Jianghu Sensation: Ji Qing Pursues the Killer Across a Thousand Li!

At the Green Goat Town teahouse, it was not yet noon, but the place was already packed to the rafters.

Many of them were Jianghu folk.

So many people had gathered at the teahouse for one reason only: there was a storyteller there.

This storyteller traveled far and wide, compiling fresh happenings from the Jianghu into collections and recounting them in the form of tales.

Wherever he went, the storyteller was wildly popular.

At that moment, the storyteller was speaking with glib fervor, recounting the hottest recent tale in the Jianghu: the Startling Swan Blade pursuing a killer across a thousand li, driving the Poison Demon into a frantic flight.

"Clad in black, wearing a bamboo hat, with a long blade at his waist, Ji Qing looked no different from an ordinary Jianghu martial artist. But in the blink of an eye, Ji Qing drew his blade. A flash of steel shone forth, like a startled swan streaking across the sky."

"People in the Jianghu all say, 'When the Startling Swan Blade appears, heads fall to the ground.' Its reputation was truly well deserved. That bandit chief, Old Kite, had not even reacted before his head was severed with a single stroke..."

"Excellent!"

As the storyteller eloquently delivered that thrilling tale, thunderous applause broke out in the teahouse, and a wave of copper coins was tossed toward him as reward.

At a table by the window, a strange glint flashed through Ji Qing's eyes.

He had truly become famous throughout the Jianghu now!

Every day, he was the hottest topic!

No matter where he went, he seemed to hear discussions of "the Startling Swan Blade pursuing a killer across a thousand li."

Although he still held fifth place on the Villain Ranking, public opinion in the Jianghu had clearly tilted toward him in the matter of the Startling Swan Blade and the Poison Demon.

It was not because Jianghu folk liked Ji Qing so much.

Rather, nearly everyone in the Jianghu loathed the Poison Demon.

Ouyang Bo's methods of poisoning were unfathomable, and he came and went like a ghost, impossible to guard against.

In the past, people had dared to rage but not to speak out.

Now that someone had stepped forward to deal with the Poison Demon, naturally everyone was delighted.

"Brother, you do not mind if I sit here, do you?"

Suddenly, a martial artist approached Ji Qing's table.

Ji Qing looked up and froze slightly.

Black clothes, bamboo hat, long blade.

He was dressed exactly like Ji Qing!

Yet the martial artist across from him seemed accustomed to it. Smiling, he said, "It seems you also admire Ji Qing of the Startling Swan Blade, brother? There are far too many people in the Jianghu dressed like this lately."

"Please, have a seat."

Ji Qing knew that seats in the teahouse were scarce now, and sharing tables was commonplace.

The martial artist before him was very young, probably not even twenty.

"How should I address you, brother?"

"My surname is Li."

"Brother Li, I am Du Jing."

Ji Qing looked at Du Jing and asked curiously, "Brother Du, are you dressed like this to imitate Ji Qing of the Startling Swan Blade? But as far as I know, Ji Qing of the Startling Swan Blade is a demon ranked fifth on the Villain Ranking."

"A demon? Haven't there been rumors lately? The 'Lei Family Fortress Massacre' actually had nothing to do with Ji Qing. There is a heroine from Lei Family Fortress in the Jianghu who supposedly went through the Lei Family Fortress Massacre alongside Ji Qing. The villagers of Lei Family Fortress had long since been harmed by demons and monsters. It was Du Chen, the Wind Chasing Blade, who pinned the blame on Ji Qing in order to gain credit for capturing him."

Upon hearing this, Ji Qing roughly knew who that "Heroine Lei" was.

It was most likely his eldest sister, Lei Yu!

"There are also rumors in the Jianghu that there was more to the extermination of Liang City's Ji Manor back then, and that it too was connected to demons and monsters. Ji Qing of the Startling Swan Blade killed demons and monsters; he did not murder his father and mother."

"Though these are only Jianghu rumors, I believe there is no smoke without fire. What happened to Ji Qing of the Startling Swan Blade likely truly has another side to it..."

Judging by the way Du Jing spoke so confidently, he had clearly believed the Jianghu rumors.

Ji Qing neither agreed nor disagreed.

It would probably not be so easy to clear his name based on a few Jianghu rumors.

And Ji Qing could roughly guess who had been spreading those rumors.

Lei Yu!

Other than his eldest sister Lei Yu, it could not have been anyone else.

Chen Luo and his sister were perhaps also possible, but they came from a demon-slaying family and did not involve themselves in Jianghu affairs. It would be difficult for them to spread Jianghu rumors.

Only an old Jianghu hand like Lei Yu could manage it.

Taking advantage of the soaring popularity of "the Startling Swan Blade pursuing a killer across a thousand li," and with Jianghu opinion leaning toward Ji Qing, releasing those rumors would more or less have some effect.

"Brother Li, where do you think Ji Qing of the Startling Swan Blade has chased the Poison Demon to now? It has been two months since Ji Qing cut off half the Poison Demon's hand, yet there has not been a scrap of news..."

Du Jing was still going on about the battle between the Startling Swan Blade and the Poison Demon.

"Farewell, Brother Du. Until we meet again, if fate allows!"

Ji Qing got up and left.

"Where are you going, Brother Li? It's my first time traveling the Jianghu, and I don't have any destination in mind. How about we go together?"

Du Jing shouted from behind him.

Unfortunately, Ji Qing acted as though he had not heard him and strode out of the teahouse.

It was not yet May, but the southern nights already carried a hint of stifling heat.

Inside a room at an inn in Green Goat Town, Ji Qing sat cross-legged on the floor.

At this moment, his cultivation had reached a critical juncture.

"Break!"

Ji Qing let out a low roar.

The pure inner force throughout his body surged with all its might toward the Yang Wei Meridian.

This was one of the Extraordinary Meridians.

Boom.

The Yang Wei Meridian was instantly forced open, and Ji Qing's inner force circulated through it for a full cycle.

With every cycle, his inner force swelled dramatically.

Only after an entire hour did it gradually settle.

Whoosh.

Ji Qing opened his eyes.

It had been three months now, from the first day he began hunting Ouyang Bo to the present.

Ji Qing had even opened his third of the Extraordinary Meridians, yet there was still no trace of Ouyang Bo.

The last time, Ouyang Bo had had half his palm severed, then vanished from the face of the earth.

Ji Qing had pursued him all the way from the north to the south.

He could only follow scattered clues to the vicinity of Green Goat Town.

Ouyang Bo had most likely stayed in Green Goat Town before.

As for whether he was still nearby or had long since left, Ji Qing did not know.

"Ouyang Bo..."

Ji Qing had to admit that Ouyang Bo was indeed difficult to deal with.

But this time, he had come thoroughly prepared.

Cloth strips, water, lime, and more—he had even bought several bamboo hats, all carried on his back, solely to deal with Ouyang Bo's "poison."

Unfortunately, Ouyang Bo had fled without a trace. Even Listening Wind Tower had no idea where Ouyang Bo was.

As evening deepened, Ji Qing left his room and went to eat in the inn's main hall.

"Waiter, do you have any superior rooms left? We'll take three!"

"Oh, and prepare some food as well. We'll eat first, then rest."

All of a sudden, five martial artists entered from outside the inn.

One of them ordered food and asked for superior rooms.

That voice sounded very familiar.

Ji Qing looked up and, sure enough, it was Du Jing, whom he had met briefly at the teahouse.

This Du Jing seemed quite popular with women. Of the four martial artists accompanying him, two were beautiful women.

But Du Jing was inexperienced on his first journey through the Jianghu. Women capable of traveling the Jianghu were not to be trifled with!

Beautiful women, especially, were even less so.

"Eh?"

"Isn't this Brother Li? Why are you here too, Brother Li?"

Du Jing had sharp eyes and spotted Ji Qing sitting alone.

So Du Jing, familiar as if they had known each other for years, sat down beside Ji Qing and called to the four behind him, "Sister Cai, Sister Lin, come over quickly. Brothers San Hu and Er Hu, hurry and sit down too. Let me introduce you—this is Brother Li, a great hero I only met today!"

Du Jing also briefly introduced the four of them to Ji Qing.

Then they all sat down together, while Du Jing ordered a whole tableful of dishes.

Throughout the meal, Du Jing's gaze never left the two women. Every now and then, he told a joke that made them suppress their laughter.

Ji Qing did not say much.

He merely drank in silence.

Perhaps in Du Jing's imagination, roaming the Jianghu meant strong liquor, gallant heroes, beautiful women, and a Jianghu life of unbridled freedom.

"Whoosh!"

More than a dozen martial artists suddenly poured into the inn from outside.

Every one of them wore the same long saber as Du Jing.

At their head stood an imposing old man with an air of authority.

"Four Fiends of Greed Wolf, we've finally caught up to you!"

"Shing!"

The dozen or so martial artists behind the old man immediately drew their sabers, glaring murderously at Er Hu, San Hu, and the other two.

"Well, if it isn't Sect Leader Du of the Golden Saber Sect?"

"Sect Leader Du truly is hale and hearty in his old age, chasing us four siblings for months on end."

"But Sect Leader Du, take a look at who this is."

Du Xiong focused his eyes on him, and his expression changed drastically.

"Jing'er, why are you here?"

"Father..."

Du Jing was somewhat dazed, with no idea what was happening.

How had his father suddenly caught up to him here?

He remembered sneaking down the mountain alone without telling his father.

Du Jing tried to stand, but Sister Lin grabbed him by the neck.

"Brother Du, didn't you want to chat with your sister? Come, sit closer. Your sister will have a good chat with you."

Though Sister Lin's smile was still as lovely as a flower, Du Jing felt a chill run down his spine.

"Oh, and Brother Li had best not make any rash moves either..."

The woman surnamed Cai also produced a dagger, speaking with meaningful undertones.

Ji Qing glanced at the woman surnamed Cai, then at the panicked Du Jing.

He said nothing, continuing to drink by himself as though the matter had nothing to do with him.