Can You Tell Me Your Name?

In the early morning, the line of people at the entrance of Cangyun City's gate stretched out endlessly. As the fourth largest city in the Southern Province, its population density far exceeded smaller places like Fufeng City. In contrast to the continuous influx of people into the city, those leaving were few and far between, mostly consisting of those who had spent the night within the city. Accommodations in Cangyun City were not cheap, and most ordinary folks who came to do business in the city preferred not to stay overnight.

At this moment, two figures could be seen in the line of people leaving the city. The elder was a man in his sixties, his white hair and beard giving him a dignified appearance. He was dressed in a gray robe and carried a long bundle on his back. The younger of the two was a girl who appeared to be around thirteen or fourteen years old, with large, expressive eyes and a delicate face that still retained a touch of innocence. She was slender in build, dressed in a yellow shirt, and carried a disproportionately large bundle on her back.

For those leaving the city, the guards at the gate were not too strict, and the two of them passed the inspection quite smoothly, making their way out of the city.

"Grandfather, where are we gonna go next?" the young girl asked.

The old man took out a map, examined it for a while, and then said, "The map of our ancestor is quite crude, and the paper is old, making the writing illegible. We'll have to search along the Qingyun Mountain Range slowly."

"I've heard that the Qingyun Mountain Range stretches for over two thousand miles. How long will it take to get there? Moreover, there are cultivation sects on Qingyun Mountain, Qingsong Mountain, Qingfeng Mountain, and Qingcheng Mountain. If we approach them this way, won't we be driven away?" The girl pouted, growing impatient.

"Child, this ancient sect's legacy site is extraordinary. Our ancestors only stumbled upon the outskirts, gained some benefits, and then founded our Divine Forging lineage upon returning. Unfortunately, they became entangled in worldly matters and couldn't explore further," the old man said, stroking his beard. "Now, the Divine Forging lineage is in decline, with only the two of us left. I had considered retiring and living out the rest of my days in peace. But I never expected you to possess such remarkable talent. It's a sign that fate is not yet done with our Divine Forging lineage. As long as we find the legacy site, the two of us may still restore the former glory of Divine Forging."

The old man spoke enthusiastically, but the only response he received was a growling sound.

"Grandfather, I'm hungry."

An hour later.

"Grandfather, I'm so weak from hunger; I can't walk anymore."

"Oh, my dear. It's my fault. I don't have much money. We can't afford a unicycle carriage. We're almost at Fufeng City, and I'll buy you some buns when we get there."

"Okay."

Another half hour later.

"Grandfather, why haven't we arrived yet?"

"We're almost there, my dear. It's not far ahead. Just a little more, and you'll have delicious, tender meat buns calling your name."

"Okay."

After another half hour, the two of them could finally see the distant silhouette of the city. Under the scorching sun, the young girl felt dizzy, and her steps became unsteady. All she could think about were the "meat buns."

"Do you see it, my dear? Fufeng City is right ahead," the old man said, his voice filled with enthusiasm.

Gradually, more parts of the city appeared on the horizon, and the city gates became visible. However, just as the two were making their way forward, someone suddenly blocked their path. As they got closer, they could see a young man in his twenties standing in the middle of the road. He had a handsome face, but unfortunately, his aquiline nose slightly marred his overall appearance.

"Shen Dachui?" The young man's voice was magnetic and pleasant to listen to.

"Who are you?"

"I'm Xiao Wenjian."

"The second-ranked hero on the Great Qian Heroes Ranking has come to find this old man. What business do you have?" Shen Dachui's face grew more serious upon hearing about Xiao Wenjian's reputation, which brought a fair amount of pressure.

"Hand over the Sun and Moon Divine Swords." Xiao Wenjian spoke concisely, unwilling to say more.

Shen Dachui's expression changed dramatically. "I didn't expect that the famous 'Swordmaster of the Extreme' would be such a greedy and shameless person, lusting after someone else's treasure."

"Don't force me." Xiao Wenjian still maintained a cool demeanor.

"Child, step back," Shen Dachui had no intention of giving in.

"Okay," Xiao Wenjian sighed, then reached out his right hand and, through the air, created a giant golden hand that reached out to grab Shen Dachui.

"Power transformation! Truly, he's at the Heaven Wheel Realm!" Shen Dachui exclaimed.

He shouted and struck out with a punch, his fist transforming into a powerful tiger of spiritual energy, roaring as it met the golden hand in the air.

"Boom!" The collision of two powerful energies resulted in a deafening sound, and the shockwaves scattered dust and debris in all directions.

Xiao Wenjian's movements were swift; he appeared in front of Shen Dachui in an instant and swung his right hand, creating a blade of spiritual energy that struck directly at Shen Dachui's forehead.

Shen Dachui didn't back down. Instead, he shouted and unleashed a wave of spiritual energy that rushed toward Xiao Wenjian.

Two experts at the Heaven Wheel Realm displayed their respective talents, clashing fiercely in the air. Their spiritual energies collided, creating a scene of flying debris and swirling dust.

"Grandfather, give it your all! Defeat this villain! Grandfather, please... I'm so hungry..." The young girl weakly cheered for Shen Dachui from the side.

As the battle continued, Shen Dachui began to feel a bit overwhelmed. Although his cultivation level might be slightly higher than Xiao Wenjian's, he was inferior in terms of the quality and quantity of spiritual techniques. Furthermore, Xiao Wenjian was young and strong, with his blood boiling in his veins, slowly tilting the balance of victory in his favor.

"Boom!" Another full-powered exchange occurred. This time, Xiao Wenjian's body only swayed slightly, while Shen Dachui was pushed back several steps, his right arm trembling slightly, struggling to recover his strength.

Xiao Wenjian was unrelenting and did not give Shen Dachui any breathing space. Once again, he created a giant hand of spiritual energy and reached out to grab Shen Dachui from a distance.

"Spirit power transformation! Truly, he's at the Heaven Wheel Realm!" Shen Dachui exclaimed.

Shen Dachui's bundle, which had been on his back, had already come undone, revealing a brightly gleaming longsword securely held in his left hand.

"Is this the Sun Sword from the Sun and Moon Divine Swords? Its reputation is well-deserved." This was the longest sentence Xiao Wenjian had uttered today. "For a treasure of this caliber, you won't be able to hold onto it."

"Feel free to try." With a sword in his hand, Shen Dachui's momentum surged.

"I'll spare you for today," Xiao Wenjian said. Without waiting for Shen Dachui's response, he turned and left, looking extremely cool.

"Grandfather, you drove away the second-ranked hero on the Great Qian Heroes Ranking! How amazing!" The girl ran up to Shen Dachui, excited.

"Well, the new generation always surpasses the old. This Xiao Wenjian is indeed not a mere name. He's already a Heaven Wheel expert at such a young age. If I didn't have a divine weapon, I'm afraid..." The old man began to talk incessantly once more.

"Grandfather, I'm hungry."

"..."

*********************************************************************

Once again, returning to the cave, the stone chamber was empty, with the books still on the table, but the fruit was nowhere to be seen. Zhong Wen approached the table, gently placing down the basket and the crystal lamp he held in his hand. He reached out to pick up the books on the table. To his surprise, the cover of the book displayed Chinese characters: Technique for Crafting Divine Fire Cannons.

Closing his eyes, a line of small text appeared in his mind on the bookshelf:

"Discovery of the book Technique for Crafting Divine Fire Cannons, a 'Spiritual Weapon' category book, should it be cataloged? Yes/No."

With his consciousness, he opened the book in his mind, and a series of texts floated in front of Zhong Wen. This was when he realized that the cave in the mountains was not a natural formation but had been carefully dug out by an elder of the Medicine King Valley, step by step, from scratch.

Unlike the interests of all other people in the Medicine King Valley, this elder surnamed Long had a combative nature and did not delve into medicine and alchemy. Instead, he had devoted his entire life to studying the craft of weapons.

Because he clashed with the Vally Master's philosophy, Elder Long had angrily left the valley, dug a hole on the mountain, and secluded himself to continue his research on weaponry. The Divine Fire Cannon was the result of this elder's tireless work.

According to the book, this weapon had very low requirements for the user's spiritual power. With the right materials, the highest-quality Divine Fire Cannon could even kill a Spirit Sovereign master.

What an incredible spiritual weapon!

Reading about the Divine Fire Cannon, Zhong Wen was filled with admiration for Elder Long's genius work. Opening his eyes, he realized that a sword was hanging around his neck. Following the blade down, he saw the hilt held in a slender and fair hand. The owner of the hand was none other than the black-clad girl he had treated the night before.

"Good evening!"

Zhong Wen greeted the girl with a friendly smile, then opened the cloth covering the basket and took out plates of food.

"Are you hungry? Fruits can’t fill your stomach. I've brought you something else," Zhong Wen said, introducing each item. "Here are chicken buns, these are flatbreads, and I also brought some chicken soup. Have it while it's hot; it's good for your recovery."

The black-clad girl looked at him coldly, with the sword still at Zhong Wen's throat, as if ready to strike at any moment.

Zhong Wen continued to talk incessantly, "Although your vitality has somewhat recovered, the damage caused by the unnamed technique has not been fully healed. It still needs quiet convalescence. This is the 'Nourishing Essence Pill' I refined. It can consolidate your foundation and repair the damage to your body's functions. Remember to take one after each meal. Also, these clothes are bought from the foot of the mountain. Try them on, see if they fit, and please don't bind your chest like that in the future; it can cause harm..."

"Shut up!" The black-clad girl blushed after listening for a while and finally couldn't help but speak up. "Aren't you afraid of death?"

Zhong Wen felt the longsword around his neck tightens slightly, but he smiled, "Are you going to kill me?"

"After the way you treated me last night, of course, I want to kill you."

"I was only treating your injuries. What was a young lady like you thinking everyday?"

"You..." The girl's chest heaved with anger, and her tense body couldn't fully hide her emotions.

"Alright, alright, what's done is done. Don't strain your injuries," Zhong Wen calmly moved the girl's sword away, "sit down quickly and eat. After you finish, I'll give you a check-up."

The black-clad girl stared at him for a long time, but eventually, she reluctantly sheathed her sword and sat down at the stone table. She picked up a bun and took a bite.

As she drank the chicken soup, a look of extreme surprise crossed her face.

"Is it good? This is my secret recipe," Zhong Wen looked at her with a mischievous smile.

The black-clad girl blushed and shot him an annoyed look. She put down the bowl and hesitated for a moment, but in the end, she didn't put it away.

Perhaps genuinely hungry, the girl, although graceful in her eating manners, devoured the food at a surprising speed. The basket of food was quickly emptied.

"Come on, give me your hand, and I'll check your pulse," Zhong Wen said, seeing that the girl's expression had softened somewhat.

The black-clad girl immediately stood up alertly and stepped back, gripping the sword, which was still at her waist.

"If I wanted to harm you, you would have been dead ten thousand times already," Zhong Wen was both angry and amused. "I've told you I'm a physician. You can either kill me or give me your hand for a check-up quickly!"

Seeing the girl's hesitation, Zhong Wen played his trump card: "Don't you want revenge?"

The girl's gaze instantly turned fierce.

"If you don't heal your body soon, how can you seek revenge?" Zhong Wen's words struck a nerve with the girl.

The black-clad girl finally obediently extended her right hand.

Zhong Wen placed his fingers on the girl's delicate wrist, observing her pulse while examining her complexion. Compared to the previous night, the black-clad girl's face had regained much of its color. Her plump cheeks, illuminated by the crystal lamp, looked delicate and captivating.

"While there are still injuries in your meridians, your vitality has returned, and you're still young, with ample vitality. Combined with the Nourishing Essence Pill, the damage from the unnamed technique will gradually heal," Zhong Wen spoke seriously, but his gaze occasionally wandered to the girl's chest. It still looked magnificent!

Zhong Wen felt his nosebleed was about to erupt again. At this moment, the girl wasn't restraining that area because... the white cloth that had bound her chest last night had been discreetly taken away by Zhong Wen.

"How long will it take to recover fully?" the black-clad girl couldn't help but ask.

"Originally, it would take at least half a year. But with my newly refined 'Nourishing Essence Pill,' it should take about two months for a complete recovery."

"In two months, Duan Changhong's injuries will be healed. I can't wait that long!" The black-clad girl was determined.

After some contemplation, Zhong Wen asked, "What was your cultivation level before you got injured?"

The black-clad girl wasn’t intent to hid it from him and said, "Fifth stage of the Earth Wheel."

Zhong Wen replied, "Duan Changhong is already at the sixth stage of the Earth Wheel and will be more vigilant. Your cultivation is lower than his, and your strength has decreased after your injuries. Even if you attempt an assassination again, it's unlikely to succeed."

The black-clad girl spoke without hesitation, "As long as I can kill him, I'll die without regrets."

Zhong Wen laid his left hand under the girl's right hand, and with his right hand placed on her pulse, he suddenly closed his grip, trapping her delicate hand within. He said firmly, "Committing suicide or dying in vain is not the same as going down together."

Startled, the black-clad girl tried to pull her hand out from Zhong Wen's grasp, but after a brief struggle, she stopped resisting, her eyes slightly red, and her head hung low. "I have no other choice."

Zhong Wen gently lifted the girl's chin, locking his eyes onto hers, and said sincerely, "If you're willing to leave the assassin organization, I can help you get your revenge."

The black-clad girl's heart was pounding as she was held by his gaze. She looked around nervously and stammered, "How... how can you help me?"

Zhong Wen asked, "What do you think of my strength?"

"You're pretty weak. If I weren't injured, I could easily kill you," the black-clad girl replied.

Zhong Wen sighed, "Well, how about this? My cultivation is only at the second stage of the Human Wheel."

"What?!" The black-clad girl was shocked. The gap between the second stage of the Human Wheel and the fifth stage of the Earth Wheel couldn't be underestimated. Even an injured fifth-stage Earth Wheel cultivator could easily kill a group of second-stage Human Wheel practitioners. She was struggling to accept this revelation.

"This means," Zhong Wen continued, "that the spiritual techniques I use are far superior to the assassination techniques you were taught by the Ten Thousand Gold Tower."

The black-clad girl still didn't understand, "So what? Your cultivation is too low. Even if the two of us join forces, we can't beat Duan Changhong."

"What if I teach you the spiritual techniques?" Zhong Wen proposed.

The black-clad girl was at a loss for words.

"With your cultivation and my spiritual techniques, we can easily handle Duan Changhong," Zhong Wen said.

The girl finally asked, "Why are you helping me? What's the good for you to offend a powerful figure at the sixth stage of the Earth Wheel for a dying assassin?"

"Because," Zhong Wen's eyes shone brightly, "I'm willing to."

This time traveler was just that stubborn.

Looking at Zhong Wen's radiant face under the light of the crystal lamp, the black-clad girl inexplicably felt a bit infatuated.

...

"For the next few days, make sure to rest, take your medicine on time, and refrain from using your spiritual power," Zhong Wen instructed while cleaning up the dishes. "I'll come by regularly to check on you. Once your condition stabilizes, I'll teach you an advanced spiritual technique."

"Okay."

"I'll leave for now. Take care of yourself!"

"Okay."

"If you encounter danger, remember to come to the mountaintop and find me."

"Okay."

"By the way, can you tell me your name?"

"...Leng Wushuang."

*****************************************************************

Tantai Jin watched the young man in white before him with envy filling his heart. At the age of less than thirty, he had firmly secured the second position on the Great Qian Heroes Ranking. Xiao Wenjian, known as the "Swordmaster of the Extreme," was a legendary figure. Using a classic line: all men want to become him, and all women want to marry him.

Legend had it that Xiao Wenjian had already mastered swordsmanship at a young age, and from the age of twenty-five, he had never used a sword again. He was naturally proud, believing that if he couldn't find a divine sword worthy of himself, he would rather abandon the use of swords. However, even without using a sword, his ranking on the Heroes Ranking had never dropped over the years.

As the eldest son of the Tantai family, one of the four major families of Cangyun City, Tantai Jin was usually difficult to impress, and ordinary people found it challenging to gain his attention. However, when faced with Xiao Wenjian, he couldn't muster any jealousy. Instead, he felt only admiration and envy.

When someone was slightly ahead, jealousy might arise, but when someone was leagues ahead, such emotions seemed utterly pointless. Tantai Jin only wanted to firmly cling to this thick and sturdy big thigh, never letting go.

"Help me find the whereabouts of two people," Xiao Wenjian's words were still as concise as ever.

"Who are they?"

"Shen Dachui and Shen Xiaowan from the Divine Forging Lineage."

"Do you want them alive or..."

"Shen Dachui is at the Heaven Wheel realm. Your people can't kill him."

"Alright, I'll notify you as soon as I have any information."

"What about the situation at Qingfeng Mountain?"

"Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Qingfeng Mountain will soon become your property." Tantai Jin's tone carried a hint of flattery. "When the time comes for the cultivation technique, I'll rely on you..."

"Don't worry. Once I obtain the deed for Qingfeng Mountain, I'll give you the Purple Cloud Heart Technique." Xiao Wenjian replied with an emotionless expression.

"Thank you very much, Mr. Xiao."

Tantai Jin's heart swelled with pride as if he could already envision himself mastering the golden-grade cultivation technique and reaching the Heaven Wheel realm...