The important figures in Qianzhou had almost all visited Ling Yun.
Although Ling Yun's undercover plan had failed, they had managed to find him a martial arts manual that would allow him to break through.
As long as Ling Yun could reach the peak, Zhao Yunhai was certain to die.
Meanwhile, Lone Wolf's mission had failed without a follow-up, and his contact methods had vanished entirely.
It was as if Lone Wolf had never accepted the mission, never even been to Qianzhou.
...
Outside Ling Yun's hospital room, a man in black with a hat glanced inside as he passed.
This man was Lone Wolf, who had been living in hiding among the crowds since his escape.
He had heard that Ling Yun was thrown from the top of a hotel by Zhao Yunhai.
To his surprise, Ling Yun had survived, so he had come.
Lone Wolf felt he needed an ally; he couldn't defeat Zhao Yunhai alone.
Recently, people had been inquiring about martial arts that could lead to the peak. After investigating, he discovered it was Ling Yun.
Although there were many people protecting him, they were all ordinary individuals.
A bribed nurse, passing by, directly pushed open the door and entered.
This hospital was privately owned, invested in by the important figures of Qianzhou, who essentially controlled their own establishment.
However, the principle that money could move heaven and earth applied even to those close to them. If the price was high enough, and there was a chance of betrayal without repercussions, they would betray.
This nurse was such a case. She would never have agreed initially, as she was not short of money.
Her family was well-off, so there was no need for her to take such a risk for money.
But her contact offered her an irresistible temptation.
That was, upon successful completion of the task, she would receive a household registration in Yanjing and an apartment there.
Her mother had always longed for this, as her mother's sister had married into Yanjing.
Because of this, her mother constantly argued with her father, saying, "If I hadn't fallen for you, I would have married into Yanjing long ago. Why would I come to this poor place like Qianzhou?"
A Yanjing household registration was not something anyone could easily obtain. Yanjing was the capital of the Nine Provinces.
To help her parents reconcile and stop arguing over this matter, she decided to take this risk.
Moreover, her contact had promised her that Qianzhou would see a new dawn soon.
Whether Qianzhou would see a new dawn or not, she didn't know. But she knew that someone who could casually promise household registrations in a place like Yanjing was either powerful or a fraud.
Upon seeing the balance in the contact's bank account, she was willing to take a gamble.
Either they had money, power, or connections.
Ling Yun was unaware that the drip he was receiving had been mixed with other substances.
It was the same agent that Si Jin Yan had injected into Ling Yun at the time.
Zhao Yunhai felt that since Ling Yun was the protagonist, a single dose might not be potent enough.
Ling Yun was currently too heavily injured to practice martial arts.
However, Ling Yun committed each page to memory, as martial arts manuals were hard to come by.
Finally, these people had completed his task. Otherwise, how could his宗师 (Zongshi) strength possibly defeat a大宗师 (Da Zongshi)?
And why did Zhao Yunhai know his martial arts moves, as if he understood them better than Ling Yun himself?
This feeling of being seen through made Ling Yun deeply uncomfortable.
After recuperating for another two days, he would be able to break through directly from the peak of 宗师 (Zongshi) to 大宗师 (Da Zongshi), reaching the level of 绝巅 (Juedian).
Ling Yun made no effort to hide the martial arts manual from the nurse.
After all, in the eyes of ordinary people, such manuals were commonplace and fake.
After the nurse left, she immediately went to the restroom and used her phone to send everything she had seen to the man.
After all, he had requested a report on everything the patient did.
She complied truthfully.
Lone Wolf left the hospital and checked into a hotel directly opposite.
Ling Yun seemed to have obtained a martial arts manual. After Ling Yun was discharged, he would join forces with Ling Yun to deliver a fatal blow to Zhao Yunhai.
...
In just three days, Zhao Yunhai knew Ling Yun's every move at the hospital.
Zhao Yunhai was not worried about Ling Yun obtaining the martial arts manual.
He believed that Ling Yun acquiring a top-tier martial arts manual, capable of reaching the peak, was naturally due to his protagonist's luck.
Did they really think martial arts manuals were that easy to find?
An ordinary person might not find one in their entire lifetime.
True martial arts manuals, besides those lost and buried with their owners, were essentially passed down as family heirlooms by martial arts families.
Unless one annihilated a martial arts family, one could not obtain a top-tier martial arts manual.
Let alone one that allowed cultivation to the peak.
Therefore, Ling Yun's luck was indeed strong, but protagonist's luck was useless against Zhao Yunhai.
"Do we have our people among those Qianzhou figures now?"
Zhao Yunhai asked A Da.
"Yes, but any action would be discovered. They can only be used once."
A Da replied truthfully.
A Da now controlled all of the Zhao clan's forces in Qianzhou.
These forces were primarily concentrated in the south of the city.
"That's enough." Zhao Yunhai did not care about the lives of these people.
Having become spies, they had already received generous compensation from the Zhao clan. Their survival was a matter of their own fortune.
"Any news from abroad recently? What about Lone Wolf?"
Zhao Yunhai had not forgotten about Lone Wolf, who was still at large.
A Da browsed through information about the Ji family on his phone and said,
"The Ji family has shown a slight vulnerability. To avoid detection by the Ji family, we haven't investigated further."
"Once the Ji family exposes more clues, the clan will move to completely eradicate them."
"Lone Wolf has not escaped our surveillance. Currently, Lone Wolf is residing in a hotel opposite the hospital where Ling Yun is staying."
"There is a probability of over ninety percent that Lone Wolf will cooperate with Ling Yun."
"This is the cooperation probability given by the clan."
Hearing this, Zhao Yunhai sneered.
"A union of two defeated opponents will still result in defeat. As for this young master, I will gain double the pleasure."
"Then let's put the Ji family's matter aside for now. Let Qianzhou undergo its transformation first."
"First, remove the branches, then cut the main root."
"As you command, Young Master Yun."
A Da left the room and relayed Young Master Yun's instructions to A Er.
"Little monk, we should leave Dongdu. Do you want to bid farewell to your master?"
Zhao Yunhai stretched lazily and patted the little monk's head.
"Mm." Wu Chen opened his eyes from meditation and nodded solemnly.
"Little monk, do you want me to find a better place for your master, a more luxurious tomb for reburial?"
Zhao Lesheng couldn't help but suggest.
"Lesheng." Zhao Yunhai frowned.
"Alright, I misspoke. I apologize, little monk."
Zhao Lesheng, startled by Yunhai Ge's gaze, quickly apologized.
"Thank you for your kind offer, Benefactor Lesheng. Master valued peace in the earth and should not be moved lightly."
Wu Chen was not angry and knew that this benefactor was merely speaking bluntly.