Chapter 11

Su Zhong, covered in dust from his journey, arrived at Hengshan City with a sullen expression. He had let Yu Canghai escape again.

After leaving Fuzhou City, Yu Canghai had tightly engaged Su Zhong, allowing his disciples to scatter and flee. Su Zhong, uninterested in the minor henchmen, focused all his efforts on Yu Canghai.

Unexpectedly, Yu Canghai rode three horses, and from his seat on one of them, he was well-rested. Su Zhong couldn't even manage to kill the horses first. As time went on, Su Zhong's internal energy was depleted, and Yu Canghai managed to escape. Fortunately, Su Zhong had the Boundary-Breaking Pearl, which stimulated his body, enhancing his natural five senses. Using his sharp senses, he tracked Yu Canghai all the way to Hengshan City.

After several days of relentless pursuit, even with Su Zhong's status as a先天高手 (先天 means innate, 高手 means expert, so it can be translated as "innate expert"), he was exhausted both mentally and physically. He was still in the early stage of innate cultivation, and strictly speaking, he was at the same level as Yu Canghai. However, Su Zhong practiced the Bodhi Sutra, which had unique properties, and he had spent ten years developing the "Twelve Deadly Swords," which were incredibly powerful. The combination of these two factors allowed him to overpower Yu Canghai.

Lifting his head to look at the large sign of Huayan Tower, Su Zhong strode up to the second floor.

As soon as he entered, Su Zhong noticed the strange atmosphere on the second floor.

In the center of the hall, two people were drinking as if no one else was around. A young nun stood behind one of them, her face filled with anxiety, muttering something inaudible.

In a corner, a grandfather and grandson were sitting. The old man was eating and drinking on his own, observing coldly, while the young boy's eyes darted around, clearly not ordinary.

Su Zhong, expressionless, walked up to the second floor and looked around. He saw that the seats were in disarray, and there was no good place to sit. Noticing the two people in the center, Su Zhong walked over with his sword in hand.

"Hey, kid, you've got some nerve," Tian Boguang said, chewing a peanut and speaking leisurely.

"Brother, this is our table. We didn't invite you to join us," Linghuchong said, feigning disgust while desperately giving Su Zhong meaningful looks.

"Little layman, leave quickly. This is a place of trouble," Yilin, the young nun, clasped her hands together, her eyes filled with anxiety. If not for the monastic rules, she might have pulled Su Zhong away.

Su Zhong took out a silver ingot from his pocket and threw it onto the nearby counter.

"Two bowls of white rice, two pounds of beef, two boiled cabbages, and a pot of Bamboo Leaf Green," Su Zhong's voice was calm but firm.

The innkeeper, who was already miserable, felt even more so upon hearing Su Zhong's order. He had to suppress his fear and go down to prepare the food.

Most of the guests had already left Huayan Tower, and the kitchen was idle. Su Zhong's order was simple, and soon the innkeeper returned, trembling, with the food.

Su Zhong waved the innkeeper away and began eating large mouthfuls. He chewed slowly but quickly. In no time, most of the food on the table was gone. The sight made everyone feel hungry, finding the food particularly appetizing.

"Ha ha!" The young girl in the corner couldn't help but laugh at Su Zhong's enjoyment.

"Damn, is it that good?" Tian Boguang, who had been drinking, saw Su Zhong's enthusiasm and couldn't help but wonder. He picked up a piece of beef from Su Zhong's plate, chewed it for a moment, and spat it out on the ground.

"Are you a salt seller?" Tian Boguang turned to the innkeeper and shouted.

"Tian brother, don't get angry. These merchants only care about money, not the quality of the food. Drink, drink, don't let these trivial matters ruin your mood," Linghuchong interjected, his words harsh but his intentions good. He was trying to protect the innkeeper. Tian Boguang was a notorious figure, and if he got angry, he might kill the innkeeper. That would be a waste of a life!

Tian Boguang cursed the innkeeper, took a sip of wine, and saw Su Zhong eating on his own, which made him feel uncomfortable.

"Kid, who do you think you are? Who gave you permission to sit here and eat?"

"Tian brother, drink, drink! This kid is clearly a novice, he doesn't know the rules of the江湖 (jianghu, a term for the world of martial arts and chivalry). There's no need to get angry with him. Besides, seeing him eat so happily makes me feel hungry too. Without him, we wouldn't be able to eat this terrible food," Linghuchong continued to divert the topic, his forehead breaking out in a sweat. Dealing with a dangerous figure like Tian Boguang required all his wits.

Su Zhong ate large mouthfuls, having not eaten well for days while tracking Yu Canghai.

This time, Tian Boguang didn't listen to Linghuchong. Seeing that Su Zhong ignored him, he swept the two dishes on the table to the ground, his eyes challenging Su Zhong. He assumed Su Zhong was a righteous but inexperienced young hero, and he had killed many such people.

A little provocation would anger them, and they would charge at him. One slash of his knife, and they would be dead. He enjoyed seeing the fear in their eyes.

But this time, he miscalculated. Without the dishes, Su Zhong focused on eating. When he finished the last grain of rice and rinsed his mouth with half a pot of Bamboo Leaf Green, he finally looked up at the three people beside him.

Linghuchong's face was already stiff from smiling, while Tian Boguang's face was red with anger. He felt an unprecedented level of being ignored. No one had ever dared to ignore him, the lone wanderer of the world. This was the first time!

"Kid, you're dead!" Tian Boguang decided to use the Wind Blade Technique to slice Su Zhong to death, bit by bit.

Su Zhong looked at Yilin, who was muttering some prayers, then turned to Linghuchong, a smile forming on his lips.

"You're not bad."

If Su Zhong had been excited to meet a famous character from the story before, his heart had long been tempered by ten years of sword practice, making it as unyielding as a sword. Few things could move him now. However, he still liked the character of Linghuchong.

In the entire "Smiling, Proud Wanderer," only Linghuchong truly lived up to the title. Others either withdrew from the world, like Fangsheng of Shaolin and Chongxu of Wudang, or were entangled in the世俗 (secular world), becoming neither human nor ghost. The closest person to Su Zhong, his second brother Lin Pingzhi, was a prime example.

Only Linghuchong maintained his purity from start to finish. His actions just now showed a sense of chivalry, and more importantly, he upheld this spirit consistently.

"Uh... ah..." Linghuchong's face became even stiffer, and he felt a strange sense of humor. Being told "you're not bad" by a younger boy was a new experience!

"Ha ha!" The young girl couldn't help but laugh again, and even Yilin smiled.

Su Zhong, though young, spoke with an old-fashioned seriousness, which she found very endearing.

Ignoring the reactions of the others, Su Zhong turned to the furious Tian Boguang.

"You're very smart."

This self-important praise made everyone in Huayan Tower roll their eyes. The young girl, Qu Feixian, even held her stomach and laughed out loud.

A beardless boy, speaking with a serious face, praising a notorious bandit as smart. No one felt it was a compliment; it was more insulting than the harshest criticism.

With a clang, Tian Boguang drew his fast knife and slashed at Su Zhong.

The knife was swift and sudden, and even Linghuchong, who was right next to them, couldn't react in time.

"Ah!" Qu Feixian screamed and turned to look at her grandfather.

Qu Yang sat motionless, but he sighed inwardly, feeling the loss of a remarkable person.

Clang!

The sound of metal clashing startled everyone. Turning to look, they were stunned.

Two white, jade-like fingers lightly held the fast knife, and Tian Boguang's neck turned red. He held the knife with both hands but couldn't push it forward or pull it back.

"Let go!" Tian Boguang realized he had met his match. He tried to pull the knife back with all his strength, but after several attempts, he felt a sudden fear. He had been in the jianghu for years and was very shrewd. Seeing the situation, he immediately tried to run.

Su Zhong, noticing Tian Boguang's flickering eyes, admired his caution. But could he run? Impossible!

He secretly activated the Bodhi Sutra, and a thread of internal energy traveled up the knife. Visible cold air emerged, and in an instant, a layer of frost covered Tian Boguang's hand. At this point, even if Tian Boguang wanted to let go, he couldn't.

His hand was frozen to the knife by Su Zhong!

"The Cold Ice True Qi!"

"The Black Wind Finger"

"The Dark Heaven Finger"

Several voices in the crowd exclaimed in surprise.

Su Zhong was very interested in these martial arts. The Cold Ice True Qi was a unique skill of Zuo Lengshan. The Black Wind Finger and the Dark Heaven Finger were also rare techniques in the jianghu. They all shared the characteristic of being icy and cold, capable of turning water to ice.

However, these were not the skills Su Zhong used.

He used the authentic Bodhi Sutra. This Buddhist technique should have been powerful and righteous, but it required a very high level of mental discipline. One had to be unaffected by external influences and not be swayed by the six senses. Su Zhong, with his strong will, could not achieve this state.

Buddhism emphasizes letting go, and only by letting go could one remain unaffected. Su Zhong, however, did the opposite. Instead of letting go, he held on tightly, melting his desires into a single, pure, cold sword heart. He succeeded in replacing many thoughts with one.

This Buddhist technique was thus transformed into a demonic skill by Su Zhong!

His internal energy not only lost its righteous nature but became like the cold, dark energy of the netherworld. When released, it could turn water to ice. This was why Su Zhong could freeze Tian Boguang.

"Such overwhelming internal energy! Such formidable cultivation!" Qu Yang's lazy face was now serious, no longer coldly observing.

"When I said you were smart, I meant it as a compliment," Su Zhong said seriously to Tian Boguang.

This time, no one in Huayan Tower laughed. Su Zhong had subdued the lone wanderer Tian Boguang with just two fingers, earning the respect of everyone present!