The crowd gradually dispersed.
The yamen runners were cleaning up the bloody mess in the streets and collecting the corpses of the dead, which included not only people from the yamen and Green Sword Sect, but also some unfortunate civilians who couldn't withstand the penetrating arrows of the government troops.
Indeed, there was no reason in this world. One never knew when death would come, with no chance to resist or lament before being declared dead. But Zhang San was completely numb to the sight, having long grown accustomed to it.
He had wanted to leave immediately with Wang Xiaoer, but out of caution, Zhang San decided to stay in the alley a bit longer and wait until most of the people outside had left before heading out.
However, the scene that met his eyes upon exiting the alley made Zhang San pause briefly in surprise.
Below the spacious execution grounds, most of the people had already left, with only a few scattered government runners still washing away the bloodstains.
The sky was gloomy.
A woman in white stood below the execution grounds.
The woman looked to be in her thirties, her white robes filled with patches. She stood silently watching for a long time.
Then she turned around.
It was the expression on the woman's face that made Zhang San freeze up for a moment.
It was an expression of utter despair.
What was she despairing over? The execution grounds were clearly empty.
Zhang San wondered about this curiously.
The woman then slowly walked away, her direction coincidentally leading towards where Zhang San was.
As the woman drew nearer, Zhang San realized she was very beautiful, with time seeming to have left little trace on her face. Despite her shabby clothes and lack of makeup, she was still striking.
The woman's peripheral vision caught sight of Zhang San, but she continued on her way slowly without paying him much attention.
...
...
"Master...what are you looking at?" Wang Xiaoer asked.
Zhang San pointed in the direction the woman in white had left and said, "There's something odd about that woman."
Wang Xiaoer squinted into the distance from the cart and vaguely made out the figure of a woman in white robes. He murmured, "Master is indeed at that age now and should consider..."
Thud!
No more needed to be said before Wang Xiaoer was thumped again.
Zhang San said, "I just feel like the direction she was looking before seems to be...where the magistrate left. Or am I imagining things?"
Wang Xiaoer rubbed his head and said, "Don't think about it, Master. It's got nothing to do with us. We've still got our own business to handle."
Zhang San nodded. "You're right. No wonder you're my disciple. By the way...what was our business again?"
Wang Xiaoer looked towards South Avenue, where a peddler was selling candied hawthorns at the end of the street. He had noticed them after the avenue reopened earlier. Wang Xiaoer naturally said, "Master, of course it's to go buy candied hawthorns. I read in medical books that sugar can stimulate the brain. As soon as we eat some, we'll be able to..."
Thud!
Another punch.
Wang Xiaoer cried out in pain but still refused to give up. "Master, how about we get two skewers to share then?"
Zhang San snorted. "Don't joke around. How could your master sit here eating candied fruit on a stick with a brat like you?"
...
...
Not long after, a master and disciple sat in a small alley in the southern part of Tian Ruo City, each eating a candied hawthorn skewer with great enjoyment.
As he bit into a haw, Wang Xiaoer asked while eating, "Master, are we really staying here tonight?"
Zhang San spoke unclearly with his mouth full, "What's wrong with it? A panoramic skylight, carefree and leisurely. We can even watch the stars at night. As righteous disciples, we've got to sleep poetically."
Wang Xiaoer nearly choked on a hawthorn. He looked around at the dilapidated alley full of puddles and said, "Master, can we be honest? Sleeping on the streets is sleeping on the streets. What poetry?"
Zhang San said wistfully, "But this is how your martial uncle spoke to me in the past."
Wang Xiaoer sighed, realizing that the sect's poverty had persisted over three generations now.
"But Master, I'm a bit worried," said Wang Xiaoer, well-read in martial arts novels.
Zhang San asked, "What are you worried about?"
Wang Xiaoer replied, "Master, didn't you say earlier that the jianghu in the central counties has been very chaotic? I read in books that places like these alleys are where murders most often happen. What if we're sleeping and suddenly a fight breaks out, and then a corpse just drops down from the sky and lands on us?"
Zhang San's brows furrowed as he thought to himself that these were some strange ideas indeed.
As expected, one really shouldn't read too many of Mr. Jin's martial arts novels, or else everyone would become obsessed like Wang Xiaoer.
A corpse falling from the sky?
Ridiculous. If that happened, I, Zhang San, would immediately pluck my head off and give it to you as a...
Just as he was thinking this, there was suddenly a loud 'thud' in the small alley!
A corpse dropped down inexplicably from somewhere, landing deep in the alley.
It was a man dressed in black robes, embroidered with the image of a dragon on the collar.
Judging from the clothes, he appeared to be a high-ranking member of the Black Dragon Hall.
However, the master and disciple remained calm.
Wang Xiaoer nodded, then licked his candied fruit skewer with an expression that said 'Just as expected, right on cue.'
Zhang San stared dumbfoundedly at the scene, subconsciously taking a bite of his skewer with an expression that said 'Well I'll be damned.'
They then exchanged glances to confirm their strategy for dealing with this.
Master, what should we do? This guy looks really formidable.
I'm used to being the one killing people in front of others. Now suddenly it's the other way around. How would I know what to do? Let's pretend to be scared first.
Master, what if pretending doesn't work?
Then we'll take him out. I'll attack from the front and you throw poison darts from behind.
Master is as shameless as ever, yet also brilliant!
After this wordless exchange, the master and disciple each began putting on an act, with the theme being 'fear' and the specific performance being terror and panic.
The Killer Hall guard from JinWan Pavilion carefully examined the scholar and boy, deciding it wasn't worth wasting time on two ordinary people. With a leap using qinggong, he departed.
Seeing the emblem of money on the back of the departing man in golden robes, Zhang San murmured doubtfully, "JinWan Pavilion? JinWan's people are chasing and killing members of the local underground gang, Black Dragon Hall?"
Moreover, the man from Black Dragon Hall had a dragon emblem embroidered on his collar, clearly marking him as a high-ranking member. For ordinary conflicts between gangs like turf wars, there was no reason to kill someone of this status.
Yet this man had undoubtedly been chased down and killed in this alley by someone from JinWan Pavilion.
Could JinWan Pavilion and Black Dragon Hall be at war?
Zhang San pulled Wang Xiaoer up and said, "Let's go!"
Having heard the three words "JinWan Pavilion" whispered by his master, Wang Xiaoer also realized the gravity of the situation and hurriedly jumped onto the cart.
However, as soon as the cart moved, Wang Xiaoer became worried again. "Master, I'm a bit anxious again."
Zhang San asked listlessly and helplessly, "Now what is it?!"
【Prologue: The Beginning of It All – Use holy water to heal the saintess tainted by demonic energy, then converse with her.】 Shen Nian stared at his older sister sipping yogurt, lost in thought. So you’re telling me my sister is the saintess, and yogurt is the holy water? 【Main Quest 1: Brave Youth, Become an Adventurer! Reward: Rookie Adventurer Title.】 【Side Quest 1: Find the Adorable Kitty! Reward: 1000 Gold Coins.】 Shen Nian: "Wait, I’m a high school senior here—did some guy who got isekai’d accidentally bind his system to me?" Hold on, completing quests gives gold rewards? Titles even boost stats? Is this for real? (A lighthearted, absurd campus comedy—not a revenge power fantasy.)
close your eyes and open them again, only to find yourself transmigrated into the role of a villainous male supporting character. Readers familiar with urban wish-fulfillment novels know that it is only through the relentless antics of the villainous male supporting character that the plot between the male and female leads can progress. As the villainous male supporting character, Long Aotian not only has to bully the female lead, harass the second female lead, and flirt with the third female lead, but he also has to go all out to antagonize the male lead. In the end, when his body is discovered, he is still clutching half a moldy fried dough stick in his hand. Fully aware of the plot, Long Aotian is determined to change his fate, starting with the female lead! In the beginning, the female lead lacks confidence: "Big brother, I hope I didn't scare you?" In the middle, the female lead treads carefully: "Brother Long, please don't hit me, okay?" Later on, the female lead becomes coquettishly clingy: "Aotian, it's time to pay the 'public grain' tonight." Long Aotian's legs go weak, and he feels like crying: "I taught you to be thick-skinned, not shameless!"
ine. During your journey, you save an abandoned baby girl and become her elder brother】 【You rely on each other, becoming each other's support】 【At the end of the simulation, you shield the now-grown girl with your life, sacrificing yourself to block numerous demonic cultivators. You die, and the light in the girl's eyes fades】 …… 【Second Simulation: You are transported to a world where steam and magic coexist】 【You immerse yourself in the study of magic, obsessed with its research. One day, while out, you encounter a half-blooded demon girl wandering the streets. You take her in as your student】 【You teach the demoness what it means to be human, show her the beauty of the world, and nurture her into a miracle that surpasses even the gods】 【At the end of the simulation, you die of old age in front of the nearly immortal demoness due to your mortal lifespan】 …… One simulation after another, one encounter after another. Xu Xi suddenly felt something was off: "Wait, you said you're coming to the real world to find me?"
esick Sect? Well, at least it's considered a respectable orthodox sect. Wait a minute— What kind of vibe are you all giving off? Shouldn’t this be a love-struck, romance-obsessed sect? Why does everyone here sound more like demonic cultivators? "Master, today he’s getting married. This disciple wishes to descend the mountain and crash the wedding, then toy with him to death right in front of his wife..." "Elder, I only got into your sect through connections, so why won’t you teach me anything?" "Because I also became an elder through connections." Thankfully, Su Ji was just an outer sect labor disciple. Surely, nothing too crazy would— "Junior Brother, you’ve broken through to Qi Refining. Once you sever your useless spiritual root, you can officially become an outer sect disciple." "The Great Dao is merciless. Don’t let a worthless spiritual root waste your essence and spirit, hindering your cultivation." Is this really the Lovesick Sect? ... Three years later, Su Ji sat in the seat of the Lovesick Sect’s sect master, sighing with emotion. His rise to this position all started when his junior sister adamantly insisted on preserving his "spiritual root." "Mmm... Senior Brother, what’s our relationship now?" "Stop talking. Keep going." "By the way, that newly promoted top-tier sect—didn’t they come to buy our Love Beans?" "One top-grade spirit stone per Love Bean—is that really so expensive?" "I suspect they’ve eaten too many Love Beans." "Now they’re lovesick." Well, this really is the Lovesick Sect after all.
