Chapter Nine: The Blind Man

Inside the shop, the defeated soldiers were still passionately recounting their recent harrowing ordeal, each story—both overt and subtle—bearing the same message: it wasn’t our incompetence, but rather the enemy's cunning that led to our downfall.

The man sitting in the chair listened intently with closed eyes, the furrowed brows twisting together from time to time, revealing his troubled state of mind. He opened his eyes—pale and luminous, devoid of dark pupils—and waved his hand to ask, "Was the woman who ambushed you dressed in green, barefoot, and ugly?"

"Yes, eldest brother, hideous beyond measure!" the kneeling crowd eagerly replied.

"Was it truly her?" The man's brows knitted again, as if recalling a detail. He mused, "I have an enemy in China who also favors green robes and bare feet. Could it be the same person? Did any of you notice her ears?"

"I saw them!" one man exclaimed, rushing to answer. "She wore a pair of snake-shaped earrings."

"Snake-shaped... haha!" The man in the chair suddenly stood, his hand flashing with light, and advanced with wild laughter, each step leaving a mark. As he reached the shop's entrance, the trail of bloody footprints behind him appeared to measure the distance, neatly aligned. A smile lingered at the corner of his lips as he lowered his head and gently stroked the bloodstains on his killing sword, murmuring softly to himself, "You've finally returned..."

…

Inside the appropriated house, Chen Hongxu and the other two men squatted on the floor, drawing circles out of boredom. Upstairs, the two women were renowned beauties, so naturally none of the men downstairs had any complaints—they understood that a beautiful woman values her appearance. Yet, two hours for a bath? Enough time to give birth to a child…

The sound of slippers smacking against the floor drifted from above; Chen Hongxu and his companions exhaled in relief—the wait was finally over. It wasn’t that they lacked patience, but the pointless waiting felt like a certain waste of time.

They wondered which woman would come down. Su Xiaoxiao, except for her disguise in Japan, always walked barefoot, while Zhang Shufang moved silently, never making a sound with each step.

Curious, the three craned their necks to look. At the turn of the stairs, a woman in green descended, her figure swaying with endless charm.

Su Xiaoxiao approached slowly, her damp hair draped over her shoulders, imparting an unexpected hint of languor to her usually shrewd demeanor.

"So slow, so slow! You took more than two hours to bathe?" Chen Hongxu grumbled.

"Of course, it wasn’t just bathing. I had to wash my clothes as well. Do you think those impressive heroes—leaping about, punishing evil, fighting day in and day out—don’t get their clothes dirty?" Su Xiaoxiao replied playfully. "All that glamour hides tears behind it."

Chen Hongxu’s forehead was marked with dark lines; unwilling to argue further, he asked, "Where’s Zhang Shufang?"

"She had more clothes than me, so she spent more time washing them…" Su Xiaoxiao laughed as she spoke.

After another round of banter, Zhang Shufang finally came down. Previously covered in mud, she now appeared fresh and clean—vindicating Su Xiaoxiao’s point to some degree.

Zhang Shufang joined them and, clearly aware of the earlier conversation, shot Su Xiaoxiao a glare before muttering to herself, "Killed a few people; my clothes got bloodstained."

The implication was clear: bloodstains are harder to wash, and her time spent had nothing to do with simply having more clothes. Even a celestial from the ninth heaven, when personally involved, would insist on their own point.

Seeing everyone gathered, Zhang Shufang wasted no time and began outlining the next steps. "Our destination is the southern district, as Su Xiaoxiao mentioned—it’s a trade area. As long as you can afford the price, you may not be able to buy everything, but most things are available."

"Our first task is to find the missing Binglong. I believe he’s only temporarily indisposed. To think he might be dead—not only am I unable to believe it, even Qing Snake wouldn’t, right?"

Su Xiaoxiao said nothing, but nodded gravely.

"So, do any of you need to prepare further?" Zhang Shufang swept her gaze over the group, speaking calmly.

"I’m afraid we won’t be going to the southern district just yet," Su Xiaoxiao replied, her eyes fixed on the blind man outside the door.

The door, smashed by Bear, offered no obstruction to their view. Following Su Xiaoxiao’s cue, they all looked outside…

A blind man, clad in coarse linen, sat on the ground, his expression complex and forlorn. He seemed ordinary, yet held an extraordinary sword.

"A master…" Zhang Shufang’s eyes narrowed in caution, her gaze kindling with fighting spirit.

Chen Hongxu grabbed Fan Caobao, who was itching to provoke the newcomer, and said seriously, "A ranked master—he looks ordinary, but his energy is already fused with the world around him. Don’t go and disgrace yourself."

Fan Caobao’s face paled in shock; he understood the significance of a ranked master. He retreated several steps, still feeling unsafe, and retreated again—repeating the process until he found himself pressed against the wall, realizing he had drifted from the group.

Noticing that no one paid attention to his embarrassment, he waved his hand grandly and called out, "Bear, come stand by me. I’ll protect you!"

Bear, aware of his own limitations, didn’t linger to cause trouble. He ran to Fan Caobao’s side and said, "Caobao, this guy is tough—what should we do?"

"If the enemy doesn’t move, we don’t move. If the enemy moves, we move chaotically. Understand this tactic?" Fan Caobao instructed earnestly.

Bear shook his head.

Fan Caobao lamented his fate—having both a pig-like teammate and a god-like opponent at the same time. Yet, in the spirit of friendship, he patiently explained.

Bear’s eyes sparkled; he thought, "I don’t understand what Caobao is saying, but seeing him spit and gesticulate, it must be something impressive."

Meanwhile, Chen Hongxu and Zhang Shufang were quietly on guard, while Su Xiaoxiao’s expression grew peculiar.

Chen Hongxu and Zhang Shufang exchanged a glance. "Could it be that Su Xiaoxiao knows the blind man outside?"

Su Xiaoxiao soon confirmed their wild suspicion with her actions.

She walked to the door, gazed at the blind man, and said, "Su Ning, you’re still blocking my way as you always did. Only, you used to carry flowers; now you carry a sword…"

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