Legend of Swordsman

”This... does this mean you intend to give the stable to us?” The seductive woman’s voice was sharp, her alluring gaze fixed on Chen Yuan as she waited for his response.

Chen Yuan smiled faintly, but his tone quickly shifted to one of seriousness as he said, ”We will give it, of course. But before we do, I need to make you understand the essence of the Great Tang’s etiquette. Just because you are guests doesn’t mean you can act recklessly!”

As soon as he finished speaking, his aura became imposing, and the once frail scholar appeared as if he had transformed into a saint.

”The concession of etiquette is the host’s choice, not something the guest demands. I hope you remember that what this official gives you is yours; what is not given cannot be asked for, and certainly cannot be taken by force!”

After speaking, Chen Yuan paid no attention to their shocked expressions. With a wave of his hand, he loudly commanded, ”Captain Dong, lead the imperial guards to rest in the nearby woods. Let them have the stable. The rest of you, follow me to the inn for some rest!”

After giving his orders, he smiled slightly, cupped his hands toward the foreign caravan, and then turned to lead his men into the inn.

Dong Biao, his eyes burning with admiration, felt deeply satisfied by the words he had just heard.

He found it even more satisfying than giving the other party a beating and now held a newfound respect and reverence for Chen Yuan.

The Zhanxian Guards, however, who had seen much in their time, felt it was nothing special. They remained silent, showing no particular reaction as they continued to follow Chen Yuan.

Xiang Yang and Jiang Shang, who trailed behind Chen Yuan, each had their own thoughts and did not give the matter much consideration.

Upstairs, Jian Wushuang’s lips curled into a faint smile.

It was nothing more than a petty trick.

He then withdrew his thought power until it covered only a three-mile radius, then stopped.

An invisible force swept through the entire inn, monitoring everyone present.

Including the foreigners.

Both groups entered the inn one after the other. Due to the number of people, they all sat down in the first-floor hall.

Having learned from the earlier encounter, these foreigners no longer dared to provoke anyone. They obediently drank their wine and ate their meat.

Chen Yuan, having ridden all day, had little appetite. He drank only a bowl of clear water before calling the innkeeper to prepare a room upstairs for him to rest.

The Zhanxian Guards, tasked with his protection, were not interested in feasting downstairs either. They rose and took up rooms next to Chen Yuan’s. With their Golden Core cultivation, their thought power was more than enough to cover the entire inn, ensuring Chen Yuan’s safety.

The sky grew completely dark.

The inn, however, remained brightly lit.

In the first-floor hall, besides the dozen or so foreigners from the caravan, there was also Dong Biao and his imperial guards.

The guards, being numerous, had chosen to eat in shifts.

As for resting, they had no choice but to use the sky as their blanket and the ground as their bed.

Both groups were boisterous by nature, and soon enough, they had all ended up at the same table.

Particularly, a few burly men from the caravan struck up a conversation with Dong Biao, and the more they talked, the more animated they became. The seductive woman was by their side, urging them to drink.

Despite having been ordered not to drink, Dong Biao, under the pressure of their hospitality, took a sip to be polite.

But with alcohol, once you have the first sip, the second follows.

And once one person drinks, others do as well-otherwise, it would be seen as unfair treatment.

Before long, everyone was getting along like old friends, drinking one jar of wine after another.

The innkeeper, however, did not even raise an eyebrow. He showed no sign of being pleased by the sudden influx of business; instead, there was a glint of murderous intent in his eyes as The glanced at Dong Biao.

”Add something to their wine. Let’s send these fools on their way sooner rather than later.”

The innkeeper’s assistant, grinning slyly, was not at all surprised. He even called out loudly, ”Sure thing! Ten more jars of good wine coming right up!”

With that, he headed to the wine cabinet, grabbed the jars, and brought them over.

But this time, the wine was different.

Within the time it took to drink a cup of tea, the burly foreigners and the imperial guards, including Captain Dong Biao, were all flushed and unsteady on their feet.

”To... tonight ends here. Next time, next time when we reach Tai’an City, I’ll treat you to the best wine!” Dong Biao mumbled as he staggered toward the door.

He had no idea that everyone else had already collapsed on the tables, unable to get up.

Fortunately, his strength was formidable enough to allow him to walk out steadily. Once he was far enough away, the assistant’s smile faded. After shutting the door, his tone and demeanor changed as he scanned the foreigners and glanced at the innkeeper.

”Get ready to move!”

The shopkeeper nodded and clapped his hands. A chef with a plump figure emerged from the kitchen.

The three of them made no sound or movement detectable by even those in the Nascent Soul

stage.

But they couldn’t escape the keen eye and thought power of Jian Wushuang.

Just as the three were about to make their move, several powerful beings within the caravan suddenly stood up without warning. The drunken haze in their eyes vanished, replaced by a fierce and violent energy.

Even the alluring woman among them revealed her true power. All five of them were

cultivators at the Golden Core stage.

Three of them were in the late Golden Core stage, while the alluring woman was in the mid- stage. However, a red centipede slowly crawled out from her arm, growing larger by the second until it reached the thickness of a water barrel and stretched several meters long.

”Heavenly Centipede!!!”

The shop assistant exclaimed, ”You’re not from the Cang Clan caravan! You’re sorcerers from the Thousand Legs Tribe!”

The Thousand Legs Tribe was a savage tribe near the northern glaciers, with only a few thousand people. Yet, their strength was incredibly formidable.

Many children were born as innate beings, and even those with poor talent could become innate warriors as adults.

In this tribe of a few thousand people, dozens of Golden Core cultivators could emerge.

But that wasn’t the most terrifying part. The Thousand Legs Tribe had a powerful lineage of sorcerers who could control centipedes.

The tribe was named after their totem-the centipede. The ferocious centipedes they raised were unmatched in the world, causing significant losses to the Tang Dynasty multiple times. The alluring woman shifted her body and looked at the shop assistant with an eerie gaze. ”Even you puppets know about the Heavenly Centipede? Then let it send you on your way!” ”Heh, even if it’s a Heavenly Centipede, it’s still just flesh!” The shop assistant tore off his shirt, revealing a body as black as ink, crafted from a unique crystalline material. Not only was it incredibly hard, but it also blocked any aura.

The shopkeeper and the chef, on the other hand, had silver bodies, clearly made from

different materials.

The three of them had no aura, making it impossible to gauge their true strength.

However, as the two sides clashed, the hall was instantly destroyed.

Despite the fierce battle below, there was no movement from upstairs.

Even if they were blind, they certainly weren’t deaf.

Everyone knew a fight had broken out below, but the identities of those involved remained

unclear. The reason behind the conflict, however, likely had something to do with Yang Xiao

within the group.

Chen Yuan stood at the door, peeking through a crack and frowning deeply.

”Damn it, I should’ve known better and camped outside!” Chen Yuan muttered in frustration.

If they had stayed in the wilderness, it would have been easier for Jian Wushuang to remain hidden. Even if the Zhanxian Guards attacked, Jian Wushuang could have easily escaped. ”Let’s hope everything goes smoothly!”