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

The man staggered a few steps but did not stop. He glanced around and was somewhat surprised when he saw Shen An's figure, but he did not delay and rushed over.

"Young Master Shen!" The man rushed forward, breathless, and clasped his hands in a fist salute, urgently saying, "Urgent news from Hengyang!"

He took out a leather letterbox sealed with sealing wax from his pocket and presented it with both hands.

Shen An took the letter and unwrapped the sealing wax.

The letter was written by Feng Changrong himself, with neat handwriting and a respectful tone, but the content conveyed an overwhelming sense of solemnity.

As expected! Shen An thought to himself after reading the letter.

Although he was prepared, his heart still sank.

"Senior brother, has something happened in Hengyang?"

Seeing the change in his expression, Li Qingde and Li Donglai asked him in unison with concern.

"It's not exactly a disaster, but it's definitely a big deal." Shen An slowly folded the letter and put it into his sleeve, his gaze fixed on the direction of Hengyang.

"Even without this letter, they should have known by tomorrow at the latest."

"Liu Zhengfeng has already sent out invitations to the entire martial arts world."

"On the 20th of next month, he will hold a grand banquet at the Liu residence in Hengyang City, in front of all the heroes of the land..."

Shen paused for a moment, then spoke slowly and deliberately.

"He's washing his hands of the trade and retiring from the underworld."

A river breeze swept by, causing his clothes to flutter and rustle.

Li Qingde and Li Donglai exchanged a glance, both seeing shock in each other's eyes.

Liu Zhengfeng has retired from his criminal life!

This was undoubtedly a massive earthquake for the martial arts world. Liu Sanye of the Hengshan Sect, renowned throughout the land, holding a high position of power, and in the prime of his life, why would he suddenly choose to retire from the martial arts world? What turbulent undercurrents lay behind this?

Shen An also sighed.

The situation in Xiangtan had just stabilized, and everything was in need of rebuilding, but the storm that had been brewing in Hengyang for a long time and had swept through the Five Mountains Sword Sects and even the entire martial arts world had finally begun.

No matter what, I can't be away from Hengyang right now.

Otherwise, his sect should also hold him accountable for neglecting his duties and failing to perform his duties properly.

No matter how important the foundation in Xiangtan was, for the sect, monitoring and investigating Liu Zhengfeng was the top priority, and he had to do it personally.

Moreover, to ensure a successful retirement ceremony, he needed to be present in person and oversee every step. Even the slightest deviation could lead to utter failure.

With this in mind, Shen An immediately made a decision and said to the two of them, "I must return to Hengyang immediately. I will leave Xiangtan entirely in the care of you two junior brothers."

"Don't worry, senior brother!" Li Qingde replied immediately. "I will keep a close eye on the business and warehousing matters, and there will be no trouble."

Li Donglai patted his chest and said in a deep voice, "Senior brother, you go ahead. Anyone who dares to cause trouble in Xiangtan will have to ask the knife in my hand first!"

When Shen An returned to his temporary residence next to the Songyang Rice Shop in Xiangtan, he had just stepped into the courtyard when a guard with a bitter face came up to him, seemingly wanting to say something but hesitating.

"What's wrong?"

"Young Master Shen... um... Miss Ruoyun... she... she's 'instructing' the brothers in martial arts again." The guard's voice was so low it was like a mosquito's hum.

Upon hearing this, Shen An sighed helplessly and quickly walked towards the backyard.

Before they even got close, they heard Qu Feiyan's clear yet somewhat childish scolding voice.

"No, no! Your human wall is too loose; it'll collapse with a gust of wind. How can you stop the enemy? Your waist and stance must be in harmony! Your core must be stable! And you, yes, you! When you roll, you need to protect the back of your head and chest, and your waist and abdomen should arch like a shrimp to generate power. Your roll looks like a lazy donkey rolling around, full of openings!"

On the open ground next to the granary, seven or eight strong guards were being directed around by a petite girl.

Sometimes they would pile on top of each other to form a shaky human wall, and sometimes they would roll around on the ground in a sorry state, all covered in dust and sweat, yet they still managed to squeeze out an expression of "having benefited greatly" on their faces.

Qu Feiyan stood with her hands on her hips, her eyebrows raised, looking every bit the strict little instructor, directing with great skill and order.

These guards were all skilled men handpicked by Li Donglai, and even among ordinary martial artists, they were quite capable. But how could they withstand the torment of this "little demoness" personally trained by the elder of the Demonic Sect?

Qu Feiyan's movements and techniques were superb, and her eyesight was even more discerning; she could spot the many flaws in their martial arts at a glance. Unfortunately, she was also Young Master Shen's "darling," so he couldn't hit her or scold her, and could only let her do as she pleased, while he inwardly groaned in misery.

"Ruoyun," Shen An's voice was soft.

Qu Feiyan didn't realize at first that someone was calling her, then her body stiffened, she stuck out her tongue like a kitten caught red-handed, and ran to Shen An in a few steps, smiling ingratiatingly, "Brother An, you're back! I... I thought they were too idle, so I helped them stretch their muscles."

"Really?" Shen An glanced at the guards who were rushing away as if they'd been granted a pardon, shook his head with amusement, and flicked her forehead. "I think you're just itching for a fight. Is life in Xiangtan really that boring?"

"Of course!" Qu Feiyan rubbed her forehead and pouted. "All I see here every day is people carrying sacks of rice and boats coming and going. It's so boring. Hengyang is so much more fun... By the way, Brother An, when are we going back to Hengyang?"

She tilted her little face up, her bright eyes full of anticipation.

For her, a mundane and peaceful life was far less interesting than the world of martial arts, where every corner was a stage for drama.

Looking at her excited, trouble-seeking appearance, Shen An couldn't help but chuckle to himself. This girl's personality had really been spoiled by her grandfather.

"I was just about to tell you," he said, his smile fading and his expression turning serious, "pack your things, we're leaving immediately to go back to Hengyang."

"Really?!" Qu Feiyan's eyes lit up instantly, her previous complaints vanished, and she cheered excitedly, "Great! There's going to be some excitement! I'll go get ready right now!"

The excitement you're watching is probably all mine...

Watching her skip and hop away, Shen An shook his head.

For Qu Feiyan, Liu Zhengfeng's retirement ceremony was a lively affair. But for him, it was the first real test he had faced since coming into this world.

Although he was prepared, he still did not know how or when his sect's blade would fall.

That afternoon, Shen An, accompanied by Qu Feiyan, bid farewell to Li Donglai and Li Qingde and embarked on their journey back to Hengyang.

Riding at breakneck speed, when the familiar outline of Hengyang City reappeared before his eyes, Shen An keenly sensed that the atmosphere in the city was completely different.

On the streets, there were noticeably more martial arts figures carrying knives and swords, chatting in groups of three or five, their words constantly mentioning "Master Liu" and "washing their hands of the martial arts world."

It was much more lively than the "Sword Testing Tournament".

That's true. Back then, I was just riding on the coattails of the popularity of Qingyin Fairy and Tian Boguang. The people who came were just idle wanderers from the surrounding areas of Hengyang.

As for Master Liu of Hengshan... I'm afraid any of the guests he invited would be more influential than the so-called famous figures in the martial arts world he had invited.