Narration System for the Journey of Martial Arts

"What's going on?" asked the people in the carriage.

The skinny man shook the reins and said, "Have you ever seen anyone who can eat a whole bowl of Bewitching Incense Powder and still be perfectly fine? Damn it, even if an elephant came, it would be lucky to eat a single wonton, but he ate a whole big bowl."

The people in the carriage were silent for a moment, then one said, "You saw him eat?"

The skinny man muttered under his breath, "Do you think I'm the blind guy who throws hidden weapons?"

The people in the carriage were silent for a moment, but one of them couldn't help but curse, "Which bastard collected this information? Didn't the data say that he only practiced the Taoist Eight Pieces of Brocade at Taiyi Temple?"

He then added, "You've been up close, can you tell if his face is a human skin mask?"

The skinny man frowned and said, "I can't tell. Maybe I'm too nervous, or maybe it's too dark. Anyway, I can't tell. Should we send someone to test it out?"

The man in the carriage cursed, "Testing him my ass! Who knows what kind of temper he has? This information is all bullshit, don't believe it. Let's go, let's go right now!"

The skinny driver asked in surprise, "Where to?"

The man in the carriage cursed, "Where to? Back to the capital, damn it. This stupid mission, let whoever wants to do it do it, I'm not doing it anymore."

The black carriage turned a corner and headed towards the city gate. At the city gate, the thin driver took out a silver waist token and waved it, through which a corner could be vaguely seen, revealing a flying fish with dragon whiskers.

The city gate opened a crack quickly, and the carriage passed through smoothly, heading towards the capital.

Chapter 427 The Thief and the Old Lady

As a survivor of the Golden Roc Dynasty incident, you were targeted by the Flying Fish Guards. Unfortunately, the little fish you thought you knew turned out to be a hidden dragon, and the Flying Fish Guards have already retreated.

You have successfully attracted the attention of the Flying Fish Guard and important figures. You have been registered, and someone will be collecting your information.

In any possible event, your danger level is raised to the highest level.

Su Yuchen glanced at the sidebar and walked nonchalantly toward the entrance of the brothel, where a pimp was weaving through the crowd, constantly taking other people's wallets.

Seeing Su Yuchen approach, the pimp leaned closer, saying, "Oh! Young Taoist priest, you also have a taste for this?" while silently reaching for Su Yuchen's sleeve.

With a "sizzle," the pimp's sneaky left hand seemed to touch a branding iron, and he almost jumped up, grimacing as he secretly shook his hand behind his back.

You met Sikong Zhaixing.

Su Yuchen looked at him with a half-smile and said, "Since when have thieves become pimps?"

"What are you saying, sir...?"

The pimp took a step back, his figure drifting away like a falling leaf. Then, without leaving a trace, he swiftly turned and leaped onto the roof of the six-story brothel.

Su Yuchen smiled, and his figure vanished like a bubble amidst the other party's smug smile.

"Sikong Zhaixing's lightness skill is indeed the king of thieves." Su Yuchen put one hand on the other's shoulder and appeared behind Sikong Zhaixing.

As soon as the sound was heard, Sikong Zhaixing was about to leap forward when he felt the force on his shoulder. With a spin, he slipped out of his outer garment like a slippery eel.

He left a piece of clothing behind, then leaped over three zhang (approximately 10 meters), his figure soaring through the air like a falcon. In an instant, he covered a distance of over ten zhang and disappeared into the distance.

Su Yuchen casually tossed aside the clothes in his hand, his primordial spirit capturing the aura, and transmitted his voice secretly through the Thousand-Mile Soul-Searching Sound: "I'll give you an hour to run. If you can escape, I'll admit defeat."

Not long after he finished speaking, Sikong Zhaixing returned. He looked at Su Yuchen with suspicion and asked, "Why don't you just say it? What do you want?"

Su Yuchen looked at him amusedly and said, "Why aren't you running anymore! Don't you have confidence in your lightness skill?"

Sikong Zhaixing snorted and said, "My lightness skill..."

Su Yuchen interrupted, "Your lightness skill is not bad, but at least Lu Xiaofeng, Hua Manlou, Ximen Chuixue, and Ye Gucheng are not inferior to you."

Sikong Zhaixing choked on her words, but stubbornly said, "Lightness skill isn't just about the person; there are various other factors involved. It's impossible for them to catch up with me."

Su Yuchen nodded and said, "Indeed, as a thief, you are often chased and are very familiar with all kinds of terrain and environment. If you really run, they may not be able to catch you."

"What exactly do you want?" Sikong Zhaixing felt uneasy listening to Su Yuchen's words and asked directly.

Su Yuchen didn't answer, but instead asked, "I want to ask you a question first: Do you know me?"

Sikong Zhaixing stood listlessly on the opposite rooftop, arms crossed, and said, "You're the first person who can teach Ximen Chuixue a lesson in swordsmanship. How could I not know you?"

"How did you know?" Su Yuchen asked.

Sikong Zhaixing chuckled and said, "Even thieves have their sources of information. Don't worry about how I know."

As a successor of the Stealing Heaven Sect, Sikong Zhaixing holds an extremely high position and extensive network among the lower-ranking sects. His access to information is on par with official channels.

Su Yuchen nodded and said, "Okay, I won't ask. I came here today because I have something I want to ask you."

"What's the matter? Hehe, you have something to say but you don't go to those four eyebrows, instead you come to me, hehe, now I'll see what face those four eyebrows have left to boast about." Sikong Zhaixing said excitedly.

Su Yuchen said calmly, "It's no use asking Lu Xiaofeng about this; asking you is just right."

Sikong Zhaixing stroked his chin and said, "Do you want me to help you steal something?"

Su Yuchen shook his head and said, "No need. This matter is very simple. If Jin Jiuling has contacted you, I hope you can tell me."

"Jin Jiuling?" Sikong Zhaixing frowned and said, "What does he want with me? I'm a thief, he's an official, we can..."

Su Yuchen waved his hand and said, "Isn't what thieves fear most officials? Even though he was just the previous head constable of the Six Doors. I don't need you to tell me what he wants from you, just tell me that he came to see you."

Sikong Zhaixing asked curiously, "What exactly do you want to do?"

Su Yuchen smiled and said, "I'll borrow something from him."

Before Sikong Zhaixing could ask any more questions, Su Yuchen's figure had already disappeared on the rooftop. Sikong Zhaixing looked around but couldn't find Su Yuchen, so she used her lightness skill to leave.

………………

Silently landing in the crowd, Su Yuchen looked at the people coming and going and couldn't help but sigh. He had been searching for more than half a month, but unfortunately, he had not found any of the other treasures of heaven and earth.

Without a clear guiding force, even a trip to the imperial palace's treasury might not be of any use. Su Yuchen of the Southeast Prince's Mansion naturally didn't miss the opportunity, but unfortunately, without any guiding force, there was no clue about the mermaid pearl.

Su Yuchen nearly ransacked the Southeast Prince's treasury, and he didn't even know if the mermaid pearl had been taken by a princess or noblewoman. In short, since it refused to show itself, Su Yuchen was truly at a loss for what to do.

"My cultivation level is still too low. I can forget about the great supernatural powers such as the Thirty-Six Heavenly Generals' ability to foresee the future, see through walls, and the Six Jia Qi Men. I haven't even mastered the most basic Taoist techniques like the Fuxi Bagua or the Seventy-Two Earthly Fiends' abilities such as praying for blessings, warding off disasters, and resolving calamities."

"Moreover, this incident shows that the system is not omnipotent. If I really encounter those big shots, although the system can help me protect myself, I'm afraid it will consume a lot of energy."

"It seems we can only wait for Jin Jiuling to become the Embroidery Thief."

After a moment's thought, Su Yuchen stopped dwelling on it and followed the flow of people forward.

After strolling aimlessly for an unknown amount of time, Su Yuchen turned his head to look at the alley to his left. There, a faint wisp of smoke swayed in the wind, lingering and not dissipating.

"Interesting, this is... someone releasing poisonous smoke." Su Yuchen glanced at it with interest. He thought to himself, no wonder the Ancient Dragon World is so dangerous, because danger always comes unexpectedly, without warning.

Under Su Yuchen's watchful gaze, the toxic smoke not only did not dissipate, but gradually condensed, shrinking smaller and smaller, until it finally retreated into the sleeve of a hunchbacked old woman at the alley entrance.

The old woman appeared at the alley entrance like a ghost. Her face was full of wrinkles, but her eyes revealed a hint of cunning. A basket hung on her right elbow as she cautiously looked around.

Su Yuchen seemed to understand who he had met.

Sure enough, the next moment, the old lady began to hawk her wares: "Roasted chestnuts, fragrant roasted chestnuts."

Chapter 428 The Alluring Grandson

You've encountered Granny Xiong (Gongsun Da Niang), a woman who takes pleasure in killing people with roasted chestnuts.

Su Yuchen shook his head, only able to curse inwardly at how dangerous Gu Long's world was. Just then, Granny Xiong also saw Su Yuchen, who had stopped in his tracks. A smile appeared on her face as she walked over shakily.

"Would you like some roasted chestnuts? They're very fragrant and freshly roasted."

Su Yuchen just stared at her quietly without saying a word. Granny Xiong couldn't help but feel a little uneasy, because Su Yuchen's eyes were too calm, so calm that she couldn't see a trace of emotion.

Just as she was about to turn back, her heart pounding, she found herself eerily quiet. Even though there were throngs of people just a few steps away, all sound seemed to fade away rapidly, as if… as if someone had pressed a mute button next to her ear, or perhaps she was simply deaf?

Grandma Xiong was startled and was about to retreat when she realized that she seemed to have forgotten how to move her feet. She even doubted whether she still had feet.

Just as she was feeling uneasy, several men reeking of alcohol and carrying knives and swords walked over. Granny Xiong could see them speaking, but she couldn't hear what they were saying.

Just as she was getting anxious, those martial arts figures came over and gently nudged her. The next second, all the sounds returned to her ears: the hawking of vendors not far away, the crying of children...

"Are you deaf, old lady?" the martial arts practitioner who had shoved Granny Xiong cursed.

Grandma Xiong blurted out instinctively, "What?...What did you say?"

The man was taken aback, then muttered under his breath, "She really is deaf. Oh well, she's had it tough too."

As he spoke, he pointed to the roasted chestnuts in the basket and made a counting motion.

Grandma Xiong subconsciously looked up at Su Yuchen and saw a face that seemed to be smiling but wasn't. For some reason, she felt a chill run down her spine. She clutched the basket and said weakly, "I...I won't sell it anymore."

"Hey! You old hag, you dare to mess with me?" The man, feeling humiliated, said angrily.

Su Yuchen turned his head and smiled, saying, "Her roasted chestnuts were quite expensive, so I bought them all."

The man retorted indignantly, "Expensive? How expensive? Do you think we can't afford it?"

Su Yuchen glanced at Granny Xiong with a half-smile, then turned his head and said, "One chestnut, one life."

The group of men's expressions changed, and they all took a few steps back, their hands already on the hilts of their knives and swords.

Su Yuchen smiled and said to Granny Xiong, "I'll take all your roasted chestnuts. Come with me." With that, he walked ahead first.

Grandma Bear hesitated for a moment, then swayed as she got up and followed. A few steps later, the two of them disappeared ahead like ghosts.

Behind them, several江湖 (jianghu) men looked at each other, then shivered and scattered in one direction, running wildly in another.

………………

On the steps at an intersection, Su Yuchen sat down on the ground. With a wave of his hand, the basket hanging on Granny Xiong's arm fell into Su Yuchen's hand. He picked up a chestnut, peeled it, and casually said, "I thought you would run away."

Granny Xiong stopped pretending and snorted, her voice as delicate as a young girl's: "Do you think I can run away?"

While peeling chestnuts, Su Yuchen replied, "You can't run away, and I'll break your legs."

Grandma Xiong chuckled, maintaining a distance of three feet, and said in a sweet voice, "Are you willing to part with me?"

Su Yuchen looked up and glanced at her, but Granny Xiong's giggles were abruptly interrupted. She saw seriousness in Su Yuchen's eyes, serious enough that if he said he would break her legs, he would never go back on his word.

"Don't you have any compassion for women? Or are you heartless?" Granny Xiong said through gritted teeth.

Su Yuchen said with a half-smile, "You want me to pity a woman with the face of a seventy or eighty-year-old? Do you think that's realistic?"

Grandma Bear chuckled and said, "I understand, you want to see my face, don't you? Men!"

Su Yuchen patted the chestnut shells in his hand and said, "They taste good." Then he looked up and said, "You're wrong! Whether you're beautiful or ugly has nothing to do with me. I don't care. I didn't originally plan to see you, but since we've run into each other, let's say a few words."

Then, Su Yuchen changed the subject, saying, "Do you know where you gave yourself away?"

Grandma Bear looked around at herself and couldn't help but ask, "Where?"

Su Yuchen said calmly:

"First, your eyes. How could a woman in her seventies or eighties have the eyes of a young girl? Moreover, when your eyes open and close, a glint of light occasionally shines through them. A master of internal martial arts would recognize that at a glance."

"Secondly, your hands. Although you deliberately darkened your palms, the lines are still too soft and the skin too delicate. No one in their seventies or eighties would have hands like that. Moreover, they are hands that spend all day roasting chestnuts by the pot."

"Third, your shoes. What old woman would wear a pair of red embroidered shoes? No old woman would dress so brightly. Even the madams of brothels, who dress in bright colors, mainly wear dark colors."

Grandma Bear muttered to herself, "Do I really have so many flaws?"

Su Yuchen nodded.

Grandma Xiong chuckled, flicked her sleeve, wiped her face, and when she lowered it again, her long black hair cascaded down like a waterfall, revealing a beautiful young woman of about sixteen, whose face was radiant even with a veil: "How about this?"

Su Yuchen looked at her, as if he had seen through everything, and exclaimed, "Indeed, she is stunningly beautiful. I recall the past, during the prosperous Kaiyuan era, when Gongsun Jianwu danced, and his dance moved all four directions."

As Su Yuchen spoke words of praise, Granny Gongsun (Grandma Xiong) revealed a hint of disappointment, simply because Su Yuchen's eyes were too indifferent, without a trace of amazement or emotion.

"Are you really heartless, or... do you like men?" Gongsun Da Niang said angrily.

Su Yuchen said calmly, "If you keep talking nonsense, I'll tear your mouth apart."

Gongsun Da Niang made a frightened expression and said in a coquettish voice, "Young master has given so much guidance, so what do you want me to do?"

Su Yuchen sighed and said, "To be honest, I haven't thought of anything you can do for me yet."

He thought for a moment and asked, "I remember you have an organization called the Red Shoes. Who is the second-in-command?"

Like a frightened wildcat, Granny Gongsun leaped into the air, her body bristling with quills. But before she could fly away, Su Yuchen simply waved his hand, and Granny Gongsun found herself unable to move once again.

"If I'm asking you a question, just answer it properly. Why are you running away?" Su Yuchen waved his hand and released the restriction.

Gongsun Da Niang couldn't help but take a step back and asked, "How...how did you know about the red shoes?"

Su Yuchen smiled and said, "I know a lot more."

After thinking for a moment, Su Yuchen stood up, waved his hand, and said, "Never mind, you can go now. I'll contact you again if I need anything."

Instead of leaving, Granny Gongsun approached her and asked, "You were able to find me?"