Wang Xiaoer opened his mouth.
Although Zhang San had a premonition of impending misfortune, he still believed firmly.
Ridiculous matters should not be repeated.
Wang Xiaoer looked at the corpse of the Black Dragon Hall's man, and spoke his concerns: "Master, just now we saw the fight between gangs, right?"
"I guess so."
"Then now, according to the plot I've read in books, after we leave this alley, although we want to stay away from disputes, the reality is that we are about to encounter more Jianghu revenge killings. Then due to various reasons, we will be forced against our will to get involved in the disputes between the various black and white sects in Tian Ruo Prefecture."
Zhang San's eyebrows jerked. He silently thought, what kind of crappy books is this kid reading. But before beating him, he still wanted to hear Wang Xiaoer's "deductions".
Zhang San asked: "What then?"
Wang Xiaoer thought for a moment, trying to recall the various martial arts books he had read...
According to the description of Jianghu in the books, as well as the protagonist's storyline...
Wang Xiaoer deduced: "Hmm, how should I put it, Master? If following the plot of martial arts novels, plus our identity as assassins, in the disputes between the black and white sects, we will struggle in this black sect identity, and finally after experiencing all kinds of separations, have a revelation, and eventually lead the righteous sects to rise again and establish a beautiful Jianghu."
Zhang San stood behind Wang Xiaoer, slowly raising his "disciplinary" iron fist.
Zhang San asked with a smile: "Then my disciple, what if your master here has never struggled in a black sect identity? I've always liked being a villain!"
Wang Xiaoer sat in the cart, supporting his little head with both hands, and after hard thinking,
Wang Xiaoer said again: "Then according to Master's personality, it should be a story leaning towards demonic cultivation. So the next plot should be, Master gains all kinds of fortune through disputes between black and white sects, and finally with his lone power, unifies Jianghu and stabilizes twenty years of Jianghu disputes, leaving behind a free and easy image and an invincible legend for the world."
Zhang San asked doubtfully: "Why does the ending of the story always have Jianghu stabilized?"
Wang Xiaoer said matter-of-factly: "Oh Master, you just don't understand this. Nowadays, if you don't write this kind of ending, the Censorate will not give you a publication permit. Forget about selling it, you can't even get the book printed!"
Zhang San suddenly realized: "So that's how it is!"
Wang Xiaoer heard his master agree and was about to turn his head to praise himself.
However, what came to meet him was a fist the size of a sandbag!
"Ouch!" Wang Xiaoer yelped in pain.
Zhang San scolded: "Starting today, burn all those martial arts novels of yours... Oh no, sell all of them to subsidize family expenses. In the future, just honestly read medical books and secret manuals! Stop spewing nonsense to me all day."
Pulling the cart, Zhang San hurriedly left.
Seeing this, Wang Xiaoer could no longer eat the remaining half of his candy apple. He could only wrap it in oiled paper and put it into his arms to keep.
......
......
Tian Ruo City's South City was considered the slum area, completely different from the bustling main street they had come through before.
There were no tall restaurants here, only low houses.
There were no wide streets, only narrow lanes that seemed cramped for two people to walk abreast.
Zhang San actually felt this was very normal.
After all, this was the normal state of the world.
As night fell, the sky darkened. Zhang San pulled the cart and found another secluded alley in the South City where they could probably spend the night.
The alley was very dark, with cold winter wind, and the ground was littered with empty wooden boxes and crates, as well as some broken items. These seemed to be things that a certain department store regularly threw away, but wanderers wouldn't care too much about such things.
After moving their stuff off the cart and preparing to rest, Zhang San and Wang Xiaoer suddenly heard some strange sounds coming from the corner of the alley.
Wang Xiaoer said to his master: "Master, didn't I tell you, here they come! According to the books..."
Zhang San frowned and scolded: "Stop spewing crap, I don't believe it."
To prove that all the stories in martial arts novels were nonsense, Zhang San quietly walked to the corner of the alley and at a glance saw that this was a dead end. After the corner was a short section of road and then a wall.
But in front of that wall were two men covered in blood and in green clothes, slumped against the wall, not knowing if dead or alive.
The two people from Green Sword Sect who fled!?
Seeing this scene, Zhang San was shocked and puzzled.
Tian Ruo City was so big, what were the odds that he would run into them?
Could this be not reality?
Could he really be in a cliched martial arts story?
Would the following plot inevitably have one or more reasons forcing him against his will to step in to save these two Green Sword Sect swordsmen?
After healing them, would Zhang San be dragged against his will into the disputes between the black and white sects?
In the end, after a series of separations, would he have a revelation and unite Jianghu?
Would he also leave behind a free and easy image and invincible legend?
How could that be!
Was this reality or story?
Just as Zhang San was making a series of speculations, Wang Xiaoer hopped over, completely unsurprised, and nodded matter-of-factly as if he had expected this.
And Wang Xiaoer muttered to himself as a matter of course: "JinWan Pavilion and Black Dragon Hall are black sects. According to the pace of the story, now should be when the righteous sects appear."
Zhang San rolled his eyes at Wang Xiaoer and walked a few steps into the alley. As he got closer, everything that had happened to the two Green Sword Sect swordsmen became clearer. But just looking at the pool of blood on the ground, Zhang San realized that all his speculation was redundant.
Reality was indeed different from stories.
Where were all those stories of being on the brink of death but able to be miraculously revived?
Judging by just the amount of blood on the ground, Zhang San understood that unless an immortal suddenly descended now, no one could save those two Green Sword Sect men.
"Master... seems beyond saving." Wang Xiaoer, who was studying medicine more, gave his judgment.
Zhang San looked at the two men, closed eyes still breathing, seeming to be wrestling death in a final struggle.
But clearly, if you were mortal, you could never defeat death.
Nearing their last breaths, the two men's lips were parted, seemingly saying something.
As Zhang San watched this scene and was about to leave, he saw Wang Xiaoer run forward a few steps to put his ear close to the two men, seemingly trying to listen to their final whispers.
Soon after, the two Green Sword Sect swordsmen breathed their last.
Perhaps the Green Sword Sect lineage ended here.
Wang Xiaoer ran back to his master's side, and was about to speak when Zhang San had already interrupted him.
Zhang San said: "Don't tell me, I'm not interested and I don't care. People die every day, let's go, go back to sleep. It's so late already and we still have to find another place to sleep, how annoying."