Wuxia: Starting Off With 60 Years of Inner Strength

The two men Li Tianxin had wounded were completely ignored.

Li Tianxin shot Jiang Ran a look, his heart filled with doubt.

’The martial art Jiang Ran just used... why did it look so much like Baojing’s Great Brahman Vajra Skill?’

But this was no time for questions, so he prepared to give chase.

Jiang Ran reached out and stopped him:

”Don’t pursue a cornered enemy.”

”This isn’t like you.”

Li Tianxin was a little surprised. ’Jiang Ran always goes for the kill. Why is he suddenly quoting ’don’t pursue a cornered enemy’?’

Jiang Ran then looked toward a corner of the woods:

”Since you’re already here, why not show yourself?”

A voice immediately drifted out from the woods:

”I’ve long heard of Young Hero Jiang’s fame. Having met you today, I see your reputation is well-deserved.”

As the voice spoke, a sedan chair emerged from the woods.

Four unremarkable men carried the sedan chair, which hovered a few inches off the ground. Their feet trod on empty air as they moved in complete silence.

In the blink of an eye, they were before Jiang Ran and the others.

Li Tianxin and the young woman stared at the sedan chair, their faces showing wary expressions.

Jiang Ran, however, found it rather absurd:

”I wasn’t aware I had such a ’great name’.”

”Anyone, after being hyped up by the Grand Master, would surely become famous.”

The person in the sedan chair chuckled and said:

”But Young Hero Jiang, you misunderstand. My presence here is a mere coincidence.

”When I saw Miss Zhang was in danger, I was planning to help as well.

”But this gentleman here beat me to it.”

Li Tianxin only scoffed in response.

Jiang Ran nodded and said:

”Oh, I see. If I’d known that earlier, I shouldn’t have let those men get away.”

”They’re merely insects, not worth a second thought.”

The person in the sedan chair chuckled again:

”Meeting Young Hero Jiang today has made this trip worthwhile. But I have urgent business to attend to, so I must take my leave. Young Hero Jiang, until we meet again.”

”Please.”

Jiang Ran cupped his fist.

The four sedan bearers immediately lifted their charge. Once again treading on empty air a few inches off the ground, they vanished into the distance in the blink of an eye.

Jiang Ran gazed after the departing sedan chair, his brow furrowed slightly:

”Can you tell what their background is?”

Li Tianxin shook his head:

”Never heard of them.”

”Hm?”

Jiang Ran gave Li Tianxin a surprised look.

Li Tianxin rolled his eyes at the look he was getting:

”What? The martial world is vast. Can’t there be one person I’ve never seen or heard of?

”You have to understand, the Golden Cicada Dynasty alone has the One School, Two Assemblies, Five Sword Clans, Seven Sects, and Thirteen Gangs. Add to that the martial worlds of the other four nations, and the number of masters in this world is as vast and endless as the sea.

”Not to mention all the hidden masters who aren’t famous but possess unparalleled martial arts.

”So for some unknown person to pop up... that’s as normal as it gets.

”Even the Ink Pavilion couldn’t possibly document this entire martial world.”

Jiang Ran clicked his tongue in wonder:

”The Golden Cicada Dynasty can really contain that many factions?”

”Naturally.”

Li Tianxin nodded. ”The martial world runs deep. Don’t think you can do whatever you want just because you’re a powerful martial artist. You never know when some master will pop out of nowhere, beat you to a pulp, and then poison your drink and force you to drink it.”

”...”

Jiang Ran was speechless for a moment. ’Why does it feel like he’s mixing some personal baggage into this?’

He glanced over at the young woman, found her staring transfixed at Li Tianxin, and couldn’t help but smile:

”Miss, are you all right?”

At these words, Li Tianxin also glanced down.

Their eyes met. The young woman finally came to her senses, hastily breaking free from Li Tianxin’s arms and cupping her fists in gratitude:

”Thank you for saving my life, Young Hero.”

’I seem to have been completely ignored.’

Li Tianxin nodded:

”Fine. Just be more careful in the future.”

With that, he turned and walked away.

The young woman froze for a second before hurrying after him:

”I have yet to ask for your name, Young Hero!”

”We’re strangers who met by chance. There’s no need to exchange names.”

”You saved my life! How could I not even know my savior’s name?”

Li Tianxin glanced back at her, his eyes full of impatience.

The young woman, on the other hand, beamed and said:

”My name is Zhang Zhihua.”

”I didn’t ask.”

Li Tianxin’s expression turned Black.

Just then, Jiang Ran laughed and said:

”Ah, so it’s Miss Zhang. The man before you is named Li Tianxin.”

”Li Tianxin!?”

Zhang Zhihua’s eyes lit up. ”I think I’ve heard that name somewhere... Right! The Grand Master mentioned you in the Cangzhou Heroic Assembly... You’re the Li Tianxin who suppressed Zuo Kuangge with a single saber, leaving him powerless to fight back?”

Li Tianxin’s frown deepened. He shot a look at Jiang Ran and said:

”Are you coming or not?”

”Alright, alright, I’m coming.”

A grin he couldn’t hide spread across Jiang Ran’s face as he followed Li Tianxin toward the horse-drawn carriage.

But Zhang Zhihua wasn’t about to give up. She followed behind the two of them, peppering Li Tianxin with questions as they walked.

Cyan veins popped on Li Tianxin’s forehead, but he refused to answer a single one of Zhang Zhihua’s questions.

Jiang Ran, on the other hand, would occasionally chime in with an answer.

When the young lady asked where they were going,

Jiang Ran told her they were headed to Cangzhou Prefecture.

Zhang Zhihua was delighted to hear this, saying she was also going to Cangzhou Prefecture.

She then took the opportunity to ask Li Tianxin if she could travel with them.

Before Li Tianxin could even speak, Jiang Ran was already nodding enthusiastically in agreement.

Li Tianxin let out a series of cold, angry laughs, glaring at Jiang Ran as if he wanted to eat him alive.

Jiang Ran simply made faces at him, his grin utterly shameless.

Li Tianxin was helpless. Even though he was filled with resentment, he couldn’t do anything to Jiang Ran, so he could only storm ahead with a Black face.

Jiang Ran, meanwhile, started casually chatting with Zhang Zhihua.

Zhang Zhihua was young and naive. How could she be a match for Jiang Ran?

With just a few words, Jiang Ran had pried her entire background from her.

He learned that she had been sent to a martial arts sect called the ’Jade Building’ since she was a child.

For many years, she had trained within the sect.

Now that her skills were complete, she had left the mountain to go home and visit her parents.

And according to her, her family were officials. Her father had recently been transferred to Cangzhou Prefecture as the new Prefect of Cangzhou Prefecture.

As for the background of the men who attacked her earlier, she knew nothing at all.

She had simply seen an injustice and drawn her sword to help, only to fall into such a trap.

Jiang Ran casually asked, and she casually answered, not giving her words much thought. All the while, she kept sneaking glances at Li Tianxin, her eyes practically glued to him.