The world is like a prison, my body is holy

Chapter 126 Goodbye in the world
"...Why come back when you've already left?"

The newcomer chuckled softly, but his eyes were fixed on Wang Wen like a hunting eagle.

Wang Wen slowly put down his chopsticks, expressionlessly scrutinizing the burly man whose face was weathered and whose weariness was hard to conceal, without rushing to answer.

The street was noisy and bustling with people, but the two stared at each other as if no one else was around, a hint of danger permeating between them.

The newcomer keenly sensed this dangerous atmosphere. To avoid misunderstanding, he spoke first, his words carrying a pointed meaning: "Where's your big gun? Why didn't you bring it with you today?"

The newcomer was none other than Lin Baichuan, the leader of the Beggars' Sect.

Wang Wen frowned, then suddenly realized what was going on. He sneered with a fierce glint in his eyes, "I really overestimated you. I thought you went to Kuaiji to help those in need, but it turns out you came for me!"

Lin Baichuan remained as steady as Mount Tai, shaking his head slowly and saying in a low voice, "Don't think of people as so bad. It's true that they came for you, but it's also true that when one place is in trouble, help comes from all sides."

Wang Wen's face remained calm, but he did not refute him.

Three days ago, the wave of lightning punishments that swept through Kuaiji City was a purge of the scum of the martial arts world.

It is also a powerful testament to the living.

In a sense, those who emerged unscathed from that wave of lightning punishment all possessed the golden water bestowed upon them by the Heavenly Lord, proving that before that moment, these people could not be considered bad people.

At least they're not so bad that they deserve to be struck by lightning.

Wang Wen can now be considered the right-hand man of the Heavenly Dao Lord, and he has to accept the certification from his top boss.

He relaxed, picked up his chopsticks again, took a soup dumpling, put it in his mouth, and said slowly with a smile, "You guys are really bold!"

Seeing this, Lin Baichuan breathed a slight sigh of relief. He turned his head and aimlessly scanned the pedestrians on the street, saying softly, "Compared to you, our courage pales in comparison..."

Wang Wen chuckled and said, "You're too modest. I don't have the guts to aid and abet evil."

Lin Baichuan remained unmoved and calmly said in the tone of someone with experience, "Your temperament is too strong. If you continue like this, you will suffer a great loss."

"Let's wait until that day comes and see."

Wang Wenyi remained unmoved: "People always have to do something that makes them feel good before they have the courage to face the long, boring, and mundane life."

After listening, Lin Baichuan pondered seriously for a moment, then nodded in agreement and said, "That makes sense!"

He paused, then continued, “You’re a decent person, so I’ll make an exception and say a few words today, even if we’re not close friends… Enough is enough. The martial world isn’t as simple as you think. Just because you killed Fang La doesn’t mean you can run rampant and be invincible. As the old saying goes, even a broken ship has three nails. Pushing someone too far won’t benefit anyone.”

Wang Wen smiled dismissively and nodded, saying, "You're a decent person too. I'll be a bit presumptuous and give you a heads-up today... The fact that you were able to find me is enough to show that your Beggars' Sect's intelligence capabilities are unparalleled. The inside story behind those ten wronged souls is unknown to others, but you, Lin Baichuan, couldn't possibly be unaware of it. Since you know it, you should stay away, lest you get splattered with blood when someone goes to collect them."

The martial arts world is not as simple as he thought.
How complicated is it?
Can those in the Acquired Realm not act with impunity and be invincible?
Is the Innate Realm enough?
If that's not enough, he'll unleash another big one.

Hold it in until you see God and it's not too bad, then come out and ask if it's enough...

In any era, there has never been a shortage of people who rely on the legacy of their ancestors to act arrogantly and boast, saying things like, "Why should the efforts of my family for generations be inferior to your ten years of hard study?"

Until these people encountered Huang Chao, a figure from their own time.

Wang Wen may not become Huang Chao.

But if someone tries to take advantage of his family's wealth and power to bully him when he is isolated and helpless.

Then he... won't turn it off!

With Lin Baichuan's knowledge, he couldn't understand where Wang Wen's confidence came from, but from Wang Wen's nonchalant attitude, he could tell that he must have something to rely on.

Moreover, this reliance is quite significant!
It was so powerful that he could face the entire Buddhist sect of the Great Zhou Dynasty without fear!
He has great confidence in his own judgment.

Otherwise, he wouldn't be sitting here saying these things to a young man who isn't even thirty yet.

'When chaos is imminent, monsters will surely be born!'

He sighed softly to himself, feeling that he understood the world less and less.

After a long while, he calmly said, "You don't need to worry. There are no more than three people in my gang who know your identity. I will strictly order them to keep their mouths shut and never let the news leak out."

"It doesn't matter."

Wang Wen responded calmly, "There are no secrets in the world. If one person knows about this, a hundred people will know about it. I don't expect you to keep quiet. I only hope that the good people among you will not appear before me with weapons. Anyone who appears before me will be considered a person who deserves to die."

It's unclear whether it was his matter-of-fact tone that provoked Lin Baichuan.

Suddenly, Lin Baichuan sat up straight with a serious expression and said, pausing between each sentence, "I, Lin Baichuan, swear to the heavens that if this matter were to spread from the mouths of my Beggars' Clan brothers, may I, Lin Baichuan, be struck by lightning!"

He genuinely thought Wang Wenren was quite good, and that they got along well.

He was able to trace Wang Wen's origins, of course, through that large spear. After the incident, the Beggars' Sect members, out of curiosity, investigated all the skilled spearmen in the city. In the end, they not only traced the origin of the large spear with its bamboo and iron handle, but also found Wang Wen, who came out of the dock leading an ox with a steel spear hanging on its back...

After eliminating all the impossibilities, Wang Wen, who seemed even more impossible, became the impossible possibility!

This is precisely why Lin Baichuan held Wang Wenxin in high esteem.

By observing Wang Wen's subsequent actions—wearing a mask, using an alias, and deliberately speaking with a southwestern accent—and considering his brazen behavior when he first disembarked, with his steel gun gleaming in the air and not even covered with a dust cover, they could easily deduce a conclusion.

That is, before Wang Wen came to Hangzhou, he never thought of doing those things, nor did he think of taking care of those refugees from Kuaiji.

He only decided to intervene after witnessing the plight of the displaced people from Kuaiji within the city...

What is chivalry?
To stand up for what is right and help those in need is the mark of a true hero!

This is why Lin Baichuan rushed back from Kuaiji overnight to see Wang Wen.

He genuinely felt that someone like Wang Wen shouldn't have died so young!
As someone who is struck by lightning rather than being struck by lightning, Wang Wen is unaware of the weight that the oath "May I be struck by five thunderbolts" carries in the hearts of Lin Baichuan and his ilk.

However, he still sensed Lin Baichuan's good intentions from his serious and resolute attitude.

Out of gratitude for Lin Baichuan's kindness, even though he didn't think highly of the Beggars' Sect's loudmouths, he still smiled and bowed, saying, "Then thank you very much, Chief Lin!"

When Lin Baichuan heard him address him as "Chief Lin," the corners of his mouth slightly turned up, and he lowered his arms, which were crossed over his chest. He softened his tone and said in a low voice, "You should also be careful. Their methods... are impossible to guard against!"

Wang Wen nodded and said, "You should also be more careful. You say the martial world isn't as simple as I think, but I have to tell you, they're not as simple as you think. When it comes to cunning, those shrewd people in the imperial court are probably only fit to carry shoes for that bunch of scoundrels. Don't get sold out and then happily help them count the money."

Lin Baichuan hesitated for a moment after hearing this, then said in a low voice, "In the martial world, one is often not in control of one's own destiny!" Wang Wen chuckled and said, "The world has changed. Don't use those outdated theories to figure things out. Instead of wasting your time, spend it practicing your skills. When you are strong enough, you will find that... there are not so many things that are beyond your control. It all depends on whether you are willing to do it or not!"

Lin Baichuan seemed to understand something and smiled, "Just like you?"

Wang Wen nodded without hesitation: "Just like me!"

This is why he could understand why Lin Baichuan and the others stood on the side of Shaolin Temple.

If he were still Wang Erhu from the Qinghe Gang, he might also pretend to be deaf and dumb.

But Wang Wendu is already the god of Huangshan, why should he swallow his anger?

Being born into poverty is not a disgrace; being able to bend and stretch is what makes a true man.

Seeing his matter-of-fact manner, Lin Baichuan felt a sudden surge of light in his heart. He immediately clasped his hands in a solemn gesture and said, "I, Lin, humbly accept your instruction!"

Wang Wen waved his hand, then took out a silver coin, slapped it on the table, stood up and said, "You're too kind. It's getting late, so let's take our leave now."

Lin Baichuan stood up and gestured for him to leave: "May we meet again in the martial world!"

Wang Wen smiled, turned around, and waved his hand: "The martial world is too small, I won't join in the fun!"

Lin Baichuan watched his figure disappear into the crowd and then let out a long sigh of relief.

Only then did he realize that his palms were already sweaty...

……

After noon, Wang Wen, leading Hei Erniu, boarded a grain transport ship belonging to the canal gang and set off back to Yangzhou.

The winter solstice is just around the corner, and the Grand Canal has entered its dry season. Returning from Hangzhou to Yangzhou involves going against the current, and in many places along the way, the river is turbulent, requiring boatmen to pull the boats upstream with great difficulty.

Wang Wen fell asleep as soon as he boarded the boat, and when he woke up, the boat had stopped and it was already dark.

He got up, fumbled for some dry rations, and ate them with some water as he staggered out of the cabin to get some fresh air.

Just then, a full moon hung high in the glittering Milky Way, its light reflecting off the rippling surface of the river, and all that could be heard was the gentle sound of the river lapping against the hull and the shore...

Wang Wen, who had never seen such a view before, felt refreshed and relaxed, and turned around on the deck to admire the surrounding scenery.

Suddenly, a glimmer of light in the darkness caught his attention.

Wooden boats, especially grain transport boats, must not have open flames at night; this is a rule on the water…

Wang Wen approached with suspicion and saw a group of canal gang disciples escorting the boat gathered at the stern, burning ingot-shaped candles and incense in a large iron basin. Some people were also standing on the edge of the ship's side, throwing some meat onto the water.

"What are you doing?"

He asked curiously.

"It's Tiger, are you awake?"

"Why are you eating this? Old Zhou saved some late-night snacks for you. Wait a minute, I'll come get them for you as soon as I'm done..."

The group of Cao Gang disciples turned around and glanced at him when they heard his voice, then greeted him calmly.

This boat belonged to the Hangzhou branch. Some of the members of the Canal Gang on board recognized him, while others did not, but since they were all members of the Canal Gang, they got along fairly well.

"It's okay, I'll eat anything..."

Wang Wen continued gnawing on his dry rations, staring suspiciously at the firelight in the copper basin: "What are you doing? Are there any corpses floating down there?"

A short, stocky man who looked like Xu Wu replied, "No, we're worshipping the Black Carp King!"

"The Black Carp King?"

Wang Wen took a sip of water, wondering if he had ever heard of this water god in Yangzhou. He asked in confusion, "Don't we worship the Water Dividing Dragon King on our river? Where did this Black Carp King come from?"

Upon hearing his words, the short, stocky man immediately became anxious: "Brother Tiger, we can't say things like that! Offending the Black Carp King will bring disaster!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than another man named Wang Wen, recognizing the tall, burly man, quickly pulled him aside and whispered, "Brother Tiger, this Black Carp King is the master of this section of the waterway. He's incredibly powerful. All the boatmen traveling this route have to be respectful to him. Only when there's a storm will he help them out. If you don't understand, you can only leave it to fate..."

"When did this happen? I've never heard of it before."

Wang Wen took a bite of his dry rations, then reviewed Wang Erhu's memories again, confirming that Wang Erhu had indeed never heard of this water god.

Of course, it's also possible that Wang Erhu was too focused on the brothel and hadn't learned about things outside of Yangzhou.

"It's normal that you haven't heard of this, given that it happened only a year or so ago."

The tall, burly man responded, then chuckled, "Hey, Tiger, don't worry about these little things. The brothers are all seasoned drinkers and will take care of it. Wait for me a bit, we'll have a couple of drinks later. I happen to have a pot of good wine with me, so I'll treat you to it!"

"Easy to say..."

Wang Wen didn't press further, but muttered to himself, "The situation with these lewd shrines and evil rituals outside is getting worse!"

Judging from the time and the name, it's not hard to deduce that this "Black Carp King" must be a fat black carp that has somehow gotten lucky and even started collecting protection money by blocking the river.

However, these members of the Canal Gang did not want him to ask any more questions, so he had no interest in meddling in other people's business.

People living on the water have always been the most superstitious. If he were to gossip now, even if they didn't say anything, they would probably be talking about him behind his back.

It's not worth it...

Before long, the tall, burly man, having finished his work, called his friends and set up a feast on the deck, insisting that Wang Wen drink and have fun.

The dishes were all ready-made braised dishes, and the wine was aged liquor. The group of Canal Gang disciples drank very happily.

But not long after, there was a "plop" sound, as if a heavy object had fallen into the water!

The short, stocky man at the table, upon hearing this voice, jumped and blurted out, "I knew it! If you offend the gods, you're bound to cause trouble..."

Wang Wen frowned, about to unleash his divine sense, when he heard a terrified mooing sound from a cow. Enraged, he slammed his chopsticks on the table and stood up abruptly: "Damn it, they don't know what's good for them!"

(End of this chapter)