Ning Caichen

Early the next morning, An Yang indeed left Lanruo Temple, bought two umbrellas in Guo Bei County, and went to wait for the arrival of Ning Caichen by the county boundary marker.

By afternoon, a scholar with shabby clothing and a large hole in his shoe walked over. The scholar looked gentle and weak, yet he carried a large book box.

With the realm in chaos at this time, seeing An Yang here, the scholar walked over cautiously, changing directions diagonally several times as he tried to make out the words on the boundary marker.

An Yang blocked his entire line of sight without bias, and said, "What's your name, scholar? What are you sneaking around trying to look at?"

Ning Caichen cowered slightly and said, "My name is Ning Caichen. I've come to collect debts, and I wanted to see the words on this boundary marker."

An Yang said, "You haven't walked the wrong way; Guo Bei County is right ahead."

"That's good, that's good." Speaking, Ning Caichen started, "No, how did you know I was going to Guo Bei County?"

An Yang said, "Not only do I know you're going to Guo Bei County, I also know it's going to rain soon. You said you came to collect a debt, so I imagine you must be carrying account books in your book box; don't let them get soaked."

Ning Caichen looked up at the sky, which was indeed overcast, and hurriedly fished out an umbrella: "It's fine, I brought one..."

Before he even finished speaking, he trailed off, looking with utter awkwardness at the tattered umbrella and scratching his head in embarrassment.

An Yang glanced at him, tossed over an umbrella, and said, "Consider yourself lucky; I happen to have two umbrellas with me. I'm in a good mood today, so I'll give you one. Collect your debt, rest well in Guo Bei County for the night, and head back tomorrow."

Ning Caichen caught the umbrella and said blankly, "Oh, then thank you, brother. May I ask your esteemed name?"

An Yang got up and patted the clothes dirtied by the boundary marker: "My name is An Yang. Remember, bandits run rampant in Guo Bei County, murderers are countless, and wild wolves haunt the woods outside. If you don't want to die, absolutely do not leave Guo Bei County! Especially the dilapidated temples all around—they are places where merciless killers hang out!"

Ning Caichen nodded repeatedly in acknowledgment: "Thanks for the warning. Once I collect the debt, I'll hurry back."

An Yang cast a final glance at this delicate-looking scholar, then turned and left without looking back.

With the umbrella, surely there would be no problem for him to collect the debt. Since he collected the debt, he shouldn't have any intersection with Lanruo Temple.

Returning to Lanruo Temple, Yan Chixia was still sitting cross-legged in the main hall. Hearing the sound of the door being pushed open, he suddenly opened his eyes. The Xuanyuan Divine Sword behind him instantly leaped out of its scabbard, pointing straight at his throat until he saw it was An Yang and lowered the sword.

"It's you? Didn't I tell you to leave Lanruo Temple by the ten-thousand mark? Why are you back again?"

An Yang let out a long breath inwardly. Aside from Taoist arts, Yan Chixia's combat power was also extremely high. As unquestionably the number one swordsman in this realm, he was by no means a match for intermediate Mastery of Combat. To put it another way, this kind of swordsmanship involved flying all over the place, far transcending the category of combat.

An Yang put down the umbrella in his hand, took a jar of wine from the pack on his back, and said to Yan Chixia, "I saw that Brother Yan was alone here and felt lonely, so I brought another jar of wine..."

Yan Chixia was somewhat touched, but still interrupted him and asked sharply, "Did you not run into anything strange last night?"

An Yang nodded: "I ran into a female ghost, but I kept my original intent and remained unmoved, so she left."

Yan Chixia smiled, thinking that the agreement he had made with the Thousand-Year Tree Demon had taken effect, and patted An Yang on the shoulder: "Haha, I really didn't misjudge you! You kid are just like me—a rare, upright gentleman!"

An Yang said with a righteous and awe-inspiring air, "People of our generation ought to be like this."

Yan Chixia laughed heartily a few times, his expression instantly sinking again as he said with a serious face, "But you still can't continue staying here. There are too many dangers in this ruined temple. Take advantage of the fact that it isn't dark yet, and you should quickly be on your way!"

An Yang glanced outside and hesitated somewhat: "But... but it's pouring outside. I'd better leave tomorrow instead. Anyway, these demons and ghosts can't do anything to me; I'm not afraid anymore."

Yan Chixia glanced at the wine in his hand and swallowed hard. Remembering that he had brought the wine for him, he hardened his heart and said, "Fine, fine. I'll keep you safe tonight. Jeez, I have no idea why you, a scholar traveling out and about, would bring so much wine with you."

An Yang gave a light chuckle and didn't speak.

Today was the half-month mark since Yan Chixia had come to Lanruo Temple. According to the original plot, the swordsman Xia Hou would chase after him to Lanruo Temple today to challenge Yan Chixia, and Ning Caichen would also arrive at this time. But with his involvement, Ning Caichen was no longer coming.

That evening, Xia Hou indeed found Lanruo Temple, exchanged a few casual words with Yan Chixia, and then drew his sword against him.

The two immediately engaged in a fierce battle!

An Yang stood on the upper floor in the distance, gently pushing the window open and watching this incomparably splendid scene amidst the night. The two of them leaped across roofs and vaulted over walls, their moves gorgeous and fierce.

Before long, his eyes narrowed slightly as he saw a thin, frail scholar walk in through the main gates of Lanruo Temple, carrying a book box and looking around cautiously with a wary expression.

How did this scholar come here!

His heart sank. The original plot hadn't been altered after all; Ning Caichen had still come here.

An Yang hurriedly closed the window, hurried down the creaking, rotting stairs nearby, rushed out to Ning Caichen, and grabbed him: "Why are you here? Didn't I tell you not to come?"

"Ah!" Ning Caichen cried out reflexively, only breathing a sigh of relief when he found out it was An Yang. "So it's you, Brother An. You really gave me a fright."

An Yang stared closely at him and said in a deep voice, "I'm asking you a question. Didn't you collect your debt? Why did you run over here anyway?"

Ning Caichen looked rather embarrassed, stammering as he said, "Inns in Guo Bei County are too expensive to stay at, and there was only one premium room left, so I thought I'd come here and try my luck. If I saw any bad guys, I'd leave immediately."

An Yang's eyes narrowed. He pulled him forward, looked ahead past the stone statues of the Four Heavenly Kings, and quickly yanked him back: "See that? I wasn't lying to you; there really are a lot of murderers here, and those two fighting right now are them!"

Ning Caichen was like a little chick in his hands, casually pulled back and forth. He couldn't match Yan Chixia, but dealing with a weak scholar was very simple.

Ning Caichen was kind and timid by nature, paying no attention at all to his rough actions. He thought he was genuinely looking out for him, and his heart was deeply moved. By the time he withdrew his gaze, his face was full of panic: "There really are murderers here! What should I do, Brother An? If I go back now, I'll definitely get eaten by wild wolves!"

An Yang was stunned. He hadn't expected that the plot from yesterday when Yan Chixia told him to leave would actually repeat itself today between him and this scholar. Not only had he become the one doing the persuading, but this scholar's lines were identical to his own from yesterday.

After a moment of thought, he said, "Well then, how about this: I'll protect you for tonight, but you aren't allowed to wander around blindly. You can only honestly stay right next door to me, and you mustn't make any noise tonight lest those two people discover you."

Ning Caichen hurriedly nodded happily: "Definitely, definitely. Many thanks, Brother An."

An Yang still kept a sullen face: "But if you dare bring me any trouble, I'll kill you! Also, if you hear anything tonight, you must act like you didn't hear a thing. Understand?"

Ning Caichen was startled inside and hurriedly said, "Definitely, definitely!"

An Yang withdrew his gaze and brought Ning Caichen quietly upstairs, arranging him in the room next door before heading back down to watch Yan Chixia.

"Bang."

Yan Chixia leaped up, actually crashing directly through the wooden boards of the Lanruo Temple loft and concealing himself within it, leaving behind a large hole that made one's heart beat in fright.

Immediately following that, Xia Hou also leaped up, yet he didn't find Yan Chixia's whereabouts.

Just as he was descending, Yan Chixia's figure suddenly appeared, slashing out with a sword that sparked against the iron armor on his body.

"Slash."

The two landed, their long swords held level and their tips pointing at each other, but the victor had already been decided. A bloody wound on Xia Hou's shoulder was horrifying to behold, and it was still bleeding.

An Yang's eyes flickered with brilliance. If he were to upgrade Mastery of Combat to the top tier, he was confident his control over his own body and strength would definitely surpass Yan Chixia and Xia Hou, but he would never possess the power to leap across roofs and shatter lofts.

Stacking his physical stats might make it possible.

As for Yan Chixia's Taoist arts, that was entirely another power system. No matter how formidable Mastery of Combat was or how high his physical stats were, it was simply impossible to achieve.

Pointing his sword at Xia Hou, Yan Chixia said in a deep voice, "Brother Xia Hou, you and I have fought for seven years, and you've lost for a full seven years. But you sure have patience; wherever I hide, you chase!"

Xia Hou replied in a deep voice, "Yan Chixia, I didn't expect that half a month in Lanruo Temple would hone your sword even sharper!"

"No, it's just that you've wasted your youth. Your ambitions are too grand, and you refuse to forge ahead. For the empty fame of the number one swordsman in the world, your edge is too exposed, and your motives are impure. Your moves—"

An Yang couldn't be bothered to listen to their conversation. Even though the characters in the world looked different from the movie, the plot remained the same, and he already knew these lines by heart.

Xia Hou gained nothing and soon left. Without the distraction of Ning Caichen, Yan Chixia also went on his own accord into the main hall and began to sit cross-legged in cultivation.

Before long, An Yang heard a knock outside the door. Thinking it was Nie Xiaoqian, he pushed the door open only to see Ning Caichen standing outside, his face sinking once more.

"Brother An, may I ask if there is—ah! What are you doing, Brother An! I just wanted to borrow a mat... mm..."

A trace of ruthlessness flashed through An Yang's eyes. Even wearing scholar robes, he showed not the slightest scholarly air, instead exuding a murderous aura that only someone who had killed people possessed!

He savagely gripped Ning Caichen's throat, not letting go until he had choked him breathless and left him rolling his eyes, before finally releasing him and saying in a deep voice, "Did you forget what I told you? You can't leave the room, and you can't make a fuss, yet you still dared to shout out loud!"

He had studied Ning Caichen's personality; this scholar was timid yet stubborn. Whatever you told him to do, he might agree to it on the surface, but when it actually came to doing things, he wouldn't care about you at all—just like right now.

If he didn't give him a little lesson, he wouldn't remember this!

For the mission to be successfully completed, he had to make this kind-hearted person suffer a bit so he wouldn't ruin things for him at a critical moment!