This immortal was clearly ordinary, yet he was unusually confident.

"May I ask, Master Wu, have you already entered the Innate Realm?" Ding Wen stared intently at Wu Dang and asked with some excitement.

Wu Dang treated his wound briefly, pondered for a moment, and said, "You could say that, or you could say that. The path I'm about to take might be a little different."

After Wu Dang's last enlightenment, he developed a strange affinity for the sword, which further enhanced the power of his swordsmanship.

That move, "The Sword of a Commoner," involves condensing one's entire body's essence, energy, and spirit into a single point, which is then focused and unleashed, thus generating the sword's radiance.

Wu Dang recalled Zheng Zhuang's sword-wielding process countless times in his mind, but he only learned a little bit of it.

Wu Dang even forgot the sword techniques he had learned before, and only this one move remained in his mind, yet this move seemed to be able to transform into any sword technique.

Ding Wen, still puzzled, continued to ask, "Who is the 'sir' that Master Wu mentioned earlier? Could he also be a senior in the Innate Realm?"

Wu Dang smiled faintly: "I am not qualified to mention your name yet, sir. You are a true immortal! This sword technique was taught to me by you."

"So it was taught by an immortal." Ding Wen said thoughtfully.

Seeing Ding Wen's hesitant expression, Wu Dang smiled and said, "I can tell you about my breakthrough process and insights, as a way of repaying you for burying my family. As for how much you can comprehend, that's up to your own fate."

Ding Wen was overjoyed and quickly cupped his hands, saying, "I misunderstood Master Wu before, please forgive me!"

So Wu Dang found a place to sit down and shared his thoughts and experiences one by one. Then he turned around and took a wooden box from the mourning hall and handed it to Ding Wendao:

"This is a sword manual passed down through generations of my Wu family. It also contains some of my insights into the Innate Realm. If you gain any understanding of it in the future, I hope you will share it with the public!"

"Make it public?" Ding Wen was clearly taken aback. He knew that in the martial arts world, martial arts manuals were always kept secret and kept hidden.

Wu Dang, however, had his own ideas. Since the incident with Qin Ming, he was no longer so confident in his ordinary martial arts skills.

Furthermore, one person's strength is ultimately weak. If more martial artists break through to the Innate Realm, monsters like Qin Ming would not dare to be so arrogant.

Ding Wen solemnly accepted the wooden box and bowed respectfully: "I admire the magnanimity of Hero Wu. On behalf of all martial artists, I thank Hero Wu!"

Wu Dang waved his hand and turned to walk out.

"Wu was just doing what he was supposed to do. Now that the vigil is over, it's time for Wu to leave."

"Where is Master Wu going?" Ding Wen hurriedly asked.

Wu Dang didn't turn around, but simply raised his sword and said, "Go and kill a Lin Bao!"

Ding Wen stared blankly at Wu Dang's retreating figure, his fists clenching unconsciously. One day, he too would rise above others and, like Wu Dang, slay demons and monsters!

……

Zheng Zhuang and his group arrived at Yongning City just before dark.

Chen Chui and Ding Wu were already waiting at the door. As soon as they received Zheng Zhuang's message by flying sword, they immediately rode over at full speed.

Yang Xuri and Ye Cangyue were sent away early by Ye Chuxue under a pretext, as she did not want to reveal her identity so soon.

"Welcome, Your Majesty! It's so good that Your Majesty is alright. Thank you, Mr. Zheng!" Chen Chui immediately came forward.

Zheng Zhuang nodded slightly: "It's no trouble at all. Besides, I've gained quite a bit from this trip, so it's been worthwhile."

"Thank you for your trouble, sir. I have already arranged accommodations..."

"No need. Now that this matter is settled, I'll just wander around by myself. You all keep an eye on her and make sure no one takes advantage of the situation."

Zheng Zhuang declined Chen Chui's invitation. He was somewhat wary, as the Empress's gaze towards him had become increasingly strange along the way, and he feared that she might have developed improper thoughts about him. He had to stop her in time.

I never imagined that even an empress could be captivated by my beauty. Alas, it's fortunate that I am a cultivator, otherwise I would have become a femme fatale who brought ruin to the country!

"Rest assured, sir, the Imperial Advisor and I will escort His Majesty to the military camp. Even the most powerful demons would not dare to act recklessly within the army's ranks," Ding Wu replied.

"Thank you so much for taking care of me along the way, sir. I am deeply grateful." Ye Chuxue quickly completed the role transformation, changing from a weak woman back into a dignified and majestic Empress.

Zheng Zhuang nodded, bid them farewell, and headed towards the city gate.

The architectural style of Yongning City is completely different from that of Jiankang and Quliang. The city walls are high and solid, but the city gates are much smaller.

The city gate was heavily guarded, but Zheng Zhuang walked past it casually, as if the guards ignored him.

Upon entering the city, Zheng Zhuang was startled to see starving people everywhere, their faces pale and emaciated – a truly shocking sight.

Zheng Zhuang quickly concealed himself, as he had little food on him and had already finished the only bag of rice he had on the way.

Just then, a porridge cart slowly approached, and the starving people immediately surrounded it, afraid that if they were a step too late, they would miss out on food.

Zheng Zhuang nodded secretly, indicating that the situation was not as bad as he had imagined, since he had not ignored these starving people.

As you continue walking into Zhengzhuang, the situation gradually improves, and many restaurants and shops begin to reopen.

Zheng Zhuang walked aimlessly until he reached a corner and suddenly stopped.

Zheng Zhuang's expression was somewhat strange, because he saw a small dog lying on the ground, barely alive.

The puppy's body was covered in wounds, which, judging from the marks, were likely bites or scratches.

Zheng Zhuang sighed and picked up the puppy. He couldn't understand why a breed like the Siberian Husky existed in this world, but he had to admit that these dogs were indeed very cute when they were puppies, but as they grew up...

Zheng Zhuang lost interest in wandering around and randomly found a reasonably clean inn to stay in.

Zheng Zhuang brought the puppy into the house and, just like he would with Doraemon, gave it a pill.

But the puppy didn't appreciate it and resisted strongly.

Zheng Zhuang ignored it, placed it on a bench, casually put the pill aside, and then quietly closed the door and left.

I haven't even had dinner yet!

Seeing Zheng Zhuang leave, the puppy shook off its previous listlessness and stood up abruptly. It sniffed the pill, hesitated for a moment, and then couldn't resist swallowing it in one gulp.

As soon as the pill entered its mouth, the puppy felt a fire burning inside its body, and its wounds began to heal and scab over at a speed visible to the naked eye.

The puppy couldn't help but let out a happy groan, then tiptoed to the window.

Seeing that no one was around, it was overjoyed. It bent its four short legs slightly, gathered its strength, and leaped out of the window...

"boom!"

The window seemed to be an invisible barrier; the puppy was suddenly bounced back and then fell straight to the ground.

The puppy yelped in pain, but it didn't give up. Undeterred, it jumped towards the window again, this time with even more strength than the first time.

As expected, it bounced back again!

The puppy tried a few more times, but it was bounced back mercilessly each time. The harder it tried, the stronger the bounce became.

Finally, it had no choice but to give up and slumped onto the stool, just like Zheng Zhuang had when he left.

It was quite a coincidence that Zheng Zhuang ran into an acquaintance when he went down to eat.

At this moment, Kong Xiang and his son were sitting at a square table by the window. The chubby Kong Ming was holding a book in his hands, and he looked quite serious.

Kong Xiang nodded with satisfaction. In the past, no matter how he threatened or bribed the boy, he refused to study properly. But since he met the immortal, he has changed completely. He has not only become fond of reading, but also very diligent.

"What a coincidence, you two!" Zheng Zhuang greeted them with a smile.

"Immortal, immortal, immortal..." Kong Xiang was so excited that he couldn't speak coherently.

"Sir, what are you doing here?" Kongming asked with surprise, then glanced behind Zheng Zhuang, only to be disappointed when he didn't see the blue fat man.

“Yes, yes, Mr. Zheng, it’s been a long time since we parted ways in Jiankang. I never expected to meet you here. Please have a seat, sir.” Kong Xiang quickly stood up.

"I didn't expect you to come here," Zheng Zhuang said with a smile as he sat down.

"I mentioned before that I wanted to send something to the soldiers, so here I am, bringing some grain," Kong Xiang explained.

An old man at a nearby table chimed in, "Hey! Thanks to Manager Kong, the price of grain in Yongning City hasn't skyrocketed. Manager Kong even provides porridge and grain for the starving people. He's truly a man of great merit!"

"In war-torn lands, aside from those unscrupulous profiteers who exploit the national crisis, which merchant wouldn't stay far away? Only Manager Kong, I truly admire him."

"Manager Zhou, you flatter me too much! In this time of national crisis, I am merely doing my bit," Kong Xiang returned the greeting.

Through their conversation, Zheng Zhuang learned that Kong Xiang's business was quite large and involved many aspects.

It's important to understand that food is the most scarce resource in war-torn regions. At this time, grain merchants go to great lengths to raise grain prices, which is understandable, as the risks and costs of traveling to and from these areas are much higher than in other places.

However, Kong Xiang did the opposite and tried to lower grain prices as much as possible. As a result, other grain merchants hated him to the core, but they had no choice but to lower their prices to sell, otherwise there would be more starving people in the city.

Zheng Zhuang admired this person somewhat. Not only would doing this not bring any profit, but the longer it went on, the greater the losses would be, and it would also offend many people.

"Manager Kong, you are so kind! I, Zheng, would like to offer you a toast!" Zheng Zhuang raised his wine cup.

Even though Kong Xiang was just an ordinary person, it was already remarkable that he could do this!

"No, no, sir, you flatter me too much!" Kong Xiang stood up, flattered.

He knew Zheng Zhuang's identity; the immortal had offered him wine—a story he could boast about for a lifetime.

After downing that glass of wine, Kong Xiang immediately felt a little dizzy.

"Sir, is Doraemon here too? I've prepared lots of snacks." Little Fatty Kongming finally couldn't resist, his eyes filled with anticipation.

“It didn’t come!” Zheng Zhuang smiled slightly when he saw the little fat boy’s disappointed expression. “It misses you too. Don’t worry, once it has enough power to protect itself, I’ll have it come to you.”

"Really?" The chubby boy's eyes lit up immediately.

"So you need to study hard and become the top scholar in the imperial examination, so that you'll be famous throughout the world and it will be able to find you then," Zheng Zhuang said half-jokingly.

The chubby boy nodded firmly and said, "I will definitely become the top scorer in the exam!"

The child's joke went unnoticed by those present, who simply chuckled.

Many years later, when Kongming, who had become the prime minister of the court, recalled the scene of that day, he still couldn't help but feel emotional.

At this moment, the old man, Manager Zhou, quietly approached and whispered, "Manager Kong, I've received word that many grain merchants have joined forces and may be working against you. Be careful, as Yongning City is not without its share of desperate criminals!"

"Thank you for the reminder, Manager Zhou!" Kong Xiang quickly expressed his gratitude.

Zheng Zhuang narrowed his eyes slightly. He had anticipated this. Damaging other people's interests would inevitably lead to persecution, but he couldn't stay here forever.

Suddenly, Zheng Zhuang's eyes lit up as a familiar figure entered through the door.

As soon as Ye Cangyue stepped into the inn, she heard a familiar voice in her mind: "Come and see me!"

She was startled and quickly looked around, only to find Zheng Zhuang smiling at her.

She hurried over and respectfully bowed, saying, "Greetings, Mr. Zheng!"

Zheng Zhuang nodded slightly: "You've come at the right time! I have a favor to ask you."

"I wouldn't dare, sir, please feel free to give any instructions!" Ye Cangyue quickly replied.

"And who is this lady?" Kongming asked.

“She’s a subordinate of one of my friends. She knows a little martial arts, and I plan to have her protect you for the time being,” Zheng Zhuang explained. He then smiled at Ye Cangyue, “Is that alright?”

Ye Cangyue nodded repeatedly and said, "Sir, you are overthinking it. I was ordered to come and protect Manager Kong!"

Kong Xiang was startled: "Does the young lady know me, Kong?"

Ye Cangyue said, "If it weren't for Manager Kong, Yongning City might be even more chaotic now. The higher-ups are taking this very seriously and have already warned those with ill intentions. I didn't expect Manager Kong to know Mr. Zheng, so naturally no one dares to make any moves."

“Now I can rest assured. I have some things to attend to, so I’ll take my leave.” Zheng Zhuang stood up, paused, and then added, “In times of crisis, you can open that folding fan, which may help you escape danger.”

"Farewell, sir!" Ye Cangyue respectfully watched Zheng Zhuang leave, then said to Kong Xiang, "Manager Kong, farewell. I will protect you in secret."

After Ye Cangyue left, Manager Zhou cautiously approached and said, "Manager Kong is truly a man of few words. No wonder he dared to act this way. Who is that Mr. Zheng? How could he command such respect from the people of Dark Moon?"

Manager Zhou had dealt with "Dark Moon" before, so he recognized it at a glance.

Kong Xiang had also heard of the name "Dark Moon," and it was said that nothing in the Cangyue Kingdom could escape their eyes.

At this moment, the chubby Kongming suddenly stood up, then turned and ran.

"Where are you going?" Kong Xiang asked hurriedly.

"I'm going to buy this inn!" the chubby boy said without turning his head.

Kong Xiang and Manager Zhou were both taken aback. Manager Zhou looked completely bewildered, while Kong Xiang smiled with satisfaction...

Zheng Zhuang returned to his room, looked at the little dog curled up on the stool, and smiled slightly:

"Alright, stop pretending!"