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Chapter 695: Ten Years
Chapter 695: Ten Years
The years passed like water, the stars shifted in the sky.
Before he knew it, a decade had flown by.
Xun Heihu had grown into a handsome young man of twenty-five, walking along the countryside path.
"Ten years... Finally back."
He sighed, gazing at the approaching village, a touch of apprehension in his heart: 'I wonder how Uncle Luo and the others are doing? How many children does Sister Cuifhua have now...'
A few more steps, and he saw a roadside tea stall.
These were troubled times, and those brave enough to run a stall by the roadside were certainly skilled in more than just serving tea.
They only operated during the day, rolling up all their belongings and hiding in the county at night.
Xun Heihu found a bench and sat down, looking at the family running the stall. He addressed the young wife: "Innkeeper, a bowl of coarse tea and ten steamed buns, do you have any meat?"
"Yes, yes!"
The woman, with her rough hands and feet, was surprisingly efficient, wiping the table with a burlap cloth: "Sir, you're in luck. We just got in twenty pounds of beef, it's perfect for drinking..."
"Beef?"
Xun Heihu was slightly surprised. Cattle were precious in ancient times, and slaughtering them without cause was illegal.
Of course, with the current chaos and the division of the land among various sects, the laws were not as strict. But it was still likely that only noble families would occasionally slaughter a cow for a feast.
Finding beef in a small countryside inn was truly unusual.
"Isn't it..."
The innkeeper was about to say more when a group of sword-wielding martial artists approached, and she hurriedly greeted them: "Please, sirs, take a seat..."
Her demeanor was noticeably more polite than when she had served Xun Heihu.
Xun Heihu glanced at his own rough clothes and ordinary sun hat, not minding the difference.
But as his gaze swept over the newcomers, he suddenly paused.
These martial artists were all dressed in fine silk, which was to be expected, but the key was the fierce bird pattern embroidered on their chests, looking quite intimidating.
'Disciples of the Five Avian Sect... Why are they here?'
'No, wait, there’s... her?'
Xun Heihu quickly turned his back, taking large bites of the steamed buns and occasionally sipping his tea.
"Senior Sister Jiang... With you leading the hunt for the Black Wolf Eighteen Riders, success is guaranteed."
One of the male disciples looked at the graceful Jiang Yuyan with admiration and a hint of inferiority.
"Each of the Black Wolf Eighteen Riders is a ranked martial artist, and the three leaders have internal energy cultivation. We cannot be complacent..."
Even in the same fine robes, Jiang Yuyan's figure was striking, with curves in all the right places, her body flowing like a female leopard. Her voice was steady and powerful.
'Ten years have passed, and Yuyan has joined the Five Avian Sect. She must be more than just a Sixth Rank; perhaps she has even advanced to Fifth Rank?'
Xun Heihu's heart stirred, feeling a mix of surprise and happiness for his old friend.
Just then, he put a piece of beef in his mouth, his eyes narrowing.
"Ha, innkeeper... Bring out your best wine and dishes quickly."
The usual quiet countryside inn was unusually lively today, with a group of rough-looking men entering, demanding drinks.
And when men drank, they liked to brag:
"I'm not boasting, but my Heaven-Slaying Hand is definitely ranked. Too bad the five academy instructors were blind and didn't take me in back then..."
"Ha, Big Head Brother is a true ranked martial artist and a good friend of Nie Renlong, the top of the New Wind Chart."
"The top of the New Wind Chart, Nie Renlong? Could it be the same genius with ‘dragon sinew and tiger bone’ who was overlooked by the Five Avian Sect? How many years has it been..."
"Heh, well, the Five Avian Sect has certainly been embarrassed. The higher Nie Renlong ranks, the more painful it is for them..."
The Five Avian Sect disciples found this hard to accept.
Nie Renlong was now the top of the New Wind Chart, known as the ‘Dragon Among Men’. As a child, his bones and muscles were not obvious, and he was overlooked during the bone inspection, suffering various setbacks, even having his fiancée break off their engagement...
But then he found a master, soared to great heights, and eventually surpassed the current Five Avian Sect's top disciple, Du Qiankun. They fought three times, and Du Qiankun lost each time, leaving the Five Avian Sect unable to manipulate the rankings.
"Senior Sister Jiang..."
Several disciples looked at Jiang Yuyan, who shook her head and swallowed her anger, focusing on her meal.
Just then, a sharp voice from the group of men rang out: "The Five Avian Sect missing out on talent isn't new. Have you heard? The top of the Coiled Dragon Chart in neighboring Lingzhou, Xun Heihu, is said to be from Chuzhou and was later forced to leave his hometown..."
Hearing this, Xun Heihu felt a twinge of unease.
Years ago, he had fled with his parents and settled in Lingzhou.
His parents changed their names, bought land in the countryside, and became small landowners.
He tried to join the largest sect in Lingzhou, the Green Dragon Sect, but they only favored locals.
To join, he would have to go through the External Affairs Hall, doing all the dirty and tiring work first.
If he had no other choice, Xun Heihu might have gritted his teeth and endured it.
But with several inherited techniques and the True Martial Talisman, a priceless treasure, he refused to suffer such humiliation and chose to become a wandering martial artist.
And it turned out that when it came to comparing innate talent, no matter how gifted or wealthy one was, they simply couldn't compete with someone who had an unfair advantage!
In just a decade, he had risen to the top of the Lingzhou Coiled Dragon Chart!
The Lingzhou Coiled Dragon Chart was similar to the Chuzhou New Wind Chart, ranking only young prodigies, with the top spot reserved for those at the Fourth Rank Fetal Breath Realm.
But this was just Xun Heihu's overt strength.
"Damn... You wandering performers, how dare you slander the lord of Chuzhou? I'll teach you a lesson today!"
A disciple finally couldn't hold back and, with a roar, lunged forward with a claw strike.
Although it was just a basic Eagle Claw technique, it gained tremendous power with the addition of internal energy!
"Hmm?"
The group of large men roared in anger: "Daring to cause trouble?"
They immediately engaged the Five Avian Sect disciples in a brawl.
...
"Huh? Something's not right..."
Xun Heihu muttered to himself: "Senior... There was something off about the spices in the beef just now. If combined with the tea, it could accelerate the dissipation of internal energy... Of course, such a change would be very noticeable, and once discovered, an internal energy expert could expel the toxins with their skills... But during a fight, when internal energy is already being consumed rapidly, it might go unnoticed..."
Thanks to the teachings of Xun Laoliu and years of experience in the jianghu, Xun Heihu was now a seasoned veteran, unlikely to fall for such a trick.
But the Five Avian Sect disciples were a different story.
Sure enough!
At a certain moment, the large men exchanged glances and suddenly unleashed their most unexpected moves or drew their weapons.
What had been a typical jianghu brawl instantly escalated into a life-or-death struggle.
"Oh no!"
At this moment, Jiang Yuyan also sensed something was amiss.
Swoosh!
A silver, needle-like sword appeared in her hand, and she performed a graceful sword flourish.
A flash of silver, like liquid mercury, and the innkeeper's wife, who had been hiding nearby, collapsed with a hand to her throat, blood trickling down.
"Senior Sister? You killed the wrong person..."
At this moment, a confused Five Avian Sect disciple shouted.
"Oh no, my internal energy..."
"My internal energy is dissipating too quickly... Something's wrong!"
However, only a few were slow to realize the danger. By the time the Five Avian Sect disciples understood what was happening, it was already too late.
"Ha, here come the hidden weapons!"
With a rough voice, countless projectiles flew out.
After the barrage of hidden weapons, only two or three Five Avian Sect disciples remained standing.
From the kitchen, an elderly man and a muscular man emerged, both grinning maliciously: "So what if you're internal energy experts? You dared to come and wipe out our Black Wolf Eighteen Riders? We've killed internal energy experts before..."
"Hmm? A Black Wolf trap?"
The remaining Five Avian Sect disciples were shocked; their internal energy had been almost completely drained by the Strength-Dissolving Powder.
Now, they were no different from ordinary seventh or eighth-rank hard qigong martial artists.
Facing the Black Wolf Eighteen Riders, they were as good as dead!
"Hmm? There's still one left?"
Old Black Wolf, seeing Xun Heihu still eating, was slightly taken aback: "Quick, silence him, then we'll eliminate these brats and leave. The Five Avian Sect might be powerful, but they can't chase us across provinces. In a new place, we'll still be formidable."
"Hehe... The boss is the boss. Before we set out, we swept through all the nearby villages. This time, there's no need to be subtle; we've gained a lot."
The third leader chuckled.
"Nearby... villages... swept through?"
Xun Heihu suddenly looked up, his bun falling to the ground.
"Huh? You're...?"
Jiang Yuyan, recognizing Xun Heihu, showed a hint of hesitation on her face: "Xun... Heihu?"
"Hmm?"
The Black Wolf Eighteen Riders were startled. They had deliberately used Nie Renlong and Xun Heihu to provoke the Five Avian Sect disciples, aiming to incite a conflict.
Otherwise, they wouldn't have missed the emblem on Jiang Yuyan's clothing...
But they hadn't expected the main target to be right there?
This was too much of a coincidence, right?
"You... raided the surrounding villages?"
Xun Heihu growled, his figure blurring.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The Black Wolf Eighteen Riders fell one by one, even the three leaders with internal energy.
"What?"
Jiang Yuyan, witnessing this, finally understood the true meaning of being the top young hero of a province!
Even though she had trained hard over the years and reached the Fifth Rank Dawn Essence Realm, a peak martial artist, she was still no match for a true innate expert.
If she was like this, what chance did these bandits have?
Smack!
The old man was grabbed by the neck and slammed against the wall: "Speak... Did you raid Ba Family Village?"
Xun Heihu's voice was low and threatening.
"Hehe..."
The old man's mouth bled as he realized he wouldn't survive: "So be it... I've eaten and slept well; I don't regret it!"
Bang!
As he spoke, his neck twisted grotesquely, and his body was carelessly discarded to the side...
(End of Chapter)
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