The city of Jiangcheng, standing on the bank of a majestic river that ran throughout the entire Celestial Empire, was about a four day journey from the Wudang Mountains.

In the middle of the city was a tavern that seemed uninviting from the outside. Softwood planks and intricate wooden carvings made up the tavern’s walls, and the windows were translucent from dirt and grime.

The bartender stood behind a mahogany bar table that barely matched its setting. A shelf filled with drinks both ordinary and exotic, some probably even from foreign lands that most people never seen, also held strangely thin books and an array of antique, porcelain wine cups made almost a hundred years ago.

The entire tavern was dimly lit, aside from some chandeliers hovering over tables full of drunkards and contrite bureaucrats that would rather be seen dead than alive in case someone with higher-level nobility were to recognize them.

A profusion of instruments blared seductive tunes as Daiwen walked through the wooden doors, and he was immediately welcomed by foul smells and a feeling of discomfort. He nodded at the bearded bartender and sat on a stool.

“I’ll take anything with grapes.” Daiwen said.

“You havin’ a rough day, huh?” The bartender poured wine into a cup and gave it to his customer. “I’ve never seen someone walk in here with such tasteful clothing.”

“I think I’m gonna be sick.” He went straight to drinking, momentarily distracted by the prostitutes arguing on the other side of the tavern. “Those escorts don’t seem too friendly.”

“I heard they’re in some sort of competition. If I wasn’t working, I’d probably pick the one on the left. You?”

“Neither. I have principles.” Daiwen continued sipping. He felt a handful of eyes watching him and felt unnerved. “How much for the wine?”

“Don’t worry about paying. It’s on me.”

The pair of prostitutes’ argument spiraled into a full on brawl. The clients they were with, wearing clothes more tattered than the prostitutes themselves, started to throw hands as well. The bartender simply ignored it, not wanting to get involved, but it was obvious that he was pissed off.

The men were too busy fighting each other to notice Daiwen walking behind him. That is, until his hand touched one of their shoulders. This one was rather short and his face was wrinkled.

Daiwen and the man exchanged looks. The other began to leave with his prostitute, but the golden-haired cultivator threw a shard of broken porcelain to stop them in their tracks.

“If you drunkards and your whores can’t drink a few cups of wine without causing a disturbance, then I suggest you leave this tavern.” He warned.

“Or what?” The short guy said. His prostitute tugged at his arm, telling him they should leave, but he violently pushed her to the ground and breathed his hot breath in Daiwen’s face. “You think you’re tough, is that it?”

“I’d say I’m more of a man than you’ll ever be.”

The troublemaker rolled a punch and jabbed, but Daiwen dodged it effortlessly and retaliated with a swift kick to the stomach that sent him flying backward.

“Is that it?” Daiwen yawned.

The man got to his feet, barely able to stand, and aimlessly attacked with a high-pitched shriek. Daiwen kicked again, and the man found himself crashing into the wall.

“Hey, what the hell was that noise—” The bartender rushed to the scene, but Daiwen was nowhere to be found when he arrived.

The dragon revealed himself only to vanish, leaving everyone present stuck in a state of bewilderment. Where did he go? Well, anticlimactically, Jiangcheng’s slightly-famous market district.

Various goods were sold at these markets, and items weren’t just limited to rice, vegetables, and other agricultural products. In fact, the two most popular items bought were fiction books and snacks; the latter of which mostly sold at night.

The market that caught Daiwen’s eye sold weapons, though most were slowly becoming obsolete as imperial warriors were steadily transitioning from spears and sabers to cannons and firearms. Stuff like spears and bows could be bought relatively cheap, which was perfect for someone like Daiwen who had very little money to his name.

“Is there anything you’d like? You remind me of a real fancy guy, so maybe a spear will satisfy your tastes!” The merchant spoke in an uplifting voice as to captivate his potential customer.

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Still feeling the eerie presence of eyes watching his every move, Daiwen pointed to a rusty, single-edged sword hidden in the back. “I’ll take one of those.”

As soon as the transaction was complete, Daiwen swung his new sabre and strategically walked into the woodlands. If anyone was following him, this would be a clever way to spot them.

Sure enough, a group of individuals in familiar, black clothing did the exact same. The sound of twigs snapping gave it away.

Daiwen sprung to his feet, blocking a kick with his forearm. There were about seven of them, and only a single Daiwen to fight them off. But this didn't worry him at all. His heavenly shishen was revered for a reason.

As he waved a hand gesture, the qi surrounding him became intense, embellished with an aura of the same golden color as his eyes. The sheer might of his powerful shishen, Qilin, almost swept a few of the assassins off their footing.

"Don't you jackasses have any courtesy? I was minding my own business, and here you come with horrific intentions? Well, of you insist on killing me, don't just stand there," Daiwen smiled as he unsheathed his sword with enough speed to cause shockwaves. A whistling noise filled the atmosphere of the forest. "Come at me with all you've got."

The assassins unsheathed their own swords and rushed toward their target simultaneously.

With elegant movements, Daiwen dodged one of them and bisected their chest with his sword. The sword strike was so precise and quick that it was terrifying.

He parried another warrior’s blade with his own before piercing through the assailant's stomach. He was nonchalant when pulling his sword from the enemy's gut.

Daiwen felt a tingling sensation and instinctively penetrated the skull of a warrior attempting to sneak behind him. Needless to say, the surprise attack didn't work out too well.

He caught a fourth warrior's hilt with his blade, flinging the weapon into another enemy's chest.

Throwing his sword, Daiwen managed to dissever a flying arrow and decapitate the archer's head. "I thought we were sticking to close quarters combat." He smirked, retrieving his blade and swiftly decapitating two more warriors.

Streams of blood splashed in the air, illuminated by the moon's casting light. The look in his eyes was still surprisingly calm.

"Well done," The seventh warrior clapped his hands. He was arrogant, despite watching the others succumb to the rogue cultivator's blade in a matter of moments. This bothered Daiwen a great deal, and the two exchanged different looks.

The last assassin continued, "So, you're the person I keep hearing about. I'm not disappointed, you're stronger than I thought you'd be. All of your movements and strikes are so delicate yet lethal…”

“… Although you may not believe it, I'm filled with chivalry. For that reason, I won't humiliate you after your death. I've murdered comrades for pissing on their victim's graves. You should be thankful for facing someone like me!"

Daiwen took a single step forward. His shishen's aura grew even more intense, and something about his eyes suddenly unnerved the assassin.

Was it that the cultivator was so calm? He was smiling, even in the face of an opponent with such caliber. Daiwen brandished his luminous sword surged with his own qi, and he began to speak, "If you're here to kill me..."

"... Make it quick." Qilin was taunting, and Daiwen’s aura became violent flames.

The combatant's blades clashed, and the sound of chirping birds radiated from the collision. The assassin leaped backward, filled to the brink with killing intent and a maniacal smile. His sword was decorated with an amber aura, displaying the severity of his shishen. "You chose the wrong place to meditate! Nobody can hear you scream!"

"You're such a pain." Daiwen sighed as his opponent rushed toward him. He evaded the assassin’s attack, severing his arm without any effort whatsoever.

Daiwen struck fear as his fingers wrapped around the assassin’s throat. Tears rolled down the man’s cheeks and only whimpers could escape his mouth.

"Spare me... I was only following orders, I swear."

Daiwen was cocky as he watched the life slowly drain from the assassin’s face. "What a shame. I guess you have no chivalry after all."

After dropping the body, the cultivator turned around and saw the piles of corpses. The forest's soil had been dyed by the spilled blood, but Daiwen ignored it and started walking into the distance.

Several needles abruptly flew through the air. Daiwen caught them all in-between his fingers with quick technique. “I could tell you were there the whole time, Shanyuan. If you’re gonna send a bunch of assassins after me, at least give me a proper greeting.”

“Long time, no see.” A brown-haired man dropped from the trees. His qi was like a scorching mist, fitting his powerful shishen Longma which took the form of a dragon-scaled horse.

“I see your hair’s longer than it was when was last talked.” Daiwen sheathed his rusty sword and holstered the scabbard at his robes’ waist.

“I’m afraid you still look the exact same.” Shanyuan embraced his former friend with a hug and a pat on the back.

“I’m shocked that you managed to kidnap someone with a heavenly shishen like mine. One of your ‘daughters’ stopped by the Wudang sect a few days ago. I could tell by her clothing.”

Shanyuan’s eyes widened. “You’ve seen Xiuying?! I’ve spent five years searching for that bitch!”

“Yeah, just like I spent five years waiting for my pupil to come home. I never would’ve thought our brats would’ve mingled during that span of time.”

It was strange how friendly they spoke to each other, given the reason they hadn’t seen each other in almost two decades.

“Don’t tell me there’s another one of you heavenly pricks.” Shanyuan’s vulgarity wasn’t mean-spirited at all. His everyday conversations consisted of more swears than any other word.

“I’m still wondering how you got a hold of one.”

“Honestly, I didn’t even know at first. But when I found out, she instantly became my favorite child. Do you have any idea where she is now?”

“No clue,” Daiwen was lying. He knew she was most likely at the Wudang sect with Liwei, but he didn’t have the heart to let her fall into the hands of someone like Shanyuan again. A person that kidnaps children, no matter the righteous ambitions he may have, is still a monster nonetheless. It would probably be best to humor him for a little while…

“It seems we have a lot of things to catch up on.”