The Smiling, Proud Wanderer, becoming a disciple of Yue Buqun.

Maodou woke up instantly, her limbs stiffening.

The physical awakening method used in Jiangning is very effective.

"Still sleeping, I'm leaving."

Upon hearing Jiang Ning's voice, Maodou stood up and yawned.

As Jiang Ning stepped out of the cave, the calls of birds could be heard clearly in the distance, a sound he was already accustomed to.

Since the battle fifteen days ago, Jiang Ning has noticed that his hearing has improved, and he can hear further.

Moreover, Jiang Ning now finds that his innate skill circulation is smoother than before, and the direct result of this change is that his practice efficiency has increased.

Jiang Ning guessed that it might be due to the battle the night before.

During the battle after being blindfolded, Jiang Ning fully activated his innate internal energy, focusing all his attention on sensing his surroundings and his own body, which led to the changes he has experienced now.

Perhaps this is a case of surviving a great calamity and being blessed with good fortune.

That night was too dangerous to be repeated, but the rewards were also very generous.

According to Yue Buqun's previous calculations, Jiang Ning would have needed another year to reach the threshold of the fourth stage of the Innate Skill, but now it may be shorter, perhaps less than a year.

All of this is thanks to Ren Yingying; Jiang Ning will certainly repay her great kindness.

Just as Jiang Ning had calculated, it took more than a day to reach Dujiangyan.

Jiang Ning walked down the street, and it hadn't changed much since his last visit.

"Sir, please have mercy."

Just then, a childish voice rang out beside him. Jiang Ning looked down and saw a little beggar asking him for money.

Just looking at it made Jiang Ning frown.

The beggar was so small that his gender was indistinguishable; his face was covered in mud, his hair was messy, and he was filthy.

If that were all, Jiang Ning wouldn't have frowned.

The beggar was missing one of his hands, and the wrist of his other hand was broken. He was holding his begging bowl between his elbows, and one of his feet was turned outward at an odd angle. He looked very pitiful.

"Sir, please have mercy."

When he saw Jiang Ning looking at him, the beggar shrank back and his voice became weaker.

Jiang Ning looked at him without saying a word.

When the little beggar realized he had gained nothing again, he looked dejected and prepared to leave.

Although he gained nothing, at least the man didn't scold him or look at him with disdain, so the little beggar wasn't too upset.

Ding-dong!

Several copper coins made a crisp sound in the bowl.

The little beggar looked up in astonishment.

"You look quite young, why are you begging on the street? Were you abandoned by your parents? Or did something happen?"

Jiang Ning frowned and looked him up and down.

The little beggar stared blankly at Jiang Ning, speechless for a long time.

Although the person in front of him looked indifferent, for some reason, he wasn't afraid.

"I……"

The little beggar paused for a moment before preparing to speak.

"My benefactor!"

A woman's voice rang out from not far away, interrupting the little beggar's words.

Jiang Ning turned his head and saw the girl from the inn speaking to him.

The girl was overjoyed to see Jiang Ning, but when she saw him talking to the little beggar, she seemed to be frightened and ran towards Jiang Ning. Disregarding the difference between men and women, she grabbed Jiang Ning's clothes and tried to take him away.

"My benefactor, let's go quickly."

The girl's voice was urgent.

The little beggar didn't say anything and limped away.

Jiang Ning looked at the girl: "Do you know him?"

The girl pulled Jiang Ning forward, then quickly shook her head upon hearing this, saying, "I don't know him."

Jiang Ning frowned: "Then why are you telling me to leave quickly?"

The girl looked nervous: "My benefactor, please don't ask. Don't bother with these beggars; it'll only bring trouble upon yourself."

Jiang Ning saved her, and she didn't want to see him get into trouble and end up dead.

Jiang Ning glanced at her, then at the beggar who had already left, and then reached out to pull her clothes back.

The girl's hand was suddenly empty. She turned around in surprise and realized that she had been holding Jiang Ning's hand the whole way, and the people on the street were pointing and whispering about her and Jiang Ning.

The girl blushed and was about to say something, but Jiang Ning spoke first.

"You just said that if I come into contact with that beggar, I'll get into trouble. What do you mean? What kind of trouble?"

The girl turned her head and saw Jiang Ning's serious expression.

Chapter 140: The Green Gang

“My benefactor, please don’t ask any more questions. Knowing too much will not do you any good.”

The girl said hesitantly.

"You're from out of town, just here for sightseeing, so don't worry about all this, it's not worth it."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Ning narrowed his eyes and remained silent for a long while.

Seeing his reaction, the girl thought he had listened and breathed a sigh of relief. She then said, "My benefactor, it's getting late. Have you found a place to stay? If not, why don't you stay at my father's inn?"

Jiang Ning looked at her and shook his head.

"No need, thank you."

After saying that, Jiang Ning turned and left.

Seeing Jiang Ning walk in the original direction, the girl became anxious.

"My benefactor, why are you so persistent?"

Jiang Ning didn't turn around, but only sent a message.

"I have a very strong sense of curiosity; if there's something I want to know, I absolutely must know it."

Judging from the girl's reaction, the little beggar was not a simple person.

This doesn't mean the beggar is anything special; perhaps he has some powerful backing that could frighten an ordinary girl like her.

Watching Jiang Ning's departing figure, the girl gritted her teeth.

"My benefactor!"

The girl ran up to Jiang Ning, stopped him, and said to him.

"If you really want to know, I can tell you, but after you hear it, you must not follow it. It's too dangerous."

Although they had only met once, the girl could sense that Jiang Ning was very different from the others.

Jiang Ning looked at her and said, "Tell me first."

The girl said, "There are too many people on the street, my benefactor. Why don't you stay at my inn first, and I'll tell you what to do then."

Jiang Ning followed her to the inn where they had stayed last time, where the waiter was cleaning in the lobby.

"Xiaoyun, you're back! The groceries you bought..."

The waiter saw the girl walk in and was about to speak when he saw Jiang Ning behind her, and his expression turned to surprise.

"Oh? Sir, you're here again!"

The man was very happy to see Jiang Ning.

Jiang Ning smiled and nodded.

"Brother Jie, prepare a guest room for our benefactor. I'll go and take the groceries to the kitchen."

Xiao Yun said something to the shop assistant, and then said to Jiang Ning, "My benefactor, you should rest for a bit. I'll put the things down and come right away."

Jiang Ning nodded.

The waiter looked puzzled, not knowing what the two were talking about, but when he heard Xiaoyun ask him to prepare a guest room, he quickly smiled and led Jiang Ning upstairs to the same room Jiang Ning had stayed in before.

"Sir, please rest for a bit. We'll prepare your meal shortly."

"it is good."

Jiang Ning nodded, then took out a piece of silver and handed it to him to pay for the room and meals.

The waiter quickly waved his hand: "No need, no need, our manager said that as long as you stay at our inn, we won't charge you."

The waiter reached out and pushed it back, but found he couldn't move it.

Jiang Ning handed it to him and then placed the package on the table, saying, "Bring me a basin of water."

He needs to clean his wound.

The shop assistant looked at the silver in his hand and nodded helplessly.

After the waiter left, Jiang Ning sat down at the table, pondered for a moment, then picked up the sword beside him, drew it, and frowned slightly.

The once smooth blade now bears several marks and dents, and the edge has several nicks.

These were all left behind during the night battle that night.

For martial artists in the Jianghu, weapons are their second life. A good weapon can help them gain an advantage in battle and kill their enemies more easily. Therefore, martial artists cherish their weapons and, in addition to regular maintenance, try to avoid weapons clashing during combat.

Weapons, like the human body, have a lifespan and need maintenance. If they are used too often or not properly cared for, their lifespan will be shortened.

The sword in Jiang Ning's hand was specially forged for him by Yue Buqun. It is sharper and has a longer lifespan than ordinary weapons, but it is now on the verge of being scrapped.