Wuxia: Starting Off With 60 Years of Inner Strength

Jiang Ran nodded. ”That’s true enough...”

On the surface, the Heartless Ghost Mansion appeared to be nothing more than a secret refuge for the most heinous criminals, those with nowhere left to turn in the martial world.

It didn’t seem complicated on the whole... but in reality, just consider two facts: they could appear before anyone at will to guide them to the Heartless Ghost Mansion, and no one could stop them.

This proved the Heartless Ghost Mansion was anything but simple.

’They must have some force, an organization lurking in the shadows of the martial world, gathering information from every corner.’

’This must be why Dao Zhen and the others are so terrified of the Mansion Master coming after them.’

Jiang Ran thought for a moment. It had been some time since he had saved Ye Jingshuang, fought outside the teahouse, and sent Luo Qingyi back to Feiyun Stronghold with the news.

Quite some time had passed since then.

’The information I intentionally spread should have circulated by now.’

’If the Heartless Ghost Mansion is truly what I suspect—a hidden power lurking within the martial world—then its master might already be on his way to Cangzhou Prefecture.’

Jiang Ran’s mind raced, but he shook his head.

’The master of the Heartless Ghost Mansion is an enigma. Going after him directly would be a suicide mission.’

’This Ghost Thirteen, on the other hand... he owes someone his life. Perhaps there’s an opening there.’

With this in mind, Jiang Ran spoke softly,

”In that case, I’ve decided on my price.”

”I’ll help you save him. In return, if you ever find the Heartless Ghost Mansion, you’ll tell me its location.”

”I’d like to learn more about it.”

”Why are you looking for the Heartless Ghost Mansion?”

Li Tianxin shot Jiang Ran a quizzical look.

”To uphold justice and chivalry.”

Jiang Ran threw Li Tianxin’s own words right back at him.

Li Tianxin ground his teeth in frustration.

Jiang Ran ignored him and went straight to the inner room. Just as expected, the iron-masked Ghost Thirteen was lying motionless on the bed.

He walked to the bedside, took the man’s wrist to check his pulse, and a strange expression crossed his face.

Then, he beckoned to Li Tianxin.

Li Tianxin approached, confused.

”What’s wrong?”

”Are you familiar with the Yongquan acupoint on the sole of the foot?”

”Obviously.”

”Good.”

Jiang Ran pointed at Ghost Thirteen’s boots.

”Take them off.”

”...”

Li Tianxin’s brow twitched. After a glance at Jiang Ran, he braced himself and yanked off Ghost Thirteen’s boot.

Instantly, the reek of foot odor filled the room.

Jiang Ran grimaced.

”It seems no one is immune to stinky feet, not even martial arts masters or pretty boys.”

”Now what?”

Li Tianxin asked, his expression pained as he pinched his nose.

”Find his Yongquan acupoint,” Jiang Ran said. ”Then, press on it and jab it with your Inner Strength.”

”???”

Li Tianxin’s eyes went wide.

”Why don’t you do it?”

”First, it stinks.”

”Second, you’re the one who saved him.”

”Third, if you do this, he’ll wake up immediately.”

”Of course, maybe you’re not in such a hurry?”

Jiang Ran glanced at Li Tianxin.

Li Tianxin gripped the hilt of his saber.

”How about I just cut him down?”

”Are you some kind of living King Yan?”

Jiang Ran laughed. ”He’ll wake up if you just jab his Yongquan acupoint a few times. Why jump straight to killing?”

”Someone who kills at the drop of a hat and might have a severed head sitting in his room... How can you say that with a straight face?”

Li Tianxin snarled, glaring at Jiang Ran.

Jiang Ran thought for a moment before saying,

”You know, I just remembered. I did put something in your tea that day.”

”...You did?”

Li Tianxin was skeptical.

Jiang Ran grinned again. ”Wanna bet?”

’Why should I be the one to do it!?’

Li Tianxin shot Jiang Ran a hateful glare, then looked back at Ghost Thirteen’s feet. Channeling his energy into two fingers, he slowly brought them closer.

He was just about to make contact... but pulled his hand back at the last second.

”No, no. I can’t do it.”

”Fine, we’ll do it your way,”

Jiang Ran said.

”Chop his leg off.”

”Alright!”

In that instant, Li Tianxin forgot all about upholding justice. He no longer cared about the chivalry and public-spiritedness of the ”Jade-Faced Qilin” from ten years ago.

He would do anything to avoid touching those stinking feet.

A flash of light from his saber, and the blade began to descend.

Ghost Thirteen, who had been lying perfectly still, suddenly snapped his eyes open. He retracted his legs and shot into a squat on the bed.

Li Tianxin looked up.

”You were faking it!?”

Ghost Thirteen completely ignored Li Tianxin. With a shift of his internal breath, he pushed off with his feet and bolted for the door.

Li Tianxin changed his grip on his saber and swung it in a wide arc.

But Ghost Thirteen’s Body Technique was superb. He twisted in mid-air. Though he couldn’t change his trajectory, he managed to slip through a gap in Li Tianxin’s attack. He landed on the balls of his feet, poised to make his escape.

But just then, a powerful force rushed him from behind, seemingly vast enough to blot out the sky and seal off every escape route.

His heart seized with terror. Not daring to hesitate, he whipped his head around, only to see five fingers closing in on his face.

He immediately threw up a palm to block, but the five fingers didn’t evade at all. Sharp as blades, they closed around his hand.

Ghost Thirteen tried to circulate his internal breath but let out a muffled grunt. He felt the True Qi in his palm instantly crushed by the other’s grip, and he thought he heard the faint sound of his bones shattering.

The next moment, he felt a tight grip on his shoulder. He glanced down to see that the man had already grabbed him.

An immense force followed, and the world spun around him.

By the time he came to his senses, he heard a loud THUD.

He had been slammed to the ground, and he couldn’t stop himself from coughing up another mouthful of blood.

Jiang Ran casually flicked off his mask, revealing a horribly scarred face.

Frowning slightly, he forced the man’s jaw open. After a quick inspection, he removed a poison fang.

Ghost Seven had died by biting down on a similar poison fang. Jiang Ran wasn’t about to make the same mistake twice.