The Old Guy Doesn't Fight Fair

In a tea house in South City Alley.

Jiang Wang drank his tea silently, his expression unreadable.

The old man in coarse homespun clothes glanced at him only as he entered, then found a seat like any other tea patron.

Miss Shu, meanwhile, played with the long spear laid across the table and said with a light laugh, "He's a Martial Artist, and quite a high-level one at that. His whole body radiates a fierce evil energy; he's definitely not someone to be trifled with."

Jiang Wang's eyebrows shot up. "Can you defeat him, Miss?" he probed.

Miss Shu spread her hands. "To be frank, he could take ten of me with just one hand."

Jiang Wang: "..."

As things stood, it seemed none of the people who came to Hun City seeking immortal traces were particularly formidable.

He began to doubt if he was being overly cautious.

Did the truly important figures even care about immortals?

Otherwise, why would they only send a bunch of weaklings?

But then he remembered Su Lingyi might be a direct disciple of the esteemed Chancellor of Fish Abyss Academy, and Miss Shu here might also have a very unusual background. Could it be they were purely here to earn merit?

Yet, seeking immortals was such an ethereal matter; there had to be merit to be earned first.

Or perhaps they were just here for a superficial experience, going through the motions.

After all, the Xunyang Marquis Manor also had books detailing records of immortals. Jiang Wang knew that searching for immortals was the most significant matter in the Sui Kingdom.

Regardless of whether they found anything, the act of searching itself would yield some merit.

If the court hadn't gradually lost its enthusiasm for the matter of immortals, it would mean they had a grander plan. It was hard to guarantee that future seekers of immortals in Hun City wouldn't include figures above the Cave Nether Realm.

Jiang Wang felt that being cautious was always the right approach.

He looked at the long spear on the table and smiled calmly. "If you want me to help you, it's actually very simple."

Miss Shu blinked. "You finally admit it? Go on, what are your terms?"

Jiang Wang glanced at the old man not far away and said in a low voice, "Even though you might not be able to beat him, if you can just help me stall him for a moment, I'll agree to everything you ask."

He figured if he could just use the opportunity to escape back to Qixia Street, then everything would be in his hands. Promises were promises, but whether he actually followed through on the deed was another matter entirely.

Miss Shu hesitated.

What she had said earlier was the truth.

The old man in coarse homespun clothes had a powerful Martial Artist aura; he must be at least in the fourth realm. Such a person could kill a Cultivator with a single punch if given the chance.

But then she thought, if it was just to stall him for a moment, it shouldn't be too big of a problem.

Little did she know the dangers of the martial world.

She thought that after helping, Jiang Wang would surely keep his promise.

People who looked good probably wouldn't be too bad.

She immediately grabbed the long spear on the table and said earnestly, "It's a deal!"

Jiang Wang watched as Miss Shu adopted a stance like children fighting, charging aggressively towards the old man, and sighed inwardly, "What a sin. I'll have the Black Flame Army come rescue you in time, but I definitely won't do what I promised you."

He immediately tugged on Xiaoyu's sleeve, and the master and servant fled the tea house without hesitation.

The old man, who had been watching Jiang Wang out of the corner of his eye, suddenly stood up.

But Miss Shu had already blocked his path.

She was about to say something to stall for time when she suddenly realized a problem.

The Garrison Headquarters had said that Jiang Wang had fought Cai Tanggu of Fish Abyss Academy and even destroyed half of Qixia Street. By all rights, this person should be very powerful, so why would he ask her to help block someone?

Although Miss Shu didn't know who Cai Tanggu was, Fish Abyss Academy in the Divine Capital had plenty of Cultivators at the peak of the Cave Nether Realm. She figured Fish Abyss Academy in Kutan couldn't be too weak either.

She turned to question Jiang Wang.

Only to find that the seat by the window was completely empty.

As Miss Shu stood there stunned, the old man in coarse homespun clothes walked straight past her and pursued her out of the tea house.

"Stop!" Miss Shu still managed to block the old man at the first opportunity.

The old man frowned deeply and said in a low voice, "That man abandoned you here, showing no regard for your life. If you're smart, you'll step aside obediently. Otherwise, I don't mind being rough with you."

He looked outside the tea house, where Jiang Wang's figure had long since vanished.

He thought that his uncontrolled aura had allowed the other party to sense the problem immediately. If he delayed further, trouble might arise.

He once again tried to get past Miss Shu.

But Miss Shu was a person who kept her promises.

She took a step back, holding her spear horizontally in front of her. A strange aura had already spread throughout the tea house.

The surrounding tea patrons had all retreated behind the counter at the very beginning. They had often heard storytellers recount tales of the martial world, and the scene unfolding before them was identical to a segment from one of those stories.

They were both frightened and excited.

Although Hun City had been experiencing some disturbances lately, the citizens lived in peace and happiness. It was only after the murders that they had felt fear for a while.

They were all unsophisticated people who, when faced with something, instinctively wanted to watch the commotion.

As the saying goes, amateurs watch the fun, while insiders see the skill.

Since Miss Shu was only targeting the old man, the teahouse patrons, despite feeling a sudden drop in temperature, didn't realize the severity of the situation at all.

However, the old man understood clearly: the young girl before him was actually a Cultivator.

His mind raced, and he clenched his fist, launching a fierce attack.

Even though he had killed Cultivators more than once, if a Cultivator was deliberately stalling for time, they would be extremely troublesome. To escape quickly, he had to seize the initiative.

It was just one punch.

The gust of wind from the punch directly shattered the teahouse door.

It even blew up the bluestone slabs on the street outside in South City Alley.

Although Miss Shu had her spear blocking in front of her, the old man's punch was too powerful. The spear vibrated violently, and if it weren't for its special material, it would have likely snapped.

With a muffled thud, 'bang'.

Miss Shu was sent flying out of the teahouse and crashed into the rouge shop opposite.

This caused the young ladies selecting cosmetics in the shop to scream in unison.

By the time Miss Shu emerged from the rouge shop, the old man had vanished without a trace.

She wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, remembered that Old Xu had told her the location of the Xunyang Marquis Manor, and headed straight towards Qixia Street.

Leaving South City Alley led to Pinglan East Street.

It wasn't far from Qixia Street.

Xiaoyu carried Jiang Wang on her back. From a certain angle, she was completely invisible.

But Xiaoyu seemed to bear no burden, running at an extremely high speed.

Soon, she had covered more than half of Pinglan East Street.

"Young Master, why didn't you attack directly? Why are you running?"

Xiaoyu felt her Young Master was very powerful, but she had to obey his orders, even if she didn't quite understand them.

Jiang Wang hugged Xiaoyu tightly and looked back.

The old man in coarse cloth and hemp took strides of several yards at a time. He would likely catch up in a moment.

Although he had used someone else, Jiang Wang was also a little worried now. Would that Miss Shu die?

"I was just using the opportunity to get away from that young lady."

It seemed he couldn't escape. Jiang Wang patted Xiaoyu's shoulder, signaling her to put him down.

Xiaoyu handed the Long Night Saber to Jiang Wang and obediently retreated to the side, eagerly anticipating seeing her Young Master's mighty display.

Jiang Wang's mouth twitched.

He had already decided that he would never leave Qixia Street again, no matter what.

"Wait!" Jiang Wang took a deep breath and raised his hand to stop the approaching old man. "Have you heard of how Cai Tanggu of Fish Abyss Academy was defeated by me in just a few punches?"

The old man froze and shook his head slightly.

Immediately after, he threw a punch.

"Old man, you're not fighting honorably!"

Compared to that Jianli who wore a veiled hat, this one was clearly qualified. Not a word was wasted; he attacked to kill.

Jiang Wang panicked and raised his saber to block in front of his chest.

With a crack.

Blood splattered on Pinglan Street.

The Long Night Saber was completely unharmed.

But Jiang Wang's ribs were broken.

It was the first time in his life he had experienced such pain.

He was sent flying dozens of yards away.

If the Long Night Saber hadn't blocked most of the force, this punch would have killed him.

Even so.

Jiang Wang felt his breathing become difficult. If he wasn't treated in time, he would ascend to the heavens in broad daylight.

He tremblingly raised his arm, his voice muffled and hoarse, "Help... help me."

Xiaoyu was stunned on the spot.

This was not what she had imagined.

The residents of Pinglan Street were also shocked by this sudden scene.

Someone dropped their big cabbage.

Someone silently stuffed the jade into their pockets from the stall.

A helper at the wine shop's entrance, who was busy pouring wine, gaped, spilling liquor all over the ground.

A beggar took the opportunity to shove a steaming bun into his mouth, then grabbed a few more and ran off like lightning.

Many things happened on Pinglan Street in a short amount of time.

By the time they reacted, they started shouting. Shop owners immediately closed their doors, and shoppers turned to run home, but ultimately stopped at a safe distance, craning their necks to watch.

Some righteous citizens immediately reported to the Garrison Headquarters.

Miss Shu chased them to Pinglan Street.

She was very surprised to see Jiang Wang seemingly beaten to death and lying motionless on the ground.

Didn't he promise he had defeated Cai Tanggu before?

Could the Garrison Headquarters have lied to me?

The old man's actions were indeed decisive.

He drew his short knife and, to save time, threw the knife he was holding on the spot.

Xiaoyu didn't have time to rescue him.

But Miss Shu summoned her flying sword.

Using Yellow Court Qi as a guide, and forcibly drawing on the surrounding heaven and earth Qi, she pushed the flying sword's speed to its limit.

But it was still a step too slow.

Just as the short knife was about to hit Jiang Wang.

A hand reached out.

It was the Old Butler, hobbling on his bad leg, who stepped in front of Jiang Wang.

He directly grabbed the short knife with his bare hand.

The old man's expression tightened, knowing he had missed his chance. Without a shred of hesitation, he leaped onto the rooftop, disappearing without a trace after a few agile maneuvers.

The Old Butler didn't pursue. His immediate concern was his young master's safety.

He turned and carefully picked up Jiang Wang, instantly vanishing from Pinglan Street.

He had just returned to the front of the Marquis Mansion when Jiang Wang, cradled in his arms, suddenly opened his eyes and struggled to his feet.

"Young Master, are you alright?"

The Old Butler was very anxious.

Jiang Wang's expression was strange.

Though he couldn't see, he knew very clearly that his broken ribs had miraculously healed.