Wuxia: Starting Off With 60 Years of Inner Strength

Jiang Ran had cut down the Jade Mountain People and severed Zuo Kuangge’s arm.

The series of events sounds complicated in the telling, but in reality, they unfolded with incredible speed.

By the time the Prefect reacted, he was so furious his beard nearly flew off his face.

”You... you... you... Not only are you stingy with your drinks, you’re obsessed with money!”

”So, Your Excellency, are you going to pay up or not?”

Jiang Ran looked up at the Prefect.

The Prefect waved his hand dismissively.

”Fine, fine, fine... You hold an Assassin’s Order and have captured a fugitive wanted by the Court. How could I possibly refuse?”

With that, he waved his hand.

”Men! Bind all these Feiyun Stronghold bandits and hold them for sentencing.”

”As for those Young Hero Jiang captured... whether they’re people or corpses, store them separately.”

”We’ll settle the accounts once we’re back at the Government Office... Dammit all. ’Three years as an honest prefect, a hundred thousand taels of silver.’”

”But look at me! I haven’t even been Prefect for more than a few days, and all the silver in the government coffers has sprouted wings and fucking flown away.”

Hearing this, Jiang Ran finally felt at ease.

During the chaotic battle just now, he had accepted the capture missions for all six leaders of Feiyun Stronghold.

If the Prefect refused to acknowledge it, losing a few mission rewards wasn’t a big deal. He was more afraid of the mission failing and the system holding it against him later.

That would be an unknown and unwelcome complication.

’I should probably look into this later,’ Jiang Ran mused. ’Find a less important wanted criminal, accept the mission, but don’t complete it. Or let someone else complete it. I need to see what happens when a mission fails.’

’I have a feeling that the probability of mission failure with this system is quite high.’

’After all, while wanted criminals are common, so are Assassins.’

’If I accept the same target as someone else and they get to it first, completing the mission before I do...’

’...then my mission would surely count as a failure.’

’So, I need to prepare in advance. I’ll test it out with an unimportant mission to see what the exact penalty for failure is.’

Just as he was thinking this, he suddenly heard a blood-curdling scream.

Jiang Ran and the others immediately turned to see a man in a white mask thrust his arms out, violently sending two other men in identical white masks flying. They crashed into Shopkeeper Wan.

Shopkeeper Wan grunted, planting his feet firmly. He caught the two men by the shoulders, then looked up at the white-masked man who had suddenly attacked and roared furiously.

”Li Feiyun, you’ve finally shown yourself!”

”Li Feiyun?”

”He was hiding right beside Shopkeeper Wan this whole time!”

”How could this be?”

”No wonder our food and wine were poisoned...”

The two white-masked men struck by him screamed incessantly. White mist billowed from their bodies as they visibly shriveled up, becoming as gaunt as withered husks.

”The Blood Cauldron Scripture!”

Li Tianxin’s expression darkened, and he raised his saber, about to charge forward.

The Prefect bellowed.

”Seize him!”

Li Feiyun glanced around, but then he just laughed loudly, leaped up, and vaulted over the courtyard wall to flee!

”After him!”

At the Prefect’s command, everyone immediately gave chase.

Jiang Ran glanced at Li Tianxin and joined the pursuit as well.

Meanwhile, those who remained began to identify and point out one another, searching for the members of Feiyun Stronghold.

Thanks to Zuo Kuangge’s earlier shout, most had already revealed their identities. Although some tried to blend in with the crowd now, it was ultimately a desperate, futile struggle.

Rong Lie was helped to a seat by a few guards. He frowned as he watched the direction Qingyi and the others had gone, then looked at Shopkeeper Wan and grinned.

”Shopkeeper Wan, you certainly hide your talents well... We all thought you didn’t know any martial arts.”

”The situation with Feiyun Stronghold is tense. I was afraid that if it came to a critical moment, all this fat of mine would just be a burden.”

”So I learned a few tricks... Just the basics, nothing compared to Hall Master Rong.”

He wiped the sweat from his brow as he spoke.

”Hall Master Rong, today... sigh. I’m afraid I’ve been a poor host. I never expected so many twists and turns. Another day, I’ll be sure to properly invite everyone for a gathering...”

”But for now, I’m completely spent... I can only apologize to everyone and go rest.”

No one found this strange.

After all, Shopkeeper Wan was used to a life of luxury. Even if he had learned a few moves, how could he be accustomed to such a scene?

The young swordsman who fought today was viciously bloody in his methods.

When his saber moved, it was to sever arms or legs.

When his hand shot out, it was to rip out the major tendon in an ankle or tear out someone’s throat.

Shopkeeper Wan, who lived a pampered life of fine clothes and exquisite food, would probably have no appetite for dinner tonight after witnessing such a gruesome sight.

The crowd chatted and joked casually, and Shopkeeper Wan didn’t get angry. Supported by a few men in white masks, he slowly walked toward the rear courtyard.

As he walked, his back gradually straightened.

The lazy air of a wealthy merchant vanished completely.

He lifted his gaze, his eyes tinged with red. He swept a cold glance around him and spoke in a low voice.

”He can’t delay them for long. We split up.”

”As for the matter between us, we’re even now.”

One of the white-masked men spoke slowly, his voice like the clang of metal on metal.

”...Fine.”

Shopkeeper Wan nodded grimly.

The white-masked man gave him a deep look, then suddenly waved his hand. Three other men in white masks came to his side.

”We’ll settle the score for Old Fifth later.”

”Li Feiyun, we will meet again!”

With that, they leaped away and vanished in the blink of an eye.

The remaining white-masked man took off his mask, revealing a rather resolute face.

If Jiang Ran and Ye Jingshuang had been here, they would have certainly recognized him as Geng Zhaoxing, the guard captain they had briefly met outside the teahouse that day.

Geng Zhaoxing handed the mask to Li Feiyun, then took the opulent, jewel-adorned robes Li Feiyun was taking off and put them on himself.

The two men swapped outfits, about to go their separate ways.

But just then, Li Feiyun suddenly froze, his gaze fixed on a corner of the long corridor.

There, an old man in sackcloth was squatting on a long stone bench. He licked the tip of his writing brush and then began to write furiously.

”Fifteenth day of the seventh month. Inside the Wan Mansion’s courtyard, the body of Mistress Wan hangs from a crossbeam.”

”The body of Shopkeeper Wan has not yet been found, but a faceless skeleton has been discovered.”

He looked up at Li Feiyun.

”When did the First Master arrive at the Wan Mansion?”

”Would you mind letting this old man record it?”

Li Feiyun watched the Grand Scholar silently, then suddenly smiled.

”Since the Grand Scholar wishes to know, this junior has no reason not to tell you.”

”But now is not the right time.”

”I ask for the Grand Scholar’s understanding.”

After speaking, he moved to walk past the Grand Scholar, but unexpectedly, the old man stretched out an arm and blocked his path.

Li Feiyun turned to look at the Grand Scholar, a dangerous glint in his eyes.

”I’ve heard that the Grand Scholar never obstructs another’s path.”

”It is not this old man who stops you.”

The Grand Scholar looked behind Li Feiyun and Geng Zhaoxing.

”It is he.”

Li Feiyun’s heart skipped a beat. He spun around.

He saw a young swordsman with one hand on his saber hilt, watching him calmly.

”Where is Cheng Jimo?”