Chapter 104: An Unintended Success

The night deepened, and the boisterous atmosphere in the main hall gradually dissipated. Before long, the hall was empty, leaving behind only a scene of disarray and scattered remnants of the evening.

"Xiao Si, Xiao Er, Xiao San, Xiao Liu, clean this up, then put up the door panels and close for the night. That’s all for this evening."

The accountant, a man with the appearance of a middle-aged scholar, issued his orders. He glanced at the hollow darkness outside the door, then took a dim oil lamp and disappeared through a side door into the backyard.

Once the accountant had left, the waiters became instantly animated. They grabbed the scraps of food left by the guests, stuffing them into their mouths while tilting wine jars to find any remaining drops. Xiao Liu, having received a few taels of silver as a tip from Hu San, naturally became the target of the others' flattery. He was eventually forced to promise a series of banquets to quell the jealousy in the room, leaving the rest of the night to the waiters’ own revelry.

Baohua Inn was the most prosperous inn in Wu City, and the way it attracted staff was not through high wages, but by allowing them to handle the leftover food as they pleased. The innkeepers never concerned themselves with what became of the scraps; even a perfectly good jar of fine wine, once brought to the table, was never reclaimed. Naturally, the latter half of the night, when no guests remained, became the waiters' favorite time, and this policy of leaving no leftovers had helped build the inn’s golden reputation.

As the night wore on, the accountant carried his flickering lamp along a winding path, arriving before an ordinary-looking courtyard. The yard was piled high with firewood, and the walls were made of simple yellow mud. Perhaps due to years of neglect, jagged cracks marred the earthen walls, with large flakes of dried mud hanging like the wrinkled skin of an old man. It was clearly a long-abandoned storage area for miscellaneous items.

Yet, when the proprietor pushed open the dilapidated gate and entered the building—which looked incapable of withstanding even the slightest storm—the scene underwent a complete transformation.

Descending a flight of stone stairs and turning past a low wall, the view shifted entirely. Before his eyes lay a magnificent, opulent hall illuminated by candles made from the fat of South Sea merfolk. The hall was not only brightly lit without a single dark corner, but it was also filled with a fragrant aroma. Between the carved beams and painted pillars stood rows of chairs and lamp stands crafted from fine pear wood, neatly arranged on either side, with a red carpet runner laid out down the center.

Further up the path, a set of steps led to a massive, gilded chair draped in the hide of an unknown beast. Under the light of the merfolk candles, the fur shimmered with a soft luster, as if it still possessed vitality and life.

A man occupied the throne-like seat. He was a figure of striking contradictions: he appeared extremely aged, with white hair and beard, yet his complexion was as rosy as an infant’s. His eyes were hazy and dim, like those of a man near death, yet the sudden flashes of sharp light within them brought to mind a fierce beast in the mountain forest, his entire being brimming with immense vigor.

Seeing this person, the accountant did not dare to be negligent. He stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Disciple pays respects to the Sect Master."

"Hmm! I recall telling you not to come here unless necessary, lest you attract the attention of those with ulterior motives. I assume you have something of great importance to report; I am listening."

The old man’s voice was faint, but as he opened and closed his eyes, they shone like stars in the night, dimming the candlelight throughout the hall.

Beads of sweat instantly poured down the accountant’s forehead like a waterfall, yet he dared not wipe them away. From those words, he knew the man above him was already displeased. While such displeasure might not lead to punishment in their sect, when the person in question held absolute authority, the matter became a delicate one.

***

"Reporting to the Sect Master, not long ago, a young guest carrying a blade arrived at the inn. Given his appearance, if I hadn't already met Young Hero Jiang, I might have truly mistaken him for the real thing. To be honest, the two not only share a similar temperament, but their manner of walking and speaking is also remarkably alike. I felt this was highly unusual and came to inform you."

The accountant felt this was a trivial matter, but he had no choice; it was the most significant thing he could find. As he spoke, his heart pounded, feeling as though he were inching closer to misfortune.

However, after he finished speaking, he waited in silence, bracing for a rebuke. When he looked up, he saw the Sect Master, who had previously been expressionless, now wearing a deep frown.

"You say someone looks like me? Is that true?"

As the accountant pondered, a shadow beside the hall stirred. A handsome youth dressed in black, radiating a sharp, sword-like aura, flashed in and appeared in a chair next to the accountant. He had moved so quickly that the accountant hadn't even noticed his arrival.

Ignoring his own shock, the accountant forced a smile and said, "Reporting to Young Hero Jiang, if the two of you stood together, one could tell you apart instantly. Young Hero Jiang, you are far more handsome and possess a much stronger presence. But if seen separately, without close inspection, there is a certain resemblance. Both of you seem as tranquil as a pool of autumn water, pulling one's spirit into its depths."

"You mean that person has a temperament similar to Jiang's?"

The deep, resonant voice came from the old man on the throne. At this moment, he looked like a tiger finally waking from its slumber.

"Er, yes, yes, as the Sect Master says. It is the temperament. Though different, it is equally mysterious and profound, making one fear to probe too deeply, yet unable to help but be drawn in. I suspect this youth has a significant background."

Seeing the old man’s interest, the accountant began to exaggerate, wishing he could paint Hu San as the embodiment of mystery. In reality, he had only thought Hu San resembled the youth named Jiang, but often, one lie requires ten more to cover it. The accountant was currently in that position.

In truth, his original purpose for coming was merely to find an opportunity to get close to the Sect Master in hopes of receiving guidance. As for Hu San, it was a spur-of-the-moment fabrication born of desperation.

Unexpectedly, this improvised nonsense caused the old man to frown deeply, rise from his throne, and descend the steps.

Pacing back and forth, the old man asked with a somber expression, "Answer me honestly: were there any martial artists drinking in the hall when this youth arrived?"

"Yes. At the time, the Black Snake Gang, the Tiger Gang, and the Leopard Gang were having some dispute, and their leaders were sharing wine in the shop to resolve it."

Though confused by the old man's attitude, the accountant recounted the events. Finally, he chuckled, "In my view, while the youth resembles Young Hero Jiang, he lacks experience in the pugilistic world. Compared to Young Hero Jiang, he is a complete novice who doesn't understand that one should not flaunt their wealth. If nothing goes wrong, the small courtyard where he is staying likely won't be peaceful tonight."

Upon hearing this, the old man’s face turned ashen. He clapped his hands together and muttered, "Damn it! The Black Fiend Corps has deep influence here. If they couldn't find a target, it would be one thing, but once they have a target, regardless of whether it's genuine or not, the reckless nature of the Black Giant Spirit will not allow him to wait."

***

The old man turned his gaze to the stunned accountant and ordered, "Go immediately and notify Elder Chai and the others to assemble. We must leave here at once. If we are late, it will be too late."

"Yes!"

Seeing the old man in this state for the first time, the accountant was overcome with anxiety. Though full of questions, he dared not ask, instead bolting from the hall.

"The Black Giant Spirit always acts quickly. It is likely too late to escape from the front of the inn. Jiang, if you want to live, follow me through the secret passage. I hope we make it in time!"

The old man sighed and tapped the side of his chair. With a click, an iron plate slid open, revealing a dark tunnel—a secret passage leading directly to the outside.

At that moment, in a small courtyard a few miles away, Hu San sat cross-legged, cultivating. He held a round-bottomed jade bottle in his hand, the very same vessel that had contained the monster's essence blood.

However, there was little left in the bottle, as most of the blood had already entered Hu San’s body. He was now focused on refining it into a warm current to strengthen his physical body, the Water-Cloud Art, and the Green Wood Scripture.

The essence blood of the monster, which was at the early stage of Law Gathering, transformed into a massive surge of heat the moment it circulated through Hu San’s body—a volume exceeding anything he had previously experienced.

The surging current flowed through his meridians, exerting a pressure that was far from peaceful. However, Hu San’s endurance had increased significantly, and he was able to distribute the energy evenly across his body, true energy, and mana before it spiraled out of control.

Perhaps his physical strength had reached its limit for the time being. Despite the constant influx of warmth, his body, with the strength of sixteen men, was like a bottomless abyss, swallowing the energy without any sign of being filled, let alone advancing further.

As for the internal energy of the Green Wood Scripture, it had increased noticeably. However, as the foundation technique for a shaman, the eighth level of the Green Wood Scripture required far too much energy, making these seemingly vast reserves of heat insufficient to raise his cultivation in the short term.

As for his mana, after Hu San broke through to the third level of Law Gathering, the amount of energy he could absorb was even greater than that of the Green Wood Scripture, yet the effect was poorer. It seemed his mana had undergone a qualitative change. To break through again would be far more difficult than before.