A Journey Through the Martial World After Transforming into a Loli

"Candied hawthorn, delicious candied hawthorn, sweet and sour, an appetizing candied hawthorn."

A middle-aged man carrying a candied hawthorn stand made of straw or wheat stalks walked past Lin Xueyi, drawing her attention to him—or rather, to the candied hawthorn stand on his shoulder—for a short distance before turning her gaze to what lay ahead.

Hmm, as a skilled person, she should maintain her dignity, Lin Xueyi thought. She'd eaten candied hawthorns before; she could resist the urge. Lin Xueyi swallowed hard, thinking to herself.

However, Zhao Yuxuan seemed to be deep in thought. He then beckoned one of his servants over and whispered a few instructions in his ear before continuing to follow Lin Xueyi around the street.

“Master, look at the dry rations here, they are quite good. I heard from our family’s caravan that they almost always buy food here after arriving in Silver Town.”

"Eh? Really? Then let's go in and take a look." Hearing Zhao Yuxuan's words, Lin Xueyi was also a little surprised. On the road, caravans usually look for things that are good quality and inexpensive, or at least things that are cost-effective. Presumably, the food here must have its own specialties.

Then... she regretted it. What was all this stuff? Could she even eat it? Lin Xueyi looked at the hard, dry biscuit that was difficult to bite into, and she seriously doubted whether it was safe to eat directly.

Zhao Yuxuan was also somewhat helpless. He had only heard that they were procuring food from here, but he hadn't expected the dry biscuits to be so unpalatable. Although they were easy to store and transport, they were truly unpleasant to eat.

He had thought he could show off in front of his master, but instead he made a complete fool of himself. However, Mu Siyan came to his rescue.

"Senior Lin, these dried biscuits are usually soaked in meat or vegetable broth before eating. Soaking them in water will make them expand, turning a small piece of biscuit into a much larger one. They are also very filling. People who travel frequently like to carry this kind of food with them."

Mu Siyan, who was also a frequent traveler in the martial arts world, naturally understood the purpose of these dried biscuits. Therefore, she suggested that Lin Xueyi and the others buy some, but Lin Xueyi thought about it and decided against it.

Although these things are quite affordable, she doesn't need to prepare such food. If she really needs it, she can just go hunting and get some meat. There's no need to torture her stomach with this kind of food.

Seeing that the customers had no interest in the biscuits, the owner wasn't annoyed. Instead, he brought out some dried meat, which was a good option for travelers.

It can be stored for a long time and can be eaten directly or added to porridge as a side dish. It can be said to be an essential item for some wealthy young men and women when they go out. Of course, dried fruit is also indispensable.

Lin Xueyi accepted all the food items listed and bought quite a lot. It wasn't that she bought a lot, but rather that neither she nor Zhang Laozhang were very familiar with Qingzhou, so it was essential to buy more things as reserves.

If Old Zhang were here, he would probably ask to buy some dried biscuits instead. Of course, at this moment, Old Zhang was in the inn preparing the carriage and then having the innkeeper arrange rooms for them.

After finishing their shopping, Lin Xueyi thought that since they were already there, they should take a good look at the scenery of Silver Town. However, thinking of Mu Siyan's injuries, she decided to go back to the inn to rest first and explore the town another time. So the group went to the inn.

"Hey boss, is your liquor diluted with water? It tastes so bland."

Before they even stepped inside, they heard an arrogant and domineering voice coming from inside the inn, followed by the sound of a wine jar being smashed.

"You still say you don't have any? You try this wine, try it yourself. It's tasteless. I asked you to bring me some strong liquor, and this is what you give me? Are you kidding me?"

"Young Master Zhang, this is not my fault. I was just following orders. If it were up to me, I wouldn't dare to mess with you even if I had a thousand lives."

At this point, the shopkeeper was also very conflicted. It wasn't that he wanted to serve this young master this kind of wine, but he had no other choice.

"Oh? So you have your own reasons for not being able to do this. Tell me about them. If this matter really has nothing to do with you, I will naturally not bother you anymore. But if I don't agree with your reasons, hmph, then don't blame me for being unreasonable."

He placed one foot on the chair, rubbed his fingers together, and the sneer on his face didn't fade. He was just waiting for the shopkeeper to explain himself so he could unleash his fury.

"Young Master Zhang, this really isn't... Alright, alright, I'll tell you, I'll tell you." He tried to change the subject, but was glared at by Young Master Zhang, and finally had no choice but to tell the truth.

"This is an order given to me by Master Zhang. He said that the young master has been drinking too much lately and causing trouble, so we can't sell him any more alcohol. But we were worried about how we would explain it to the young master if we didn't sell him alcohol, so we talked to Master Zhang. This peach blossom wine doesn't cause headaches, and it won't do us any harm if we drink too much. That's why he allowed us to sell it to you. If we had really sold you strong liquor, Young Master Zhang, we would have been able to explain things to you, but Master Zhang would probably have taken our lives."

After hearing this, Young Master Zhang was completely dumbfounded. Was he really that bad? All he did was accidentally smash the goods that were about to be shipped out after drinking, and set half of the family's granary on fire after drinking. The other half was saved, so why was he being treated like this?

Seeing the shopkeeper's conflicted expression, Young Master Zhang felt that he had troubled the wrong person. Frustrated, he had someone give the shopkeeper some compensation and then hurriedly went home to discuss it with his father.

If a person from the martial arts world doesn't drink strong liquor, what kind of person is he? He'd be too ashamed to face anyone if he went out in the future.

Watching the young master leave in a hurry, Lin Xueyi and the others went inside, only to be greeted by the shopkeeper's relieved expression.

"Gentlemen, please excuse the commotion. What would you like? Today, the inn will offer you a discount, charging you only 90% of the price."

The shopkeeper was also very happy. Now that young master Zhang would no longer have to come to his shop, the old master Zhang's words were like a life-saving blessing.

Main text: Chapter Sixty-Five: Departure from Peony Pavilion

The Peony Pavilion, the Peony Pavilion, because it was filled with all kinds of peonies, that's what Lin Xueyi originally thought. However, reality played a huge joke on her. Because the Peony Pavilion, where the Hundred Phoenix Pavilion was located, didn't have any peonies planted at all.

"No, there are no peonies in it. What kind of Peony Pavilion is this? Isn't this deceiving consumers? Aren't they afraid of being reported by 315 (China's consumer rights day)? Aren't they afraid of being arrested by the police?"

So what the heck is this 315? And what exactly is the police? Mu Siyan, who had no idea what Lin Xueyi was talking about, blinked her eyes in confusion.

"Oh, those things aren't the point. The point is, if there are no peonies planted in the Peony Pavilion, then what is planted there? It can't just be some useless weeds, can it?"

"Although the place where Baifeng Pavilion is located is called Mudan Pavilion, it is named after a painter who once painted a painting called Mudan Pavilion there."

"No, that's even more wrong. If a painter painted a picture called 'The Peony Pavilion' in a place where peonies are not grown, do you think that's possible? Is that appropriate?"

Lin Xueyi found this explanation even more unacceptable. A painter actually painted a picture called "Peony Pavilion" in a place where there are no peonies. This completely shattered her worldview and was absolutely unbelievable.

"I do know something about this matter."

At the dining table, there were not only Lin Xueyi and Mu Siyan, but also Zhang Laozhang and Zhao Yuxuan. However, Zhang Laozhang was not a local of Qingzhou and did not know much about some things, but Zhao Yuxuan knew some of them.

"Legend has it that the Peony Pavilion was originally located on a mountain covered with peonies, and there was indeed a Peony Pavilion there. However, two top masters at the Grandmaster level fought to the death there, and both were seriously injured. The Peony Pavilion was razed to the ground."

"Is it really that exaggerated? Are grandmasters really that powerful that they can raze a sea of ​​flowers to the ground?"

Anyone can ask this question, but you have the least right to ask it. Apart from Lin Xueyi, everyone else looked at this little girl with disdain. Doesn't she have any idea what she did before? How dare she ask this?

"Um, did I say something wrong? I didn't, did I? This grandmaster..."

"Girl, this chicken leg is pretty good, you should try it first." Old Zhang was getting a little impatient. Could this girl please stop being so naive? Did she need someone to remind her what she had done? Everyone hadn't argued with her, which was already giving her face.

"Later, no more peonies appeared there. It was only to commemorate the battle between the masters that people rebuilt the Peony Pavilion. Later, the leader of the Hundred Phoenix Pavilion established a martial arts force there, the Hundred Phoenix Pavilion."

He blinked. "Does a Grandmaster's battle need to be commemorated? That can't be right. Does the Grandmaster's battle there have some special significance?"

"Back then, Qingzhou wasn't considered one of the top states in the entire Nine Provinces, but the upper-level states never dared to underestimate us. That was because Qingzhou had a swordsman known as the number one swordsman in the world, Yi Feng Sword - Chu Fengyang."

"Hmm, what happened next? Could this number one swordsman in the martial arts world be one of those people from the Peony Pavilion?"

"That's right, it's one of them. The other one is the old Demonic Sect Elder Gui Tou Ke - Tuoba Chao. However, in the end, Chu Fengyang was seriously injured, while Tuoba Chao died on the spot."

Speaking of this, Zhao Yuxuan also became somewhat depressed. After that, Chu Fengyang did not survive for more than a few years. While he was still alive, the other states treated Qingzhou with respect, but after Chu Fengyang left, the winds of change drastically.

Although there was no direct invasion, some top forces in the upper states began to invade Qingzhou to varying degrees, and even quietly began to plunder its resources.

These factors ultimately led to a gradual decline in Qingzhou's strength, until finally, no one at the Grandmaster level ever appeared again.

Holding a chicken leg in one hand, Lin Xueyi listened and ate the plump chicken meat, but she was starting to dislike those states with higher-level power.

However, these were all too far away for her to think about, so Lin Xueyi refocused her attention on the Peony Pavilion and the Hundred Phoenix Pavilion.

"Since a Peony Pavilion has been rebuilt there, it can be said to be a very important place for Qingzhou. Why would someone build the Hundred Phoenix Pavilion there? Aren't they afraid of breaking taboos and incurring the wrath of the entire martial arts world?"

"Let me answer that."

At this moment, Mu Siyan spoke up, "Although Baifeng Pavilion is a martial arts force, it rarely participates in martial arts events. Rather than calling them a martial arts force, it's more accurate to say they are an intelligence agency. They know a lot about what's happening in the Qingzhou martial arts world."

"Wouldn't that be even more important? Then why..."

"Most of the people in the Hundred Phoenix Pavilion are unfortunate women, and their cultivation techniques are not actually top-notch. Apart from the former sect leader who was a Xiantian level expert, the only other Xiantian level expert in the entire Hundred Phoenix Pavilion is my friend. It is a place that poses no threat to the entire martial arts world, but can still provide them with intelligence. All the major forces have tacitly agreed not to cause them any trouble."

Lin Xueyi thought about it and understood. This Hundred Phoenix Pavilion was actually a sect established by some women. Their martial arts were not strong, but they had their own intelligence sources, so they could provide intelligence support to some forces.

"Well, taking action would only bring disgrace to one's own faction, and there seems to be no benefit whatsoever. That's why those martial arts forces turn a blind eye to the Hundred Phoenix Pavilion. But what about those evil sects...?"

"That place is a very important place for the righteous path, even a sacred place. If any evil sect dares to go there and cause trouble, there will only be one ending."

Lin Xueyi nodded, indicating that she understood. Once the evil forces made a move, the righteous path of the martial arts world would definitely not sit idly by. In the end, the entire force would be eradicated by the angry righteous path. For the sake of a force that posed no threat, they would end up dragging down their entire sect. I doubt anyone with a brain would do that.

"Hmm, this makes me even more curious about the Hundred Phoenix Pavilion. After we finish eating, let's rest well and then head straight to the Hundred Phoenix Pavilion. I'd like to see how an all-female sect survives in this dog-eat-dog world of martial arts."

Main Text: Chapter Sixty-Six: The Guest of the Netherworld Ghost Valley

On a picturesque island in the East China Sea, some uninvited guests arrived: a group of people dressed in neon-colored samurai attire and wielding Japanese swords, protecting a woman in the center who held a folding fan.

"My Lady Demoness, this is the entrance to the Netherworld Valley. We have come here to visit only so that our Eastern Kingdom can enter the Central Plains. Please do not..."

"Alright, you're so long-winded. I know what to do, I don't need you to teach me. But I've heard that the master of this Netherworld Ghost Valley is a woman, known in the martial arts world as the Witch. I wonder, between this Witch and me, this vixen, who is more sinister?"

Covering her mouth with a folding fan, a seductive laugh escaped her lips. This woman, known as the enchantress, had now turned her attention to the hilltop not far away.

"Since you're coming out to greet guests, why hide your face?"

"I wouldn't say I'm welcoming guests, but if I see any unpleasant guests, I should still be careful to avoid being bitten by a vicious dog."

Following the shrill voice came a thin man with black gloves on his hands, hunched over, who looked as if he would be blown away by the wind with every step he took.

"Who is your Excellency?"

"Your humble name is not worth mentioning. You are disciples of the Langjian Sect from Dongying Prefecture?" The Langjian Sect from Dongying Prefecture had already sent a letter of invitation, but had not come before. They did not know why they had suddenly come to visit today. However, the people in the valley all understood that their visit was probably not friendly. Perhaps it was not aimed at this Netherworld Ghost Valley, but it was definitely related to the Central Plains.

"Oh? I never thought that the mighty Sheng Mantuo, the Heart-Destroying Poison Hand, would be so lowly? How can those renowned heroes of the martial world bear this?"

"Haha, it turns out that Lady Enchantress has heard of my name. I am truly flattered. Without further ado, the Valley Master is already waiting for you all inside the valley. Please follow me into the valley."

At the suggestion of the Demoness, the group from Langjian Sect followed Sheng Mantuo into the Netherworld Ghost Valley. After passing through treacherous mountains, they finally arrived at the main altar within the valley.

"Don't try to memorize the route. The routes here change every day, so don't waste your time."

At this moment, a man hidden in the crowd lowered his head bitterly. This man was probably the one Sheng Mantuo had mentioned who had wasted his efforts.

"This place was arranged by our ancestors using the Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams of the Primordial Heaven. Ordinary people cannot enter or leave unless there are special circumstances. Otherwise, we people of the Netherworld Ghost Valley rarely leave the valley. Alright, we have arrived."

The Ghost Valley of the Underworld is known as the sanctuary of all evil paths and the largest force of demonic forces in the world. It is a place that the righteous path wants to eliminate but is powerless to do so.

It is said that many evil masters in the martial arts world, when they were being hunted down by the righteous path and had nowhere else to go, had no choice but to come here to seek refuge. Over time, this place became a den of iniquity, and to become the master of this valley is probably no ordinary person; it is simply impossible for them to do so.

What they were about to meet was someone who could suppress all the evil masters in Ghost Valley with his own strength, and whose skills could also overpower the righteous path of the martial arts world.

"Elder Sheng, are these guests from Dongying Prefecture?"

At this moment, a woman dressed in blue came to Sheng Mantuo's side. Looking at these strangely dressed guests, she already knew their identities.

"Moon, these are the Valley Master's guests, you may..."

"Elder Sheng, Yue'er knows her place, so please rest assured." After bowing respectfully, the woman named Yue'er led the group from Dongying Prefecture toward a low-ceilinged room.

"Here, we can reach the reception hall. Please wait a moment."

As soon as they entered the room, Yue'er led the group to stand together. After pressing a few buttons on the wall, a turning sound suddenly came from the floor. Soon, the floorboards split open, revealing a sizable iron plate beneath their feet.

Amidst the astonished gasps of the people from Dongyingzhou, they quickly began their descent aboard the iron plate. Before long, they had reached the underground.

"Please follow me, everyone. Be sure to follow my steps. There are traps along the way; one wrong step and the consequences will be unpredictable."

The people from Dongying Prefecture looked at each other, but no one dared to try and see what they would see if they didn't follow. So they all cautiously followed the maid named Yue'er and slowly moved forward.

After walking several hundred meters, they finally left the narrow path riddled with traps. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief before continuing to follow Yue'er toward the main hall.

The brightly lit hall was completely empty, with almost no decorations except for a seat in the center. This was quite unexpected for one of the top forces in the Central Plains martial arts world, yet the hall was so simple.

"Valley Master, the people from Dongying Prefecture have been brought."