I can only beat noobs.

Chapter 113 Do you regret it?

Once February is over, the ice and snow in various counties of Jiangzhou begin to thaw, and the weather gradually warms up.

In Yujie County, located at the southernmost part of Jiangzhou, as the weather warms up, there are more merchants and travelers on the road.

Yujie County is mostly mountainous, situated in a hilly area. A main road runs through the entire county, connecting it to Jiangzhou City to the north and to the neighboring Tangzhou to the south.

This official road is said to have been built thousands of years ago by the Immortal Dynasty of Longevity. It is a transportation route connecting the various cities of Yujie Prefecture.

Rumble!
Several rumbles of thunder sounded in the sky. A group of riders traveling on the official road, seeing that it was about to rain, prepared to take shelter at a nearby inn.

Someone complained, "Yujie County is so desolate! It's all mountains and more mountains. When will we be able to reach Yujie City?"

"Fortunately, there is an inn here."

"Everyone be careful. This inn is located in such a desolate place. I'm afraid it's not a good place."

"Could it be that the thief heard rumors and that's why he came to a place like this?"

As they talked, they arrived in front of the inn.

A waiter came out to greet them, helping them with their business and asking with a beaming smile, "Are you gentlemen here for a meal or to stay the night?"

The group was led by a young man in brocade robes, who had an extraordinary air about him. He said, "Prepare five superior rooms; we want to stay at the inn."

The waiter said apologetically, "I'm so sorry, there are only two superior rooms left."

The young man in brocade glanced into the inn and saw that there were quite a few people inside. Not wanting to cause any trouble, he said, "Alright, two rooms it is then."

There were five of them, three men and two women, and they could fit in two rooms.

The young man in brocade then instructed, "Our horses must be fed the finest feed." As he spoke, he handed over a piece of silver.

The waiter, beaming with joy upon receiving the tip, readily agreed, bowing and scraping.

……

The group had barely entered the inn when it started raining heavily outside.

The young man in brocade robes glanced around and saw several groups of people sitting in the inn. The most eye-catching were several young and beautiful women who carried long swords and were obviously disciples of a certain sect.

A group of镖客 (bodyguards/armymen) occupied the northeast corner of the inn. The remaining few people sat scattered around.

He looked at his sister beside him and asked with his eyes: Have you seen that person?
The girl in red glanced at everyone in the inn, shook her head, and indicated that no one was there.

At this moment, one of the women approached and politely asked, "Are you the third young master of the Cheng family of Dai County?"

The young man in brocade robes was taken aback. He felt that the woman in front of him did look somewhat familiar. A flash of inspiration struck him, and he exclaimed with delight, "So you are Junior Sister Lu from the Xiaoshui Sect! I never expected to meet you here. It's truly a rare treat to meet someone like me in this world."

Junior Sister Lu smiled and said, "Young Master Cheng is no outsider, please come and sit with us."

"That is exactly what I wish for."

The young man in brocade robes, accompanied by his companions, went over and sat down with the disciples of the Xiaoshui Sect.

This person is named Cheng Ruiwu. His grandmother came from the Xiaoshui Sect, and he had a close relationship with the Xiaoshui Sect, so there was no need for him to avoid suspicion.

After exchanging pleasantries, the group introduced themselves to each other.

Among the people with Cheng Ruiwu, one was his younger sister, and the other three were his junior brothers and sisters.

He looked at one of the quiet girls and said, "This junior sister looks unfamiliar."

Junior Sister Lu said, "This is Huo Qianqian, a disciple whom our sect leader took in two years ago."

Huo Qianqian stood up and bowed, "Greetings, Senior Brother Cheng."

……

While the group exchanged pleasantries, several people in the inn were chatting about recent gossip. "...Speaking of this Mad Blade, he's recently become quite famous. Alone with his blade, he's fought across several prefectures, defeating dozens of sixth-rank masters without a single loss. Moreover, he's extremely arrogant, always using only the most ordinary sword techniques in his fights. He's never even used his true skills. He's truly formidable."

Someone couldn't stand it anymore and retorted, "Hmph, what Mad Blade? He's nothing but a show-off. He only dares to challenge mediocre people."

The merchant who had spoken earlier was displeased and retorted, "You dare to call a sixth-rank martial artist mediocre? May I ask what rank you are?"

The man's face flushed red instantly. "So what if you're a sixth-rank official? Against those scions of aristocratic families and disciples of major sects, you're like a clay chicken or a clay dog..."

"May I ask whether you come from a distinguished family or a prestigious sect?"

"..."

……

Cheng Ruiwu and the others' attention was drawn to this. Seeing that they were arguing, he said, "This friend seems to know a lot about Mad Blade?"

The merchant silenced the man with a few words and, feeling smug, heard his reply and said, "I wouldn't call it understanding. It's just hearsay."

He then asked, "Do you know which school this Mad Blade belongs to?" Seeing that everyone in the inn was looking at him, the merchant became even more smug and loudly proclaimed, "This Mad Blade's origins are a mystery; no one knows his background. It's as if he appeared out of thin air. It's said he's about thirty years old, wears a bamboo hat and coarse linen clothes, and wields only an ordinary steel knife. He's quite eccentric, loves to meddle in other people's business, and if anyone bullies others, he'll definitely intervene and make them suffer..."

"Shut up!"

Cheng Ruiwu's younger sister, Cheng Shiyi, suddenly screamed, as if she had been greatly stimulated. She drew her sword, pointed it at the merchant, and angrily said, "Shut up!"

The merchant was startled and dared not say a word. These people were clearly from the martial arts world; he couldn't afford to offend them.

Cheng Ruiwu grabbed his younger sister's hand, "Third Sister!"

Cheng Shiyi finally realized what was happening. Seeing everyone looking at her strangely, she lowered her head, sheathed her sword, and sat down again.

Cheng Ruiwu said apologetically, "My younger sister suffered some shock not long ago and is not in good spirits. This time, I came to Yujie City to find a famous doctor to treat her."

Hearing him say that, Junior Sister Lu looked at Cheng Shiyi with a hint of sympathy. "I see."

Cheng Ruiwu changed the subject, "Do you junior sisters have business to attend to in Yujie County?"

Junior Sister Lu said, "Second Senior Sister is getting married to the eldest son of the Zhou family in Yujie City next month. We've come to see her off."

"This is a joyous occasion. Where is Junior Sister Zhu?"

"In the room, with Master and Senior Sister."

Cheng Ruiwu exclaimed in surprise, "Junior Sister Xiao is here too?"

Such a reaction naturally drew teasing and laughter from several female disciples of the Xiaoshui Sect.

Cheng Ruiwu then realized what was happening and quickly said, "So Uncle Wang has also come. I was so rude not to pay my respects."

Junior Sister Lu said, "No need, Master doesn't care about these formalities."

Rumble!
Suddenly, a clap of thunder boomed outside, and the ground seemed to shake.

The rain is getting heavier.

……

The guest rooms are located at the back of the inn.

In the innermost room, a middle-aged woman was staring sternly at a woman in black kneeling on the ground.

The woman was about twenty years old, with a red dot between her eyebrows. She was charming and beautiful, and was Zhu Xixi, the second disciple of the Xiaoshui Sect in this generation.

The middle-aged beauty was her master, Wang Yumei. She said sternly, "The marriage has already been arranged. How can you say you don't want to marry me?"

Zhu Xixi lowered her head and pleaded, "I already have someone I love, please grant my wish, Master."

Wang Yumei's face turned pale. "You rebellious disciple, how dare you bring this up? Of all people to like, why did you have to fall for... There's absolutely no way this is possible. Give up on that idea."

Zhu Xixi's face turned pale. "If Master continues to force me, I will..."

There was a snap.

Wang Yumei slapped her across the face, trembling with anger. "You... dare to threaten me. I raised you for twenty years, and this is how you repay me?"

At this moment, Xiao Zhuyun, who was standing to the side, saw that their conversation was getting more and more tense, so she quickly went over to support Wang Yumei, saying, "Uncle, don't get upset. Let your nephew talk to her."

Wang Yumei was so angry she couldn't speak, and waved her hand.

Xiao Zhuyun helped her to a chair in the outer room before returning inside. She then helped Zhu Xixi, who was kneeling motionless on the ground, to her feet and sighed, "Junior sister, why are you doing this to yourself?"

Zhu Xixi kept her head down and remained silent.

Xiao Zhuyun sighed and said, "Your master is doing this for your own good. If it were any other man, your master would never force you to marry someone else. But that man is no longer accepted by the world. Do you want to follow him and live a life of constant uncertainty?"

Zhu Xixi finally reacted, looking up at her with a pale face, and asked, "Senior sister has been looking for a man for several years, surrounded by men, weighing the pros and cons. Among them, is there a man you like?"

Before Xiao Zhuyun could speak, she continued, "I can tell that you were attracted to that Chen Ming. In the end, you felt he wasn't good enough, so you gave up on him. Who would have thought that not long after, news came that he had broken through to the sixth rank."

"Have you ever regretted it? If you had been more determined back then, you wouldn't have missed out on the man you loved."

As she spoke, she looked into Xiao Zhuyun's eyes. When she saw her senior sister, who was usually so composed, stiffen, she knew she had hit a nerve and couldn't help but laugh.

"That's what they call being too clever for your own good. The more successful Chen Ming becomes in the future, the more you'll find that the man you carefully chose has been left far behind. The thorn in your heart will grow deeper and deeper."

“I’m not like you. Since I chose him, no matter if I end up on the run with him or living a life of constant uncertainty, I won’t regret it. This is my own choice, and this is my fate!”

"Rebel!"

At this moment, Wang Yumei, who was outside, could no longer bear to listen. Enraged, she rushed over, intending to kill this disciple with her bare hands to prevent her sect from being disgraced.

P.S.: Second update, please vote with monthly tickets.

(End of this chapter)