Chapter Sixty-Nine: The Japanese Swordsman

"Master Xu's romantic prospects are truly thriving, and you are so popular in the city. You've only just rescued your sister-in-law not long ago, and now another beautiful lady has sent a warm invitation."

"It's a good thing I made my move quickly, otherwise who knows how many people would be competing with me for you."

Honglian teased playfully. This was the exact tone that Xu Feng found hardest to handle. After just a couple of teasing remarks, he couldn't help but flee in a hasty retreat.

If he stayed any longer, who knew what else might tumble out of her mouth.

Seeing this, Honglian burst into hearty laughter. From the very beginning, she had found Xu Feng to be an immensely interesting man. While he possessed the composure to devise strategies and secure victory a thousand miles away when handling major affairs, he would invariably be caught off guard and left flustered over trivial matters.

The sword he had obtained from the Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion was currently his handiest weapon, and his recent breakthrough in strength was inseparable from the pavilion's assistance. Although it had been a mutually beneficial arrangement, Xu Feng ultimately owed them a favor.

More importantly, he had no conflicts with the Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion, making it entirely feasible to forge a friendly alliance. The pavilion's intelligence network was peerless across the realm, boasting countless divine weapons, secret martial arts manuals, and esoteric techniques.

Cultivating a good relationship with the Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion would undoubtedly bring him nothing but benefits and no harm at all.

After taking his leave from Honglian, he intended to head over to the Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion to see what the matter was.

Ever since the Brocade-Clad Guards entered the city, Gusu City had undergone considerable changes.

In the past, brawls and street fights were practically a daily occurrence; one couldn't walk a few steps without seeing a group of people arguing. But now, such scenes were rarely witnessed.

The Brocade-Clad Guards were not as easily dealt with as the Six Fan Doors or the county yamen.

The tasks executed by Xu Feng and his men had also indirectly improved the living environment in Gusu City.

This was precisely one of the goals shared by Xu Feng and Honglian.

However, it was worth noting that there were always dark corners where the light could never reach.

"Mister, have mercy and show some kindness. I haven't eaten for two days. Could you spare me a piece of flatbread?"

"Where did this beggar come from? Scram! Can't you see I'm eating here? Disgusting."

"Hurry up and get lost! Go beg somewhere else and stop being an eyesore here."

A beggar child with disabled legs crawled painfully across the ground, appearing to be only seven or eight years old.

Although it was already late autumn, he wore only a thin, tattered garment riddled with holes.

Passersby gave him a wide berth, and not a single person was willing to stop and show him any concern. Of course, there were kind-hearted individuals who tossed him a few coins as they hurried past, but these were ultimately negligible amounts.

Crucially, after observing for a while, Xu Feng noticed that these coins were never allowed to stay with the child; before long, someone would quietly come and take them away, leaving the young beggar numb and resigned to continue begging.

It was evident that the child had been deliberately trained and exploited to prey on the sympathy of kind people, much like the Wild Dog Gang of the past, which would break the legs of kidnapped children and force them onto the streets to beg.

This sight only intensified Xu Feng's resolve to cultivate his own loyal faction and network of influence.

In this world, such tragedies were simply too numerous to count every day. Relying solely on his individual strength to change all of this was exceedingly difficult.

If he could eventually build the Brocade-Clad Guards to the point recorded in the historical texts of his past life—where even the stray dogs on the street had files kept on them by the guards—then true surveillance over the entire realm could finally be achieved.

He did not directly intervene to take the beggar child away. To save one, he had to save them all; there were bound to be others pulling the strings behind the scenes. This matter needed to be assigned to the Brocade-Clad Guards for a thorough investigation, and he could make his move once the facts were clear.

After the Brocade-Clad Guards entered the city, the Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion had made no particular moves—neither paying formal visits nor shutting its doors in suspension, clearly showing no concern that the guards might come into conflict with them.

"Miss Rong, it has been a while. Have you been well lately?"

"Thanks to Master Xu's immense fortune, the city has grown much more peaceful recently, and days at the Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion have become increasingly pleasant."

This was purely a polite pleasantry. Even without Xu Feng, those people would never dare to provoke the Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion—whether it was the county magistrate, the Six Fan Doors, or Jianfeng Mountain.

Back when the Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion hosted its poetry gathering, the local gentry of the city had all sat obediently downstairs, not daring to overstep their bounds in the slightest.

This meant that the background of the Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion ran far deeper than Xu Feng had imagined, or at least it was not something the local forces of the city could afford to trifle with.

"Miss Rong is joking. I wonder what brings you to summon me here this time?"

The relationship and interactions between Xu Feng and the Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion had been quite straightforward. Their consecutive collaborations were mutually beneficial, leaving both sides thoroughly satisfied. There was simply no need for empty formalities in front of Miss Rong.

Asking the necessary questions and getting clear answers was enough. If it was a problem he could resolve, Xu Feng would naturally lend a hand; if he encountered something beyond his ability, he would not force himself.

"Please, take a seat first, and let me explain the details to you slowly."

Miss Rong personally instructed someone to pour a cup of tea for Xu Feng, who remained completely unhurried.

He sipped his tea leisurely while waiting for her to speak.

"This matter is neither too big nor too small, but handling it is indeed quite troublesome. The Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion recently received intelligence that the Wa people have dispatched a young swordsmanship master to the Central Plains to challenge various young experts along the way. Having traveled all this distance, quite a few people have already fallen in defeat under his sword."

"Recently, this person is about to arrive in our region. As you know the situation of Gusu City—situated right at the border—this person's purpose is definitely not as simple as a mere swordsmanship challenge."

Xu Feng listened patiently to her explanation without interrupting the process. Naturally, he was pondering the situation himself. Just as Miss Rong had said, this person's intentions were indeed far from simple.

If it were merely to temper one's own swordsmanship, the best course of action would be to go to the Central Plains and seek out those renowned and established major sects. Why go out of one's way to make a long trip to Gusu?

During this period, the conflicts between the Great Shun dynasty and the barbarian tribes had been intensifying. Although there were no large-scale battles yet, both sides had been secretly probing each other.

A major war was on the verge of breaking out at any moment. The true objective of the opponent's arrival at this juncture was naturally to dampen the morale of the frontline soldiers.

This point was beyond doubt and easily guessed. Otherwise, why bother dispatching a young man to issue challenges all the way here, resulting in the deaths of numerous young-generation experts at his hands, according to Miss Rong's account?

"Judging by Miss Rong's words, this person's strength is undoubtedly extraordinary. Otherwise, how could so many people have perished in failure against him?"

Xu Feng did not blindly make promises driven by a burst of youthful passion; he still valued his own life dearly. Without absolute certainty, he certainly wouldn't meddle rashly.

Being able to defeat so many people was enough to prove that this opponent was a tough nut to crack—at the very least, not someone just anyone could handle. This challenge was bound to attract widespread attention, and in full view of the public, it would be inconvenient to use the Imperial Emperor Banner. Relying solely on his own martial prowess to defeat the opponent might prove somewhat difficult.