The First Venerable of the Prosperous Age

The carriage stopped in front of a royal inn in the city. This inn did not have the luxurious feel of being lavishly decorated with gold and silver, but rather a warm, elegant, and cozy atmosphere.

In fact, many buildings in Qiantang give people this feeling, and this Royal Inn can be considered to have adapted to local customs...

The group disembarked from the carriage.

Only Lu Xiaosan was empty-handed, unlike Chang'an, who carried a large amount of luggage given to him by the girl from Zhexianlou.

Lu Xiaosan felt relaxed. He only vaguely remembered the location of the inn and what the signboard looked like before bidding farewell to everyone...

As he was about to leave, Ning Konglou seemed to harbor resentment towards him, and didn't say a word of explanation. He Lai, on the other hand, came up to him and explained a lot of common sense about traveling in the martial world and how to deal with danger.

Lu Xiaosan got annoyed and just kept nodding in agreement, but Helai was still worried, so he dressed him up a bit more to conceal his true identity.

Lu Xiaosan asked in confusion, "Didn't Hero He Lai explain things to me in Luocheng? Why are there still people chasing after me?"

He Lai sighed softly, "Words and beliefs are two different things. A large number of people believe that I only said those things to save your life, and they will definitely try to take your life again..."

Lu Xiaosan was slightly surprised, "Why...why do these people hate me so much?"

Before He Lai could speak, Ning Konglou sneered, "Hmph, you haven't looked at this year's list yet, have you?"

"What list?" Lu Xiaosan asked.

Ning Konglou crossed his arms, gazing into the distance, and said calmly, "On the list of most hated people of the year, you and that Raymond or whatever his name is, are tied for first place."

Lu Xiaosan's first reaction was to chuckle, "That's not bad, it's a kind of success..."

He then looked at Helai, "But since it's a tie for first place, why do your fans only contact me and not Raymond?"

“This…” He Lai was speechless.

“A very small number of top experts are responsible for finding Raymond, while the rest of the江湖草莽 (jianghu grassmen) are responsible for finding you. So, that guy surnamed Zhan has indirectly helped you relieve some of the pressure,” Ning Konglou said coldly from the side.

He Lai looked worried and remained noncommittal about Ning Konglou's words. Lu Xiaosan couldn't help but chuckle bitterly, "I and 'that guy surnamed Zhan' are both fellow sufferers in this world."

In short, it's best to be cautious in everything you do...

Lu Xiaosan gave Chang'an a few more instructions before embarking on his journey:

On his first trip to Jiangnan, he wandered aimlessly with the sparse pedestrians. He intended to find a pharmacy to make medicine, but halfway there, he suddenly became unbearably hungry and was attracted by the aroma of food. He unconsciously walked into a restaurant.

His arrival caused a stench to suddenly fill the restaurant.

"Sniff, what's that smell!" A diner who was chatting and laughing suddenly complained.

Lu Xiaosan, completely oblivious to everyone else, swaggered over to a table, sat down, and loudly proclaimed, "Boss, bring me your best and most unique dishes!"

The waiter, despite the stench, stepped forward to serve the customer.

His body odor disturbed other customers' dining, but guests are guests, and besides, he was generous with his money. Even if other customers complained, the owner didn't dare to openly kick him out.

As the stench grew stronger, the customer, unable to bear the smell any longer, shouted, "Fine, if you won't leave, I will! Waiter, the bill!" He tossed down some loose silver and stormed off.

Before long, only a few tables remained in the restaurant. The chubby owner, dressed in a festive red coat, was no longer as busy as before and leaned against the counter, doing nothing.

Lu Xiaosan then asked him with a smile, "The local customs here are quite nice."

The shop owner laughed heartily, "Sir, you can rest assured. Although this place is not as rich and bustling as the capital, it will definitely give you the most unique food and the most fun. I guarantee you will be served very comfortably."

“I understand, I understand, but aren’t you people a little too simple and honest?” Lu Xiaosan asked again.

"Oh, sir, what makes you say that? Is there something wrong with our hospitality? Did we make you feel uncomfortable?" the shop owner asked cautiously, afraid of offending him in some way.

Lu Xiaosan pursed his lips. "We... cough... Shangyang Sect came here to compete with you for the championship, but instead of showing any hostility, you gave us such a warm welcome... isn't that a bit..."

"Oh, haha..." The shop owner understood his meaning and then let out a long laugh, "So that's why... I thought I had done something to upset you."

"As for the reason..." The shop owner's smile vanished, and his expression suddenly turned cold. "Does the gentleman know about Zhan... Zhan..." He refused to utter the word "Emperor" no matter what.

"I've heard so much about him!" Lu Xiaosan exclaimed excitedly, wanting to recount his fierce battle with him, but then he thought that safety should be the priority.

“I’ve not only heard of it, I’ve also… seen it in person…” Lu Xiaosan said somewhat restrainedly.

The shop owner nodded emphatically, "Sir, this traitor surnamed Zhan used to be a member of our Chunhu Sect. He and his mother wandered around since he was a child. If it weren't for the Chunhu Sect taking them in and teaching him martial arts, how could he be where he is today!"

The shop owner sighed again, "This man surnamed Zhan is a once-in-a-century martial arts prodigy with unparalleled talent. He promised to bring the Chunhu School its first championship, but instead, he joined the Xuanwu Sect, abandoning the Chunhu School that once adored him..."

"As the saying goes, the deeper the love, the deeper the hate. We, the people of Qiantang, once had such high hopes for him, and now we hate him just as much. My child once idolized him, but he set such a good example for my child... It's unbelievable!" The shop owner said through gritted teeth, each word filled with resentment.

The diners at other tables were also excited, slamming their fists on the table and shouting, "That's right! That's right! Raymond is utterly depraved, it's a shame we had such high hopes for him."

"Once I've mastered martial arts, I'll definitely beat him so badly on the field that he'll run away in terror!"

"Brother, you're right! Cheers!"

"Dry!"

Lu Xiaosan had heard before that Raymond was a member of the Spring Lake Sect, but he hadn't paid attention to it at the time. Only now, seeing their impassioned emotions, did he realize how deep their hatred was.

He then thought, "If this way, all the hatred will be focused on that guy surnamed Zhan, then wouldn't I be safer?"

Lu Xiaosan began to plot, trying to stir up trouble between the two, and said with a smile, "I understand, I understand. It's like raising a child with all your heart and soul, only to have them run off to serve someone else's parents. It's utterly hateful!"

"Yes. Sigh..." the shop owner sighed.

After calming down a bit, the shop owner changed the subject and laughed, "However, fortunately, there are Heroes of Crane and Shangyang Sect. They beat that traitor up badly for us, making him and another bald monk traitor the biggest joke of the year, hahahahaha."

"Hahaha..." Lu Xiaosan laughed awkwardly, realizing that he absolutely could not reveal his identity in Qiantang.

After laughing, the shop owner added, "Therefore, we are truly grateful to Hero Hero and Shangyang Sect."

The shop owner seemed to suddenly remember something, sighed, waved his hand, and said, "Besides, we know that the Spring Lake Sect is no match for the Shangyang Sect this year, so we've long since accepted it..."

The shop owner's eyes were somber, and his tone was full of resentment. After all, they had never tasted the feeling of being a champion. Now that the championship was so close, they could only hand it over to someone else... Only they knew the bitterness and longing for the championship they felt.

At this point, Lu Xiaosan's confusion was finally resolved.

To ensure his own safety, he suddenly slammed his hand on the table and continued to fan the flames, saying, "It's all that little bastard surnamed Zhan or what's his name, Raymond. If he hadn't left Xuanwu Gate, how could Chunhu Sect be so powerless to fight today!"

"It is! It is!"

"Young man, as long as you curse that guy surnamed Zhan, we're brothers!!" The people at the other tables were once again indignant.

This scene filled Lu Xiaosan with indescribable satisfaction. "Helai may have a lot of fans, but the more they hate that guy surnamed Zhan, the safer I'll be, hahaha!"

Before long, the food that Lu Xiaosan ordered was finally served. It was all colorful pastries. He had thought it would be strong liquor, but it turned out to be a small cup of tea.

"Is this... this is a unique feature of Qiantang?"

Lu Xiaosan suppressed his dissatisfaction, drank the tea in one gulp, and then immediately spat it out.

"This tastes bitter and astringent, how can I drink it? Quick, quick, bring me some more wine, and some good food that will fill me up!"

The shop owner was a little embarrassed, but still smiled and instructed the kitchen, "Quickly, bring the customer some more good wine and dishes."

Seeing this, a group of diners at the table behind Lu Xiaosan couldn't help but laugh and say, "Young man, these tea snacks are all specialties of Qiantang. What you're doing is a waste of them."

"Young man, you're hot-tempered and can't handle tea and snacks. Strong liquor is the best thing for you, hahaha."

Lu Xiaosan noticed the unique accents of these people and turned around to see three elegantly dressed young men with fair complexions, who were pointing at him and chatting and laughing.

Lu Xiaosan said arrogantly, "Hmph, you pedantic scholars, all you do is hold onto that tattered book and keep reading it. You have no masculinity at all, how could you understand the romance of us northern men?"

Upon hearing this, the three young men continued their sarcasm, "Oh? We have indeed heard that northern men are full of masculine charm, but why is it that we can't see any of that in you?"

"Yes, why is that?"

"How about you show us what the charm of a northern man is like, young man? Hahahaha."

The three of them were singing and chanting, which made Lu Xiaosan very angry, and she was about to explode.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, sir, your food is here!" The waiter ran from the kitchen carrying a plate of meat.

This time, there were no colorful pastries, only bright red fish and meat dishes.

Lu Xiaosan's mouth watered at the sight, and he couldn't resist any longer. He picked up his chopsticks and began to eat and drink heartily, putting all his hatred behind him.

The three young men exchanged glances, all looking somewhat displeased.

"Boss, boss, quickly bring me some delicious food!" A clear and melodious girl's voice rang out, and a girl in a green dress skipped and hopped in from outside the door.

"Ugh! What's that smell!" The girl opened her round eyes, startled, and almost made a mess of things.

"Ah!" she cried out, knocking over the food on the table in front of her, and falling into the arms of the three young men.