I Can Merge Techniques-Chapter 79 - 78: The Chaos in Cyan Yang Begins, Chu Fan Stirs Up a Thousand Waves with One Stone

Chapter 79: Chapter 78: The Chaos in Cyan Yang Begins, Chu Fan Stirs Up a Thousand Waves with One Stone

The sun sank in the west, disappearing behind the distant mountains.

Golden light spilled everywhere, dyeing the streets and alleys.

On the second floor of Zhuyue Tower, by the window, the tea before Chu Fan had long gone cold. The leaves and stems had settled at the bottom of the cup, not a wisp of steam remaining.

But he showed no intention of leaving.

He was like a stone statue set in the shadows of the window lattice, his gaze piercing the fading light as he silently stared at the main entrance of the Seven Stars Gang Sub-Branch.

People came and went on the street and in Zhuyue Tower, their clamor a rolling wave of noise, yet none of it disturbed him in the slightest.

’Is Zhou Ye not at the Seven Stars Gang Sub-Branch today?’

Chu Fan frowned.

He had waited for so long, but had seen neither Zhou Ye nor Xia Huanhuan.

’If I can’t catch them today, I’ll just have to come back tomorrow.’

Chu Fan picked up the cold tea, drained it in one gulp, and was just about to get up and leave—

when he suddenly saw two people walking out of the Seven Stars Gang Sub-Branch, side by side. It was none other than Zhou Ye and Xia Huanhuan.

A faint glimmer flashed in the depths of Chu Fan’s eyes. He tossed two pieces of broken silver on the table, stood up, and went downstairs.

His figure slipped into the twilight, like a drop of water into a river, leaving no trace.

Zhou Ye and Xia Huanhuan walked with a brisk pace, turning toward the Inner City as soon as they stepped out, completely unaware that someone was following them.

The streets and alleys grew more secluded, flanked by high walls and narrow paths.

Chu Fan stopped in the shadows of a corner, reached into his robes, and his fingertips touched the note he had prepared earlier.

He picked up a cool, smooth stone from the ground, quickly wrapped the note tightly around it, and with a flick of his wrist, threw it toward the center of Zhou Ye’s back!

WHOOSH—

The sound of it cutting through the air was faint, but it pierced the silence of the alley!

Zhou Ye was walking forward when his ears suddenly twitched. He spun around, his right hand shooting out and clenching into a fist, snatching the small, dark object from the air!

"Hm?"

It was hard to the touch. It was a stone, wrapped in paper.

Zhou Ye’s gaze was like lightning as he scanned the direction the projectile had come from.

"Who’s there!"

Xia Huanhuan let out a sharp cry. Her sword was already unsheathed as she darted toward the alley entrance like a swift swallow.

The two of them searched the area, but all they saw was the vast twilight blanketing the long street, pedestrians hurrying by, and the first lanterns being lit. There was no sign of the Stone Thrower.

They looked at each other, seeing the same shock and gravity in the other’s eyes, and silently retreated back into the depths of the dim alley.

Zhou Ye’s brow was furrowed as he quickly unfolded the coarse paper.

Xia Huanhuan leaned in, and by the last sliver of daylight, she could make out the messy yet sharp handwriting—

"The Moon Worship Sect seeks treasure in Cyan Yang, the Blood Saber Sect’s Tang Xiao is plotting. When the snipe and clam grapple, the fisherman profits!"

This single line of text contained earth-shattering news, exploding in their minds like a clap of thunder!

"The Moon Worship Sect..."

Zhou Ye stared at the paper in his hand, an irrepressible, feverish glint in his eyes. "They suddenly came to Cyan Yang Ancient City two years ago... it was all to find a treasure!"

"What kind of treasure could make the Moon Worship Sect search for two years without giving up?"

"Zhou Ye!" Xia Huanhuan’s voice was urgent. "Don’t forget what Second Uncle repeatedly warned us! The Moon Worship Sect is not to be trifled with. They’re treacherous. We absolutely must not provoke them!"

"Provoke them?" Zhou Ye shot his head up, his face a mask of restless disdain. "Even a mighty dragon can’t crush a local snake! This is Cyan Yang City! This is our territory!"

"If there really is a treasure, how can we just stand by and watch it fall into someone else’s hands?"

"And that Tang Xiao from the Blood Saber Sect, secretly plotting... Huang Yu was Tang Xiao’s subordinate. Could it be that the Moon Worship Sect was responsible for Huang Yu’s death?"

"If this news is true, why can’t we be the fisherman at the end? Let them be the snipe and the clam!"

"I have a feeling it’s not that simple." Xia Huanhuan frowned, analyzing the situation calmly. "Let’s not even talk about whether this news is true or false. Even if it is—"

"Who does the Stone Thrower belong to? Why did they choose to tell us?"

"This is clearly a ploy to drag us into muddy waters, to make us fight the Blood Saber Sect and the Moon Worship Sect to the death! What a venomous heart this person has!"

Zhou Ye gave Xia Huanhuan a dissatisfied look and was silent for a moment before saying, "How can you be so timid, afraid of wolves in front and tigers behind? Opportunity is right in front of us! We can’t miss it because of cowardice!"

"A treasure the Moon Worship Sect has been desperately searching for for two years can’t be anything ordinary. It could be our ticket to soaring to the top!"

"You..." Stung by his tone, Xia Huanhuan’s voice rose. "I’m not being a coward! I’m being cautious! This is obviously a trap!"

Zhou Ye said in a low voice, "Even if it’s a trap, we have to step into it to see how deep it is! It’s better than doing nothing at all!"

"If Tang Xiao can plot, why can’t we?"

"Let the Blood Saber Sect and the Moon Worship Sect fight to the death. We can watch the tigers fight from the mountain and wait for our chance. That’s better than knowing about this and doing nothing, isn’t it?!"

In the dim alley, the sound of their suppressed but fierce argument shattered the silence.

It startled a few drowsy crows on the wall, which flapped their wings and melted into the deepening night.

Neither could convince the other.

In the end, Zhou Ye let out a heavy snort, crumpled the note fiercely in his fist, and strode away.

Xia Huanhuan watched his retreating back, stomped her foot in frustration, but ultimately hurried after him.

Their figures disappeared at the other end of the alley, leaving only the lingering echoes of their argument to drift between the cold bricks, soon swallowed by the encroaching darkness.

At a distant street corner, Chu Fan slowly emerged from the shadows, his expression blank as he gazed in the direction they had disappeared.

’Zhou Ye is impulsive, hot-tempered, and not particularly skilled.’

’If Huang Yu were still alive, he wouldn’t even be a match for him.’

’But that Xia Huanhuan... she’s not simple.’

’Her unrestrained, flirtatious demeanor when I saw her at the gate earlier... it seems that was just an act for outsiders.’

’Judging by her words, she’s sharp-witted. Not someone to be taken lightly.’

’But Zhou Ye is stubborn and arrogant. He won’t listen to her advice.’

Chu Fan turned and walked toward his home.

’I haven’t been back in a few days. I wonder what kind of mess the Blood Saber Sect and Moon Worship Sect have gotten into.’

’If the water isn’t muddy enough yet, I don’t mind dragging the Iron Armor Sect and other gangs into it.’

...

Chu Fan pushed open the gate to his courtyard.

He saw Zhao Hu in the yard, grunting and panting as he chopped firewood.

When Zhao Hu saw him, he stopped what he was doing and wiped his face with a sweat towel. "Fan, you’re back."

"Yeah." Chu Fan grunted in acknowledgment, then asked casually, "Mr. Zhao, have things been a little unsettled outside these past few days? When I was coming back, I saw some Government Officials loitering at the end of the street."

The moment Zhao Hu heard this, he immediately lowered his voice. "Unsettled is an understatement! You have no idea. A lot of people have died around here recently—all from the Blood Saber Sect!"

"People from the Blood Saber Sect?" Chu Fan asked. "Why would there be people from the Blood Saber Sect around here?"

Zhao Hu said, "Back when Huang Yu took over those houses, he had servants from the Huang Family move in. But not long after the Huang Family was massacred, all the servants living in those houses were killed, too."

"Soon after, people from the Blood Saber Sect moved in."

"But who would’ve thought, strange things started happening again these last few days. Those people from the Blood Saber Sect started dying, one by one!"

"The Blood Saber Sect members are dying too?" Chu Fan’s expression flickered. "How did they die?"

"In bizarre ways!" Zhao Hu slapped his thigh. "Some were found collapsed on their doorsteps, eyes wide open, without a single wound on their bodies!"

"Others died even more strangely. They were found floating by the banks of the Cyan Yang River early in the morning, all bloated and pale. When they were pulled out, they only had a thin red line, like a thread, around their necks!"

He swallowed hard, his voice dropping even lower. "Everyone around here is terrified. They’re all saying Huang Yu’s ghost can’t rest in peace and has come back to claim lives... But Huang Yu was also from the Blood Saber Sect! Could it be infighting?"

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Author’s Note: A few readers suggested that the Breaking Limit Trait for the Twelve Forms Fist, [Vajra Iron Fist], should be passive instead of active. This would better align with the "Saint of Flesh" concept from the book’s title and synopsis. I’ve now made that change and updated it to be a passive ability. If you’d like to read the revised version of that Chapter, please reload it to see the changes.