Chương 229: Appearance

Qinghe City. Since early morning, the entire city had been boiling with rumors that the flower-plucking bandit, Tian Heng, had been slain by Song Que of the Moon-Lacking Pavilion last night. This news brought a momentary wave of joy to the local commoners. Not long after, by the afternoon, Grandee Song stepped forward to clarify the matter. He stated that he had indeed encountered Tian Heng the night before and managed to thwart his crime once, but had also been heavily injured by the other party in the process.

Only after resting and recuperating for a full night was he finally able to move without hindrance. At the same time, Pavilion Master Song also announced that he recognized he was no match for his opponent. However, for the safety of the commoners of Qinghe, he was willing to act on behalf of the city's tens of thousands of residents to implore this flower-plucking bandit to raise his hand high and show mercy, asking him to spare them and head elsewhere. Naturally, he wouldn't ask for this favor empty-handed.

Therefore, Great Hero Song was willing to dig into his own pockets and offer twenty thousand taels of silver as a tribute. The announcement stated that if Tian Heng agreed to this arrangement, he was invited to collect the money at the South City Gate tonight at the Hour of the Rooster. The silver would be pre-hung on the flag of the South Gate. The surrounding area would be cleared by the Moon-Lacking Pavilion, guaranteeing absolutely no ambush would occur.

Upon hearing this announcement straight from Song Que's mouth, the people in the city reacted with varying opinions regarding his attitude. Some called him a coward who bullied the weak and feared the strong, lacking the courage to sacrifice himself for righteousness and eliminate a menace for the people. Others nodded in praise, commending him for knowing when to yield and when to stand firm, demonstrating a profound understanding of how to navigate the world.

Quite a few people were deeply grateful and indebted to him for stepping up to resolve this crisis for Qinghe. In short, there were as many opinions as there were people. Master Song couldn't care less about what they thought in their heads. He did what he had to do; after making the announcement, he paid a visit to Xu Qing and Wu Tian, and then set off together with them toward the South Gate....... South Gate.

With the Moon-Lacking Pavilion handling affairs, and further backed by the guarantees of the two Qinghe bigwigs, Xu and Wu, all the guards on the city wall were given the night off. The area below within a radius of a hundred zhang was completely devoid of people. The members of the Moon-Lacking Pavilion spread out to form a perimeter, blocking the observing crowd from entering.

On the main street, Song Que, Xu Qing, Wu Tian, Shi Shouheng, and several high-ranking members of the Moon-Lacking Pavilion stood with solemn expressions, waiting seriously. The Hour of the Rooster had arrived. The twenty thousand taels in silver notes had already been strung up on the grand flag, but until now, no one had rushed out to claim it. It was as if Tian Heng was expressing his refusal of this transaction.

As time ticked by, the mood of the crowd grew increasingly anxious and restless, and all eyes focused entirely on Grandee Song.

"Heh heh, Pavilion Master Song. Why is there no sign of anyone? Could it be that Young Hero Tian met with some mishap? I heard that the battle in the North District last night was quite massive. It would be quite a coincidence if today's event was just someone trying to muddy the waters to cover up the truth." At this moment, a voice rang out, shattering the dead silence. The crowd focused their gaze and discovered that it was the Lingjiang Gang's Elder, Chu Tianqiu.

Not bothering to bicker with the man, Song Que simply replied indifferently:"There's no need for Elder Chu to worry about the truth of the matter. I believe the reason Brother Tian hasn't shown up yet is exactly because he's worried that certain people with ulterior motives might try to frame us."

"Heh heh heh!" Chu Tianqiu sneered coldly, not wishing to say more, perfectly happy to just watch the show. The intelligence his scouts brought back last night had already filled him with heavy suspicion. There was an eighty to ninety percent chance this kid had accidentally beaten the guy to death. With a piece of trash like Tian Heng, it would be a miracle if he could actually injure this kid. If that was really the truth, then things would be fun from here on out.

He could just sit back, snack on melon seeds, and watch his rival get wiped out—it would save him so much effort. Just as everyone was still savoring Old Chu's words, the situation in the courtyard suddenly changed. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. From the outer ring of martial artists, a figure suddenly sprang out.

Stepping on someone's shoulder to borrow momentum, the person leaped over the defensive barricade, his body immediately transforming into a gust of wind as he rapidly soared toward the top of the city gate.

"The flower-plucking bandit, Tian Heng!" the surrounding people screamed in terror.

"You're courting death!" Master Song's eyes turned icy. Old Tian was still hiding in the crowd, completely inactive. Where did this random nobody come from, daring to risk his life for money? With a flick of his wrist, a streak of silver light flashed from his hand. Before the crowd could even blink, a throwing knife barely the size of two fingers was embedded squarely in the charging man's temple. He couldn't be any more dead.

"Whoa!" The crowd couldn't help but burst into an uproar, utterly shocked. They were shocked by the casual display of Song Que's skill, and terrified because they didn't understand what this person's attitude was. Wasn't he afraid of actually killing the real Tian Heng by mistake? Or was there some other conspiracy at play? It was truly a scene riddled with suspicion. Grandee Song very tactfully offered an explanation to the crowd:"Everyone, do not misunderstand.

I exchanged blows with Brother Tian last night, so his martial arts and movement techniques are deeply etched in my memory. The person just now had mediocre cultivation, only barely entering the 4th Grade, and his movement technique was extremely ordinary. That was definitely not Brother Tian Heng." So that was how it was. The crowd suddenly saw the light.

"Hahaha, to think a brat like you understands me so well." Right at that moment, an ear-piercing laugh rang out. Everyone turned their heads in unison, staring in shock at a particular spot. They saw that on the second floor of a building along the street, a man dressed in gorgeous, luxurious brocade clothing was elegantly descending through the air. This person's movement technique was incredibly graceful. Throwing a few pieces of silver from his hand, his entire body shot forward like an afterimage.

With a light step, he borrowed force from mid-air to soar upwards, continuing to chase after the next piece of silver. Through this dazzling series of continuous actions, he reached the city wall in the blink of an eye. During this entire time, his feet hadn't touched the ground even once. Such an ostentatious entrance was, naturally, a pretentious method Master Song had learned from the flamboyant characters in wuxia dramas.

The shocking effect was obvious, leaving the crowd of bumpkin martial artists completely dumbfounded and struggling to breathe. But it wasn't over yet; there was no 'most pretentious,' only 'more pretentious.' Upon reaching the city wall, Brother Tian's body flew upwards once more like a bird into the sky. Once he reached a height level with the flag, he stopped his ascent.

Suspended in mid-air just like that, he leisurely took two light steps, turned his body gracefully, and reached out to grab the silver notes before drifting down to the city gate as lightly as a goose feather. Mind-blowingly handsome. Everyone simultaneously turned solemn. Regardless of this man's character, this earth-shattering movement technique alone was enough to inspire awe and reverence.

"Tian Heng, I want to have your babies!" a certain two-hundred-pound auntie bawled out in tears, truly regretting why she had listened to the rumors and hidden at home these past few days. If she had gone out normally every day, who knows, she might have had a chance to catch her beloved Tian's eye.

"Tian Heng, take me!" a certain burly, hairy-legged uncle yelled out with excitement, his face flushed red. The people around him felt their hairs stand on end and quietly distanced themselves from him....... Seeing his cool, heaven-defying entrance leave the entire audience trembling uncontrollably, Master Song felt a secret surge of smugness. Waiting until he landed on the city gate, he arrogantly shouted:"This Young Master, following the orders of my father, Tian Buer, has important business in Giant Wood City.

I only stopped by for a stroll since I was passing through. Originally, because the people from the Moon-Lacking Pavilion ruined my good time yesterday, I was extremely angry and planned to torment you country bumpkins for a few more days to vent my frustration. But considering you, kid Song Que, know how to adapt to the times, this Young Master will let this matter slide. Heh heh, if the people in other places were as sensible as you, wouldn't Your Father become a millionaire in no time? Kekeke..."

"Your Father is leaving!" As soon as his words fell, his entire body transformed into an afterimage. With a few flashes of lightning, he became a tiny dot and vanished over the distant horizon. Lightly I leave, just as lightly I came. Young Master Tian simply departed, not taking a single speck of dust with him. This was the first time anyone had seen a flower-plucking bandit possess such a high level of class.

If it weren't for the fact that this guy had a hobby of displaying corpses to show off his 'achievements,' quite a few aunties and madams would have probably been willing to offer themselves to him. As for whether this person's identity was real or fake, naturally, no one showed the slightest bit of doubt. Setting aside the fact that the physical body 100% belonged to Old Tian, just this ostentatious movement technique alone was unmistakably the authentic 'Flying Swallow Steps' that made Tian Buer famous.

After a night of studying the secret manual, relying on his exceptionally high aptitude for Qinggong and his superior agility, it had only taken Master Song half a day to comprehend seventy to eighty percent of this Flying Swallow Steps. Although he wouldn't dare claim he had mastered it to perfection, using it to bluff people was absolutely no problem. The people here weren't familiar with Tian Heng; their understanding was limited to portraits and descriptions.

Seeing it with their own eyes now, they naturally believed it without a shadow of a doubt. Consequently, the rumor that this person had tragically fallen prey to Master Song's murderous hands dissolved on its own without needing any explanation. Although this trip didn't feature any earth-shattering battles—leaving the masses feeling a bit disappointed—being able to witness such a miraculous movement technique was enough to leave them satisfied. Many, feeling an itch in their legs, wanted to try flying themselves.

They hurriedly spread their legs and ran a lap. Though they weren't as graceful as him, they at least got to experience a taste of the speed and excitement. The crowd orderly began to gather in small groups of three or five, heading home to find some novices to brag to about what they had seen, all in an effort to boost their own prestige.