High Martial Arts: I Travel Through Heaven and Earth Through Dreams

After a brief moment of shock, the crowd was overjoyed at surviving the ordeal and filled with boundless gratitude.

"Thank you so much, my benefactor! Thank you so much, my benefactor, for saving my life!"

The caravan manager was the first to react, and he scrambled over to Lin Hanzhou.

Without the slightest hesitation, he knelt down and kowtowed repeatedly to Lin Hanzhou.

"Thank you so much, my benefactor!"

The other guards and men followed suit and knelt down in unison.

Their gazes toward Lin Hanzhou were filled with fervent worship and awe.

In their eyes, Lin Hanzhou, who could kill a Grandmaster-level expert, was already a god-like being in the world.

"It's nothing, everyone get up."

Lin Hanzhou waved his hand, his tone remaining calm.

The more nonchalant he appeared, the more awe he commanded.

"Yes, yes."

The steward stood up shakily, as respectful as a subject meeting an emperor.

"My benefactor, you...you have shown me such great kindness and virtue that my Four Seas Trading Company..."

Lin Hanzhou ignored him and instead turned his gaze to the Ninth Princess.

Li Yuechan walked up to Lin Hanzhou and bowed deeply.

"Yuechan, thank you so much for saving my life, sir."

"Your kindness is like a second birth; if I ever need your help in the future, I will gladly die for you!"

Her voice was clear and melodious, and her tone was full of sincerity and solemnity.

"Let's continue on our way; this place is not safe to linger."

Lin Hanzhou nodded, accepting her thanks.

Immediately, he turned around and was about to board the ordinary carriage he had been sitting in earlier.

"My benefactor, my benefactor, please wait!"

Upon seeing this, Liu Fu quickly stepped forward and smiled obsequiously.

"You are a celestial being, how can you ride in such a simple carriage?"

"I have cleaned up the most luxurious main carriage. Please, my benefactor, take a turn there so that I may do my part in this small way."

Lin Hanzhou shook his head, about to refuse.

At this moment, Li Yuechan spoke up, taking out a secret manual from her bosom and presenting it with both hands.

"This is a master-level movement technique collected by the Great Qian Imperial Family, titled 'Fleeting Glimpse'."

"Sir, your strength is extraordinary. If you could combine it with such agility, you would be even more formidable."

"This is just a small gift, nothing more, but I hope you will accept it."

Upon hearing this, Lin Hanzhou's gaze fell on the manual.

Grandmaster-level martial arts.

He knew in his heart that this should be almost the most top-level martial art in this world.

If placed in the Blue Star world, its grade would definitely reach the Xuan level.

What he lacks now is a superior movement technique.

Because the previous movement technique was of too low grade, it will take some time to improve it through martial arts.

This gift truly touched his heart.

Lin Hanzhou stopped being coy and reached out to take the manual.

"In that case, I'll accept it."

After saying that, he boarded the carriage on his own and told everyone to set off immediately.

The atmosphere changed dramatically during the rest of the journey.

No one dared to treat Lin Hanzhou as an ordinary guard anymore.

Everyone regarded him as the pillar of the entire caravan.

The best food and the cleanest water would be delivered to his carriage immediately.

Lin Hanzhou was happy to have some peace and quiet.

He spent most of his time studying the book "Fleeting Glimpses" in the train carriage.

Half a month later, an incredibly magnificent and enormous city appeared in everyone's sight.

We have arrived at the capital city, the power center of the Great Qian Dynasty.

At the city gate, Lin Hanzhou politely declined the ten thousand taels of gold offered by the caravan manager as a reward.

He only took a small amount; for him, money was enough as long as it was sufficient.

At the same time, he also bid farewell to the reluctant Li Yuechan.

Lin Hanzhou entered the imposing city alone, where a storm was brewing.

The capital city before us is far more magnificent and grand than Qingzhou City.

The city wall, which is tens of feet high, is entirely made of dark blue-black boulders.

The street was wide enough to accommodate eight carriages side by side, and the buildings on both sides were equally impressive.

But beneath this grandeur lies a deep-seated repression and decay.

On the streets, one could see squads of guards clad in armor, their expressions haughty.

The insignia on their armor were different, clearly indicating that they were private soldiers belonging to different princes' residences.

They were clearly divided, and the atmosphere was tense.

They often confront each other in the street over trivial matters.

The ordinary people living under the emperor's nose wore expressions of numbness and fear.

They always walk with their heads down and necks hunched.

They were terrified that they might inadvertently offend those powerful and influential people, which could lead to their deaths.

Upon entering the capital, Lin Hanzhou quickly found an inconspicuous inn to stay in.

For the next few days, he wandered through the streets and alleys, restaurants and teahouses of the capital like a true traveler.

He witnessed firsthand how the guards of the Third Prince's residence dragged an old farmer to a corner and beat him to death.

Simply because they felt that such lowly farmers were not worthy of appearing in the bustling capital city.

He also witnessed a powerful eunuch's godson forcibly abducting a woman on the street.

The surrounding people dared not speak out in anger, and even the patrolling soldiers turned a blind eye to it.

He also saw it with his own eyes not far from the mansions of those powerful and wealthy people.

A little girl, dressed in rags, froze to death in a dirty corner in the cold wind.

In her hand, she was still tightly clutching half a blackened steamed bun.

The people's hearts had long since been broken.

The fate of the Great Qian Dynasty had also declined.

Lin Hanzhou could clearly sense that the "qi" of this city had completely decayed.

This vast empire is like a magnificent palace that has been gnawed dry from the inside by countless termites.

Although its appearance remains majestic and magnificent, it could collapse with just a gust of wind.

It was dusk that day.

Lin Hanzhou went alone to the most famous restaurant in the capital, Wangjiang Tower.

He found a seat by the window, ordered a pot of strong liquor and a plate of peanuts, and drank by himself.

His gaze, however, was fixed on the slowly flowing moat outside the window.

On the moat, the silhouette of the palace under the setting sun looked so lonely.

"Have you heard? Vice Minister Zhang of the Ministry of Personnel was executed yesterday in his residence on charges of treason."

"It is said that he offended the First Prince by opposing his proposal to raise the salt tax in court."

"Alas, in this world... is there no law left? Lord Zhang is a well-known incorruptible official."

"Shh! Keep your voice down! Do you want to die?"

"Now, this capital city is the domain of a few princes. As for His Majesty the Qian Emperor, I'm afraid... alas..."

In a private room on the second floor, several scholars who looked like intellectuals were discussing the government in hushed tones.

They drank in silence, their faces filled with righteous indignation.

In my opinion, none of these princes are up to the task.

"The eldest prince is cruel, the third prince is ruthless, the fifth prince is greedy, only the fourth prince is known for his virtue and respect for scholars."

"If the Fourth Prince can ascend the throne and restore order, our Great Qian Dynasty will surely be able to regain its golden age."

One of the young scholars said with a face full of longing.

"That's right! We scholars should strive to uphold justice and serve our country."

"Tomorrow, I will go to the Fourth Prince's residence to deliver my visiting card and offer advice to His Highness."

Lin Hanzhou shook his head as he listened to their naive and childish remarks.

A mocking smile curled at the corners of his mouth.

The Fourth Prince?

According to the information he had gathered in the past few days, this so-called "wise prince" was actually more ruthless than anyone else.

He sold official positions and illegally operated mines; his methods of accumulating wealth were far more sophisticated than those of his brothers who were openly involved.

Can we really expect these princes, who are rotten to the core, to save the dynasty?

How ridiculous?

Lin Hanzhou picked up his glass and drank the strong liquor in one gulp.

Outside the window, the setting sun had completely sunk below the horizon.

Boundless darkness began to envelop this doomed dynasty.

The Great Qian Dynasty has no future.