I am dying of old age, and I have awakened to the character of longevity.

Perhaps it was because Xie An's display of skill was too stunning and shocking, the thousand-odd spectators in the audience actually forgot to shout and roar, and fell silent.

The scene of over a thousand people instantly became… as quiet as cicadas in winter, suffocating.

Everyone stared wide-eyed, fixedly watching Xie An, who stood upright on the arena, unable to speak.

This phenomenon was completely within Xie An's expectations.

When people see something wonderful, they often can't help but cheer and praise it.

But if they see something that shatters their worldview, their emotions will be at a higher level, and they will often be instinctively silent.

Just like now.

Who could have imagined that Hong Lie, the dignified former Deputy Head of the White Feather Hall, a martial artist who had just entered the Second Realm of Refined Flesh… would be dealt with by Xie An in just three strikes?

From Xie An drawing his blade to finally killing Hong Lie… it was only three strikes!

Clang.

Xie An sheathed his blade.

Then, he slightly cupped his fist towards Tang Qingyun on the rostrum, and turned to walk off the arena step by step.

From beginning to end, Xie An did not show too much excitement.

And in fact, that was indeed the case, for Xie An… killing a Hong Lie was really not something to be too happy about.

If it weren't for Wei Dian, Xie An wouldn't have even thought about standing up and taking the lead. At most, he would just change places and continue to develop steadily.

But alas, in this life, one will always encounter all kinds of relationships and bonds.

Sometimes, one has to do some things.

Xie An had long seen it clearly, and didn't think there was anything bad about it. On the contrary, he felt that this was originally a very beautiful part of life.

On the road of life, one will encounter all kinds of people, all kinds of things, and all kinds of bonds worth cherishing, which intertwine to form a magnificent and colorful life scene.

As he walked off the stage, thunderous roars rang out from outside the arena.

"Brave and extraordinary, worthy of being a Branch Leader."

"Compared to Hong Lie, that guy who wins by dirty tricks, this is a heroic act."

"This is the demeanor that a champion should have."

"…"

…

"Hong Lie is actually dead!? Why didn't the Five-Flower Poison Powder work? Impossible…"

"He even dared to kill Hong Lie, he dared to kill my people!!"

Inside the courtyard of the White Feather Hall, Fang Baiyu kept smashing the porcelain bottles and objects on the shelves to vent his anger.

Wang Ziwen was beside him, helping to clean up the broken porcelain bottles on the ground, without offering any comfort. Because he knew that Fang Baiyu wouldn't listen to anything he said at this moment.

In his heart, Wang Ziwen felt very emotional, sighed, and also felt very disappointed.

The original Fang Baiyu wasn't like this.

Calm, wise, fierce, and experienced. He had been sitting firmly in the position of Hall Master for more than ten years without any incidents.

Everything started with the great defeat at the Chen Manor.

From then on, Fang Baiyu seemed to have become a different person. His ability to perceive danger became dull, he began to take risks, and made all kinds of nonsensical moves. Finally, it led to the current situation.

Wang Ziwen could understand this very well: a barefoot person often has simple thoughts, because there is nothing to lose, so they are never afraid of losing, and getting something is a gain. But for a person who has a lot, if their mind is not mature enough and their composure is insufficient, they will be particularly afraid of losing, and even the slightest loss is unacceptable.

Successive losses will cause a person's thinking to be distorted and go astray.

Most people have problems not on the road to gain, but on the road to loss. Although the slightest loss actually doesn't affect anything, it just makes people's mentality explode.

Fang Baiyu, obviously, is also like this.

Previously, he had started from scratch and fought his way to become the Hall Master. But now… it has already begun to be precarious.

After smashing all the porcelain bottles on the shelves, Fang Baiyu suddenly turned his head and stared at Wang Ziwen, roaring: "Ziwen, Xie An killed Hong Lie!!"

Wang Ziwen lowered his head to clean up the broken porcelain pieces, "I know, I saw it. This person is very excessive, extremely hateful."

"He's just an insignificant subordinate of mine, how can he kill my people? This is clearly not putting me, the Hall Master, in his eyes. What's more, Hong Lie had already admitted defeat at that time, yet he still killed him? Ziwen, I can't swallow this breath!"

Wang Ziwen cleaned up the broken porcelain pieces, then stood up, cupped his fist and bowed to Fang Baiyu, "Hall Master, Hong Lie did admit defeat at that time. But… Xie An's strike was the Heavy Mountain Blade, it had been building up momentum for a long time, it was a residual force… so, Xie An doesn't count as breaking the rules."

Pa ta.

Fang Baiyu slumped down on the armchair, stunned and lost in thought.

The three words Heavy Mountain Blade… deeply stimulated him.

He had practiced for half his life and hadn't mastered this Heavy Mountain Blade, and then Wei Dian mastered it… that would be fine. Now even one of Wei Dian's subordinates has mastered it.

A slap in the face!

What's more, based on Xie An's performance on the arena, even he, the Hall Master… didn't have the confidence to beat Xie An.

Unknowingly, a small Deacon of a branch hall had actually grown to the point where even he, the Hall Master, couldn't suppress him.

How could Fang Baiyu accept this?!

"Wei Dian, Wei Dian, you're already gone, but you still created such a monster for me. Just to disgust me, right…" Fang Baiyu slammed the table angrily, filled with resentment.

Wang Ziwen said: "Hall Master, I have something to say, I don't know if I should say it or not."

"Speak!"

Wang Ziwen cupped his fist and bowed, earnestly saying: "Hall Master, today is different from the past, Xie An won the top spot in today's examination in front of thousands of villagers. He is now a true Branch Leader. Moreover, Tang Elder and Wolf Chief have both approved of him as Branch Leader. This is the general trend, the Hall Master cannot go against it. Even…"

Speaking halfway, Wang Ziwen seemed to have unspeakable secrets, and didn't dare to continue speaking.

Fang Baiyu coldly shouted: "Continue speaking."

Wang Ziwen said: "Today, the Hall Master had Hong Lie poison Chen Qing, which has already angered the Wolf Chief. In order to survive, the Hall Master should bring generous gifts to congratulate Xie An on taking office as Branch Leader. It is best to befriend him… Ah!"

A loud slap was slapped hard on Wang Ziwen's face.

"Let me go congratulate Xie An on taking office as Branch Leader? Be a good friend? Are you fucking crazy?! Get out of here."

Wang Ziwen covered his burning face and bowed as he retreated from the room.

…

"So he was the one who was the most deeply hidden, and also the biggest winner."

Chen Qing had already woken up and came to the second floor of the hall early to see the final battle on the arena. He saw the scene of Xie An killing Hong Lie with three strikes.

Then, Chen Qing couldn't help but laugh miserably.

"Father often said that I am too young and vigorous, and always like to show off. I didn't think so before, arguing that being young and vigorous is a sign of courage. Now it seems… I am really too naive, the martial world doesn't care if you are young or not."

Comparing himself to Xie An, Chen Qing reflected on his many shortcomings.

In the previous arenas, Chen Qing had deliberately shown off his saber techniques, eager to show his best qualities, so that people would see them and receive people's praise and recognition.

In contrast, Xie An was much calmer.

From the beginning, he didn't even draw his blade, and no one knew Xie An's saber techniques, or even Xie An's cultivation level, which led people to not know Xie An's martial arts realm.

Finally, in the final battle… Xie An revealed his blade.

Three strikes, killing Hong Lie.

This caution and patience is really dozens of streets ahead of me.

"Concealing one's edge… I am still too young. If I had his composure, I might not have lost to Hong Lie."

"Forget it, let's go drink Laba congee first."

After the examination, Tang Qingyun invited everyone to drink Laba congee.

The sixty-odd Deacons, as well as the disciples of the White Feather Hall, happily drank congee together, symbolizing peace and good fortune, and a smooth year ahead.

Taking advantage of the time everyone was drinking porridge, Tang Qingyun also announced the results of the examination.

Xie An was appointed as the incense master of the Blood Ridge Black Market, and the remaining top four were also placed as incense masters. However, due to Hong Lie's death, there was a vacancy. Tang Qingyun then set up another examination, which was contested by the top eight people, and finally, the best candidate was selected.

And Xie An undoubtedly became the most eye-catching person in the audience, with stewards frequently coming up to congratulate him.

Only Fang Baiyu reluctantly said a word of congratulations, and then stopped paying attention to Xie An. Xie An didn't care about this and just smiled it off.

As the Laba porridge was nearing its end, Xie An found an excuse and left with Lin Yun and the others.

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When walking out of the hall, Xie An clearly felt that Lin Yun and the others' attitude towards him was a bit distant. Their speech became less fluent, and they were not as close and casual as before.

Not only did their attitude become respectful, but they also had to think carefully before speaking, for fear of saying something wrong and making Xie An angry or suspicious.

Xie An saw it all.

He couldn't help but recall the attitude of his two disciples after he redeemed himself… It was the same.

This is inevitable, it's human nature.

It's like a childhood friend who used to follow you around all day, calling you 'Big Brother,' suddenly becoming a billionaire. Even a normal person would become estranged and cautious. That feeling of closeness would be instantly shattered by the huge gap in status and wealth, and then a strong sense of separation would appear.

At this time, the bonds of friendship tend to become very fragile. If the childhood friend doesn't work hard to maintain it, it's easy for them to have less contact with each other. Then, after meeting again in a year or so, they find that they have nothing to talk about and feel very unfamiliar with each other. They might even feel that this connection has become meaningless, only adding to the awkwardness.

Xie An, as someone who has been through this, naturally knows the tricks of the trade. Not only does he not think that this kind of bond is meaningless, but he also knows very well… that the bonds built up in times of adversity are purer and stronger.

What's lacking is nothing more than careful maintenance. As for how far they can go in the future, that's up to time.

"Brother Lin, I didn't eat enough of the Laba porridge just now. How about… we go to Granny Wang's shop for something to eat?"

As soon as these words came out, everyone felt the same way.

Wang Xiang touched his stomach, "I didn't eat enough either. There was only one bowl of that Laba porridge, and it was all made in a big pot, tasting like chewing wax… There were so many big shots there, I didn't feel comfortable eating either. I might as well treat everyone."

Liang Zhi kicked his leg, "The Grand Steward and the future incense master are here, it's not your turn to treat. Go away."

Wang Xiang pretended to bend over and cover his leg, looking like he was in great pain.

Everyone couldn't help but laugh.

The feeling of estrangement from just now was diluted a lot.

Xie An said, "Brother Zhang has been treating us before. And Brother Lin has also treated us to a big meal. It's my turn to treat this time, no one is allowed to fight me for it."

Everyone smiled.

Lin Yun also felt the familiar feeling and said with a smile, "You are about to be promoted to incense master, so it's right for you to treat this meal. Going to Granny Wang's shop is already cheap for you."

Wang Xiang said, "That's easy. There are several large pleasure boats at the Water Lantern Wharf. I heard that the girls inside are absolutely amazing. Many traveling merchants and yamen clerks from the county government go there for entertainment. How about you splurge today, boss? Consider it a celebration of your inauguration."

Xie An was stunned and then looked at the people around him.

Zhou Xing was looking down at the road, Liang Zhi was looking around, pretending not to hear, Zhang Lin was looking at the sky, and Lin Yun didn't say anything either.

Okay, okay, okay.

So everyone wants to go.

It's just that Wang Xiang said it out loud. These guys wanted to go in their hearts, but they were too embarrassed to say it, so they simply pretended not to hear.

"Alright, then I'll treat everyone to have fun on the pleasure boat."

This world is different from the previous one. Going to brothels is not only not illegal, but it's also a very normal thing. Even many yamen clerks, officials, and young masters from wealthy families are regulars there.

You say that the ancients' concepts were traditional, and they were indeed traditional, with daughters not leaving their homes.

You say they were open, and they often went to brothels, with singing and dancing… and they were indeed open.

Is this a good phenomenon under the chaotic world?

…

Until dusk, everyone was full and satisfied, left the pleasure boat, and left with lingering feelings.

Because they had drunk alcohol, they were all arm in arm, calling each other 'brother,' where was there any sense of estrangement?

"Boss is generous, I like this kind of incense master."

"I like it too."

"Boss, when are we coming again?"

Everyone crowded around Xie An, calling him 'brother.'

Xie An's face turned dark.

It was good inside, the dishes were exquisite, the wine was good, and what was even more amazing was that the beauties were very eye-catching. Unlike the kind in his previous life where you went straight to the point after entering, this pleasure boat was very high-end. The girls inside were not only good-looking, but they could also sing and dance, and were proficient in all kinds of musical instruments.

Everything was good, except for the price.

Of course, due to Xie An's limited funds, he only treated everyone to flower wine. If you wanted more, the cost was really outrageous.

Even Xie An, who was about to take office as the incense master, couldn't afford it at the moment.

"Let's talk about it later, let's go back first. The black market is about to open, don't delay the main business."

Returning to the Blood Ridge Black Market, everyone opened for business as usual. Xie An returned to the courtyard, took a comfortable bath, and then took a jar of wine to the Blood Ridge mountain in the north to visit Abao.

As soon as he arrived at the mountain, Xie An heard someone under the towering pine tree.

It was Lin Yun.

Xie An didn't go over to disturb him, but leaned behind the tree and watched for a while.

He saw Lin Yun kneeling in front of the grave, opening a jar of old wine, and slowly pouring it on the ground, sobbing, "Abao, I, your brother, am sorry to you. After you left, Wei Dage and I were determined to guard this place, because this Blood Ridge is the place you guarded with your life. I was afraid that one day I would not be able to protect it, and others would occupy this place, disturbing your soul and preventing you from resting in peace.

Today, the heavens have opened their eyes. Xie An has guarded this place, he has become the incense master. I can finally breathe a sigh of relief and dare to come and see you.

Abao, drink this glass of wine, and may you rest in peace."

After pouring the wine, Lin Yun opened another jar of old wine, knelt down and moved his knees, turning to face the direction Wei Dian had left on horseback. He suddenly raised the wine jar and said to the distant mountains and rivers, "Wei Dage, Xie An has done it, he has guarded the Blood Ridge. You can rest assured on the road. If you can hear me, then drink this jar of wine with me!"

After speaking, Lin Yun raised his head, put the mouth of the wine jar to his mouth, and drank the wine in large gulps.

Letting the wine slide down the corners of his mouth, across his neck, soaking his clothes, and dripping onto the snow.

In the silent mountain, only the sound of the wind remained, as well as the 'glug' sound of Lin Yun, this rough man, gulping down wine.

Xie An was filled with emotion after seeing this, so he didn't go over to disturb him. Instead, he opened the seal of the wine jar and raised the wine jar high towards the direction Wei Dian had left, "Wei Dage, I have the Blood Ridge incense master in my hand, and I have not let you down. But I know that I still owe you a lot."

"The moon shines thousands of miles away, I offer you a glass of wine from afar, may you walk on starlight all the way."

Then, Xie An raised his head and swallowed a full jar of fiery old wine.

—— —— —— ——

ps: Here, it can be regarded as drawing a paragraph for the character of Wei Dian. Next, the truly exciting part of this book will begin~