"Whoosh."
A figure suddenly flew in from outside the inn.
It was clear that his Lightness Skill was excellent.
With a light tap of his toes, he landed beside Ji Qing.
Dressed in black and masked, he was impossible to identify.
"Hero Ji, I am Feng San of River City's Listening Wind Tower. Listening Wind Tower has just received a challenge letter. As the matter is of great importance, I was ordered to deliver it to you at once."
"A challenge letter?"
Ji Qing glanced at Feng San's Listening Wind Token. There was no issue with his identity; he truly was from Listening Wind Tower.
Ji Qing then accepted the challenge letter.
"On the third day of the fifth month, atop Green Peak Mountain, we shall fight to the death and settle all grudges."
The brief sixteen-character challenge letter stated the time and place with perfect clarity.
The signer's name was written below.
Boom.
Ji Qing's mind roared. His eyes widened as he stared fixedly at the signer's name.
There were only three words: Ouyang Bo!
Wasn't this the Poison Demon Ouyang Bo whom he had been relentlessly hunting for three months?
He still dared to send a challenge letter?
"Who delivered the challenge letter?"
Ji Qing asked.
"Hero Ji, the one who delivered it was an ordinary beggar child. We could find no useful information."
"How certain are you that the person who wrote this challenge letter was Ouyang Bo?"
"Ouyang Bo has left behind some letters in the Jianghu. We compared the handwriting in those letters and have basically confirmed that the handwriting on this challenge letter belongs to Ouyang Bo!"
Ji Qing understood.
Ouyang Bo had finally shown himself.
As for why he had sent a challenge letter?
There were no more than two reasons.
First, Ouyang Bo had also had enough of being hunted by Ji Qing. It was certainly not a pleasant experience.
Second, Ouyang Bo possessed a certain degree of confidence or something to rely on. He believed he had a strong chance of winning this duel, which was why he sent the challenge letter, hoping to settle Ji Qing once and for all.
There might have been other reasons, but these two were likely the most important.
Feng San did not urge him, merely waiting quietly.
Ji Qing did not rush to reply either.
Countless possibilities ran through his mind.
If he agreed, he would actually be at a great disadvantage.
Ouyang Bo could use poison. Especially at a place chosen by Ouyang Bo, he could have arranged a poison formation in advance. Once Ji Qing went as agreed, he would inevitably be poisoned.
Therefore, it would not be a decisive battle, but a trip to his own death.
Ji Qing truly wanted to kill Ouyang Bo, but he was not so arrogant as to believe himself immune to every poison.
"Publicly reply to Ouyang Bo! A decisive battle is fine, but I choose the location."
"On the third day of the fifth month, at River City's Listening Wind Tower, we shall fight to the death and settle all grudges!"
Ji Qing gave his reply.
He could not possibly go to Ouyang Bo's prearranged battlefield.
That would be courting death!
When facing the Poison Demon, no amount of caution was excessive.
If Ouyang Bo refused, Ji Qing would continue hunting him down!
The reason he chose Listening Wind Tower was also because its reputation in the Jianghu had always been one of "neutrality."
Even though Listening Wind Tower had chosen to side with Ji Qing in terms of intelligence this time, it was only because Ji Qing had offered a hefty reward.
Whoever offered Listening Wind Tower a hefty reward, Listening Wind Tower would do the same for them.
But for publicly issued challenge letters and duels to the death, Listening Wind Tower remained highly neutral.
"Hero Ji, I shall return and report."
Feng San turned and left, vanishing without a trace in the blink of an eye.
Everyone inside the inn had actually heard the conversation just now.
They had never expected to witness such important news with their own eyes.
It was enough to stir up towering waves throughout the Jianghu!
"Brother Du, go back and train properly. Roaming the Jianghu is not as wonderful as you imagine."
After saying that, Ji Qing ignored everyone and returned directly to his upstairs room.
Soon after, Ji Qing left the inn.
He had to hurry to River City's Listening Wind Tower and wait there until the third day of the fifth month.
As for whether Ouyang Bo would come?
Ji Qing did not know.
But he would wait patiently!
Once Ji Qing left, everyone in the inn finally heaved a long sigh of relief, only to become wildly excited moments later.
"That man just now must have been Ji Qing, the Startling Swan Blade, right? The saying, 'When the Startling Swan Blade appears, heads fall to the ground,' truly lives up to its name. With one slash, the Four Fiends of Greed Wolf died."
"That was truly the fastest slash I have ever seen in my life..."
"I did not even see when he drew his blade..."
"But did you hear the news Listening Wind Tower just delivered? It was a challenge letter from the Poison Demon Ouyang Bo! They will duel at River City's Listening Wind Tower on the third day of the fifth month. Just thinking about it makes my blood boil."
"Are we going to River City, then?"
"Of course we are going to watch. This is a grand event in the Jianghu. The Poison Demon Ouyang Bo and Ji Qing, the Startling Swan Blade, are both peak second-rate experts in the Jianghu, and both rank near the top of the Villain Ranking. A duel like this might not happen even once in several decades."
"Then let us go together..."
Some of the Jianghu martial artists in the inn could no longer restrain themselves. They hurriedly packed their luggage, preparing to head straight for River City.
Du Jing lowered his head and went before his father to admit his mistake.
"Father, I was wrong. I should not have secretly run down the mountain and nearly caused a great disaster..."
On his first venture into the Jianghu, Du Jing had experienced its dangers and treachery.
His feelings were now a tangled mess.
Du Xiong had originally wanted to scold him harshly, but seeing Du Jing's dejected, soul-lost appearance and how deeply shaken he already was, Du Xiong could not bear to rebuke him further. He merely sighed. "Jing'er, you truly were wrong this time and nearly caused a great disaster! But fortunately, Mister Ji saved you. How did you come to know Mister Ji?"
Du Xiong's position was somewhat unusual.
The Golden Saber Sect prided itself on being a righteous and prestigious sect, while Ji Qing was a notorious Demon Lord known throughout the land, ranked fifth on the Villain Ranking.
Naturally, Du Xiong would not address Ji Qing as "Hero." After considering it, he could only call him "Mister."
After all, Ji Qing had once been a scholar.
The title "Mister" was not inappropriate either.
"Father, it was in a teahouse..."
As Du Jing described everything from beginning to end, Du Xiong gradually came to understand what had happened.
Yet he found it somewhat surprising.
Ji Qing's temperament did not resemble that of a "Demon Lord" in the slightest.
Du Jing and Ji Qing had merely met once.
They could not even be said to have had a pleasant conversation.
If they had to be said to share some connection, it was that Du Jing admired Ji Qing and had even spoken a few good words for him.
Yet those few good words had saved Du Jing's life just now.
"Father, I want to go to River City! Brother Ji is dueling the Poison Demon Ouyang Bo. That Ouyang Bo is full of schemes and skilled at poisoning. If Brother Ji is careless for even a moment, he could fall into his trap..."
Du Jing spoke in a deep voice.
For once, Du Xiong did not reprimand his son.
What distinction between righteous and demonic? He was an old hand in the Jianghu. He knew that where in the Jianghu was there any true distinction between righteous and demonic?
Du Jing still knew to repay kindness, and that instead greatly pleased Du Xiong.
"Good, Jing'er. You still know to repay kindness! Mister Ji not only saved you, but in truth also saved the Golden Saber Sect's decades of reputation in the Jianghu. Naturally, the Golden Saber Sect will not stand idly by!"
"We shall set out for River City at once! Mister Ji and Ouyang Bo are dueling publicly. If he wins, we can serve as witnesses. If Mister Ji loses, then the Golden Saber Sect need not speak of any Jianghu code of honor to the Poison Demon. We must save Mister Ji."
Du Jing stared wide-eyed.
He had never imagined his father could say such words.
Had his father not always spoken of Jianghu honor, prestigious righteous sects, and upright conduct?
He had thought his father would harshly rebuke him for his connection to Ji Qing.
After all, Ji Qing was a "Demon Lord."
"Jing'er, this is the Jianghu! You still have much to learn... Let us go."
Thus, the Golden Saber Sect's group also swiftly left the inn and headed for River City.
Before you continue