After the Immortal Disappeared

Hee Lingchuan accepted their goodwill with a smile. Meng Shan’s final strike had landed on his left arm, not only snapping the bone but also sending a shock through his internal organs.

Even at the last moment, Meng Shan’s strength hadn’t diminished in the slightest.

’That bastard was a really tough opponent.’

Aluo knew with a single pinch. "Your arm’s broken!" He shoved a pill into Hee Lingchuan’s mouth. "Swallow this. It’ll help stabilize your internal injuries."

Then, Aluo swiftly set the bone, applied medicine, and fitted a splint.

The movements were practiced, but not gentle. Hee Lingchuan hissed in pain several times, unable to stop himself from recalling how gentle Sunx Fuling had been when she’d changed his bandages.

He glanced down from the stage and happened to meet her gaze.

’Seeing her eyes curve into crescents and her smile bloom like a flower, she must have won a lot of money, right?’

"Alright, alright. For the next seven days, no running, no jumping, and don’t put any pressure on the injury." Aluo quickly and deftly finished treating him. Meanwhile, Meng Shan was carried away.

Aluo went off with the other military medics to examine Meng Shan. Hee Lingchuan slowly descended from the stage. Along the way, Patrol Guards and soldiers gave him thumbs-ups and scrambled to pat his shoulder, endlessly praising his skill.

Meng Shan had been arrogant and lorded over both the South and North Courtyards, getting on countless people’s nerves. Hee Lingchuan had vented their frustrations for them.

Outside the railings of Ring Seven, the crowd was cheering, and the young ladies, in particular, looked over with sparkling eyes.

This was the victor’s moment in the spotlight. The very air felt thick with triumph and satisfaction.

Hee Lingchuan took a deep breath. Although his mouth and nose were still filled with the coppery taste of blood, he still felt refreshed and elated.

Hu Min bounded over, taking two steps at a time, and dangled several large gold ingots in front of his face. "We’re rich! We’re rich! My treat at the Yixiang Building tonight, and no one better argue with me!"

Hee Lingchuan’s eyes widened. "How did you exchange it for gold so fast?"

Hu Min pointed at Skinny, who was also grinning from ear to ear. Who knows which brother’s betrothal gift he’d managed to save up for this time.

Sunx Fuling walked over. "You’re seriously injured. You can’t drink alcohol for now."

"What are you talking about? Last time my leg was broken I still drank, drank..." Sunx Fuling’s eyes narrowed, and Hu Min shuddered, quickly changing his tune. "I’m just a bachelor, what the hell do I know? But we can still eat good food and meat, right? I heard the Yixiang Building has a new dish called ’Two Dragons Fighting for a Pearl’..."

Hee Lingchuan ignored him and just grinned at Sunx Fuling. "I won!" ’A promise is a promise.’

She understood his unspoken meaning. Producing a Mirror from who knows where, she held it up to him. "Look."

Hee Lingchuan took the Mirror and looked at his reflection, getting a shock.

He’d been knocked flying earlier and had basically used his face to wipe the floor. Now, half of his face was swollen, bruised black and blue, and covered in dirt and sand—an utterly wretched sight.

"Now? Are you sure?" Sunx Fuling held back a laugh. "Can you even feel your face?"

’It really is numb, so I guess it’ll have to wait.’ Hee Lingchuan sighed and changed the subject. "How much did you win?"

"Not much," she said, pointing at Hu Min. "Only about ten times what he won."

"Ten..."

Sunx Fuling patted his arm—the good one, of course. "You really didn’t disappoint me!" ’One big win, and I’ve earned it all back.’

Skinny came over and stuffed a slip of paper into Hee Lingchuan’s hand. He looked at it. It was an IOU for nine hundred taels of silver.

"What’s this?"

"I don’t have enough to pay you out right now, so I’ll owe you! I’ll get it to you later!" Skinny was sweating buckets, his face aching from smiling so much. The odds on Hee Lingchuan for that last fight were frighteningly high, which meant the winnings were now frighteningly large.

He proactively handed several gold ingots to Xiao Maoliang, saying obsequiously, "Mr. Xiao, your winnings!"

Hee Lingchuan: "..." ’So Xiao Maoliang bet on me too?’

Xiao Maoliang waggled the gold ingots at him, his expression as blank as ever. "Good work!"

He has a family to support; he never turns down a windfall.

Still, Xiao Maoliang was more serious than the others and remembered to ask Hee Lingchuan, "Did you only use the Swallow Returning Technique and Wave Slash just now?"

"Yes, and Swallow Slash." ’Using these two Cultivation Techniques together has a surprisingly good effect.’ And Swallow Slash could be further transformed into Falcon Strike, making the attack even fiercer.

But that was a story for another time.

"How did you dodge his roar attack?" Meng Shan’s Mountain-Shaking Roar had knocked civilians unconscious at the edge of the ring. How could Hee Lingchuan, who had been only two feet away and taken the full brunt of the attack, be completely unaffected?

Hee Lingchuan gave a mischievous chuckle and opened his right hand. Two balls of cotton lay in his palm.

He was familiar with Meng Shan’s routine. He had plugged his ears before getting on stage; that kind of physical defense was the most effective.

’Of course, blocking my own hearing was a risky move; I might not dare to use it against another opponent. Sigh, I really need a Divine Technique to defend against this kind of intangible attack.’

Xiao Maoliang was taken aback for a moment, then clapped him on the shoulder. "Not bad."

Hee Lingchuan had lost to Meng Shan seven times, and died seven times. Today, he had finally turned the tables and claimed victory. The feeling of vindication, of exhilarating release, was truly beyond words.

His thoughts felt clear and unobstructed.

This kind of emotion should not be underestimated. Many Cultivators become trapped by a crushing defeat, their Mental Realm clouded forever after, and they cease to advance with courage and diligence.

For him, defeating Meng Shan was a milestone victory.

Only after kicking away the shadow cast by this human-shaped Violent Bear did he truly feel the world open up, filled with infinite possibilities from this day forward.

"Not bad. It seems you’ve started to comprehend your own path." ’A good Sword Technique can be expanded upon infinitely; it all depends on the user’s comprehension.’ With time, Panlong City might just have another Grand General. Xiao Maoliang was very pleased.

At that moment, someone from Yuewu Hall came over to congratulate him. They pointed to a board next to Ring Seven and asked Hee Lingchuan, "Do you want to defend the ring? You can wait forty days before accepting another challenge."

The forty days were a recovery period, which was quite considerate.

That board was the Ring Masters’ list.

Hee Lingchuan looked and saw that there wasn’t just one Ring Master; there were four names on it.

Seeing his confusion, Hu Min explained, "Ring Masters get injured too and need time to recover. As long as they haven’t been defeated, their names will stay on the list. These four are the ones who successfully defended the ring before and have yet to be beaten."

Skinny, having finally settled his accounts with everyone, squeezed over with a flushed, beaming face. "Unless the injuries are too severe, if someone issues a challenge, the Ring Master must respond within forty days. Otherwise, it counts as a failed defense, and their name is automatically removed. Also, there can’t be more than ten names on the list. If there are, Yuewu Hall will arrange matches between the Ring Masters."

Hee Lingchuan looked up. ’So, does that mean the current five Ring Masters are the result of them fighting each other?’

Skinny paused, then added, "Broken Blade, defending the ring here at Ring Seven is better than at the Yuewu Hall’s South Courtyard."

"Why?" If he didn’t understand, he’d ask.

"Everyone knows you’re a Ring Master here, so people without real skill won’t dare to challenge you. If you’re just looking for a sparring partner in the Yuewu Hall’s South Courtyard, you might not know each other’s true strength."

’To put it bluntly, it’s a matter of efficiency. Being the Ring Master of Ring Seven would filter for stronger opponents.’

Both of them had made a solid point. Hee Lingchuan thought for a moment and agreed to Yuewu Hall’s offer to become the glorious Ring Master of Ring Seven.

He needed real combat experience, and dueling experts was the fastest way to get it.

Immediately, the person from Yuewu Hall erased Meng Shan’s name, wrote "Hee Lingchuan" in large, red characters, and added his title: "Patrol Guard."

On a bustling street, it was... very conspicuous. He was afraid that before breakfast tomorrow, half of Panlong City would know that Ring Seven had a new Ring Master.

Hee Lingchuan stroked his chin. He liked it.

Still, he was an injured man. After collecting his Ring Master reward, it was time to go home and rest.

The main entrance of Yuewu Hall was packed with a sea of people. Sunx Fuling took one look and said, "Let’s take the back door."

"There’s a back door here?" He’d come to Yuewu Hall to "play" eight times and never knew.

"Of course there is."

The group then took a small path by the Yuewu Hall’s North Courtyard and quietly slipped out through a small gate in the northwest.

The further north they went, the quieter Yuewu Hall became. Most people had gone to watch the competition. Hee Lingchuan glanced at the sparring grounds inside the fence, wondering if Zhong Shengguang and the others also came here to practice.

As expected, it was much quieter outside the small northwest gate.

However, just as Hee Lingchuan stepped out, a crowd of forty or fifty people surrounded them with welcoming smiles. Some wanted to hire him as a Sacrificial Offering for their Commerce Association, promising excellent treatment; others praised his youthful achievements and wanted to recruit him as a son-in-law.

There were also seven or eight young girls chattering away, all coming over to express their admiration. Two of them, particularly bold and enthusiastic, tucked notes directly into the splint on Hee Lingchuan’s arm, hoping to "ask for his guidance."

Hee Lingchuan glanced down. What was written on them looked like addresses.

Girls of sixteen or seventeen, in the flower of their youth, with rosy apple cheeks and eyes brimming with the liveliness of spring.

Hee Lingchuan’s throat felt a little dry. He coughed twice and was about to say something when, from out of nowhere, someone released a burst of aura, erecting an invisible wall of air that instantly pushed the crowd back three or four feet.

The girl closest to them nearly fell on her butt.

Skinny caught her and quickly smoothed things over. "He’s an injured man, you can talk to him later! Ah, don’t push, don’t rush, he’ll be back here to defend the ring!"

Hee Lingchuan turned his head, wanting to see who had pushed the girl, but everyone was just watching the commotion. Sunx Fuling, however, was staring intently at a chattering magpie on the roof, examining it with extreme focus.

「Just then, the carriage arrived, and the group quickly boarded.」

Hu Min patted the driver’s shoulder. "To the Yixiang Building."

Hee Lingchuan was surprised. "We’re going now?"

"It’ll be dark in another double-hour, so it’s not too early to go and grab a table." Hu Min grinned. "I told Mr. Xiao, and he’ll be there in a bit. You did so well today, kid. I think there’s a good chance you’ll get to join the Great Wind Army ahead of schedule."

"Really?" This was a pleasant surprise. Hee Lingchuan perked up. "I don’t have to wait until I make Squad Commander?"

"There are exceptions to every rule, and getting an exceptional promotion isn’t unheard of around here. You risked your life to save General Nanke’s squad, and now you’ve defeated Meng Shan. In terms of strength, you’re more than qualified." The carriage jolted, and Hu Min’s head bobbed along with it. "Of course, it’s not my call. We’ll have to see what the higher-ups decide."

As the carriage turned a corner, Sunx Fuling suddenly knocked on the wall of the carriage. "Stop the carriage. I’m getting off here."

"Huh?"

Hee Lingchuan asked her, "You’re not going to the Yixiang Building?"

"No, I have something else to do." The carriage stopped. Sunx Fuling put on her face veil and decisively stepped out, but not before winking at Hee Lingchuan. "Don’t worry, I won’t go back on our deal. See you at home."

Even though he couldn’t see her expression, Hee Lingchuan had a feeling she was smiling.