Chapter 11: Chapter 10: Old Fox
The Wind Media Spy from the Celestial Wind Listening Rain Tower felt the corner of his mouth twitch.
He knew he was supposed to play along with Chen Yuan’s act, but hearing the lines come out of Chen Yuan’s mouth still made him cringe.
’This guy’s from a gang! Just a few days ago, he was at the Forget Sorrow Building, and he lopped off some guy’s head just for running his mouth. And now he’s trying to play the part of a righteous Jianghu Hero in front of me?’
But his boss had given the order, so he had no choice but to bite the bullet and keep up the act.
"Harming family is off-limits? How ridiculous!"
The lead Wind Media Spy said coldly, "Kid, this is a grudge between my Profound Whale Gang and Zuo Xinglie. I’d advise you to mind your own business. Otherwise, I’ll kill you right along with him!"
"Profound Whale Gang, Big Fish Gang, who cares! This is Lianshan City, my Celestial Wolf Gang’s turf! I’d like to see you try and kill me!"
Chen Yuan turned to Zuo Xinglie. "Sir, you go on ahead. I’ll hold them off for you."
Zuo Xinglie gasped for breath and said immediately, "Thank you for your help, Young Hero. I am eternally grateful."
Without another word, Zuo Xinglie scooped up his granddaughter and fled without a moment’s hesitation.
Chen Yuan watched Zuo Xinglie’s retreating figure with an enigmatic smile, then turned and clashed with the spies from the Celestial Wind Listening Rain Tower.
Unsure if Zuo Xinglie might look back, Chen Yuan truly fought them fiercely at first. However, neither side was aiming to kill.
The more the lead spy from the Celestial Wind Listening Rain Tower fought, the more alarmed he became.
He hadn’t actually thought much of Chen Yuan before.
Even though he was just a peripheral spy for the Celestial Wind Listening Rain Tower, only fit for rough work like fighting and killing, he was still a member of a top-tier faction.
In his eyes, a Martial Artist like Chen Yuan from some small-city gang was no different from a country bumpkin—the kind of person with a narrow, frog-in-a-well view of the world.
Who would have thought that Chen Yuan’s Celestial Wolf Saber Technique would be so masterfully executed, and his Inner Power Cultivation so incredibly solid.
He, a Meridian Passage Realm expert, along with a dozen or so Body Tempering Realm Martial Artists, were barely fighting him to a standstill.
Moreover, he could sense that while they were holding back, Chen Yuan was holding back even more, with trump cards yet to be revealed.
In a real life-or-death battle, it was uncertain who would emerge alive.
After fighting for a while, they felt Zuo Xinglie was probably far enough away, and both sides immediately stopped.
Chen Yuan cupped his fist at them. "Thanks. Sorry for the trouble."
The lead Wind Media Spy returned the gesture politely. "You’re too kind, Master Chen. The boss gave the order. This is just what we’re supposed to do."
With that, he led his men and scattered in all directions.
Chen Yuan immediately set off in pursuit, following the direction Zuo Xinglie had fled.
But just then, Chen Yuan stopped abruptly. He glanced over his shoulder, a slight frown on his face.
He didn’t linger, however, and immediately resumed the chase.
Zuo Xinglie was genuinely terrified and ran with incredible speed.
In that short time, he had already escaped Lianshan City and found a temporary hiding spot in the dense forest on its outskirts.
It wasn’t that he didn’t want to keep running; he simply couldn’t. He collapsed under a tree, eyes closed, gasping for air as if his heart were about to burst.
Without his Inner Strength, relying on physical stamina alone to escape had pushed him to his absolute limit.
"Grandpa, Grandpa, are you okay?"
His granddaughter’s eyes were red as she gently patted his chest.
"Don’t cry, little one. Grandpa isn’t going to die."
Zuo Xinglie let out a long breath and, using his Miao Saber for support, tried to stand up.
’That young man seemed quite strong, but the Profound Whale Gang had over a dozen men. He wouldn’t be able to hold them off for long.’
’Without my Inner Strength, I can’t even conceal my tracks. They’ll surely follow my trail. Hiding is useless. I have to escape as quickly as possible.’
Just then, the sound of footsteps broke the silence. Zuo Xinglie jerked the Miao Saber in his hand, holding it defensively before him.
"Don’t be alarmed, sir. It’s me."
Chen Yuan pushed aside some branches and appeared before Zuo Xinglie.
"Young Hero, did you take care of all of them?"
Chen Yuan declared proudly, "That bunch claimed to be from some Profound Whale Gang, but here in Lianshan City, the Celestial Wolf Gang calls the shots! Once I made my move, members from my hall noticed the commotion and dealt with them.
"Those people from Lan Province have no respect for the rules of the Jianghu, attacking the old and the young. Absolutely shameless!
"You can rest easy and go back now, sir. As long as the Celestial Wolf Gang is around, that damn Profound Whale Gang won’t dare to act so wantonly in Lianshan City!"
Chen Yuan wasn’t sure if Zuo Xinglie knew who he was, so he didn’t hide his affiliation with the Celestial Wolf Gang.
He was merely playing the part of a naive young man, full of righteous indignation but new to the Jianghu—a frog in a well who didn’t understand the true power the Profound Whale Gang represented.
Zuo Xinglie gave a bitter smile internally.
’Forget a mere Celestial Wolf Gang. Even the Celestial Wolf Gang and the Black Water Gang combined weren’t as strong as a single branch of the Profound Whale Gang.’
’After absorbing my Thirty-Six Waterway Alliance, the Profound Whale Gang has completely dominated the Jiulong River. Their power and influence must have skyrocketed.’
"The Profound Whale Gang and I have a deep-seated feud. Even though I have washed my hands of the Jianghu and gone into retirement, they will never let me go.
"The fact that they found me in Lianshan City proves my location has been exposed. If I stay here, not only will I live in constant fear, but I will also end up implicating you, Young Hero."
Zuo Xinglie sighed. "The Jianghu is vast; I can make a home anywhere. It’s best if I find a new place to live in seclusion.
"Today, you saved my granddaughter and me, Young Hero. I am eternally grateful.
"But I am a destitute old man now, with nothing of value to my name. I can only offer you the Cultivation Techniques that once made me famous as a small token of my gratitude."
As he spoke, Zuo Xinglie pulled two thin manuals from his robes and pressed them into Chen Yuan’s hands.
The titles written on the manuals were none other than the *Surging Waves and Flowing Clouds Technique* and the *Autumn Water Shocking Swan Saber Technique*.
Chen Yuan was about to make a polite refusal, but Zuo Xinglie cut him off. "Please don’t refuse, Young Hero. These two Cultivation Techniques are the only things of value I have left to offer.
"I’m a crippled man now. In my hands, these techniques will only rot in the ground with me.
"Therefore, I hope you will cultivate these two techniques and allow them to be passed on. That way, their time in the Jianghu will not have been in vain."
Chen Yuan’s expression turned solemn. He cupped his fist and said, "Rest assured, sir. I will absolutely not let these two techniques fall into obscurity."
Zuo Xinglie cupped his fist in thanks, then took his granddaughter’s hand and hurried away, as if pursuers were still hot on his heels.
Once Zuo Xinglie’s figure had completely vanished, a strange smile touched Chen Yuan’s lips. He uttered two words: "Old fox!"
He had been putting on an act for Zuo Xinglie, but hadn’t Zuo Xinglie been doing the exact same thing?
The old man was no saint.
To put it bluntly, the Thirty-Six Waterway Alliance on the Jiulong River was just another gang, making its living by extorting protection fees from passing merchant ships.
Zuo Xinglie himself was a ruthless outlaw chieftain. While not quite an Evil Demon, he was far from a good person—a vicious and merciless character.
Would a man like that truly trust a stranger? Would he really believe in nonsense like "repaying a drop of kindness with a gushing spring"?
Chen Yuan had found it strange before. In the original game’s plot, the player merely had to help Zuo Xinglie cover his tracks to receive his two most prized Cultivation Techniques. It made Zuo Xinglie seem far too sentimental.
Today, after Chen Yuan had saved him, Zuo Xinglie had been just as eager, practically forcing the techniques on him as if terrified he wouldn’t accept.
This attitude finally made Chen Yuan understand Zuo Xinglie’s true intentions.
He just wanted someone to cultivate the *Surging Waves and Flowing Clouds Technique* and the *Autumn Water Shocking Swan Saber Technique*. That way, when the Profound Whale Gang came looking, they would mistake that person for his successor, diverting their attention.
To put it bluntly, Zuo Xinglie’s generous gift of his techniques was just a way to find a scapegoat to draw the enemy’s fire, giving him time to calmly find his next hiding place.
This old fox could screw over his own savior without batting an eye, which just went to show the depths of his cunning and the coldness of his heart.
However, this was exactly what Chen Yuan wanted.
He had originally prepared several different plans to coax the Cultivation Techniques out of Zuo Xinglie.
Following the original plot was the best-case scenario, but if that didn’t work, he had other options.
He never expected it to be so effortless; the techniques had practically been delivered to his doorstep.
As for the Profound Whale Gang, Chen Yuan wasn’t worried in the slightest.
By the time the Profound Whale Gang returned, the entire power structure of Lianshan City would have been reshuffled. Who would they even look for?
Chen Yuan and Zuo Xinglie had both been scheming against each other, and in the end, both had gotten what they wanted. It was a mutually beneficial exchange.
Still, Chen Yuan felt that Zuo Xinglie had gotten the better end of the deal.
In the original plot, he was actually found by the Profound Whale Gang, forcing him to flee in a hurry.
Now, he had escaped early. With the Profound Whale Gang still on its way, he had much more time to make arrangements at his leisure.
Just then, Chen Yuan suddenly glanced behind him and said coolly, "Have you had your fill of watching the show? Come on out."
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