As the feeling of weightlessness receded like a tide, Lin Chen was awakened by the cold wind—his head hit a hard stone, causing him to grimace in pain. Just as he reached for his bag to find tissues, he felt nothing. He suddenly opened his eyes to see the dilapidated temple roof letting in streaks of light. He was wearing nothing but the black jacket with the company logo—his canvas bag, cleaver, spicy strips, and compressed biscuits were all gone!
"Where's my bag?!" Lin Chen sat up abruptly, his jacket scraping against the dry grass on the ground, picking up a layer of dust. He looked around—the temple wasn't large. In the center were several bundles of damp firewood. In the corners lay three chipped pottery bowls. On the ground, besides the hay he had been lying on, there wasn't a trace of his canvas bag.
"System! Where's my bag?!" Lin Chen frantically yelled at the System in his mind, but the interface didn't pop up. Only fragmented memories of the Shuttle remained—in the white light, an invisible force had ripped the canvas bag from his back. The cleaver and spicy strips inside spilled onto the ground. He tried to grab them but couldn't, and they were finally swallowed by the white light.
"It's over. Now I'm really 'streaking through Jianghu'." Lin Chen felt like crying but had no tears. Without his cleaver, he had no self-defense if danger arose. Without his spicy strips, he had no chance to 'bribe' any chivalrous figures with snacks. The worst part was the compressed biscuits. His stomach was rumbling fiercely, and there wasn't a single edible item in the broken temple.
Just as he was about to stand up and look for wild berries, he heard a rustling sound from the temple entrance—the crisp clang of swords being drawn, followed by a young man's angry shout, "Don't move! Who are you? Why are you in the broken temple behind Qingfeng Village? What kind of strange clothes are you wearing? Are you a spy sent by Black Wind Stronghold!"
Lin Chen's heart skipped a beat. He slowly turned around—three youths in cyan-colored training outfits stood at the temple entrance. They looked about fifteen or sixteen, each holding a gleaming long sword, with the tips pointed at his chest.A small character 'Wind' (Feng) was embroidered on their chests, the insignia of Qingfeng Village disciples in "Jianghu Sword Shadow." The lead youth was the tallest, his knuckles white from gripping his sword, his brows furrowed into a knot, his eyes as vigilant as a mother beast protecting her cubs.
"It's a misunderstanding! All a misunderstanding!" Lin Chen quickly raised his hands and backed away, his back pressing against the cold temple wall. "I'm just traveling and got lost, that's why I came in. I'm not a spy!" As he spoke, he rapidly calculated in his mind. Without his canvas bag as a 'prop,' he could only rely on his glib tongue to make excuses. Fortunately, he had brushed up on the plot of "Jianghu Sword Shadow" before, and he knew about the conflict between Qingfeng Village and Black Wind Stronghold.
"Traveling?" The lead youth took a step forward, his sword tip only half a foot from Lin Chen's jacket. "This broken temple is deep in the mountains behind Qingfeng Village. Besides our patrol, not even woodcutters come here! Your clothes are neither sect training outfits nor commoner's cloth. You don't even have a travel bag; you look like a spy deliberately hiding your belongings!"
Lin Chen looked down at his jacket—a black hooded style, the "Chuangke Internet" logo on the sleeve particularly conspicuous in the sun. It indeed looked like a 'spy uniform.' He patted his pockets and found only his phone (no signal) and a few crumpled tissues. He didn't even have anything to prove his identity. He quickly explained, "My hometown is by the sea. These are our local daily clothes, suitable for the strong sea winds! My bag was robbed by bandits, which is why I'm in such a sorry state. I wasn't hiding it deliberately!"
"Robbed by bandits?" The shorter youth beside him frowned. "Recently, only people from Black Wind Stronghold have dared to rob others in this area. You weren't secretly in league with Black Wind Stronghold, pretending to be robbed, were you?"
Lin Chen's heart tightened—this youth was quite clever! He quickly shook his head, "Absolutely not! If I were working with Black Wind Stronghold, why would I come to Qingfeng Village's territory? I heard the people of Qingfeng Village are righteous, so I wanted to come for help. I didn't expect to be mistaken for a spy as soon as I arrived!" He deliberately mentioned "Qingfeng Village is righteous," giving a small compliment, hoping to lower their guard.
The lead youth was clearly not so easily fooled. He held his sword and said, "Words are cheap! You say you came for help, so do you know who our Young Village Master is? Do you know Qingfeng Village's rules?"
Lin Chen's eyes lit up—this was something he knew! He quickly said, "Your Young Village Master is Ling Yun! I heard he has powerful martial arts and is studying swordsmanship under the Martial Arts Alliance Leader Xiao Changfeng, preparing to take revenge on Black Wind Stronghold! As for the rules, I heard Qingfeng Village 'does not bully commoners and does not harbor spies,' which is why I dared to come for help!" He deliberately mentioned the keywords "Xiao Changfeng" and "revenge," betting that these disciples would know Xiao Changfeng's status and not dare to act rashly against someone who 'knew the Young Village Master.'
The three youths exchanged glances. The vigilance in their eyes lessened, but their swords were not yet lowered. The lead youth thought for a moment and said, "Even if you know the Young Village Master's name, you must come back to the village with us for verification! If the Young Village Master recognizes you, we'll let you go; if you're lying, don't blame us for being impolite!"
Lin Chen breathed a sigh of relief—as long as he could see Ling Yun, he could continue making excuses. It was better than being stuck in the broken temple. He quickly nodded, "Okay! I'll go back to the village with you. I also want to seek help from the Young Village Master to find my robbed bag."
The lead youth gestured to the shorter youth to sheathe his sword and walked ahead, holding his sword. "Follow us closely, don't try any tricks! If you dare to run, our swords aren't blind!" Lin Chen quickly followed, silently complaining in his mind, "I don't even have anything for self-defense now. If I run, I'll be caught by bandits anyway. It's safer to go back to the village with you."
Walking towards Qingfeng Village with the three youths, Lin Chen observed the surroundings as he walked—the mountains were covered in dense forests. The tree trunks were so thick that two people would need to embrace them. The branches and leaves blocked out the sky, allowing only scattered specks of sunlight to filter through. A thick layer of fallen leaves covered the ground, rustling with each step. Occasionally, he could see horse tracks and arrowheads on the forest path, likely left by Qingfeng Village patrols.
"Your Young Village Master is studying swordsmanship with Leader Xiao, is he very skilled?" Lin Chen deliberately made conversation, wanting to gather more information about Xiao Changfeng—his main quest was to 'defeat the Martial Arts Alliance Leader with fists.' Now that he had no equipment, he could only get close to Xiao Changfeng by 'hugging a thigh.'
"Naturally!" The shorter youth immediately responded, his tone full of admiration. "The Young Village Master has been studying with Leader Xiao for half a month. The last time he sparred with the Third Elder, he won in three moves! Leader Xiao also praised the Young Village Master as a 'once-in-a-century genius,' saying he will definitely surpass him in the future!"
Lin Chen's eyes lit up—Xiao Changfeng actually valued Ling Yun so highly. If he could build a good relationship with Ling Yun, he would definitely be able to meet Xiao Changfeng! He quickly chimed in, "That's amazing! With Leader Xiao's guidance, the Young Village Master will surely avenge the former Village Master soon!"
The three youths were pleased with the praise. The lead youth became more talkative, "Once the Young Village Master finishes his studies, we'll take down Black Wind Stronghold! Then we'll let the Black Mountain Old Demon taste the power of our Qingfeng Village!" Lin Chen nodded along, contemplating, "After meeting Xiao Changfeng, how can I get him to agree to a boxing match? I can't just say, 'Alliance Leader, let's box,' I'd probably be seen as a madman and thrown out of the Martial Arts Alliance."
After about half an hour, a wooden gate appeared ahead.A black wooden plaque hung on it, inscribed with three powerful characters 'Clear Wind Village' (Qingfeng Village), likely Ling Yun's calligraphy. Two disciples in cyan training outfits stood on either side of the gate, holding long spears. Seeing them approach, they immediately asked vigilantly, "Who is this?"
"He says he knows the Young Village Master. We're bringing him back for verification," said the lead youth. The gate disciples sized up Lin Chen, their gazes lingering on his jacket for a few seconds before finally letting them pass. "The Young Village Master is practicing swordplay in the training ground. Don't let him wander around. Take him straight there."
Entering Qingfeng Village, Lin Chen's eyes lit up—the village was filled with neat wooden houses with blue-tiled roofs. Fruit trees were planted along the road, with green fruits hanging from the branches. Many disciples were busy in the village; some were practicing swordplay, some were carrying water, and others were mending scabbards. It was full of life, resembling a bustling small village more than a "martial arts sect."
"Stop looking around and keep up!" the lead youth reminded him. Lin Chen quickly withdrew his gaze and followed them towards the training ground. Passing a kitchen, he heard the clinking sound of chopping vegetables and smelled the aroma of braised pork. His stomach suddenly growled—he had only eaten a bread roll that morning, and it was already past two in the afternoon. He was starving.
"Are you hungry?" The shorter youth heard the sound and couldn't help but laugh. "After the verification, if the Young Village Master recognizes you, I'll take you to the kitchen for braised pork! Our village cook makes braised pork even more fragrant than the restaurants in the city!" Lin Chen quickly thanked him, thinking, "If I hadn't lost my spicy strips, I could eat them to tide me over now and even trade them for some braised pork."
They soon arrived at the training ground—a spacious bluestone area, surrounded by training equipment like wooden swords, sandbags, and stone locks. Ling Yun was practicing swordplay in the center of the field. The silver-white long sword moved with him as if it were an extension of his arm. Flashes of sword light accompanied by gusts of wind filled the air. Several disciples were gathered around, watching intently.
"Young Village Master!" the lead youth called out. Ling Yun stopped his swordplay and turned, revealing a handsome face—sharp eyebrows, bright eyes, a high-bridged nose. He was wearing a moon-white training outfit with a crimson belt at the waist, exactly as described in "Jianghu Sword Shadow" for the "Young Village Master of Qingfeng Village."
Seeing Lin Chen, Ling Yun frowned slightly, "Who is this?" The lead youth quickly stepped forward and recounted the events, adding at the end, "He says he knows you and knows you're studying swordsmanship under Leader Xiao."
Ling Yun's gaze fell on Lin Chen, appraising him from head to toe. He asked with a hint of confusion, "I don't recognize you. Are you sure you have the right person?" Lin Chen panicked—his fabricated excuse was about to be exposed! He quickly tried to salvage the situation, lowering his voice, "Young Village Master, don't you remember? Last week at Yingke Inn down the mountain, you asked me where the 'Detoxification Grass behind Black Wind Stronghold' was, and I told you it was on the shady slope. You even wrote it down!"
"Detoxification Grass?" Ling Yun's expression immediately changed—this was the Qingfeng Grass he had been searching for. No one knew its location except for a few trusted confidants. He walked over, examined Lin Chen closely, and his tone softened, "My apologies, too many things have been happening lately, I don't recall clearly. Since you know the location of the Detoxification Grass, you're definitely not a spy. It was my disciples who misunderstood you."
The three youths were stunned and quickly lowered their swords. The lead youth looked full of remorse, "I'm sorry! We wrongly accused you!" Lin Chen smiled and waved his hand, "It's alright. It was all for the safety of Qingfeng Village."
Ling Yun's gaze fell on Lin Chen's jacket, and he asked curiously, "Are these clothes really your hometown's daily wear? Your bag was robbed; what are your plans now?" Lin Chen felt a warmth in his heart—Ling Yun was indeed a righteous person. Before he could even ask for help, he was already inquiring about his future. He quickly said, "I don't know either. I originally came to find someone. Now that my bag is gone, I can't even figure out which way to go. If Young Village Master doesn't mind, I'd like to stay at Qingfeng Village for a few days and do some odd jobs for the village, then leave when I have a direction."
Ling Yun nodded, "No problem. I'll have someone find you a set of suitable training clothes and prepare some food. If you have any skills, you can also help the village with some tasks; don't be polite."
Lin Chen quickly thanked him, "Thank you, Young Village Master! I know simple arithmetic and can help the village organize some documents. I definitely won't eat and stay for free!"
"There's no need to be so formal." Ling Yun said to a nearby disciple, "Take Lin Chen to the east wing guest room, find him a set of suitable training clothes, and have the kitchen send some food over."
The disciple quickly agreed and led Lin Chen towards the guest room.
Passing the training ground, Lin Chen looked back at Ling Yun—he had already picked up his sword again. The sword light flashed dazzlingly in the sunlight, his movements fluid and natural. It was clear he was an old hand who had practiced for many years. Lin Chen touched