Wuxia: Starting Off With 60 Years of Inner Strength

”Feiyun Stronghold is teeming with masters, and the situation is complex.

”I had to find a legitimate reason to get in the door.

”And besides, even though they captured me, I had my own way of protecting myself.”

”And your way of protecting yourself was to get beaten up for a day?”

”...”

Li Tianxin shot Jiang Ran an irritated look.

”Speaking of which, why did you intervene on behalf of the Tang family that day?

”What is your relationship with them?

”And the Tang family... where have they gone now?”

”You’re investigating the Tang family?”

Jiang Ran feigned surprise, but inwardly he was calm.

Since Li Tianxin had managed to uncover Fan Jiwu’s motive for kidnapping young women, the public clash between Tang Huayi and Fan Jiwu that day certainly wouldn’t have escaped his notice.

From his perspective, the whole affair must have seemed even stranger.

After all, others might not have known the truth behind Fan Jiwu’s kidnappings, but Li Tianxin did.

The Second Miss of the Tang family was no ordinary person. Even if Fan Jiwu wanted to use her for his cultivation, he would have had to consider it carefully.

Grabbing her off the street like that was by no means the best plan.

If he was after the Tang family’s fortune, then such an action would make sense.

The problem was, the timing of the incident was too coincidental. With the major event in Cangzhou Prefecture imminent, Fan Jiwu shouldn’t have had the time to bother with the Tang family.

Therefore, to most people, what happened that day seemed like a mere coincidence.

But where in the world are there so many coincidences? What appears to be a coincidence is often long-premeditated.

If it wasn’t Fan Jiwu, then perhaps the problem lay with Tang Huayi.

It was only natural to become a little suspicious of the Tang family as a result.

”Everything happened so fast. It was only when I found the Tang residence locked up that I grew suspicious.”

”What do you know about the Tang family?”

Li Tianxin looked at Jiang Ran.

Jiang Ran shook his head.

”Not much.”

Li Tianxin fell silent for a moment and didn’t press the issue.

Jiang Ran sat in his chair, gently blowing on the tea in his cup.

His confusion wasn’t assuaged in the slightest by Li Tianxin telling him everything he knew.

In fact, he was even more bewildered...

’The Demon Sect... even if it is the Demon Sect, even if they’re remnants of the Demon Sect—no, forget remnants, even if Tang Shiqing is the Demon Sect’s Saintess, or its Sect Leader, or its supreme ruler.’

’But the question is, what does any of this have to do with me?’

’Was it all just to mess with me for a bit?’

’Did they want to see how I’d react after that night?’

’Or perhaps, back when I was searching the Tang residence high and low, were those Demon Sect fiends hiding on the sidelines, secretly laughing at me?’

That reason might be plausible for the Demon Sect, but to Jiang Ran, it was utterly absurd.

He went over the matter once more and concluded that, as a normal person, he had absolutely no idea what was going on in the minds of those psychopaths.

He decided not to dwell on it and said to Li Tianxin:

”Feeling any better?”

Li Tianxin was taken aback for a second, then nodded.

”Much better. Thank you.”

”Since you’re better, you can head back on your own. It seems you’re also staying at this inn.”

”...”

Li Tianxin said nothing. He glanced at Jiang Ran, and after realizing he truly had no intention of answering his questions, he nodded and struggled to his feet.

He was indeed much better, but his movements were still somewhat hindered.

Jiang Ran paid him no mind, letting him limp toward the door.

Just as he was about to reach it, Jiang Ran suddenly spoke again.

”Oh, right. Have a cup of tea before you go.”

”There’s no need...”

Li Tianxin really didn’t want to drag his heavily injured body two steps back.

”You must.”

Jiang Ran said,

”Otherwise, you’d better start picking out a coffin and an auspicious burial plot.”

Li Tianxin froze and whipped his head around.

”You’re going to kill me?”

”No.”

Jiang Ran picked up a teacup. ”This is the antidote...”

”You poisoned me?”

Li Tianxin could hardly believe his ears.

”It was no trouble at all.”

Jiang Ran nodded.

”...”

’Am I supposed to thank you for this?’

Li Tianxin took a deep breath. ”When?”

”The last cup of tea you drank.”

Li Tianxin thought for a moment. He had indeed drunk a cup of tea Jiang Ran gave him earlier.

’So... he poisoned it back then!?’

He forced a smile, glanced at the teacup in front of Jiang Ran, and dragged himself over. He picked it up and drained it in one gulp.

”Poisoning me, and now you’ve had a change of heart?”

”Hmm...”

Jiang Ran thought for a moment and said, ”A change of heart? Not necessarily. After all, you have no way of knowing if I’m lying to you right now... What I said about poisoning you could have been a lie, and this so-called antidote might be the real poison.”

”...What in the world do you want?”

Li Tianxin suddenly felt a wave of helplessness. He was discovering that besides his formidable martial arts, Jiang Ran’s skill at deception was also first-rate.

Jiang Ran smiled.

”Don’t you worry...

”How should I put this... you’re unwilling to reveal your identity and background, and I won’t force you.

”After all, if it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have been injured by Gu Mosheng tonight.

”But a major event is about to happen in Cangzhou Prefecture, and for me, this is a matter of life and death.

”With someone like you, whose origins are a complete mystery, I can’t help but be a little wary.

”So... let’s make a deal.

”After the fifteenth of the seventh month, if everything in Cangzhou Prefecture is back to normal, I’ll give you the antidote.”

”So... this antidote really was poison?”

Li Tianxin glared at Jiang Ran.

Jiang Ran smiled. ”You guess.”

”...”

Li Tianxin didn’t want to guess. He just wanted to slice that smile right off Jiang Ran’s face.

He took a deep breath, said no more, and turned to walk out the door.

But when he reached the doorway, he couldn’t help but glance at Gu Mosheng, who was still lying on the floor.

”What do you... plan to do with him?”

”None of your business.”

”Hmph.”

Li Tianxin snorted, pushed the door open, and leaned against the wall as he made his way toward his own room.

Jiang Ran pursed his lips.

”Doesn’t even know to close the door behind him...”

He went and shut the door, then walked over to Gu Mosheng and gave a slight smile.

”Care to talk?”

”If you’re going to kill me, then kill me. Why waste your breath?”

Gu Mosheng shot Jiang Ran a cold look.

”Fine. I knew it wouldn’t be that simple.”

Jiang Ran just smiled, unconcerned. He turned to his bundle, rummaged through it for a moment, and pulled out several small vials.

He walked to the table and righted a teacup.

Gu Mosheng heard a series of CLINKs and CLANKs, having no idea what he was doing...

But listening to the sounds, he felt an inexplicable sense of dread.

”What... what are you doing?”

”Mixing a medicine.”

Jiang Ran replied without looking up.

”I have a few things I want to discuss with you, but since you don’t seem willing to cooperate properly,

”I’ll have to resort to some external aids.

”Mm, I might as well tell you about it. This is a... medicine that amplifies your sensations.

”For example, feelings of pain, numbness, soreness, swelling, things like that...

”In a moment, I’m going to smear this all over your body. Then, even the lightest tap will feel like... you’ve been crushed by a mountain.”

At this, Jiang Ran looked back at Gu Mosheng.

”Isn’t it marvelous? Are you looking forward to it?”