The Smiling, Proud Wanderer: From the Moment He Picked Up Qu Feiyan

After a brief inquiry, Shen An learned that she had an older brother who had settled down in the city, and the address was not far from Bailianfang.

Speechless all the way.

After Shen An took her to her brother's house, the young woman's brother and sister-in-law, seeing her in such a state and hearing her intermittent sobs, naturally broke down in tears and thanked Shen An profusely. Shen An only said that he had intervened to stop the injustice, without revealing his identity. He left some money for them to handle their affairs as soon as possible before quietly departing.

After leaving there, Shen An did not go straight back to Bai Lian Fang. He really didn't want to go back, so he just wandered aimlessly around the streets.

It was already noon, and the streets were bustling with people, their cries of vendors rising and falling. From a distance, Shen An spotted a wonton stall, where an old man was tapping bamboo sticks, the steam rising from the pot.

Shen An's stomach growled at an inopportune moment; he had indeed exerted himself quite a bit today.

However, Shen An had no intention of buying wontons. Just kidding, how could you not eat rice noodles in Hunan?

He found an inconspicuous rice noodle stall next to the wonton stall. A large pot of clear broth was boiling. The owner was a lean man wearing a traditional Chinese jacket; he didn't talk much, but his hands and feet were extremely quick.

Shen An sat down on the long, greasy bench and said, "Boss, a bowl of minced meat noodles."

The owner grunted in agreement, grabbed a handful of snow-white rice noodles—the round kind, about the thickness of chopsticks—and briefly dipped them in a bamboo strainer over boiling water. With a flick of his wrist, he drained them, placing them neatly into a blue-and-white porcelain bowl. Next, he poured a large spoonful of piping hot bone broth over them. Then, from a small black earthenware pot beside him, he scooped out a spoonful of finely chopped, stir-fried minced meat. The meat was from the front leg of a pig.

Finally, the boss looked up, glanced at Shen An, and asked, "Do you eat spicy food?"

"eat."

The owner then scooped a small spoonful of bright red chili oil from another jar and poured it over the minced meat. Finally, he grabbed a handful of emerald green scallions and a small pinch of golden-fried dried radish cubes, and sprinkled them into the bowl. The bowl of noodles, white, black, red, green, and yellow—a perfect combination of colors—was quite a sight to behold.

Shen An brought the bowl over, but didn't eat right away. He took a sniff. The aroma of meat, soy sauce, scallions, and that overpowering fragrance of chili oil all mingled together, filling his nostrils.

He took a sip of the soup first. It was fresh, purely the freshness of the bones, without any of the random seasonings.

No technology or hard work involved.

Then Shen An began to eat the rice noodles. The noodles were smooth and slippery; when picked up with chopsticks, they trembled slightly before slurping into his mouth, sliding down his throat with minimal chewing. The minced meat was fragrant and slightly chewy, mixed in with the noodles, making each bite less monotonous. The dried radish cubes were crunchy, adding a lot of texture with their "crunch crunch."

That spoonful of chili oil is the soul of the dish. It's not dry spiciness, but fragrant spiciness. The spiciness comes on quickly and goes off just as fast, leaving only a pleasantly burning sensation on the tongue, making you sweat slightly on your forehead, yet you can't help but want to take another bite.

Just as Shen An was engrossed in his work, someone sat down next to him. It was an old man, wearing a slightly worn hemp robe, with a thin face, looking like a country schoolteacher. He also ordered a bowl of noodles, but without chili.

Shen An didn't pay any attention and slurped up another mouthful of noodles. The old man beside him suddenly spoke, his voice gentle and slightly amused: "Young man, you also like this spicy food? Are you a local?"

With noodles in his mouth, Shen An mumbled a reply: "No, I'm from Henan. It's cold, so I'm eating something spicy to warm up."

"Henan? That's quite far from here." The old man nodded. "Judging from your build, young man, you seem to be a江湖人士 (jianghu person, someone from the martial arts world). The Songshan Sect, currently at its zenith, is located in Henan. I wonder how much you know about it?"

So, you can even try to force your way into the Songshan Sect? Shen An became wary. Could it be that Qu Yang had come knocking on his door so quickly? He took a sip of soup without looking up and said, "Then you've come to the right person, old man. I am from the Songshan Sect."

Seeing his composure, Qu Yang was slightly taken aback, but he quickly regained his gentle demeanor and smiled, "So you're a young hero from the Songshan Sect, my apologies for my rudeness. Judging from your young age, you must be a rising star in the sect. May I ask which master you've studied under?"

"I can't claim to be some kind of chivalrous hero or talented scholar, and I haven't done anything chivalrous yet." At this moment, Shen An was completely certain that the old man beside him was Qu Yang, who was testing him.

It seems he was spying on Qu Feiyan while he was increasing Qu Feiyan's favorability. Shen An was a bit annoyed. His plan was to wait until he had maxed out Qu Feiyan's favorability so that she would take him to meet Qu Yang. This completely disrupted his plans.

However, he didn't show it on his face, and continued to say while eating rice noodles: "My master is indeed the Left Sect Leader, but old man, you don't need to think too highly of me because of this. If I were really capable, I wouldn't have been sent here to manage the business."

Zuo Lengchan!

These three words really shocked Qu Yang. That ambitious and ruthless guy is now the number one enemy of the Holy Church. How could such a person teach a naive disciple who believes in the "hoe theory"?

Qu Yang almost instantly overturned all the goodwill he had developed towards Shen An in the mountains and forests, and assumed that his previous behavior was all an act to deceive his beloved granddaughter.

"The name of Master Zuo is renowned throughout the martial arts world; who doesn't know him?" Qu Yang smiled as he stroked his beard, but a murderous intent was already surging within him. However, he still intended to give this little guy a chance, after all, he didn't want to see his granddaughter cry.

"Young brother, as the highly accomplished disciple of the Left Sect Leader, your future is limitless. I, an old country bumpkin, am quite curious: how does someone of your stature view the current state of the martial world?"

No, there's murderous intent!

Although he did not actively recite the Ice Heart Mantra to enter a state of clarity, Shen An could still sense the changes in Qi.

Was it his master's reputation that startled him? Shen An instantly understood the key.

The next answer needs careful consideration. The hoe argument might work on Qu Feiyan, but it won't fool him.

Got it!

Shen An had an idea. He first pretended to deflect, saying, "The power in the martial world rests with my master, with the Eastern Cult Leader, and with Shaolin and Wudang. Me? I'm just an unknown nobody, so what can I do?"

"Young man, why belittle yourself? We were just chatting casually. You said it, and I just listened. That's all."

The first step is to show weakness.

"Alright, young man, I'll be so bold as to speak. But old man, please don't tell anyone else."

"That's natural." Qu Yang nodded with a smile.

Shen An paused for a moment, then said, "I don't know how to put it. I just know that this martial arts world... is not quite right."

"Oh?" Qu Yang's interest was completely piqued. He leaned forward slightly. "Something's not right?"

"When I was learning swordsmanship, I also fantasized about what the martial arts world should be like." Shen An looked up at the sky, as if reminiscing. "At that time, I thought the martial arts world would be about chivalry, fine clothes and spirited horses, and quick revenge. But when I actually entered the martial arts world, I found that... it's not like that at all."

"Is it because of the rampant spread of the Demonic Cult?" Qu Yang asked.

"If only it were just the Demonic Sect." Shen An sighed deeply. "If it were that simple, I would have just drawn my sword. Life and death, victory and defeat, are all up to fate; the principle is very clear."

Qu Yang remained silent, simply watching him quietly.

Shen An chuckled self-deprecatingly, lowering his voice even further.

"The so-called distinction between good and evil is more like a banner. The righteous path raises the banner of upholding justice, while the evil cult raises the banner of those who obey them prosper."

"Has the righteous path never committed such heinous acts as massacring entire families? I've heard of several cases involving Abbot Yu from Sichuan alone. Who has ever stood up for him or caused him any trouble? If he were standing in front of me, I'd probably have to address him as a senior."

"The martial arts world shouldn't be like this; it's so boring."

After saying that, Shen An fell silent.

The second step is to express your confusion.

The gentleness on Qu Yang's face had long since faded, and his withered fingers tapped silently on the table, one tap after another.

He suddenly understood.

Qu Yang recalled the "hoe analogy" that had so captivated his granddaughter. He had initially thought it was merely the naiveté of a young person, believing that one could simply categorize things as good or bad. Now, however, he realized it wasn't naiveté. He saw things more clearly than anyone else, knowing it was utterly impossible, which was why he was in such pain!

This thought startled Qu Yang, and the way he looked at Shen An completely changed.

After a long silence, he spoke slowly, his voice hoarse and solemn, as if it came from the depths of an ancient well:

"So, young brother, how should you conduct yourself in this world?"

How to deal with yourself?

Even though he was prepared, Shen An was still taken aback by the question.

Having transmigrated here, not even a full day has passed yet, and Shen An hasn't really considered this issue.

If he really had to say, all he wanted right now was to go home.

Watching videos and drinking cola, isn't that a million times better than this life of walking on a knife's edge, living hand to mouth?

But... the fact of time travel is really beyond comprehension.

Before that, just survive.

As Shen An thought about it, Qu Feiyan's small face appeared in his mind. That pain and struggle shouldn't be seen in a thirteen or fourteen-year-old girl. He couldn't even imagine her future fate of dying tragically at Fei Bin's hands.

He thought of the blood-stained money in the account book he had looked through last night, and the corpses of the two old men in the village.

If given the chance, he would like to try to change the fate of some people, and even... change the world of martial arts.

"Me?" Shen An's voice was very soft. "Uncle, please don't think I'm arrogant."

"I want to... emulate the legendary Master Zhang Sanfeng, sweep away all demons, and restore peace and tranquility to the world."

The final step was to make a grand vow and completely gain Qu Yang's trust.

But when Shen An spoke these words, it was no longer just a pretense to Qu Yang; he genuinely wanted to do it.

Qu Yang's fingers, which were tapping the table, suddenly froze.

He secretly followed Qu Feiyan after she went back to change her clothes, so he didn't know about Shen An's improvement of the sword technique, nor did he understand what kind of talent this young man had.

An ordinary martial arts practitioner would likely think Shen An was overestimating himself and talking big. But Qu Yang was different. He was devoted to music and willing to die for it, which could be described as a romantic spirit.

He saw the determination that followed the confusion in Shen An's eyes, and this youthful ambition truly impressed this old man with one half of his body buried in the ground.

After a long while, he sighed deeply, picked up the bowl of rice noodle soup in front of him, which had long since gone cold, and toasted Shen Anyi as if he were raising a bowl of wine.

"Excellent! Excellent! What a wonderful 'Returning peace and tranquility to the world'! Indeed, heroes have emerged from among the young since ancient times, and today I have witnessed it firsthand!"

After saying that, Qu Yang patted Shen An on the shoulder heavily. Just as he was about to take his leave, he suddenly noticed that the boy in front of him had wide eyes.

What's wrong? Qu Yang was a little confused. Could it be that Zuo Lengchan has come?

Then he heard something that shocked him even more than Shen An's bold statement.

"Senior Brother Shen, we've finally found you! Dianzi returned to the city long ago, and we were worried something had happened to you since you hadn't shown up for so long. How did it go? Did you manage to find out what was going on?"