Chapter Six: Old Friends!

Watching the blood spurt from that fellow’s mouth and seeing his struggle to rise from the ground—so earnest and yet so weak—Jiang Lin couldn’t help but marvel inwardly. He almost wanted to go over and sing “Actor” for him; this man was clearly no amateur! Looking closer, he was surprised to realize he actually knew both of them.

The one pulling the “accident scam” was Fang Chaoqun, a member of the Sun-Moon Cult. Once, Jiang Lin had caught him pilfering undergarments from the women’s bathhouse of their sect. Afterwards, they’d split the spoils fifty-fifty, selling those “original flavor” pieces for quite a sum—business partners, in a sense.

The other was Qin Xiao, an inner disciple of the Dragon Gate Sect, at the Sea-Watching stage of cultivation. He had some knowledge of medicine and nursed a secret crush on a junior sister within the sect. The girl, truth be told, also liked him. But there was that one time when she had a stomachache and sought his “diagnosis.” He’d barely glanced at her before telling her to “just drink more hot water” and went back to practicing his swordplay. After that, she never approached him again.

The following month, she announced she’d found a Dao companion. Qin Xiao was devastated, drowning his sorrows with Jiang Lin over drinks for a long time.

Looking at both men, Jiang Lin’s brow twitched. “Is the world really this small? How do I keep running into these people?”

Back at the scene, not only were the street vendors dumbstruck, but even Qin Xiao, who’d been walking along minding his own business, was utterly baffled. He’d been strolling along peacefully, then suddenly someone crashed into him, spat blood, and went flying—what on earth was happening?

“You… you… cough, cough, cough…” Fang Chaoqun finally managed to stand, face pale as he wiped the blood from his lips. But just as he was about to speak, his body lurched, his cheeks swelled, and with another “pfft,” blood sprayed forth as he collapsed again.

“Brother! What’s wrong? Brother!” A woman in a patched hemp dress rushed over, clutching her fallen brother tightly as tears streamed down her face.

“You! Why? My brother had no quarrel with you! Why did you attack him so viciously? Is there no justice left in Xuanwu City? What about my sister-in-law? And their child? With house prices soaring and the moneylender’s loan still unpaid, what are we supposed to do?” Her wailing echoed through the alleyway, drawing a crowd of curious onlookers. Qin Xiao was left even more bewildered, plagued by existential doubts.

“In broad daylight! How dare you commit violence in the street!”

Moved by the scene, Chen Jia suddenly surged forward to demand justice for the bleeding man, but Jiang Lin caught his wrist and held him back.

“Brother Jiang, why are you stopping me?”

Jiang Lin’s expression was helpless. “Brother Chen, remember, we’re people of the Demonic Sect.”

“So?” Chen Jia looked at Jiang Lin with innocent eyes, as if to say, “What’s wrong with being in the Demonic Sect?” Jiang Lin began to doubt whether Chen Jia had joined the wrong sect altogether.

“Don’t worry. That man is perfectly fine, and, in fact, he’s in our line of work—he’s here to stage a scam.”

“A scam? What’s that?”

“Well… it’s a bit hard to explain.” Jiang Lin glanced at Qin Xiao, surrounded by the crowd, and recognized the uniform of an inner disciple of the Dragon Gate Sect. With the presence of the Dragon Gate Sect here, Lin Qingwan must have already arrived in Xuanwu City. This fellow might just be his way in.

“I’ll handle this. Brother Chen, stay here with Xiao Man and don’t wander off. I’ll go buy you some oranges.”

“Oranges? I don’t even like oranges.” Chen Jia wanted to ask more, but Jiang Lin was already walking off, his back radiating a kind of resolute determination.

The commotion in the street was growing louder. Qin Xiao tried to check Fang Chaoqun’s injuries, but as soon as his hand touched him, Fang Chaoqun seemed to revive in a final burst of energy.

“Brother…” the woman cried out in surprise.

Waving her off, Fang Chaoqun staggered to his feet, wiping more blood from his lips. “Esteemed brother, we have no enmity, yet you struck me so mercilessly, shattering my cultivation foundation! You even tried to secretly silence me just now!”

Qin Xiao: “???”

“Forget it, forget it. I no longer dream of reaching the Nascent Soul stage in this life. I’ve longed for seclusion anyway. Just pay me ninety-nine mid-grade spirit stones for my injuries, and I’ll let bygones be bygones. What do you say? Cough… cough, cough…” Blood spattered the ground again as he coughed.

“Brother…” the woman wailed anew, “Won’t you even give us ninety-nine mid-grade spirit stones? Is this what your so-called righteous sect stands for?”

“You… you all…” The sword-bearing young man was at his wits’ end—angry, flustered, and nearly driven to impotent rage.

Ninety-nine mid-grade spirit stones wasn’t a fortune, and as an inner disciple of the Dragon Gate Sect, he could afford it. But he simply didn’t want to pay. From the moment the demand was made, he recalled something a junior brother once told him back at the sect—the so-called “accident scam.”

That junior brother had later betrayed the sect and died under Senior Sister Lin’s sword. After that day, she never spoke another word about it.

“Miss, I have a pill that cures all ailments and heals any injury. Please don’t disdain my humble offering.” Just as the sword-bearing young man’s face flushed with anger, a “young lady” stepped gracefully forward, skirt fluttering, makeup light and delicate. At a single glance, Qin Xiao’s cheeks grew even redder.

“Miss, they’re pulling a scam! I must take them to the enforcement team—there’s no need for you to suffer any loss. Oh, a scam means extortion.” Seeing the “delicate maiden” step forward, Qin Xiao hurried to explain.

“Enforcement team? Ha! My brother has been gravely injured—we must seek justice from the authorities!” The woman patted Fang Chaoqun on the back, and he spat out a mouthful of genuine blood, his face turning truly pale.

“You! You’re faking your injuries!” Qin Xiao’s face alternated between green and white, nearly drawing his sword in anger.

But the “maiden’s” slender hand gently pressed down on his, shaking her head before stepping forward with the pill in hand.

“A single pill to settle this? I’d rather jump from here, starve to death, than—”

“This pill is called the ‘Leg-Stretching, Eye-Widening Pill.’” The “young lady” interrupted with a smile before Fang Chaoqun could finish.

“Leg… stretching… eye… widening… You’re—” Staring at the delicate maiden, Fang Chaoqun was astonished.

An old acquaintance, indeed!