Chapter Forty-Seven: Fame +45

Leaving the cave behind, Chen Xuan used his lightness skill to travel, arriving at a small town in about half an hour.

Green Ox Town.

The town was not small, bustling with a constant stream of people and an extraordinarily lively atmosphere.

Ever since arriving in this world, this was the first time Chen Xuan had laid eyes on one of its towns. It possessed a unique charm, filled with ancient architectural styles and the vibrant aura of the mortal world.

He first found a shop and bought a new set of clothes. It was a combination of black and red, crafted from fine fabric. He also purchased a set of fake hair. After washing up and dressing, his entire appearance underwent a dramatic transformation.

Looking at the refined and handsome reflection in the mirror, Chen Xuan could not help but wear a narcissistic smile.

"Ultimately, you remain the Carefree Young Master."

"Esteemed guest, ahem, might I ask you to settle the bill first? It comes to fifty taels of silver in total."

The shopkeeper and the clerk stood beside him, chuckling.

After all, when Chen Xuan first entered, he looked completely like a beggar. Here, he had bathed, changed clothes, and even bought sachets. If he had no money, well, that would be rather awkward.

Sensing the strange look in their eyes, Chen Xuan made a grand gesture, tossed over a one-hundred-tael banknote, and said indifferently, "Keep the change!"

The shopkeeper took the banknote, examined it carefully, and let out a silent sigh of relief before immediately smiling and returning the change.

Taking the fifty taels of silver returned to him, Chen Xuan strode out of the shop.

The street was shoulder-to-shoulder with people, presenting a lively scene mostly composed of traveling pugilists and itinerant merchants.

Passing by a Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion, he saw several brightly dressed young women on the second floor waving scented handkerchiefs, casting flirtatious glances down at the street, and posing seductively.

Down below, a flock of young maidens fluttered about like orioles, their laughter echoing endlessly.

"Big brother, come inside and have a drink... come on..."

"Young master, you are so terribly handsome. Why don't you come and compose poetry with this humble one..."

...

"Ha, is this perhaps the legendary brothel?"

Chen Xuan smiled, asking a question whose answer was obvious, and craned his neck to peer inside.

"Young master, do come in..."

"This humble one sees that the young master is a man of talent and a high achiever in his youth, and will surely cherish me. Come on..."

A group of young women swarmed toward him, giving Chen Xuan goosebumps all over.

He fled rapidly.

"Women are ravenous ghosts in the sea of lust; they are merely coveting my seed. I am certainly not going in."

Moving further ahead, he spotted a massive inn and walked inside.

The inn was packed with heroes from all directions, clinking cups and discussing animatedly. They were all talking about the recent siege of the Five Poisons Sect by the righteous alliance.

"The righteous alliance took a huge loss this time, suffering heavy casualties. Everyone has retreated."

"What? Such a thing happened? Is the Five Poisons Sect really that powerful?"

"Brother Yu, could it be that you know the inside story?"

A group of people were greatly startled.

"Naturally. Let me tell you, the Five Poisons Sect made full preparations this time. They buried gunpowder and sulfur deep in the mountains outside their sect, and detonated them right when the righteous alliance penetrated deep into their territory. The entire mountain range was blown apart, and the fire raged for over a hundred miles. Who knows how many people died?"

A plump man with a sparse beard shook his head as he spoke.

An uproar broke out inside the inn.

"How vicious! Those demonic scoundrels are capable of anything!"

"I've long said that when dealing with heretical factions, there's no need to speak of martial arts honor. Talking to them about anything is useless."

"Indeed, completely devoid of conscience! They are utterly ruthless!"

...

Chen Xuan's heart tightened as he pricked up his ears to listen.

"Do you know? A young demon has also emerged within the Five Poisons Sect this time. His methods are fierce and ruthless, not a whit inferior to those veteran demons of old. Right now, he is wanted by various sects and noble families!"

The well-informed 'Know-It-All' Yu Guan took a sip of wine and spoke.

"What is his name? What has he done?"

The crowd asked.

"That demon's nickname is the 'Lineage-Ending Hand', and his name is Chen Xuan. He specifically enjoys leaving people without heirs. Cui Qingsheng, the young master of the Cui clan, and Fang Yu, the young master of the Dragon Soaring Martial Arts Hall, both died at his hands. Not long ago, that fellow Chen Xuan even infiltrated the righteous alliance under the alias of 'Sword Piercing the Firmament' Jian Feiwei. Unfortunately, no one discovered his true identity until after this explosion, when a spy from the righteous alliance sent back word that 'Jian Feiwei' was actually 'Chen Xuan'. It is said that this explosion was also orchestrated by the Lineage-Ending Hand Chen Xuan, who lured everyone inside. Truly exceptionally malicious!"

Said the Know-It-All Yu Guan.

An uproar arose among the crowd, filled with intense anger.

"Such a malicious little demon!"

"So young and yet so ruthless! If I encounter him, I will surely hack him into a thousand pieces!"

"Brother Yu, what does the little demon look like? What are his distinguishing features?"

...

"It is said that he is bald on top, his right hand is indigo-blue, and he possesses a profound art of external refinement, making his body difficult to harm with ordinary swords and sabers. Furthermore, his swordsmanship seems even stronger than his external refinement. In short, this little demon most likely possesses the strength of the lower tier of the Human Ranking. If you all encounter him, be sure to exercise vigilance. Right now, Constable Wang of the Six Fan Schools is preparing to report upward. Once the Six Fan Schools officially issues a warrant, this little demon will undoubtedly secure a spot on the Black Ranking!"

Said the Know-It-All Yu Guan.

"Although the Black Ranking has never looked at strength but only at bounties, young-generation demons who manage to make the Black Ranking are extremely rare. This little demon has committed every conceivable evil; I reckon he just might make the list!"

"Indeed!"

The crowd chimed in.

Chen Xuan cursed inwardly as he listened.

Distorting right and wrong, confounding black and white!

Damn it, does this Know-It-All speak out of his ass?

Aside from killing Cui Qingsheng by accident, every single person he killed afterwards had a valid reason.

When was he ever so evil?

He was a public-spirited, righteous, model student!

He desperately wanted to shout out and defend himself, but reason told him he had to endure.

"Esteemed guest, what would you like to order?"

Seeing Chen Xuan sitting on the stool with an expression shifting between light and dark, the waiter asked with a smile.

Chen Xuan snapped out of it, glanced at him, and said, "Bring me your best wine and finest dishes!"

He was seething with frustration.

Look at that! Just how important is it to master public opinion?

Even when the righteous side loses to you, they will still smear your reputation.

Why didn't the Five Poisons Sect establish its own public opinion organization? Perhaps he should build one in the future, dedicated to singing praises and counter-narratives!

While his thoughts were in turmoil, a flash of green light suddenly crossed his vision.

Popularity +45

Chen Xuan's expression froze.

What the hell, you can gain popularity from this too?

He immediately opened his status panel and felt a surge of secret joy.

He saw that the popularity section had changed from "Newly Entered Jianghu" (138/140) to "Slightly Accomplished" (43/280).

The luck value section had directly changed from 30 to 39.

Just 1 more point of luck value, and he could open a mystery gift box once again.

However, one thing left him secretly depressed.

Slightly Accomplished in popularity?

What kind of accomplishment was this?

It was all bad reputation, alright?

Suddenly, he rubbed his chin and pondered that thought from just moments ago once more.

If he were to establish a public opinion team dedicated to singing his praises and spreading his good name, wouldn't his popularity rise even faster?

Should he find the time to give it a try?

As he was deep in thought, a figure suddenly walked in from outside. Their clothes were disheveled, their face pale, and they looked rather dismally battered.

The people discussing inside the inn suddenly cried out in alarm.

"Master Fang!"

"Good heavens, it's senior master Fang!"

"Senior master Fang, how are you?"

The crowd was in an uproar as they stood up and swarmed over.

Chen Xuan's eyes flashed, and he swept his gaze across the newcomer.

Fang Xuanwen!

This old turtle wasn't dead yet?

However, looking at his current wretched state, even if he wasn't dead, he was mostly severely injured. A greenish qi lingered between his brows, and there were knife wounds on his arm and lower leg. He had clearly been hunted down.

Fang Xuanwen immediately cupped his fists toward the crowd and said, "There is no need for such polite formalities, everyone. This old man is in no major trouble."

He turned and instructed the waiter to secure a superior room for him.

The waiter immediately scrambled eagerly to lead the way.

Chen Xuan channeled his inner energy into his ears, maximizing his hearing to quietly eavesdrop on the commotion upstairs.

He heard Fang Xuanwen enter the room and instruct the waiter that no one was to disturb him, and that meals could be brought up shortly. The waiter acknowledged the command and immediately hurried back downstairs.

A gleam flickered in Chen Xuan's eyes.

Not a single member of the Fang family was any good.

Since he had already taken care of the son, there was no harm in eliminating the old man as well.

He surely knew about the matter of his son's death at his own hands anyway.

Chen Xuan's heart thumped wildly, and once the idea took root, it was impossible to suppress.