A ferocious tiger breaks out of its cage!!!
Xuan Hu City.
The sun was setting in the west, the bustling crowds of the marketplace had dispersed, but someone was only just getting ready to set out.
Luo Qingcheng wore plain, coarse clothes.
Her complexion was much better than when she’d first escaped, but she still looked tired.
After two days on the run, she was far from Wu Xun Peak, but along the way she’d heard plenty of rumors—especially that Chen Tanghe had ordered her to be captured alive, with a bounty of a hundred taels of silver.
Just because she escaped, they had to use the Alliance Leader’s order to have the whole world hunt down a single woman? Ridiculous! But she didn’t even have the energy to mock herself anymore.
Pulling her clothes tighter, Luo Qingcheng stepped out of the ruined temple and walked with her head down through the deserted alleys.
At night, only a few taverns still had lanterns hanging high.
In the dim light, she slowly passed by an inn called “Chenxiang Inn.” As she walked past the door, she heard a burst of angry shouting, but Luo Qingcheng didn’t slow down—she’d never cared about pointless quarrels like this.
“Damn it! Look at you, turns out you’re just a beggar! And you dare drink without paying!” A burly man shouted at the top of his lungs, his accent thick and his words slurred.
He was holding a child’s clothes in his hand, and suddenly flung them aside, sending someone crashing out the door, landing right in Luo Qingcheng’s path.
Luo Qingcheng frowned slightly and planned to walk around.
“Hic! …Another… another jar of Drunken Immortal… Good! Good! I want… to drink! Hic…” The person reeked of alcohol, who knows how many days since she’d last bathed, her hair tangled, her clothes filthy—at first glance, she really did look like a beggar.
But her voice was clear, obviously a young woman, just in a wretched state.
“No money to drink? Want to drink? Fine! I’ll just sell you to a brothel! Then you can drink as much as you want! And pay off your debt while you’re at it!” The burly man grabbed the girl’s arm, about to drag her away.
Luo Qingcheng glanced over and realized the girl was actually Shi Cuiyan.
Gone was her usual clever cuteness—now she was a mess, enough to make anyone lose their appetite.
Was the once-adventurous Cui Ling Long now just a down-and-out drunk?
“Wait.” Luo Qingcheng suddenly called out to the man dragging Shi Cuiyan.
“What?” The man turned, looking impatient.
“How much does she owe you for the wine? I’ll pay.” Luo Qingcheng pulled out the last few indigo coins from her sleeve.
“That’s it? Not enough!” The man shook his head, his flabby flesh wobbling disgustingly.
“How much more?” Luo Qingcheng raised an eyebrow.
This was all the money she’d managed to grab when she escaped the main base.
“Damn! This girl can really drink! She finished all my best Drunken Immortal! At least another twenty taels!” The man looked Luo Qingcheng up and down, saw she was just as miserable, and didn’t expect her to have any more money.
He grabbed the drunken Shi Cuiyan, ready to leave.
Luo Qingcheng’s eyes darkened and she clenched her fists.
She’d lost her martial arts—there was no way she could beat this man.
“Wait,” she called out, raising her voice.
Luo Qingcheng took off the long sword at her waist and said, “This sword has three gemstones inlaid on it.
It’s worth more than twenty taels.
I’ll use it to redeem that girl, all right?” For those who valued martial arts, weapons were precious—having a sword meant you could protect yourself.
But she had no choice but to trade her sword for a person.
The man saw the three sparkling gems on the hilt and hesitated.
“Just a few stones, worth twenty taels?” he said suspiciously.
“Believe it or not, but I guarantee, if the girl in your hands sobers up, you won’t be able to sell her to any brothel.
Instead of chasing a rabbit that’ll just run away, why not take a few stones?” Luo Qingcheng moved quickly, tossing the sword forward.
The man thought for a moment, then took the sword and shoved Shi Cuiyan toward her.
“Fine! This woman isn’t worth much anyway.
I’ll just pawn the sword.” The man took the sword and went back into the inn.
Outside Chenxiang Inn, two equally wretched women stood in the moonlight.
Luo Qingcheng hadn’t helped Shi Cuiyan because they were old acquaintances, but because she needed something from her.
Luo Qingcheng walked over, and the woman at her feet was still muttering drunkenly—laughing one moment, shouting angrily the next, her eyes cold.
Luo Qingcheng took a deep breath, hoisted Shi Cuiyan onto her shoulder, and staggered away from the inn.
It was pitch black as Luo Qingcheng led Shi Cuiyan out of the small town.
In the wild countryside, the road was rough, and Luo Qingcheng nearly fell several times.
Only now did she realize how hard it was for an ordinary woman to survive in the Jianghu without martial arts.
Her chest heaved as she finally made it down to the riverbank.
Without hesitation, Luo Qingcheng tossed Shi Cuiyan into the flowing stream.
There was a loud splash as water flew everywhere.
In less than a moment, Shi Cuiyan shot up from the water, soaked and shivering from the cold.
“Are you trying to kill me?! It’s freezing! Freezing! Who the hell dared to set me up?!” Shi Cuiyan shouted, the alcohol almost instantly sobered by the cold.
She looked up and, to her shock, saw Luo Qingcheng.
She’d never dreamed that after three years apart, they’d meet again—especially in such a sorry state.
Luo Qingcheng still carried herself with pride, her face stern as she turned to leave without even raising an eyebrow.
“Hey? Luo—” Shi Cuiyan floundered in the water for a while.
“Luo Qingcheng! Wait up!” Her clothes were soaked and heavy, making it hard to walk.
Shi Cuiyan rubbed her arms and caught up to Luo Qingcheng, who was gathering firewood and had just gotten a fire going.
Shi Cuiyan immediately went to warm herself, water dripping from her hair, her face pale from the cold, but still with a faint smile on her lips.
Her mischievous nature was undiminished as she looked Luo Qingcheng up and down, a playful glint in her eyes.
“Never thought it’d be you, Luo Family Head.” Shi Cuiyan habitually twirled a lock of hair and said lightly, “It’s been three years, hasn’t it? Haha, time flies—three years gone in a flash…” The more she spoke, the weaker her voice became, until the words caught in her throat.
She wanted to say something, but couldn’t.
That thing three years ago was what had left her in such a miserable state.
“Where’s Xue Baihua?” Luo Qingcheng suddenly asked.
“Who?” Shi Cuiyan was stunned, then forced a smile.
“You mean Xue Baihua? How would I know where she is?”
“Aren’t you the Jianghu Informant?” Luo Qingcheng’s eyes grew cold, a hint of anger in her voice.
“Look at me—do I still look like the Jianghu Informant?” Shi Cuiyan laughed and waved her hand.
“I’m not anymore.
Jianghu Informant, Cui Ling Long… I’m not any of those things.
Those empty titles aren’t worth having.
I’d rather live like this—drink when I want, sing when I want.
Life is short, why not be free and happy?”
Then why the bitter smile? Luo Qingcheng lowered her eyes, but didn’t ask.
“But even though I don’t trade in information anymore, I’ve still heard plenty of gossip about the Luo Family Head in the taverns.
You’re really something—killed a righteous sect disciple, took a rich merchant’s head.
Tsk tsk, so impressive.
Now everyone says you’ve gone mad, but you don’t look it to me.
Boss, you’re not going to go crazy and kill me, are you?” Shi Cuiyan giggled.
Luo Qingcheng said nothing.
Killed a righteous disciple? Took a rich merchant’s head? Driven to madness? Could a woman with no martial arts left really do all that?
“Hmph.” Luo Qingcheng could only let out a cold snort—she couldn’t find any other words to express her helplessness.
Shi Cuiyan pursed her lips.
When she first heard Luo Qingcheng had killed someone, she didn’t believe it.
But as the rumors spread, the dead were said to be alive, and she started to doubt.
Now, seeing Luo Qingcheng in such a sorry state, it was clear those idle rumors weren’t worth listening to.
Driven to madness? More like half-dead, if you asked her.
Shi Cuiyan stared at Luo Qingcheng for a long time, wanting to ask something but unable to get the words out.
Even though they were old acquaintances, not quite friends, they’d searched for treasure together, even fought side by side—Shi Cuiyan, usually so good at playing along and talking nonsense, found herself unable to say anything.
She pressed her lips together and stayed silent.
Luo Qingcheng lowered her head for a moment, then suddenly stood up without a word, as if to leave.
“Hey! Boss—Luo Qingcheng!” Shi Cuiyan jumped up and called after her.
Luo Qingcheng stopped, but didn’t turn around.
