Wuxia: Starting Off With 60 Years of Inner Strength

So he casually started talking about it with the Great Scholar.

The Great Scholar listened with rapt attention. He pulled a brush and ink from his robes, wet the tip on his tongue, and immediately began writing with a flourish.

He listened as he wrote, and whenever he came across something he didn’t understand, he would probe for every last detail.

For the parts Li Tianxin didn’t know himself, he would then ask Jiang Ran...

They continued until the group had finished their meal. The Great Scholar was still full of energy, but Li Tianxin’s throat was so parched from talking that he had to call a stop.

The Great Scholar didn’t mind, just saying with a smile:

"Then we’ll continue tomorrow. We’ll continue tomorrow."

"Great Scholar, are you planning on following me?"

Jiang Ran raised an eyebrow.

"But of course."

The Great Scholar chuckled.

"The Tea and Zither Appreciation Assembly has already started making waves in the martial world.

"The legendary Jiaowei zither is one of the Twelve Celestial Artificers.

"With such an item appearing in the martial world, how many people do you think will come flocking? Compared to that so-called Heroic Assembly in Cangzhou Prefecture, this is a truly momentous event for the martial world.

"Of course, I must stay by Young Hero Jiang’s side...

"...to record everything Young Hero Jiang sees and hears on this journey.

"For my *Golden Cicada Heroic Legend*, I intend to make this Tea and Zither Appreciation Assembly the very first Chapter."

"...As long as you’re happy, sir."

Jiang Ran casually lifted his wine gourd and took a drink.

"But don’t forget about the one hundred thousand silver you owe me... I’m the kind of person who values money as much as my life, so don’t make me come looking for it."

"..."

The Great Scholar was speechless for a long moment.

Ruan Yuqing, however, frowned slightly.

"Great Scholar, could you perhaps reveal how many people have their eyes on this Tea and Zither Appreciation Assembly at Sunset Plateau?"

"Oh, that’s hard to say..."

The Great Scholar said, counting on his fingers:

"As far as I know, the public contenders include the Fragrance Academy of Fragrance Mountain, the Rain Listening Tower of Huanqiu Lake, and Qifeng Manor of Evergreen Mansion.

"There are also some pretentious artistic types from the martial world, like ’Clumsy Zither’ Yan Wengge, ’Songstress’ Shang Yue’Er, and others...

"As for those operating in the shadows, there are even more.

"But I don’t know the specifics of who they are.

"However, I do know that Young Hero Jiang has a grudge with the Five Phantoms. Tu Wulang died at your hands.

"The remaining four also seem to be heading toward Three Immortals Mountain recently... You really must be on your guard."

After hearing this, Ruan Yuqing’s brow furrowed slightly.

"Have there been any movements from the people of the One Sect, Two Associations, Five Swords, Seven Sects, or Thirteen Gangs?"

"I haven’t heard anything about that."

The Great Scholar said:

"The Thirteen Gangs are mostly a bunch of brutes, a motley crew of good and bad. It’s hard to say if they’ll show up.

"As for the Seven Sects... they are too proud of their status. Even if they’re paying attention, they probably won’t actually get involved.

"And the Five Swords go without saying. Seeing as you are by Young Hero Jiang’s side, they likely won’t covet the Jiaowei zither.

"As for the One Sect and Two Associations.

"The Dao Yi Sect certainly won’t care about the Jiaowei zither.

"But as for what the Mountain and Sea Association and the Hundred Treasures Association will do, only they themselves know.

"Especially the Hundred Treasures Association... they specialize in collecting rare and exotic treasures. They might very well be interested in the Jiaowei.

"I’ve heard that the whereabouts of the Hundred Treasures Association’s Vice-Chief, Yan Wushuang, have been a mystery lately. I wonder if they’ll come to Three Immortals Mountain..."

"The Hundred Treasures Association..."

Jiang Ran glanced at the Great Scholar.

"You know about the Hundred Treasures Association as well, Great Scholar?"

"There probably aren’t many people in the martial world who *don’t* know about the Hundred Treasures Association."

Ruan Yuqing shook her head, looking at Jiang Ran with some surprise.

"You don’t know?"

"He’s always been out of the loop. He doesn’t know a thing."

Li Tianxin snorted, not passing up any opportunity to ridicule Jiang Ran.

Ruan Yuqing found it a little strange.

In the martial world, status was often determined by martial skill.

The higher one’s martial skill, the higher one’s standing, and typically, the greater one’s knowledge and experience.

Jiang Ran’s martial skill was astonishingly high, yet his worldliness was so shallow. It was quite strange.

But the thought passed in a flash, and she didn’t dwell on it, just saying with a smile:

"Speaking of the Hundred Treasures Association, Young Hero Jiang, why don’t you take a look at the silver notes in your hand."

Jiang Ran paused, finally realizing why the Hundred Treasures Association sounded so familiar.

He immediately pulled out a silver note to look. At the very top were the four large words: "Hundred Treasures Money Shop."

Of course, the Golden Cicada Dynasty didn’t just have one money shop.

Every prefecture and county had its own money shops, but the only one with branches throughout the entire Golden Cicada Dynasty was the Hundred Treasures Money Shop.

At the same time, silver notes from other money shops were often not interchangeable.

Only at the Hundred Treasures Money Shop could you exchange silver notes from any other money shop for silver, and vice versa.

That was why many merchants traveling the martial world didn’t recognize any other notes, only those from the Hundred Treasures Money Shop.

It saved them a great deal of trouble.

"So that’s how it is..."

Jiang Ran clicked his tongue in admiration. "They’ve got a grip on the financial power... I’m afraid the Hundred Treasures Association isn’t just an organization in the martial world. They must have intricate ties to the Court, right?"

"There’s no proof of that, but it’s a safe assumption."

Ruan Yuqing nodded. "After all, the Court would never allow an organization from the martial world to sit on such enormous wealth unchecked.

"But the exact nature of their relationship is something beyond our knowledge."

Jiang Ran nodded thoughtfully.

Then he heard Ruan Yuqing say:

"This trip, whether in the open or in the shadows, will not be a small matter. You have to be careful."

"Miss Ruan, you’ve said that a thousand times."

Jiang Ran let out a helpless laugh.

"I’ll be careful, don’t worry."

As their conversation reached this point, Jiang Ran suddenly looked up at the sky.

"What’s going on?"

Everyone else also looked up at the sky, only to see it dotted with countless stars and a cold, crescent moon... There was nothing out of the ordinary.

Li Tianxin looked down and glanced at Jiang Ran again.

"Did you see something in the sky?"

"I didn’t see it. I heard it."