Chapter 52: The Small Town

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Deep in the night, the giant sword-casting platform was utterly silent and deserted.
The Imperial Sky Skiff descended slowly from the heavens.
Lin Fei’s black attire had been covered by heavy snow, turning completely white, and in his hand he now held a flask of warm wine.
It was the special Peach Blossom Brew, crafted exclusively in Peach Blossom Town, a hundred miles away from the Sword Sect.
Lin Fei sat cross-legged in the skiff, his gaze fixed upon the colossal statue, lost in profound contemplation.
After a long stretch of silence, Lin Fei finally broke the stillness.
"Today’s snow is heavier than ever before, and it brings back memories of the past," his voice rang out exceptionally clear amidst the wind and snow.
"So you were born on the ninth day of the twelfth lunar month—which is today."
"The snow that year was just as heavy as it is now. The moment I descended from the mountains, I ran into you. I remember, your absolute favorite drink was the Peach Blossom Brew."
Lin Fei drank as he spoke, every single sentence accompanied by a gulp of wine. Soon enough, the fine liquor in the flask was drained to the last drop.
"This continent is vastly different from what I imagined; something about it feels deeply wrong."
Lin Fei furrowed his brows, a trace of confusion in his tone: "I had assumed that you people would either establish sects and become founding ancestors, or break through your realms and ascend to the heavens. Yet here, I have never heard any legends concerning you. I cannot find a single clue regarding events even three thousand years ago. It is truly bizarre."
The youth spoke to himself amidst the wind and snow: "However, since I have been granted a second life, I will surely uncover the truth behind all of this. Rest assured."
Lin Fei picked up another wine flask from the skiff with his left hand, realizing there was still liquor inside.
"I plan to go home and take a look first, then wander across the continent. Farewell for now."
With his words, the spiritual skiff rose slowly into the air and sailed away into the distance.
He made a gentle wave with his hand in mid-air, and the wine within the flask poured out like a clear spring, tracing a graceful arc across the sky before scattering neatly onto the ground before the statue.
Immediately afterward, the newly fallen snowflakes thoroughly covered every trace, as if nothing had ever happened at all.
……
As a martial arts sanctuary with a legacy spanning three thousand years, the Sword Sect stood majestically in the western part of the Heavenly Pole Continent, resembling an impassable barrier.
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Further west lay the boundless, desolate expanse of the Endless Demon Domain, fraught with savage beasts. Between the two seemed to exist an invisible boundary, holding each other in a perpetual standoff.
Caught in the narrow gap between these two major powers, the border city of Great Tang, "Black River," stood like a stalwart defense line, forcibly separating them.
It was precisely because of this magnificent border town that countless needless conflicts and frictions were averted.
At the northwestern tip of the continent, Yuechi Town was renowned for its bustling prosperity. Not only was it a garrison for the military forces of Great Tang, but it was also a thriving trade hub crowded with merchants.
The clamor within the town rose in waves; whether they were selling wine, forging iron, or performing street arts, everyone shouted at the top of their lungs, presenting a scene full of vibrant vitality.
At the entrance of this town, brimming with the raw warmth of mortal life, appeared a man dressed in black robes and wearing a bamboo hat. His face was obscured by the shadow of the brim, keeping his features hidden from view.
His figure was as straight as a sword, his stride firm and resolute—it was none other than Lin Fei.
Setting out from the Sword Sect, Lin Fei had traveled north all the way without a single pause, as if he were intimately familiar with his destination.
Indeed, he was more than familiar with this place.
For Yuechi Town was not only his birthplace, but also the place where he had grown up, until a few years ago when he finally left to cross the threshold of the Sword Sect.
This place where he had once lived now came into view before him once again.
The chaos of the Western Sea and the ravages of evil demons had forged a fiercely militant local culture here.
This could be easily seen from the gazes of the beggars and scoundrels lingering around the city gates.
Seeing a seemingly unfamiliar young man entering the city alone, their eyes flashed with wolf-like ferocity, as though they were assessing his value and considering whether it was worth taking a risk.
However, Lin Fei ignored these stares entirely. He passed through the city gates and walked slowly toward the depths of a secluded alley.
Lin Fei threaded his way through the dilapidated alley, surrounded by mottled walls and an uneven, potholed ground.
Suddenly, the mournful cries and pleas of a woman pierced the tranquility, followed immediately by the lewd laughter and bizarre jeers of several men.
A woman in red, looking to be around twenty years of age, ran frantically from the far end of the alley.
Stumbling, she accidentally collapsed right in front of Lin Fei. As if seizing a straw to save her life, she kowtowed incessantly with a tearful voice, crying out, "I beg the young master to save me! Please spare this humble woman's life!"
The woman’s garments had already been torn to shreds, revealing her half-naked bosom. Tears welled up in her eyes, making her appear exceptionally pitiful and wretched.
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At that very moment, several burly, ferocious-looking ruffians emerged from the other end of the alley.
Leading them was a bald man who, upon seeing the scene, cursed viciously, "Where did this brat come from, sticking his nose into my business? Scram at once, or don't blame me for being unmerciful!"
The bald man's voice abruptly cut off.
For the bamboo-hatted man standing opposite them had not deigned to cast a single proper glance at them from the very beginning, acting as though they did not exist at all, and simply continued walking forward in silence.
His indifference and apathy left the ruffians momentarily at a loss.
Right then, the woman in red refused to give up. She tightly clutched the hem of Lin Fei's trousers and continued her bitter supplication, "I beg young master to show mercy and save my life. I will serve you as a beast of burden for the rest of my life to repay this immense kindness."
"How would you like me to save you?"
Lin Fei finally halted his steps. He turned around, bent down, and asked softly, "Can someone at the eighth realm of Qi Condensation really not handle a few ordinary scoundrels?"
A gust of wind blew past, gently lifting the black fabric of the man's bamboo hat to reveal a pair of deep, cold black pupils.
These eyes held not a trace of emotion, serene enough to send a chill through one's heart.
He smiled slightly, but the smile never reached his eyes, maintaining an almost cruel calmness.
His gaze fell upon the woman as though he were inspecting a life about to be snuffed out.
The woman's pupils suddenly contracted. She felt a wave of freezing cold rush straight from the soles of her feet to her forehead, and a nameless terror enveloped her entire body.
At that exact instant, the blue bricks on the ground suddenly shattered. The figure of the woman in red sprang up fiercely; she was no longer the pitiful figure from moments before, but had transformed into something supremely vicious.
Her five fingers curled into claws, carrying a fierce, ruthless wind as she lunged straight at Lin Fei's head, intent on a fatal strike.
Yet a mere second later, her forehead was lightly brushed by a casual palm, and she plummeted heavily to the ground like a kite with a snapped string.
Fresh blood splattered everywhere. Her body lay motionless, devoid of all breath. She was clearly dead, leaving no trace of life.
Blood pooled upon the ground, slowly dyeing the lingering snow red before being covered by fresh snowflakes, gradually fading away...
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