Chapter 38

How long had he waited?

Bai Xiaosheng had no concept of time. When he calmed down and circulated his internal energy to clear his mind, three days had already passed, and in the system, he had stayed for nine days. Without eating or drinking, his body could no longer endure it. Once he calmed down, he felt his stomach was practically touching his back. In a flash, he left the system.

Reappearing, he was naturally still in the mansion.

The bodies were gone, and the bloodstains had been cleaned up. The mansion, which should have been a house of death, had somehow regained its vitality. He found it strange but, due to his hunger and thirst, did not think much about it. Instead, he quickly wandered around the mansion and soon found the kitchen, where he ate and drank to his heart's content.

He ate a lot and drank a lot, and it wasn't until nightfall that he leisurely left the mansion.

On the road, Bai Xiaosheng heard many discussions, mostly about the destruction of the mansion. Many people were clapping and rejoicing, but he also heard some negative comments.

These comments were not about him but about the local government and merchants.

It turned out that after Bai Xiaosheng killed the Wang family, the authorities arrived. From the guards and servants, they naturally knew that the killer was a martial artist. The authorities found it difficult to manage these people because they were highly mobile and unpredictable. If they tried to control them, they might lose their heads. Moreover, the local authorities were not good people. After the county magistrate made some pretentious remarks, the next day, someone gave the Wang family's mansion to him, and the Wang family's business was divided among others.

As for the dead bodies of the Wang family, they had long been thrown into a mass grave!

Hearing this news, Bai Xiaosheng frowned deeply. He had killed the Wang family to rid the people of a scourge, and the common people were satisfied. But how did he become an accomplice in the eyes of these capitalists?

This made Bai Xiaosheng very unhappy!

However, he did not do much more. On that day, he quickly left the city. His back seemed hurried, as if he was avoiding something. Because of his haste, by midnight, he could only find a place to rest in the wilderness. Fortunately, he had the system and did not have to worry about accommodation. As soon as it got dark, he stopped walking and entered the system.

Standing beside the large green stone, Bai Xiaosheng thought about the situation when he killed people and asked, "Is there something wrong with my mind?"

"Yes! Your killing intent is too strong! I suggest you read more books to resolve your inner anger." Seeing the words displayed on the green stone, Bai Xiaosheng frowned and asked again, "Why is this so?"

"Psychological effect!"

The system gave Bai Xiaosheng a detailed explanation. In simple terms, he had been thinking about killing and had killed multiple times, experiencing the brutality of battle, which made it difficult for him to control himself.

Being a hero means punishing the wicked and eliminating evil. Thinking about killing the wicked and acting righteously, he had killed people. In the past, he would think about it at home and in the martial world. Thinking about it too much naturally affected his psychology. The first killing left a deep impression on Bai Xiaosheng, and the three years of war had a significant impact on him. He did not feel much in the war, but when he came out and calmed down, the discomfort in his heart became apparent. In modern terms, this is called post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)!

"Besides reading, is there a faster solution?" After some thought, Bai Xiaosheng asked another question.

He knew that the system wanted him to read to calm his mind, to understand the principles from books, and to comprehend nature from these principles, thereby healing the cracks in his heart. However, this process would not be quick, and he could not speed it up, so he asked this question.

The system did not disappoint him. The green stone flashed, and a line of large text appeared automatically—Yes! Kill to stop killing! Let your heart's desire be your motivation. If you have anger, release it!

Seeing the system's words, Bai Xiaosheng's face turned pale, but he understood what it meant. Essentially, it was about using killing to adapt to killing. In simple terms, he had not yet adapted to killing after decades of life, and killing was the way to make him adapt.

"Ah, it seems I need to take a two-pronged approach! But this is good; to become a famous hero in the martial world, I should start by acting righteously!" After some thought, Bai Xiaosheng said this.

Indeed, he was not used to killing, but the three years of war had made him see killing more calmly. People like the Wang family deserved to die!

On the 8th of June, thirteen bullies and their lackeys in Li Family Village were killed in their homes. The killer used a sword, and the sword technique was so fast that only a bloodstain was left on the necks of the victims.

On the 9th of June, the people of Li Family Village and three nearby villages mysteriously received large sums of money. After investigation, this money came from the bullies in Li Family Village.

On the 12th of June, three corrupt merchants in Heishan were robbed, and a large amount of money was taken. By the 15th, many people mysteriously received large sums of silver, improving their lives.

On the 16th of June, the underground gang Black Wind Hall in Kaoshan City was wiped out, with thirty-seven people killed and eighteen disabled. A major threat to the people of Kaoshan City was completely eliminated, and the accumulated wealth was distributed to countless poor people. The land deeds for thousands of acres outside the city were also burned.

On the 20th of June, the bandit Yizhenfeng was killed on the road; on the 21st, the bully in Xiaowang Village was eliminated; on the 25th, the underground forces in Guangwu City were bloodily washed away, three merchants were killed, and thirteen bullies were eliminated, bringing joy to the people of Guangwu City, who celebrated...

All along the way, it was a path of killing!

This was Bai Xiaosheng's journey from Yanmen Pass to Luoyang. His actions were seen as heroic by the common people and caused a stir in the martial world. Enthusiasts gave him the elegant title of "One Sword to Seal the Throat."

On the 18th of July, Bai Xiaosheng arrived in Luoyang and met the new leader, Ma Dayuan, to whom he handed Jiang Yi's letter. Later, Bai Xiaosheng was given a message. Soon, Quan Guanqing and Wang Gouzi came to visit, and the three had a pleasant conversation.

After resting for a night, Bai Xiaosheng was called over early the next morning. Ma Dayuan and several elders asked him detailed questions about the situation in the north. Bai Xiaosheng did not hide anything, not only explaining the situation in the north but also his journey. These things could not be hidden from them, as the Beggar Sect had the most reliable information, and Bai Xiaosheng had distributed silver with the help of Beggar Sect disciples, making it impossible to hide.

Therefore, he admitted it openly.

After three years, Bai Xiaosheng had not traveled to many places, but he was no longer a novice in the martial world. His actions were intolerable to the authorities but were greatly appreciated by the people in the martial world.

Thus, Ma Dayuan and others not only did not blame him but also praised his righteous actions. As for the authorities, they and the martial world had always been like water and oil, not mixing. Bai Xiaosheng also followed the martial world's rules and did not kill officials along the way, otherwise, more people would have died.

In the main hall, Ma Dayuan said softly, "Brother Bai, your request was mentioned by Jiang Yi, and I agree with it. How about this: I will adjust your position and have you take charge of the Shancheng area. What do you think?"

Hearing this, Bai Xiaosheng was surprised. He immediately understood that Ma Dayuan was giving him responsibility for a base and also fulfilling his dream of returning home. He nodded and bowed, saying, "Thank you, Leader, for your understanding. I am deeply grateful."

"Ah, Brother, you are too polite. We are brothers in the sect, and as the leader, I should help when my brothers are in trouble." With a smile, Ma Dayuan looked at Xi Shanhe and said, "Elder Xi, Brother Bai has done great deeds on his journey, saving many people. He has just been promoted to a fifth-bag disciple, but I cannot promote him to a sixth-bag disciple yet. As the elder in charge of transmitting skills, why don't you teach him a high-level sword technique to make our 'One Sword to Seal the Throat' hero truly deserving of the name?"

"Ha ha... Leader, that's a good idea. We have many sword techniques in the Transmission Hall. Let's go and choose one, Brother Bai." Xi Shanhe laughed heartily and said generously.

Hearing this, Bai Xiaosheng bowed again in gratitude.

After leaving the main hall, Bai Xiaosheng followed a disciple sent by Xi Shanhe to the Transmission Hall. The Transmission Hall was like the scripture hall of the Beggar Sect. In large and small sects, there were always places where martial arts manuals were gathered. Even in his own Bai Family Village, there was a study, though the fame of these places varied.

The Transmission Hall of the Beggar Sect was not as famous as the scripture hall of Shaolin Temple or some well-known families. The Beggar Sect was known for the Dragon Subduing Palm and the Beggar's Staff, and other martial arts were not as famous. This led people to see the Beggar Sect through the lens of these two techniques. In other words, if you did not know these two techniques, you were not considered a high-level disciple of the Beggar Sect.

However, in reality, the Transmission Hall of the Beggar Sect had many martial arts manuals, a wide variety of them.

Following the disciple, Bai Xiaosheng entered a secret passage under the main headquarters in Luoyang. After descending about ten meters, his vision brightened, and he saw several stone doors, each with different large characters. Some read "Fist and Palm Techniques," others "Leg and Lightness Techniques," and so on. He counted and found there were eight stone doors. The one he was heading to was labeled "Sword and Saber Techniques."

Following the disciple, they entered the cave. The Beggar Sect disciple said, "Brother, by Elder Xi's order, you may choose a sword technique manual. Please go ahead!" As he spoke, he looked at Bai Xiaosheng with envy.

Those who could enter this place and choose a manual were those who had earned merit and were being cultivated as talents. Otherwise, with so many people and so many manuals in the Transmission Hall, they could just be given one randomly, without needing to come here to choose.

Although Bai Xiaosheng did not understand these things, he quickly grasped the situation.

He knew that his actions had finally borne fruit, so he was very happy, and his steps became lighter.