Wuxia: Starting Off With 60 Years of Inner Strength

”Fine, I’ll pay! How much do you want!?”

Jiang Ran didn’t answer right away. Instead, he said,

”Before we get to that, I have a question for you. Just how long do you plan on mooching off me?”

Li Tianxin nearly smashed Jiang Ran over the head with his scabbard.

’This shameless bastard... He’s demanding money for food, and he has the nerve to accuse *me* of mooching!’

’How am I mooching?’

He gritted his teeth fiercely.

”None of your business...”

”Then let’s just call it five years.

”One thousand silver a year. That makes five thousand.”

Jiang Ran held up five fingers.

”I’ll chop them off!”

Li Tianxin finally couldn’t take it anymore. With a CLANG, he drew his sword and slashed.

Jiang Ran grinned, unconcerned. He casually moved to catch the blade between his fingers, but the sword’s edge rolled away. The pressure from its gleaming aura made it difficult for him to get a firm grip.

Then, as the sword swept forward, a DING rang out.

Somehow, Jiang Ran had flicked the flat of the blade with his finger.

The blade was instantly knocked upward.

Jiang Ran laughed and said,

”Kid, have you ever heard the saying that skill is honed through diligence, not idleness?

”Your bladework hasn’t improved at all these past few days.

”It’s good enough for chopping firewood, but you’ve still got a long way to go before you can take me on.

”And another thing... your temper is far too explosive, don’t you think? You’re freeloading here, and when I ask for a little money for food, you draw your sword and try to kill me... That’s the behavior of a Demon.”

”Making such an outrageous demand is what a Demon would do!”

After a few more swings of his sword, Li Tianxin felt some of his anger subside.

Luo Qingyi and Ruan Yuqing, for their part, were already used to this sort of thing.

Jiang Ran and Li Tianxin would often bicker, and it wasn’t uncommon for them to trade a few blows.

When Jiang Ran was in the mood, he would even drag Li Tianxin aside for a proper sparring session.

The spars varied in length, but the outcome was always the same: Li Tianxin would end up black and blue... Luckily, Jiang Ran was a brilliant physician. One day Li Tianxin would be covered in bruises, and by the next, he would be back to normal.

”So, are you going to pay or not?”

”I’ll pay!”

Li Tianxin fiercely rummaged through the silver notes in his hand as if they weren’t money, but slips of paper with Jiang Ran’s face printed on them.

But after he was done, Li Tianxin was dumbfounded.

”I don’t have five thousand silver...”

”You don’t? How much are you short?”

”I’m short three thousand two hundred silver.”

”...”

Jiang Ran was speechless. ’You call that not having five thousand? You don’t even have two thousand!’

He finally sighed.

”Forget it, forget it. Just pay for one year for now. You can make up the rest later.”

Li Tianxin snorted, pulled out a few more silver notes, and handed them to Jiang Ran.

Seeing how serious they were, Ruan Yuqing couldn’t help but speak up.

”Young Hero Jiang... do I have to pay as well?

”But I’ve always traveled the martial world with nothing to my name. I don’t have that much silver...”

Jiang Ran glanced at her.

”No silver...”

Ruan Yuqing froze at his words. She saw Jiang Ran looking at her, a smile playing on his lips.

Her heart instantly tightened... and her mind began to race.

Jiang Ran had come to understand this young woman.

The Gentle Water Sword of the Shuiyue Sword Sect, pure as jade and ice...

That’s what the world knew of her.

But Jiang Ran suspected that the Gentle Water Sword hadn’t been seen in the martial world for the past few years because she was probably holed up in the Shuiyue Sword Sect, devouring all sorts of strange and sensationalist novels.

This girl could take a single, innocent phrase he hadn’t thought twice about and give it a surprisingly racy spin from some unimaginable angle.

He quickly wiped the smile from his face.

”What are you thinking about?”

”I... I wasn’t thinking about anything!”

Ruan Yuqing’s expression was a picture of perfect calm.

”...Only a ghost would believe you.”

Jiang Ran pouted.

”Don’t worry. You’re different from him. If you don’t have silver, you don’t have silver.”

”How absurd!”

Li Tianxin was furious. ”How is she different?”

”Your motivations are different.”

Jiang Ran said, ”She is following me to ensure my safety.”

”And I’m not?”

”Of course not.”

Jiang Ran stated righteously, ”Leaving aside whether you even have the skill to protect me, what was the reason you gave me in the first place? Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten... You said you thought I was a magnet for trouble and wanted to stick by me to find clues and track down the Demon Sect.

”That’s a dangerous business, you know. So, the money you’re paying isn’t just for food...”

”I...”

Li Tianxin thought for a long time but found he couldn’t come up with a rebuttal.

For a moment, he was so angry he was practically hopping mad.

Ruan Yuqing, however, gave Li Tianxin a surprised glance.

Just as she was about to ask something, Jiang Ran suddenly held up a hand, silencing them.

He looked toward the depths of the forest.

A moment later, the RUSTLE RUSTLE RUSTLE of footsteps echoed from the trees.

Luo Qingyi instantly perked up.

He stood, rubbing his palms together eagerly.

”Has someone who isn’t afraid of dying finally shown up?”

As he spoke, the newcomer passed through the dark part of the woods and stepped into the firelight.

His eyes immediately landed on the roast chicken by the fire. Without a second thought, he strode forward, grabbed one, and started tearing into it, heedless of the heat.

Jiang Ran watched him silently for a moment, then waved for Luo Qingyi to sit back down.

Only then did he speak with a smile.

”Is it good?”

The newcomer nodded repeatedly.

”That’s ours.”

The man spoke while eating.

”I know...”

His mouth was so full of chicken that his words were muffled.

Then Jiang Ran said,

”You have to pay for it...”

”How much? I have it!”

The newcomer was surprisingly forthright.

Jiang Ran didn’t miss a beat. ”One hundred thousand silver!”

”PFFT!!”

Blindsided by the number, the newcomer choked. He immediately began pounding his chest. After finally managing a cough and catching his breath, he glared at Jiang Ran.

”Young Hero Jiang, it’s been about a month... Have you stopped being an Assassin and taken up highway robbery?”

”You jest, Senior. I haven’t robbed anyone. It was clearly you, Great Sir, who ran over and snatched our roast chicken.”

Jiang Ran chuckled.

The man before him was none other than the Great Sir he had met once in Cangzhou Prefecture.