The Return of Stars to the Jianghu

Chapter 10: The martial arts contest outside the village; the fast horse arrives in Chenzhou City.

As dusk fell, sword energy swirled across the threshing ground outside Hongjia Village. Thanks to Qi Yuan's guidance over the past few days, Luo Yifei's sword energy had begun to take shape.

Bi Li's sword aura was menacing, yet he failed to land a single blow on Luo Yifei. This was because Luo Yifei's reaction speed was as fast as his movements, so fast that Bi Li, who had practiced martial arts since childhood, suffered several blows. Unfortunately, Luo Yifei's sword strikes to Bi Li had little killing power; they were merely a matter of speed.

Bi Li looked at Luo Yifei with a suspicious expression, "You really have never practiced martial arts?"

"No, it's just that I run every day and am fast." Luo Yifei stopped his sword, knowing that even if he was fast, he couldn't defeat Bi Li.

"Your speed is enough to save your life, but it's far from enough to kill enemies."

Bi Li put down his sword and sat down next to Luo Yifei. "Actually, besides the true qi of martial artists, there are also the legendary magical powers and firearms used by you Westerners. Having any one of these is enough to travel the world."

Bi Li looked at Luo Yifei and continued, "However, the spiritual power of magic has always been secretive. The practice of magic has always been passed down to a single person. It is said that it requires a high level of talent, and ordinary people have no chance to cultivate it. As for Western firearms, they have always been a Pyrrhic victory, killing a thousand enemies while losing eight hundred of their own. Apart from the Tang Clan of the Later Tang Kingdom, no one in the Eastern Continent uses them. Therefore, most people in the martial arts world cultivate true qi, and those noble families have their disciples cultivate it from a young age."

"Is there anyone who is proficient in all three: internal energy, magic, and firearms?" Luo Yifei couldn't help but ask.

“I’m afraid he hasn’t been born yet,” Bili replied. “Not only does one need talent, but also the opportunity to obtain a Tang Clan divine weapon. Only the Tang Clan’s firearms, which are called divine weapons, can kill enemies without harming oneself.”

Hearing this, Luo Yifei realized that this world had too many similarities to Earth; countless tunnels had transported countless people here. At the deserted island café, Luo Yifei learned that Wen Bin had been busy closing the tunnels, and he vaguely guessed that these tunnels must have brought many Earthlings to this world. But it should be limited; he could sense that Wen Bin was a decisive and efficient person.

He simply didn't know what force in the universe opened this tunnel for what purpose.

"You don't actually want to become the number one person in the world who masters all three arts, do you?" Seeing Luo Yifei looking somewhat lost in thought, Bi Li couldn't help but ask.

"No, I was just thinking about how to obtain a divine weapon. I probably don't have talent." Luo Yifei said, getting up. "Let's go back; we still have to travel tomorrow."

Bi Li didn't say anything more. He was now convinced that Luo Yifei had just been considering whether he could cultivate true qi, magic, and firearms simultaneously. He had simply given up on magic because he felt he lacked the talent. As for firearms, Luo Yifei would probably still need to use them.

……

Ji Mi and his party traveled swiftly and arrived in Chenzhou before nightfall. As soon as they entered the city, news of Qi Yuan's arrival spread throughout the city.

Ji Mi and his party stayed at Changxinglou, the largest inn in Chenzhou City. They even chose a detached courtyard house in the backyard. The carriage also entered the courtyard through the back gate.

Wei Er and Qiao Zhi then dismounted and entered the courtyard. They had not dismounted from the city gate until now.

The three were exhausted after a day's journey. However, they dared not relax. They were eager to reach Chenzhou City on the first day so as to spread the news as soon as possible and attract attention.

On this first night, someone will probably come to investigate. The three of them will take turns keeping watch. Wei Er will stand the first shift, Qiao will stand the second shift, and Ji Mi will stand the last shift.

The three took turns staying overnight, but no one came looking for them as expected. Presumably, there weren't any enemies in Chenzhou City who had a mortal feud with Qi Yuan for the time being; it would take some time for those enemies to arrive once the news spread. Back then, Qi Yuan traveled the martial world, visiting various eastern countries, always ready to help those in need, which naturally offended many powerful families.

Ji Mi thought that he still needed to make a fuss. He decided to visit the Zhao family.

Back then, Qi Yuan met Liu Changqing in the Southern Han Dynasty. Liu Changqing's family had been merchants for generations. Liu Changqing's father had a keen eye for observation and deduced that the unification of the world would inevitably lead to chaos. Ignoring his friends' advice, he sent Liu Changqing to learn martial arts from a young age, hoping that his son could protect himself in this chaotic world.

Coincidentally, the martial arts school was located near the Zhao residence, and one of the Zhao family's students taught boxing there. The Zhao family patriarch, Zhao Shouxin, doted on his youngest daughter, Zhao Ling'er, who was a restless girl who disliked playing with other girls and preferred to fight with boys. So, Zhao Shouxin sent Zhao Ling'er to the martial arts school to learn boxing, and from a young age, she practiced alongside Liu Changqing under the guidance of this student.

The rest of the story is like most romance novels: the two were childhood sweethearts, inseparable since they were little. When they reached marriageable age, they developed feelings for each other and secretly pledged their love. Unfortunately, they were not well-matched in social standing, and Master Zhao Shouxin of the Zhao family looked down on the marriage proposal from this merchant family, locking his youngest daughter at home.

Later, with Qi Yuan's help, Liu Changqing and Zhao Ling'er eloped to Eastern Wu, where they reportedly started a business and were living a comfortable life.