Chapter 11

In the early morning, a long line of people waiting to enter Cangyun City stretched densely.

As the fourth largest city in the southern province, the population density was far greater than that of a small place like Fufeng City.

Compared to the continuous flow of people entering the city, the line of people leaving the city was sparse, mostly consisting of those who had spent the night in the city.

Accommodation in Cangyun City was not cheap, so most ordinary people who came to the city for business or to make a living would not choose to stay overnight.

At this moment, two figures, one large and one small, were mixed in the line of people leaving the city.

The older one was a man in his sixties, with white hair and a white beard, a ruddy complexion, and wearing a gray robe. He carried a long bundle on his back.

The younger one was a girl who looked to be about thirteen or fourteen years old, with big eyes, a delicate face with a hint of childishness, a slender figure, and wearing a yellow robe. She carried a similarly sized bundle on her back, which swayed unsteadily, not quite matching her small frame.

The guards at the gate did not check the people leaving the city very strictly, so the two of them passed through the inspection smoothly and left the city.

"Grandpa, where are we going next?" the girl asked.

The old man took out a map, studied it for a while, and then said, "The map drawn by our ancestor is rather rough, and the paper is old, making the writing unclear. We'll have to search along the Qingyun Mountain Range slowly."

"I heard that the Qingyun Mountain Range stretches for over two thousand miles. How long will it take to walk, and there are cultivation sects on Qingyun Mountain, Qingsong Mountain, Qingfeng Mountain, and Qingcheng Mountain. Won't we be driven away if we search there?" the girl pouted, showing some impatience.

"Girl, this ancient sect's ruins are no small matter. Our ancestor only stumbled upon the outer area of the ruins and gained some benefits. After returning, he founded our Shen Duan lineage. Unfortunately, he was tied up with worldly affairs and couldn't explore further," the old man stroked his beard and said, "Now that the Shen Duan lineage is declining, only the two of us remain. I had thought of retiring and living out my days, but I never expected you to have such good talent. It's as if heaven has not abandoned our Shen Duan. If we can find the ruins, the two of us might be able to revive the former glory of the Shen Duan lineage."

The old man was speaking eloquently, getting more and more excited, when suddenly a "gurgle" sound was heard.

"Grandpa, I'm hungry."

"..."

An hour later.

"Grandpa, I'm so hungry I have no strength to walk," the girl said with a pained expression.

"Ah, I'm sorry, girl. It's all because I'm not capable and don't have much silver to rent a unicorn carriage. We're almost to Fufeng City. When we get there, I'll buy you buns," the old man said.

"Oh."

Half an hour later.

"Grandpa, why haven't we reached Fufeng City yet?"

"Almost, almost. It's just a little further. Girl, try a bit harder. The fragrant and tender meat buns are calling you," the old man encouraged.

"Oh."

Another half an hour later, the two of them could finally see the outline of the city in the distance.

Under the scorching sun, the girl felt dizzy and her steps were unsteady. The only thing keeping her going was the thought of "meat buns."

"Do you see it, girl? That's Fufeng City ahead," the old man said excitedly.

Gradually, more and more parts of the city appeared on the horizon, and the city gate was clearly visible.

However, on their way forward, a figure suddenly appeared.

As they got closer, they could see that the figure blocking the road was a young man in his late twenties, dressed in white. He was handsome, but his eagle nose somewhat marred his overall appearance.

"Shen Dachui?" The young man's voice was magnetic and pleasant to hear.

"Who are you...?" The old man, who looked like a sage, had a rather earthy name, Shen Dachui.

"Xiao Wenjian."

"What does the second-ranking young hero of the Great Dry Empire want with an old man like me?" Shen Dachui's expression became more serious, as Xiao Wenjian's reputation put considerable pressure on him.

"Hand over the Sun and Moon Divine Sword." Xiao Wenjian spoke succinctly, unwilling to say more.

Shen Dachui's face changed dramatically: "I didn't expect the noble 'Absolute Sword Prince' to be a greedy and shameless person who covets others' treasures!"

"Don't force my hand." Xiao Wenjian still looked cool.

"Girl, you step back a bit." Shen Dachui had no intention of giving in.

"Ah!" Xiao Wenjian sighed, stretched out his right hand, and grabbed the air. A huge golden palm appeared in the air and reached out to Shen Dachui.

"Spiritual energy materialization, truly at the Tian Lun realm!"

Shen Dachui roared and punched out with a force that transformed into a spiritual tiger, roaring as it met the golden palm.

"Boom!" The two powerful spiritual energies collided in the air, causing a loud explosion. The air currents scattered, blowing dust everywhere.

Xiao Wenjian's feet shifted, and he used some unknown technique to instantly appear in front of Shen Dachui. His right hand transformed into a blade, slashing out with a spiritual energy blade that cut fiercely towards the old man's forehead.

Shen Dachui did not back down but roared, sending out a spiritual energy sound wave that blasted towards Xiao Wenjian.

The two Tian Lun-level experts each displayed their ultimate techniques, clashing with a series of loud bangs. The spiritual energy collisions caused sand and dust to fly, creating a swirling mist.

"Grandpa, fight hard, beat this bad guy! Grandpa, I'm... so hungry..." the girl cheered weakly from the side.

As the fight continued, Shen Dachui gradually felt his strength waning. Although they were both at the Tian Lun realm, his cultivation might be slightly higher than Xiao Wenjian's, but in terms of the number and quality of star techniques, he was inferior. Additionally, Xiao Wenjian was young and full of vigor, and the balance of power was gradually tilting in his favor.

"Boom!" Another full-force clash, Xiao Wenjian's body only wavered slightly, while Shen Dachui was pushed back several steps, his right arm trembling, unable to recover quickly.

Xiao Wenjian, not giving Shen Dachui a chance to catch his breath, sent another huge spiritual palm towards the old man's head.

Suddenly, a dazzling golden light cut through the air.

The giant claw, condensed with most of Xiao Wenjian's spiritual energy, was sliced to pieces.

Xiao Wenjian frowned, his eyes cold.

Shen Dachui's bundle had somehow opened, and a long sword, shining with a brilliant light, was firmly held in his left hand.

"This is the Sun Sword from the Sun and Moon Divine Sword, indeed worthy of its name," Xiao Wenjian said, speaking the longest sentence of the day, "A treasure of this level, you can't protect."

"Try me." Shen Dachui's spirit soared with the sword in hand.

"I'll let you off for today."

Xiao Wenjian, without waiting for Shen Dachui's response, turned and left, full of arrogance.

"Grandpa, you actually drove away the second-ranking hero of the Great Dry Empire, that's amazing!" the girl ran up to Shen Dachui, excited.

"Ah, the younger generation surpasses the older. This Xiao Wenjian is indeed not just a name. He's already a Tian Lun expert before the age of thirty. If it weren't for the divine weapon in my hand, I might have..." the old man started to ramble.

"Grandpa, I'm hungry."

"..."

***

Returning to the cave, the stone room was empty. The books on the table were still there, but the fruits were gone.

Zhong Wen came to the table, gently placed the basket and the spirit crystal lamp he was carrying, and picked up the book on the table.

The cover of the book was written in Chinese: "The Method of Forging the Divine Fire Gun."

Closing his eyes, a line of small text appeared on the bookshelf in his mind:

"Discovered 'Spiritual Artifact' book 'The Method of Forging the Divine Fire Gun.' Do you want to add it? Yes/No."

Using his consciousness to open the book in his mind, lines of text floated before Zhong Wen's eyes. He learned that the cave in the mountain was not naturally formed but was dug out bit by bit by an elder of the Medicine King Valley.

Unlike the interests of all other people in the Medicine King Valley, this elder, surnamed Long, was naturally combative and did not focus on medicine or alchemy but spent his entire life researching the forging of weapons.

Due to disagreements with the valley master, Elder Long angrily left the valley, dug a cave on the mountain, and continued his research on weapons in seclusion.

The Divine Fire Gun was his masterpiece.

According to the book, this weapon required very little spiritual energy from the user. If the materials were chosen properly, the top-tier Divine Fire Gun could even kill a Ling Zun-level expert.

What a powerful spiritual weapon!

Reading the description of the Divine Fire Gun in the book, Zhong Wen was overwhelmed with admiration for Elder Long's genius.

Opening his eyes, Zhong Wen found a sword at his throat.

Following the blade, he saw a slender, white hand holding the hilt, and the owner of the hand was the black-clothed girl he had healed the previous night.

"Good evening!"

Zhong Wen smiled and greeted the girl, then opened the cloth covering the basket and took out the food inside.

"Are you hungry? Eating only fruit won't fill you up. I brought you some food," Zhong Wen introduced each item, "These are chicken buns, this is a flatbread, and I also brought some chicken soup. Drink it while it's hot; it will help your recovery."

The black-clothed girl looked at him coldly, the sword still resting at Zhong Wen's throat, as if ready to cut his throat at any moment.

Zhong Wen continued to chatter: "Your vitality has been restored, but the damage from the unknown cultivation technique is far from gone. You need to rest and recuperate. This is the 'Cultivation Essence Pill' I refined. It can solidify your foundation and repair bodily damage. Take one after each meal. Also, these clothes I bought from the mountain. Try them on to see if they fit. Don't bind that area anymore; it can cause harm..."

"Shut up!" The black-clothed girl's face turned red, and she finally shouted, "Aren't you afraid of dying?"

Zhong Wen felt the sword tighten against his throat and smiled, "Will you kill me?"

"You... You treated me like that last night, of course I want to kill you."

"I was just healing you. Why are you so impure-minded, girl?"

"You..." The black-clothed girl's chest heaved with anger, her tight clothing almost bursting.

"Alright, alright, calm down, or your injuries might worsen." Zhong Wen calmly pushed away the girl's sword, "Sit down and eat. After you finish, I'll examine you again."

The black-clothed girl glared at him for a long time, finally put down her sword, and sat at the stone table, picking up a bun and taking a bite.

When she drank the chicken soup, her face showed extreme surprise.

"Good, right? It's my secret recipe," Zhong Wen smiled at her.

The black-clothed girl's face turned red, she glared at him, and hesitated for a moment before finally not putting down the bowl.

Perhaps she was really hungry. Although she ate politely, her speed was astonishing, and the basket of food was quickly devoured.

"Come, extend your hand, I'll take your pulse," Zhong Wen saw the girl's expression soften and reached out to touch her wrist.

The black-clothed girl immediately stood up, gripping her sword and stepping back.

"If I wanted to harm you, you would have died a thousand times already." Zhong Wen was both amused and exasperated, "I'm a doctor. Either kill me or extend your hand, hurry up!"

Seeing the girl still hesitating, Zhong Wen used his trump card:

"Don't you want to take revenge?"

The girl's eyes immediately became sharper.

"How can you take revenge if you don't heal your body first?" Zhong Wen's words hit the girl's pain point.

The black-clothed girl finally extended her right hand.

Zhong Wen placed his fingers on the girl's soft wrist, reading her pulse while observing her face.

Compared to the previous night, the black-clothed girl's complexion was much rosier. Her plump face, illuminated by the spirit crystal lamp, looked delicate and beautiful.

"Although your internal meridians are still damaged, your vitality has been restored. You are young and full of energy. With the help of the Essence Cultivation Pill, the damage from the unknown cultivation technique will gradually be repaired," Zhong Wen spoke formally, but his eyes kept glancing at the girl's chest.

No matter how he looked, it was still impressive!

Zhong Wen felt his nose about to bleed again.

The girl was not binding that area anymore because... the white cloth Zhong Wen had quietly taken away last night.

"How long will it take to recover to peak condition?" the black-clothed girl asked.

"Originally, it would take at least half a year, but with the new Essence Cultivation Pill I refined, it should take about two months to fully recover."

"In two months, Duan Changhong's injuries will also be healed. I can't wait that long!" the black-clothed girl said resolutely.

Zhong Wen thought for a moment and asked, "What was your cultivation level before you were injured?"

The black-clothed girl did not hide it: "Fifth level of the Earth Wheel."

Zhong Wen: "Duan Changhong is already at the sixth level of the Earth Wheel and is on guard. Your cultivation is not as high as his, and your strength has declined after your injuries. Even if you try to assassinate him again, it won't succeed."

The black-clothed girl's tone was unwavering: "As long as I can kill him, I will die without regrets."

Zhong Wen's left hand, which was supporting the girl's right hand, and his right hand, which was taking her pulse, suddenly clasped together, holding the girl's soft hand. He said solemnly, "Dying together and dying pointlessly are two different things."

The black-clothed girl was startled, tried to pull her hand away, but couldn't, and stopped struggling, her eyes welling up, head lowered, "I have no other choice."

Zhong Wen gently lifted the girl's chin, looked into her eyes, and said seriously, "If you are willing to leave the assassin organization, I can help you take revenge."

The girl's heart raced under his gaze, her eyes darting around, "You... How can you help me?"

Zhong Wen: "What do you think of my strength?"

Black-clothed girl: "Pretty weak. If I weren't injured, I could easily kill you."

Zhong Wen: "..."

Can we still have a pleasant conversation?

"If I tell you my cultivation is only at the second level of the Human Wheel, what would you say?" Zhong Wen calmed himself and said.

"What!" The black-clothed girl was shocked, "Impossible!"

The gap between the second level of the Human Wheel and the fifth level of the Earth Wheel was immeasurable. Even an injured fifth-level Earth Wheel expert could easily kill a large number of second-level Human Wheel cultivators, yet Zhong Wen could fight her to a standstill. The black-clothed girl found it hard to accept.

"This means," Zhong Wen continued, "the spiritual techniques I use are far more advanced than the assassination techniques taught by the Ten Thousand Gold Tower."

"So what? Your cultivation is too low. Even if we both attack, we can't defeat Duan Changhong," the black-clothed girl said, puzzled.

"What if I teach you my spiritual techniques?"

"You... You..."

"With your cultivation and my spiritual techniques, dealing with a mere Duan Changhong should be easy."

"Why are you helping me like this?" the black-clothed girl asked hesitantly, "Helping a dying assassin to offend a sixth-level Earth Wheel black market boss, what's in it for you?"

"Because..." Zhong Wen's eyes shone with unprecedented light, "I want to!"

A穿越者 from the Heavenly Dynasty was just that capricious!

Looking at Zhong Wen's face illuminated by the spirit crystal lamp, the black-clothed girl was almost entranced.

...

"Rest well these two days, take your medicine on time, and don't use your spiritual energy for now," Zhong Wen said while tidying up the bowls and dishes, "I'll come to see you often. Once your condition stabilizes, I'll teach you a high-level spiritual technique."

"Okay."

"I'm leaving now, take care of yourself!"

"Okay."

"If you encounter any danger, come to the mountain top to find me."

"Okay."

"By the way, can you tell me your name?"

"..."

"Leng Wushuang."

***

Dantai Jin looked at the young man in white before him, filled with envy.

At less than thirty years old, he firmly