"Brother, where are we going now?"
"Let's go to the outskirts. There's a mountain god temple where we can temporarily stay."
"We're not staying at an inn anymore?"
"Forget it. Tonight's business isn't over yet. Whichever inn we go to will be unfortunate. Breaking things is one thing, but we might harm innocent people."
Xia Ci knew well that the martial world was vast and tumultuous. It had romance, grudges, joys, people who became famous overnight, and others who were merely fleeting.
But what people could see was only the glamour, while they often overlooked the bones buried beneath the flowers. Whether they were martial heroes or villainous masters, fighting was satisfying, but beyond that satisfaction were often shattered ordinary families and innocent people's tragic deaths.
Xia Ci didn't possess great compassion or kindness, but he also didn't want to cause others' deaths without reason. He would avoid it if possible, though if truly unavoidable, there was nothing to be done.
Tonight's matter certainly wasn't over yet.
Zhou Tong, a rapist bandit worth three hundred taels of silver, was being pursued by many bounty hunters. Now that the siblings had taken advantage, it was unknown whether everyone would accept it.
Earlier at the inn, although they had intimidated a group, there might still be those who wouldn't back down. Additionally, Zhang Xiong was a hall master of the Great Saber Gang, and having been killed like this, the gang probably wouldn't let the matter drop easily.
"Brother, can you still fight?"
"I could fight all night without problems."
The Nine Yang Divine Skill truly deserved its name as a divine skill, possessing many characteristics. One particularly powerful feature was its self-sustaining internal energy.
In the martial world, all warriors must cultivate internal energy, as it could be understood as stamina in a sense. The more profound one's internal energy, the greater their endurance.
Xia Ci's Mysterious Sword Skill wasn't a type that consumed large amounts of internal energy. With the characteristics of the Nine Yang Divine Skill, his claim of being able to fight all night was slightly exaggerated, but not by much.
"Brother, your internal energy isn't Mysterious internal energy, is it?" Xia Xiayin asked her doubt.
"A few days ago when I was unconscious, I dreamed of an old man with a white beard who said I was exceptionally handsome and insisted on teaching me a divine skill..."
"Brother, if you can't make up stories well, then don't make them up, alright? I'm already seventeen, not seven."
"Hahaha... This divine skill of mine isn't suitable for girls to cultivate. When I dream of that white-bearded old man again, I'll ask him to teach me a divine skill suitable for girls, and I'll pass it on to you then!"
"Great, I'll wait. So, how did your Mysterious Sword Skill suddenly become so powerful?"
"I dreamed of an old man with a white beard..."
"Brother, you're teasing me again!"
"Hahaha..."
The siblings walked toward the outskirts of the city, joking and playing around, in a very relaxed atmosphere. Xia Ci was relaxed because with the Nine Yang Divine Skill supporting him, although he had some concerns, he wasn't too worried about the upcoming troubles. As for Xia Xiayin, as long as she was with Xia Ci and he was happy, she felt no pressure.
Meanwhile, in Linjiang City,
A significant disturbance had already been stirred up because of the siblings.
Zhang Xiong's death, though not the biggest news in Linjiang City, still shocked many people. After all, the Great Saber Gang's "Wolf-Bear-Tiger-Leopard" reputation was well-known in Linjiang City.
This Zhang Xiong might not have been a first-class expert, but his reputation wasn't small. Being killed while accompanied by more than twenty saber men naturally caught many people's attention.
...
South City, Notsecond Manor.
The black-clothed swordsman came to Yan Sanniang's room and saluted: "Boss, you weren't mistaken, I was wrong. That Xia Ci is indeed very strong. Great Saber Gang's Zhang Xiong led more than twenty skilled men to attack him, but Xia Ci killed more than a dozen of them, and beheaded Zhang Xiong. However, I'm confused—how did you see that Xia Ci was an expert?"
"I couldn't tell," Yan Sanniang said with a smile. "At the magistrate's office, I happened to see the siblings collecting the bounty. Xia Ci's demeanor seemed extraordinary to me. Although he had become blind, he showed no anxiety about his blindness, very composed. If he had been blind for many years and was accustomed to that life, it would be normal, but he had just recently gone blind. Having such composure was remarkable."
"I see." The black-clothed swordsman nodded. "When you explain it like that, it indeed makes sense. His mentality is very strong. However, he's probably in considerable trouble now. That Zhang Xiong was Old Saber Handler Lu Yingchuan's man. That Old Saber Handler is no pushover, and his subordinates Wolf-Bear-Tiger-Leopard are all formidable. Although he doesn't have as many saber men as rumored, there are still three to four hundred."
Yan Sanniang waved her hand and said, "The Old Saber Handler is old, already sixty or seventy. He has long lost the ambition of his youth and only wants to retire. If he wasn't worried about being held accountable after washing his hands of the martial world, he would even be willing to retire completely.
The Great Saber Gang seems powerful, but in reality, apart from the 'Wolf-Bear-Tiger-Leopard' four, who else has a noteworthy reputation? They're not worth worrying about. Send a letter in my name to the Old Saber Handler, inviting him to dinner at Hundred Flowers Restaurant. I'll set up a few tables and act as a peacemaker between the Great Saber Gang and Xia Ci."
"What about Xia Ci's side?" the black-clothed swordsman asked.
"I'll meet him again," Yan Sanniang smiled gently and said, "We can't let other Pursuit Towers snatch him from me. Xia Ci's appearance is too timely. If he can quickly capture a few famous wanted criminals, then my Notsecond Manor's transition into the pursuit business will be considered successful!"
Any business needs a reputation.
Opening a Pursuit Tower requires making a name in the bounty hunter community. If Xia Ci could capture a few more famous wanted criminals and become renowned among bounty hunters, everyone would know that Notsecond Manor was supporting him, and naturally, many bounty hunters would come seeking its reputation.
Especially since Xia Ci was a very representative blind man, this would better demonstrate Notsecond Manor's intelligence capabilities and auxiliary abilities, making it more attractive to bounty hunters.
...
While Xia Ci and Xia Xiayin were on their way to the outskirts, they encountered Yan Sanniang again.
As soon as Yan Sanniang spoke, Xia Ci recognized her voice.
"Madam Yan, what a coincidence?"
"Not a coincidence, I came specifically to find you, Young Hero Xia."
Yan Sanniang spoke as she walked in front of Xia Ci.
Immediately, a unique floral fragrance wafted over.
Xia Ci stepped back slightly.
This action made Yan Sanniang somewhat at a loss whether to laugh or cry, but she didn't mind too much and said, "I didn't expect that just a short while after parting with Young Hero Xia, you would cause such a commotion. Wolf-Bear-Tiger-Leopard, the Old Saber Handler, none of them are easy to deal with. You've now deeply offended the Great Saber Gang."
Xia Ci chuckled, "Is it possible that the Great Saber Gang offended me instead?"
"Uh..." Yan Sanniang was slightly taken aback, then smiled, "Young Hero Xia is really... overflowing with dominance. I won't beat around the bush. To show my sincerity in wanting to cooperate with you, I'll take on your grudge with the Great Saber Gang. I've already arranged to meet with the Old Saber Handler to mediate between you. Actually, there's no irreconcilable enmity between you and the Great Saber Gang. After all, the one who formed a grudge with you was Zhang Xiong, who has already been killed by you."
"If reconciliation is possible, that's fine. Thank you."
Xia Ci immediately agreed. His goal was to be a bounty hunter and capture or kill more wanted criminals. He had no interest in fighting to the death with the Great Saber Gang. There was no conflict of interest to begin with, and Zhang Xiong who had started the trouble had already been killed by him. As long as the Great Saber Gang was willing to let the matter go, he didn't mind either.