Chapter 38: 38. Temporary Retreat to Jianghu Three months later... Western Shu, Celestial Cloud City... In the Ghostly Cyan Robe Tower, the Solitary Bamboo Gang and the Cyan Robe Tower are the two major gangs in the Jianghu across the three cities and twenty-six counties, both headquartered in Celestial Cloud City. As the saying goes, "Two tigers cannot share one mountain," these two gangs naturally have many conflicts. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺 It’s impossible for anyone to stop these two gangs from fighting each other. Not even the government! Just like when tigers fight, whoever intervenes will only end up dead for nothing. Yet at this moment, the scheduled battle between the two major gangs has come to an unexpected halt. Everyone looks in disbelief at that spot. "Miss... Miss... Are you alright?" A wild man with disheveled hair and a face full of stubble is holding the leader of Ghostly Cyan Robe Tower for today—Hua Linglong. Hua Linglong holds a prestigious position in the Ghostly Cyan Robe Tower. Perhaps her personal power isn’t strong, but the group of old subordinates left by her late father all belong to her faction. Moreover, she is quite famous in the Jianghu as a beautiful lady, known as the "Snow Jade Peony." The phrase "Celestial Cloud Mountain City, Ghostly Cyan Robe, Snow Jade Peony" is enough to stir the hearts of all men in this area. Hua Linglong likes to wear white clothes, white skirts, and white socks, her demeanor pure and pitiful, with extremely elegant speech, always evoking a strong protective instinct in others. No one is willing to kill such a woman. But in today’s battle, the Solitary Bamboo Gang has set up a trap to kill Hua Linglong. Because the Solitary Bamboo Gang discovered that Hua Linglong is not only beautiful but also one of the Core Figures of the Ghostly Cyan Robe Tower. If she were killed, then... the Ghostly Cyan Robe Tower could very likely fall into chaos. However, just as two top experts of the Solitary Bamboo Gang, along with an inside man they painstakingly bribed, launched a combined attack to kill Hua Linglong, a wild man suddenly emerged from the woods nearby. This wild man moved in bizarre ways, with strange postures, yet he skillfully defused the deadly strike against Hua Linglong and held her by the waist, retreating backward. At this moment... Outside the city, the winter snow has melted, and the early spring rain from last night knocked down a lot of peach blossoms. With a gust of wind, the petals began to flutter. The Solitary Bamboo Gang and the inside man refused to stop, quickly closing in, with a saber, a sword, and an axe all continuing toward Hua Linglong. The wild man placed Hua Linglong aside, bowing his head to search for something. Having narrowly escaped death, Hua Linglong, still in shock, quickly untied her belt, pushed it forward, and said, "Use mine!" The wild man did not refuse, directly taking the sword, drawing it. The blade emerged an inch, glistening coldly, and when fully drawn, shone bright. In the brightness, the wild man struck someone with one slash, and after three dances of the blade, all three of the top experts in Jianghu lay injured on the ground, their eyes wide with shock as they looked at the wild man. Hua Linglong’s eyes also shone brightly. She could see that the wild man’s swordsmanship was terrifyingly powerful, the peak of technique, naturally seamless. The wild man, disheveled and dirty, yet the more she looked, the happier she became. Because after those three people fell, the Solitary Bamboo Gang advanced again, but this wild man stood in front of her, and no matter who... could not bypass this wild man to harm her. Initially, she suspected that this wild man might be a Loose Cultivator, but after a few slashes, she completely dismissed that possibility. No cultivator could possibly have such formidable martial arts mastery. Her eyes burned with passion. That was the fire of ambition... Heaven had sent this wild man to her, and she would definitely seize this opportunity well. Amidst the flashing blades and swords, she slowly touched a Jade Bottle hidden in her bosom. The bottle contained a mysterious poison in the Jianghu—"Blood-Burning Divine Water". This "Blood-Burning Divine Water" is colorless and tasteless, allowing those who practice martial arts and body forging to achieve more with less, but if not taken with an antidote monthly, the blood burns itself, leading to a painful death. "Blood-Burning Divine Water" was originally a secret poison from Cold Water Manor... It’s said that the old master of the manor discovered a recipe by chance in his early years and concocted it. However, although Cold Water Manor possessed this poison, they rarely used it, living a low-profile life in the mountains and forests. But at the beginning of last year, the manor was suddenly massacred, men and women, old and young, not even chickens and dogs were spared. And the secret poison disappeared without a trace; some said Cold Water Manor never had the poison, and it was all just a rumor. But the one who spread the rumor was Hua Linglong. The one who massacred Cold Water Manor was also Hua Linglong. The one who killed all those in the know was Hua Linglong. In today’s Jianghu, no one knows she possesses the "Blood-Burning Divine Water." It is precisely by relying on this divine water that she has been able to "win over" a group of elders in the tower. This young woman, who appears as pure and immaculate as icy jade, actually harbors incredibly ruthless intentions. At this moment, she suppresses the urge to retch within her, looking all the more tenderly at the savage. Males are always attracted to beautiful females, and this savage is undoubtedly drawn to her. Then... she will use her allure to bring this savage back, feed him the "Blood-Burning Divine Water," and have him completely under her control. Her exquisite eyes glance at the dirty fingerprints on the white sash at her waist, which prompts another wave of nausea, yet she carefully conceals her disdain, steadily playing the role of a "protected person." Males like to display themselves in front of beautiful females. Then... she must demonstrate her "protected" demeanor well. ... ... Three days later. Celestial Cloud City was quite shaken as word spread in Jianghu of a savage’s sudden emergence, exhibiting extraordinary martial arts, and then... being taken away by the "Snow Jade Peony" Hua Linglong. At this moment, a beautiful woman dressed in pure white, immaculate as ever, was calmly seated at the table, smiling warmly as she pushed a glazed cup over, resting her chin in her hand while softly saying, "Taste my handiwork." Seated across from her was the savage from three days prior. Except the savage was now clad in a brocade robe, his hair tied up, revealing rough skin and a few scars on his cheeks, which hinted at a certain ferocity amidst his otherwise unremarkable appearance. The savage was none other than Song Yan. Song Yan had learned various martial arts in Jianghu, which naturally included the Disguise Technique. Cultivators identify people by their aura, so once the Qi Concealment Technique is used, one can avoid detection. Additionally... people look at faces. Song Yan used the simplest method to change his face. Even if it were Miss Qiu or the Princess Consort face-to-face, they wouldn’t recognize him. Since the day he bade farewell to the two women, he had already planned his course. Celestial Cloud City is practically at the edge of Western Shu; the Profound Qi here is in a "barren area within a barren area," with few cultivators coming here. Poor mountains and rivers produce troublesome people, and even the King of Shu cannot control this place. Because... this is entirely Jianghu. He needs to hide in Jianghu, needs eyes and ears, and also requires a certain amount of power, so after observing the surroundings of Celestial Cloud City several times, he targeted "Hua Linglong" as his point of entry. Why Hua Linglong? Firstly, she lost her father the previous year, her situation is difficult, and she was in need of help; Secondly, she is quite capable, even though her father is gone, she still holds a place in the Ghostly Cyan Robe Tower, indicating she is a clever and competent woman who can assist him; Thirdly, Hua Linglong is a beautiful woman, her appearance even reminds Song Yan of those pure, white-clad images like "Xiao Long Nu," and her shrewdness in handling matters makes him think of "Huang Rong." Song Yan, in past and present lifetimes, had never seriously fallen in love, and as a transmigrator, he harbored a dream of chivalry in his heart. Immortal couples, roaming Jianghu together. With mutual understanding, there is no deceit between them. "In five years, hide in Jianghu, quietly awaiting the ultimate success or failure of the Puppet Sect," is this not an opportunity for him to fulfill this small dream and make up for regrets? The deeper he got into Jianghu, the less likely anyone would suspect him of being a cultivator. Therefore, he initially came with a bit of "infatuation"... But at this moment... he looked at the glazed cup that was pushed toward him. The chicken soup smelled delicious, with fresh mushrooms accompanying the chicken wings, and the meat was stewed to tenderness, emitting an enticing aroma. Yet, being at the Sixth Layer of Refining Profound, Song Yan could distinctly smell... another scent amidst the fragrance, a scent that would slightly draw the qi blood upon whiffing. Jianghu’s "colorless and tasteless" could not fool him. Whether it’s poison, he could discern that in a sniff. Raising his eyes again to look at the face opposite him, that charming face was waiting expectantly for him. Suddenly, Song Yan let out a heavy sigh. "What’s wrong?" Hua Linglong asked. When asking, her red lips parted slightly, revealing an appropriately placed expression of surprise and disappointment, a look that would make a man unable to resist immediately doing what she asked. Song Yan flipped his palm and took out a bottle of Fanatic Fans from his storage ring, tilting it towards her, swiftly delivering it to her open red lips. With a tilt, a turn, the powder entered her mouth. In the Cultivation Realm, Song Yan might have been timid, but in Jianghu, couldn’t he strike a hard blow?