"The Martial World, a very clichéd place," said Zhang San.
......
......
On this noon, Xiu Wangchou was still battling the Twin Poisons, while the other side of the small town remained as peaceful as usual.
Half-lying in an armchair in the painting and calligraphy store, Zhang San listened to Wang Xiaoer's endless chatter beside his ear.
Zhang San yawned, interrupting Wang Xiaoer’s words, "I know, I know. Isn't it just that the Wang family wants to burn that father and daughter pair alive? So what?"
Unlike Zhang San’s nonchalance, Wang Xiaoer anxiously said, "Those people from the Wang manor are too heartless. How could they be so indifferent to human lives? Master, can't we teach them a lesson?"
Zhang San asked doubtfully, "What does this have to do with us?"
Wang Xiaoer said, "Are we just going to let that father and daughter pair die?"
Zhang San squinted his eyes, getting increasingly sleepy, and said, "How many people die every day nowadays? Can we control that?"
Looking at the motionless, even indifferent Zhang San, Wang Xiaoer said indignantly: “Humph! If that hero heard about this, he would definitely save them!"
Hearing this, Zhang San, who was about to fall asleep, chuckled and burst into loud laughter, “Hahahaha......”
Perplexed by the laughter, Wang Xiaoer asked, "Master, what are you laughing at?"
After laughing for a while, Zhang San said, "Don’t worry, your ‘hero’ will definitely hear about this and will definitely show up."
"Why?"
Zhang San explained, "Where is that father and daughter's noodle shop? And where is our painting and calligraphy store?"
Wang Xiaoer frowned, answering, "The noodle shop is in the north of the town, while our shop is in the south... I see, so that's what you meant, Master!"
Indeed, Wang Xiaoer understood it in an instant, much to Zhang San's delight. He laughed: "Exactly, this morning they said they would burn that father and daughter pair alive, and half a day later, the streets of the entire county are already buzzing about it. Isn't it obvious? It’s clearly a plot to lure Xiu Wangchou into their trap."
Wang Xiaoer immediately grasped the key point, but he was even more worried as he said: "What should we do then, Master? Won't that hero be put in danger?"
Zhang San showed indifference: "When someone sets a trap, waiting for you to step in, will there be any danger? If I remember correctly, that Wang manor seems to have ties with a local underworld sect called Poison Valley. Poison, surprise attacks, traps, lime powder... You know, we outlaws have many fine traditions."
Wang Xiaoer remained silent.
Zhang San then turned to walk into the back of the store.
There was a glimmer of hope in Wang Xiaoer's eyes. He asked: “Master, where are you going?"
"Me? Everyone is probably going to watch the show in the north town today, so I will go take a nap.”
“Master...... Aren't you concerned about whether he'll get into trouble or not?"
Zhang San said indifferently, "Without thinking, I know that according to Xiu Wangchou's conduct, he will not have a good ending."
"Why is that, Master?"
"Because he wants to behave as a righteous hero in an underworld dominated world. Such naive behavior makes me pity him, even I find it dumb."
After saying such cold words, Zhang San went off to take a nap.
......
......
In the darkness of night, a misty drizzle was falling.
The deadly battle in front of the noodle shop in North Town came to an end. Although there were no people around, citizens hid behind their doors and windows, silently watching the despicable ambush and plot against Xiu Wangchou.
Xiu Wangchou won.
He won beautifully!
Carrying a teenage girl and suffering from severe poison, he still managed to fight and kill the two top assassins from the local tyrant's manor with his Star Sea Sect famous sword Star Color and the sect’s inner strength mental energy cultivation technique.
However, even with such great martial arts, he could kill the enemies but not solve the poison.
Martial arts and medicine were simply two different matters.
Xiu Wangchou stood in front of the noodle shop for a while, looking at the mess around and the three dead 'bugs'. Perhaps it was the severe poison that made him slow-witted, only at this moment did he react that the Wang manor would likely send more people here. Considering this, Xiu Wangchou carried the girl and quickly left.
Of course, his original plan for tonight had to be aborted.
That night, there was a message spread across the small town:
"There will be a 500 ounce silver reward from Wang manor for anyone with information on Xiu Wangchou's whereabouts, the killer who is suffering from severe poison."
As for whether the ordinary townspeople would help Wang manor, it was almost certain they would not.
However, even though no one assisted Wang manor’s servants and guards, similarly no one came to Xiu Wangchou’s aid either.
The age of ‘thirty’ was when an ordinary man should have settled down with a family and career, but this thirty-two-year-old swordsman was stumbling down the alleys of this small county town with a girl on his back, in the drizzle and darkness.
He wanted to find a doctor.
But he knew that ordinary doctors could not solve such potent poison.
He thought about using his inner power to neutralize the poison, but the severe poison had already spread through his channels and meridians during the fight with those two assassins.
At this point, even with his high level of inner power, there was no coming back from this.
What should he do?
He did not know.
Xiu Wangchou passed out in that small alley, the girl lying on his back, with the chill from the rain seeping into their garments mercilessly.
Xiu Wangchou regretted it a little...
"I still have great vengeance to avenge. I was so close. Just that one last person left before I can avenge my family."
"How regretful!"
"If only I could have endured it that day..."
In Xiu Wangchou’s gradually blurring consciousness, there was some regret about acting on that day, but feeling the girl's body temperature against his back...
"I'm sorry that I failed to save you after trying my best, Miss... I'm sorry."
After all, Xiu Wangchou still said: “But now that I think about it, if I had endured it that day... what would I have practiced martial arts for?"
He felt that his final thought made a lot of sense, then he fainted in the alley.
......
......
That night, Wang Xiaoer was taking out the trash in the rear alley when he stumbled over something midway.
"Ouch!" Wang Xiaoer exclaimed softly.
When Wang Xiaoer looked up, he saw two people passed out in the back alley behind their store. On such a rainy night, it was only natural that a 9-year-old child would be terrified. He immediately shouted loudly several times before rushing back into the shop to find his master.