Chapter 41

Hidden weapons rained down like a torrential downpour, blanketing the sky, riddling some of the most troublesome hard targets into "hornets' nests."

……

Watching one fresh life after another fade away, Jiang Sishui couldn't help but swallow hard, his heart unable to settle.

Wu Xia isn't just about living boldly and settling grudges—it also comes with countless dangers and cruelties.

That human lives are as cheap as weeds is no empty saying.

Without the System in hand, he would most likely struggle to take a single step in this world.

Even if he knew where certain divine arts were hidden, he might not live long enough to claim them—perish by sudden misfortune halfway there, dying on the spot.

Time slipped slowly by amid the thousand tangled thoughts in Jiang Sishui's mind; before he knew it, the sun was gradually sinking westward.

By the time the battling crowd sorted out a victor and each side withdrew, the sky was already near dusk.

The escort caravan could continue onward and couldn't help but quicken its pace a few degrees, hoping to find a suitable place to settle for the night.

Zhao Tianhao knew this area fairly well and knew that, if they moved fast enough, they could still reach the next inn before nightfall.

But contrary to his expectations, the road ahead was not easy to travel.

Not only were sharp, jagged rocks strewn everywhere, but thorny brambles lay across the roadside from time to time, and signs of fighting could be seen everywhere.

Judging by the look of it, an ambush had taken place here.

Zhao Tianhao sighed; it seemed they would have to sleep outdoors tonight.

Just as he was thinking this, after walking another small half-hour, an old, large manor estate suddenly appeared ahead.

The walls were cracked, vines clung to them, the interior was pitch-black, no lamplight in sight, cold and desolate, without a trace of human presence.

Clearly, this place had long been abandoned.

Zhao Tianhao told the others: "We'll stay here tonight."

The others had no objection and agreed one after another.

Zhao Tianhao had the escort guards spread out and inspect the entire manor; once it was confirmed safe, they moved in.

Then they brought out their supplies, lit a fire and cooked—ate what they should, drank what they should.

After the meal, aside from those taking turns keeping night watch, the rest went off to rest.

Jiang Sishui found a relatively clean room, spread out the bedding and blankets, lay down, and began writing today's diary entry.

【Today I ran into two people, around twenty-five years old, yet both were already Grandmasters, competing in lightness skill and footwork.】

【One was a handsome young master, the other an ugly monk.】

【Originally I didn't recognize them either, but after seeing that ugly monk, I knew who he was without even thinking.】

【A young monk, so ugly, yet dull-witted and foolish, looking like a simpleton—but kind-hearted, plain and pure, not like those many fat-bellied, hypocritical bald donkeys…】

【Among the Wu Xia works I know, only Hearing Xu Zhu fits the bill.】

【Xu Zhu is one of the three main characters of "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils," and also the most outrageously overpowered one in the book—even more so than Duan Yu. He's hailed as the author's "favorite son," greatly favored.】

【But isn't this kid supposed to have risen only after accidentally solving the "Zhenlong Chess Puzzle" and receiving Wu Ya Zi transmits skills from Wu Wu Ya Zi?】

【Now the "Zhenlongqi Society" hasn't even started yet—how is he already a Grandmaster?】

"That little master is actually one of the main characters of Demi-Gods?"

Inside the inn, A Bi covered her mouth and gasped softly, her face full of astonishment.

Judging from Jiang Sishui's earlier diary entries, she, Wang Yuyan, and A Zhu were all characters from "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils" as well.

She hadn't expected that the ugly monk from the day was from the same book as them—and was even a main character!

How could she not be astonished?

"That little master doesn't look very bright—could he really have solved the 'Zhenlong Chess Puzzle'?" A Bi was greatly curious.

Although the diary said he solved it by accident, she couldn't figure out how exactly that "accident" worked.

Since leaving home, Wang Yuyan had been staying with the two girls. Hearing this, she said: "Since he's a main character and hailed as the 'author's favorite son,' he must have his own encounters."

A Bi nodded at her words.

Suddenly feeling it had gone quiet, she then noticed A Zhu spacing out alone: "Sister A Zhu, what's wrong?"

A Zhu glanced at her and said: "Haven't you noticed?"

Wang Yuyan and A Bi exchanged a glance and shook their heads: "Noticed what?"

A Zhu pointed at the diary copy: "The relationship between this Xu Zhu and Ye Mengse!"

The relationship between Xu Zhu and Ye Mengse?

The two girls thought carefully, then suddenly started: "Xu Zhu is Ye Mengse's son!"

A Zhu tilted her delicate chin and nodded lightly: "The diary's owner said that if he can't deal with Ye Mengse for now, he should go snatch her son's opportunity first."

"Clearly, the opportunity in his mouth is Wu Wu Ya Zi's Transmit skills."

"And he just said again that this Demi-Gods main character Xu Zhu rose by solving the 'Zhenlong Chess Puzzle,' so isn't the opportunity he snatched originally supposed to belong to Xu Zhu?"

"So…"

At this point, A Zhu stopped.

Wang Yuyan and A Bi exchanged glances, never expecting that the son of a woman who stopped at nothing evil could have such a kind nature.

The ways of the world truly were strange.

At the same time, not only A Zhu, but many clever and quick-witted women, connecting the earlier and later passages, had all thought of this point.

【Could it be because the Shaolin of today is incomparable to the one in the original work, full of talented people, so they discovered Xu Zhu's martial arts talent and cultivated him heavily?】

【True—although Xu Zhu is a bit slow and foolish, and was even scolded as a stupid monk by Tianshan Tonglao Wu Xingyun many times, that depends on who you compare him to.】

【Compared to the other two main characters, Helmsman Qiao Feng and Duan Yu, he naturally falls short, but compared to ordinary people, he far surpasses them.】

【Otherwise, it would be impossible for him to have just Learn Lightness Skill, applying it on the spot, and still keep Li Qiushui from catching up for a time.】

【One must remember that Li Qiushui's cultivation at the time was no weaker than Xu Zhu's.】

【There were also the 'Six Yang Palms of Tianshan' and the 'Plum-Blossom Folding Hand of Tianshan,' both profound martial arts, yet he mastered them all within just over two months.】

【This shows that Hearing Xu Zhu's martial arts talent was not weak; it was simply that Shaolin failed to recognize talent and had wasted him since childhood.】

【In this world, he was fortunate enough to meet a discerning mentor and cultivated into a Grand Master of the Xiuchengda Sect — which is also within reason.】

Xinzhou, Mount Tianshan, Lingjiu Palace.

The four sword maidservants Mei, Lan, Zhu, and Ju gathered together, exchanging uncertain glances.

"Grandma is teaching that ugly monk the 'Six Yang Palms of Tianshan' and the 'Plum-Blossom Folding Hand of Tianshan'? How could that be possible?"

"Li Qiushui? That's Grandma's sworn enemy!"

"What on earth happened in between?"

"Sigh, if only Grandma had a diary copy too."

Zhu Sword suddenly sighed, and the four maids fell silent.

After learning that Wu Xingyun had no diary copy, they had checked her rating—

【Character: Wu Xingyun (Tianshan Tonglao)】

【Appearance: 8】

【Favorability: 6】

And the four of them shared the same rating, all—

【Character: Mei, Lan, Zhu, Ju】

【Appearance: 9】

【Favorability: 8】

Seeing this result, all four maids felt nothing but regret.

In their view, Grandma was far more beautiful than they were; at least judging by that face alone, all four maids admitted she outshone them.

Unfortunately, Grandma's body was that of a child.

The head of a young woman on the body of an eight- or nine-year-old girl... even though Wu Xingyun was naturally beautiful with an excellent foundation, it inevitably looked somewhat off.

On top of that, Wu Xingyun was nearly a hundred years old, and her voice had long lost the tender freshness of her youth, which dragged down her appearance rating.

Otherwise, her appearance would undoubtedly be a perfect score.

In that case, she would have been able to obtain a diary copy too.

Mei Sword suddenly said, "Perhaps in the future we can receive a reward and cure Grandma."

Lan Sword's eyes lit up, and she chimed in, "Exactly! As long as Grandma's body recovers, she will surely be able to obtain a diary copy."

"Too bad we don't know when he'll mention us." Zhu Sword poured cold water on the idea.

Ju Sword suggested, "Grandma will be entering closed-door cultivation in a while. Why don't Third Sister and I go down the mountain to find him?"