The sun blazed like a burning fire.

This time Xu Qing didn't go to a tavern but headed to a tea stall.

The journey from Chongyang Palace to the Yuan family's estate in Guanzhong was just about a hundred miles, mostly along an official road.

During the Golden Tang era, merchants and travelers passed by in an endless stream, and tea and wine stalls were everywhere.

And one could see people of all races.

In the current dynasty, Guanzhong was more ravaged than before.

The stretch of ancient-style official road had dwindled down to scattered tea and wine stalls.

After covering a stretch of the road, Xu Qing saw a tea stall ahead bustling with people, so he went in to rest.

He requested tea and a plate of aniseed beans from the tea waiter.

Xu Qing then sat at a table, drinking tea and eating beans.

Perhaps he was in luck, for he was the only one at the table.

Of course, seasoned wanderers often had good eyes. On the road, there are three types of people not to provoke.

The elderly, women, and monks.

These three kinds of people who travel alone are definitely formidable.

Xu Qing was now disguised as a Taoist.

And he wore the robe of Chongyang Palace.

While he was drinking tea,

the sound of horse hooves clattered again.

Xu Qing furrowed his brow.

Because bandits were coming once more.

His senses and memory were sharp, so he recognized the hoofbeats as the same as those he heard in the tavern last time. In other words, this batch of bandits came from the same village he encountered previously.

"Black Wind Village!"

Xu Qing remembered the name of that bandit group.

…

…

After this group of bandits arrived, the tea patrons wore expressions of fear.

The leading bandit said, "The usual rules!"

He arrogantly scanned the surroundings, his gaze finally falling on the young boy attending the teapot.

Xu Qing could tell that this boy was a girl.

Even though her face was smeared with dirt, deliberately made dirty.

But such a disguise wouldn't fool a veteran of the worldly society.

"Chief, he is just a wild child from the countryside, doesn't know better. Please spare him," the tea waiter said.

The bandit flung aside the tea waiter, "You come back to the mountain with me."

Brief and to the point, as if it were an imperial decree.

No sooner had he finished speaking,

than he suddenly fell straight down.

Because a sword struck him in the back.

A straight sword scar, from the back of his head all the way down, as if to split his body in two.

This bandit died without ever turning around to see who killed him.

Among the other bandits, some brave and fierce ones charged directly at Xu Qing, attacking from behind rapidly.

The others didn't even have time to warn him.

A flash of white light.

Two more bandits fell.

This time, they saw the glint of the sword.

Just managed to catch a glimpse of it.

Blood flowed out.

Before Xu Qing even spoke, three people were already dead.

The remaining bandits fled.

They were merely bandits, not trained soldiers.

No, if soldiers encountered such a fierce man, they would flee even faster.

These days, capable men would never serve as soldiers; they would claim the mountains as kings and collect tolls.

The other tea patrons seemed to realize something.

Was this a Daoist from Chongyang Palace, drawing his sword to aid the helpless?

A few older tea patrons reminisced.

Many years ago, Daoists from Chongyang Palace often did this.

In recent years, such sights had become rare.

Not because Chongyang Palace's doctrines had been outdone by the Living Buddha, but because the Quanzhen Sect's main purpose had changed, the mountain Daoists pursued fame and fortune more.

In their eyes, nobility and gentry were high and mighty, leaving no place for the common folk.

After all, monks were mostly supported by families of power and influence.

Common people could simply not afford to support them.

With heavy taxation and labor services in place, there was no extra wealth to maintain the monks.

Yet, wealthy households loved to bring regular folks to pay homage to the high Buddhist and Daoist figures.

As a result, even the slightly affluent commoners would be left poor, and might even face bankruptcy.

Conveniently allowing the lords to maintain control.

Notable local leaders once said, "Land is not their best asset, the poor are."

Some younger tea patrons were already beginning to praise Xu Qing.

While older patrons quietly left.

Leaving now, they need not pay for the tea.

Moreover, the young are truly too young, regardless of whether the Daoist liked flattery, if someone informed the bandits, wouldn't that be inviting trouble?

Daoists are passing by, but the bandits are rooted here.

Even though Xu Qing is from Chongyang Palace, so what?

The Court has always had their eyes on Chongyang Palace, waiting for them to step out of line to find fault.

Xu Qing paid no heed to these matters, he was simply tired of humiliation once he became powerful.

…

…

"A sword is not meant for attacking from behind; someone like you does not deserve to wield it."

A chillingly cold voice appeared.

Outside the tea stall, a swordsman in white walked in.

Xu Qing thought, isn't that Ximen Chuixue's line?

But the newcomer was certainly not Ximen Chuixue.

"You like to use your right hand?" Xu Qing's gaze fell on the white-clad swordsman.

This statement puzzled the onlookers.

By nature, the right hand is the accustomed hand; is it strange for a swordsman to use the right hand?

"This man is Left-handed Sword Feng Bujue." Someone whispered to the person beside them.

Those nearby were even more baffled.

Since he is touted as left-handed, why did the Chongyang Palace Daoist say he liked to use the right hand?

Feng Bujue heard Xu Qing's words, remained silent for a while, and then spoke, "Is Chongyang Palace investigating me?"

Xu Qing: "Someone like you doesn't deserve to be investigated. Do you have a problem with me, then draw your sword."

Xu Qing's response was very 'worldly society', very blunt.

The worldly society is not all about fighting; it's about human interactions?

Wrong!

Worldly society is simply worldly society.

Wherever there are disputes and grudges, that's worldly society.

In the Great Yu Dynasty, Xu Qing excelled in strategizing, achieving a lot with a little.

Here, Xu Qing intended to live differently.

Leaving Chongyang Palace, he's brewing an indescribable sense of carefree liberation in his chest.

He clearly sensed that this carefree liberation was nourishing his Tai Shi Demon Qi.

Oddly enough, though his Divine Skills and Magical Treasures were gone, and the Tai Chu Demon Qi no longer there, Xu Qing still retained a trace of Tai Shi Demon Qi.

But Tai Shi Demon Qi was inherently different from ordinary Divine Skills and Magical Treasures.

Its purpose was not to manifest saintliness.

Feng Bujue suddenly felt a terrifying fear.

As a swordsman, if he began to fear, his strike would be unsteady, an unsteady strike means he can't beat his opponent.

Unable to defeat the enemy, the only outcome is "death".

In the blink of an eye, Feng Bujue felt as if he had died once.

His whole body was drenched in sweat.

"Remember to settle my bill; this is your life-saving money."

Feng Bujue snapped back, feeling a sense of humiliation worse than death inside.

A bowl of tea and a dish of aniseed beans, just a few copper coins?

Was his life worth only a few copper coins?

He gazed at Xu Qing's back, fighting the urge to draw his sword.

But he held back.

He wasn't one who liked to strike from behind, and he realized that even if he drew his sword, it would be he who would die, with no other result.

Because unknowingly, a slit had appeared in his clothes near his heart.

"How much?"

"Five... five copper coins."

"Here is five taels of silver." Feng Bujue threw out the silver and then left.

It wasn't that he didn't want to give more, but he only had so much with him.

The purchasing power of five taels of silver was already substantial!

For an ordinary family, they might not have more than this amount to spare, and could even end up bankrupt.

The tea waiter instead showed a fearful expression and then, clasped his hands towards the surrounding tea patrons: "Today's tea is on the house, it was paid for." This silver, I plan to use it to pay respects at Chongyang Palace."

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