Xue Linge looked at the long sword in her hand, "This sword..."

She took the sword to the boiler room, then threw it at a stump the size of a plate. "Chi!" It was cut into two by the sword.

Xue Linge looked at the stump, and then back at the sword. To withstand the sharpness of a long sword like that, showed just how remarkable the Sentient Menace move is!

Chu Li looked at her with a wide smile.

"Master, with this, aren't you invincible now?" Xue Linge followed up, "No weapons can harm you, what are you afraid of?"

Chu Li smiled, "I don't believe there is a skill move that can make someone invincible. If it was a mighty sword, I may not be able to withstand the damage. Similarly, if an innate master was to attack me, I won't be able to escape unharmed.

"How about, we try using a mighty sword?"

"And where can we get one?"

"I'll go meet the Chief!" Xue Linge darted outside.

Su Ru followed her into the small courtyard, an emerald green sword hanging on her slender waist. It made onlookers worried that her waist could not withhold the weight of that sword.

Chu Li gave her a fist salute and smiled, "To bring back the sword alone would be enough, why bring the Chief with you?"

"Why? Can I not come?" Su Ru slowly walked to him, and watched him intently, "You have mastered the second stage?"

Chu Li smiled, "The Art of White Tiger was really useful!"

"Take this!" Su Ru suddenly shouted, the sword emitted a flash as it was thrusted towards Chu Li's shoulder.

Chu Li did not move away to avoid the strike. The tip of the sword met with his shoulder, but it could not pierce through his skim. The spot where he was. .h.i.t was only dented slightly, for about half an inch deep.

"Interesting!" Su Ru withdrew the sword and sheathed it. She glanced at his shoulder, "You could even absorb the impact!"

"After I've mastered the second stage, it made it flexible."

"But doesn't mean that you should cultivate all day and all night, right?" Su Ru asked with a warm smile. The sword on her waist let out another flash, as it struck Chu Li's shoulder.

Chu Li did not evade it. The tip of the sword still could not pierce through his skin.

"Eh, I know you've seen it coming, was that still the effects of the Sentient Menace move?" Su Ru asked curiously.

Chu Li smiled, "It was automatic, just like instinct."

He had possession of the Scripture of Life and Death and stored his inner energy within a hundred meters' range. With both the Blade of Eternity and those stored energy, killing him would not be an easy task, even for someone from the Temple of Tempest.

"That was truly remarkable. It was unlike any other cultivation techniques." Su Ru exclaimed in awe.

"It was the secret technique that the Temple of Tempest took pride in, of course it was unique."

"But you have just only mastered the second stage, there is still a long way to go!" Su Ru fixed a stare on him, pulling down his ego.

As far as she knew, most of the followers of the Temple of Tempest had only mastered the first stage. There were only few who mastered the second stage, and even fewer at the third stage. It was because the first stage alone was already useful enough.

Chu Li smiled.

To master the first stage of the Sentient Menace move, it had consumed lots of inner strength. For the second stage, an even greater amount of inner strength was needed. He reckoned that the mastery of the third stage would require multiple folds of inner strength used in the previous two stages.

With such increasing multiplications, he dared not to think of amount required for the last few stages. Who would have the capability to cultivate until there?

But when he thought of it, it made total sense. To achieve enlightenment and transcend into a Buddha, one would require tens of thousands of years of cultivation. If it was that easy, anyone could become a saint.

Chu Li sat down at the kiosk, "Chief, have you settled the matters with regards to Gu Litong Gu?"

Su Ru sat opposite him, and sighed.

Xue Linge poured for them two cups of tea. The green tea swirled gently in the white cup, looking like dewdrops on a willow branch.

"Not yet?"

"I wish it was that easy!" Su Ru took the white tea cup and blew at the piping hot tea. She took a small sip, and continued, "Lu Yurong was smart. She knew that we would go after him. Hence, she deployed a few men and set up various false clues to confuse us!"

"Gu Litong is still in the Chong Lee Yuning Public House?"

"Impossible!" Su Ru put down her cup and said, "If he's still there, we would have found him already!"

Chu Li smiled.

Su Ru scoffed at him, "What's so funny?!"

Chu Li waved at her.

"Don't think that I don't know what's on your mind!" Su Ru stared at him, and said angrily, "Yes, it was my recklessness that led to Gu Litong's disappearance. But that was back when I wasn't paying much attention to him. Now that I have all forces after him, he wouldn't be able to hide from us, if he was still in the Public House!"

Chu Li took a sip of the tea, held his cup high and pondered, "By that logic, he must have left the Chong Lee Yuning Public House. But we don't know where he had gone to, that's going to be tricky!"

"If he could leave without anyone knowing, he can do the same when he returns." Chu Li took another sip of the tea, finally putting down his cup, "It's inevitable!"

"What choice do we have!" Su Ru scoffed, "We can't put the whole Chong Lee Yuning Public House on lockdown now, can we?"

Chu Li responded with a smile, "With the powers of our Public House, why can't we?"

Su Ru c.o.c.ked her head towards him and asked, "But how?"

Chu Li raised his cup again, taking another casual sip.

"Come on, don't leave me hanging!" Su Ru rushed him.

Chu Li put down his tea cup, then put up four of his fingers, "Set up four layers of surveillance net."

Su Ru nodded, seemingly prepared to listen for more.

Chu Li pressed down his first finger, "First layer, the restaurants outside town."

He pressed down his middle finger, "Second layer, the city fort doors."

Then, he did the same for his ring finger, "Third layer, guest hotels."

He smiled as he pressed down the last finger, the little finger, "Fourth layer, put guards on patrol. With these four layers of security net, n.o.body could escape."

Su Ru seemed deep in thought.

Chu Li raised his cup again, taking another sip of the tea, "With that, you could detect any slightest of changes, and directly deal with it. You could even strike them before they realize it."

Su Ru watched Chu Li, and grinned, "Chu Li, it's such a waste of talent for you to be an Scribe!"

Chu Li smiled, "I'm only good at talking, nothing to be proud of."

Su Ru rolled her eyes at him, then considered everything that he had just said.

The Yi Public House would catch wind of everything that had happened in town, they hired people like beggars or hawkers to be spies. They had ears and eyes all over town, and it was quite systematic as well. But after hearing what Chu Li had pointed out, she realized that there might be places where they could do better.

"I will bring this up to the Lady!" Su Ru stood up, then waved towards him, signaling him not to send her. She then left the place.

Chu Li smiled as he took another sip. He knew that there was still a long way to go before he could hold any legislative powers.

The night engulfed everything in darkness. The crescent moon hung high up in the sky.

Chu Li walked out of his small courtyard. He was planning to row his boat out of East Garden. He did it quietly, making sure he did not wake Lee Yue up.

He departed the Public House, pa.s.sing through Chong Lee Yuning town, making his way towards Feng s.h.i.+cai's estate. His plan that night was to kill Feng s.h.i.+cai, because if he did not, his enemy would continue looking for people to take his life.

With the mastery of the second stage of Sentient Menace, he was confident that he could escape the grasps of any Temple of Tempest monks. Plus, he also had the Imminent Skyline skill move.

As he pa.s.sed through the forest, he sighed, disappointed that he did not have any greater influence in the governing ranks. If only he had more power, he did not even need to come out personally to locate his enemy. He would not have needed to dirty his hands with someone else's blood too.

It was a shame that he entered the Yi Public House late, hence his experience was limited. Even as a Rank 5 he could not have gotten a grip onto any legislative powers. He would need to churn out another five years before there would be any hopes of him achieving that. By that time, the chances of him succeeding would be scarce too, only slightly better than none.

If he wanted to get things done easier, he would have to expand his network. Take for example the Startling Cloud Clan. He would surely seize any further opportunities to do the same. Even if he could not get himself into the governing ranks, he would not be considered a weak person too. And if he did get into the governing ranks in the future, it would be extremely easier for him to get things done.

Thousands of thoughts overwhelmed his mind, and suddenly, he stopped on his heels. His Omniscient Mirror had detected somebody about three hundred meters behind him. There was an old man in grey robes wandering nearby. He could sense an immense amount of inner strength within the old man's body.

Chu Li's eyebrow raised, an innate master!

Chu Li turned around, straying away from the direction to Feng s.h.i.+cai's estate, making his way southwards instead. The old man had change his direction too. Clearly, he was following him. If not for the Omniscient Mirror, he would not have sensed the old man's presence.