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Like ripples suddenly spreading across a still lake, the tense standoff shattered like glass, scattering in pieces across the ground.

Everyone let out an angry shout at once and charged forward, fists raised.

They all shared one crystal-clear conviction, firm and shining bright—

Pei Ji, you little brat! Who do you think you're looking down on? You really think we can't beat that group of masked men? Once we take care of the bodyguards you hired, you'll be the one who dies!

They would never know when Pei Ji, who should have been the target of everyone's fury, had turned around and gone back to his room, free of all trouble.

And they would never know that when they learned the truth, their tears would fall like a torrential downpour, splattering across the ground, each drop clear in their hearts.

There were plenty of things in this world that everyone knew nothing about.

Ning Ning stared expressionlessly at the bill.

Medical expenses, hiring fees, emotional distress compensation... Damn it, there was even a "repair fee for the friendship between fellow professionals"? Those two groups had been fighting tooth and nail, while Pei Ji himself had simply gone back to his room to sleep. Was she supposed to be blamed for that, too?

They might as well just rob her.

[Why are there two groups?]

Ning Ning felt like she had two heads and neither could keep up. She wrote quickly: [Who sent the other group?]

The other party replied at once: [We have professional ethics. We don't usually reveal our employers' identities.]

Fine. You win.

The hand holding the brush trembled slightly.

When the young girl began writing again, every character she wrote was filled with blood and tears: [I'll pay more.]

A Communication Talisman soon appeared in front of Ning Ning's window.

[—But if you insist, it's not like we can't tell you. We may have professional ethics, but you know, we don't have any morals, haha.]

She continued staring expressionlessly, her gaze numb as it fell upon the final three words.

[He Zhizhou.]

The name sounded somewhat familiar. Ning Ning unconsciously furrowed her brows, trying hard to recall what she knew about him.

She should never have wondered, because the answer was astonishing.

In the original story, Senior Brother He was merely a passerby mentioned a handful of times, but Ning Ning remembered him quite well.

There were three main reasons.

First, not only did he love swords more than life itself, constantly coming up with new ways to forge and buy them, he also spent his days seeking pleasure at the foot of the mountain, eating, drinking, and spending money like water. He was every bit as poor as Tian Xianzi.

His mind worked in a most unusual way. When he was penniless and being hounded by loan sharks, he actually spent the last ten thousand Spirit Stones he had on a pile of rocks and pigments—

And personally made a thousand counterfeit coins.

That stunt was already enough to defy both common sense and humanity, but then his creditor exposed him on the spot, pointing out that those thousand Spirit Stones weren't real.

When asked why he'd made counterfeits, the fool answered, "Because I can't make real coins!"

Second, he was incredibly blunt. If he didn't like someone, he'd draw his sword right away, no matter who they were.

Then, one day, for reasons no one could explain, he got into an argument with a seven-year-old novice monk from Fanyin Temple.

Buddhists valued inner peace and followed the principle that if the enemy didn't move, they didn't move either. The little monk sat meditating right where he was, waiting calmly. He didn't want to strike first and bully someone younger, but he also didn't want to let the matter drop, so he stood there with his sword, facing the child down under the blazing sun.

Three hours later, he collapsed from heatstroke, foaming at the mouth and babbling incoherently at the little monk: "Why are you bullying me? Why?"

As for the third...

The third was the incident that had shocked the entire sect. He Zhizhou, a disciple of Xuanxu Sect, was so impoverished that he'd actually gone to a brothel to sell his services and put on a smile. In the end, he even became its top courtesan.

Someone remarked that he carried Sword Qi and must be a cultivator. Without so much as blushing, that man boasted, "I am a disciple of Wanjian Sect. You have a good eye!"

Who could've guessed that a senior personal disciple of Wanjian Sect happened to be at the scene, and, with not a shred of pity for the fair sex, immediately cursed him out: "Pah! You're clearly that counterfeit guy from Xuanxu Sect!"

And so, a generation's top courtesan fell from grace, while He Zhizhou of Xuanxu Sect became famous throughout the nine provinces.

After recalling all that, Ning Ning gaped in shock.

A person like this could actually exist in the world.

He did everything except act like a person!

Although He Zhizhou was astonishingly outrageous, he barely appeared in the original story and had almost no contact with the main cast. For him to suddenly get a whim and cause trouble now...

It was too strange.

No.

Ning Ning thought she had to go meet He Zhizhou.

Chapter 11

"You're asking about Senior Brother He?"

The young woman in a white dress, her hair pinned up, lowered the long sword in her hand and turned to look at Ning Ning. She appeared to be only sixteen or seventeen, yet she kept a stern expression at all times, displaying a maturity and seriousness at odds with her age.

He Zhizhou was a disciple of Yunzhongke Li Wangsheng, and lived with the other personal disciples on Danyun Peak.

The girl standing before Ning Ning was named Qin Shu. Not only had she broken through to the Golden Core Realm at a young age, but rumors had it that she spent most of every day diligently practicing. She was an undisputed standout among the younger generation.

"He's competing in a poetry duel."

The young woman's voice was gentle and warm, but coming out in the same dry, businesslike manner she used for everything, it took on an indescribably adorable quality. "I can take you there."

Ning Ning smiled and nodded. "Thank you!"

In summer, ancient cypresses stood thick on Danyun Peak, surrounded by bamboo and trees. The vast sea of forest gathered into a stretch of green that seemed to touch the sky, concealing any trace of it.

They passed the rows of courtyards where the personal disciples lived and came to an ancient tree. Its lush, leafy branches cast deep shade over the ground, while beneath its straight trunk lay powerful roots, coiled like dragons.

Several young people sat here and there on the roots. All wore white robes with their hair tied up, and faint traces of Sword Qi surrounded them. They were caught up in heated discussion. Not wanting to interrupt, Ning Ning and Qin Shu waited some distance away.

One of them laughed loudly. "My poem's not bad, is it? If nobody dares challenge me, then I win today."

As soon as he finished, a rustle of conversation quickly rose through the group. Someone raised his voice and called out, "What's the hurry? Zhizhou hasn't even answered yet."