Martial Arts Secret Realm: Only I Can Know the Plot?

Sun Fan remained silent for a moment before speaking: "Even if he doesn't help us, we won't lose out."

He paused for a moment: "But more importantly, he is the only person in this secret realm who will not stab you in the back."

Du Ming nodded thoughtfully.

Mu Xue'er whispered, "Then... what about Fierce Tiger? Will he come to Jingzhou too?"

Sun Fan thought for a moment and shook his head: "He won't."

Why?

"He doesn't have time, he also needs to prepare, and the four major families are in a strong position, so the faction missions will be correspondingly more complicated."

"Especially since he can only do it alone."

Three days later, Jingzhou City

Three days later.

Jingzhou City.

Sun Fan stood in front of the city gate, looking up at the mottled plaque.

Jingzhou City.

The three characters are written in a neat and dignified manner, supposedly the work of a top scholar from a previous dynasty. Unfortunately, with the passage of time, the paint has peeled off, revealing the wood grain underneath, which looks like the wrinkles on an old man's face.

He wore a greyish-blue scholar's robe, his hair tied up with a wooden hairpin, and an ordinary longsword hung at his waist. It was the kind of sword favored by scholars, more decorative than practical. His true killing weapon was hidden in his personal storage space.

The term "scholar" is easy to say but difficult to embody.

In his previous life, Sun Fan wasn't exactly a top student, but he was still a properly educated person. Plus, the original owner of this body was skilled in both literature and martial arts, possessing some knowledge, so pretending to be a down-on-his-luck scholar wasn't too far-fetched.

Red Wolf followed behind him, wearing a slightly worn blue scholar's robe, looking extremely uncomfortable. He was tall and muscular, and the robe stretched taut over his body, as if it might burst at any moment.

"Can you change this thing?" He tugged at his collar, looking disgusted. "It's so tight I can't breathe."

"No." Sun Fan replied without turning his head.

Du Ming adapted quickly. He was already somewhat refined-looking, and when he put on a scholar's robe and hid his calloused hands in his sleeves, he really did look like a scholar.

Dong Dahai walked at the very back, wearing a straw hat that covered most of his face. The scar was too conspicuous and could easily frighten people, so Sun Fan told him to keep a low profile.

Mu Xue'er walked beside Sun Fan, wearing a plain-colored long dress, her hair tied in a simple bun, and holding a scroll of poems in her hand. She was already beautiful, and with this attire, she truly had the air of a young lady from a scholarly family.

When the four entered the city, the guards glanced at them a few times but did not stop them. Jingzhou was a large city with many people coming and going, so it was not unusual for a few scholars to be coming and going.

Moreover, Sun Fan and his entourage looked exactly like a young master on an outing, with his strange entourage.

The streets in the city are bustling.

The cries of vendors selling cloth, candied hawthorns, and wontons rose and fell. As Sun Fan walked, he observed, silently noting down important locations—the prefectural government office was in the north of the city, and the prison was behind it.

"Let's find an inn to stay in first," Sun Fan said in a low voice, "and then find out which is the best restaurant in town."

"Want to drink more?" Red Wolf's eyes lit up.

"It's not about drinking, it's about writing poetry." Sun Fan glanced at him. "You should drink less, or you'll ruin things."

Red Wolf shut up in frustration.

The four of them found a clean inn in the south of the city to stay in, changed into clean clothes, and then headed to the largest restaurant in the city.

The restaurant, called "Wangjiang Tower," was three stories high and built over the river, making it the most impressive place in Jingzhou City. When Sun Fan and his group arrived, it was lunchtime, and the restaurant was already quite crowded.

"Gentlemen, please come upstairs!" The waiter greeted them warmly. Sun Fan's attire clearly indicated that he was no ordinary person. The waiter led them up to the second floor, where they could enjoy a view of the river from the window.

Sun Fan ordered several signature dishes and a pot of fine wine.

Red Wolf had been holding back for a long time, so he picked up his wine glass and drank it all in one gulp. Du Ming kicked him under the table, and he put it down sheepishly.

"Eat your food." Sun Fan picked up a piece of fish with his chopsticks and chewed it slowly.

He eats very politely, a habit he's developed over twenty years.

He wasn't actually that particular about eating; people with a military background usually eat quickly.

But after pretending for so long in the previous secret realm, I gradually got used to it.

Twenty years is too long compared to my military career in my previous life.

After eating and drinking for a while, Sun Fan gave Mu Xue'er a wink.

Mu Xue'er understood, got up and walked to the wall, unfolded the manuscript in her hand, and began to read it by the light from the window.

She watched intently, occasionally frowning and nodding, as if she were commenting on something.

This appearance naturally attracted the attention of those around her; beautiful women are naturally drawn to those around them.

The diners at the next few tables noticed and turned to look.

"Miss, what are you looking at?" A young man dressed in silk and holding a folding fan couldn't help but ask.

Mu Xue'er raised her head and smiled slightly: "I am originally from Yangzhou. I came to Jingzhou with my brother to look for relatives. On the way, I happened to meet a talented scholar reciting poetry, which I recorded. I was just savoring it and accidentally got caught up in the emotions it evoked. Please forgive my rudeness."

"Oh? What exquisite work is it that has captured your attention so much, Miss? May I also have a look?"

The young man waved his folding fan and smiled.

But when he turned back to look at his companion, there was a hint of mockery in his eyes.

As one of the best students at Jingzhou Academy of Literature, he was confident that few in this region could surpass him in poetry, prose, and essays.

Wait a minute, as long as he presents an even more outstanding masterpiece to this beautiful lady, I believe her admiring gaze will fall upon him.

And then...

His companions, understanding the implication, chimed in with encouragement: "That's right, why don't we show it to everyone?"

"Then this young lady must consult the author's opinion."

As she spoke, she turned her gaze to Sun Fan.

Everyone was taken aback. Only then did they notice that there was a rather mature-looking man sitting at the same table as her, slowly sipping his wine.

Thanks to the makeup, Sun Fan looks to be in his late twenties, which is quite old compared to the group of young men. Coupled with his aloof demeanor, this adds to his charm.

This instantly alerted the young master. He was not afraid of being compared to his peers, and he was quite confident in himself, both in terms of family background and talent.

But if Sun Fan were in ancient times, he would be considered a charming middle-aged man.

That unintentional air of world-weariness has a fatal attraction for a young girl in the throes of first love.

The young scholar cupped his hands in greeting and said to Sun Fan, "My name is Shen Zhaoyuan, courtesy name Mingyuan. I have heard that you have published a great work. May I have the honor of studying it?"

There was a hint of provocation in his eyes.

Sun Fan carefully examined Shen Zhaoyuan before him. He was dressed in a fine hat and beautiful clothes, with a jade pendant at his waist and a fan in his hand.

A martial artist's eyes always have a sharp edge.

Shen Zhaoyuan felt a chill run down his spine at the sight.

Sun Fan smiled, a smile that was as refreshing as a spring breeze.

"Why not?"

Seeing that Sun Fan agreed, Mu Xue'er then brought over a waiter.

As she spoke, she handed the poem to the waiter and asked him to stick it on the wall.

The handwriting was delicate, and the ink was not completely dry, so it was clear that it had been written not long ago.

"If life were only as beautiful as our first meeting, why would the autumn wind bring sorrow to the painted fan?"

"Old friends' hearts change so easily, yet people say it's the old friends' hearts that are fickle."

The restaurant fell silent for a moment.