Chapter 47

Winter is not a good time for travel. This simple proposition was no different in the New Continent.

Between Yanhocheng and Shenchitian, a vast wilderness stretched out. The flat wilderness, without significant undulations, had no notable rivers or lakes, and at most, there was a chilly plateau that rose abruptly and remained cold all year round. It was a region where even villages were hard to find, let alone cities.

Of course, people did live there. They mainly mined small gold mines or ran inns for travelers heading further east. And eventually, such inns became places where gold-seekers, travelers in search of a new life, or aimless wanderers would stay.

There was an innkeeper who, because he hadn't bothered to put up a sign, ended up being called the "Unnamed Inn." Whether it was due to its good location or the quality of his food and the condition of the inn, his place always had customers. Most were strangers who would leave quickly and never return, but as long as he made money, the innkeeper didn't mind.

So when a man pushed aside the curtain and entered around noon, the innkeeper simply thought it was another wanderer. However, the combination of a monk, two women, and a young girl who followed the man in caused him some confusion.

The man approached and said, "We need lodging. We have a carriage outside."

The innkeeper, momentarily stunned, quickly regained his composure and shouted to the waiter, "Hey, Wang Ba! There's a carriage outside!"

"Sure, I'll go."

The waiter, who had been pretending to wipe a table in the corner, sauntered out. He was going to park the carriage next to the inn and lead the horses to the stable. The innkeeper, disapproving of the waiter's leisurely attitude, turned his attention to the man.

"Ah, please take a seat wherever you like. Would you like something to eat?"

The man nodded and walked over to a table, where he sat down. The others who had followed him in gathered around the same table.

As the innkeeper brought out tea, a pretty woman slumped in her chair and asked, "Phew... What do you have for food here?"

"What do you mean, what do I have? Do you want me to prepare a dish? Braised pork in soy sauce? Or stir-fried fish and vegetables? Just let me know."

She started to answer reflexively but paused, then thought for a moment before pointing at the innkeeper and grinning. "Heh. Are you teasing me? I heard you loud and clear."

The innkeeper couldn't help but smile at her friendly grin. She continued with a smile, "Actually, we camped out yesterday and had a bland porridge for breakfast today. It was really tasteless. If I had known, I would have bought more salty jerky... Anyway, thanks to that, my stomach is now empty. I was so hungry I thought I would die. So, could you please prepare something decent to eat? Please?"

"Hehe. Then you'll have to wait a bit. It takes time to prepare anything."

He said this in response to her request, which she made while rubbing her stomach, and then walked to the kitchen. Soon, the sound of a real iron pot clanging could be heard from there. The monk, Zhenjian, smiled and said, "Thanks to your donation, we'll have a good meal. Thank you."

"It's nothing."

Xuemiaojin lifted her chin slightly and felt a bit smug. Seeing this, Zhenjian sighed silently, and Zhang Jian chuckled. Even though it was just a simple request, for some reason, it seemed like they had to comply when she asked. And the fact that no one seemed to mind made it a kind of ability. Of course, it also helped that she didn't make unreasonable requests.

Xuemiaojin, who had been grinning to herself, suddenly met Zhang Jian's gaze. After blinking for a moment, she said, "Hey, Warrior Zhang?"

Zhang Jian raised an eyebrow, silently asking what was wrong. She leaned her elbows on the table and said, "So, when are you going to tell us your heroic tales? We've been traveling for days, and you haven't given me a single story for my book. Zhenjian keeps talking about Buddhist scriptures and Shaolin monks..."

Zhenjian smiled at her blunt words, and Zhang Jian shrugged. "I don't have any stories worth telling."

"Hmph, you've been in the New Continent for years, right? I think if you wandered around the Central Plains for three or four years, you'd have countless stories. And as a sword-wielding martial artist in the New Continent? There's no way you don't have stories."

Zhang Jian only smiled faintly in response to her teasing. Over the past few days, the only thing he had revealed about himself was the vague number of years he had been in the New Continent. Xuemiaojin looked at his face seriously and then leaned over to Zhen Xia, who was sitting next to her.

"Xia, aren't you curious about Uncle's past? Right? He's supposed to have incredible martial arts skills. Maybe he had some amazing battles while traveling around the New Continent?"

Zhen Xia, who had been sipping tea carefully, gently put down her cup and looked at Xuemiaojin. The child's gaze shifted to Zhang Jian, then back to her tea. Seeing her indifference, Xuemiaojin pouted. The bodyguard, Zhen Xia, asked her, "Do you want more tea?"

The child nodded and held out her cup. Zhen Xia stroked her head and refilled her cup. Although Zhen Xia still didn't speak, she could now nod or shake her head to express her thoughts. Zhang Jian also noticed that the child sometimes observed him for long periods. It seemed to be because of the prank he had played on her the day before they left. When she observed him, she was determined, as if trying to catch him in the act again.

Zhang Jian hadn't repeated the prank during the past four days when she was focused on him. Only when her attention briefly shifted away did he quickly make a face, like drawing a sword. It was so fast that no one except Zhen Xia noticed. Each time, Zhen Xia would startle and look around, but Zhang Jian was always faster at hiding his expression.

As this pattern repeated, a strange mental battle developed between them. Even while drinking tea, the girl would glance at Zhang Jian's face, pretending not to. Her eyes were as sharp and secretive as his quick face changes, and no one else in the group noticed.

It was unclear what she intended by observing him so closely, even though she couldn't speak. So far, Zhen Xia had never revealed his prank to the others, and Zhang Jian had remained undefeated.

Just as this silent battle continued, the waiter returned after securing the carriage and horses. He dusted off his hands and entered, and the innkeeper, who seemed to know, shouted from the kitchen, "Hey, Wang Ba! Bring this over."

"Sure, I'll go."

Wang Ba, the waiter, sauntered to the kitchen as he had when securing the carriage. He and the innkeeper then brought large and small plates to Zhang Jian's table. Surprisingly, it was the stir-fried vegetables and braised pork in soy sauce that Zhang Jian had mentioned. Xuemiaojin laughed.

"Really? You had it?"

"Did you think I was joking?"

"Thank you. I'll enjoy it."

Despite the innkeeper's slightly unfriendly attitude, the food was delicious. For a while, the only sounds at their table were the clinking of chopsticks and plates. The innkeeper, who had returned to the counter, smiled contentedly at the scene.

At that moment, someone slowly pushed aside the curtain at the entrance and entered. The first to come in was a man with a robust build, wearing a neat purple martial robe and a long, flowing cloak. He had his hair neatly tied up, a hero's feather on his forehead, and a well-groomed mustache that matched his hair. He entered without a word, lifted his chin arrogantly, and surveyed the inn.

The innkeeper, puzzled by this man, stared at him for a moment before speaking. "Looking for a room? Or just a drink? I happen to have some decent snacks."

"Excuse me, do you know who this gentleman is to speak so casually to him?"

At that moment, another man entered the inn and spoke to the innkeeper. Unlike the first man, this one was shorter and had a rat-like appearance. He carried a large sword on his back and a thin sword at his waist. The rat-like man glared at the innkeeper with narrow eyes.

The innkeeper, looking at his stern face in disbelief, asked, "What? Who are you?"

"Ah, you lack manners, merchant. If you want to know about someone, you should introduce yourself first."

The rat-like man, despite his appearance, spoke in a deep, solemn voice. The innkeeper, frowning, introduced himself as instructed.

"I'm the owner here. That's the waiter."

"I'm Wang Ba."

The waiter introduced himself as he approached. While they were making these brief introductions, the arrogant mustachioed man continued to look around the inn arrogantly. The rat-like man stepped forward, stood straight, and turned half a circle. In a voice that didn't match his appearance, he spoke solemnly.

"This gentleman, starting from the punishment of a bandit gang that terrorized Qingming Village in Ganshan City a few years ago, has eliminated various criminals and wanted men in Xixiang City, Yinming Village, and Fuxiang Valley. He has proven his martial skills and righteousness in the Four Seas, and even the leader of the martial arts alliance calls him a righteous hero without hesitation. His sword skills are like a storm, earning him the nickname 'Whirlwind Sword'! He is the great hero, Gan Junshang!"

The moment his voice echoed through the inn, Xuemiaojin, who was eating, spat out her food. She turned her head and looked at the arrogant mustachioed man in disbelief. Zhen Xia, who was sitting next to her, also looked at him in disbelief.

The innkeeper, looking incredulous, said, "What the hell? Whirlwind Sword? Gan Junshang? What kind of liars are you? Do you think I'll give you a discount on the room just because you tell such lies? What kind of weirdos are you?"

The innkeeper's attitude made the rat-faced man's expression change. Before anyone could react, his hand reached for the sword at his waist, and a sharp sound followed. Immediately, the innkeeper's belt fell to the floor.

"Prepare food and drinks, and watch your tongue."

The innkeeper's face turned pale. He was used to dealing with rough customers in the wilderness, but he couldn't afford to provoke a crazy martial artist who drew his sword at the slightest provocation.

As the two men walked up to a table on the second floor, the innkeeper, trembling, straightened his pants. The waiter, Wang Ba, approached and whispered, "Are you okay?"

"Of course not. Just get me some drinks."

All the customers in the inn had witnessed the scene, but no one intervened. Partly because the innkeeper had spoken rudely first, but mostly because the rat-faced man's sword was that fast.

"Amitabha. The innkeeper's words were not appropriate, but drawing a sword so quickly was excessive..."

Zhang Jian, who had finished his meal and was drinking tea, chuckled at Zhenjian's muttering.

"Since no one was hurt, they don't seem to be overly violent."

"Really?"

Zhang Jian nodded. If they were truly cruel or insane, they would have cut the innkeeper's skin instead of just his belt. And Zhang Jian's sword would have been drawn as well.

"Still, they are quite unusual. The one who didn't speak and the one who introduced him like a servant. Are such people common in the New Continent?"

"Of course not. They are the odd ones."

"Hmm, Amitabha... Their distinct personalities will be memorable."

Zhang Jian chuckled at this. At that moment, he noticed Xuemiaojin, who was frowning and crossing her arms. Whirlwind Sword Gan Junshang. Zhang Jian said, "I apologize. Whirlwind Sword is a real person. I just haven't heard much about him."

"···No, you don't need to apologize."

She looked down at the table, still frowning. Zhang Jian tilted his head in confusion.

"Is this Whirlwind Sword someone you were looking for? You don't seem very happy."

Xuemiaojin hesitated, her lips moving slightly, but then she closed her mouth and looked at Zhang Jian with a sad expression. After a moment, she seemed to make a decision and stood up abruptly.

"···Yes. I enjoyed reading his novels. Maybe I should get an autograph? I'll be right back."

She pulled out a book from her bag and walked determinedly toward Gan Junshang and the rat-faced man. Zhenjian and Zhen Xia were startled and tried to stop her, but she was already climbing the stairs. She reached the second floor and sat down at their table without anyone stopping her.

"Hello?"

Gan Junshang and the rat-faced man looked at Xuemiaojin without any surprise or confusion. It was as if they already knew her.