Chapter 62: Rage
Wang San’Er’s eyes filled with confusion as he looked toward the entrance of the inn. What he saw sent a violent shiver down his spine. His hands and feet trembled, and he quickly shut his mouth.
A man of about thirty-five or thirty-six, a Treasure Sword hanging from his waist, strode through the entrance of the inn. He had a hawkish nose, a chiseled face, and thin lips curled into a cold smile. An invisible killing intent seemed to radiate from his entire being.
With his arrival, the bustling inn fell silent in an instant. Many people didn’t even dare to breathe too loudly. Those who had been tearing into their meat and gulping down their wine immediately began to eat slowly and deliberately, terrified of making the slightest sound.
The hawk-nosed man swept his gaze across the room. His eyes paused on a figure in gray clothes and a conical hat sitting by a window in the corner, and he walked directly toward them.
At the table next to the gray-clad figure, Ye Xing and Li Yunlong were in the middle of their meal.
Suddenly—
"BANG!"
The scabbard of a Treasure Sword slammed onto their table. The violent impact sent soup and wine splashing everywhere, drenching the tabletop and even dampening their clothes.
Ye Xing and Li Yunlong looked up to see the hawk-nosed man staring down at them with cold arrogance, his disdainful eyes looking at them as if they were two ants.
"Scram!" The hawk-nosed man’s thin lips coolly uttered a single word.
Anger flared in Ye Xing’s heart. ’On what grounds? We were sitting here fir—’
Beside him, Li Yunlong’s expression changed drastically. He grabbed Ye Xing and quickly forced a smile, addressing the hawk-nosed man. "Apologies, apologies! I’m so sorry, Hero Zhao! My little brother here is new to the martial world and doesn’t know the rules. A great man like yourself doesn’t concern himself with the faults of lesser men. Please forgive his offense. We’ll leave right away! The table is yours! Please, sit!" With that, Li Yunlong quickly pulled Ye Xing from his seat.
The bustling streets were thronged with people coming and going. Li Yunlong, his expression panicked, pulled Ye Xing away from the Wind and Cloud Inn.
"I have to say, Brother Ye, you’re as fearless as a newborn calf facing a tiger," the bearded Li Yunlong said with a wry smile. "Do you realize you nearly got yourself killed just now? Do you have any idea who that man was?"
"I don’t know. He seemed incredibly strong," Ye Xing said, shaking his head. In truth, he had been about to curse the man out, overcome by a sudden fit of rage. After all, having soup and wine intentionally splashed on you for no reason, without provoking anyone, would make anyone angry.
"More than strong? That man is Zhao Tianxuan, the Gale Swift Sword, a top master on our Tang Country’s Wind and Cloud List. His eleven-form Gale Sword Skill is famous, with each strike faster than the last. The man is arrogant and bloodthirsty. He once slaughtered an entire village, creating a river of blood, just to practice his Sword Techniques. The Six Gates sent several famous constables of the Ninth Realm after him, but none were able to bring him to justice," Li Yunlong said, his gaze grave.
A wave of lingering fear washed over Ye Xing. "Thank you, Brother Yunlong," he said gratefully.
"Don’t thank me. We can’t go back to the inn now. We’ll wait for that devil to leave before we head back," Li Yunlong said. "Let’s just walk around the streets for a while."
"Okay, sounds good," Ye Xing agreed, nodding.
"By the way, Brother Ye, did you come to Sunset City for the auction as well?"
"Yeah, I was planning to see if there’s anything good to buy," Ye Xing said. "By the way, Brother Yunlong, do you have an escort job heading to Phoenix Town in three days? If you do, I might as well travel back with your Escort Agency." The auction would be over in three days, and it would be about time for Ye Xing to return to Phoenix Town anyway.
"Haha, I couldn’t ask for anything better! After all, Brother Ye, you’re a Martial Artist approaching the Martial Arts Second Realm. With you along, my escort team will have another strong arm," Li Yunlong laughed.
The two continued to chat as they walked down the street.
...
「That night.」 A crescent moon hung high, and cold moonlight shone through the window into Room 203 of the Wind and Cloud Inn.
Ye Xing lay on his bed, wide awake, replaying the day’s events in his mind.
Ye Xing came to a conclusion. He realized his mindset was still that of someone from Earth; he hadn’t adapted to the Martial Arts Continent, and that was an extremely dangerous flaw. Earth and the Martial Arts Continent were two worlds with completely different social structures. Back on Earth, if someone had randomly splashed food all over you while you were eating, it wouldn’t matter who they were—even if they were some rich kid or the son of a high official—you could spit in their face and get into a fight without any real consequences. You wouldn’t die over it. But things were different on the Martial Arts Continent. When you were weaker than your opponent, failing to restrain yourself could easily cost you your life. Here on the Martial Arts Continent, life was cheap as dirt. The hierarchy was strict, and the world was filled with feuds and killings.
Modern society has its rules, and the Martial Arts Continent has its own Laws of survival. To exist in both worlds, he had to be able to switch his entire mindset. It wasn’t just about changing back into ancient clothes; his thinking had to adapt to this world’s Laws of survival.
’Son of a bitch! He’s just a damn Ninth Realm Martial Artist. Just wait until I earn enough money. I’ll buy an Innate Realm Demon Beast and let it tear that bastard apart!’ Ye Xing fumed silently. While learning his lesson, he couldn’t help but indulge in a little revenge fantasy.
As he continued to think, he gradually grew drowsy and soon drifted off to sleep.
The next day, aside from the basic necessities, Ye Xing spent the entire day in his room focused on his Inner Strength Cultivation. The previous day’s incident had been a major wake-up call. He understood more clearly than ever that this was a world where might made right. Without power, you were doomed to be trampled on. If he wanted to live with any dignity, he had to train hard. He had to become strong.
「Three days passed in a flash.」 The day of the Ten Thousand Treasures Tower auction arrived as scheduled.
Early in the morning, the street in front of the Ten Thousand Treasures Tower was already jammed with traffic. A stream of lavishly decorated carriages pulled up to the entrance, from which disembarked various upper-class figures—Martial Artists, officials, and nobles alike—all making their way inside.
The auction was to be held on the fourth floor of the Ten Thousand Treasures Tower, where two attendants stood on either side of the entrance. Not just anyone could attend an auction at the Ten Thousand Treasures Tower. There were only two ways to gain entry. The first was to pay a deposit of one hundred Gold Coins. This was the only way to qualify for a spot. After all, the cheapest item up for auction would cost more than one hundred Gold Coins, so the deposit simply proved one had the means to participate. Otherwise, if anyone off the street could join, the auction would descend into chaos. Of course, besides paying a deposit, there was one other way: possessing a Gold Card. The Ten Thousand Treasures Tower only issued Gold Cards to individuals of esteemed status. A Gold Card holder could naturally enter the auction directly, without needing to pay any deposit.