Devour: Can you also draw entries from clone projection worlds?

On this day, as usual, you strolled around the market (crossed out) to gather information, when you suddenly heard a different piece of news.

"Liu Zhengfeng of the Hengshan School is retiring from the martial arts world next month. Many people have received invitations."

Your steps falter slightly. Liu Zhengfeng's decision to retire from the martial arts world is definitely one of the most important events and plot turning points in the early stages of The Smiling, Proud Wanderer.

Liu Zhengfeng was willing to leave the martial arts world in order to become buddies (scratch that) with Qu Yang, an elder of the Demonic Sect. As a result, Zuo Lengchan sent people to disrupt things and killed Liu Zhengfeng's entire family in front of a hall full of guests.

This battle can be seen as the trigger for the escalation of long-standing conflicts within the martial arts world, and it was another major massacre besides the annihilation of the Fuwei Escort Agency.

You considered it in your mind.

Should we go or not?

If you go, you can see many things that you can't see in the market at the foot of the mountain, such as the strength of the Songshan Sect, Zuo Lengchan's methods, and the fates of Liu Zhengfeng and Qu Yang. This information will still be of some value to you.

As for the risks, they are equally obvious. In such a situation, there would be at least two dozen top-tier experts from the righteous path, not to mention those lurking in the shadows.

However... your strength has reached the first-class level, and your physical strength is not weak. Although you may still not be able to beat those people sent by Songshan, you are still confident that you can save your life.

If you don't go, you can certainly practice your skills quietly on Mount Hua, which is safe and secure, but you will miss an opportunity to learn about this martial arts world.

More importantly, it's almost been a year since then, and you still want to draw entries at Liu Zhengfeng's house.

After all, the last time we drew entries for the two-year anniversary was at the Cliff of Repentance, so this new "adaptive" feature really surprised you.

After much hesitation, you finally made a compromise: go, but not as a disciple of the Huashan Sect. You must disguise yourself, conceal your identity, and observe from the outermost perimeter; you must not participate.

You bought a plain gray long gown, a straw hat, and a box of cheap cosmetics at the market.

Back at Mount Hua, you spent half an hour fussing over a puddle, finally managing to change your face so much that even you barely recognized yourself.

Hengshan City is not close to Mount Hua. You set off three days in advance, enduring wind and rain along the way, and finally arrived the day before the Golden Basin Handwashing Ceremony.

Hengshan City was incredibly lively, with martial arts practitioners everywhere on the streets. Some carried swords, some carried knives, and some were empty-handed but had sharp eyes.

All the inns were fully booked, and you had to search several before you finally found a woodshed, which you rented for one tael of silver.

The next morning, you sneaked into Liu’s mansion. The ceremony of washing hands in the golden basin was very grand. Liu Zhengfeng was a wealthy man in Hengshan City. His mansion occupied half a street. A stage was set up in the front yard, and hundreds of tables of food and drink were set up. The best chefs in Hengshan City were hired.

The people who came were a diverse bunch, including fellow disciples from the Hengshan Sect, leaders and elders from various sects, prominent figures in the martial arts world, and ordinary people who came to watch the spectacle.

You found a secluded spot in a corner, pulled your straw hat low, and waited quietly.

When the ceremony began, Liu Zhengfeng came out wearing a new outfit, his face glowing with happiness.

He clasped his hands in a respectful greeting to the guests and said something about "washing his hands of the trade and retiring from the martial arts world." The people below the stage applauded and cheered.

You watch all this with a cold eye, knowing in your heart that the real show is about to begin.

Sure enough, just as Liu Zhengfeng was about to reach into the golden basin, a loud shout came from outside the door:

"Wait a minute!"

A man dressed in the attire of the Songshan Sect strode in, followed by several others, all of whom looked menacing.

Liu Zhengfeng's expression changed.

"Senior Brother Liu, Alliance Leader Zuo has ordered you to cancel your retirement ceremony and return to Mount Song with us for investigation." The man's voice was loud enough for everyone in the courtyard to hear clearly.

"What mistake did I make?" Liu Zhengfeng asked.

"You colluded with Qu Yang, an elder of the Demonic Sect, with ulterior motives!"

The courtyard erupted in chaos.

What happened next, you can see very clearly.

The Songshan Sect was well-prepared; they didn't just send a few people, but completely surrounded the Liu residence.

Soon, Liu Zhengfeng's family members were brought out one by one, with knives held to their necks.

"Senior Brother Liu, as long as you agree to cancel your retirement from martial arts and come back to Mount Song with us, your family will be fine."

Liu Zhengfeng stood there, his expression shifting from anger to pain, and from pain to despair.

As you watched this scene, your brows furrowed deeply, and your fingers clenched unconsciously: "Liu Zhengfeng? An elder of the Hengshan Sect? For the sake of homoeroticism, he disregarded the lives of his family! Is this what the martial world is like?"

[Do you know what Liu Zhengfeng will choose, what will happen next, and that these people from the Songshan Sect will kill Liu Zhengfeng's family members one by one in front of everyone?]

You instinctively want to do something, but... you also feel that these people being held hostage, as Liu Zhengfeng's family, seem indifferent to what you do.

Although you are a top-notch expert, there are at least three or four people from the Songshan Sect who are of equal strength to you. Rushing in would just be asking for a beating.

Linghu Chong would rush forward, but you are not Linghu Chong.

You simply huddled in a corner, pulling your straw hat down even lower, and silently watched it all unfold.

When Liu Zhengfeng's youngest son was beheaded, you closed your eyes, only your body trembling slightly.

That night, you left Hengshan City and rushed back to Huashan, without even caring what entry you had drawn.

You didn't say a word the whole way.

After returning to Mount Hua, you remained silent for several days.

The scene in Hengshan City is like a thorn stuck in your heart, even if you were mentally prepared.

You've seen dead people before, but you've never seen anything like this: your children being killed one by one in front of their father.

This...is not the martial arts world, this...is utter scum.

Although you have never regretted your decision not to take action, you have begun to re-examine your place in this world.

Purely playing it safe may be safe and secure, but there are some things that can't be avoided simply by playing it safe.

What did those women and children who were killed in Hengshan City do wrong?

They did nothing wrong; they were beheaded by the Songshan Sect simply because they shared the surname "Liu."

What would you do if you were ever caught up in this mess?

Trying to escape by "slipping away"? You can run away, but you can't hide.

Trying to hide by being "ordinary"? The Songshan Sect won't let you go just because they "didn't notice you".

You've thought about it for several days and finally come to a conclusion that surprises even yourself:

You need to become stronger!

It's not the kind of "good enough" strength, but true strength in the real sense!

So powerful that no one dares to kill women and children in front of you, so powerful that no one dares to point a knife at you!

But how do I become stronger?

Your current path is correct: build a foundation in basic swordsmanship, supplement it with the principles of swordsmanship engraved in stone, and accumulate practical combat experience. However, this path is still too slow.

At this rate, it would probably take you ten years to even reach the threshold of a top master. Ten years is too long; you can't afford to wait that long.

You need higher quality entries.