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Wuxia: Starting Off With 60 Years of Inner Strength

Chapter 62: Struggling for a Livelihood · Oct 17, 2026

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Chapter List (366)

Page number / 8

51 Chapter 51: Flying Feather Needle 2026-10-17
52 Chapter 52: The Great Mister 2026-10-17
53 Chapter 53: Judging Heroes by Martial Arts 2026-10-17
54 Chapter 54: Get Down Here 2026-10-17
55 Chapter 55: Poisoned 2026-10-17
56 Chapter 56: Pray Hear This Humble Scholar Out 2026-10-17
57 Chapter 57: Brothers in the Stronghold 2026-10-17
58 Chapter 58: They’ve Come 2026-10-17
59 Chapter 59: Snatch 2026-10-17
60 Chapter 60: Li Feiyun 2026-10-17
61 Chapter 61: The Real Purpose 2026-10-17
62 Chapter 62: Struggling for a Livelihood 2026-10-17
63 Chapter 63: Useless 2026-10-17
64 Chapter 64: Slay 2026-10-17
65 Chapter 65: Not Ashamed to Ask 2026-10-17
66 Chapter 66: Farewell 2026-10-17
67 Chapter 67: God-Startling 2026-10-17
68 Chapter 68: Mission Completed 2026-10-17
69 Chapter 69: Reward 2026-10-17
70 Chapter 70: Receiving 2026-10-17
71 Chapter 71: Celestial Palace 2026-10-17
72 Chapter 72: Reunion on a Rainy Night 2026-10-17
73 Chapter 73: Lady Wu and the Man in the Ding 2026-10-17
74 Chapter 74: The White-Robed Swordsman 2026-10-17
75 Chapter 75: Nameless 2026-10-17
76 Chapter 76: Injured? 2026-10-17
77 Chapter 77: Proxy Mission 2026-10-17
78 Chapter 78: Couldn’t Hold Back 2026-10-17
79 Chapter 79: A Life for Sale 2026-10-17
80 Chapter 80: Never Learned 2026-10-17
81 Chapter 81: Mingyue 2026-10-17
82 Chapter 82: Uncle 2026-10-17
83 Chapter 83: A Toast 2026-10-17
84 Chapter 84: Making Friends 2026-10-17
85 Chapter 85: Reunion 2026-10-17
86 Chapter 86 - 85: Reunion 2026-10-17
87 Chapter 87 - 86: Jiaowei Qin 2026-10-17
88 Chapter 88 - 86: Jiaowei Qin 2026-10-17
89 Chapter 89 - 87: The Ins and Outs 2026-10-17
90 Chapter 90 - 87: The Whole Story 2026-10-17
91 Chapter 91 - 88: The 12 Heavenly Marvels 2026-10-17
92 Chapter 92 - 88: 12 Tianqiao 2026-10-17
93 Chapter 93 - 89: Ghost-acting Mission Complete 2026-10-17
94 Chapter 94 - 89: Proxy Mission Completed 2026-10-17
95 Chapter 95 - 90: This Resolve 2026-10-17
96 Chapter 96 - 90: This Aspiration 2 2026-10-17
97 Chapter 97 - 90: This Ambition (3) 2026-10-17
98 Chapter 98 - 91: The Enemy in the Light, We in the Dark 2026-10-17
99 Chapter 99 - 91: The Enemy in the Light, We in the Dark (Part 2) 2026-10-17
100 Chapter 100 - 91: The Enemy in the Light, I in the Dark 2026-10-17

The long corridor was nearly silent.

The only sound was the soft scratching of a brush on paper.

Li Feiyun’s voice mingled with the faint sound as he spoke:

”I never intended to sacrifice them...

”You were the one who killed them.”

The First Master’s brush suddenly paused.

’Li Feiyun’s response confirms my guess was right.’

Jiang Ran shook his head and smiled.

”Chieftain, we’re past the point of hiding things, don’t you think?”

”I wouldn’t say I’m hiding anything.”

Li Feiyun sighed.

”You don’t know who they are... but you must understand, I’m no match for them.

”When they came to find me, I considered refusing.

”But I knew I couldn’t.

”When faced with a choice between life and death, no one chooses to die. At least, I cherish my life too much to do so.

”So, I could only submit to them.

”When Guo Chong became the Prefect of Cangzhou, they laid out a complete dossier on the man and placed it on my desk.

”I knew then... the Court was starting to see me as a threat.

”That left me with only two paths.

”One was to do as they said: take Cangzhou Prefecture and become their puppet.

”My life and death would rest on their every whim.

”The other path was also death... just at their hands instead.

”And don’t even get me started on the first path. If I chose it, my life and death wouldn’t just be in their hands.

”Worse, I might not even live long enough to reach the point where they were the ones controlling my fate.

”How could I... possibly resign myself to that?”

Jiang Ran listened in silence, not rushing to interrupt.

He could understand Li Feiyun’s indignation.

It was no easy feat for this man to have built the great Feiyun Stronghold with his own two hands.

How could a man who had achieved all that be content serving another master?

”So, I decided to take a third path—the one you mentioned, the Golden Cicada gambit.”

At this, Li Feiyun became truly candid.

”You already know the original plan.

”It was a simple plan: coordinate an attack from both inside and out, open the gates, and take the city.

”But... beyond that, I had an ace up my sleeve: them.

”Guo Chong is no simple man. He comes from a military background and is deeply trusted by the Grand General.

”His arrival couldn’t have been backed by a mere two or three thousand Government Soldiers.

”He had to have a hidden blade stashed away somewhere.

”And that’s where things got interesting... I had a hand at my back, constantly pushing me forward, ready to crush me if I took so much as half a step back.

”Meanwhile, Guo Chong had a sharp blade hidden behind his own back, just waiting for the right moment to strike.

”So, the initial plan was simple.

”I would lure Guo Chong into fighting them. Then, under the cover of the grand drama of the Heroes’ Assembly, I would make my escape.

”That way, even if my brothers were truly outmatched, escaping with their skills would have been child’s play.

”There were only two possible outcomes.

”First, Guo Chong wins. Then, I become Wanjiang, just another shopkeeper in Cangzhou—Shopkeeper Wan.

”Second, they win... and I flee to the ends of the earth, never to be seen again.

”But things became far more complicated than I ever imagined.

”The Qinghe and Luori gangs were wiped out, one after the other.

”I lost my right and left hands, and the original plan fell to pieces. Without them, I was severely short on men.

”But the arrow was already nocked; it had to be fired. I had no choice but to bet everything on one last desperate move: the poison...

”But... your methods are even darker than mine. You don’t seem like a righteous hero in the slightest.

”You know what happened next better than anyone.

”Without those extra players, the battle became much more straightforward.

”But the firework set off by the Jade Mountain People was the secret signal meant to summon the ones pulling my strings.

”Unfortunately... they never showed up.

”They never came, not even as my brothers were cut down, one by one, dead or grievously wounded.

”This filled me with both joy and a sense of desolation.

”Joy, because their absence made my own escape that much easier.

”I might even be able to continue on as Shopkeeper Wan, provided I could fool you.

”And the desolation... what puppet isn’t a tragic figure?”

”You make a good point, Chieftain Li.”

Jiang Ran nodded lightly. ”Once the strings attached to you are cut, you’ll have nothing left to hold you up.”

”I never thought that you, of all people, would turn out to be a kindred spirit.”

Li Feiyun roared with laughter.

”I’m growing more and more fond of you... Do you know why I’ve told you so much today?”

He asked, but didn’t wait for Jiang Ran’s reply, continuing on his own:

”Your performance in the battle today, even though you killed my men, was, I must admit, absolutely brilliant!

”You’re cunning, ruthless, and merciless in your attacks. More importantly, you’re brilliant, quick-witted, and still so young.

”Your superlative martial arts are almost secondary to those qualities.

”Young man, let me ask you: have you ever considered following me?

”For as long as I, Li Feiyun, live, I will never fail you!”

Jiang Ran almost laughed, the corners of his lips twitching upwards. Li Feiyun quickly added:

”You don’t have to answer me right away.

”You’ve made me see you in a new light. Talent like yours is rare, and I am truly desperate to find it.

”So, today, I will not kill you.

”I will come find you again someday, and I hope you will have a satisfactory answer for me then.”

”...”

Jiang Ran was momentarily speechless. ”Chieftain Li, you can’t possibly think I came here today just to have a friendly chat, can you?

”Don’t you know, Chieftain? There’s a bounty on your head. Shopkeeper Wan is offering a thousand taels of gold...

”And the Government Office has posted a full five thousand taels of silver.

”I’m just a man trying to make a living. That five thousand taels... it’s a sum I simply can’t ignore.”

”A living...”

Li Feiyun’s eyes narrowed slightly.

”Shouldn’t the lives of my six brothers be enough to set you up for life?”

”I’m a bit of a spendthrift.”

Jiang Ran’s hand slowly closed around the hilt of his saber. ”I’m afraid your brothers alone won’t be enough. I’ll have to ask you to lend me your strength as well, Chieftain!”

”Fine. This will be a good chance to show you what I’m capable of. Otherwise, how could you ever be truly convinced to join me?”

A faint red glow surfaced in Li Feiyun’s eyes.

”But be careful... My Blood Cauldron Scripture is no ordinary art. The slightest mistake will mean your death.

”You cannot afford to be careless!”

As he spoke, his footwork shifted. He became a bloody shadow, closing the distance to Jiang Ran in a single step.

His palm strike shifted, morphing three times in quick succession as he thrust it forward, unleashing a torrent of crimson energy!

A sharp light flashed in Jiang Ran’s eyes. With a HUM, the brilliant arc of his saber swept out, clearing the crimson torrent away.

Li Feiyun’s expression changed. With a flick of his wrist, he snapped a finger.

A sharp HUM rang out!

The saber in Jiang Ran’s hand trembled as a streak of crimson energy shot along the blade toward his palm.

He felt a slight chill in his palm as he instantly changed his move, striking straight for Li Feiyun’s neck.

But for some reason, Li Feiyun just stood there, as if stunned. The corner of his mouth twitched, about to form a smile... but before it could, a look of utter shock filled his eyes.

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