Chapter 102: The Great Martial Song Dynasty

During the reign of Emperor Huizong of Song, a plague swept across the land. The Emperor dispatched a Grand Marshal to Dragon and Tiger Mountain to seek a remedy, but in doing so, he inadvertently released the suppressed demonic intent of the one hundred and eight star generals. Consequently, the one hundred and eight star constellations descended to the mortal realm. As their starlight illuminated the world, spiritual energy began to recover. Whether they were civil officials or military generals, all could now temper their bodies and spirits with star power, condensing dharma images and literary platforms. The high-level masters of the two great Daoist schools of the era were capable of moving mountains and parting waters.

The surrounding nations, such as Goryeo and Dali, submitted to the Song Dynasty. Western Xia, relying on the legacy of a previous era of martial arts prosperity, swayed between sides, while Tibet, Mongolia, and the Jurchen tribes all pledged allegiance to the Liao Kingdom. The standoff between the Liao and the Song made it difficult to determine which side held the advantage.

"The Tribulation of the Star Constellations: Main Quest. Assist at least eighteen star generals in reshaping their life patterns, ensure the number of star generals reaches sixty by the time of the gathering of righteousness, and assist the star generals in completing the mission of subjugating the Liao Kingdom. Note: Participants may only discover unawakened star generals or star demons."

Upon seeing this main quest, the four of them were somewhat bewildered.

"As expected of a second-stage mission. No wonder it requires a maximum limit of ten years; completing it quickly is basically impossible!" Kokolalu said.

"The main issue is that we have no way to verify the true identities of the star generals and star demons. We can only know who they are after they awaken. Not only are there one hundred and eight on each side—a total of two hundred and sixteen—but they are also scattered everywhere!" Mu Xingye frowned, seemingly trying to think if there was any way for them to quickly locate the unawakened star generals.

"However, I don't think the system would issue a quest without any clues. Since these people are reincarnations of constellations, they must have unique characteristics. The current cultivation in this world relies mainly on star power, so it is very likely they cultivate faster than others!" Sun Meng said. In truth, he was also taken aback when he saw the system's introduction to the world's background. Although he knew the world was undergoing a spiritual recovery, he had not expected such a massive transformation!

If the number of generals had doubled to one hundred and eight, would the original one hundred and eight he knew still be the true star generals?

"That is a direction. I can dispatch small reconnaissance robots to search for clues. Generally, information flows more freely in large cities like this." After Pix said this, he released his small robots. He had now completely shed the constraints of a physical body; one could say his body was a small factory—as long as there were materials and time, he could build a mechanical army.

"Ahem, you must realize that a cultivator's intuition is very keen, so I think we should split up and look for information. The rooms at this inn are already booked, so everyone can return to check in later," Sun Meng decided to find his own way to confirm certain things.

"That works too." Mu Xingye glanced at Sun Meng and said, "Then, let's reconvene tonight!"

The four left the inn and went their separate ways. After walking for a while, Sun Meng soon arrived outside a temple.

This was Daxiangguo Temple, the place where Lu Zhishen would originally arrive and also where he would get to know Lin Chong. Since their point of descent was Kaifeng, the only characters he could confirm as quickly as possible were Lin Chong and Lu Zhishen. However, Sun Meng was not sure what time it was now, or if Lu Zhishen had already arrived.

"Perhaps I should find a map. At the very least, the range of activities for the people at Shijiazhuang shouldn't be too large!" Sun Meng thought.

Just then, he suddenly heard someone shouting:

"The big worm is coming!"

"Big worm" was what the ancients called a tiger.

But this was inside the city! This reaction was definitely not because a dead tiger had been brought in! A live tiger entering the city—was this because the power system had been elevated, and playboys had started walking tigers on the street?

Sun Meng looked toward the source of the sound and saw an arrogant man swaggering down the street.

He was wearing an unbuttoned undershirt, revealing a dark, muscular build. His aura was not particularly strong—only at the late stage of the acquired realm—but to the ordinary commoners, this was definitely a high-level force!

A hooligan, being this arrogant?

Sun Meng was somewhat surprised. In a world where the power system had been elevated, such a solitary hooligan could still exist! Could it be that he had backing?

He watched as the hooligan casually picked up a pear from a stall, wiped it, took a bite, and looked around as if searching for a target.

Sun Meng had reached the corner of the street and grabbed a peddler, asking, "Who is that hooligan? Why are you all so afraid of him?"

The peddler replied, "You must be from out of town! That guy is called Niu Er, a long-time street thug. Although he does evil, he rarely provokes the officials. When he encounters an outsider with skills, he acts like he doesn't fear death. For us locals, he harasses us every few days. We can't beat him, and we can't afford to provoke him—that's him!"

Niu Er.

Sun Meng quickly recalled information related to him and discovered a key point.

Niu Er ate and took things along the way, and the surrounding peddlers let him take advantage of them. Having lost interest, Niu Er cursed and walked toward another street.

Sun Meng narrowed his eyes and followed closely.

"This blade of mine is a family heirloom, capable of cutting hair as it blows and slicing through gold and jade! If it weren't for hard times, I wouldn't be willing to sell it! Whoever has a discerning eye, buy it for a thousand strings of cash—you'd be getting a massive bargain!"

Sun Meng looked at the burly man ahead, then at Niu Er, who was quickening his pace, and knew this was the best possible opportunity.

"Hey, fellow, is your blade really that sharp? You dare ask for a thousand strings of cash! At that price, one could buy an ordinary star-powered weapon!" Niu Er pushed through the crowd.

"Although this blade is not a star-powered weapon, it is a top-tier blade! Buy it if you want, and don't make trouble if you don't!" The man glanced at Niu Er disdainfully.

"Oh! I don't believe it! What's so good about this blade? Show me! If it's really that good, I, Niu Er, will buy it!" Niu Er's eyes rolled, and he said with a wicked grin.

"This blade of mine can cut hair as it blows!" the man said.

Niu Er nodded and plucked two hairs. "Go ahead!"

The man drew the blade. Niu Er blew the hairs, and they drifted onto the edge. Without the slightest hesitation, they were sliced into four segments and fell to the ground.

"Not bad, not bad! What else can it do?" Niu Er asked.

"Slice through gold and jade without dulling the edge!" the man said.

Niu Er felt around his body and looked at a bystander. "Lend me five coins, I'll pay you back tomorrow!"

The man shuddered, and seeing Niu Er's glaring eyes, he reluctantly took out five copper coins and placed them in Niu Er's hand.

Niu Er turned to the blade seller and smiled. "Hehe, come on, cut them, let me see if it's real!" As he spoke, he stacked the coins and placed them on the ground.

The seller glanced at Niu Er. "Watch closely!" With a single stroke, the stack of coins was neatly sliced into two halves. The man picked up the blade again and held it before Niu Er's eyes. "Did you see clearly?"

Niu Er was stunned for a moment, then smiled. "Good blade, good blade! But to say it's a treasure worth a thousand strings of cash, it's still a bit lacking!"

The seller snorted coldly. "You rascal! If you aren't buying the blade, don't waste my time!" He moved to put the blade away.

"Wait a moment, brave warrior!" A voice rang out, and everyone turned to look.

A handsome young man walked over. "I'll buy this blade!"

Seeing that the good item he was about to get was slipping away, Niu Er wouldn't stand for it. "Who are you to try and cut in on my deal?"

"My name is Lin Zhong. Who do you think you are!" The young man looked at Niu Er with a face full of disgust and waved his hand. "Get lost!"

Niu Er shuddered. "Forgive me, Second Master! I was blind and didn't recognize you. I'm leaving, I'm leaving!" With that, he scurried away.

Lin Zhong smiled at the seller. "It's a coincidence; my brother bought a blade a few days ago, and I wanted to compare it with his. I hope your blade is as good as you say!"

The seller's expression changed upon hearing this. "Your brother—was it bought from a woman about my height with a blue mark on her right side?"

Lin Zhong replied, "He didn't mention that, and I don't know. Why? Do you know her?"

"I am Yang Zhi. That person should be my younger sister. This family heirloom of mine, the Dragon and Phoenix Twin Blades, was hers. I came out looking for a way to make a living, and she discovered me and ran off ahead. I have been looking for her ever since," Yang Zhi said.

Lin Zhong blinked. "So you are the wretched brother that the Yang girl mentioned!" He grabbed Yang Zhi's arm. "Come with me!"