The memories of all humanity are awakening, except for mine.

"Young Master Zhao, please forgive me, please come in!"

Stepping into Wangxian Tower, a cacophony of noise hits you. The lobby on the first floor is crowded with all sorts of people, from wandering swordsmen in coarse linen clothes to merchants in fine clothes.

The air was filled with a strange odor, a mixture of the smell of alcohol and the stench of sweat.

"Go upstairs."

Jiang Chuan said in a low voice.

The second floor was noticeably quieter, with only seven or eight tables of guests.

Jiang Chuan spotted Li Rong and Liang Shiyu in the corner at a glance—Li Rong's face was deathly pale, and his right hand remained on the hilt of his sword at his waist.

Liang Shiyu was a little girl of eleven or twelve years old, dressed in a simple blue dress. Her face was tense, but her eyes were unusually calm.

"Sit at that table."

Wang Qiyu pointed to an empty table not far from Li Rong and the others, deliberately raising her voice.

"I prefer a window seat!"

After everyone was seated, the waiter came running over to greet them. Wang Qiyu waved his hand dismissively.

"Bring out all your best food and wine!"

While waiting for the food to be served, Jiang Chuan secretly observed his surroundings.

His gaze swept across the second floor and he noticed that at least four tables of guests seemed a bit off.

The three men at the table near the stairs, dressed as merchants, had thick knuckles, clearly indicating they had been wielding knives for years; the old man drinking alone by the window exuded a restrained aura, suggesting he was at least at the pinnacle of cultivation.

It's worth noting the six wandering swordsmen near Liang Shiyu's table; although they were making a lot of noise, their eyes kept glancing towards the corner.

"Senior brother, that little girl is looking at Su Wen."

Chen Qing suddenly transmitted his voice.

Jiang Chuan glanced out of the corner of his eye and saw Liang Shiyu staring at Su Wen. He was pleasantly surprised, but then his expression dimmed.

Su Wen was also unusually absent-minded.

"Do you know?"

Jiang Chuan transmitted a message to Su Wen.

Su Wen shook his head slightly.

"It just looks familiar."

Just then, a burst of laughter suddenly erupted from the next table.

The short, stout swordsman stood up unsteadily, picked up his wine jug, and headed straight for Liang Shiyu's table.

"Little girl, come here and pour me some wine!"

He reeked of alcohol and reached out to grab Liang Shiyu's wrist.

Li Rong suddenly stood up, but due to his injuries, he let out a muffled groan and his movements were a beat slower.

Liang Shiyu nimbly took a step back, her face turning pale with anger.

"presumptuous!"

"Wow, you've got quite a temper!"

The short, wandering swordsman let out a strange laugh.

"I love spicy food!"

The atmosphere on the second floor of Wangxian Tower suddenly froze.

The moment Wang Qiyu's fingers touched the hilt of the sword, Jiang Chuan's hand gripped his wrist, and he shook his head almost imperceptibly.

"Don't worry."

Jiang Chuan's lips moved slightly.

"Let's see what tricks they have up their sleeves."

Wang Han continued to slowly and deliberately pick at the braised beef, as if the farce before him had nothing to do with him.

Chen Qing rested her chin on her hand, a playful look in her eyes.

Only Su Wen's knuckles turned white, and the Qiankun Fan made a soft "click" sound as it opened and closed, with the cold light hidden on the fan surface appearing and disappearing.

"Old man, you think you're so great, huh?"

The short, stocky swordsman kicked over the stool, his short sword already drawn three inches from its sheath.

His five companions stood up at the same time, and the clattering of tables and chairs startled the diners on the second floor, who all turned to look.

A sickly flush rose on Li Rong's pale face, and his withered hand pressed against the jade pendant at his waist under the table.

That was a message talisman from the Liang Prince's residence.

Liang Shiyu remained surprisingly calm, her small hand quietly reaching into a hidden pocket in her sleeve, where her mother had given her a life-saving talisman before she left.

"oops!"

Jiang Chuan suddenly slammed his hand on the table and stood up, his loud voice silencing the entire second floor.

He pointed with a look of delight at the short, scrawny swordsman.

"Isn't this my grandson, Wang Wu?"

He turned and winked at Wang Qiyu.

"Young master, look, isn't this Wang Wu, who stole our family's ancestral jade pendant and was kicked out?"

Wang Qiyu understood, and suddenly stood up, pointing his finger at the other person's nose and cursing.

"You treacherous, ungrateful lackey! You stole things and still dare to swagger around here?"

The wandering knight was stunned by the scolding.

Scarface's companion was the first to react, shouting angrily.

"Bullshit! This is my brother, Zhang Wei, the Winged Tiger!"

"Zhang Wei?"

Jiang Chuan chuckled, and the ink jade sword had already been drawn three inches from its sheath without him noticing.

"Wasn't it you who got beaten up like a pig's head for stealing chickens in Zhao Family Village last year?"

Before the words were finished, the black jade sword suddenly transformed into a streak of black light.

A sharp slap landed on Zhang Wei's face. Blood gushed from the wanderer's nose, and he staggered backward, knocking over two tables and shattering dishes all over the floor.

"court death!"

Scarface roared, and all six weapons were drawn simultaneously.

Jiang Chuan flashed in front of Zhang Wei, stepped on his chest, and slapped his blood-stained fat face with the scabbard.

"You haven't changed your habit of stealing, but you've learned to bully little girls?"

Chaos erupted on the second floor. Some diners hurriedly hid in corners, while others boldly approached to watch the commotion.

The three men dressed as merchants at the table by the window exchanged glances, and one of them quietly reached into his pocket.

In the corner, Manager Chen had just led the young swordsman out of the private room when he saw this scene and his expression changed immediately.

The swordsman grabbed Manager Chen and started walking back.

"Immortal?"

Manager Chen was inexplicably pulled back to the private room.

"I'm not going."

The swordsman's face turned pale, and he lowered his voice.

"That's my martial uncle!"

"what?"

Manager Chen's hand trembled, and the teapot almost slipped from his grasp.

"You mean"

"The one in blue who uses a flying sword is my Uncle Jiang, and the one with the fan is Uncle Su."

The swordsman wiped away his cold sweat.

"The remaining few are probably senior disciples from other peaks in disguise."

However, due to the conflict with Gengfeng, he did not want to help.

When Jiang Chuan and his group left Wangxian Tower.

Wang Qiyu walked quickly to Li Rong, the chief steward of the Prince's Mansion.

"Steward Li, I heard you are also heading to Longhai County?"

Wang Qiyu had a friendly smile and her eyes were slightly upturned.

"How about we travel together? That way we can look out for each other on the road."

Li Rong turned to look at Liang Shiyu, who was inspecting the carriage.

The young lady from the royal family was talking quietly with Chen Qing, nodding occasionally.

Li Rong withdrew his gaze and scrutinized the seemingly harmless wandering swordsman before him.

Why did Young Master Wang suddenly make this suggestion?

Li Rong's voice was low and tinged with wariness.

Wang Qiyu spread his hands, his face full of sincerity.

"Steward Li is overthinking it. It's just that the world is not peaceful these days, and there's strength in numbers. Besides..."

He lowered his voice.

"I heard that things have been unsafe on the road lately, with a gang of thieves robbing passing merchants and travelers."

Li Rong pondered for a moment, then finally nodded.

"Let me discuss this with Miss."

After listening to Li Rong's report, Liang Shiyu's gaze lingered on Wang Qiyu for a moment.

Although this wandering swordsman caused trouble at Wangxian Tower just now, his skills are indeed extraordinary.

"Since we're going the same way, there's no harm in traveling together."

Liang Shiyu said softly.

"However, I will have to trouble Steward Li to keep a close eye on things."

Li Rong accepted the order and quickly made the arrangements.

Two carriages were used; Liang Shiyu and Chen Qing rode in one, while Wang Qiyu rode with Li Rong.

Wang Han and Su Wen were in charge of driving the carriage, while Jiang Chuan rode his pure white steed, leisurely following beside it.

"Brother Jiang, your horse is quite nice."

Su Wen turned his head and smiled as he drove.

Jiang Chuan patted the horse's neck and said smugly.

"Of course, this is a fine steed from the Western Regions, which cost me a lot of money."

"Keep bragging."

Wang Han interrupted without turning his head.

“Last time you said you stole it from bandits.” Jiang Chuan laughed heartily, offering no explanation.

His gaze swept across the trees on both sides of the road, his fingers unconsciously stroking the hilt of the sword at his waist.

According to his prediction, the assassins should show up soon.

The carriage traveled thirty miles out of Wangxian Town, and the road remained calm and peaceful.

Jiang Chuan's brows furrowed deeper and deeper; this was highly unusual.

"strangeness."

Jiangchuan muttered to himself.

"What's weird?"

Su Wen, with his sharp ears, immediately asked.

Jiangchuan shook his head.

"It's nothing, I just think this road is too quiet."

Wang Han scoffed.

"Isn't quiet good enough? Do you expect someone to come and rob us?"

Jiang Chuan did not answer.

He glanced back and saw that even the elusive stalkers he used to follow were nowhere to be seen.

Could it be because of the intimidating power of the petition?
He glanced at the first carriage, where the icy woman was resting with her eyes closed.

The rest of the journey went surprisingly smoothly.

The group traveled day and night for more than half a month, and surprisingly, they arrived safely without incident.

Even Jiang Chuan began to wonder if he was being too paranoid.

At dusk that day, the carriage finally arrived at the border of Longhai County.

"General Town is just ahead."

Li Rong pointed to the faint outline of the town in the distance.

"Let's stay there tonight."

Liang Shiyu lifted the carriage curtain, looked at the town in the distance, and suddenly asked.

Why hasn't Jiang Wei shown up yet?

Upon hearing this, Su Wen turned around and explained.

"Senior Brother Jiang is currently in seclusion and will probably arrive later."

Liang Shiyu was somewhat disappointed, and after giving a soft "hmm," she fell silent.

Seeing this, Jiang Chuan rode up to Wang Han's side and said in a low voice.

"Hey, do you think Miss Liang has feelings for Jiang Wei?"

"Shut up."

Wang Han interrupted coldly.

"Mind your own business."

Jiang Chuan pursed his lips, not annoyed at all, but instead laughed even harder.

"Oh, so our great hero Wang is now concerned with other people's private affairs?"

Wang Han ignored him and focused on driving.

Jiang Chuan, realizing he had made a fool of himself, could only hum a little tune and continue observing his surroundings.

General Town is much more prosperous than I imagined.

At the entrance to the town stands a huge rock with the four powerful characters "Hometown of the General" carved on it.

Legend has it that seventy years ago, a famous general of the Great Zhou Dynasty came from here, and the town got its name from him.

"This place is a mixed bag, everyone be careful."

Li Rong reminded him, his eyes scanning both sides of the street warily.

The restaurant in town is called "Drunken Immortal Pavilion," and it's even more impressive than the Immortal-Looking Pavilion.

The waiter, seeing that a distinguished guest had arrived, came out to greet him with a beaming smile.

"Are you gentlemen here for a meal or to stay the night?"

The waiter's eyes darted around, taking in everyone's clothes and appearance.

Jiang Chuan dismounted and casually tossed out a silver ingot.

"Three superior rooms, and prepare a private room as well. Serve the best wine and food."

"okay!"

The waiter caught the silver and grinned from ear to ear.

"Please come in, gentlemen!"

Just as everyone was about to enter the restaurant, a loud "smack" suddenly came from the second floor.

Jiang Chuan reacted quickly, raising his hand to catch a falling wooden window support stick.

"Thank you for the rescue, sir!"

A soft, charming female voice came from above.

Jiang Chuan looked up and saw a stunningly beautiful face peering out of a second-floor window.

The woman was in her early twenties, with beautiful features and skin as smooth as jade.

She seemed to be about to close the window, but accidentally knocked down the wooden stick holding it open.

In that split second, a pink undergarment was blown off by the wind and landed squarely on Jiang Chuan's face.

"what!"

The woman gasped in surprise, her face turning bright red with embarrassment.

Jiang Chuan felt a faint fragrance wafting into his nose, and his vision was filled with pink.

He reached out and took off the undergarment, discovering that the thin fabric still carried the woman's body heat and a faint fragrance.

"Young master, could you..."

The woman's voice was barely audible; she was so shy that she could barely speak.

Su Wen, who was watching from the side, couldn't help but tease him.

"Brother Jiang, you're quite the ladies' man!"

Wang Han snorted coldly and turned his face away.

Liang Shiyu and Chen Qing had already entered the restaurant, seemingly uninterested in the farce.

Jiang Chuan grinned, showing no intention of returning the garment immediately. Instead, he brought the undergarment to his nose and took a deep sniff, revealing an expression of ecstasy.

“Young lady, I will accept this token.”

He winked at the upstairs.

"Would you mind coming upstairs for a chat?"

The woman lowered her head shyly and said softly.

"If you, sir, are willing to return it, I will gladly thank you in person."

Jiang Chuan laughed loudly, folded the undergarment neatly and stuffed it into his bosom, then took the wooden stick used to prop open the window and strode towards the second floor of the restaurant.

"Jiang Chuan!"

Li Rong frowned and shouted.

"Don't cause trouble!"

"Don't worry, I'll be right back."

Jiang Chuan waved his hand without turning his head.

The moment Jiang Chuan pushed open the carved wooden door, the afterglow of the setting sun shone through the window lattice, gilding the red phoenix with a layer of gold.

The woman leaned against the soft couch, her red dress making her skin look as white as snow. When she saw him enter, her eyes sparkled with a hint of shyness and a touch of allure.

"Young master has finally arrived."

Hongluan gently bit her lower lip, her slender white fingers twisting the hem of her clothes.

"Did you bring my...underwear?"

Jiang Chuan closed the door behind him, took out a piece of light red cloth from his pocket, and waved it between his fingers.

"Is this what you're talking about, young lady? But the wind is so strong, it's blowing right in my face, it's like you're doing it on purpose..."

"oops!"

Hongluan exclaimed in surprise, her cheeks flushing red, and reached out to snatch it.

"Give it back to me now!"

Jiang Chuan flashed and tucked the undergarment back into his sleeve.

Hongluan missed her target and stumbled forward, but he caught her by the waist.

The two suddenly closed the distance between them, and the woman's delicate fragrance wafted into their noses, mixed with a kind of sweet scent that was hard to describe.

"Why are you in such a hurry, young lady?"

Jiang Chuan lowered his head, his breath brushing against her ear.

"Why don't you tell me how you want to thank me?"

Hongluan's eyelashes trembled slightly, and she suddenly tilted her head up, her crimson lips almost touching his chin.

"This humble servant... desires the young master..."

She drew out the last syllable of her voice, and traced circles on his chest with her fingers.

"Tonight at midnight, under the willow tree in the backyard... take it with you..."

Jiang Chuan's Adam's apple bobbed, and he was about to lower his head when Hong Luan slipped out of his embrace like a fish, giggling as she retreated to the window.

"If you want more, sir... you must first bring me a gift."

After saying that, she pushed open the window, jumped down, and disappeared into the twilight in her red dress.

"interesting."

Jiang Chuan stroked the silky fabric inside his sleeve, his eyes filled with wariness.

This woman's movements were strange and unpredictable; she was definitely not an ordinary prostitute.

He brought the undergarment to his nose and sniffed it. Besides the delicate fragrance, there was also a very faint fishy sweetness—the scent of a captivating incense.

When he returned to the private room, Su Wen was sitting with her legs crossed, eating sunflower seeds. As soon as he saw him come in, she winked at him.

"Oh my, has our hero Jiang been bewitched by a vixen? He hasn't been seen for half an hour."

"It's still better than someone like you that even a female fox wouldn't look down on."

Jiang Chuan sat down with a flick of his sleeve and poured himself a glass of wine.

Chen Qing put down the book in his hand, his brows furrowing slightly. (End of this chapter)