Misunderstanding, Harvesting and Mutilating

"Alas, you truly were too impulsive."

The refined man also walked over and shook his head.

Upon hearing this, the black-clad swordsman looked at the refined man. Thinking of how he had provoked trouble for no reason—and a master of external cultivation at that—he felt like crying without tears.

"Mr. Tong..."

Tong Xinghe shook his head slightly.

"Baichuan, do not worry. Though you acted impulsively this time, you only meant well and caused harm instead. Before fighting, that man made sure to settle the little girl first. That shows he is certainly not a wicked man. Later, I will take you to apologize to him in person."

"Do not be so rash next time. Consider this loss a lesson for you."

Tong Xinghe looked at Qiao Baichuan's crimson, swollen arms, applied medicinal ointment to them, and pressed his finger against several acupoints.

There were slight fractures, and blood vessels within the flesh had ruptured and bled. If they were not treated promptly, his hands might be ruined.

Qiao Baichuan gritted his teeth against the pain without making a sound, feeling somewhat ashamed.

His attempt to test the other man had failed, and he had suffered instead. In the end, he simply lacked the skill.

Tong Xinghe was inwardly alarmed. He knew some medicine and could tell that Lu Li had used no technique whatsoever; the injuries had been caused purely by brute force.

"You were lucky this time. That man probably held back. Otherwise, your arms would have been finished."

Tong Xinghe shook his head inwardly. Both his external cultivation and claw technique appeared far from ordinary, and most importantly, he looked so young while already possessing the cultivation of the Fourth Layer of Meridian Opening.

Which young prodigy of the Jing Dynasty could he be?

Tong Xinghe raised his head and watched the figure disappear into the inn, his expression shifting slightly.

Lixi Inn, second-floor guest room.

After entering, Lu Li rented a room. There was not much worth eating at the inns in Liangshui Town, so he ordered donkey meat flatbread and fish soup.

When the fish soup arrived, he shook Liu Yueling. She was still in a daze, unaware of the outside world.

Lu Li simply spoon-fed the still-sleeping Liu Yueling first, then grabbed the flatbread and ate it together with the fish soup.

"This room costs three mace of silver for one night. Donkey meat and fish soup cost another four mace. I wonder whether this will be enough money to get to the Southern Wasteland."

While eating the donkey meat, Lu Li opened his money pouch and poured out the silver inside.

Seven taels of loose silver, ten gold beans, and a ten-tael banknote stamped with an official seal.

This was the money Shuang Qiuyue had given him. He did not know the prices in this world, but from the expenses at Lixi Inn alone, he had gained some idea.

"The money for the Southern Wasteland should be enough, but prices are very high. It may have something to do with the war."

Lu Li pondered this and had also inquired about the current date. The current emperor was Emperor Gansheng, and it was the sixth year of Qianyuan. According to the game's setting, a war had only been fought with the neighboring Li Dynasty last year.

The war had lasted a year and ended in a costly victory, bringing rising prices everywhere and making life increasingly difficult for ordinary people.

Soon, the large bowl of donkey meat and fish soup was gone. With his stomach full, Lu Li let out a satisfied burp and reclined in the lounge chair within the room, his thoughts drifting.

"The Miao Poison Sect in the Southern Wasteland is nearly a thousand li from here. Most of the way is mountainous and difficult to travel, but..."

"There seem to be quite a few opportunities along the way. The blessed land, Moon Marrow Cold Pool; the martial art, Heart-Breaking Buddha Body..."

Lu Li calculated silently. After having a bucket of hot water brought up and taking a bath, he went downstairs to ask about renting a horse and buying a map.

With a map, he could better determine which opportunities he could go and seize directly.

The moment he came downstairs, Lu Li heard footsteps approaching and narrowed his eyes.

The arrivals were precisely the refined man and his two companions who had clashed with him outside the inn earlier. Clearly, they had deliberately waited for him.

There was one slight difference. The refined man's attire had not changed, but the burly man behind him had brought a young man carrying a bundle of thorny branches on his back.

Lu Li examined him and recognized the young man as the black-clad swordsman from before.

"This young brother, I am Tong Xinghe. Outside the inn just now, my junior Qiao Baichuan smelled blood on you and saw that you were carrying a little girl, so he misunderstood. We have come to offer an apology with thorns upon his back."

Tong Xinghe looked sincere. After cupping his hands in salute, he took out a prepared silver ingot from his waist and offered it forward.

Judging by its size, Lu Li estimated that the silver ingot weighed no less than ten taels.

But... Tong Xinghe and Qiao Baichuan were from the Crane Flower Sect, were they not?

Memories surged through Lu Li's mind. The Crane Flower Sect should currently be only a small nearby sect.

However, near the end of the Jing Dynasty, the Crane Flower Sect would produce a Qi Solidification martial artist named Flowing Form Blade, who became famous for chivalrous deeds.

This young man offering an apology with thorns on his back was the future Meteor Blade, Qiao Baichuan.

Qiao Baichuan never entered the Divine Intent Realm even after the Jing Dynasty fell, but he had always acted chivalrously among the common people and earned considerable renown.

As for Tong Xinghe, he should currently be a guest elder of the Crane Flower Sect, but he would later become the strategist of the great righteous sect, Profound Heaven Temple.

After thinking for a moment, Lu Li accepted the silver and softened his attitude.

"Since this matter was a misunderstanding, let us leave it at that."

Good people were rare in the martial world. Tong Xinghe aside, Qiao Baichuan was a rare, genuinely kind man.

For decades, he had persisted in doing good deeds day after day. Lu Li still greatly respected such people.

Seeing Lu Li accept the silver, Tong Xinghe inwardly breathed a sigh of relief, then said to the young man behind him.

"Baichuan, step forward!"

Qiao Baichuan was bare-chested, and the thorny branches on his back had pierced his flesh, drawing blood. He spoke earnestly.

"I ask this brother to forgive my reckless offense."

First they gave him money, then they came bearing thorns to apologize. Lu Li waved his hand.

"It is nothing. Since it was a misunderstanding, your attitude is sufficient. There is no need to injure yourself to show sincerity. You may leave."

At his words, Qiao Baichuan's eyes lit up as he looked expectantly at Tong Xinghe.

Yet Tong Xinghe's face was stern.

"If one makes a mistake, one must be punished. Why are there so many evildoers in the martial world? Because no one punishes them."

Qiao Baichuan's gaze dimmed. Once Tong Xinghe finished speaking, his tone shifted.

"We came this time to deal with two thieves from the Myriad Life Sect. If you have any leads, please tell us. We would be immensely grateful, and should you ever need anything in the future, we will offer our full support."

Upon hearing this, Lu Li understood that this was Tong Xinghe's true purpose. His gaze narrowed as he swept it across the three men.

Since he had confirmed that they were not evil men, there was no harm in telling them some information about the Myriad Life Sect.

After all, the Myriad Life Sect was truly no good thing.

There were many deformed people in the world, but it was absolutely impossible for enough of them to naturally arise to form a sect with more than a hundred martial artists.

Most of its members had been made through harvesting and mutilation.

Theft, abduction, forced seizure—there was nothing they would not do. Their methods were cruel and vicious, shattering countless families.

Just as he was about to speak, Lu Li suddenly froze. Through the Armament Master's perception, he sensed three blades nearby.

Their location was directly above them, on the roof.

After the Armament Master devoured weapons, its ability to sense weapons could not only be used for searching, but could also warn him in advance of ambushes.

Lu Li raised his head slightly and looked at the roof. Beneath his gaze, three faint white points of light hovered quietly.

Clearly, all three blades were carried by the same person.

After sensing the arrival, Lu Li's thoughts turned. "I do have information about those two thieves, but I can only tell you at midnight."

With that, he returned to his room.

Tong Xinghe watched Lu Li's departing back, a faint gleam appearing in his eyes. He then led Qiao Baichuan back to their room as well.

"Mr. Tong, that man is truly strange. He insists on waiting until midnight before telling us."

On the way back, Qiao Baichuan was somewhat puzzled.

Tong Xinghe shook his head upon hearing this and said to the burly man, "Qiao Xiong, prepare the weapons."