Chapter 1

It was noon, the sun was high and bright, and the earth was scorching hot, a typical sunny day. In a rather ordinary tavern on the border between the Northern Song and Dali, the atmosphere was bustling, not at all dampened by the sweltering weather.

Laughter and curses echoed throughout the place, the simple tables and chairs haphazardly arranged, and the waiters moved nimbly, quickly delivering drinks, afraid to offend these fierce and bloodthirsty men of the江湖 (jianghu, the world of martial arts).

On the second floor of the tavern, the view was very open, like a pavilion, with curtains replacing walls and supported by eight pillars. This arrangement was truly unique, even these naturally bold and unrestrained men of the jianghu couldn't help but praise it.

At this moment, a gaunt old man, with a goatee and narrow, sharp eyes, sat cross-legged at a square table, like a street performer. His scholar's robe was so old that its original color was no longer visible, and it occasionally emitted a strange odor. However, this did not deter the men of the jianghu from their curiosity.

"Snap!"

The gaunt old man unfolded his fan, stroked his beard, and said, "Speaking of how Hero Ding broke through Qingfeng Ridge at night, and with three palms killed Xue Chou, he then rode off alone, and none of the hundreds of bandits on Qingfeng Ridge dared to stop him. Truly a model for our kind!"

The old man's voice was clear, his eyes filled with admiration and envy. He pressed his hands together and leaped down from his high chair, saying, "To know what happens next, stay tuned for the next episode!"

With that, he tucked the fan behind his neck and was about to leave.

"Mr. Qian, don't go! Tell us more about Hero Ding's heroic deeds!"

Seeing the storyteller about to leave, the tavern erupted in noise, and the men of the jianghu immediately called out to him to stay.

"That's all for today. If you want to hear more, come back tomorrow on time. I have some business today and can't continue!"

The gaunt storyteller did not change his mind because of the men's pleas. He said this, turned, and left the tavern, disappearing into the crowd in an instant.

"Ah, what a disappointment. Can't he just say a bit more? This old man just knows how to tease us!" someone complained.

"Enough, enough. If you want to hear a story, you have to follow the rules. Stop complaining. Everyone knows you, Liu Dadao, complain every day but still come every day. In such hot weather, it's better to save your saliva!"

"True, forget it. Don't talk about that old man anymore, it just makes me angry!" Liu Dadao gulped down a bowl of wine and said, "We've been listening to this old man for several days. Who is this Hero Ding? Why have we never heard of him before?"

"Tsk!" Someone immediately mocked, "What are you, Liu Dadao, a nobody? A nobody like you, how could you ever meet a hero like Hero Ding? Let me educate you about the jianghu, so you don't embarrass me when you go out!"

Another lean man looked at Liu Dadao with a smug expression, knowing that Liu Dadao dared to be angry but not to speak.

"Speaking of Hero Ding, we must also mention another person..." The lean man began to speak eloquently, surrounded by a group of men of the jianghu. Though his words were not particularly brilliant, they were continuous, and the men of the jianghu were very impressed.

At this moment, in a corner of the tavern, a man in a dark robe was drinking alone, a mocking smile on his face.

He was about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, with handsome features, long eyebrows extending to his temples, and a striking silver hair.

He was the main character in the mouths of these men of the jianghu, the so-called Hero Ding.

He was also a traitor of the Xuan-Yao Sect in "The Legend of the Condor Heroes," known as the Star Lord, a master called the Star Immortal.

"Ah, this damned heaven, why did you make me reincarnate as the Star Lord? Isn't this just asking for my life?"

Ding Chunqiu drank his wine, lamenting to himself.

He was originally a modern man from the 21st century, a shut-in. He woke up one day to find himself as Ding Chunqiu of the Star Sect.

Although he was a nobody in the modern world, with no car, no house, no parents, and no one to care for him, he was at least not in danger of losing his life.

Now, he had become Ding Chunqiu, the future whetstone for Xuzhu, one of the three main characters in "The Legend of the Condor Heroes," and would eventually be imprisoned by the Shaolin Temple, ending his life in misery.

What a miserable fate!

Could it get any worse?

Ding Chunqiu drank his wine, cursing in his heart. If there were really a department in the universe managing reincarnations, it would have been severely cursed by now.

However, curses aside, what was coming would come. Since the deed was done, Ding Chunqiu could only accept his fate.

That was why he was here.

"The Legend of the Condor Heroes" was a martial arts world, and Dali was the birthplace of one of the three main characters, Duan Yu. Ding Chunqiu's purpose in coming here was obvious.

He was also very grateful to have been reincarnated into Jin Yong's martial arts world rather than into the worlds of Gu Long, Huang Yi, or Liang Yusheng.

He had not read "The Legend of the Condor Heroes," but he had watched the TV adaptations countless times, and the story was deeply ingrained in his mind. This gave him the motivation to continue striving.

"Fine, since I'm here, I'll make the best of it. After I take Duan Yu's fortune, I'll meet the heroes of 'The Legend of the Condor Heroes' and see the living Qiao Feng with my own eyes!" Ding Chunqiu muttered to himself, looking out the window at the sunlight, a smile on his face.

In fact, he was not very averse to being reincarnated into the world of "The Legend of the Condor Heroes." On the contrary, he felt a hidden excitement.

The martial arts world is a place that excites any man.

Fine wine, beautiful women, a sword in hand, a horse by his side, living a life of freedom and adventure.

No nine-to-five job, no high expenses, no need to suffer under a boss, no need to worry about pleasing a girlfriend.

Here, as long as your kung fu is good, will you lack money, fame, or beautiful women?

No!

Kill one man in ten steps, leave no trace in a thousand miles. Finish the deed and disappear, keeping your identity hidden.

What a grand and splendid life! How could Ding Chunqiu be averse to it?

His aversion was only because of the identity of Ding Chunqiu. If he had been reincarnated as Duan Yu, Xuzhu, or even Murong Fu, he would have been overjoyed and thanked the reincarnation department's ancestors.

However, the reincarnation department was not his family, and his father was not the director, so he had no choice but to accept it.

Although this identity was not great, the reincarnation department was quite considerate, adjusting his age to twenty-seven instead of the old, white-haired man he was originally.

He was very satisfied with this. If he had to go around as a fat old man, Ding Chunqiu would have killed himself.

He still wanted to charm the girls in "The Legend of the Condor Heroes." If he looked like an old man, would that be possible?

At twenty-seven or twenty-eight, he was in the prime of his life. Although it was still five or six years before the story of "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" began, as a disciple of the Xuan-Yao Sect, with the Lesser Wu Xiang Gong (a martial arts technique), even though it was incomplete, his appearance was not a problem. As long as he didn't reveal his age, no one would know.

Therefore, after the initial aversion, he gladly accepted this identity.

This time, coming to Dali to seek treasure, he naturally wanted to establish his reputation.

So, on his journey, wherever he went, the bandits and evil forces were all eliminated.

The name of Hero Ding began to spread just two months ago.

He was very satisfied with this. Although the image of the Star Lord was deeply rooted, he believed that with his efforts, people would gradually accept his new image.

Hero Ding, he thought, was a good title.