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

If we follow this line of thought, the rise of the Songshan Sect was probably also the result of manipulation by the Shaolin Temple.

It was used to fill the gap left by the decline of the Huashan Sect in its fight against the Sun Moon Cult.

Even without deliberate manipulation, there is always some degree of indifference and indulgence.

With the Songshan Sect right in front of them, Shaolin Temple could carry out more precise operations.

When the Songshan Sect was invaded by the Sun Moon Cult, they could "watch over and help each other" and lend a hand; when it grew too fast and showed signs of threatening the Shaolin Temple, they could use this as an excuse to give it a nudge and prune its branches.

Thinking of this, a bitter smile appeared on Shen An's lips.

It seems that I have a long way to go if I want to lead the Songshan Sect to become bigger and stronger.

After pondering for a while, Shen An came back to his senses and couldn't help but sigh again when he saw Lin Zhennan.

Sigh, your grandpa doesn't love you.

It's not that I don't love them at all. After all, even if you've raised a dog for decades, you'll still develop some feelings for it.

Lin Yuantu ultimately couldn't bear to see his nominal descendants completely destroyed, so before his death, he finally relented and told them the location of the "Evil-Repelling Sword Manual," but strictly forbade them to ever look at it.

The deeper meaning behind this is self-evident.

Don't touch it unless you're at your wit's end and have nowhere else to turn. But once that happens, they'll naturally know what to do.

Although Lin Zhennan was not good at martial arts, he was a decent person and had a talent for business. It would be a great pity and a waste of talent for him to die for this matter.

Shen An felt compassion and decided to help him.

He stepped forward, his voice extremely low, his expression more solemn than ever before: "Chief Escort Lin, you may only tell me what you just said. But there is one thing you must never reveal to a third person."

Lin Zhennan raised his head blankly.

"Especially," Shen An said, emphasizing each word, "the fact that you believe your martial arts are far inferior to the Twin Bears of the Northern Desert must absolutely not be known to anyone!"

Lin Zhennan was taken aback at first, but someone who could build such a large business was definitely not a fool. He had just grown up in a pond and couldn't imagine the waves of a river.

At this moment, after Shen An deliberately pointed it out, Lin Zhennan thought for a moment and understood his deeper meaning.

As soon as he realized this, Lin Zhennan trembled, and the color that had just returned to his face turned deathly pale again. His lips trembled uncontrollably as he asked, "Young Master Shen... this... what do you mean?"

"Indeed." Shen An nodded, confirming his guess. "Let's set aside the saying 'A common man is innocent, but possessing a treasure is a crime.' Your grandfather was invincible with the Evil-Slaying Sword Technique, and while his fame was immense, he must have made countless enemies. Why haven't they dared to attack the Fuwei Escort Agency yet? It's precisely because they don't know your strength and are wary of the lingering power of the Seventy-Two Forms of the Evil-Slaying Sword Technique!"

He paused, his voice growing increasingly heavy: "But once they find out that the current head镖师 (chief镖师) of the Fuwei Escort Agency is only this skilled in martial arts... what do you think awaits you? The Fuwei Escort Agency will be in dire straits in an instant!"

"What...what should we do? What should we do!"

"The truth will eventually come out. Continuing to hide it won't work, and it's not a long-term solution," Shen An guided. "The Chief Escort might want to think carefully: did your grandfather foresee this? Did he leave any special instructions?"

In Shen An's view, since Lin Zhennan knew that the current situation was extremely precarious, he would certainly not have much of a grudge against the original "Evil-Repelling Sword Manual" that required self-castration to cultivate.

Besides, he already has children, so this is good for his stomach. Isn't this a blessing in itself?

When Lin Zhennan escapes the annihilation of his family thanks to the "Evil-Repelling Sword Manual," he will surely be grateful for my kind reminder and forge such a good relationship with a future top-tier or even super-top-tier master, which will naturally be of great use to Shen An.

Indeed, Shen An never coveted the "Evil-Repelling Sword Manual" from beginning to end. After all, firstly, he felt that the cultivation method he practiced was not bad, and secondly... he was ultimately a normal man.

"I...I'll go back and think about it carefully." Lin Zhennan sighed again.

"If there is really no other way, I have a suggestion - take your family and go to the Putian Southern Shaolin Temple where your grandfather came from, and see if they still remember the old times and are willing to take you in."

Shen An eventually softened and pointed him out a way to completely escape from this bloody world.

In his view, the mission of Fuwei Escort Agency as a pawn had long been accomplished, and the main force still coveting the "Evil-Repelling Sword Manual" was the Qingcheng Sect.

The Huashan Sect and others were merely gathering information on the sidelines after hearing rumors; their intentions were not particularly strong.

If it were merely the Qingcheng Sect, the Southern Shaolin Temple would likely not take it seriously. If they still remembered Lin Yuantu's "merits" from back then, there's a high probability they would accept and protect Lin Zhennan and his son.

If we don't do this, who will be willing to risk their lives for us in the future?

The Putian Southern Shaolin Temple was renowned far and wide, and Lin Zhennan, who was from Fuzhou, was naturally aware of it.

But instead of joy, his face showed even more sorrow: "Not to mention becoming a monk would extinguish the Lin family's lineage. If... if the Southern Shaolin Temple refuses to take me in, what will become of my entire family?"

"If that day ever comes, feel free to come find me."

Shen An was just joking. Is there anything that the "Evil-Repelling Sword Manual" can't solve? Maybe there is, but that little dwarf Yu Canghai definitely can't do it.

Lin Zhennan, on the contrary, took these words very seriously and nodded solemnly.

…………

Meanwhile, in Hengyang city.

Autumn nights always feel more desolate than winter nights.

Bai Lian Fang had already closed, but the light in the gatehouse was still on. However, instead of the usual Old Zhang, two young girls were sitting in the gatehouse.

"Why aren't you back yet...?"

Qu Feiyan could no longer sit still. She suddenly stood up from her chair and paced anxiously back and forth in the main room like a small animal trapped in a cage, muttering to herself incessantly, her voice filled with barely suppressed panic.

Brother An has disappeared, and we can't get in touch with Grandpa either...

Qu Feiyan thought about the conversation between her grandfather and Brother An last night, could it be...?

She dared not think any further.

Unlike her anxiety, Wang Xiaocao simply sat curled up in the chair, without saying a word or even moving an inch.

Her face appeared somewhat pale in the flickering candlelight, and her arms were tightly wrapped around her knees, as if she wanted to curl up into a ball.

This was the first time since that day that the young master had not been seen at night.

She didn't know martial arts, but at this moment her desire to learn martial arts burned brighter than ever before.

If I knew martial arts, could I go out and find the young master right now?

Wang Xiaocao was lost in thought.

"Thump, thump, thump."

Just then, three steady knocks came from the direction of the main door.

"Brother An is back!"

Qu Feiyan's spirits lifted, and without thinking, she rushed out of the courtyard. Wang Xiaocao's body also trembled violently. Holding onto a chair, she stood up shakily and looked nervously towards the door.

However, when Qu Feiyan opened the door full of hope, she did not see the figure she longed for.

He was a middle-aged scholar, the very one Qu Feiyan had seen chatting happily with Shen An last night.

"It's you?" Qu Feiyan stopped abruptly, her initial excitement turning to disappointment. She rushed forward, disregarding formalities, and blurted out, "Sir, have you seen my brother An? Is he...is he alright?"

The scholar was taken aback when he saw her, then smiled gently and shook his head, saying, "I also came to find Brother Shen. I thought he had already returned to his residence. I didn't expect him to be Shen An. I was hoping to ask him about the many matters concerning the Sword Testing Tournament in person."

He paused, a hint of regret on his face: "I'm leaving early tomorrow morning. I was hoping to have one last drink with Brother Shen; he still owes me a jug of good wine. But it seems I won't have that chance now."