Jiaxing City

The red-clothed maiden's expression shifted slightly upon hearing Guo Xuewen's words. She immediately reached out and flicked Guo Xuewen's forehead, scolding, "Little Brother Guo, how can you speak to people like that? So rude and impolite!"

Guo Xuewen, far from being annoyed by the maiden's public gesture of flicking his forehead, instead grinned. He was clearly pleased by the affectionate action.

Following this, the red-clothed maiden turned to Meng Qingshan and offered an apologetic smile.

Seeing this, Meng Qingshan wisely turned and left.

As he departed, he couldn't help but compare the "Man Fiend" from his memories with the red-clothed maiden he had just seen, finding it almost unbelievable.

"She's the late-game 'Man Fiend', An Ning'er?!"

Despite his surprise, Meng Qingshan had no intention of meddling.

His main objective in coming to Jiaxing City was the inheritance of the "Great Hero of Shenzhou", Xiao Tianfang.

Meng Qingshan had carefully considered his choice of fortuitous encounter.

The first he ruled out was the "Undying Scarlet Fiery Gu" from the Southern Border.

Although this Gu possessed the miraculous effect of "resurrecting the dead and regenerating bone and flesh," it was hidden in a remote part of the Southern Border, a land filled with miasma, poisonous insects, and numerous tribes with varying customs.

With his current strength, finding the "Undying Scarlet Fiery Gu" wouldn't be difficult, but safely reaching Jingyuan Forest would be.

Therefore, the fortuitous encounter in the Southern Border was not Meng Qingshan's first choice.

Next was the Heavenly Pool Snow Lotus from the Tianshan Snow Pool.

The journey there was not dangerous, but the round trip was extremely long. He and Old Master Zhuang had only agreed to meet in three months, and he might not have enough time to make it back. Thus, it was also not Meng Qingshan's optimal choice.

As of now, the only option that met his requirements for a fortuitous encounter was the "Dead Man's Transmission" beneath the Dragon Gate Waterfall.

Firstly, the journey was not far, and secondly, there were no safety concerns. It was truly his best choice for strengthening himself.

In version 3.0, [Central Plains Aristocrats].

The Son of Destiny for this main storyline was Li Yufeng.

At his most desperate moment, he was relentlessly pursued by enemies and fled in a panic to the Dragon Gate Waterfall, several miles outside the city.

With his pursuers closing in, capture meant certain death. Jumping off the waterfall offered a sliver of hope.

In this critical moment, where life hung by a thread, Li Yufeng displayed extraordinary courage and resolve.

Riding his mount, he leaped without hesitation into the abyss of the Dragon Gate Waterfall. By sheer chance, he was caught by a whirlpool beneath the waterfall and swept into the secluded dwelling of the "Great Hero of Shenzhou," Xiao Tianfang.

In Meng Qingshan's opinion, Li Yufeng's survival after jumping from the raging rapids of the Dragon Gate Waterfall was perhaps ten percent due to his own considerable strength, but the other ninety percent was definitely because he was the Son of Destiny for version 3.0.

Therefore, Meng Qingshan, who didn't believe he possessed such protagonist's luck, naturally wouldn't gamble for a fortuitous encounter in such a manner.

This method of entering the place of fortuitous encounter was far too risky.

Let alone Meng Qingshan's current strength, even if he were to cultivate the Long Wind Heart Method to its highest level, he wouldn't dare guarantee that he could survive a jump from there.

Meng Qingshan valued his own life dearly, so he would naturally not use such a method.

It is said that in Jiaxing City, there is a bridge called the Twenty-Four Beam Moon-Reflection Bridge.

Beneath the bridge flows a river named Qu River.

The Qu River's water is clear and its currents are navigable, with a network of underground streams crisscrossing beneath, resembling an underground labyrinth.

Among these, a hidden underground stream actually led to the fortuitous encounter location at the Dragon Gate Waterfall.

When Meng Qingshan was exploring in the game, he had accidentally discovered this underground stream connected to the fortuitous encounter site while in Jiaxing City.

He was now planning to enter the inheritance grounds of the "Great Hero of Shenzhou," Xiao Tianfang, through this underground stream.

Since Meng Qingshan hadn't brought much silver with him on this trip.

He had intended to find a cheap inn to settle down, but unexpectedly, Jiaxing City was currently hosting a wine-tasting festival.

Wine merchants and patrons from all over had gathered, causing all the inns in the city to be fully booked.

It's worth noting that a city as large and strategically important as Jiaxing City had a strict curfew.

If he couldn't find an inn to stay, he could easily find a place to hide in the city by himself, but dealing with his old horse would be problematic.

He couldn't possibly abandon the old horse, could he? If he did, how would he return?

With a glimmer of hope, Meng Qingshan led his old horse through the threshold of the last inn.

If this place also had no vacant rooms, he would likely have to find a dilapidated temple outside the city and make do for the night.

"Guest, are you here for a meal or a room? If it's a room, I'm afraid I have to disappoint you. Our inn is already full." The waiter quickly approached and greeted Meng Qingshan.

Upon hearing this, Meng Qingshan cupped his hands in a bow and asked, "May I ask, little brother, are there any other places to stay nearby?"

The waiter, still smiling, shook his head and said, "If you're not in a hurry, guest, you could try your luck at a few inns in the west or east of the city."