Volume 4: Hidden Battles – Chapter 136: Spring Sowing and Autumn Harvesting

In truth, Chu Tianyu’s current mood was somewhat similar to what Bai Lei had once thought of as “the loneliness of a genius.” He never expected that these so-called masters of cultivation in reality were even worse than those he had encountered during his trip to Motuo—completely on a different level. Not to mention comparing them to those hermit demons he had faced under the control of the Black Dragon’s aura. So now, Chu Tianyu asked himself, “Is it really true that there isn’t a single opponent I can fight against thoroughly? Those ‘unlucky’ and ‘innocent’ cultivators who were destroyed by the Black Dragon’s aura might have had such strength, but back then, once the Black Dragon unleashed its power, it took just one punch—let alone a duel. The opponent might not even have had time to use a single move before their body was torn to pieces, leaving no trace at all…”

However, given Chu Tianyu’s current thoughts and experiences, it was unfair to compare them to forces like the Dragon Soul, the Six Places, or the Xingsha Sect, which was currently facing destruction. In the eyes of the world, they were already terrifying and unimaginable entities. But compared to those hermit cultivators from the World of Void, they were certainly far inferior.

The cultivators Chu Tianyu compared them to from his trip to Motuo were several levels above ordinary hermit cultivators from the World of Void. They were mostly from sects that had existed for thousands of years or individuals with unique cultivation methods and insights into the universe. Otherwise, how could they sense the fluctuations of the Green Dragon’s spiritual energy and track others? To ordinary cultivation sects or individuals, they were also unimaginable forces!

Thus, it was this kind of comparison that led to Chu Tianyu’s sighs and frustration tonight. Fortunately, he was used to staying low-key. Otherwise, with his current sense that he was invincible in the world and his current state of mind, if he acted recklessly, it was hard to say how far he might go!

The battle below was nearing its end. Chu Tianyu glanced at the time. It was about time. Sure enough, the middle-aged man leading the Wutang group let out a long roar, urging the disciples who still seemed unsatisfied to disperse quickly.

In just a few movements, he arrived in front of Chu Tianyu and bowed, saying, “Master, here are the tokens you asked for!” With that, he handed over seven star-shaped badges.

Chu Tianyu didn’t look at them closely. Putting them in his bag, he asked, “How is the situation below?”

The middle-aged man understood what the sect leader meant and quickly said, “Most of them had their martial arts skills destroyed after being fought against by their fellow disciples. Only those who resisted stubbornly at first were killed…”
Chu Tianyu glanced into the distance and seemed to speak to himself, “Alright, let them handle the remaining cleanup work. It’s time for us to leave!”
…
Ten minutes later, five figures appeared in this barren mountain area. The leader, facing the disciples crying out in pain all around, had his eyes turn red with anger. His energy surged instantly, and his sleeves fluttered as if in a windless breeze!
In an instant, he appeared beside Elder Mu, who was barely alive, and urgently called out, “Elder Mu, Elder Mu…”
Elder Mu slowly opened his eyes, his lips trembling, but he couldn’t utter any sound. Seeing this, the man quickly helped him up and pressed a palm against his back, sending his internal energy into him.
Elder Mu immediately spat out a mouthful of blood, feeling much better. Before the man could ask anything, he trembled and cried, “Please forgive my incompetence, Sect Leader. None of our disciples survived… Their martial skills are simply too advanced…”
Filled with remorse, he spat out more blood. Seeing this, the Sect Leader of Xingsha Sect immediately increased the flow of energy and said sorrowfully, “Elder Mu, stay calm. It’s not your fault. Take your time and tell me who did this. I, Qiu Mingyang, swear to avenge all these brothers!”
Hearing this, Elder Mu became even more agitated. Ignoring the energy being infused into him by the Sect Leader, he turned around, grabbed the Sect Leader’s hand, and said excitedly, “Sect Leader, please listen to me. Leave right now, take the four sword servants with you, and leave some foundation for Xingsha Sect. Never get involved in this mess again. The enemy is too strong for us to match. Go quickly… cough…”
Before he could finish speaking, Elder Mu, already severely injured, lost all strength as the energy support vanished. His head tilted, and he collapsed into Qiu Mingyang’s arms.
Just as Qiu Mingyang was about to cry in grief, he heard dozens of sounds of people approaching from afar, as if a large group of experts were coming. This made him quickly put aside his sorrow, called for the four sword servants, and stood in front of the injured disciples.
By now, Qiu Mingyang had turned his grief into unwavering fighting spirit. He already held a pitch-black long sword in his hand, which emitted soft hums under the power of his internal energy…

“Those in front, listen up! You’ve already been defeated—drop your weapons and give up resistance…” Before those newcomers even appeared, their voices rang out loudly.

Qiu Mingyang laughed in fury. Today, his Xingsha Sect truly resembled a tiger trapped and bullied by dogs—even the police had come to add to the chaos! But judging from their presence, these police officers were no ordinary people. Especially the two leaders at the front—one moved as if without wind, appearing out of nowhere without any sound of footsteps, while the other carried an overwhelming presence, as if surrounded by an electromagnetic field, rushing forward with a buzzing sound, not falling behind those beside him by even a fraction.

When the two stopped in front of Qiu Mingyang, it was none other than Zhan Yupeng from Longhun and Jiang Mingsheng from Liu Chu. Anyone who knew the situation would be greatly surprised by their simultaneous arrival.

Normally, such issues could be handled by just any group sent by either side. But this time, not only were both sides present, but their leaders also rushed to the front, highlighting the importance and danger of this mission.

However, when the two took in the scene, they were momentarily stunned before exchanging puzzled looks. Then Zhan Yupeng spoke to the few people still standing in front of Qiu Mingyang, “Are you from Xingsha Sect?”

“Indeed. And who are you?” Qiu Mingyang asked in a deep voice.

“You have no right to ask who we are. All you need to do now is drop your weapons, surrender, and wait for further orders!” Zhan Yupeng said.

“Haha, fine, fine… we’ll drop them…” Before he could finish, he thrust his ink sword at Zhan Yupeng. The faint sword energy emanating from the blade was a whole level higher than that of his own disciples.

At the same time, the four sword servants behind him also shouted in unison. Four sharp swords wrapped around Jiang Mingsheng like venomous snakes.

Jiang Mingsheng didn’t move at all. Suddenly, four flying knives appeared out of thin air behind him, targeting the four sword servants. Before they could react, the air around them turned icy cold, as if forming an invisible ice wall that prevented their swords from advancing further. Meanwhile, the four flying knives seemed to vanish as they approached the ice wall, only to reappear and strike the men’s chests. Those four sword servants, having trained together for years, stopped using their swords altogether and instead linked arms, spinning to generate a powerful gust of wind that just barely blocked the flying knives.

But before they could react, the ice wall vanished in an instant, and a burst of electromagnetic waves from Jiang Mingsheng shot toward them, colliding head-on with their energy. With a “thud,” continuous buzzing sounds from the electromagnetic waves echoed around the four of them. Several were instantly electrocuted, their hair standing on end and their bodies burning black. However, it was unclear whether Jiang Mingsheng intended to take them alive and thus spared their lives or if they had sufficient strength to withstand the attack. In any case, they lost none of their combat abilities and instead roared, moving in a strange formation and pattern as they charged at Jiang Mingsheng and the others. But to their surprise, they were not facing just Jiang Mingsheng alone—there were six of them. Before Jiang Mingsheng could act, several figures appeared on either side of him. In an instant, distorted space, burning flames, wind blades, and ice arrows were fired at them. Suddenly emerging earth walls blocked their attacks, and their formation collapsed due to the chaotic movements. Taking advantage of their weakness, the six combatants—experienced warriors—knew this basic principle well and did not pause their assault, pressing forward like a storm. Jiang Mingsheng, aware of the severity of the situation and the importance of the mission, ignored fairness and righteousness, creating an electromagnetic storm the size of a blue ball in his hand and hurling it at them… Under the combined attack of the six, the four swordsmen finally collapsed to the ground, their bodies still twitching from the residual electromagnetic waves. On the other side, things were not going as smoothly for the Dragon Soul team. They were fighting against the most powerful master of the Xingsha Sect, whose black sword generated terrifying winds that made the Dragon Soul members extremely uncomfortable, not to mention the severe poison they would likely suffer if hit. Meanwhile, it was still Tian Zhan, a lay disciple from Shaolin, leading the attacks on Qiu Mingyang, with Zhan Yupeng remaining untouched throughout. Yet Zhan Yupeng did not relax at all, keeping a close eye on Qiu Mingyang’s every move. Although Qiu Mingyang’s skills were already impressive, they paled in comparison to Zhan Yupeng’s. Still, he waited for an opportunity—a sure shot.

Just then, Qiu Mingyang used his “Night Battle in All Directions” technique—sword energy swirling with dark shadows. His left hand’s fingers curled like claws, and taking advantage of the space cleared by the sword energy, he suddenly shifted sideways, managing to grab one of the Dragon Soul members’ arms. With a pull, he retracted his black sword, its cold blade flashing as its tip pierced through the man’s chest…

Zhan Yupeng had been waiting for this opportunity. He suddenly leaped forward silently, his fingers poised to seize. His speed was so great that before anyone could react, he grabbed Qiu Mingyang’s collarbone. Seeing the sudden change, Qiu Mingyang didn’t have time to draw his sword back; he could only shift his body to avoid the vital spot, while throwing a punch with his other hand in an attempt to cause mutual damage and avoid suffering himself!

But to his disappointment, just as his fist was about to hit Zhan Yupeng’s chest, he felt a scorching sensation throughout his body. His internal energy seemed to burn instantly. By the time his fist landed firmly on Zhan Yupeng’s chest, its force was barely stronger than that of an ordinary child’s punch!

It turned out that Zhan Yupeng had already grabbed his shoulder earlier. At the same time, a barely noticeable red glow spread rapidly across his body, his eyes turning blood-red as internal energy seeped in. But this change happened so quickly that by the time the others reacted, Zhan Yupeng had returned to normal. With a single flick of his hand, he threw the now-useless Qiu Mingyang in front of him and ordered in a deep voice, “Seal him up! The rest, arrange vehicles, search this area, and stay on high alert at all times!”

“Old Zhan, your skills truly blow my mind! You defeated your opponent in just one move—impressive, really!” Jiang Mingsheng said as he stepped forward slowly.

Zhan Yupeng quickly humbled himself, saying, “Where, where. This battle wasn’t easy at all. In these sensitive times, no one can afford the slightest mistake! I just had the audacity to strike when he was off guard. In terms of martial cultivation, this victory isn’t honorable—shameful, truly shameful!”

“Oh, is that so? Hehe…” Jiang Mingsheng said with a meaningful smile.

“By the way, Officer Jiang, don’t you find this strange? Besides these five people, there were already a bunch of people lying on the ground. Could it be internal strife?” Zhan Yupeng changed the subject.

Actually, Jiang Mingsheng had also thought about this earlier. Frowning, he said, “To be honest, with such a large-scale sect activity, especially one targeting the current delicate situation in the city, if they were to infiltrate, the consequences would be unimaginable!”

“Not only was it unimaginable back then, but even now, if it weren’t for this accident, it would be very difficult for us to bring all those people back victorious! And don’t you think there’s a connection between the orders given from above this time and the current situation?” Zhan Yupeng analyzed.
“What connection?”
“Isn’t it as if someone took action in advance and then told us to come and clean up the mess?” Zhan Yupeng said almostcertainlyly.
“Maybe! But, Old Zhan, this is actually good news for you—your Dragon Souls can rest easy now. Hehe, if it weren’t for us coming together, judging from the situation, I might have thought it was your Dragon Souls who took action first! Haha…” Jiang Mingsheng laughed.
“Where, where…” Zhan Yupeng replied casually.
After dealing with the matters at Qin Qin Gorge, Chu Tianyu was preparing to rush back overnight to pay another visit to Zhou Tianxing while things were still fresh, aiming to wrap things up in one go. But before he could return to the city, he received a call from Qin Nianran first.
Chu Tianyu was greatly surprised—how could it be Qin Nianran calling? Had Ouyang Ziyi bullied her again? Or had a real argument broken out between them? At the thought of this, Chu Tianyu quickly shook his head and self-mockingly tapped his own head, saying, “What nonsense? What am I even thinking?”
Actually, it wasn’t Chu Tianyu’s fault. Just living together, Qin Nianran and Ouyang Ziyi already had enough stories to go around—two talented women spending time together every day was enough to create drama, not to mention Chu Tianyu getting involved as well…
“Hello, is this Chu Tianyu?” It was indeed Qin Nianran’s voice.
Her tone seemed quite calm, which put Chu Tianyu at ease somewhat. He replied directly, “Yes, Qin… do you need something from me?”
As soon as those words left his mouth, Chu Tianyu regretted them. Not only the way he addressed her at the start, but even the phrase “do you need something” sounded problematic—couldn’t she call just to chat without a purpose?
“I want you to accompany me to Tianxing Group tomorrow to visit Zhou Tianxing…” Fortunately, Qin Nianran didn’t say much else and remained calm.
“What!? You’re going to visit Zhou Tianxing?” Hearing this, Chu Tianyu exclaimed in disbelief and repeated it.
“What’s wrong? Is there a problem?” Qin Nianran asked doubtfully on the other end.
“Uh, no, no problem!” Chu Tianyu lied.
Come on, if he had “visited” Zhou Tianxing first today, there probably wouldn’t be any chance left for Qin Nianran to visit him tomorrow.

“Alright, let’s meet at Tianxing Group’s headquarters at 8:30 tomorrow morning…” Qin Nianran said succinctly.
Chu Tianyu thought for a moment. Given the complicated situation, it was better to be cautious until everything was fully settled! “I’ll go pick you up instead. It’s better if we go together!”
“You drive?” Qin Nianran asked suddenly.
“Uh, not yet! I…”
“Then meet me at our north gate at 8 o’clock tomorrow!” Without waiting for Chu Tianyu to say anything else, Qin Nianran spoke directly.
“OK…”
…
“Good day, gentlemen and ladies. Are you here to see someone or to handle some business? Is there anything I can help you with?” The receptionist at Tianxing Group asked with a smile.
“To see someone!” Qin Nianran replied straightaway.
“May I ask who?”
“Zhou Tianxing!”
The receptionist was momentarily stunned. After recovering, she carefully observed the man and woman before her. The woman speaking to her was naturally beautiful, with outstanding looks, but she gave off an air of unattainability, as if she carried an inherent sense of arrogance, keeping people at a distance and appearing aloof. This could be seen from her brief replies earlier.
Strangely enough, the young man standing beside her, with a smiling face, immediately gave off a sense of friendliness, like a gentle breeze, making one feel willing to drop all defenses and approach him to chat amiably…
A soft “Mm…” from Qin Nianran made the receptionist finally pull her gaze away and return to her duties. Her face turned red as she asked, “Do you have an appointment?”
“No, but just let them know that Chu Tianyu and Qin Nianran from Fudu Industry are here to visit!” Qin Nianran continued in the same tone. What surprised Chu Tianyu was that the usually proud Qin Nianran had mentioned him first. It was unclear whether this was unintentional or out of modesty…
The receptionist didn’t ask further. Judging from their demeanor and tone, she realized they must have remarkable backgrounds, so she immediately connected them to the chairman’s secretariat on the 22nd floor and repeated Qin Nianran’s words.
Then she said, “Please wait a moment…”
…
Half an hour later, the secretary led Chu Tianyu and Qin Nianran to the room and then left, closing the door behind her.

“Haha, your presence here truly brightens up this humble abode of mine!” Zhou Tianxing, sitting at the center behind the table, welcomed them cheerfully.
Chu Tianyu sized up Zhou Tianxing. Though he still appeared vibrant, it was clearly the result of quick fixes; the red veins around his eyes and the fatigue beneath his smile revealed his recent state.
“It’s really hard to see Old Zhou these days!” Qin Nianran said in her usual business-like tone.
Chu Tianyu, without hesitation, began to examine the supposedly billion-dollar worth of decorations in Zhou Tianxing’s “humble abode”!
“Hehe, the people below are incompetent for failing to serve our Qin family’s young lady properly. What a crime!” Despite Zhou Tianxing’s cheerful facade, he didn’t even offer them a seat, leaving Chu Tianyu and Qin Nianran exposed to the sun. Yet Chu Tianyu showed no awareness of this, acting as if nothing had happened. He didn’t greet or exchange pleasantries with Zhou Tianxing either. Instead, he walked slowly to an antique shelf, picked up a cloisonné piece, and began to admire it.
Seeing this, a hint of ruthlessness flashed across Zhou Tianxing’s smiling face, but in an instant, he acted as if he hadn’t noticed Chu Tianyu’s behavior at all. He turned to Qin Nianran with a smile and said, “By the way, I wonder what brings the head of our wealthy city to visit this old man today?”
“Nothing much. I just wanted to discuss a few matters with Old Zhou!” Qin Nianran replied, imitating Chu Tianyu’s approach—without asking, she strode forward, sat down across from Zhou Tianxing, and stared at him confidently.
“Oh? What matters? Go ahead and speak!” Zhou Tianxing raised his eyebrows slightly but asked calmly.
“Hehe, Old Zhou, it’s actually nothing serious. It’s just about acquiring the last few companies in your hands. I think if we can reach a non-binding cooperation agreement directly with you, it will save us a lot of effort and time…” Qin Nianran spoke as if discussing someone else’s affairs.
Upon hearing this, Zhou Tianxing’s lips twitched involuntarily, and his expression darkened. He said, “Young girl, don’t get overconfident. Business is like war—until the very end, no one knows who will win! You’re still too young. Youth often leads to arrogance, and arrogance leads to impatience. Once impatient, one is prone to making mistakes!”

Hearing this, Qin Nianran dismissed it with utter contempt: “I, a young girl, always act cautiously and never take risks I’m not sure about. Given Old Zhou’s stubborn nature, he surely won’t fail to investigate me—a young girl’s background, her methods in business, her preferences… Old Zhou must know everything about what I like to eat, right?” Seeing no rebuttal from Zhou Tianxing, Qin Nianran paused briefly before continuing, “So, our presence here today isn’t some joke—it’s a serious negotiation as business rivals! Then where does Old Zhou’s talk of my youth and impulsiveness come from?” Finally, Zhou Tianxing couldn’t hold back any longer. Slamming the table in anger, he shouted, “Qin Nianran, you’re too bold! You think just because you’ve been given a little power you can start acting recklessly? Even if the outcome isn’t decided yet, or even if things really turn out as you say, we won’t compromise—ever!” Qin Nianran smiled faintly, unfazed, and spoke calmly, “I know your last two cards are to take advantage of the chaos and the banks. But as for this chaos…” She glanced at Chu Tianyu before continuing, “We’ll see when it really gets chaotic. But as for the second option—your ties with the banks—I wonder if you have any suspicions…” At these words, Zhou Tianxing could no longer maintain his composure. His body trembled violently as he tried to prop himself up, but after several futile attempts, he slumped back in his chair, as if all his strength had been drained. In his mind, just as Qin Nianran had said, echoed the voicemails he’d received from those bank presidents these past few days… A sense of utter defeat, as if the entire building were about to collapse, spread throughout his body, making him seem years older in an instant! Suddenly, as if remembering something, he sat up straight like a drowning man grabbing at a lifeline. His eyes turned blood-red as he glared at Qin Nianran and said slowly, “Watch closely. At the end, we’ll all be destroyed. None of you will be able to escape this relationship. You…” Before he could finish, Chu Tianyu, who happened to be passing by, threw a bunch of items onto his table, causing a clattering noise. When Zhou Tianxing saw what it was, his face turned deathly pale, and his body trembled again involuntarily. The items on the table were nothing but the star-shaped ID badges of the seven old men in plain clothes from Qin Piano Gorge…

“Why? Why?” Zhou Tianxing stared at the token on the table, representing his last gamble, and muttered as if he knew everything was lost.
“There’s no reason—those who commit injustice will surely be punished by heaven!” Chu Tianyu put aside his casual attitude and spoke coldly.
Zhou Tianxing seemed utterly uninterested in what Chu Tianyu had to say. Instead, he suddenly turned to Qin Nianran and said, “I don’t believe it. I don’t believe that even after being split up, Fudu still has such great strength. Not even ten or a hundred Fudus could push Tianxing Group into such a desperate situation! It’s absolutely impossible for them to have enough funds to cover all of Tianxing Group’s collateral debts!”
Faced with Zhou Tianxing’s frantic tone, Qin Nianran sighed and said, “Although I’m from Fudu, this time I’m working for someone else!”
“Who?” Zhou Tianxing demanded sharply.
“Someone far away…” Qin Nianran replied leisurely.