The Star River Era! The Dimensional Freedom Demon

(The following chapters are all setup chapters, you can skip through them briefly)

Dealing with bandits who hadn't even scratched the surface of martial arts was like beating up kindergarten kids for Ji Chen, who had already reached the limits of human endurance.

Ji Chen strode forward without panting.

Having changed his clothes, he wasn't afraid of being abrupt or startling passersby.

Ji Chen asks everyone he meets if they've seen a 16 or 17-year-old boy with a crescent-shaped birthmark on his left shoulder.

And so, as dusk fell, Ji Chen arrived at Changjiang Yulan Grass Market.

Perhaps because Lu Xiao had spoken beforehand, compared to the chaos Ji Chen had witnessed along the way, this grass market was relatively calm.

After Tiger died, the men sent by Ji Chen quickly took over the place and continued their business of trading salt for fish, shrimp and seafood.

With Lu Xiao's name in charge, even wealthy people who wanted to hide in the lakes and seas to avoid trouble, or Baiyang sect members and roaming bandits who wanted to make a profit, all kept their minds at bay and no one dared to make any rash moves here.

At this moment, it seems to have some signs of being a paradise on earth.

Here, passing fishermen frequently cast surprised glances at him, and even some servants and guards stopped to observe him from afar.

Ji Chen's tall and imposing physique immediately alerted the local native forces.

In this world, a tall and imposing physique often symbolizes a powerful force capable of easily taking lives.

Especially in this era of war and chaos.

With his lion-like, disheveled hair, thick eyebrows, and large eyes, he exuded an invisible aura of power, as if facing a beast king. Passersby spontaneously stepped aside, making way for him.

"Wow! What a fine man! I wonder which gang he's from?" one of the guards exclaimed in surprise.

"Heroes emerge in chaotic times; who knows, he might just be another 'Lu Xiao'-style outlaw!"

When Lu Xiao's name was mentioned, everyone present fell silent.

In the Changjiang area, Lu Xiao is a legend.

At a young age, he captured the county government office, attacked the prefectural city, and repelled Shen Sanshi. Now, he commands five thousand soldiers, and his martial prowess and power have reached a peak that is beyond the reach of ordinary people.

There are even rumors that Lu Xiao came from a local fisherman's family.

Although this rumor is somewhat exaggerated and unsubstantiated, it has added a lot of legendary color to Lu Xiao's rise.

After all, the difference in scale and quality between those born into privilege who build vast empires and those who rise from humble beginnings to become powerful rulers is like heaven and earth.

Ji Chen looked around and noticed a newly opened restaurant that was bustling with people and doing brisk business.

His eyes lit up.

Isn't this a great place to get information?

He immediately strode inside.

The moment he took a step, the waiter who had been watching him for a long time felt a pang of bitterness in his heart.

Why is this guy here? If these martial artists cause any trouble, he'll be in deep trouble.

But he dared not reveal his thoughts, nor did he dare delay. He quickly ran up to Ji Chen and greeted him.

Ji Chen actually knew this waiter; like him, he was a poor fisherman who used to make do with others by rowing a boat.

He naturally wouldn't make things difficult for the waiter, and simply said that he was hungry and asked them to bring out all the best dishes in the restaurant.

The bandits he encountered on the road filled his empty wallet, and he could still afford a meal at a small restaurant in the market.

After paying, no matter how scared the waiter was, he couldn't help but smile a little more.

His commission is high because his business is booming.

Ji Chen took the opportunity to ask him some questions about "his relative Lu Xiao".

"Hey! Sir, the person you're talking about... I seem to remember him... Oh... Look at my stupid brain, I can't remember him right now. Sir, why don't you eat first, I promise I'll remember him before you finish eating."

Upon hearing Ji Chen's request, the waiter was not surprised but rather pleased.

Good thing he's here for something important; it just shows he's not here to rob or cause trouble.

The waiter hurriedly ran to the shopkeeper to claim credit.

. . . . . .

After finishing his meal, Ji Chen was not greeted by the waiter's reply, but by a group of arrogant and domineering soldiers from the Baiyang Sect.

Ji Chen frowned.

This group of soldiers were the management personnel he left behind.

He hadn't intended to pay any attention to these people, but to his surprise, the three of them headed straight for his seat.

The fat man in the lead looked at Ji Chen with some apprehension; Ji Chen's muscles, which even his loose brocade robe couldn't conceal, were as big as bricks, and then glanced at Ji Chen's long, flowing hair.

He couldn't help but feel increasingly apprehensive.

Although Jingzhou was already under the control of the Baiyang Sect, this person's blatant lack of a money-rat tail braid was simply too arrogant.

Moreover, judging from the size of this hair, this person's hairstyle has probably been maintained for several years.

This person is far too confident.

However, after thinking about the people behind him, the fat leader immediately puffed out his chest again.

"Are you from the World Society?"

Is the World Society really that authoritative?

Ji Chen raised an eyebrow. "No."

The fat leader clearly didn't believe it. Apart from the members of the World Society who were determined to restore the Ming Dynasty, in the entire Kyushu, only the Taoist priests who were on record and had ordination certificates dared to defy the Qing Dynasty and keep their hair long.

However, although the World Society was not as powerful as the White Sun Sect, it still had many experts at the third stage of Qi and Blood Transformation, so the fat leader did not dare to push them too far.

He simply said, "What brings you here, sir? This is Commander Lu's territory."

"Looking for someone."

Then, Ji Chen revealed the physical characteristics of the person he was looking for and gave the leader a silver ingot.

"Before my grandfather passed away, he mentioned that he had a child left behind in this area years ago. I have come here to fulfill his last wish and find this relative. I would be extremely grateful if you brothers could lend a helping hand."

Ji Chen clasped his hands in a fist salute.

The fat leader's eyes lit up, and he couldn't take his eyes off the silver. He readily agreed.

The waiter waiting nearby was overjoyed. He remembered seeing similar characteristics when he went swimming with Shrimp Head and his gang.

Although only six of Shrimp Head's gang are dead now, if he wins the bid, with this old man's generosity, he won't have to worry about money for his wedding and having children.

Thinking of this, the waiter wished he could rush to Liu Zi's house immediately.

But fearing that the business would be snatched away by the military leader of the Baiyang Sect, he could only desperately lower his head to hide his inner emotions.

And so, not long after Lu Xiao saw off his old subordinates who had become quite arrogant after being transferred to other posts, before he had even had two cups of hot tea, Lu Xiao had just finished his business.

The waiter arrived with a disheveled, sleazy-looking young man.

Before the waiter could catch his breath, he said excitedly:

"Sir... I've brought the person you're looking for."

"oh."

Ji Chen squinted as he sized up Lu Xiao's predecessor's brother.

His face was filthy, and he was so thin from hunger that he looked even more listless than an old man buried in the fields. Clearly, Liu Zi had been living a very unhappy life after Xia Tou and the others died.

As if sensing his gaze, Liu Zi's thin body trembled.

"Sir... what...why...did you want to see me?"

His tone was strained, as if he hadn't spoken in a long time.

Ji Chen repeated the requirements.

"Crescent moon, scar."

Like a meteorite hitting the earth, Liu Zi's lifeless heart was suddenly transported back to that day.

Shrimp Head and his men gave chase, but Skinny Monkey fought back from the brink of defeat, leaving Shrimp Head and his men with mangled limbs...

Nightmare-like scenes assaulted him once again.

"No, Skinny Monkey! No, Lord Lu Xiao... I don't know anything!"

Liu Zi rolled around on the ground like a madman, drawing disgust from the surrounding diners. But the words uttered by this beggar-like man froze the entire hall of guests in place, making them look like a group of dumb geese with their throats being choked, completely unaware that their chopsticks had slipped from their hands.