"It's Qiao Feng!"
Murong Bo's expression turned grim.
The real main character had arrived.
Murong Fu instinctively licked his lips nervously and drew his sword. Facing his mortal enemy, Xiao Feng, he was tense. Yet Xiao Feng ignored him entirely, walking straight to Chu Yang. He clasped his hands and bowed deeply.
"Xiao Feng heard of your arrival, Mr. Chu, and feared villains might gang up on you. I came to assist you, only to be in your debt once again. I have no way to repay you."
The crowd was in an uproar, gasping in disbelief.
The former Beggar Sect leader Qiao Feng, now a lackey for this "demon"?
Chu Yang had anticipated Xiao Feng's involvement but didn't expect it to be for his sake.
"How is Miss Azhu doing lately?" Chu Yang asked.
"Thanks to your help, she's well," Xiao Feng replied. "In a few days, she'll accompany me to the frontier."
"Better not make that proclamation—it's bad luck," Chu Yang quipped.
Xiao Feng looked confused.
Abbot Xuanci, still confronting Murong Bo, lowered his head and murmured a Buddhist chant upon seeing Xiao Feng, his face filled with guilt.
"A Khitan dog and a demon—what a perfect alliance!"
"Everyone, compared to these two, my Xianbei heritage is hardly a threat, don't you think?"
Murong Bo tried to rally the crowd, inciting those hostile to Chu Yang and Xiao Feng.
Xiao Feng's intention to help was noble, but he underestimated the fact that he, too, was a focal point of hatred.
Together, they stood as the common enemy of nearly every martial sect.
The voices of agreement grew louder, and Murong Bo, satisfied, whispered to Abbot Xuanci, "Abbot, consider the bigger picture."
Xuanci's gaze was complicated as he remained silent.
Xiao Feng stood before Chu Yang, his energy circulating, prepared for a fight to the death.
Suddenly, a noble young man in a long robe pushed through the crowd, stumbling to Xiao Feng's side.
"Big Brother!"
Xiao Feng exclaimed in surprise, "Second Brother?!"
Wiping sweat from his forehead, Duan Yu grinned. "Big Brother, don't worry, your little brother is here to support you!"
After a brief exchange, more people emerged from the crowd, led by the charismatic King of Dali, Duan Zhengchun, followed by his retainers.
Xiao Feng and Duan Zhengchun exchanged awkward glances, both aware that Azhu was Duan Zhengchun's daughter and likely Xiao Feng's future wife.
Concerned about implicating Duan Yu and Duan Zhengchun, Xiao Feng urged, "Second Brother, don't get involved today. Please leave with the King of Dali."
Duan Yu protested, but Duan Zhengchun, with a stern expression, pulled him back, acknowledging that this conflict was beyond their capacity to handle.
Amid this tense standoff, Chu Yang yawned lazily, walked to Xiao Feng's side, and patted his shoulder. "You don't need to get involved either. Leave with them."
Xiao Feng froze, hearing his own words echoed back.
"Don't make things difficult for the King of Dali," Chu Yang continued. "Azhu is his daughter. If something happens, she'll be heartbroken."
"Besides," Chu Yang smirked, "even if everyone here opposes me, they're nothing more than clay chickens and pottery dogs, unworthy of concern."
Xiao Feng, infected by Chu Yang's overwhelming confidence, stepped back with a bow, opting to stand guard by the carriage instead of leaving entirely.
Chu Yang mocked Murong Bo and gestured to him, then to the crowd. "Well? Waiting for me to kill you one by one?"
The crowd was in uproar, and the tense atmosphere reached its peak as Murong Bo led the charge, followed by sect leaders and disciples, all resolved to fight to the death.
Yet Chu Yang stood unmoved, dismantling them one by one with devastating ease.
As bodies piled up and the surviving sect leaders knelt in fear, Chu Yang coldly asked, "No more purging demons for justice?"
Faced with their groveling, he turned away in disdain, leaving the survivors to their fate.
In the aftermath, Chu Yang approached Abbot Xuanci, coldly remarking, "As the host, Shaolin bears responsibility."
Xuanci offered to die alone to spare the monastery, but Chu Yang refused, stating, "Your life belongs to Xiao Feng."
Yet before Xiao Feng could decide, a shadowy figure struck Xuanci, ending his life. Xiao Feng, shocked, chased after the assassin.
Calmly, Chu Yang headed toward the Scripture Pavilion, brushing off Xuanci's dying pleas for mercy for the monastery's monks.
At the pavilion, the Sweeping Monk greeted him, urging him to read Buddhist scriptures to quell his killing intent. The monk acknowledged Chu Yang's overwhelming prowess, humbly declaring himself unworthy of comparison.
Chu Yang laughed heartily, surprised by the monk's humility. "I thought you might try to convert me, like you did with Xiao Yuanshan and Murong Bo."
The monk froze, his expression betraying a rare trace of alarm.
"Since you aren't stopping me, I will go in now." After saying this, Chu Yang turned around, waved at Huang Rong, and signaled for her to come in with him.
Huang Rong immediately beamed with joy, like a little squirrel, hopping and skipping as she followed Chu Yang.
"Mr. Chu is already a godlike figure. Why is he still so obsessed with the martial arts of ordinary people?"
The Sweeping Monk was puzzled and couldn't figure out what Chu Yang was thinking.
"Because it's interesting."
Chu Yang gave an answer that only made the Sweeping Monk more confused. Under his bewildered gaze, Chu Yang entered the Scripture Pavilion.
One and a half months later.
The carriage returned to the familiar small town of Southern Song.
Pushing open the door and looking at the courtyard bathed in sunlight, Chu Yang felt as if he had just returned from another world.
What was initially just an attempt to acquire a book on the "Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill" had unexpectedly turned him into a famous devil.
After putting down their luggage, Chu Yang, Li Mochou, and Huang Rong began cleaning the room that had been left vacant. This would be where Li Mochou and Xiao Long Nu would live in the future.
The cleaning wasn't difficult; there was just a bit of dust, and the courtyard outside had clearly been swept.
Whenever there were children attending Chu Yang's private school, the families nearby would voluntarily help him with little chores, such as cleaning. Chu Yang never locked his doors.
Even thieves wouldn't come to steal from Chu Yang's house.
One, there was nothing of value to steal; two, Chu Yang was well-known as a kind-hearted person, highly respected by everyone, and was also a teacher. Even thieves of the time had their sense of honor.
After tidying up everything, it was getting late, and there was no time left to cook. Everyone was too tired to move, so Chu Yang took them to their usual tavern.
Huang Rong was very happy. That was where she first met Chu Yang, so it held a special meaning for her.
Li Mochou's facial scars had mostly healed, with only a faint trace remaining. As she walked on the street and met the gazes of passersby, she was now able to face them calmly.
Xiao Long Nu hid in Li Mochou's arms, secretly observing the world around her.
Inside the tavern's main hall, a storyteller was speaking passionately. Chu Yang and the others leaned in and listened, their expressions becoming somewhat strange.
"Everyone, have you heard? Recently, a terrifying devil has appeared in the martial world, known as the number one 'Heavenly Devil.' No one knows his true name, they just call him 'Mr. Chu!'"
"To talk about this Mr. Chu, he's quite extraordinary! Even Zhang, the old god from Wudang Mountain, who has lived for hundreds of years, was defeated by him!"
"Not long ago, he even..."
The storyteller's wooden clapper didn't strike as he paused for a moment, continuing to speak a long paragraph, with the diners attentively listening, their chopsticks unmoving.
Until...
The waiter came out from the kitchen and, upon seeing Chu Yang and his group, called out with a happy smile.
"Oh, you're back!"
"Mr. Chu!"
The storyteller's voice abruptly stopped!
The wooden clapper in his hand crashed to the ground!
The diners turned around in panic!
Chu Yang smiled.
"Mm."
"I'm back."