I've Long Heard of Your Great Fame and Have Been Yearning to Meet You for Days

Kuai Tian Sacred Land.

One of the Five Great Sacred Lands,

famed throughout the world for its mastery in crafting intricate mechanical puppets. Its disciples rarely venture beyond its borders, their actions shrouded in mystery.

By conventional wisdom, mechanical puppets are mere external tools, hardly worthy of high regard.

Yet, Kuai Tian Sacred Land somehow obtained a world-shaking legacy, managing to perfect this path to the extent that it could stand shoulder to shoulder with the other Sacred Lands.

So, what exactly was inside the wooden box, shaped like a coffin, strapped to the back of that man? It wasn’t hard to guess.

Just as Su Ji’s mind raced with thoughts, the woman from Kuai Tian Sacred Land atop the city wall seemed to sense their arrival.

She slowly turned her head, looking in the direction of Su Ji and Su Jiu.

Her features were delicate, yet somehow combined to give off an indescribable sense of aloofness.

“Are you two from the Love-Longing Sect?”

Her voice rang out, devoid of any emotional fluctuation, as steady and taut as a tightened string on a zither.

Su Jiu’s heart skipped a beat. She stepped forward and gave a slight bow.

“Love-Longing Sect, Su Jiu.”

She paused briefly, then added, “Greetings to both of you from Kuai Tian Sacred Land.”

The woman merely responded with a soft “hmm” and stopped looking at her, instead fixing her gaze on Su Ji standing behind.

Su Ji immediately switched to a look of utmost respect and anxiety. Mimicking Su Jiu, he bowed deeply.

“Greetings to both of you.”

Yet the woman’s gaze remained locked on him, showing no sign of shifting away.

The atmosphere froze for a moment.

Members of the Blood Killing Sect and the Joyful Union Sect also turned their eyes toward them, wearing amused expressions as if watching a show.

Su Ji’s heart sank.

What was going on here?

His mind raced as he took the initiative to break the silence.

“I have long heard of the great name of Kuai Tian Sacred Land and have admired it for many days. To see it today is truly a blessing of three lifetimes.”

His words were sincere, almost to the point of wanting to kowtow on the spot.

“Alas, my talents are lacking, and I have no chance to join your Sacred Land. Otherwise, I would have gladly become a disciple, listening to your teachings every day.”

Su Jiu twitched at the corner of her eye, unable to hold back a twitch of disbelief.

That scoundrel really had no shame at all.

If she guessed right, Su Ji had probably just heard the name for the first time.

After hearing Su Ji’s flattery, the woman’s face remained expressionless, but in her eyes, a faint ripple seemed to flash briefly.

Finally, she withdrew her gaze.

Su Ji let out a silent sigh of relief.

Don’t single me out, please.

Better be careful or I might end up as a sacrificial offering to the sword.

...

Meanwhile, with Su Ji and Su Jiu’s arrival,

the scattered cultivators who had been watching cautiously outside Anyang City began to stir restlessly.

Their eyes kept darting toward the four major factions, flickering with a mix of greed and apprehension.

The complete destruction of Anyang City overnight had surely left behind countless unclaimed treasures.

For these ruthless lone wolves, it was a deadly temptation.

But with all four great powers gathered here, none dared to act rashly.

Everyone knew that in times like these, the first to rush in often died the fastest.

Just then, from the Blood Killing Sect’s side, a burly man with a face full of scars stepped forward, pushing through the crowd.

He clasped his fists and bowed toward the two figures atop the city wall of the Kui Tian Sacred Land, his voice ringing out loud and clear like a bell.

“May I ask the two from Kui Tian Sacred Land, we have been waiting here for quite some time. Since the Love-Longing Sect is already present, when can we enter the city to investigate?”

The woman on the wall slowly lifted her head, her gaze sweeping over the members of the Blood Fiend Sect, then shifting to the disciples of the Joyful Union Sect on the other side.

“No rush.”

“The others haven’t all arrived yet.”

At her words, the burly man from the Blood Fiend Sect’s expression changed sharply. “What do you mean? Our three sects and the Sacred Land are all here. Could there be others coming?”

The woman gave no reply. Instead, she raised her hand and pointed toward the restless crowd of wandering cultivators outside the city.

“They count as people too.”

This statement stunned not only the Blood Fiend Sect members but also the gloomy male disciples of the Joyful Union Sect.

When had the Sacred Land ever regarded these insignificant wanderers as worthy of notice?

Su Ji’s heart stirred.

He had a rough idea of the Sacred Land’s intention.

There was a great terror lurking inside Anyang City.

They needed cannon fodder.

They needed countless cannon fodder to fill the ranks, to probe the dangers.

Sure enough.

Upon hearing this, the wandering cultivators were momentarily stunned, then erupted into thunderous cheers.

“The Sacred Land shows true benevolence!”

“We are willing to serve the Sacred Land with our lives!”

The greed buried deep in human nature was magnified infinitely at this moment.

They willingly ignored the enormous risks hidden beneath, only seeing the seemingly easy rewards.

The man standing nearby nodded slightly, evidently pleased by the reaction.

He leapt silently down from the city wall, landing softly on the ground.

His tall frame, with a massive wooden box strapped to his back, made him look like a small moving mountain.

He strode up to the crowd, his eyes slowly scanning each person.

“Within Anyang City, the aura of bloodlust is overwhelming, and restless spirits linger.”

“Behind this case, there must be evil cultivators at work.”

“Our Kui Tian Sacred Land has come this time solely to uncover the truth, slay the wicked, and restore justice to Anyang City.”

His words were righteous and solemn.

Su Ji sneered inwardly.

Yeah, right.

The man paused briefly, then continued, “The city is fraught with danger. Our four great powers should be the first to face it.”

“But evil cultivators are cunning, and traps may lie in wait.”

“Therefore, we need some comrades to cooperate with us, enter the city ahead to scout and uncover the truth.”

“I will hold the rear and suppress any schemes or treachery.”

Before anyone could respond, he produced a palm-sized compass from his chest.

The compass was made entirely of bronze, covered with complex and arcane runes.

He held it in his palm and infused it with a thread of spiritual energy.

A faint hum sounded—

The compass vibrated lightly, its needle spinning wildly.

After a moment, the needle abruptly stopped, pointing straight toward a direction within the crowd.

The Blood Fiend Sect.

The burly man’s face instantly darkened.

The man spoke expressionlessly, “Comrades of the Blood Fiend Sect, this is a Fortune Compass.”

“It can help avoid misfortune and seek good fortune.”

“We are, after all, righteous and reputable sects. Leaving a bunch of wandering cultivators to scout for us would be too despicable.”

“I believe we should also dispatch some of our own people.”

"The compass indicates that you and your fellow scattered cultivators will lead the way, bearing the least risk."

The burly man’s mouth twitched slightly. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but in the end, not a single word came out.

The Kuai Tian Sacred Land was clearly sending them to be cannon fodder, to scout ahead—and yet, they had no choice but to accept.

There was no way around it.

The reputations of the two sects were already terrible.

But the Blood Fiend Sect’s was the worst.

“Fine!”

The burly man squeezed out a word through clenched teeth, then suddenly waved his hand.

“Let’s move!”

He led a dozen or so disciples of the Blood Fiend Sect without looking back, striding toward the tightly shut gates of Anyang City.

Watching the Blood Fiend Sect members prepare to enter the city, the other scattered cultivators began to lose their patience.

Their minds started to stir.

Soon, dozens of scattered cultivators banded together and charged toward the city gates.

The man put away the compass and shifted his gaze toward the group from the Joyful Union Sect.

The white-faced cultivator leading them stepped forward before he could speak, a sycophantic smile plastered across his face.

“Rest assured, the two of you. We are also willing to contribute in uncovering the truth.”

With that, he led his disciples from the Joyful Union Sect toward Anyang City.

In a blink, only Su Ji, Su Jiu, two men from Kuai Tian Sacred Land, and a group of hesitant scattered cultivators remained outside the city.

The man looked at Su Ji, his hoarse voice sounding again.

“What about you two?”

Su Ji was about to respond with some polite words.

But Su Jiu suddenly reached out and grabbed his sleeve.