Chapter 283: Heart Tingles, Dared Not Turn Around

Chen Changsheng had returned from the Demon Realm to the Mortal World.

Just like when he left, corpses of the starved lay everywhere.

People in this world simply come and go like the tides, enduring one hardship after another.

Natural disasters, the City Platform fortifications—after long enough, it felt like life itself meant enduring such misery.

Chen Changsheng looked upon it all, over and again, his heart heavy with unhappiness.

Chen Changsheng gazed at the scene before him and said: “Let’s walk then.”

Who could’ve guessed, a mere blink, and another half-year had passed.

Autumn passed and winter came.

Heavy snow fell across the lands of the Mortal World.

The snowstorms seemed to have been arranged beforehand.

That winter, many more died in the Mortal World.

A blink and he’d spent over six months here.

…

Crunch…

The sound of footsteps on deep snow rose from the roadside.

Chen Changsheng still wore that same Blue Robe. Only different this time, a shawl rested upon his shoulders.

The shawl was a gift from someone during his travels, a hunter whose most respectable possession was his fox fur garment.

Approaching sunset, Chen Changsheng entered a small town and found an Inn.

The Inn was rather basic, yet infinitely better than the heavy snow like goose feathers outside.

Chen Changsheng brushed the snow off his shoulders and stepped inside.

During his six months in the Mortal World, Chen Changsheng had earned some silver, most of it taken from bandits.

The Inn had no shop-boy, only a middle-aged Manager keeping things running. His clothes weren’t fancy—plain long cloth robes, cloth-wrapped leggings, and the right side of his face covered by a bandage, likely concealing some old injury.

“What to eat?” The Manager offered no pleasantries.

Chen Changsheng replied, “Warm a pot of wine. Any simple dish to go with it will do. Apologies for the trouble, Manager.”

The Manager nodded and went to prepare.

Sitting down, Chen Changsheng glanced around. The Inn held quite a few people, most stranded by the snow.

All were lean, weathered men whose Baleful Aura showed clearly.

Jianghu People.

The whole world was in chaos. Without combat abilities, traveling anywhere was impossible. Simply put, they were all just struggling to survive.

“This snow truly gets heavier by the day.”

“Tell me about it. Who knows how many will die?”

“Heard the south’s already a mess. Snow there is even worse. It fell overnight, and come morning, nearly an entire village froze stiff. Only a handful survived.”

“Thankfully we’re used to it up north. Snow’s common here.”

“Lately, many refugees have come through.”

“Oh?”

“Weren’t seized? Along Chagu Road, you’ll find either officials grabbing workers for the City Platform or bandits. Doubt anyone could slip past.”

“You haven’t heard? Someone amazing appeared along Chagu Road. Swept the bandits and robbers clean away. Even the labor rounders stay clear now. Otherwise, those refugees wouldn’t reach here.”

“Is that true?”

“Absolutely. Heard it from many.”

“Who is this hero?”

“Don’t know that. But people say he looked scholarly, like a teacher. Later, they called him the Tea Valley Gentleman.”

“Impressive. Must meet him someday.”

Chen Changsheng paused briefly upon hearing the chatter.

He shook his head with a faint smile, unconcerned about the title Tea Valley Gentleman.

Soon, the Manager brought the wine and dish.

Chen Changsheng slowly drank the entire pot along with the side dish, then asked the Manager for the key to an upper room to spend the night.

The Inn had only over ten rooms, considered large. Smaller Inns couldn’t even scrape together five.

Resting briefly in his room, Chen Changsheng noticed night had already fallen.

Staring at the snow outside, the silence felt dull. He headed downstairs to the Main Hall.

The Manager was busy over his ledger. A few others sat drinking and chatting, likely bored and seeking company.

Chen Changsheng looked at the Manager and asked, “Know a young monk, Manager?”

The Manager glanced at him. “What young monk?”

Chen Changsheng took a sip of wine. “A small boy.”

The Manager lowered his head back to his ledger. “Don’t know any small boy.”

Chen Changsheng withdrew his gaze. “Perhaps I was mistaken.”

The Manager stalled. He looked up, but the man in the Blue Robe had already sat back down at a table.

Hesitating a moment, the Manager rose and approached.

Chen Changsheng sat drinking when the Manager abruptly sat down across from him.

“You’re the Mr. Chen he mentioned?” the Manager asked.

Chen Changsheng smiled. “Who might ‘he’ be, Manager?”

The Manager studied him. “That little boy… is he well?”

“He’s neither good nor bad,” Chen Changsheng replied calmly.

The Manager nodded. “In times like these… neither bad nor good is already good.”

“True.” Chen Changsheng put down his wine pot. “That young monk said you killed like cutting hemp, countless lives. Your Baleful Aura is thick, though it feels far away. Been long since you last killed?”

The Manager paused, then nodded. “Haven’t mixed in the Jianghu since opening this Inn.”

“Why?” Chen Changsheng inquired.

The Manager gave a wry smile. “That boy wasn’t entirely wrong. More killing leads to greater retribution. I liked to kill, yes, but never without cause. Trouble follows forever if you don’t finish the job, whether slaughtering evil men or good. Yet who can truly cut clean through?”

“Seems about right,” Chen Changsheng remarked. “He who lives by the sword… the Jianghu offers few peaceful ends.”

The Manager said, “I’ve seen too much. Met a girl, barely seven, utterly alone, starving near to death. Felt sorry for her, gave her food. Learned later… her parents died by my blade. That child knew nothing, thanked me, called me a good person. That moment I felt a tingle inside my heart. Dared not turn to look at her.”

A self-deprecating laugh escaped him at the absurdity.

Chen Changsheng listened quietly, then spoke. “Seems reality differs somewhat from what I imagined.”

The Manager’s smile was resigned. “Even Jianghu People hold a flicker of conscience. The utterly wicked don’t live long.”

“So these things changed you?” Chen Changsheng probed.

The Manager took a long breath. “Suppose they did…”

“What you mentioned, uh, the little monk… he urged me often. I listened. Layer upon layer of bitterness, the path grew filthier… made me stop. Used every coin I had to open this Inn.”