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

Upon hearing that Ji Wushi was to be released, Qu Feiyan also rushed over.

Surrounded by the old man and the child, Shen An personally released Ji Wushi's pressure points and unlocked his shackles.

The cold metal object fell to the ground with a crisp clang, as if bringing this brief feud to a close.

Shen An did not say a word during the process.

Ji Wushi stretched his stiff wrists and gave Shen An a deep look.

"Young Master Shen, you are truly righteous. I will remember your kindness." He solemnly clasped his hands in a fist salute, then looked at Qu Yang, "Elder Qu, rest assured, there will be a reply from the Holy Maiden."

After saying that, he moved swiftly, went out the door, and leaped over the wall.

"Brother An, are we just going to let him off so easily? This guy lied to us before!"

Qu Feiyan came out of the house, looked in the direction where Ji Wushi had disappeared, and stomped her foot angrily.

They said they hadn't had enough fun.

Shen An turned around and looked at her.

He couldn't help but chuckle. He walked up to her, his tone half-serious and half-joking, and said, "I had no choice. If I didn't let him go, and the Sun Moon Cult came to settle scores with you two, how was I supposed to save you? And when people asked me why I helped you, I couldn't exactly say it was for the greater good of the martial world, could I?"

He paused deliberately, lowered his voice, and leaned closer: "I can only say... I thought my Feifei was just too adorable, and I acted on impulse..."

The warm breath brushed past her ear, and Qu Feiyan's face flushed red instantly, her heart pounding like a deer.

She was both embarrassed and angry. She raised her small hand and gently punched Shen An, scolding, "You... what nonsense are you talking about!"

Though she spoke with a hint of reproach, only she knew the truth behind her lowered eyelids and slightly upturned lips.

"It's so much fun to tease kids," Shen Anxin said.

After sending Qu Feiyan to bed, only Shen An and Qu Yang remained in the courtyard.

"Senior," Shen An's expression turned serious, "If similar things happen again in the future, I hope you won't hide them from me anymore. We're in the same boat now, so it's always better to discuss things together than to carry the burden alone."

Qu Yang was taken aback upon hearing this, then shook his head with a wry smile.

He looked at the young man in front of him, who was no more than twenty years old, and felt a mix of emotions.

Not long ago, he was a junior who needed my protection, but now, without me even realizing it, he has become someone who can provide for me.

This touched him deeply, but also made him feel somewhat ashamed.

"I was wrong," Qu Yang sighed and said frankly. "I always thought I would take all the blame myself, but I forgot that you are no longer the Songshan disciple that I needed to be wary of and test."

"But it's true... there's really nothing I'm hiding from you."

He paused for a moment, then added, "Brother Liu plans to announce his retirement ceremony in mid-next month. The specific date is still undecided."

Shen An's eyes narrowed.

coming.

The opening chapter of The Smiling, Proud Wanderer, that bloody feast, is finally about to begin.

…………

a few days later.

Inside a small house in Hengyang City, Ji Wushi was organizing all the intelligence he had gathered about Shen An over the past few days by the dim light of an oil lamp.

The paper was filled with densely packed records of Shen An's words, actions, martial arts techniques, and style of conduct.

Ji Wushi examined each item carefully, his pen occasionally circling and marking on the paper.

His eyes grew brighter, and his breathing gradually became more rapid.

An idea became clearer and clearer in his mind.

This person does seem to fit the criteria that Xiang Wentian, the King of Heaven, used to find people.

However, his martial arts skills seem far from sufficient.

In other aspects, Ji Wushi didn't know why Xiang Wentian wanted to find such a person, and couldn't guess the specific criteria.

But who cares? Let the old man handle the specifics himself.

Ji Wushi put down his pen, his eyes gleaming with excitement and determination. He had decided that he must report this to Xiang Wentian as soon as possible; no matter what, he had to give it a try!

At this moment, Shen An, whom Ji Wushi was thinking about, was in Xiangtan.

The Xiangjiang River flows endlessly, and the docks are bustling with noise.

But inside a secluded warehouse at the dock, it was as quiet as a completely different world from the outside.

Li Donglai kicked a man bound like a dumpling to the ground, then clasped his hands in a fist salute to Shen Anyi, who was sitting in the main seat reviewing account books, and said in a booming voice, "Senior Brother Shen, I have accomplished my mission! I have captured that scoundrel Yan Shiqi!"

Shen An put down the account book and his gaze fell on the person on the ground.

It was Yan Shiqi, who had run a gambling den and spread rumors that day. At this moment, he had lost all his arrogance and was trembling uncontrollably, his face covered in tears and fear.

Upon seeing Shen An, he reacted as if he had seen a savior, desperately crawling forward while crying out incoherently:

"Senior Brother Shen, spare me! Senior Brother Shen, I know I was wrong! I shouldn't... I shouldn't have spread the news of the stolen Light Sound Sword outside, bringing shame to you and Hundred Refinements Workshop! I was blinded by greed, I'm not human! Please, young master, spare my dog's life!"

Shen An shook his head. The reason for wanting to kill him wasn't that. To be precise, spreading the news was something Shen An himself wanted to see.

Yan Shiqi should have just made the decision to kick someone when they're down without consulting him.

Of course, this is not a reason why he absolutely had to die.

Shen An looked past him, as if he was pondering something.

Since taking over the affairs of Huguang, he had Li Qingde secretly collect detailed information on all the outer sect managers.

Sha Xihe of Changsha is a man of low profile and considerable skill. Changsha Prefecture is the fiefdom of Prince Ji, and the prince's palace occupies most of the prefectural city. The rules are strict, and he has neither the ability nor the courage to act arrogantly. He has always been relatively well-behaved.

Li Donglai, needless to say, did all his business on the Xiangjiang River, where he spent his days outwitting and outmaneuvering river bandits and government troops. The villages and towns along the way served as his eyes and ears and his "source of soldiers," and he almost never did anything to prey on the people.

Only this Yan Shiqi...

Shen An's eyes turned cold.

This man had been entrenched in Xiangtan for many years, running gambling dens and lending money at exorbitant interest rates, driving countless families to ruin and death. His gang of thugs and hooligans were notorious for bullying men and women and committing all sorts of evil deeds, making them a scourge of Xiangtan.

The team I build must remain pure. I must never tolerate such scum.

Xiangtan, in particular, is my only base of operations at present, and therefore of utmost importance. I will absolutely not allow such a black sheep to exist.

Seeing that Shen An remained unmoved, Yan Shiqi became even more terrified. He banged his head against the dusty ground repeatedly, blood and dust mingling together, making him look utterly wretched.

"Senior Brother Shen! I really know I was wrong!" He pleaded incoherently, tears streaming down his face. "Please spare my life, and I'll do anything for you! I... I can even make money for you! I know Xiangtan well, and I'm an expert at making money! I promise every penny I earn will be yours!"

Shen An snapped out of his thoughts and looked at Yan Shiqi, who was still pleading on the ground. He felt a little bored and even melancholy.

"It's pathetic that you don't even know why you died."

Before he finished speaking, he had already drawn his sword.

A cold light flashed.

The sword slashed precisely across Yan Shiqi's throat, and blood gushed out. He didn't even have time to let out a scream before his eyes widened, and filled with confusion and resentment, he fell into a pool of blood.

Shen An sheathed his sword, turned to Li Donglai, and instructed him:

"Burn all those loan shark and casino IOUs that we found in public."