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

"Chief镖师 Shi, this time it really isn't true!" Chen Qi panicked when questioned, his neck turning red. "I heard this from several groups of passing江湖客 (jianghu travelers) at the docks, it's all very detailed and there's no mistake!"

He cleared his throat and, mimicking a storyteller's manner, gestured as he said, "Guess what? That young hero Shen demonstrated the newly forged Light Sound Sword from the Hundred Refinements Workshop. He merely touched that thousand-pound iron ingot, which was taller than a man, with the tip of the sword, and with a 'whoosh,' the ingot... shattered! Shattered like tofu dregs!"

Hey, don't drag me into your bragging.

"Cough cough!" Shen An, who was drinking water and eating, was suddenly choked and coughed so hard that tears welled up in his eyes.

Everyone was startled by his violent coughing and turned to look. Lin Zhennan stepped forward with concern, gently patted his back, and said softly, "Young man, eat slowly, no one's going to take it from you."

Shen An waved his hand, finally managing to catch his breath.

Chen Qi also gathered around with concern. Seeing that Shen An was feeling better, he continued, spitting as he spoke, "That's not even the most amazing part! Back then, that lecherous 'Lone Wanderer' Tian Boguang suddenly appeared, how arrogant and domineering he was! And then that young hero Shen stepped forward. He was barely twenty, but his arms are said to have the strength of a thousand jin! With just one sword strike!"

Chen Qi extended a finger and poked hard, "Not only did it send Tian Boguang flying, but it also cleaved a crack in the ground, and the sword is now stuck straight into the ground!"

Shen An: "..."

"Keep bragging!" Chief镖师 Shi scoffed. "Splitting the earth? Even a thousand pounds of force might not be enough to crack the ground. Do you think it's made of tofu?"

"Chief镖师 Shi, you can't disbelieve me!" Chen Qi exclaimed anxiously. "I heard it with my own ears, it's absolutely true! Later, that young hero Shen went to chase after Tian Boguang, leaving his sword behind. Good heavens, countless heroes and brave men around tried to pull that sword out, but not a single one could budge it an inch! You can ask any person who came from Hengyang City about this!"

Well, maybe they can't pull it out because they're not righteous or kind enough, or their morals aren't high enough?

Oh, wrong channel, that's Hammer.

As for swords, perhaps they weren't destined to be kings?

Shen An made a joke to himself.

Chen Qi's words were well-founded and easily debunked, leaving no room for doubt.

The sneer on Chief Escort Shi's face gradually froze, replaced by deep astonishment and disbelief. He murmured, "Is that really so? Strength capable of splitting the earth, a sword stuck in the ground that no one can pull out… Could it be… could it be that young hero Shen started practicing martial arts from the womb?"

He sighed deeply and shook his head with a complicated expression.

"Alas, the Songshan Sect... is indeed a Five Sacred Mountains Sword Sect that we can only look up to. The disciples carefully cultivated by such a great sect are truly like gods in the heavens, and are ultimately worlds apart from us mortals who make a living on the edge of a knife."

"Hey, Chief Escort Shi, you're only half right!" Chen Qi said smugly, keeping everyone in suspense. "That young hero Shen may be a divine being, but he has the magnanimity of one! He actually revealed his method for forging divine power to the public!"

"What?!"

This time, not only Chief Escort Shi, but also Old Cui and Bai Er, who had been silent all along, and even the old boatman at the stern, all perked up their ears and exclaimed in unison, "Really? Chen Qi, are you kidding me? This kind of physique-building manual is a closely guarded secret of each sect and school. How could it be shown to others so easily?"

"To be precise, it wasn't Young Master Shen who said it; he had already gone after that lecherous thief," Chen Qi explained. "After he left, the people from Hundred Refinements Workshop announced on the spot that anyone who bought a set of specialized training equipment from them would receive a free manual on strength training!"

Ah? That was indeed what Shen An planned to do, but he was chasing after Tian Boguang at the time and forgot about it.

Could it be Li Qingde and Feng Changrong?

"My goodness... this young hero Shen is truly a man of character!"

"It's not just about temperament; it's practically giving away an incredible opportunity!"

The group discussed the matter animatedly, expressing both admiration and regret.

Chen Qi slapped his thigh in regret: "What a pity! I overheard them at the dock late, and when I wanted to go and take a look, they said that not only were the existing equipment sold out, but even the orders for the next three months were snapped up in an instant! I only heard someone who managed to grab a manual mutter a few words like it was a treasure, something like 'Romanian deadlift' or 'axe grip scale.' By the time I tried to listen more closely, the person had already disappeared."

"Romanian deadlift?" Chief Steward Shi frowned. "It sounds like a martial art from the Western Regions. Strange, very strange."

Shen An wanted to ask about the specifics, but given his "idiot" persona and the fact that Chen Qi didn't seem to know anything, he decided to keep quiet.

The murmurs on the deck reached Lin Zhennan's ears, who was standing with his hands behind his back at the bow.

He remained outwardly calm, but inwardly he was in turmoil.

"Songshan Sect...Young Master Shen...Earth-Splitting Divine Power...Revealing the Secret Manual..."

Keywords swirled in his mind.

He saw further and thought deeper than these ordinary bodyguards. He wasn't thinking about improving his personal martial arts skills, but about the changes in the entire martial arts world.

The Songshan Sect's move, seemingly generous, was in reality an unprecedented attempt to win over hearts and minds and expand its influence. Zuo Lengchan's ambitions are probably greater than anyone imagines!

They believe that fortune lies in power, but the Songshan Sect is probably going to use power to justify its fortune and act arrogantly!

This world is about to be in turmoil.

But what does this have to do with my Lin family in Fuzhou?

The more powerful and righteous forces like the Songshan Sect become, the better my business will be!