The Smiling, Proud Wanderer: From the Moment He Picked Up Qu Feiyan

Midday in autumn is the perfect time for execution.

Qu Feiyan took Wang Xiaocao out for a stroll, leaving Shen An alone at Bailianfang.

He was facing the massive sword weighing over fifty pounds, refining the move "Mountain Collapse and Peak Collapse," one of the seventeen sword techniques of Mount Song. This move, which cleaves down from above, is best suited for heavy swords.

Simply copying the original moves wouldn't work. What he's doing now is removing all the modifications and retaining only the core techniques for generating power, making final preparations for tomorrow's sword strike.

There are no follow-up moves, no variations, because it doesn't need to.

"Senior brother."

Li Qingde's voice rang out from behind the door into the courtyard.

"What is it?" His voice was slightly hoarse, a result of exhaustion from intense concentration.

"Sha Xihe, the steward of Changsha's outer gate, requests an audience and is already waiting in the front yard."

Shaxi River? Shen An raised an eyebrow.

His impression of this group of outer disciples, composed of powerful figures from unorthodox sects recruited by his master, was not actually very good.

Zhao Da Kui's bullying of men and women, and Yan Shiqi's constant scheming, made him think that this group of people were nothing more than a bunch of unruly and incompetent thugs. After all, it was wishful thinking to expect a group of ruthless tyrants who had been living on the edge of a knife and making their way in the underworld to have any high moral character.

But the Shaxi River seems to be an exception.

In the original owner's memories, this person was quite consistent with his lean and capable appearance, resembling an accountant. He was extremely disciplined and even low-key. Back when Yan Shiqi stirred up trouble in Xiangtan, making a big fuss about Tian Boguang stealing the Qingyin Broken Sword, the Changsha territory under Sha Xihe's control remained calm and quiet. Without orders from his side, he took the initiative to suppress the news.

Besides, one shouldn't hit a smiling face. Regardless of the other party's intentions, there's no reason to turn them away.

"Okay, I'll pack up and head over."

A moment later, in the study.

Shen An changed into a dry blue robe, sat in the main seat, and quietly sipped his tea.

Upon entering and seeing Shen An, Sha Xihe bowed deeply to the ground, his expression solemn.

Shen An accepted the bow without hesitation. He knew that in front of this group of people, excessive humility would only be seen as weakness.

Sha Xihe straightened up, but did not sit down. Instead, he took out a neatly folded letter from his bosom, held it with both hands, and bowed again.

"Senior brother, I have come today with something I wish to offer you."

Shen An took the letter, and Sha Xihe continued:

"Tian Boguang is a scoundrel, lecherous by nature and incredibly audacious. My junior brother's men discovered that before he infiltrated Hengyang, he lingered in our Changsha Prefecture for several days. During that time, he even set his sights on a newly acquired concubine of the Prince of Ji. This is the so-called 'love letter' he wrote to that concubine."

Shen An took the secret letter, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes: "How did you know?"

Sha Xihe feigned fear and said, "Senior brother, please understand. This matter... this matter was also a coincidence. This concubine's father and brothers are acquainted with the gangs in Changsha Prefecture, and after this incident, they sought our help..."

Shen An smiled and raised her hand to interrupt his explanation: "I didn't mean to blame you, I just wanted to confirm the authenticity of the information. Please continue."

He knew that this concubine was probably sent by Sha Xihe, and was one of his people; otherwise, this letter... would never have reached him.

Sha Xihe is quite something; his methods are far more sophisticated than those two idiots.

However, that has nothing to do with me.

Sha Xihe continued, "The Hengshan Sect and the Ji Prince's Mansion have a long-standing relationship, especially the lineage of the sect leader. For nearly a hundred years, almost all the guards of the Ji Prince's Mansion have come from this lineage. In recent years, after Master Mo Da succeeded as the sect leader, although the relationship has not been as close, if this matter is informed to the Hengshan Sect, for the sake of the Ji Prince's Mansion's reputation, Master Mo Da will surely take action. At that time, we might be able to ask him to deal with Tian Boguang."

This is indeed a foolproof backup plan.

Shen An nodded slowly and placed the letter on the table. He looked at Sha Xihe and asked, "Junior Brother Sha, your advice this time has been invaluable. I will certainly reward you handsomely afterward. Is there anything you desire, Junior Brother?"

Sha Xihe bowed again: "Senior brother, you flatter me! It is my duty to share your burdens. If Songshan loses face here, my business in Changsha will surely fail. I understand the principle that we share both glory and loss."

He stood up and continued:

"Furthermore, I believe that with your extraordinary talent, you will surely achieve unparalleled success this time, and your future will be limitless when you return to the mountain. At that time, how could you possibly forget my humble contribution today?"

Shen An gave him a deep look, secretly praising him. This person was indeed a talent.

"What a wonderful 'shared glory'!" Shen An laughed. "Don't worry, Junior Brother Sha, I'll remember your kindness."

Seeing that Shen An had accepted him, Sha Xihe felt much more at ease. He knew that his risky move of planting people in the Prince Ji's mansion was now a legitimate strategy. And using Shen An to lure out Mo Da, this powerful figure, to eliminate Tian Boguang, a potential problem, was a sure-fire win.

He sighed seemingly unintentionally, his tone tinged with regret and disappointment: "Alas, it's a pity that some people just can't see this principle. Take Yan Shiqi from Xiangtan, for example, he's short-sighted. He thinks that if things go wrong on your side, senior brother, his gambling den business that was shut down can reopen. I've heard that he's the one stirring up those rumors in the city that are bad for you recently."

He changed the subject, his voice lowering as if he were revealing a secret: "And...and there's Senior Brother Li Donglai on the waterway. If I may be so bold as to say something, this man is quite ambitious. Relying on his control of the smuggled salt channels, he's always been arrogant. He seems...seems to think you're too young, Senior Brother, and has rather disregarded your decisions these past few days..."

Shen An listened calmly, understanding the situation perfectly.

Yan Shiqi was secondary; it seemed that Sha Xihe and Li Donglai didn't get along very well.

"I understand," Shen An said calmly. "I will settle accounts with these clowns tomorrow. Junior Brother Sha, you did very well today. Go back now."

"Yes, junior brother, I'll take my leave."

Sha Xihe bowed again and respectfully withdrew from the study.

After he left, Shen An picked up the letter and read it carefully. The words in the letter were truly nauseating, promising love, care, and freedom, and asking the woman to use the excuse of making a wish and asking for incense to go to a certain temple on a certain day and time. His skillful methods and accurate grasp of the trapped woman's psychology showed that he was well-versed in this art.

Unfortunately, the concubine was not a respectable woman who had been forcibly taken into the Prince of Ji's household without being given a title, but a spy planted by Sha Xihe.

If this matter is handled properly, it can indeed attract the attention of a powerful figure.

However… Shen An pinched the bridge of his nose and felt a headache coming on.

How can we find Mo Da?

This Hengshan Sect Leader is elusive, appearing and disappearing like a dragon. Not to mention him, an outsider of the Songshan Sect, even the disciples of the Hengshan Sect itself, or even the most prominent personal disciples, might not be able to catch a glimpse of him on ordinary days.

He had no choice but to call Li Qingde over and try to find him through multiple channels.

At 1-3 PM, Huiyan Tower was bustling with people coming and going.

The storyteller's gavel struck, announcing the latest installment of the "One Sword Pact" story; merchants from all directions whispered among themselves, discussing the various betting operations of the "One Sword Pact"; even itinerant performers and waiters couldn't stop talking about the names "Shen An" and "Tian Boguang".

What was a joke to the disciples of Hengshan was the hottest topic among the lower-level martial arts practitioners.

At a square table by the window on the second floor, four people with completely different temperaments somehow gathered together, discussing the upcoming grand event in the martial arts world, right in front of the bustling crowd downstairs.

"That was exhilarating! Absolutely exhilarating!" A burly man with a full beard downed a large bowl of strong liquor, wiped his mouth with his sleeve, and said in a deep voice, "I don't care whether that kid surnamed Shen wins or loses. He dared to challenge 'Lone Wanderer' Tian Boguang in front of the whole world. Just for that courage, I respect him as a real man!"

This man was none other than the bearded stranger who had expressed considerable admiration for Shen An at the tavern a few days prior.

Sitting opposite him, the thin-faced man let out a disdainful snort.

"In my opinion, this is nothing more than a grand show orchestrated by the Songshan Sect! They just want to use Tian Boguang's infamy to promote and enhance the reputation of Bailianfang! Tomorrow, I'm afraid the two of them will exchange a few blows, Tian Boguang will 'narrowly lose' a move, and then he'll run away, while Bailianfang will reap both fame and fortune—a win-win situation for everyone!"

His conspiracy theory was so detailed and convincing that many people at the next table nodded in agreement.

"Brother, you are mistaken!" A clear voice rang out, tinged with displeasure. The speaker was a young gentleman dressed in fine clothes and with a scholarly air; he was none other than Young Master Zhou, who had followed all the way from Changsha just to catch a glimpse of the "Fairy's Sword Remains."

He lightly waved his folding fan and retorted righteously, "How can you judge Young Master Shen's chivalrous act with such a despicable heart? Fairy Qingyin was a woman of unparalleled beauty, her belongings are covered in dust, and now she has been defiled by a lecherous scoundrel. Young Master Shen stepped forward, at such a young age, to challenge a notorious bandit. What kind of integrity and courage is this? His heart is commendable, and his feelings are pitiful!"

Young Master Zhou spoke with great passion, clearly demonstrating that he was Shen An's most loyal supporter.

He had pre-ordered a replica of the Light Sound Sword from Bailianfang a few days earlier.

"Heh, that sounds nice," the thin-faced man sneered. "It's just sweet talk to fool rich young masters like you. In the martial world, it's all about the knife."

Just as the three were about to start arguing, the fourth person at the table, the scholar who had been silent all along, finally spoke up.

"All three of you, please calm down. In my view, this is neither a simple act of reckless courage nor entirely a conspiracy. This is already part of a larger game."

"Oh? I'd like to hear more!" Young Master Zhou immediately became interested.

The scholar smiled slightly. It was a pity that glasses weren't fashionable at the time; otherwise, he would have pushed the lens with his middle finger, causing it to refract another beam of white light.

"Please consider this: what do Bailianfang and Shen An want? Fame. They want the 'Light Sound Sword' brand to become an instant hit, and the name 'Shen An' to resound throughout Hubei and Hunan. And what does Tian Boguang want? Fame, too. He stole something, yet he unusually stepped forward, adopting an attitude of 'the virtuous should possess the treasure.' He's trying to reinvent himself. You see, their goals are not actually contradictory."

"Therefore," the scholar paused, then said, enunciating each word clearly, "the outcome of tomorrow's 'Sword Duel' is no longer so important. What matters is the process, the story. This battle is not about martial arts, but about winning hearts and minds, reputations. Whoever tells the better story, whoever wins the hearts of everyone here and all the onlookers in the world, will be the true winner."

This analysis was insightful and penetrating, leaving the burly, bearded man and Young Master Zhou deep in thought. Only the thin-faced man listened with shining eyes, clapping his hands in praise: "Sir, your insight is brilliant!"

The scholar nodded with a smile, picked up his teacup, and gazed intently out the window.

What kind of exciting show will unfold at Shigu Academy tomorrow? He eagerly awaits.