52: Chapter 51: The Sword from Beimang 52: Chapter 51: The Sword from Beimang Spring rain was incessant, drizzling endlessly.
A traveler, clad in rainwear and a conical hat, with a long sword on his back, stepped into the deserted streets of the small town through the misty rain.
To say it was deserted wasn’t quite right… The street was eerily quiet, except for an old beggar at the corner, huddling under the eaves to avoid the rain.
The eaves could not shield him from the spring rain that sprinkled down, soaking the thin blanket covering the beggar, who seemed to shrink smaller, looking pitiful.
The visitor approached him, sighed, and dropped a few copper coins.
“Thank you, thank you…” the old beggar trembled with his skinny old hands, shakily reaching out.
Just as he reached the copper coins, a wrist blade suddenly sprung from his sleeve, stabbing toward the visitor’s abdomen!
Worldly Society was fraught with dangers hidden in the rain.
However, as the wrist blade appeared, the visitor flicked a copper coin with a “twang” sound, embedding it in the old beggar’s forehead.
The wrist blade lost its force, and the visitor deftly captured the beggar’s wrist.
When he looked at the old beggar again, there was a blood hole in his forehead, and he was dead beyond any doubt.
“You were too hasty… The dirt on your face was hastily smeared, not formed over time; with a bit of attention, it’s still noticeable…” The visitor sighed and turned to leave.
The spring rain continued, washing away the blood that flowed, the street remained silent, and no one knew what had just happened.
At the end of the street, there seemed to be a fluttering tavern banner, rain-stricken lanterns creaking in the wind.
Standing outside the door, the sounds of clinking cups and the hustle and bustle of many patrons seeking refuge and drinking inside could be heard, creating a lively atmosphere.
Recently a ruthless man has emerged in the Worldly Society.”
“There are many ruthless people; which one are you talking about?”
“Ah, no need to mention others—it’s that Hidden Dragon No.
Who has been more prominent than him these days?”
This time, there were Judgements…
I mean, the Judgement is out.
But why does this ranking always have to clash with me, either a fool or Mr.
91 Zhao, who wrote this lousy book!
How long do they want me to be judged!
But hearing others talk about oneself felt quite thrilling, Zhao Changhe pushed open the door: “Shopkeeper, any seats available?
Bring a Hero’s set… oh, and two dime’s worth of liquor, a plate of cooked beef.
Also, pack two kilos of wine in a gourd.”
“Alright, have a seat, dear guest.”
The chatting patrons glanced over—a young man, cleanly shaven, looking robust.
His sunny, fresh smile and a scar over his face didn’t mar his features but instead added a certain coolness.
He seemed lively, hopping and shaking his raincoat, and after a brief look, the patrons continued their discussion.
“Speaking of which, Zhao Changhe is indeed a ruthless man.
Mixed in Luo Family Manor to kill the Young Master, joined Blood God Sect to kill the Branch Leader—born a rebel, a demon seed indeed.”
I thought you were discussing my heroic deeds from the Third Layer to Fourth Layer.
The Chaotic World Book finally gives me some credit, didn’t you see the “forceful slaying”?
And did you not see the Judgement that left Changhe plummeting through the Nine Heavens?
What are you all talking about!
“Yes, who else could be more ruthless than him?
Now with a bounty on his head, unwelcome by the orthodox, and having deserted the Demon Sect, the Demon Sect has issued orders for his assassination everywhere. Official source is NoveI★Fire.net
How long can he survive?”
“Well, the Demon Sect is more generous with a bounty of a thousand taels of gold!
What about the Imperial government?
A hundred taels of silver reward has not changed for months, clearly not a priority.
I went into town yesterday, the wanted poster at the city gate was smeared by rain and no one even replaced it; I wanted to see what Zhao Changhe looked like but couldn’t find any.”
“So it’s not that difficult for him to move around, is it?
It’s just the Demon Sect’s assassination order that’s troublesome, the government and orthodox factions aren’t that concerned?”
“It’s not that simple though!
With such a high bounty from the Demon Sect, you don’t know how many come for the money, all sorts of assassins, bounty hunters, has there ever been a shortage in the Worldly Society?
I heard even from Listening Snow Tower that someone was planning to act.”
“The Assassin Number One Building?”
“Then he’s on his own luck, just don’t let his whereabouts leak.”
“Why do you seem a bit concerned about him?”
“Ah, didn’t you hear?
This fool is smitten with Yue Hongling, even when he was Village Chief, he even chose a village chief’s wife who looked similar to Yue Hongling; ended up pitiful, losing even this counterfeit who ran away from him.
Doesn’t this suddenly feel more relatable, like you can sympathize…”
“You sick or something?
How’s this ‘familial’?
He’s trying to steal my wife!
Even if there were no bounty, if he dared show up in front of Grandpa, I would chop his little head off!”
“Oh come on, you dream bigger than he does.” The crowd burst into laughter, “Really though, he’s the only embarrassment on the Hidden Dragon List; don’t the others possess a grace and allure that seem unattainable?”
“Exactly, if he were in front of me, I’d probably buy him a drink, ask him what it feels like to be dumped by the village chief’s wife, hahaha…”
“We gotta keep this guy alive for the entertainment, can’t wait to see Yue Hongling’s reaction when she meets him, hahaha…”
The tavern was filled with an air of merriment; Zhao Changhe’s forehead throbbed with veins.
Really, thanks for your concern.
What about my glorious military exploits?
My mighty battlefield kills?
It took me so hard to keep up appearances.
Can’t you focus on the main point and talk about something serious?
Right, who just called me a dumb bird?
The waiter came over with drinks and dishes, smiling, “Sir, your wine gourd looks a bit old.
We also sell wine bags made of cowhide.
Would you like to switch?”
Zhao Changhe glanced at his old gourd, smiled slightly without addressing the comment, and asked offhandedly, “Hey, is killing cows not illegal?”
The waiter hushed him, “These are cows that died of natural causes, reported and on record with the officials.
“Died of natural causes?” Zhao Changhe picked up a slice of beef, his smile more playful; “But I somehow feel… it was poisoned to death?”
The waiter’s expression changed abruptly, and a dagger suddenly appeared in his hand.
Before he could strike, Zhao Changhe’s chopstick had already forcefully pinned his hand to the table.
The waiter’s earth-shattering scream silenced the entire tavern, everyone stared in shock, unsure of what to do.
“No wonder he has a background in the underworld, knows all the tricks.” The shopkeeper slowly emerged from behind the counter, shaking his head and sighing, “And truly worthy of being Hidden Dragon number ninety-one, what quick hands.”
People held their breath, afraid to speak.
Hidden Dragon ninety-one?
Wasn’t that the main character everyone was just talking about?
Discussing him all this time, and he was sitting right there listening!
The one who had just insulted him as a dumb bird had already sneaked away, and the one who boasted about chopping off Zhao Changhe’s head had bolted, covering his groin.
Earlier, he seemed like a lively young man, but now, with the waiter’s hand nailed to the table by his chopstick and the waiter’s screams, he looked every bit the terrifying demon.
Holding the chopstick, Zhao Changhe spoke leisurely, “Actually, I don’t understand any of these Worldly Society tricks; just faced an assassination attempt outside, so I was extra cautious and bluffed this waiter brother here a bit, turned out I actually bluffed out something real…”
The waiter, sweating with pain, cried, “Save, save me…”
“Whoosh!” The flash of a blade, and the shopkeeper hacked off the waiter’s hand: “Useless trash!”
The waiter rolled aside, holding his severed arm, gazing at the shopkeeper with eyes filled with either gratitude or hatred.
“Tingxue Manor?” Zhao Changhe said coolly, “Quite ruthless.”
“Not as ruthless as Mr.
Zhao, chopping down your superior in defiance,” the shopkeeper dusted his clothes, speaking earnestly, “Tingxue Manor’s Zhui Feng pleads for guidance from Mr.
Before he could finish posing, a steel blade had already been swung at him: “Playing the noble samurai when you’re just an assassin?
The shopkeeper hadn’t expected this man, who was just casually chatting and seeming so composed, to suddenly erupt so dishonorably, let alone his blade being so fast, the flicker of it already upon him!
Caught off guard, he dodged frantically, poisonous needles scattering from beneath his robe.
Pretentious posturing never did any good; Zhao Changhe was still sharp.
Noble samurai ethics?
He never played by those rules with these people.
The shopkeeper lost the initiative and desperately dodged Zhao Changhe’s relentless blade strikes, exasperatedly shouting, “Zhao Changhe, you’re wanted by both orthodox and Demon Sects, cast out from everywhere under heaven, now you even want to offend Tingxue Manor to death!
Why not create a good karma, leave behind a legacy…”
Zhao Changhe, without a second word, chased him down and directly chopped off the shopkeeper’s head: “You talk too much!”
“…” The shopkeeper fell to the ground, dying before finishing his sentence.
The waiter, clutching his amputated arm, shrank back in terror.
Zhao Changhe, with his long blade pointed outward, sneered, “Zhao Changhe calls forth Beimang’s blade to test the heroes of the world.
If all the heroes under this heaven are like you vermin, then truly, you disappoint me!”