Chapter 9: Acting

Chen Yuan finalized some details with Wenrou, and they eventually decided to make their move in three days.

After discussing the matter, Chen Yuan asked, “Manager Wen, has anything major happened in the Jianghu recently? Do I need to pay for this information?”

Wenrou looked at Chen Yuan strangely. “There’s no need to pay for things that everyone already knows, but why are you asking about this? You haven’t even stepped out of Lianshan City yet. What do these major events have to do with you?”

“It doesn’t have much to do with me; I’m just curious. Even if I am a frog at the bottom of a well, I’d be truly foolish if I couldn’t even hear the sounds from outside.”

Chen Yuan wanted to gather some outside information from Wenrou to align the current timeline with certain major plot developments in his memory.

Wenrou didn’t press further and said directly, “There really have been quite a few major events in the Jianghu lately. News comes from the Heavenly Wind Listening to Rain Tower headquarters almost every day.”

“The biggest event happened a month ago. The great tycoon of Yan Province, Zhi Shilang, raised the banner of rebellion at Changbai Mountain and established the Sun Exchange Alliance to revolt against the imperial court.”

“He even composed a song: ‘Before Changbai Mountain stands Zhi Shilang, clad in pure red silk and a brocade vest.'”

“With a single call, Zhi Shilang gathered over a hundred thousand people. The heroes and outlaws of Yan Province responded in droves, creating a massive momentum. Within a few days, they captured nine cities in Yan Province and hung the severed head of the imperial relative, Prince Yan Zhao Pan, on the city gates for birds to peck at.”

“However, the imperial court then dispatched Great General Xiahou Jiuxiao of the Pacification Army to lead a campaign. He repeatedly defeated the Sun Exchange Alliance rebels and recaptured five cities in one go. Currently, both sides are in a stalemate.”

“Half a month ago, the ‘Sword God’ Xie Kunwu traveled alone to the Western Border to challenge the abbot of the great Tantric Sect, Zunxiang Faneng Temple, the ‘Descent of the Wisdom King’ Sonam Simo.”

“No one dared to watch this battle up close, but from over ten miles away, some saw a golden light as bright as the sun melting the snow-capped mountains. Its power was awe-inspiring.”

“Afterward, Sword God Xie Kunwu severed Mount Dorje Gonpa, the sacred mountain of Zunxiang Faneng Temple, with a single strike. The lingering aura of the sword light only slowly dissipated after several days.”

“The outcome of this battle remains unknown. After his return, Xie Kunwu went into secluded cultivation and closed off Sword God Mountain. Zunxiang Faneng Temple also announced its closure, refusing to see outsiders.”

“Also, ten days ago, the Divine Artifact, the luofu celestial scripture, appeared in Yongzhou.”

“It is said that this Divine Artifact records countless supreme Cultivation Techniques, and even peerless divine arts that surpass the Heaven-Grade.”

“Legend has it that if someone can comprehend the luofu celestial scripture, they could even shatter the void, break the limits of martial arts, and achieve Ascension in broad daylight.”

“The appearance of the luofu celestial scripture caused countless noble families, Sects, and Jianghu powerhouses to compete for it, resulting in numerous casualties in a short time.”

“In the chaos, the luofu celestial scripture eventually vanished. No one can be certain if it escaped again or was seized by someone. Some major Sects in Yongzhou are still investigating its whereabouts, and the aftermath of this event continues.”

“These are all major events that shook the Jianghu in other provinces, but there have also been many occurrences within Youzhou itself.”

“Over ten days ago, Qingyang City, which is not far from Lianshan City, was breached by the Heishan Bandits. The three major forces in the city—the Liuhe Gang, the Zhang Family, and the Hong Family—were all exterminated.”

“Even the Yiqi Guanhri Alliance Disciples who were handling business in the city were killed by the Heishan Bandits. In a rage, the Yiqi Guanhri Alliance dispatched experts to wipe out the bandits and issued a bounty, attracting numerous Youzhou experts.”

“Furthermore, Demon Sealing Valley, located at the border of Youzhou and Ning Province, is about to host the Demon Sealing Conference, inviting heroes from all over the Jianghu. It’s said there will be some surprises this time, though no one knows how it will differ from previous years.”

Wenrou spoke at length about the major events in the Nineteen Provinces of Great Xia and Youzhou, and Chen Yuan now had a general idea of the situation.

Moreover, some of these major events were completely absent from the original plot, such as the duel between Sword God Xie Kunwu and Abbot Sonam Simo of Zunxiang Faneng Temple.

In the original plot, the current timeline had just begun, and all the players were still in the starter villages.

These top-tier powerhouses of the Jianghu only existed in legends, so the events occurring between them naturally wouldn’t appear in the plot.

This served as another wake-up call for Chen Yuan: what he was familiar with was only the plot he ‘knew,’ not an understanding of the entire world.

Even the plot points he knew might deviate due to the slightest change, completely diverging from his memories.

At this point, I hope readers will remember our domain name 101kks.com.

After finalizing the time to act with Wenrou, Chen Yuan stood up to take his leave.

“Doesn’t Young Master Chen want to stay with me a little longer? Why are you in such a hurry to leave now that we’ve finished talking?”

Wenrou gave Chen Yuan a resentful look.

Her expression was like that of someone looking at a heartless lover who puts on his clothes and leaves immediately after finishing his business.

Chen Yuan looked at Wenrou with a half-smile. “Everyone knows that the Informants of the Heavenly Wind Listening to Rain Tower are the best at coaxing information. I’m afraid if I keep chatting with Manager Wen, I might even end up telling you about wetting the bed as a child.”

Waving his hand, Chen Yuan went straight downstairs.

Behind him, Wenrou huffed, gritting her teeth in annoyance.

This kid Chen Yuan looked young, as if he were a newcomer just starting out in the Jianghu.

But in reality, he was impervious to persuasion, like a stone in a latrine—both smelly and hard, leaving one with no way to deal with him.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

During these three days, Chen Yuan focused all his efforts on practicing the Silken Thread Shattering Jade Hand.

The progress of the Azure Wood Heart Method was too slow. Instead of wasting time on it, he might as well practice the Silken Thread Shattering Jade Hand. For one, he could use the Shattering Jade Energy and Silken Thread Energy to temper his Meridians and increase his strength.

Secondly, increasing his proficiency in the Silken Thread Shattering Jade Hand would also significantly boost his combat power.

Three days later, Chen Yuan arrived at Ping’an Ward. He found the tallest restaurant in the ward and sat by the window, observing the movements below.

Diagonally opposite the restaurant was an inconspicuous little noodle shop. It didn’t even have a sign, just a pot and four small tables.

An old man with white hair and one blind eye was cooking noodles there, limping as he walked.

Beside the old man was a delicate and cute little girl of about seven or eight years old, helping to serve noodles and carry bowls, bustling about.

Whether it was because of the old man’s skill or the little girl’s endearing cuteness, the noodle shop’s business was quite good, with a steady stream of customers.

If Chen Yuan hadn’t known the plot, it would have been hard for him to believe that this blind, lame old man was once the formidable outlaw who dominated the Jiulong River, Zuo Xinglie, the leader of the Thirty-Six Waterway Alliance.

Just then, a dozen or so Jianghu People dressed in green and white suddenly stopped in front of the stall.

These people were clearly different from the local Jianghu People of Youzhou.

Youzhou was in the north, where the climate was mostly freezing and cold, so local Jianghu People preferred dark black clothing or fur-lined vests.

Lanzhou, on the other hand, was in the south, so Jianghu People from Lanzhou generally wore light-colored clothing like green or white.

The leader of the Jianghu group sized up Zuo Xinglie and suddenly sneered, saying in a thick Lanzhou accent, “I really didn’t expect that the former ‘Jiujiang Dragon’ would now…”

Before he could finish his sentence, Zuo Xinglie suddenly overturned the noodle pot, splashing boiling water directly at the leader!

“Fuck!”

The leader was naturally an Informant from the Heavenly Wind Listening to Rain Tower, possessing the strength of the Pulse Opening Realm.

He had originally intended to finish his lines before acting, but he hadn’t expected the old man to be so decisive, catching him completely off guard.

In fact, it was also because their disguise was too good.

Zuo Xinglie was a formidable outlaw; even though he had retired from the Jianghu and was hiding in Lianshan City, he hadn’t let down his guard.

From the moment they appeared, Zuo Xinglie had already prepared to strike.

It wasn’t just their attire; it was also because their clothes carried a fishy, damp smell—a scent only found on those who spent years on the water. Who knew where Wenrou had scavenged these clothes from?

As Zuo Xinglie suddenly erupted, the leader swung his long saber to knock the pot away, but he was still drenched in scalding water, making him grimace in pain.

Seeing this, the Heavenly Wind Listening to Rain Tower Informants behind him also drew their weapons and attacked.

Wenrou had already told them to only pursue and not kill this time, but they still had to make it look as real as possible.

Although Zuo Xinglie was now crippled, he had once been an expert of the Ningzhen Realm.

If they held back too much and ended up getting themselves killed, they would become a laughingstock.

The moment Zuo Xinglie threw the pot, his right hand snatched a bamboo pole used as a carrying yoke from the chopping board beside him.

With a forceful twist, the bamboo pole shattered inch by inch, revealing a five-foot-long Miao Dao hidden inside.

The blade swept past, magnificent and bright, like a startling flash of light, accompanied by a series of metallic clangs.

Zuo Xinglie’s strike actually forced back several people. His power was so great that it was impossible to tell he was a cripple.

But Zuo Xinglie didn’t linger in the fight; instead, he scooped up his granddaughter and immediately turned to flee.

Although one of his legs was crippled and his movement seemed awkward, his speed was incredibly fast, and he vanished around the corner in an instant.

The leader shouted in frustration, “After him!”

He was truly exasperated.

They were supposed to be acting on orders, but who would have thought a crippled old man would daze him right at the start?

Over a dozen Informants gave chase, and Chen Yuan followed closely behind.

He knew that Zuo Xinglie wouldn’t last long.

Zuo Xinglie’s Meridians were completely destroyed, and he no longer had Internal Energy. The strength he had just used was purely from his Physical Body.

However, his Physical Body was also severely damaged, and with his crippled leg, the man in his early sixties seemed like someone in his seventies or eighties. He simply couldn’t hold on for very long.

Zuo Xinglie was now clutching his granddaughter, desperately fleeing toward the city outskirts, but his single eye was filled with despair.

He hadn’t expected those bastards from the Profound Whale Gang to still be after him after all these years.

He was already ruined, without cultivation or his former ambitions.

If his son hadn’t risked his life to hold back the pursuers back then, he would have died on the Jiulong River as well.

It didn’t matter if he died, but his granddaughter was the last of the Zuo family Bloodline. He had to at least leave her a chance of survival!

The pursuers were closing in. Zuo Xinglie resisted desperately, but his sword arm grew heavier, and his speed slowed down.

Just then, a loud shout rang out.

“Don’t panic, old man! I’m here to help you!”

A blade-light fell as Chen Yuan swept aside several Informants with a single strike. With a face full of righteousness, he declared, “Jianghu feuds should not involve family members! You people are actually attacking an old man and a child, ignoring the code of the Jianghu. You are utterly shameless!”