Wang Anfeng walked quickly. After realizing he had bumped into the real deal while posing as an impersonator, he had no choice but to shake off Xu Guangmao and then utilize the reverse tracking experience passed down through generations of the Divine Thieves Sect. He weaved in and out within the city, erasing traces, and only then did he return to the courtyard unhurriedly. As for what followed, it was naturally to start a fire and cook. To compensate the thin horse, they had been eating meat every day for several days. The money pouch on Wang Anfeng gradually thinned at a speed visible to the naked eye. By the well, Wang Anfeng used a sharpening stone along one side of the blade, honing the entire Mo Blade to be even sharper, then scooped up a handful of icy well water to splash over it, raising the knife slightly with his right hand. The slightly curved blade glimmered with a blue-cold light under the moonlight. A chill, sharp enough to cut through, was felt. Wang Anfeng examined it, then took some silk cloth from his bosom and started wiping the weapon bit by bit. This weapon, acquired from the hands of the gang leader of the Twenty-Seven Allied Gangs in Fufeng County, had been through several battles. The heavy blade bore signs of chopping, though it hadn't lost its weighty sharpness, it was no longer as intact as before. After all, it was originally just the weapon of a Sixth Rank Martial Artist. Wang Anfeng carefully wiped the water off the blade, then applied maintenance oil, scrutinized it for a moment, and only then sheathed it. Then, he habitually took out a faint blue money pouch, opened it to count, finding only three taels of silver and a little over two hundred copper coins in the bundle. He weighed the money pouch in his hand and sighed with a hint of melancholy. With so little money, after leaving the pass, I fear I'll need to find a way to earn a living... What's worth doing? Shake down some trees? Or hunt wolves to sell their meat? Or perhaps truly become a pharmacist, treating illnesses along the way? Had I not tossed that Jade Plaque to the shopkeeper initially, it would've been better. Why doesn't the Ministry of Punishment just make it into ten plaques worth a hundred taels each? That would be more manageable... Wang Anfeng stood there for a while, shaking his head in self-mockery. It's come to this; there's no point in thinking about it anymore. Thɪs chapter is updated by N0v3l.Fiɾe.net Besides, the loss at the inn was indeed due to my inability to perfectly control the Qilin Fire of the Divine Weapon, so I should take responsibility and blame no one else. That thousand tael Jade Plaque was meant to be handed over to the innkeeper. He stood up, holding the knife in his right hand as he went inside, mentally going over the possible events for tomorrow and preparing countermeasures, then organized his medicine bag, hidden weapons, and finally blew out the oil lamp to sleep. Xiong City awoke far earlier than usual. "Steamed buns, hot steamed buns fresh out of the oven!" "Hot chestnuts, hot chestnuts just out of the oven. Enjoy them while watching the martial arts competition, sweet and heartwarming!" "Sugar water, hot ginger sugar water to ward off the cold..." The sky was still somewhat dark, but the hustle and bustle of the entire city was even livelier than in the daytime by threefold. Vendors shouted loudly, pedestrians hurried on the streets, and high above, martial artists could be seen leaping from one side of the building to another. As early as a month ago, martial artists from all over the Great Qin Jianghu started to gather, eager to catch an early view of the martial arts event, even the common people wished to join in the excitement. Once in a decade, it's a grand event. To seize the opportunity to earn a good amount of silver, comparable to the New Year and Mid-Autumn Festival festivities, each small vendor hadn't slept all night, rolling up their sleeves, preparing more food. Before dawn, they'd already begun hawking along the streets. With so many people, yet the martial arts arena being so small, quite a few issues had arisen in past years. The last time, the Huangfu Family learned their lesson and had various requirements this time too. Not everyone could enter, only those with an invitation from the Huangfu Family. Alternatively, although one might not have a name card, individuals who have gained fame in the Jianghu or disciples from renowned clans could also enter and watch from the attic. Those without good backgrounds or when their martial arts were mediocre, like common Jianghu rangers, could only find some high ground, relying on their excellent vision to watch from afar, while common people without sharpshooter-like eyesight gathered in inns and tea houses. Within the tea houses, storytellers had long been sitting upright. At that time, swift-footed servants from the Huangfu Family would continually bring the latest updates, the state of the competition, and famous evaluations of the martial skills to the storytellers, who in turn would passionately narrate the events to the eager populace. After all, these commoners either didn't know martial arts at all or just had some cockamamie skills. Even if on scene, they wouldn't be able to make sense of anything, especially if the contestants' skills were slightly advanced; they wouldn't discern how the fight started or ended. Thus, waiting here for an explanation was arguably more fitting. The entire Xiong City was in a state ready to burst with fervor. A scholar with handsome features, though expressing a slightly roguish demeanor, held sugar water in one hand and a meat bun in the other, as he continually looked around with deep, dark eyes, occasionally sighing. Beside him, a martial artist with twin pistols on his back frowned and said: The scholar shook his head and said: "Guess how many people are here? I'd say more than several thousand. If the truth were stretched, it seems the entire city is focused on this event. If White Tiger Hall actually pulls it off, the Huangfu Family, even the Northwest Jianghu, would inevitably lose face..." The nearby shadow-catcher 'Ying', carrying twin pistols, remained silent for a moment, then said: