At the docks of Eight Directions City, crowds of martial artists gathered. The clatter of hooves echoed as countless cavalry burst out from the city’s south gate. The authorities were thoroughly alarmed, even dispatching the Eight Directions City Guard. In the distance, the Prefect’s banner could be seen, charging toward them with impressive force. The government and the martial world have always had a love-hate relationship—never quite seeing eye to eye.
In another world, martial artists would’ve scattered to avoid trouble. But here, they just shot the officials a couple of cold glances and didn’t bother moving. Instead, it was the government troops who slowed their horses as they approached, not daring to get too aggressive. The Prefect—Jin Ouyang—was a chubby, medium-sized guy who was sweating bullets over the chaos in his city. He galloped over, then basically tumbled off his horse and rushed forward in a panic.
After all, he was the Prefect—a big shot in these parts—so the martial artists didn’t feel like picking a fight. They just stepped aside and watched with cold eyes.
“Did you catch the killer? Huh? Did you catch him?” Jin Ouyang rushed over, but when he saw Yan Taixu and Jack Young, he paused, his eyes darting as he recognized who they were. His men had already filled him in on the situation, and with forty years of martial arts under his belt, Jin Ouyang wasn’t about to disrespect these two—who looked weak but were definitely not to be messed with. He cupped his fists and bowed, “Jin Ouyang of Xiaguan, greetings to the Phantom Sword Saint and Sect Leader Jack. May I ask, what’s the situation now…?”
“The killer’s gone.” Jack Young had no patience for small talk and said coldly, “Go get the boss of the docks.”
Jack Young was all business—icy, no warmth at all. Normally, Jin Ouyang wouldn’t let anyone order him around, but the mood was so tense that even the Phantom Sword Saint kept quiet. Jin Ouyang shrank his head and barked, “Quick, bring the manager over!”
A rider dashed off and soon came tearing back, tossing a man off the saddle—the boat boss. The poor guy was scared out of his wits, no clue what was going on, and this whole scene had him completely rattled. He looked up and thought the faces seemed familiar, but couldn’t place them, so he stammered, “I—I’m just the guy who sells boats! I have nothing to do with the murder! Really, I swear!”
“Cut the crap,” Jack Young snapped. “I want to buy a fast boat—the best, the fastest. Crew, supplies, everything ready. I don’t have an official permit, so just name your price.”
The boat boss stared at Jack Young for a few seconds, then suddenly realized—wasn’t this the broke guy who tried to buy a boat a few days ago? Damn, even the Prefect is acting like a scared grandson over here, and I’m really… He wanted to slap himself silly and immediately started begging for mercy.
But Jack Young didn’t give him the chance. “Just say the price.”
“O-One thousand taels!” It was five thousand a few days ago, but now he dropped it to one thousand in a heartbeat.
“Get everything ready in two hours.” Jack Young tossed a silver note over and waved his hand. “You can go.”
“Yes, sir! I’ll get right on it—won’t waste your time!” The boat boss scrambled away, rolling and crawling. Getting everything ready in two hours was no small feat, but he was determined—even if he had to whip his crew to make it happen.
Jin Ouyang sidled over. “Sect Leader Jack, may I ask what you’re planning…?”
“Chasing the killer.” Jack Young said, then spun Yan Taixu’s wheelchair around and left, leaving Jin Ouyang awkwardly standing there with no idea what to do. As they passed, all the martial artists automatically made way—nobody wanted to mess with him right now. But the crowd’s eyes darted around, sneaking glances at the cloth in Jack Young’s hand. Martial artists have sharp senses, especially the strong ones; who knows how many picked up bits and pieces of information.
After about the time it takes to burn an incense stick, the group returned to the Qin Residence. Back in Ouyezi’s little courtyard, the three from Flower Shifting Palace, the three from Phantom Sword Saint’s crew, plus Qin Han—seven people total—sat together, all a bit silent.
Phantom Sword Saint broke the silence first. “Jack, you’re heading to the South Wasteland to hunt the killer?”
“Yeah. I won’t rest until he’s dead.” Jack Young’s memory still hadn’t fully recovered, but he knew this much: he’d suffered and survived plenty, seen life and death up close, but nothing this bad had ever happened to someone close to him. Ouyezi might not have been his closest friend—an old guy who barely spoke and whose past was a mystery—but sometimes men don’t need many words. Ouyezi was a mentor and a true friend. This kind of grudge? No way he’d let it go.
"I’m coming too!" Qin Han blurted out.
"No way," Jack Young shot back.
"Why?!" The tough gal yelled, all fired up.
Jack Young didn’t spare a shred of sympathy. He shot back in the coldest, most blunt tone: "Because you’re too weak!" The tough gal was instantly stunned, speechless. Then Jack sighed, "And because I’m too weak too, so you can’t go. The Hundred Refinement Furnace still needs you—there’s one last Nirvana weapon to forge, and it’s all riding on you. I swear I’ll avenge the old man. Trust me."
Hannah Quinn looked up at Jack, locked eyes with him for a moment, then nodded, voice trembling: "Then... I’ll leave it to you, Big Bro Jack."
"Don’t worry about it," Jack nodded, then glanced at his two disciples, his gaze a bit complicated. Fiona Fang immediately piped up, "Hey, hey, no need to say anything! Of course we’re sticking with you!"
"This... is seriously dangerous. I can’t promise I’ll keep you all safe, one hundred percent."
"What kind of weird idea is that? The martial world’s always dangerous—nobody can guarantee anything! Before we met you, my mom and I managed fine as two weak girls. Now that you’re here, you think we’d suddenly forget how to survive?" Fiona Fang slapped Jack’s shoulder, "And don’t get cocky! You really think you can handle everything solo? I’m telling you, there’ll be stuff you can’t fix, and that’s when this gal steps up!"
[Omitted: System message, not part of novel content.]
"Fiona’s got a point," Rachel Luo nodded hard. "We’re a sect—we’re a team."
Jack Young went quiet for a moment, then took a deep breath. "Alright, let’s go together!" Rachel Luo and Fiona Fang were all in, risking everything to stick with him. All for one, one for all. If Hannah Quinn was an outsider, these two were teammates. And for teammates, you can’t afford to be so sentimental.
With the internal drama sorted, Jack shoved the mystical fabric into Yan Taixu’s hands. "Here, Yan bro, you take this." He grabbed the sword hilt and blade, tried to piece them together, but ended up wrecking some mechanism—couldn’t get them to fit. "This mess is all yours now, buddy."
Yan Taixu’s eyes held a deeper meaning. "This is basically a national treasure, you sure you want me handling it?"
Everyone turned to Jack Young at those words. This was the kind of decision that’d make anyone sweat—The Lianhua Compendium, Great Divine Weapon, the secret of the Wedding Dress Divine Skill, the treasure map... Any martial artist would lock that stuff down tighter than their wallet. But Jack weighed the Jade Sword in his hand, then just tossed it to Yan Taixu. "Gives me a headache, honestly. You deal with it, I’m out."
Blade Attendant and Sword Attendant exchanged glances, nodding in quiet admiration. Fiona Fang and Rachel Luo grinned with pride—being able to let go of a treasure like that, that’s just how their master rolls.
"You really dumped the mess on me, huh?" Yan Taixu chuckled bitterly, then nodded. "Alright, I’ll go talk to the young guy who found the Jade Sword. Hannah, come help me negotiate, will you? He put it in the Hundred Arms Pool pristine, but it came out busted. Might need to cough up some compensation."
"No problem!" Hannah Quinn nodded, taking the Jade Sword, then turned to Jack Young. "Jack—Jack Bro, maybe I misjudged you. Maybe you’re not that hopeless after all…"
"Just a maybe?" Jack Young, usually ice-cold, finally cracked a wry smile. With that, the tension melted. Everyone started chatting, and Fiona Fang, ever the warm-hearted one, dragged Hannah Quinn off for a pep talk. One lost her mom, one just lost her grandpa—plenty to bond over. Fiona’s sunny, cheerful vibe was like spring sunshine, putting Hannah at ease.
Yan Taixu and Jack Young stepped aside for a private chat. The rest deliberately kept their distance—some things just aren’t for everyone’s ears.
"Jack, I’m sorry—I still haven’t figured out what’s causing your Soul-Loss Syndrome," Yan Taixu apologized. "Most cases are just mental burnout. People with soul-loss usually flip personalities, go nuts, lose all logic. But you’re not like that at all. Why you lost your memory, I’ve checked every book I could find and still came up empty. Sorry, man."
"Mm, got it, no worries." Jack originally came to the Phantom Sword Saint for answers about his amnesia. But hearing Yan Taixu’s reply, he wasn’t too disappointed—he’d braced himself for this. The Phantom Sword Saint is a sword master, not a shrink, so it’s normal not to find the cause. Plus, it’s not that urgent—lately, his Crown Chakra keeps opening, and with more Insight Technique training, he figures one day he’ll remember everything, easy as pie.
"About the Ten Evil Soul Scatter…" Jack finally perked up at the topic. Yan Taixu frowned, "I’m a martial arts nerd, but I don’t really keep up with the gossip. Been asking around lately, though, and turns out there’s a new secret group in the mix—the Sacred Water Sect."
"Sacred Water Sect?" Jack Young pressed, "What kind of group is that? Are they connected to the Ten Evil Soul Scatter?"
Yan Taixu shrugged, "Nobody knows where they came from. No reputation in the martial world, no clue how many people they've got, where their HQ is, what they stand for, good or evil—total mystery. All I dug up is, they seem to have some dealings with Lady Simone and her Sound Skill crew. If the Ten Evil Soul Scatter really was unleashed by Lady Simone using water, odds are Sacred Water Sect is involved."
"Looks like we’ll have to track down Lady Simone’s crew." Lady Simone, our twisted fates aren’t done yet.
Yan Taixu sighed, "Even Princess Embroidered Jade couldn’t dodge it—this Ten Evil Soul Scatter is seriously nasty. Hope she pulls through. She’s got insane potential, easily the top up-and-comer in the last decade. If anyone can break through to the Sacred Origin Realm, maybe even the Great Limit Realm, it’s her. She’s a phoenix among people—let’s hope she doesn’t fall from the sky."
"Xiuyu…" No clue how she’s holding up now.
The two chatted about other stuff. Yan Taixu said if he wasn’t stuck in that wheelchair, he’d totally head to the South Wasteland with Jack. Jack told him not to worry—he’s got this.
Two hours later, a sleek, mid-sized boat pulled up at the dock. The noon sun made it look extra sharp. The crew were all old hands on the Long River, quiet and professional. Jack Young checked the hull, knocked around a bit—solid. Crew looked fine too, so he let the sweaty, grinning owner off the hook.
"Jack, one last word of advice—don’t rush things," Yan Taixu said, all concerned. "I get wanting revenge, but don’t lose your cool. Go out, come back safe. Rainy Brook and Princess Flower Shifter need you. I’ll be waiting for good news."
"Yeah, thanks." After half a day to chill, Jack realized he’d been way too wound up. He cupped his fists to everyone, "Alright folks, let’s roll! Catch you all later!"
"Take care out there!" The red-clad gal who’d sparred with Jack earlier was now yelling the loudest. Guess a good brawl really does make friends.
"Let’s move, let’s move!" Princess Flower Shifter dashed to the bow, waving and shouting, "On my mark—raise the sail, let’s go!"
Whoosh—the sail dropped from the mast, puffed up by the east wind. The boat crew sprang into action, and the boat slipped out of port. Jack Young stood on the deck, watching the Phantom Sword Saint and others wave from the dock, then gazed at the massive Eight Directions City in the distance. So much left to explore—century-old bets, the Tienjin Pavilion, tons of unfinished business. But he knew the whole martial world wouldn’t be focusing on that stuff now.
"Old man, you going out was like lighting a world-class firework." Eight Directions City was a giant firecracker, packed with martial artists for gunpowder. Ouyezi was the fuse—once lit, no way the powder stays quiet. Jack could spot messenger pigeons flying off, every sect sending news. How many would jump into the chaos? How many would die? This martial world’s about to blow.
"Let’s go—South Wasteland awaits." Jack Young told Princess Flower Shifter, "Whatever started there, ends there."
"You got it!" Princess Flower Shifter hollered, "Full speed ahead, upriver!"
"Full speed ahead, upriver!" The shout echoed from bow to stern. Jack Young settled into the top cabin, closed his eyes. He’d memorized everything from that mystical cloth. Every move of the Chuixue Sword Style flashed through his mind—this sword technique wasn’t run-of-the-mill, took real effort to break down, but the payoff was huge. Meanwhile, Bright Jade Technique kicked into high gear. With Udumbara Elixir working its magic, his internal energy was flowing smoother than ever.
"Stronger every day, more determined every day—full speed ahead, upriver!"