Wuxia: Starting Off With 60 Years of Inner Strength

Feeling he owed them a great debt, Li Tianyu couldn’t just sit idly by, so he followed them out.

Jiang Ran took this opportunity to check on Man Shengming.

He finished and shook his head slightly.

”This Seven Yin Annihilation poison of yours is still hard to neutralize.

”Even I can’t figure out a solution right away. Hero Man, you came here for the Jiaowei, but now that you’ve been poisoned, I’m afraid obtaining it is out of the question.

”You’d be better off leaving now to find a doctor.”

Man Shengming was silent for a moment, then shook his head.

”Forget it.”

But he didn’t leave.

Jiang Ran gave him a confused look.

He then explained:

”I don’t... know... any doctors... I have... nowhere to... turn for help.

”Might as well... give up... and go with... you... to... Sunset Plateau... to-to-to... attend the grand gathering!”

”...”

Jiang Ran nodded, feeling that persuading him would be too much trouble.

Communicating with him was more tiring than an actual fight.

So he didn’t say anything more. ”Very well. Suit yourself.”

The group in the restaurant didn’t have to wait long. Tang Huayi and the others quickly found an inn.

They inspected it from top to bottom and found no issues.

So, the group relocated to the inn.

After the rooms were assigned, Tang Huayi slipped into Jiang Ran’s room.

Jiang Ran had just checked the tea in the pot and was pouring himself a cup when Tang Huayi snatched it away.

Without a word, Jiang Ran glanced at her and quietly poured another cup.

”You’re getting more audacious by the day. Now you even dare to drink my tea?”

”You’ve already poisoned me once. What else is there to fear? The worst you can do is poison me to death.”

It was clear Tang Huayi was past caring.

Jiang Ran pursed his lips, deciding not to stoop to her level.

”What’s the deal with that guy?”

”He seems to be broken.”

Tang Huayi said, ”When I found him, I used my arts to briefly control him and ask a few questions. But these assassins from the Death Building are really something else. He had an iron will and resisted me the entire time.

”He eventually used that willpower to break free from my control.

”He even shot an arrow at me... If Gu Xizhi hadn’t arrived when he did, that man would be dead now.

”And when I called him a meddler, he got upset about it.

”But because of that interruption, the man fainted. When he woke up, he couldn’t remember anything from his past.

”And just like that, you’ve got a new subordinate.

”It’s hard to say how long he’ll be useful. I’ll subtly apply more of my arts to him over time. He’ll most likely never break free in this lifetime.”

Jiang Ran clicked his tongue in admiration.

”Just what I’d expect from the Demon Sect. Truly impressive!”

”It was nothing. If you want to learn, I can teach you.”

Tang Huayi looked at Jiang Ran.

”Besides, you’re my future brother-in-law. Even if I don’t teach you, my sister will eventually pour her heart out and give you everything she has.”

Jiang Ran glanced at her.

”What is she like?”

”Trying to learn more about your future wife?”

”Shouldn’t I be?”

”You should be.”

Tang Huayi smiled. ”But I get the feeling you just want to find out her weaknesses so you can have her wrapped around your little finger. I’m not telling you a thing.

”You’re the worst, so shrewd and calculating. For all I know, you’d try to trick me during a casual chat and use what you learn to hurt my sister later.”

”The only time I’ve ever been screwed over since I started wandering the martial world was by you two.”

Jiang Ran scoffed, ”And you have the audacity to play the victim.”

”Too bad for me. Now that you’ve achieved mastery in your Sutra of Creation’s True Heart, it’s not so easy to trick you anymore.”

As Tang Huayi spoke, she tilted her head and looked at Jiang Ran.

”That’s why I’ve never understood. The day you came to the Tang Mansion, you didn’t have these Divine Techniques from the Sutra of Creation’s True Heart. If you had, my arts would never have been able to restrain you.

”How, in such a short period of time, did your Inner Energy not only skyrocket, but you also mastered the unfathomable Sutra of Creation’s True Heart?

”So, brother-in-law, what is your secret? Won’t you tell me?”

”No.”

”...Stingy.”

”Don’t say things like that while you’re wearing Li Tianxin’s face. It’s revolting.”

”So, does that mean if I used my real face, you’d find it cute?”

”Get out.”

”Fine, I’m leaving.”

Tang Huayi said, ”In any case, what I told Greed Poison wasn’t wrong. You’re probably the kind of anomaly the martial world sees only once in a thousand... no, several thousand years. It’s best to keep some secrets hidden.

”Even if you’re fearless, it’s better to avoid unnecessary trouble... And in that regard, I’ll help you.”

With that, she closed Jiang Ran’s door and left.

Jiang Ran rubbed his chin. The corner of his mouth curved into a slight smile, but his brow furrowed.

He silently circulated the energy of the Sutra of Creation’s True Heart, only to end with a sigh.

His fingers drummed lightly on the table. He gazed at the windowsill, lost in thought.

The rest of the night passed in absolute peace.

Before they knew it, dawn broke. Everyone had slept soundly.

There was still no sign of the one known as Slow Poison.

Nor was there any word from the Blood Saber Hall or the Thunderbolt Hall.

Jiang Ran, having waited all night for nothing, was quite annoyed.

The good news, however, was that Tang Huayi and the others had found a carriage and horses in the small town the day before.

It was just that aside from them, there were no other survivors left in the town.

That, at least, saved them the silver taels.

After breakfast, the group mounted up and hit the road.

About four hours after Jiang Ran and his party had departed, a sighing man slowly arrived before Death Town. He shielded his eyes from the sun, looked up, and sighed again.

”This sun... it’s just too much. What month is it even? You’d think it would have let up by now.

”That useless Greed Poison... making me come all the way out here for such a trivial matter...

”Now that I’m here, where’s my welcome party? Where did everyone die off to?”

He took a couple of steps forward, and then it dawned on him.

”Oh. They all died *here*.”

Gazing at the corpses of the Death Building assassins, which had been neatly arranged by the disciples of Thunderbolt Hall, the man mused to himself:

”So, I’m late again.”