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

"I wonder which direction to go to the Liang Prince's Mansion?"

"The Liang Prince's Mansion?"

The girl in pink was taken aback.

“Walk to the end of this street, turn left and cross the Zhuque Bridge.”

"Which inn are you staying at, young master? I'll come to find you tomorrow."

Jiangchuan made nonsense.

"Tongfu Inn."

The girls exchanged bewildered glances. "Is there an inn in the county town?"

The girl in the green dress muttered to herself. By the time they came to their senses, the handsome young man had already disappeared into the crowd.

"He must be a cultivator!"

The girl in yellow, who had been silent until now, suddenly spoke.

“I noticed that he had cloud patterns on his sleeves, just like those immortal masters at last year’s mountain gate assembly.”

The girl in pink stomped her feet.

"Why didn't you tell me earlier!"

She gazed in the direction Jiang Chuan had left, her eyes filled with regret and longing.

Jiang Chuan walked along the bluestone path towards the Liang Prince's Mansion.

The moonlight was obscured by thick clouds, leaving only a few scattered starlight that cast a hazy silver edge around his figure.

"The Prince of Liang is the maternal uncle of the current Zhou emperor, and the Liang family is a prominent clan in Longhai, with a vast estate."

Jiang Chuan silently recited this information in his mind, but his steps seemed nonchalant.

He had just shaken off those three girls with ulterior motives and was now enjoying a rare moment of peace and quiet.

The lanterns lining the streets swayed in the night breeze, casting dappled shadows.

Jiang Chuan's fingers unconsciously caressed the hilt of the sword at his waist, the only keepsake his master had left him.
A seemingly ordinary longsword that hides a secret.

"Master, please stay."

An old but powerful voice suddenly came from behind.

Jiang Chuan frowned slightly, but his steps did not stop.

This was the third time I'd been stopped tonight; the night in Longhai City seemed even more lively.

"Sir, wait a minute!"

The sound grew closer, accompanied by hurried footsteps.

Jiang Chuan finally stopped and turned around to see an old man wearing a square scarf and a scholar's robe walking quickly towards him.

The old man had a meticulously trimmed goatee and wore a pair of black boots. He looked kind and gentle, but in his hand he held a banner that read, "Three divinations a day, calculating all the mysteries."

"What brings you here, sir?"

Jiang Chuan asked politely, but his eyes were wary.

The old man stopped, panting, stroked his beard, and laughed.

"I see that you have an extraordinary appearance, young master. The clouds above your head seem to indicate a soaring dragon. You will surely become a hero in the future. Therefore, I have taken the liberty of blocking your way."

Jiang Chuan sneered inwardly.

He was the second-generation successor of the Heavenly Calculator of the Central Plains Sword Emperor lineage. Even his master dared not use the title of "calculating all the mysteries," yet this old man in front of him was so ostentatious.

But on the surface, he maintained a polite smile.

"You flatter me, sir. I am but a wandering swordsman; how could I possibly possess the aura of a soaring dragon?"

The old man shook his head mysteriously, and the banners fluttered in the night wind.

"Young master, please do not be modest. I have traveled the world for decades and seen countless people. I would never be wrong."

He took a step closer and lowered his voice.

"Young master, would you be interested in having this old man perform a divination for you?"

Jiang Chuan deliberately went along with what the other person was saying.

"To be honest, sir, I do aspire to become a sword immortal. I wonder if I truly possess the qualities to become one?"

Upon hearing this, the fortune teller paused slightly, his goatee twitching involuntarily. Jiang Chuan keenly noticed this reaction.

"this."

The old man pondered for a moment, then suddenly sighed.

"What a pity, what a pity."

"What's a pity?"

Jiang Chuan immediately pressed for details, his heart involuntarily quickening its pace.

He didn't believe the old man really had the ability to tell fortunes, but the recent events were indeed strange, making him uneasy.

The fortune teller looked around and lowered his voice mysteriously.

"Young master, your face is dark; disaster is imminent."

Jiang Chuan's heart skipped a beat.

He has indeed recently encountered several inexplicable attacks, each time narrowly escaping death.

Could this old man really know something? Or is he connected to the mastermind behind it all?

"Is the old man telling the truth?"

Jiang Chuan deliberately feigned panic, but his fingers secretly pressed on the hilt of the sword.

"Absolutely true!"

The fortune teller looked very serious.

"I am an old man who travels the world and never speaks recklessly. If you do not believe me, young master, you can let me tell your fortune, and then you will know the truth."

Jiang Chuan narrowed his eyes.

"How much silver does it cost to have a fortune told?"

The fortune teller held up two fingers and waved them in front of Jiang Chuan.

"Two taels of silver?"

Jiang Chuan probed.

"One hundred low-grade spirit stones!"

The fortune teller said solemnly.

Jiang Chuan almost burst out laughing.

His entire fortune amounted to only three taels of silver, yet this old man was asking for a hundred low-grade spirit stones—it was simply a fantasy.

"Sir, are you joking?"

Jiang Chuan suppressed a laugh.

"My entire fortune isn't even enough for a fraction of a spirit stone."

The fortune teller, however, looked very serious.

"Young master, you may not know this, but heavenly secrets cannot be revealed lightly. To cast a divination carries the consequences of one's actions, and one hundred spirit stones is already a very cheap price."

Jiang Chuan felt a sudden alarm bell ringing in his mind.

This price is outrageously high. Either the old man is crazy, or he has ulterior motives.

Considering the various strange events that had recently occurred, Jiang Chuan couldn't help but suspect that the fortune teller might be involved in those matters.

"this."

Jiang Chuan pretended to hesitate, then leaned close to the fortune teller's ear and whispered something.

"I do wish to have my fortune told, but I only have three spirit stones on me, which I need to save for my wedding. How about this, I'll use all my silver to pay for the fortune telling?"

Upon hearing this, the fortune teller's goatee stood up in anger.

"Three spirit stones?! Young master, you must be playing a trick on this old man!"

"Those four?"

Jiang Chuan blinked, looking completely innocent.

"you!"

The fortune teller was so angry that his face turned red, and he pointed at Jiang Chuan's nose.

"You're not worth discussing things with! I meant well, and you treat me with such disrespect!"

Jiang Chuan shrugged.

"Please calm down, sir. A gentleman loves money, but he acquires it in a proper way."

"A gentleman?!"

The fortune teller was so angry he laughed instead.

"You're not even willing to spend a hundred spirit stones, what kind of gentleman are you!"

"Even a gentleman should be able to make money."

Jiang Chuan replied with a smile.

"How about this, sir, you calculate it first. If it's accurate, I'll repay you tenfold when I become successful in the future, how about that?"

The fortune teller was so angry he couldn't speak, his finger trembling as he pointed at Jiang Chuan, his mustache twitching. Finally, he abruptly flicked his sleeve.

"I'm furious! This brat is hopeless!"

After saying that, he turned and left, the banners fluttering in the night wind, appearing particularly angry.

Jiang Chuan watched the old man's retreating figure.

He shouted loudly on purpose.

"Old sir, don't go! How about five spirit stones? Six? Seven would be alright?"

The fortune teller didn't turn his head, quickened his pace, and disappeared around the street corner in the blink of an eye. Jiang Chuan was about to head to the Liang Prince's Mansion when a commotion suddenly arose at the end of the long street.

The sounds of horses' hooves, shouts of battle, and clashing weapons mingled together, shattering the silence of the night.

"Grab him! Don't let the assassin get away!"

Jiang Chuan frowned and looked in the direction of the sound.

A group of soldiers from the county garrison were seen relentlessly chasing after a young man in black robes.

The boy was agile and leaped between the eaves like the wind. When the moonlight shone on the boy's profile, it was a face that was exactly the same as his!
"This"

Jiang Chuan's pupils contracted sharply, and a chill ran down his spine and up to his head.

He subconsciously touched his face to confirm that he had not disguised himself or was hallucinating.

The black-robed youth seemed to sense Jiang Chuan's gaze, and as he leaped over a rooftop, he turned back and gave him a strange smile.

The smile held a hint of mockery and provocation, and then with a few leaps, it disappeared among the buildings.

"Oh no, this is a frame-up!"

Jiang Chuan instantly understood.

He used his lightness skill to catch up, but the black-robed youth was clearly prepared, deliberately choosing to navigate through complex alleyways, and quickly shook off his pursuers—and Jiang Chuan as well.

"Damn it!"

Jiang Chuan landed in a dark alley and slammed his fist against the wall.

The bricks shattered, and blood seeped from his knuckles, but he felt no pain whatsoever.

At this moment, his mind was in turmoil—who could perfectly replicate his appearance?

Why frame him? What does it have to do with the mission of escorting Liang Shiyu?

The troops from the Military Commandery were already charging in recklessly.

Iron hooves trampled the bluestone slabs, and torches illuminated half the long street.

Jiang Chuan knew that if he couldn't uncover the true identity of the black-robed youth, he would be trapped in an inescapable predicament.

"Everyone listen!"

"The assassin ran this way!"

"Seal off all alleyways!"

The centurion at the head of the group shouted sternly.

Jiang Chuan caught a glimpse of the fortune teller retreating to the side of the street, coldly observing the riot.

The old man shook his head and sighed, his goatee trembling slightly in the firelight.

"Those who don't heed the advice of their elders will suffer the consequences."

Jiang Chuan was furious. This old man clearly saw that he was in trouble, but he refused to say it. Now he was making sarcastic remarks here!
Before he could think any further, the officers from the Military Command had already dispersed and begun searching house to house.

Search! Dig three feet into the ground to find the assassin!

To make matters worse, Jiang Chuan keenly sensed that three powerful divine senses were sweeping in from different directions.

Those are experts at least at the fourth level searching for the assassin's trail!

He held his breath, afraid to let out a sound, lest his presence be detected by divine sense.

The fortune teller seemed completely uninterested in the riot and turned to walk towards the corner at the end of the long street.

Just as he was about to disappear into the darkness, a melodious girl's voice came from the alley.

"Please wait, sir."

The fortune teller paused and looked back.

A young girl dressed in a light purple dress gracefully emerged from the shadows.

Her face was veiled, revealing only a pair of eyes as clear as autumn water, which shimmered with a mysterious light under the moonlight.

"What brings you here, young lady?"

The fortune teller stroked his beard, looking somewhat wary.

The girl bowed slightly.

"Why didn't you help that young master just now? You clearly saw that his face was dark and that disaster was about to befall him."

The fortune teller sighed.

"It's not that I'm unwilling to help, but that the boy's karma is too heavy. If he gets involved easily, he'll probably have a hard time getting out of it."

He pointed to the sky.

"Some people's destinies are so mysterious that even the heavens dare not easily peek into them."

The girl was somewhat surprised.

"If I am willing to pay the remaining one hundred spirit stones, would you be so kind as to lend me your assistance?"

"late."

The fortune teller shook his head.

"The calamity has arrived, and it cannot be changed by human effort. However..."

He glanced meaningfully in the direction where Jiang Chuan was hiding.

"That kid is very resilient; although he has encountered some hardships, his life is not in danger."

The girl nodded thoughtfully, about to ask something else, when suddenly—

"boom!"

A deafening explosion came from the depths of the alley, followed by a massive surge of soul power that swept across the area!

The divine senses released by the three retainers of the Prince's Mansion were shattered, and the warhorses of the pursuing soldiers from the Military Command were shaken so badly that they were thrown upside down, with the men and horses overturned!
"what!"

"My horse!"

"There's a master! Retreat!"

In the chaos, Jiang Chuan's eyes lit up—an opportunity had arrived!
He used his Shadow Cloak technique, his figure blending into the night, and in the blink of an eye, he made his escape.

Deep in the alley, an old voice gave a cold snort.

"You ignorant fool, how dare you be so insolent before me!"

The retainers of the Prince's mansion turned pale, exchanged glances, and dared not use their divine sense to search any further. Instead, they obediently split up and searched for the assassin's traces inch by inch along the alleyway.

The centurion of the military corps, who was thrown back by the shockwave, was in a sorry state, his helmet askew and his armor covered in dust.

He angrily drew his sword, but ultimately dared not shout curses into the shadows; he could only grit his teeth and order his men.

"Keep searching! We need to find them alive or dead!"

On a distant rooftop, Jiang Chuan suppressed his aura and coldly observed the farce unfolding.

He sneered inwardly.

"What a clever frame-up! I'll see who's after my life!"

The city's protective formation was fully activated, and the four city walls were illuminated by divine light, resembling a giant cage.

On the city wall, soldiers patrolled back and forth with torches in hand, their bows and crossbows nocked, vigilantly scanning every corner of the city.

"Martial law declared throughout the city! Capture the assassin Jiang Chuan!"

"Jiang Chuan, a disciple of the Cloud Sea Immortal Sect, assassinated the Liang Prince's mansion at night, a heinous crime!"

"A reward of a thousand taels of gold is offered, with an even greater reward for the one who captures the assassin alive!"

Squads of soldiers, each holding a gong, shouted along the street.

Jiang Chuan's portrait was posted everywhere, from the city gates to the street corners.

The young man in the painting has delicate features, but he is marked with a bright red "诛" (punish) character, which makes him stand out.

"Isn't this the immortal master from the Cloud Sea Immortal Sect?"

A breakfast vendor rubbed his sleepy eyes and stared incredulously at the wanted poster on the wall.

The old man selling vegetables next to him lowered his voice.

"Shh, keep your voice down! I heard there was an assassination attempt at the Liang Prince's residence last night, and the Liang Prince was seriously injured and unconscious. It was done by this disciple of the Immortal Sect!"

"impossible?"

A young man dressed as a scholar frowned.

"The Cloud Sea Immortal Sect is a reputable and righteous sect. How could they commit such a heinous act?"

"Hey, a prestigious sect?"

A burly man with a face full of scars interrupted in a sarcastic tone.

"The larger the sect, the more likely it is to produce scoundrels! I heard that kid was after some treasure from the Liang Prince's mansion."

Discussions arose one after another; some were shocked, some were doubtful, and some were even gloating.

The "assassin Jiang Chuan" they spoke of was hiding in a mezzanine of an abandoned attic, holding his breath.

"Damn."

Jiang Chuan leaned against the wall.

Through the cracks in the wooden planks, he saw squads of soldiers from the Imperial Guard searching house to house, even the dog holes.

Besides government officials, many well-dressed scions of wealthy families also participated in the search.

Those people wore jade pendants at their waists, and their every move exuded a flow of internal energy; they were clearly cultivators!

"Even the retainers and scions of prominent families from the Liang Prince's mansion have been mobilized."

Jiang Chuan clenched his fist, his nails digging deep into his palm.

This frame-up was no accident; the person behind it was trying to kill him!

A commotion arose in the distance. Jiang Chuan looked intently and saw two imposing middle-aged men riding towards them on horseback.

The man on the left was clad in armor, with a resolute face; the man on the right was in official robes, with a solemn expression. (End of Chapter)