Wuxia: Starting Off With 60 Years of Inner Strength

The waiter let out a stifled groan.

Jiang Ran frowned, however. He dropped his chopsticks and waved a hand.

”Cut the noise.”

A wave of Gang Qi sent the waiter flying sideways. He slammed hard against the wall before tumbling to the floor.

Jiang Ran picked his chopsticks back up and lifted a slice of lamb.

”This town looks rundown, but I didn’t expect the food to be this good.”

”You’ve all gone to a great deal of trouble. How about I treat you to a slice of meat?”

The waiter struggled to his feet, trying to speak, but the moment he opened his mouth, a slice of lamb flew inside.

He chewed twice out of instinct, but his face paled, and he spat it out in a hurry.

He then frantically fumbled inside his robes, pulling out a paper packet a moment later and starting to open it.

But before he could, his hand was empty.

The paper packet was already in Jiang Ran’s hands.

”Give it back!!”

The waiter cried out in alarm, but when he looked up, he froze.

As Jiang Ran opened the packet, the waiter noticed he was wearing deerskin gloves. ’When did he put those on?’

Jiang Ran paid him no mind. He glanced at the powder in the packet, then picked up a slice of lamb, sniffed it, and said softly,

”This isn’t an antidote. It’s flour. You were in such a rush to pour it in your mouth. Did you really think flour could cure poison?”

”Or is it because the actual poison was on the paper?”

”...”

The waiter’s face darkened. He subconsciously hid a hand that had already turned black up his sleeve, then sneered.

”You’ve entered Death Town. There’s no leaving alive.”

”Today, no matter how skilled or resourceful you are, death is your only way out!”

With that, he raised a hand to smash his own skull.

WHIZZ! A chopstick flew through the air, piercing his palm and pinning it to the wall.

Jiang Ran chuckled lightly.

”Don’t be in such a hurry to die. Why don’t you tell me about this Death Town?”

The waiter was a tough one.

With one hand pinned to the wall, he tried to kill himself with the other.

Then it, too, was pinned to the wall.

The waiter flew into a rage. He stuck out his tongue and bit down hard, the pain bringing tears to his eyes.

He bit a deep gash into his tongue, and the pain was so immense he nearly gave up, all his effort about to be wasted. But in the end, he mustered all his strength, veins bulging on his forehead, and bit down for dear life.

He finally managed to bite off his own tongue.

He opened his mouth and spat, and half a tongue fell to the floor.

His gaze toward Jiang Ran held a hint of triumphant provocation.

Jiang Ran was speechless for a moment.

”Was that really necessary? I just asked you a question. If you didn’t want to answer, you could have just stayed quiet. But biting your own tongue... Look at this bloody mess. It’s disgusting.”

”Besides, this town is filled with people just as malicious as you.”

”If you don’t talk, someone else will. It’s not like I have to ask you.”

”A mere waiter is this interesting.”

Tang Huayi raised an eyebrow slightly.

”This place must be fun. I’m going out for a walk.”

”You’re not afraid?”

Jiang Ran glanced at her.

”This isn’t Eternal Town. What’s there to be scared of when it’s just people?”

Tang Huayi sneered. When it came to mortals, she had never been afraid of anyone. Only demons and ghosts gave her pause.

”Go on, go on.”

Jiang Ran waved his hand dismissively.

Tang Huayi’s figure flickered, and she stepped out of the tavern, plunging into the town.

Jiang Ran was heard shouting from behind her:

”Ask around where they sell horses!”

”Got it.”

Tang Huayi’s voice floated back faintly.

”You’re just letting her go?”

Ruan Yuqing glanced at Jiang Ran.

”This town is fraught with danger... It’s better not to split up.”

”Don’t worry. She’s unfathomably powerful. A small town like this is hardly a match for her.”

Jiang Ran gently rubbed his nose.

”Looks like we won’t be finishing this fine meal. A pity about that thirty-year-old Daughter’s Red, too. We’re not destined to enjoy it.”

”Maybe we should go check the back kitchen, see if there’s... Hmm, never mind. The cook is coming out.”

WHIRRR!

The sound of something slicing through the air rang out. He turned his head to see a spinning cleaver flying toward them.

It embedded itself violently in the dining table.

The cleaver was thick and heavy, its edge wickedly sharp. The blade quivered, humming incessantly where it stood.

A large, heavyset man walked out slowly from the kitchen and sighed.

”Patrons these days are so hard to please.”

”Good wine and good food are served, but they refuse to take a single bite.”

”Won’t eat the food, won’t touch the dishes, won’t even drink the wine.”

”That’s one thing, but you even have to bully our waiter... Look what a mess you’ve made of the lad...”

Of course, the waiter wasn’t dead. Committing suicide by biting off one’s tongue is actually quite difficult.

Not only is it excruciatingly painful, but biting off your tongue won’t actually kill you.

Even if you wanted to bleed to death, the amount of blood from a severed tongue isn’t enough to do it.

The only real possibility is for the blood to flow down your throat and choke you, causing you to suffocate.

But that’s a long shot.

The waiter’s face was now pale with pain, his mouth full of blood, and he didn’t feel like he was about to die.

Hearing the cook speak for him, the waiter couldn’t help but glance back, his mouth issuing muffled ”Mmmph, mmmph” sounds, his words unintelligible.

The cook, however, seemed to understand and nodded repeatedly.

”Alright, alright, I get it.”

Then he looked at Jiang Ran and the others and said:

”He says his injuries are grievous and will be difficult to heal. He requires two items as compensation to settle this matter.”

Jiang Ran smiled.

”Two items for compensation? Do tell.”

”First, the Jiaowei zither. As one of the Twelve Celestial Artificers, its value is considerable. It’ll just have to do.”

The cook held up one chubby finger.

Ruan Yuqing sneered.