Chapter 120: Rumors Spreading on the Wind

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In the southern district of Wu City, at the old Jiang family inn, the shopkeeper wiped the counter vigorously with a thick cloth, his face beaming with joy. His eyes were nearly shut, visible only as a narrow slit.

Watching the lively scene inside the shop, the old shopkeeper felt he could never get enough of it. Never in his lifetime had he imagined that the Jiang family inn could once again regain its former glory. This time, he finally felt worthy to face his ancestors in the afterlife.

“Maybe tomorrow I’ll go to the Putuo Temple on the outskirts of the city to offer some thanks. Thanks to the ancestors’ blessings!” he thought to himself. At the same time, he scolded the lazy clerks. The prosperity of the Jiang family inn was hard-won; it must never fall into decline again because of trivial matters.

Amid his joy, he could not help but sigh. Once upon a time, when speaking of inns in Wu City, everyone praised the Jiang family inn. But ever since the Baohua Inn settled in Wu City, it only took a few years to establish the grandeur of a century-old establishment, ruthlessly pushing the Jiang family inn to the brink.

At one point, the old shopkeeper thought he might never see the Jiang family inn flourish again before his death and had prepared to close the business. Yet unexpectedly, in just one night, the famed Baohua Inn was reduced to ashes.

What was even more important was that none of the staff—from the manager to the cooks—had survived the fire. All previous business dealings were completely severed. This turn of events, naturally, benefited the Jiang family inn.

Hadn’t the haughty owners of the Wu Bone Roasted Chicken and the Osmanthus Wine Workshop personally come to discuss business today? Haha, they used to sell exclusively to Baohua Inn and no one else!

Thinking of the flattering attitudes of those two bosses, the old shopkeeper felt as if he were bathed in a gentle spring breeze, comfortable and unspoken.

“Good riddance! Baohua Inn was a big establishment, yet it didn’t know how to mind its own business and meddled in martial affairs. It’s good it got destroyed; otherwise, it might have brought disaster upon our fellow martial artists in Wu City. Are matters among the martial elders something our inn should get involved in? Absolutely lacking in judgment!”

The old shopkeeper secretly despised them. It had been two days since the Baohua Inn burned to the ground. In these two days, more and more martial artists came to the Jiang family inn for meals and rest. From their casual conversations, the old shopkeeper gradually learned some truths and came to suspect why Baohua Inn was destroyed: a huge treasure had appeared near the Empty City Mountain outside Wu City.

“Shopkeeper, another two jin of Osmanthus wine, I’ll treat this friend to a drink!”

Just as the old shopkeeper’s thoughts wandered, a rough voice pulled him back. Following the voice, he saw a man with a white headscarf standing up and waving to him.

“Alright! Hero Hong, please wait a moment, two jin of Osmanthus wine coming right up!”

The shopkeeper’s distinctive prolonged call echoed through the small inn, but no one paid attention to him now. Almost everyone’s eyes in the main hall were fixed on the man opposite the white-scarfed figure.

This man was dressed in a short jacket, slender yet full of spirit. His unshaven, scruffy face seemed to have gone without shaving for quite some time. Beside him lay a dark iron claw—his unique weapon.

“Heh heh, Brother Hong is truly generous. Since you’re so magnanimous, I can’t keep it to myself. I suppose the reason you all came to Wu City is for the legendary ‘Boundless Scripture,’ the foremost of the Four Great Classics, right?”

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The man smiled slightly and calmly poured himself a bowl of wine.

“Ah, brother, don’t keep us in suspense. We’re newcomers and have no idea where to find the Boundless Scripture or what exactly happened here. Since you arrived earlier, you must know. Please tell us quickly. If the matter succeeds, no one will treat you unfairly, right?”

Hero Hong hastily snatched the wine bowl away, not letting the man continue drinking.

The man puckered his lips, helplessly looking at the empty bowl. The wine had been spilled during the tussle. He smiled bitterly, “What a pity, what a pity. Those fine wines are likely no longer to be tasted by the martial heroes on the Moonlit Land.”

Seeing the impatience on everyone’s faces, the man muttered a few words and stopped rambling.

“Everyone has probably heard that the emergence of the Boundless Scripture brought disaster to many martial experts. According to friends who didn’t step onto the Moonlit Land, over a hundred renowned masters gathered that night. Among them were the senior elder Chu Qian of the Chu Mountain Sect, the captain Hei Juling of the Black Fiend Battalion, the Phoenix Fairy of Lingfeng Mountain, the hermit Shen Fang of Beiluoshan, the Bald Elder, and the martial alliance leader Zhou Ba.”

At this, everyone gasped in disbelief.

Though Hero Hong had long heard that many martial artists died because of the Boundless Scripture, he never imagined such superlative masters perished.

“They’re all dead?”

He whispered incredulously. “How is that possible? So, who ultimately obtained the Boundless Scripture?”

“Aren’t they all dead?” The man shook his head, snatched the wine bowl from Hero Hong’s hand, took a sip, steadied himself, and continued.

“That night, about six or seven thousand martial experts gathered. Yet, none who stepped onto the Moonlit Land returned safely. Even those who didn’t step onto the Moonlit Land mostly perished afterward during the earth’s great upheaval. Only a few managed to leave Empty City Mountain alive. But now, none dare show themselves. Nearly everyone is searching for them, especially the big powers like Chu Mountain Sect, Lingfeng Mountain, Black Fiend Battalion, and the Martial Alliance.”

“What about the Boundless Scripture?” someone in the crowd couldn’t help but ask.

“The Boundless Scripture?” The man sneered. “It’s probably still buried somewhere in the Empty City Mountain range. But I advise everyone to abandon the idea of chasing it. That thing is evil!”

“Friends who entered the Empty City Mountain said that at dawn, the first arrivals saw withered, dried corpses scattered among the forests and valleys, seemingly dead for centuries. Many masters’ remains were gone, only their weapons left behind—a truly tragic sight. Some elders say the Boundless Scripture has consciousness and wants to cultivate itself into a ‘spirit.’ It likely feeds on human blood.”

“If you don’t believe me, you can go see Empty City Mountain for yourselves. But it’s best to travel in groups. Several major sects have occupied the area and forbid lone wanderers from entering. Of course, they can’t stop large groups. Everyone has come from all over, all chasing the Boundless Scripture. Even with their power, they can’t block all martial artists, right?”

After speaking, the man fell silent, picking up the Osmanthus wine the shopkeeper brought and downing it in one go.

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Meanwhile, in the inns and restaurants throughout Wu City, similar scenes played out repeatedly. In just two days, news of the Boundless Scripture spread like wildfire, reaching all thirty-six connected cities and entering the kingdom’s borders. The deaths of the many masters became a favorite topic among the gathering heroes.

Naturally, the once obscure Empty City Mountain was now crowded beyond measure. Though a few big sects tried to control the numbers, as the man said, everyone had come from far and wide for the Boundless Scripture. Even the powerful sects dared not be too heavy-handed.

After hearing the man’s account, everyone grew thoughtful. Soon some got up to leave—whether to return home or to head to Empty City Mountain was unknown. Among them was Hero Hong, who had offered the wine.

One group left while another arrived. The man continued to share bits and pieces of what he knew. Thus, the day slowly passed.

In a corner of the inn, a guest wearing a bamboo hat finished the last bowl of wine, glanced out at the dusk, and placed a piece of broken silver on the table’s edge. He then rose, departed the wine table, and stepped out of the inn, gradually blending into the crowd.

The setting sun’s glow bathed everything, a gentle breeze lifted the front brim of the straw hat, revealing a young and unremarkable face beneath.

This was none other than Hu San. After resting overnight in the woods, he had returned directly from Empty City Mountain to Wu City at daybreak. With his skills, it was easy for him to evade detection by martial artists trying to enter the mountain.

Why return to Wu City again? First, to heal his wounds. Second, to gather information on the aftermath—this matter was too significant, and he could not be sure no one had discovered his trail. Third, to investigate whether any remnants of the Black Fiend Battalion knew of his existence to avoid ambush. Hu San remained highly wary of the organization to which the Black Fiend Battalion belonged.

After some time healing, aided by a large intake of meat and a bottle of ‘spirit blood’ left by a giant bear, Hu San’s body generated a warm current. With this help, his severely injured shoulder recovered rapidly. Though not fully healed, it no longer hindered his movement.

During this time, aside from healing, Hu San spent most of his days in inns and taverns. Comfortingly, judging by the news he gathered, the Starry Sky Battle Arena seemed to have a function that prevented outsiders from spying. Though people were close by, they could not acquire inside intelligence, so he had no fear of exposing his identity.

As for Hei Juling, who fell into the bottomless abyss, there was no news. It was unclear where that abyss connected. For now, the Black Fiend Battalion was leaderless and in a state of factional strife, too busy scrambling for power to track Hei Juling’s whereabouts. Some were busy recruiting friends; others kept their eyes on Empty City Mountain—all for the Boundless Scripture. The demonic sect’s nature was evident. Of course, there was no sign they were hunting for Hu San.

It seemed that after the deaths of the Yin and Yang Guards, the mysterious organization that knew about the Tianluo Village incident had not pursued him.