Chapter 27

The carriages from Heart Washing Manor arrived in grand style and left in the same manner, without taking so much as a needle or thread. As a parting gift, they carried an extra wagon loaded with goods from Clear Wind Fishing Ground.

There was one more person on board: Shen Jiangling.

Shen Jiangling had no real acquaintance with Peacock Manor’s lord, Qu Tianwei, but his fame in the Rivers and Lakes was widespread. He had naturally received an invitation to the manor and decided to travel there alongside the Heart Washing Manor group, bound for Jinling City.

The players could not have been happier about this. They got to gaze upon a handsome man every single day.

The physician players remained as dedicated as ever. One group scoured the wilderness for herbs, brewing them into wondrous elixirs and spirit pills, while another kept meticulous notes on their patient’s condition: Day One, Day Two, Day Three, and so on.

Ruan Xuezong could not help but marvel at this. Shen Jiangling truly lived up to his status as the protagonist. He had narrowly escaped the relentless assaults of the Demonic Sects, surviving grievous wounds. Even after his injuries had half-healed, he threw himself back into the fray at Clear Wind Fishing Ground, holding off Gong Mingzhu with grim determination. She had struck him away with her Mandarin Duck Swords, reopening wounds that had not fully scabbed over. Despite injuries that severe, he was already on the mend.

If it had been Ruan Xuezong in his place, a single encirclement by the Demonic Sects would have left him crippled beyond recovery, with no hope of revival.

“Young friend, why do you look at me with such eyes?” Shen Jiangling sat beside him in the carriage, gently fanning himself with a paper fan. His eyes sparkled like morning stars, and a faint, carefree smile played at the corners of his lips.

Ruan Xuezong withdrew his gaze. “It’s nothing. I’m simply relieved to see you safe and sound. The Rivers and Lakes would be a duller place without Hero Shen.”

After a pause, he added, “The storytellers in the teahouses would have far fewer tales to spin.”

In the original novel, the two most dashing figures roaming the Rivers and Lakes were Hua Bailian and Shen Jiangling, a pair of bosom friends who adventured far and wide. From the misty allure of Jiangnan’s Flower Shadows to isolated isles beyond the seas, from the vast yellow sands of the Great Desert to the treasures of the Imperial Palace, their footsteps marked every corner. They cracked unsolvable cases with flair, living freely and boldly. To many players, those tumultuous days at Clear Wind Fishing Ground were but a minor escapade in Shen Jiangling’s life. He had simply taken a commission and staked his life on it without regret—living was a bonus, dying no great loss.

Shen Jiangling’s life brimmed with color, always drawing him into extraordinary events. Wherever his horse carried him, legends trailed in his wake.

In his previous life, trapped and crippled in Ten Thousand Kills Pavilion, Ruan Xuezong had pored over tattered scrolls of jianghu tales. Amid his bitterness and cynicism, a quiet envy had stirred within him—a sense of “all the excitement belongs to you all, while I wither alone in this lightless corner.”

Shen Jiangling blinked and smiled.

“Is that so? Whether Shen will become the next legend, I cannot guarantee. But the brilliance you bring to the Rivers and Lakes? I’ve already glimpsed it.”

“You’re too kind, Brother Jiangling. I’m just a dull sort of person,” Ruan Xuezong replied mildly.

“Don’t sell yourself short, young friend. I may not know the knots in your heart, but from that palm strike under the moonlight—astonishing everyone—I saw the shadow of a legend take form.” Shen Jiangling regarded Ruan Xuezong with gentle earnestness.

He had roamed the Rivers and Lakes for five or six years—not too long, not too short. Gazing at the remarkably young and precocious Ruan Xuezong, a fondness welled up in him, the admiration one feels for rising talent.

If Shen Jiangling was destined to become a legend, he wished to share that splendor with this young friend, to ride side by side across the land. And if the young friend was fated to be but a ripple in the Rivers and Lakes, stirring tempests of love, hate, and vengeance, then Shen Jiangling would stand by his side, weathering the storm together.

Perhaps that was the magic of an instant bond between souls.

Shen Jiangling spoke with such sincerity that Ruan Xuezong sat stunned and silent. Then the system chimed in: 【Congratulations! You’ve made your first bosom friend.】

【Your first friend in two lifetimes. Not easy at all.】

The blunt truth shattered Ruan Xuezong’s fleeting sentiment. He shot back coldly: 【Do I need you to remind me I have no friends?】

As the two conversed inside the carriage, their voices drifted out now and then—”I wish to share the Rivers and Lakes’ wonders with you”—prompting the accompanying players to coo and sigh in awe at this exquisite friendship.

The sight of these lively players bouncing around before his eyes suddenly reminded Ruan Xuezong of another group: those who had taken on Heart Washing Merchant Guild’s “run one merchant route” challenge and set out to hone themselves. Curious about their progress, he feigned closing his eyes to rest in the carriage and queried System 007 on their status.

System 007 replied vaguely: 【Hard to say. See for yourself.】

No sooner had it spoken than a remote-view screen popped up in Ruan Xuezong’s mind.

On the screen, he saw a caravan flanked by several fine horses. The riders were none other than those dispatched players. Ruan Xuezong watched for only a short while before his expression turned peculiar. He quickly grasped what “hard to say” meant. This bunch was faring miserably. They were travel-worn and dusty, though their faces shone with vigor. Their attire was even more ragged and free-spirited than that of Beggar Gang disciples.

There were over twenty players in total, led by Linghu Xiao. Ten were merchants, the rest escorts.

The merchant players had accepted the challenge under the guidance of an NPC steward at Heart Washing Merchant Guild. The escort players had reported to Heart Washing Escort Agency, where Level 1 Escort Master Chen He issued a qualifying trial: “escort one shipment,” by land or water.

These two groups—one delivering goods, the other guarding shipments—saw the perfect synergy and formed a team.

Escorting demanded survival skills, and to make haste, these twenty-odd players cooked over open fires in the wild every day, honing their culinary proficiency to new heights. Rain or shine, riverbank or thicket, they could whip up a stove and meal anywhere.

Ruan Xuezong frowned slightly: 【Why don’t they stop at inns?】

【They tried. First time in the boonies, they picked a black inn that robbed guests for a living. The innkeeper’s wife spiked their food with knockout drugs. The whole group went down and only recovered their goods thanks to respawning. Second time, on a mountain path, they found a moaning old man with a broken leg under a tree. Out of kindness, they carried him to safety—only to walk into an ambush by bandits waiting in hiding…】

Ruan Xuezong’s head throbbed just hearing it: 【Enough, enough. Say no more.】

With so little experience in jianghu trials, this group had stumbled into endless pitfalls on one merchant run. No wonder they camped outdoors now.

System 007 continued: 【They’re growing fast, though. Fool me once, shame on you. They started falling for black inns but got wise, asking locals for intel. No lingering at roadside teashops without seeing others drink first. If unsure, they’d gnaw dry rations in the wild. They’ve even compiled a guide.】

Ruan Xuezong turned his attention back to the screen.

Sure enough, Linghu Xiao clutched a yellowed Cowhide Map. Zooming in revealed dense scrawls of players’ trial-and-error notes, marked in red, blue, and black inks with assorted symbols.

The handwriting was messy, but Ruan Xuezong focused and made it out.

A fork in the road had a red X on the left: [Left impassable—rickety chain-and-plank bridge over cliffs, long decayed.]

[Near Evil Person Valley. Countless bandits and brigands respawn randomly.]

Double exclamation: [Beware! Red-name Level 30 thief gang prowls. Over a hundred strong.]

[Forest here has miasma.]

[Infamous black inn. Preys on merchants.]

A triangle: [Temple here. Free vegan meal and monk quarters.]

[Yuelai Inn. Tea safe, clean and tidy. Safe to stay.]

[Local post station. Food, lodging, supplies, horse swaps. Pricey and rude staff, but no issues.]

[Wild hillside with mountain ginseng and lingzhi. Harvest for cash.]

Ruan Xuezong could only marvel at the notes, filled with admiration for their diligence.

He knew every game had its pioneering teams. The golden route Linghu Xiao’s group had blazed through trial and error would serve future merchant runs. Others could build on it, refining the guide further.

【Per the big data, they’ve hit five cities in days, unlocking twenty roadside towns. They’ve soaked in local customs. Pushing hard with relays, they’ll reach the Capital City in two days, two nights. Most leveled up five or six times—pure, earned experience. They saw the “Clear Wind Fishing Ground” plot on the forums and plan to sell goods in the capital, then lightness skill back here for the main storyline.】

So dedicated, not even skipping the main plot amid the grind. Ruan Xuezong felt profound respect for them.

Heart Washing Manor’s caravan soon reached Jinling City, a bustling ancient metropolis famed for “ten li of Qinhuai birthing spring dreams, six dynasties’ moonlit haze crowning Jinling.”

With Qu Tianwei’s birthday approaching, forces converged from all quarters. Jianghu folk with blades at their waists thronged the streets, amplifying the revelry.

Where unruly jianghu types multiplied, so did the patrols. Ruan Xuezong noted the extra guards eyeing passersby with predatory glares, as if eager for a brawl to let the Six Gates make examples.

Weary from the road, Ruan Xuezong picked a grand inn at random.

He had just stepped down from the carriage when the players halted too, drawing stares not just from jianghu folk but city guards. Murmurs and praises rippled through the crowd. Only inside did Ruan Xuezong learn the rooms came in four tiers: Heaven, Earth, Mysterious, and Yellow.

Heaven-class rooms were priciest, with top-notch standards.

Without hesitation, Ruan Xuezong booked one. Shen Jiangling did the same—not adjacent, but both on the second floor.

As Ruan Xuezong handed his waist badge to the innkeeper’s wife, another hand beat him to it.

“Innkeeper, one Heaven-class room.” The speaker was a handsome youth with sword brows and star-bright eyes, clad in the narrow-sleeved garb favored by jianghu wanderers, a xiao flute at his waist. His demeanor was languid, brows radiating utter nonchalance. His red-corded waist badge read Nan Fuli.

The players looked up and gasped at the three question marks “???” over his head—slang for unfathomably powerful.

Noticing Ruan Xuezong’s glance, the youth shot him a casual look. “What’re you staring at, young hero?”

“Nothing.” Ruan Xuezong averted his eyes. He had no desire to bicker over trifles, especially after noting the youth’s sideburns looked authentically grown.

With three Heaven-class rooms taken, the players faced a crisis: few vacancies left. Heaven-class had only seven or eight; a green-clad girl had just snagged one. Earth, Mysterious, and Yellow were scarce too. Some players would sleep elsewhere.

In the inn’s bustling hall, the innkeeper’s wife gawked as the players erupted into a frenzy.

“I want to room with Zongzong in Heaven-class! Get lost!” “Why you? Eat my palm, you rival!” “Be glad for the dorm or woodshed. Heaven-class? Dream on!” “Why fight? Let’s all crash in the lobby on floor mats tonight!”