It was the third month of spring.
Another year of fine scenery.
A handsome Young Man traveled far and wide, seeking Immortals and the Dao.
Seeing the mountains full of Peach Blossoms, he lowered his head in melancholy.
When he looked up again, his face was weathered by wind and frost, and he had reached middle age.
The Peach Blossoms, however, remained.
More than a decade of winters and summers had left no trace upon the face of nature.
Nanshan was located in the southern part of the Wu Kingdom.
The scenery here was magnificent, with beautiful mountains and pristine waters that made travelers reluctant to leave.
Halfway up the mountain, there was a small, dilapidated tavern. No one knew how long it had been open.
A listless little banner, long battered by wind and rain, had its original colors faded and its characters blurred.
A mountain breeze slipped past, and the banner lazily unfurled for a moment before drooping again.
It was like a Courtesan grown weary of her trade, no longer possessing any passion, offering customers a cold, coquettish smile out of sheer habit.
In the instant the banner unfurled, one could faintly make out the word: "Carefree."
The curtain, stiff and rank from the smoke and grime of the Human World, was pushed aside.
A customer sitting by the door shivered from the draft and was about to curse, but he swallowed his words when he looked up and saw the person who had just ducked under the curtain.
"Waiter," the newcomer called out before he had even sat down.
His voice was not loud and carried a hint of weariness.
His build was average, his looks were plain, and his clothes were unremarkable. He looked like any other Swordsman you might see on the road.
But there was a palpable Evil Qi about him. In his calm, placid eyes, a sharpness gleamed, as if it could sever anything.
It was enough to make any sharp-eyed veteran of the Jianghu keep their distance.
He carried an ordinary saber in his hand, its blade still stained with blood that had not yet fully dried.
A cloth sack was tied to his waist, and it was still seeping blood.
At the thought of the sack's bulging shape, the other customers in the shop fell deathly silent.
"Coming," came a voice like the song of an oriole emerging from a valley, followed by a graceful, slender figure.
But the voice seemed to hold a hint of grievance.
The "waiter" was, in fact, a beautiful young woman.
The young woman had eyebrows as dark as ink and skin like Warm Jade.
A pair of lively, almond-shaped eyes were set in her flawless, oval face.
As she walked, her waist swayed gently, as pleasing to the eye as a weeping willow in early spring.
The Swordsman had traveled far and wide, but he had never seen such a peerless beauty. For a moment, he was stunned.
He came back to his senses a moment later, gave the young woman another deep look, and walked to an empty table in the corner. He set his saber down gently.
"A pot of your best wine and two catties of beef. And two of your specialty stir-fried dishes."
"Right away." The young woman turned and walked away gracefully.
A faint, sweet fragrance lingered in the air, mingling with the smell of blood.
"Shopkeeper," the young woman said, arriving at the counter and slamming her hand on it. "Did you hear me? Go make the stir-fry."
PFFT! Light chuckles sounded from around the tavern.
They obviously knew something and were waiting for the show to begin.
Behind the counter, the Shopkeeper, who had been fast asleep on the desk, raised his head. He revealed a face that, though weathered and with graying temples, was still breathtakingly handsome.
"My little establishment doesn't serve stir-fry," Du Youqian said helplessly. "And you, you should hurry on home. Don't cause a scene here. This is a small business. I can't afford to pay you."
The young woman pouted. Her charming expression, lovely whether in anger or joy, made many customers—even those without food on their tables—hastily take a few sips of wine.
"When did I ever ask you for wages?" the young woman mumbled, her voice trailing off. "At worst, you can just give me half of this tavern."
"Little beauty, I think you're angling to be the proprietress, aren't you?" a nearby customer teased.
The young woman stomped her foot in exasperation. "What are you shouting about? Isn't that wine enough to shut your mouth?!"
The man who was told off didn't get angry. He simply raised his cup and toasted the young woman from afar.
Du Youqian also smiled, but inwardly, he felt nothing.
He shook his head, preparing to go back to sleep.
The young woman shot him a glare, let out a delicate huff, and went to fetch a jar of wine. She poured a pot, sliced a plate of beef, and carried them both to the Swordsman's table.
Just as she was turning to leave, she heard the Swordsman say, "Miss, I've heard that the owner here loves to listen to stories about Immortals. If he finds a story interesting, he'll waive the customer's bill for the wine. Is that true?"
The young woman pouted. "It is. Do you have a story? I'll call him over."
With that, she went to the counter and rapped it sharply. "Hey, lazybones, get up! There's a story to be heard!"
"So disrespectful," Du Youqian muttered, pulling a pot of wine from behind the counter.
He carried the wine pot to the Swordsman's table, sat down, and uncorked it.
A crisp, clear fragrance of wine instantly filled the air.
"Fine wine!" a discerning customer not far away called out excitedly. "Shopkeeper, can you sell me a pot?"
"This is a fine vintage, not for sale," Du Youqian said with a smile. "If you like it, sir, why not join us for a cup?"
"Then it would be rude to refuse." The man immediately brought his plate of beef over.
With a hint of laziness in his movements, Du Youqian poured three cups of wine.
He looked at the Swordsman with a smile. "I hear you have a good story?"
"I have a story. As for whether it's any good, that's a matter of opinion," the Swordsman said, his face expressionless.
"Please, begin."
The Swordsman said, "I once heard that more than ten years ago, there was a dashingly handsome Young Man who yearned for the ethereal Immortal Dao. He roamed a thousand-li radius, seeking Immortals and the Dao, but found nothing. His Martial Arts were formidable, and he had a righteous heart. Though his good deeds were often done in passing, many people still benefited from his kindness. However, this handsome Young Man sought neither fame nor fortune, only..."
Du Youqian gave a faint smile. "Is this the story you wish to tell?"
"No, but it's related." With that, the Swordsman drained his cup.
Du Youqian refilled it for him.
A fragrant breeze wafted over. Without looking, he knew the young woman had drawn near.
"What happened then?" the young woman asked, her large, watery eyes full of curiosity.
"Later..." the Swordsman said, "that Young Man became a youth, and then a middle-aged man. It's said he gave up his wandering and opened a small tavern somewhere, welcoming guests from all over. He loves listening to customers' stories, and if a story satisfies him, he waives their bill for the wine. Perhaps he hasn't given up his quest for the Dao, but has just found a different way to pursue it."
The young woman's almond eyes darted toward Du Youqian, the smile and deep affection within them so obvious that even a blind man could feel it.
Du Youqian, however, acted as if he hadn't seen a thing. He took a sip of wine. "And the story you wanted to tell?"
"Don't be hasty, I'm getting to it," the Swordsman said. "The truth is, there really are Immortal Masters around here. It's just that Immortals do not dwell with Mortals. If an Immortal Master doesn't want to be found by Mortals, they naturally have countless ways to remain hidden."
"Oh?" Du Youqian responded faintly, but did not press for more.
The Swordsman didn't rush to continue either. He glanced at the beautiful young woman and asked in a low voice, "Miss, when you walk, I seem to see traces of the 'Wandering in the Field' Body Technique. Could you be the daughter of Long Qifeng of the Four Extremes Swordsmen, the one known as the number one beauty of the Southeast Martial World, Long Ruzhen?"
The young woman tilted her head up, the muscles at the corners of her mouth tightening as if she were trying to suppress a smile. "Of course not!" she said loudly.
Then she shot Du Youqian a glare. Her expressive eyes seemed to be asking, 'Did you hear that? He called me the number one beauty of the Southeast Martial World! Can't you show a little more respect to the number one beauty?'
Du Youqian didn't even raise his eyelids. "So the rumors of the Jianghu can't be trusted. Cui Wei of the Lone Goose Saber... Your saber is said to be cold, and the man even colder. I never expected you to be such a chatterbox."
A flicker of astonishment crossed the Swordsman Cui Wei's eyes, quickly replaced by a hint of a smile. "Let's get to business. I had an old friend who encountered an Immortal on the nearby Soul-shaking Mountain when he was young. For some reason, he found favor with the Immortal and was gifted a pot of Immortal Wine and a few Immortal Fruits. When he returned, his Martial Arts improved by leaps and bounds, and he became immune to all illnesses."
Du Youqian nodded. "I've heard of it. That story is widely known in the Southeast."
Cui Wei said, "But did you know that he also received a Token? It's said that if any of his descendants have the aptitude for Immortal Cultivating, they can use that Token to enter Soul-shaking Mountain, meet that Immortal again, and receive a great opportunity."
Du Youqian listened intently, then shook his head. "This is the first I've heard of that."
The customer who had come over for the fine wine, however, just kept smiling and drinking cup after cup, seemingly completely uninterested in their topic of conversation.
Cui Wei drained his cup and slammed it down on the table. "But this immortal opportunity, for reasons unknown, was leaked. It became the root cause of my friend's family being destroyed."
Du Youqian refilled his cup. "A good story."
Cui Wei shook his head. "The story isn't over."
Du Youqian looked at him. "Oh?"
Cui Wei stared at Du Youqian, his gaze as sharp as the saber resting on the table.
"Carefree Drunkard Fang Ying, Hero Fang, it is said your Martial Arts are formidable, approaching the Innate realm." He glanced at the young woman. "And with Miss Long to help you. If you can avenge my friend, I can make the decision to give you that Token and tell you how to meet the Immortal."
The young woman seemed eager to try, but Du Youqian just smiled. "We're talking about an Immortal. Doesn't Hero Cui want to try his luck with this immortal opportunity himself?"
Cui Wei gave a self-deprecating laugh. "To be frank, I am certain I don't have the aptitude for Immortal Cultivating."
His gaze sharpened again as he said seriously, "Hero Fang, I believe that with your strength, it would not be a difficult task to kill all of my friend's enemies."
Du Youqian mulled it over for a moment, but still shook his head. "The world is a sea of suffering, and the body is a precious raft to cross it. If the raft is damaged, even if I encounter a Dharma Sect for Becoming an Immortal in the future, I will be unable to reach the other shore. Forgive me, but I am unwilling, and I cannot, go around fighting and killing."
Before his voice had even faded, he casually lifted his hand.
It was as if he were shooing away a fly.
No one saw his movement clearly. The next moment, the customer who had sidled over for free wine had a strange smile on his face. His throat had been torn open, and surprise and fear were frozen in his eyes.
A spray of blood gushed out as his body slowly toppled backward.
The young woman cried out in alarm, leaping nimbly away to avoid the splattering blood. She then said, both shocked and reproachful, "What are you doing? I don't care, I'm not cleaning this up today. You do it yourself."
The other customers glanced over. A few stirred uneasily, but ultimately, no one moved.
Everyone acted as if nothing had happened and continued to drink and eat.
Cui Wei also sat steadily, continuing to drink. "This man was following me the whole way. I don't know when he got ahead of me. Hero Fang, you have sharp eyes. How did you know something was wrong with him?"
Du Youqian smiled without answering. "Consider it a tip for your story. As for your friend's matter, forgive me, but I don't wish to get involved."
Du Youqian naturally knew who Cui Wei's "friend" was, and he also knew how much trouble that person had stirred up and how powerful his enemies were.
Of course, Du Youqian could probably kill them all.
Du Youqian was confident in his own Martial Arts.
In his previous life, as a person of great power in the Wu Kingdom, the Martial Arts Secret Manuals he collected were the best in the Human World.
And this body after Reincarnation, perhaps because it possessed a Spirit Root, had an excellent aptitude for practicing Martial Arts.
His progress practicing Superior Martial Arts advanced by leaps and bounds.
But no matter how high his Martial Arts skill, he was not yet invincible.
If he were to act, it was inevitable that he would sustain some injuries, and might even suffer a fatal blow.
Besides... those people also had friends and family.
If he got involved in this, he'd likely never know a moment's peace for the rest of his life.
'One can only be reincarnated after living out a full lifespan... A violent death means no Reincarnation.'
Du Youqian would not do anything that endangered his own life.
Cui Wei's brows furrowed, then relaxed. "I actually expected this. Forget it. I will kill those people myself. However, I have a more difficult matter to entrust to you, Hero Fang."
"If I fail to kill them all... can you take an infant, leave this place, and raise him?"
"An infant? The young son of 'Divine Fist Invincible' Liao Yilan?"
"Yes," Cui Wei confirmed with a nod. "I can give you the Token right now, as long as you swear a solemn oath to protect the infant and raise him for eighteen years, to become a true hero. After eighteen years, you can walk away and do whatever you wish."
The young woman turned to look at Du Youqian, her gaze filled with pleading.
Du Youqian hesitated.