Wuxia: Starting Off With 60 Years of Inner Strength

”We can’t go on like this...

”There’s an expert interfering from the shadows. If this fight continues, we’re all going to die here.”

One of them spoke up, and another immediately agreed.

But someone else disagreed.

”But even if we want to leave now, do you think they’ll just let us go?”

At these words, the group fell silent once more.

The person hiding in the shadows hadn’t shown themself, but judging from the Inner Strength contained within that whistle, they were no match for him.

And that’s not even mentioning the expert from the Danyang Sword Sect.

The other party didn’t even have to do anything. As long as they stood there whistling, Shi Miao would end up slaughtering them all.

If they tried to run now, would that person agree to it?

”Let’s risk it! Since he only used a whistle to stop us and didn’t show himself... he might not be trying to make things difficult. Maybe he just couldn’t stand seeing us gang up on her.

”Even if that’s not it, we still have a chance to escape with our lives if we take the gamble now. Otherwise, this day next year will be our death anniversary.”

As soon as this was said, the remaining men nodded. The six of them reached an agreement. With a sudden clash of gongs and drums, they broke formation and fled.

And the whistle that had sounded every time before, sure enough, did not sound this time.

This brief pause was all it took. By the time Shi Miao reacted, the group had already gotten a good distance away.

She immediately moved to give chase, but the gongs and drums sounded again... She faltered once more, but after that momentary pause, she continued, indomitable.

She was truly like a stubborn sword: once drawn, it would not be sheathed until it had tasted blood.

Jiang Ran watched for a long while, not knowing what to say.

The gongs and drums had some effect, but it was still difficult to completely stop Shi Miao.

It was one thing to kill, but escaping her was not so easy.

Jiang Ran pondered for a moment, then fixed his gaze on the spot between Shi Miao’s shoulder blades.

The next moment, Shi Miao indeed froze in place.

Only after the group had escaped a good distance away did Shi Miao suddenly whip her head around, her eyes immediately landing on Jiang Ran standing behind her.

”What are you doing?”

”Does your Senior Sister Ye know you have a habit of repaying kindness with malice?”

”I...”

Shi Miao wanted to argue, but since Jiang Ran had appeared now, it was obvious the whistling from before had come from him.

It was reasonable for him to say he had saved her life.

She took a deep breath, her aura growing even colder.

”Why did you let them go?”

”What did Dao Wuming ask you to do?”

Jiang Ran said, walking in the direction the group had fled.

Shi Miao subconsciously fell into step beside him.

”Protect Chang Nian and eradicate Heterodox Manor.”

”You added that last part yourself, didn’t you?”

Jiang Ran glanced at Shi Miao.

Shi Miao was silent.

Jiang Ran was speechless for a moment.

”Do you even know how to protect someone?”

Without a second thought, Shi Miao replied, ”By nipping the threat in the bud!”

”Sounds reasonable! But do you know where the source of the danger is?”

”Heterodox Manor.”

”Then are you going to go to Heterodox Manor and kill its master?”

”...I can’t find it.”

’From the sound of it,’ Jiang Ran thought, secretly wiping away a bead of sweat, ’if she could find Heterodox Manor, she’d charge right in and start killing people.’

Jiang Ran sighed.

”Based on the current situation, the key is their Young Manor Lord. Below him are the agents of the heterodox path who have come to Benma County to cause trouble.

”There must be a leader among them. Even if it isn’t the Young Manor Lord, that person is still crucial.

”Even if you had shown your might today and killed the men who ambushed you, along with the ones on the roof going after Chang Nian, what good would it have done?

”The real mastermind—the Black Hand—is still hiding behind the scenes. All you can do is stay by Chang Nian’s side, killing them one by one as they come, waiting for the enemy to make their moves while you wear yourself out reacting.

”As the saying goes, a long defense is bound to fail. How long can you keep this up?

”One careless mistake, and Chang Nian’s life will be lost... I’m quite sure Dao Wuming didn’t send you here just to attend Chang Nian’s funeral.”

”...”

The aura around Shi Miao grew colder and heavier, her face completely devoid of expression.

Jiang Ran thought she hadn’t listened to a single word he’d said.

Then he heard her grit her teeth and squeeze out a few words:

”Then what should I do?”

”Use these men as a trail to find their gathering place and uncover the person pulling the strings.”

Jiang Ran smiled faintly.

”That way, you can know your enemy and yourself, and win a hundred battles.”

”Fine. I’ll go find them!”

Shi Miao said icily. The Sword Qi around her swirled, and she prepared to accelerate.

Jiang Ran was taken aback and quickly said:

”Stop!”

Shi Miao came to a dead stop. She turned to look back at Jiang Ran, her eyes as cold as frost, her aura as sharp and focused as the edge of a sword.

”What is it?”

”...You’re too conspicuous.”

Jiang Ran said, ”Rein in your Sword Qi so you aren’t detected. Also, once you find their trail, don’t show yourself. Otherwise, you’ll alert the enemy, and it’ll be much harder to find them again.”

”Once I find them, I’ll just kill them.”

Shi Miao looked at Jiang Ran in confusion.

”What’s there to be alerted about then?”

’How in the world did this woman grow up?’ Jiang Ran wondered. ’How can her killing intent be this strong?’

Jiang Ran was at a loss for words.

”Are you confident you can take them all?”

”...I can give it my all. Even if I fail, it’s only death.”

”There’s no need to be so reckless with your life.”

Jiang Ran took a deep breath.

”Think about it. Your Senior Sister Ye is in Benma County, and so is Senior Tong, the Palm of Heaven Net. At the very least, I’m here too.

”If you can find their whereabouts, just come back and tell us.

”With all of us together, don’t we have a much better chance than you do alone?”

Shi Miao thought about it carefully.

”But what if they’re not willing?”

”Why wouldn’t they be?”

Jiang Ran was puzzled.

”Not everyone who learns martial arts wants to be a hero, wiping out all the injustice in the world.”

Shi Miao said coldly.

”This is what I want to do. It’s why I practice the sword, a conviction I will hold until death. But there’s no reason to assume everyone else should be the same as me.”

Jiang Ran was stunned. He never expected to hear such words from a girl who seemed as cold as ice.

Then he smiled. He suddenly understood why she and Ye Jingshuang had become such close friends.