Immortal Travel of Longevity

Publish Time: 2026-07-20 22:32:00

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«Chapter 572: The Muddy Jianghu

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A fierce fire erupted within the Opera House.

‘Ouyang Feng,’ covered in wounds, was completely exhausted. His eyelids drooped. After staggering just a few steps, he collapsed.

“Thud.”

Something, along with his long saber, fell to the ground.

It was his obsession with this Jianghu.

For the people of Jianghu, many things in it mattered more than life itself – their unique grudges and loves, their freedom, their great righteousness, and so much else.

Ouyang Feng sighed deeply in his heart. In his fading vision, he saw gleaming blades slicing towards him.

He didn’t regret this path. He just hated that he had been blind.

In that dazed moment…

The fire raging within the teahouse suddenly froze.

The sounds around him all ceased in that instant.

Everything became impossibly still in a flash.

‘Have I died…?’

Ouyang Feng wondered inwardly, voicing a final, silent lament.

It was just… so hard to accept… so unwilling…

“Young Hero.”

A voice suddenly whispered beside his ear.

Ouyang Feng froze, then snapped his eyes open.

As he looked around, he saw his surroundings had dissolved into nothingness. Beneath his feet shimmered ripples of light. Everything outside seemed severed.

Directly before him stood a man dressed in a green robe.

“Sir…”

Ouyang Feng was bewildered, unsure of his location or how the Green-Robed Gentleman, Mr. Chen, had arrived.

Chen Changsheng spoke: “Young Hero, no need for surprise. I am here merely to ask: do you regret your path? Or perhaps, to inquire if you would accept my proposal.”

Ouyang Feng paused, then stepped forward. “I… could still live?”

Chen Changsheng replied, “That depends upon your choice. I believe executing evil is far less meaningful than guiding men towards good. Furthermore, there is a matter… a favor I must ask of you, Young Hero.”

Ouyang Feng blinked, confusion clouding his eyes.

He didn’t know if he could truly change.

To leave behind his unrestrained life and become a ‘good’ man whose hands held no blood?

“Please, Sir, enlighten me,” Ouyang Feng urged.

Chen Changsheng said, “I have some… old acquaintances in Qingshan City. Yet I am often absent. Given your formidable martial skills, Young Hero, I wish to ask you to watch over them.”

Ouyang Feng’s lips parted slightly. “But Sir… could I truly… ever start anew?”

A man drenched in blood, countless enemies at his back – how could he speak of redemption? When the descendants of those he wronged sought vengeance, should he kill them? Or let himself be killed?

Chen Changsheng looked at him. “Young Hero, haven’t you already died?”

The words struck Ouyang Feng like a physical blow. Understanding dawned. It would have been a wasted life in the Jianghu if he failed to grasp this now.

Ouyang Feng dropped to his knees and kowtowed, pressing his forehead to the ground.

“My gratitude towards you, Sir, is boundless!”

Chen Changsheng responded calmly, “I am simply helping myself.”

The illusion before Ouyang Feng’s eyes faded and dissolved.

He slipped into unconsciousness. In that last flicker of awareness, he saw a world ablaze, but the flying blades and clashing swords were gone.

Later that night…

Over a dozen assassins swung their weapons at the man formerly known as ‘Qin Sanlang,’ whose face was still streaked with stage paint.

Flesh spattered. Each strike aimed to kill.

CRASH!

The main beam of the Opera House gave way, collapsing downwards and crushing ‘Qin Sanlang’ beneath its weight.

The attackers stumbled back hastily.

“Get out! It’s coming down!”

The dozen assassins scattered in all directions, fleeing the collapsing structure. They vanished into adjacent streets and alleys between one breath and the next.

Unbeknownst to them…

The figure pinned beneath the beam caught fire. The living man vanished, transforming instantly into a single, burning Paper Doll.

Poof.

The Paper Doll ignited, burning fiercely to ashes, leaving no trace.

“Water Crossing! Help! Fetch water!”

Soon, officers from the Yamen arrived. Servants from the Opera House frantically drew water from the well, throwing bucket after bucket onto the flames.

The inferno raged from midnight until dawn.

Only as the faintest white glow lightened the distant horizon did the fire finally die, leaving tendrils of white smoke rising above utter desolation. What stood the night before was now a skeleton of tumbled walls and blackened rubble.

………

The sky lightened.

Ruyi emerged from the Embroidery Workshop only that morning. Work had kept her late yesterday, so she had slept there.

Walking home, she overheard talk about the Water Crossing during the night.

“It burned so fiercely! Completely gutted, nothing left intact!”

“Such a shame. A place to find joy, just gone like that. Ah…”

“How did the fire start?”

The people chatting on the street knew only fragments. Still, one person stepped forward.

“I might know something… but you mustn’t spread it.”

“Eh? It wasn’t just the Water Crossing?”

“I was there at that Opera House yesterday, I saw it clearly.”

“Tell us, quickly!”

Ruyi, curious, slowed her steps to listen.

“Last night, I saw more than ten sword-wielding men charge onto the stage. The Martial Artist playing the role of Qin Sanlang pulled a long saber from under a table and fought them! I was terrified, so I fled. Don’t know what happened next. The Martial Artist… he’s probably dead.”

“Could that be true!?”

“Murder in broad daylight?”

Everyone gasped in shock.

Ruyi, lagging behind, also felt a jolt of surprise.

“Absolutely true! Those men were incredibly fierce, leaped onto the stage in mere strides. Each one a Master Martial Artist.”

“Likely the Martial Artist died right there. That fire… probably cooked his bones clean.”

“Hiss…”

The group collectively sucked in air through their teeth, silently shaking their heads in disbelief.

In such peaceful times? How could this happen? It was downright frightening.

Jianghu grievance?

The thought formed in Ruyi’s mind. She was curious, but she remembered Mr. Chen’s earlier warning. Better not to seek excitement, she decided.

She shook her head and turned onto Chuanfeng Lane.

Entering the familiar lane, she walked directly into the neighboring courtyard without hesitation.

Ruyi had long treated Uncle Chen’s place as her own home.

“Lihua!”

“Lihua!”

She called twice, then knocked on the door.

Lihua hopped onto the wall and peered down.

“Ruyi didn’t come home yesterday?” Lihua blinked.

Ruyi said, “Slept at the Embroidery Workshop last night. Now open the door!”

Lihua made an affirmative sound and jumped off to let her in.

Entering, Ruyi went straight to the stone table and sat down.

She sighed deeply, stretching her tired limbs. The workshop simply wasn’t as comfortable as home.

She glanced around. “Where’s Uncle Chen?”

Lihua shook her head. “Don’t know. Good Human Chen sneaked out last night. Didn’t take Lihua. Still not back.”

Ruyi sat straight up abruptly.

“When did he leave?” she pressed.

Lihua blinked slowly. “When it became dark.”

Asking the cat wasn’t helpful. Anxiety flared within Ruyi.

Had Uncle Chen left again without a word?!

She leapt to her feet and darted towards the gate.

Lihua asked, “Where is Ruyi going?”

“To find Uncle Chen.”

“Lihua comes too!”

And so, the young woman and the cat hurried out the door.

They hadn’t even made it out of the lane when they bumped into Chen Changsheng, returning from outside.

«Chapter 572: The Muddy Jianghu

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