ten Thousand Miles.]

"The third disciple?"

A rare swordsmanship prodigy, possessing a seven-aperture exquisite sword heart.

"Alright, there's no rush to visit the Celestial Clan. It wouldn't hurt to take on a disciple first."

Chen Futu casually made up an excuse to send Hua Hua away. The girl was in a hurry to go back and didn't stay long. After she left, Chen Futu only had a meal in Lancheng and set off for Jingxin Lake in the evening.

Jingxin Lake, adjacent to Blue Town, is a beautiful body of water. Throughout the year, literati and artists would linger in the flower houses by the lake, composing poems and exchanging verses with the actors, indulging in refined pursuits.

Actually, most of the people living around Mirror Lake are ordinary farmers. The disciple with the Seven Apertures Exquisite Sword Heart, as indicated by the system, is a child from a village.

"To be honest, the scenery here is really nice."

Chen Futu only understood why so many literati came to frolic and cause trouble after seeing Mirror Lake with his own eyes.

The vast lake is as clear as a mirror, without a ripple, like a flawless giant mirror inlaid on the earth. Flower boats drift on it, and the sounds of reciting poems and songs can be heard, making it a beautiful ink painting.

"The sunset glows and the lone egret flies together, the autumn waters blend with the sky. This moment is truly a magnificent sight."

Chen Futu, carrying his wine gourd, couldn't help but utter a vulgar remark.

"Beautiful verses, beautiful writing."

Cheers erupted as several young men and a few graceful flower girls approached, their eyes filled with admiration.

The speaker was a handsome scholar with the martial arts cultivation of a Grandmaster, while the others were Martial Emperors and Martial Kings.

Even the most delicate flower maid has some supernatural abilities.

Chen Futu took a swig of wine, and the young man greeted him familiarly, "Brother, you seem to be in high spirits. Why don't you join us for a drink?"

"No need, I've come here only to find someone."

Chen Futu had not forgotten that the purpose of his trip was to find a disciple.

"Don't be like that, brother. It's fate that we met. I am Sun Wenlong."

"Sorry, I've never heard of it."

“My master is Du Shanque.”

"what?"

This was the first time Chen Futu had heard someone mention their name, including their master's name, but unfortunately, he still hadn't heard of it before.

Seeing Chen Futu's reaction, the young men laughed heartily. "You must be from out of town. You haven't even heard of Lord Du Shanque. He is the owner of Mirror Heart Lake, an ancient saint. To put it bluntly, everything within this area belongs to him."

"You mean, even the surrounding farmers belong to him?"

"Of course. The water in Mirror Lake, the egrets in the sky, and even the lives of the villagers are all at Lord Du Shanque's discretion. If you're looking for someone, just ask Brother Sun."

They talked all at once, and Chen Futu understood what they were saying.

But the Holy Emperor is outside the rules. As for the Ancient Saint, he can just be beaten up. Besides, an Ancient Saint wouldn't fight so fiercely over a mere teenager.

"Ni Chang, let's go."

Chen Futu didn't want to waste time with these guys, so he told Lian Ni Chang that he was leaving.

The young men were displeased. "Brother," they said, "it's always better to have more friends when you're out in the world. We're sincere friends, why keep people at arm's length?"

"I am here only to find someone and do not wish to waste my time. Please understand."

"In that case, we will not delay you any longer."

Sun Wenlong's expression fell; this was the first time he had encountered someone who dared to disrespect him in Blue City.

After Chen Futu and his companion had gone far away, Sun Wenlong summoned a subordinate and said, "Go, follow them and see who they are looking for."

"Here!"

A dark shadow flashed by, following Chen Futu and Lian Nishang.

The other young scholars were indignant and cursed, "What are you showing off for? You've got some knowledge, yet you don't even give Brother Sun face."

“That’s right. If we detain him and refuse to release him, he’ll have no choice but to come back and beg Brother Sun for mercy.”

"He just said that communicating with us is a waste of time. In my opinion, he doesn't know how capable Lord Du is."

Chen Futu never expected that these young scholars would be so petty and nitpicky as to nitpick his words. If he knew, he would probably slap them all to the heavens. As for that so-called ancient sage, he is nothing in front of the current Great Sage-level Holy Emperor.

"Master, someone is following us." Lian Ni Chang noticed the shadowy figure following them. Chen Fu Tu said indifferently, "It doesn't matter. Follow if you want. If you cause trouble, just kill you."

Before long, the master and servant arrived at a village near Mirror Heart Lake. This place was called Stone Ox Village, and most of the people living there were ordinary family members. Of course, there were also some martial artists who were not of high rank, but they were all farmers.

Following the system's instructions, the two arrived at a house in the east of the village. Seeing the dilapidated house and yard, they realized that the family was not doing well.

"System, are you sure this is the place?"

Yes, the third disciple is named Er Gou, and he is blind.

"blind?"

[Though blind in appearance, his mind is not. He lacks martial arts cultivation, but his seven-aperture exquisite sword heart transforms into a spiritual eye, making his spiritual world exceptionally powerful.]

"Who are you looking for?"

A thin woman came out to inquire; she looked somewhat timid and was Er Gou's mother.

Chen Futu asked, "Is your child alright?"

"Er Gou has gone out to catch fish and is not home. Please wait a moment, he should be back soon."

"In that case, I'll be troubling you."

Chen Futu wasn't in a hurry and wanted to learn more about his third disciple's family situation. However, seeing the family's decline, Chen Futu secretly sent a telepathic message to Lian Ni Chang, asking her to go to Blue City and buy some daily necessities.

Lian Ni Chang vanished without a trace in an instant, startling Er Gou Niang. Realizing that it was a powerful martial artist, she became even more cautious.

Chen Futu shook his head helplessly and asked, "Where is your husband?"

"died."

"How did you die?"

"It was carried away by a tiger from Nanshan."

"Feel sorry."

"It's alright, it's all in the past."

Er Gou's mother served tea, but it was actually just tea leaves, which gave a glimpse into their family's poverty.

Chen Futu smiled, simply drank his wine, and waited patiently.

An hour passed, but Er Gou did not return. This attracted the attention of many villagers who stood outside their fences, pointing and whispering.

Life in Shiniu Village is not prosperous. Lancheng and Jingxin Lake do not belong to the dynasty, but to individuals. They struggle to survive in the cracks between martial artists. Even if they have money, it will be exploited by the big shots. Therefore, their clothes and appearance are more like beggars compared to the young masters and noble ladies of the outside world.