Dusk Returns to the Ruined Building

Shen Yichen, to put it nicely, is a pawn in the grand scheme of things; to put it bluntly, he is bait in the waters of the martial world; to put it even more bluntly, he is a rotten apple in the world, and wherever he goes, he will spoil the whole pot of porridge.

"Look, that's Luowu Ancient City!"

Shen Yichen and his two companions finally emerged from Beimeng Mountain, standing on a craggy cliff overlooking the mountain.

Ning Menghuan tilted her head back and drank, pointing to a city shrouded in mist in the distance.

The actual distance was still quite far; what they saw was a vast and boundless plain, stretching as far as the eye could see!

"Yanquan, I've finally arrived!"

Yixuan opened his arms wide, looking very excited.

"A grown man is afraid of graves, afraid of tombstones. Yixuan, Yanquan is full of mutilated corpses!"

"So you're not afraid anymore now that there are so many corpses, Yichen? Why aren't you reacting at all?"

Shen Yichen roared:

"You fucking get off my back first, okay?"

Shen Yichen carried Yixuan out of Beimeng Mountain. The reason was that Yixuan was afraid of graves, and indeed, the mountain was full of graves along the way.

In reality, Yixuan was angry. On the lonely cliff, Shen Yichen asked for help but didn't call out to him. Both of them knew the truth, so Shen Yichen could only silently endure it.

"Your women have all accepted me, so what can't you accept? Don't worry, I absolutely won't peek when you're sleeping with Huan-jie!"

Ning Menghuan spat out the entire mouthful of wine.

Shen Yichen turned around and glared at Yixuan.

Yi Xuan let go of his hand, walked to the edge of the cliff, his expression serious, a smile playing on his lips as he looked into the distance, as if the joke from just now wasn't his doing.

Shen Yichen wiped the sweat from his forehead. He wasn't happy at all; instead, he felt very heavy-hearted.

Having been away from the Ji family for over a decade, Shen Yichen couldn't understand Ji Xuanren's behavior and inner thoughts. Not only were there many people in the Ji family loyal to him, but their loyalty was unwavering, even unto death.

Ji Xuanren was clearly someone who had been hurt by the Ji family, yet she remained devoted to Shen Yichen.

Shen Yichen's heart lies in the martial world, but someone is pushing him toward the Ji family, and he has no say in the matter.

Ji Xuanren killed people without his orders, so what could Shen Yichen say?

Yi Xuan blames Shen Yichen for not punishing Ji Xuanren, for his unclear rewards and punishments, and for being unworthy of being the young master. Shen Yichen is truly wronged!

"What are you thinking about? Drink up! We walk, we think, we walk!"

Ning Menghuan tossed a pot of wine to Shen Yichen; she had obviously noticed his unusual behavior.

Since separating from Ji Xuanren, Shen Yichen hasn't said a single word.

"Sister Huan, it seems like some paths in life are beyond my control!"

"That means you're not strong enough. I've heard the legend of Ji Xuanfeng. He traveled all over Youzhou, Yingzhou, Yanquan, and beyond the borders. It seems the Ji family is also hunting him down, but no one can stop him from going where he wants to go!"

After Ning Menghuan finished speaking, she raised her glass in a gesture of respect and took a big sip herself.

Shen Yichen was slightly taken aback. He held the wine pot to his lips but didn't drink. He was thinking.

"Don't waste your youth, don't miss out on the fine wines of life, don't be afraid of the hardships of the world, walk your own path, and if anyone disagrees, just beat them up!"

"Sister Huan, you forgot to mention one person. Don't forget to write this booklet, or I won't know who to kill!"

"Look at Yixuan, he can do whatever he wants, he even killed members of the Ji family!"

Ning Menghuan gave Yi Xuan a thumbs up.

Yixuan flipped through the booklet, muttering to herself:

"Is that wicked woman under the Emperor Tree really a member of the Ji family? Sister Huan, do you know who she is?"

"I had no idea that the Ji family I was talking about was you. If this continues, your name will be in that booklet sooner or later. Men will even be giving each other the eye. Sigh, I've had goosebumps all this time!"

"You... Sister Huan, if I were to fall for him, I really would kill myself!"

Shen Yichen finally finished his drink, let out a long sigh, walked to the edge of the cliff, and murmured to himself:

"If I'm strong enough, can I really go wherever I want?"

Yi Xuan kicked Shen Yichen.

"You better get stronger first!"

Shen Yichen and Yixuan held hands again and jumped off the cliff together. The cliff was not high, and the two quickly regained their balance by using their internal energy.

"Yichen, asking for directions in your heart is not as good as seeking them through your actions. Sister Huan is right, the road is made by walking, not by thinking. Your heart is too depressed. I've decided to accompany you to the brothel in Luowu Ancient City to help you relax!"

Shen Yichen thought the first half of the sentence made a lot of sense, but when he finished hearing it, he pulled his hand away.

"roll!"

"Brother Chen, you've finally realized you can't have feelings for men! Come, let Sister Huan take your hand and lead you into Luowu Ancient City. We'll drink fine wine, eat delicious food, and as for beauties, we can have some fun with them too!"

Enraged, Shen Yichen flew forward alone and quickly fled, while Ning Menghuan and Yixuan laughed heartily behind him.

"I'm going to a brothel when I get to Luowu Ancient City. You two can come with me if you dare!"

Shen Yichen really wanted to go; it was a man's paradise, and he had to go at least once. He was a real man!

"Hey, if prostitutes can make it onto the Hundred Flowers List, it doesn't seem like it's impossible for them to go!"

“Brother Chen, the largest brothel in Luowu Ancient City is called Hanshan You, one of the three major brothels in Yanquan. I am not a man, otherwise I would have gone there long ago!”

Shen Yichen finally realized that the two guys behind him were no good people!

"Yanquan, I'm here!"

Shen Yichen landed with a leap, staggering and nearly falling. He sighed inwardly.

"What a damn bad luck!"

Shen Yichen encountered the monks again. He landed in mid-air north of the fork in the road. The three monks came from the west, all heading towards the ancient city of Luowu.

Yi Xuan and Ning Menghuan landed beside Shen Yichen. Ning Menghuan stopped them directly, shaking her head. Her meaning was clear: let the three monks pass first.

Shen Yichen and Yixuan exchanged a glance, of course they didn't understand, but neither of them said a word.

Yi Xuan snatched the wine pot from Shen Yichen's hand and took two sips.

After the three monks disappeared, Ning Menghuan said softly:

"Why would people from Xingku Temple come to Luowu Ancient City?"

"Sister Huan, is Xingku Temple special?"

Shen Yichen sensed something unusual about the three monks' attire. The scars on their heads were star-shaped, their robes were grayish-black, and their aura was not Buddhist energy, but rather the aura of the dead, though not quite the same.

"Xingku Temple is the most evil temple in Yanquan. It cultivates a Buddhist mind but practices evil magic. It's hard to tell whether it's good or evil!"

"Tch, what's so hard to say? Submitting to the Ji family is righteous, disobeying the Ji family is evil!"

Ning Menghuan and Shen Yichen were both shocked upon hearing this!

Ning Menghuan took a sip of her drink and asked softly:

"Yi Xuan, does the Ji family really intend to contend for the world again?"

"Sister Huan, is there even a question? The young master of the Ji family has entered the martial world. Isn't this a sign that the Ji family wants to contend for the world? You all know very well that so many martial artists have come to Jianying City just to find out what the Ji family intends. The fate of Jianying City will be the end of all those who defy the Ji family!"

Yi Xuan had learned about Jian Ying's fate from Ning Menghuan, and he also knew why Shen Yichen had been so depressed. All the women had left Shen Yichen, and he seemed to be someone to be pitied.

Shen Yichen frowned deeply!

"Yi Xuan, which of your words is true? My entry into the martial world has nothing to do with the Ji family, and I was forced into it!"

Ning Menghuan turned to look at Shen Yichen and patted him on the shoulder.

"Hey, Brother Chen, haven't you figured it out yet? What the Ji family needs is a reason to conquer the world, and you are of course the best excuse. Isn't Senior Ji Xuanren the best proof of that?"

"Sister Huan, do you mean that the world's conflicts really started because of me?"

"I don't know, you'll have to ask yourself!"

Shen Yichen looked at Yixuan.

"Why are you looking at me? Do you have a choice? People with no way back can only move forward!"

After Yi Xuan finished speaking, he really walked forward. Shen Yi Chen had no way out, and neither did he.

Ning Menghuan patted Shen Yichen on the shoulder and said softly:

"Let's go. There's no point in thinking too much. Let's respect our hearts and the road ahead, and live and die in the world of martial arts. Brother Chen, it's really hard to find a cup of wine that truly gets you drunk in the martial world!"