Chapter 1 Nest Mountain Lake

Nest Mountain Lake was a vast lake, hundreds of miles in length and width. Standing on its shore, one couldn't see the other side, making it seem like an ocean. This lake nourished the surrounding residents, and countless people made their living on its waters.

It also gave rise to a great bandit—the Lord of Nest Mountain Lake, 'Fu Xu.'

It was now the afternoon of the day after Fang Chong's death, inside Fu Xu's mansion.

"San You!"

Fu Xu's eyes were filled with tears, his grief immeasurable. "Last time, you came to wish me a happy birthday. We brothers got drunk together, who would have thought that would be our last farewell!"

"Master, please take care."

"Big brother! You must take care of your health. Brother San You would not want you to be so sad."

"Millions of people in Nest Mountain Lake are counting on you, big brother. You must take care of yourself."

Everyone around him offered words of comfort.

At this moment, Lao Fu arrived with a child.

"Hurry up and kowtow," Lao Fu urged.

The child immediately knelt down. "Fang Yong kowtows to Uncle Fu."

"Good child."

Fu Xu's eyes welled up with tears as he nodded. "I just received news that your parents have passed away."

The child was stunned.

Lao Fu was even more incredulous. "Master..."

"The Blood Rain Guards did it. None of them could escape." Fu Xu was deeply saddened. "Brother San You didn't want to suffer humiliation, so he committed suicide by taking poison. The Blood Rain Guards didn't spare the rest of the Fang family either. Child, you have no parents. From now on, you will be my adopted son, is that alright?"

The child was still in a daze. Lao Fu prompted the child to kowtow in gratitude, and the child mechanically obeyed.

Fu Xu suddenly stood up, enraged. "San You was my brother through thick and thin! Whoever killed my brother, I will kill them! I heard that the murderer first killed San You's son, 'Fang Chong,' then fled to the Blood Rain Guard's station, and this morning even escaped Fengye City!"

"Lao Liu," Fu Xu looked at an old brother, "I'm entrusting this matter to you. Quickly take people to investigate. You must find out the murderer's identity and whereabouts! I want to avenge Brother San You!"

"Yes, Big Brother!" Lao Liu immediately accepted the order and quickly left.

"Big Brother, we must think thrice before acting," someone stood up, worried. "Brother San You had the support of Nest Mountain Lake. Where did Fengye City get the guts to attack him? Why are the Blood Rain Guards in Fengye City so obedient to the murderer? The murderer must have some big backing. We can't be reckless."

"San You is already dead, and you're still thinking? If we think any further, the murderer will escape!" others retorted.

"All of you, shut up."

Fu Xu glared at everyone around him. "This revenge for killing my brother must be taken!"

"Thank you, Godfather," the child, Fang Yong, finally came to his senses and knelt down to thank him.

"Good child, come here." Fu Xu beckoned, and Fang Yong stood up and went to Fu Xu's side.

Fu Xu pulled Fang Yong into his arms and said, "I will definitely avenge your father. You should live in peace and study martial arts diligently."

Fang Yong nodded repeatedly.

"All of you, leave. I'm tired." Fu Xu said with a sorrowful expression, waving his hand. Everyone retreated.

Fu Xu sat there, and even the maids left, leaving only his wife with him.

"A'Fu," his wife frowned slightly, "Two hours ago, you received a secret letter from Fengye City. The letter was very clear. The murderer is the father of Commander Fei. Fang Chong was killed by Commander Fei's sister."

Nest Mountain Lake was the true master of the surrounding hundreds of miles. In a day, they naturally obtained detailed information, and carrier pigeons delivered it to Fu Xu.

"I received the secret letter, and only after two hours did I summon people, knowing the murderer's identity, yet ordering Lao Liu to investigate the murderer's identity and location," Fu Xu sighed. "It's to buy time for that Master Fei, to let him escape the sphere of influence of Nest Mountain Lake as soon as possible."

His wife was slightly taken aback.

"How dare I go after him?" Fu Xu shook his head. "Everyone says I am the Lord of Nest Mountain Lake, the local emperor of the surrounding thousands of miles. But that Commander Fei is the sky of the entire Eastern Region of the Empire! With immense power, all the Blood Rain Guards in the Eastern Region of the Empire are under his command. Dare I kill his father and his sister?"

His wife sighed, "I understand."

"We are rebels, but I, the leader of these rebels, am walking on thin ice," Fu Xu said. "Internally, I have to keep the brothers united. Externally, I have to be ruthless enough to make all parties fearful and wary. I also have to be careful, lest I bring disaster upon myself. I am already fifty-eight this year, and I am increasingly feeling powerless."

His wife held her husband's hand.

From ordinary bandits to rising to where they were today, they had supported each other through thick and thin, experiencing too much.

"Moreover, this father of Commander Fei is also very shrewd," Fu Xu smiled. "He revealed his identity in front of the Blood Rain Guard station, in front of many Blood Rain Guards! If he had hidden his identity and only quietly told Commander Chang and a few others, it would have been difficult for me to find out his identity. He revealed his identity... in fact, it was to tell me to be clear-headed, not to be foolish and rush over, causing a catastrophe."

"Revealed to you?" His wife was surprised.

"Within a range of hundreds of miles, only I have the strength to destroy their team," Fu Xu said, "So he revealed his identity in order to inform me. He was afraid that I would do something stupid."

His wife understood.

"Our Commander Fei's father is also quite scheming," Fu Xu smiled.

In this era of the declining empire, Fu Xu, a rebel, was able to control thousands of miles of land, not only because he had brains, but also because he had sufficient martial strength. He himself was a well-known super-class expert, and he also had a number of first-class experts under his command! Because of this, he was able to do many taboo things, resist several imperial army expeditions, and the Blood Rain Guards in the surrounding cities had to rely on him!

Fu Xu had enough strength to destroy Fei’s family caravan.

This was why Master Fei was so cautious.

…

Two days later.

"Big brother, I found out." Lao Liu knelt, frustrated, "The leader of the murderer's team is the father of Commander Fei of the Eastern Region of the Empire! Their caravan traveled extremely fast after leaving Fengye City, covering six or seven hundred miles in a single day. They traveled day and night, barely resting. They bypassed Sucheng Great Wall, and have long since left the sphere of influence of our Nest Mountain Lake."

"What?" Fu Xu stood up, his eyes wide. "Traveling day and night? Bypassed Sucheng Great Wall, then where are they now?"

"They must be near Xufang," Lao Liu reported.

Fu Xu was so angry that his face turned pale. "Lao Liu, ah, Lao Liu, you only found out the news after two days. Now that the people are in Xufang, how can we catch them?"

"It's my fault, please punish me, Big Brother!" Lao Liu knelt down with tears in his eyes, but he was very calm in his heart, because when Big Brother instructed him to investigate, he stretched out two fingers and tapped. Having followed Big Brother for so many years, he understood…

It must take 'two days' to find out the identity and location of the murderer.

******

The Fei family caravan went around in a circle, then continued to move north.

"It's done." Master Fei was a little nervous when he first left Fengye City. He was afraid that those rebels would get hot-headed and block them! Even though he deliberately revealed his identity in front of the Blood Rain Guard gate, he was still worried that the rebels would go crazy.

Rebels sometimes just act randomly.

"This Lord of Nest Mountain Lake is indeed as rumored, a hero. Knowing my identity, he really didn't attack." Master Fei truly relaxed only after escaping far away from the sphere of influence of Nest Mountain Lake.

In fact, Fei's family guard team was very luxurious, and ordinary bandits couldn't do anything to them. Those who could truly destroy this caravan were the true powerful forces in various places. Nest Mountain Lake was naturally among them.

"Xinlan." Master Fei looked at his daughter. After two days and two nights of running, Fei Xinlan's complexion was not very good.

"Father." Fei Xinlan looked at her father.

"Remember this lesson," Master Fei said, "In the future, think thrice before acting! Consider the consequences more."

"But sometimes I can't help it," Fei Xinlan lowered her head.

"You have to bear it," Master Fei said, "Being able to bear it means you have grown up. First bear it, then consider whether there is a better way? Even if you bear it on the surface and don't take action, secretly send someone to destroy his entire family. That's better than you killing someone publicly!"

"Secretly send someone?" Fei Xinlan was stunned.

"Assassination, framing, there are plenty of methods. For example, you can save people on the spot first, punish Fang Chong slightly, without causing a big conflict. After we leave Fengye City for several days, then kill him through the Blood Rain Guards, isn't that much simpler?" Master Fei said, "You must know that in the previous day or two, our lives were in the hands of Nest Mountain Lake. Fortunately, the Lord of Nest Mountain Lake endured it and let us leave."

Master Fei looked at his daughter, "Never put your life in someone else's hands, let others decide your life and death, understand?"

"Daughter understands." Fei Xinlan seemed to be lost in thought.

"I hope you learn a lesson. When you go to the Imperial Capital, there are many people in the Imperial Capital who are much stronger than your brother. If you cause a big disaster there, your brother can't save you," Master Fei said, "Think more, think more, and never act impulsively."

"I know." Fei Xinlan also felt her father's nervousness and anxiety these past two days.

…

Six days after leaving the Nest Mountain Lake area, the Fei family team encountered their first guard casualty since their departure. The fact was that their team had so many handsome horses, everyone knew they had a lot of background and must be very 'fat', so they would naturally encounter looting.

But overall, traveling along the Eastern Region of the Empire was still quite smooth.

But when the journey exceeded 20,000 miles, and they left the Eastern Region of the Empire, the situation took a turn for the worse!

…

After leaving the Eastern Region, the fierce bandits from all sides no longer cared about any 'Lord Fei'.

In a flash, two months had passed since leaving Lanyue City.

"Tomorrow we will be able to reach the Imperial Capital." By the roadside, the Fei family caravan was eating dry food and resting. Qiu Tong looked north with anticipation, but she was missing a left arm.

A rather cold and stern female swordswoman, after two months of fighting, her swordsmanship had also transformed. After losing an arm, her strength not only didn't decrease, but was even stronger.

"This journey has been too difficult." Luo Baichuan shook his head with scars on his face. "Fortunately, the Fei family recruited a batch of Blood Rain Guard experts in Tiezhong City to replenish the team, otherwise our team would have suffered much greater losses. These bandits in the north... why are they fiercer than those in the east?"

Xu Jingming drank wine, ate biscuits, and said, "The main reason is that after leaving the Eastern Region, Lord Fei's deterrence is naturally not enough!"

Qiu Tong nodded, "In the Eastern Region, as long as you say Lord Fei's name! The fiercer the bandit gang, the more respect they show. But after leaving the Eastern Region, there were fierce battles! Robberies! Brother Jing, I admire you. You can use a spear, and your shield skills are so amazing! If it weren't for your shield, I wouldn't have just lost an arm, but my life would have been gone."

Xu Jingming looked at the two shields placed aside.

Yes, in a fierce battle half a month ago, the bandits were too fierce, too unafraid of death, and too cunning. Xu Jingming even felt that… this group of terrifying bandits should be composed of Cosmic Professional Player! Maybe only Cosmic Professional Player would be unafraid of death!

In that battle, guards died one after another, and Miss Fei Xinlan was facing danger. Xu Jingming chose to pick up the two shields of the dead guards to protect Miss Fei Xinlan! Of course, he also helped Sister Qiu Tong along the way.

When facing group attacks, shields are more convenient for defense.

In the end, after two first-rate experts and twelve second-rate experts died, all the invading bandits were killed.

Yes, none of these bandits escaped! This level of ferocity made Xu Jingming even more convinced… that they should be Cosmic Professional Player!

"Fortunately, the experts that the Fei family replenished are all Blood Rain Guard experts! Otherwise, many guards would have been scared away in that battle half a month ago," Luo Baichuan said.

Xu Jingming glanced at his two companions.

So many people died, but Luo Baichuan and Qiu Tong were still alive. They were really lucky.

Maybe it was because they were following Miss Fei Xinlan closely, and the protection around the young lady was the strictest.

"This time, escorting from Lanyue City all the way, the first month was easier, but the second month was much more difficult," Xu Jingming thought to himself, "For Sister Qiu Tong and Brother Luo, they both felt that the second month was too dangerous. But for me, the second month was better for honing my spear skills and shield skills."

"My shield skills have improved a lot. Under the pressure of being surrounded, my shield skills even comprehended the way of 'layering earth', thus entering the introductory stage of the *Dingshan* Manual."

The Dao is interconnected and can be used in different weapons.

It was obviously easier to match the *Dingshan* Manual when using shield skills, comprehending the Dao of layering earth. After the shield skills broke through, practicing spear skills would soon lead to the entry of the *Dingshan* Manual. Since then, three volumes of the five volumes of spear skills had been entered.

The Dao of layering earth originates from the insignificant.

Layering earth can build cities and become towering mountains! However, no matter how towering a mountain is, it is made up of pieces of earth and stone.

Regardless of shield skills or spear skills, you need to complete every bit of the moves in a solid manner. When the solidness reaches a certain level, each move will naturally be integrated into one, with no flaws. The shield's defense also leaves the enemy with no loopholes to exploit.

"Miao Miao is probably going to give birth in the next few days." Xu Jingming ate his food and thought of his wife again.

Li Miao Miao was about to give birth.

As a soon-to-be father, Xu Jingming naturally worried every day! Every day when he was sleeping in the Blood Rain World, he was intelligently AFK, to accompany Li Miao Miao.

…

Master Fei was also sitting on a soft cloth, eating delicate pastries, looking north. Although the guards suffered heavy losses, and even a batch of Blood Rain Guard experts had been replenished in Tiezhong City, Master Fei and Miss Fei were shocked, but not injured.

"We will be in the Imperial Capital tomorrow." Master Fei sighed, "Although this journey was quite difficult, we are grateful to be able to arrive safely."

"My lord returned to the Imperial Capital to report for duty some time ago," the silver-haired old man said, "My lord chose to return to the Imperial Capital to report for duty recently so that he can take the opportunity to see the master and miss."

"My son is thoughtful."

Master Fei was also looking forward to seeing his son whom he had not seen for many years.