The waiter in coarse cloth stood at the top of the stairs. The respectful smile he usually wore was nowhere to be seen, replaced instead by displeasure over the broken rules.
“No fighting inside the Peace Inn. Do you not know the rules here, guest?” The question was directed straight at Jiang Moran.
He raised an eyebrow slightly. He had heard a bit about the Peace Inn; it was said to be a faction with locations scattered across the jianghu. Inside the inn, one could accept all sorts of bounty tasks or stay to rest.
Correspondingly, the cost of staying here was anything but cheap, as protection was provided within its walls.
Unfortunately for them... he didn't follow the rules!
His footsteps sounded once more, striding toward the red-robed woman without the slightest hesitation.
Seeing this, she accepted her fate, closing her eyes once again without making any attempt to struggle.
However, the ignored waiter's face grew even darker. “Anyone who breaks the rules dies!”
With that, broom in hand, he leaped down from the stairs, sweeping the broom through the air in an arc aimed directly at Jiang Moran.
Yet Jiang Moran didn't even turn his head to acknowledge him. With a subtle shift of his stance, he casually dodged the strike.
The broom sliced a crescent through the air, bringing with it a fierce gust of wind that overturned all the tables and chairs ahead, catching several gloating patrons in the crossfire.
Seeing his first attack fail, the waiter didn't stop. He brandished the broom, constantly changing techniques as he attacked Jiang Moran, leaving behind afterimages in the air.
Yet against such an onslaught, Jiang Moran merely shifted his feet with slight, graceful movements, without so much as a speck of dust brushing the hem of his clothes.
This filled the waiter with growing dread as the fight wore on, his eyes wide with horror!
“Who is this man?!”
“Just who is he...?”
Cold sweat poured down the waiter's forehead, and his movements were growing strained, yet his opponent still looked entirely at ease.
“Phew! This won't work... I've pushed myself to the limit, yet I can't even touch him.”
“Retreat first!”
The moment the thought crossed his mind, the waiter held the broom up to block in front of himself and rapidly retreated.
The next instant, a scalp-numbing sensation washed over him...
A large hand reached out and grabbed the back of his head.
Bam!
The ground caved in. Everyone felt the inside of the inn tremble slightly. When they looked over again, the mysterious man had slammed the waiter's head directly into the floor!
The broom fell from his hand, and he lay there motionless, his fate unknown.
The commotion caused the red-robed woman to open her eyes once more. Seeing this scene, shock washed over her face.
“He... he didn't just attack inside the Peace Inn.”
“He even beat someone from the Peace Inn to death?!”
While she was still frozen in utter astonishment, Jiang Moran had already walked up to her, looking down from above.
However, he refrained from striking. Remembering Little Qing's fight that night—a battle she should have easily won, yet nearly lost her life in due to a lack of practical combat experience...
Along with the girl's longing expression when listening to jianghu tales at the dinner table, Jiang Moran ultimately let out a sigh.
“You won't die within three shichen. Tomorrow morning, wait for Little Qing at the city gates.”
“I want you to take her and show her what this jianghu is truly like.”
“But remember: you may die, but she must not.”
Jiang Moran did not take the red-robed woman's life. He simply left behind those three sentences, then turned and strode away with his hands behind his back.
The crowd inside the inn fell as silent as winter cicadas, watching his departing back. Not a single person dared to breathe loudly; anyone with eyes could tell that this big shot was in an exceptionally foul mood...
If they accidentally got themselves killed here, it would truly be a tragic waste.
It wasn't until an incense stick's time later that the waiter, who had been lying on the ground looking quite dead for a while, struggled to climb back up.
This scared the onlookers out of their wits. They kept shouting about a rising corpse until the waiter kicked one of them over, finally restoring quiet.
No one in the inn expected the waiter to still be alive. Though he looked in terrible shape—his coarse cloth clothes tattered and torn, his forehead a bloody mess—he was at least breathing.
“Hiss! Damn, that hurts!” The waiter grimaced, feeling the world swaying before his eyes.
Looking at the red-robed woman, who still hadn't recovered from the brink of death, the waiter felt helpless. He knew that man's first sentence had been directed at him.
If Qiu Zhiya died, there would be no point in him living either.
The thought gave him a massive headache and left his chest feeling tight. It was all because this woman had lured that fiend into the inn, getting him beaten to a pulp in the process.
If he weren't genuinely terrified that she might die, he would have loved to go over and kick her a couple of times himself!
Unable to quell his frustration, he landed another kick on the person still lying on the floor. “You! Scram over to the west side of town and fetch that lame doctor!”
...
Ning Qingzhu and Old Chen hurried back to the riverside courtyard from the city.
As usual, Jiang Moran was lounging in his grand armchair, the chair creaking softly with his movements.
Ning Qingzhu walked over with a beaming smile and said, “Young Master! I'm back!”
The young girl quietly slipped behind him, extending her fair hands to massage his shoulders as she said, “I didn't practice enough this morning, so I'll go work on my footwork again in a bit.”
She then rattled on about the interesting things in town—how a candied hawthorn vendor had raised their price by another copper coin, the street performer smashing sledgehammers on chest, and so on—while Jiang Moran listened quietly.
Only after a long while did he open his mouth to ask, “Brat, how old are you this year?”
Ning Qingzhu froze for a moment, bewildered by the sudden question, but answered nonetheless, “I'm eighteen this year.”
“Eighteen already...” Jiang Moran mused, marveling at how the little kid from back then had grown tall enough to reach his chest.
“The age when one's ambition reaches for the heavens. It's time to let you go out and make your own way.” Jiang Moran spoke slowly.
Before Ning Qingzhu could process what he meant, Jiang Moran continued, “Pack your things tonight and head out tomorrow.”
These few words completely stunned the girl, whose hands were still massaging his shoulders. He waited for a long time without receiving a response.
“Ahem, Little—”
Just as he was about to repeat himself, the girl's delicate, shapely body suddenly straddled his thighs, causing Jiang Moran to freeze.
The scolding words at the tip of his tongue instantly melted away at the sight of her reddened, aggrieved eyes.
A hazy mist gathered in her eyes, making her look utterly pitiful and endearing.
The girl looked at him so pitifully, then asked timidly, “Is Young Master throwing me away...?”
For a brief moment, Jiang Moran felt that having him by her side was enough.
But in the end, he held back and shook his head.
“It's not that I don't want you. The martial arts you've learned have reached the stage where practical experience is needed. You must continually temper yourself through trials, which is why I'm sending you out to experience the jianghu.”
“If you ever get tired out there, you can come back anytime!”
Seeing that Jiang Moran truly wasn't abandoning her, the downward curve of her lips turned back up. As long as Young Master wasn't casting her aside, everything was fine.
However, a conflicted look soon settled back onto her face. If she left to wander the jianghu, what would happen to Young Master...?
Perhaps sensing her thoughts, Jiang Moran smiled and said, “The world is getting more chaotic by the day. I'm still counting on Little Qing to protect me in the future.”
These words instantly sent the girl's heart soaring with joy, transforming her reliance on her Young Master into an indestructible sense of responsibility!
Seeing that he had finally succeeded in coaxing the girl, Jiang Moran let out a quiet breath of relief. It wasn't that he looked down on her talent or strength.
In the words of a friend he had once known: “Better to make an enemy of the entire jianghu than to cross you.”
When Old Chen stepped out carrying a food tray, he happened to see Little Qing sitting on Jiang Moran's lap, the two of them chatting and laughing face-to-face.
“The little girl's finally opened her eyes to romance, huh? Heh-heh,” Old Chen chuckled to himself. Normally she didn't make a move, but when she did, it was a grand gesture.
As Old Chen brought out the dishes, a rich aroma wafted through the courtyard. Only when Little Qing smelled the food did she realize Uncle Chen had come out.
Her fair face instantly flushed deep crimson, and she scrambled off Jiang Moran in a flustered flurry.
Uncle Chen gazed affectionately at the dishes in his hands, acting as if he hadn't seen a thing, and only called out for them to come eat once he set everything down on the dining table.
Dinner tonight was exceptionally sumptuous, featuring every single dish the young girl loved. As soon as Jiang Moran sat down, Little Qing took a seat directly beside him without a second thought.
Jiang Moran glanced over slightly. The girl's long hair fell to cover the side of her face, yet the exposed tip of her ear was bright red.
While eating, Jiang Moran suddenly turned to Old Chen and said, “Old Chen, I plan to let Little Qing go out and wander the jianghu.”
Old Chen paused in surprise, somewhat taken aback that he was willing to let Little Qing experience the real jianghu. Still, he said nothing more and simply nodded with a tinge of concern.
Jiang Moran continued, “Old Chen, Little Qing lacks real-world experience. Though her martial arts aren't weak, the jianghu is treacherous. I'm still worried she might get tricked.”
The young girl, who was still happily munching on a chicken wing: ?
Old Chen couldn't help but frown slightly at those words, nodding this time without the slightest hesitation.
Only then did Jiang Moran go on: “Old Chen, you have broad experience, so I'm leaving Little Qing in your hands.”
Old Chen nodded. “Mm... Huh?”
He raised his head in utter bewilderment. What did he mean, leaving her in his hands?!
“It's like this,” Jiang Moran explained. “I'm worried Little Qing will be tricked out in the jianghu and won't eat well. You know she loves your cooking the most, so I figured you should tag along with her.”
“Look, you've reached this age—it's high time you went out to make a name for yourself too. Thirty years pass, then another thirty—never mock a poor old man!”
When Jiang Moran finished speaking, Old Chen was completely dumbfounded. At his age, he was supposed to wander the jianghu with Little Qing...?
What kind of hot-blooded old-man jianghu adventure storyline was this supposed to be?!
Setting everything else aside, if someone thrust a sword at them, others could dodge with a quick twist of the waist. If he twisted his waist, he'd probably herniate a spinal disc!
“Aiya, Young Master, this won't do!” Old Chen pleaded with a miserable expression.
He could already picture the scene: an old man standing amidst a crowd of jianghu martial artists, and when the fight broke out, everyone would target him first.
And during a pursuit, someone would probably yell, “Brothers, here's one who can't run!”
Jiang Moran solemnly patted Old Chen's shoulder, assuming an expression of entrusting him with a monumental task. “Rest assured, Old Chen, Little Qing will protect you. Just help me keep an eye on her; without me around, she might get a bit too wild.”
Seeing him put it this way, Old Chen didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Yet perhaps driven by the worry in his heart, he ultimately agreed.
Once their conversation ended, Little Qing immediately piped up to defend her reputation, and the meal proceeded amid non-stop laughter.
The setting sun faded into night as stars filled the sky. After finishing her meal, Little Qing returned to her room to pack her bags, while Old Chen stayed behind to clean up after dinner.
Jiang Moran rose and walked over to his side, saying, “Follow me.”
With those words, he walked toward the wooden house. Old Chen was confused, but he set down his bowls and chopsticks and quickly followed.
Standing at the doorway of the wooden house, Old Chen watched him rummage through things inside, unable to curb his curiosity.
Before long, Old Chen saw him emerge holding an item wrapped in red cloth, unwrapping it as he walked.
By the time he stepped up to Old Chen, the item inside was revealed.
It was a wooden mask, heavily scratched and bearing all the marks of age. Even more striking was the design carved onto it—a pair of hideous fangs.
The moment the mask appeared, Old Chen froze dead in his tracks. His pupils shrank violently, and his face filled with shock and disbelief.
He knew what this was—it was a taboo of that era. Many could replicate this mask, but no one dared to wear it.
Because that person had worn this very mask when he slaughtered his way across the entire jianghu!
“You... You are...” Old Chen's voice trembled. He couldn't bring himself to utter the remaining words, for he didn't dare.
“An old story from years gone by, no need to speak of it again.” Jiang Moran waved his hand and offered the mask forward. “Take this mask. If you ever encounter danger out in the jianghu, pull it out. I should still hold a bit of sway in the jianghu.”
A bit of sway?!
Old Chen thought to himself as he stared at the mask held out before him, feeling for a moment as if he were dreaming.
The legendary myth of the jianghu, the God of Slaughter Jiang Moran, was actually his Young Master!
He hurriedly accepted the mask with both hands. A rough texture met his touch, akin to caressing an ancient piece of wood, heavy and resilient.
“Y-Young Master, you're actually Jiang Moran!” Old Chen stammered excitedly, a flush of color returning even to his aged face.
Seeing Old Chen so worked up, Jiang Moran found it amusing. “You're someone who's seen the world, Old Chen. Why get so worked up?”
How could that possibly be the same?! Old Chen thought.
As dusk deepened, Jiang Moran finished explaining a few final matters and retired to his room to rest. Old Chen also returned to his room, cradling the mask like a priceless treasure.
The night passed without further incident. Early the next morning, Old Chen prepared breakfast.
Faint dark circles hung under Ning Qingzhu's eyes, suggesting she had been too excited to sleep well the previous night.
She sat close beside Jiang Moran, savoring these last moments of warmth.
“Young Master, I still really hate to leave you...”
“It's not like I'm dead.”
Ning Qingzhu pouted. How is not seeing you any different from you being dead?
“Little Qing, we should get going.” Old Chen cleared the table and packed their personal luggage onto the horse's back.
Ning Qingzhu reluctantly released her hold on him, while he dotingly patted her hair.
Suddenly, catching him off guard, Ning Qingzhu stood on tiptoe and planted a quick kiss on his cheek, then spun around and bolted.
Jiang Moran blinked in surprise, then chuckled softly as he watched the girl's flustered, retreating back. This girl is both timid and mischievous.
Just as the two were walking far into the distance, the girl suddenly stopped in her tracks.
She turned back to face the man leaning against the locust tree in the distance, shouting at the top of her lungs, “Young Master!”
“I want to be Number One in the Jianghu!”
Her voice was crisp and resonant, filled with youthful vigor and pride.
Jiang Moran raised an eyebrow slightly, a faint smile curling the corners of his lips.
“Number One in the Jianghu, hm?”
...
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