Chapter 271: Don’t Get Too Cocky, You Might Get Beaten Up!
The next morning, Night Fragrance returned from his outing and inquired, “What about that Great Xia grandmaster? Did he come back to trouble you?”
Lin Beifan shook his head, saying, “No! Ever since he took you away, he hasn’t returned.”
“Phew~ I’m relieved then!” Night Fragrance let out a sigh of relief.
“Oh, by the way, what happened after that grandmaster took you away?” Lin Beifan asked curiously.
“The story that unfolded afterward is quite thrilling!” Night Fragrance snapped open his white paper fan, carried with him, and in a rather stylish manner, he said, “That grandmaster thought I was the Great Xia Crown Prince. After he brought me to a mysterious valley and settled me there, he intended to come back for revenge and cause chaos in the capital. But do you know what happened later?”
“What happened later? Speak up, don’t keep us in suspense!” Guo Shaoshuai urged.
“Later…” Night Fragrance smirked, mimicking a stabbing motion, and said, “I took the opportunity when he wasn’t paying attention and stabbed a knife into his chest, injuring him!”
Everyone was astonished, “What? You injured a grandmaster?”
Seeing everyone’s shocked expressions, Night Fragrance was highly satisfied. He fanned himself while coquettishly stating, “Could it be fake? Why would I deceive you if it didn’t benefit me?”
“Amazing!!!” The group continued to be astonished.
It’s important to note that a grandmaster is considered the pinnacle of power in this world. Their strength is so immense that they are nearly god-like and can contend against thousands of soldiers and horses. They are essentially a different class of strength.
They are practically invincible. Even if you stand there and hit them, you can’t move them. Everyone below grandmaster level is like ants.
Even if you have a lot of ants, they can’t defeat a grandmaster.
Yet, Night Fragrance before them, against all odds, managed to injure a grandmaster!
This was simply a miracle!
This tale would spread throughout the martial arts world and become a legendary story!
Guo Shaoshuai raised both of his thumbs, his face full of admiration. “Night Fragrance, you’re truly incredible!”
“Your praise is too much!” Night Fragrance’s vanity was greatly satisfied.
“How did you manage it?”
Night Fragrance pulled out his small knife, “Naturally, I relied on…”
Seeing Guo Shaoshuai’s starry-eyed look, his vanity swelled even more, and he coquettishly said, “Relying on my own strength, of course. What else could it be?”
“Hero, please accept my respect!” Guo Shaoshuai bowed with his hands cupped together.
“Hahaha, you’re too kind!” Night Fragrance quickly helped Guo Shaoshuai up, then glanced at Lin Beifan with a guilty look.
Seeing him grinning without any particular reaction, he breathed a sigh of relief.
“If there’s nothing else, I’ll be on my way. Goodbye, everyone!” Night Fragrance slipped out, showing off.
However, the story of his “martial arts legend” gradually spread from the official government and became known throughout the entire city.
“Did you hear? Our official’s distinguished cat, Night Fragrance, actually injured a grandmaster from Great Xia!”
“What? He’s so powerful? But he’s just an innate realm cultivator!”
“Could it be fake? It’s spreading from the office government that he impersonated the Great Xia Crown Prince, then took advantage of the grandmaster’s inattention and stabbed him in the heart, causing blood to flow!”
“So strong! Even grandmasters might not be able to injure a grandmaster. I can’t believe he did it!”
“Such a promising young talent! Could he really be our court’s distinguished cat?”
…
Under this influence, Night Fragrance became a sensation that resonated throughout the city! The direct consequence was that wherever he went, he was met with adoring gazes from everyone. Whether they were adults, the elderly, or children, their eyes were filled with admiration. Many young girls and widows, who were about to be married, would often send him flirtatious glances, making him pleased beyond measure.
However, as no one was controlling the story, it gradually grew more mystified and exaggerated as it spread.
“Did you know? Our distinguished cat, Night Fragrance, actually killed a grandmaster from Great Xia!”
“Really? I heard that he only injured him.”
“What injury? Don’t listen to the rumors! Think about it, when Great Xia’s grandmaster came to our capital to rescue their crown prince but didn’t return after failing, it must mean he died. That’s why he couldn’t come back!”
“Oh~~ I see, that makes perfect sense!”
“Heroic deeds indeed! It’s just that he mentioned injuring himself. But we, with our discerning eyes, would never fail to recognize the truth.”
“That’s true! Look at his proud and relaxed demeanor. Clearly, he resolved the future trouble!”
“Distinguished cat, you’re awesome! How fortunate we are to have such a guardian deity in our capital?”
…
As a result, everyone’s admiration for Night Fragrance grew even stronger, nearly reaching the level of fanatical devotion.
However, Night Fragrance began to sense that something was off about this attention.
He had only injured the grandmaster, when did it become about killing him?
Come on! There’s a huge difference between injuring and killing! Injuring implies that he’s still not a match for the grandmaster’s strength.
But killing means he possesses grandmaster-level strength, even slightly stronger. That would be extraordinary. What if other grandmasters come looking for trouble?
It’s important to note that grandmasters are extremely rare, and everyone likes to engage in friendly exchanges with one another.
If things turned serious, he’d be the one getting beaten up!
Feeling something amiss, Night Fragrance urgently paid a visit. “Lord Prefect, please help me clarify something!”
“Oh~~ our esteemed cat hero is here. Please, come in, sit down quickly! Haha!” Lin Beifan warmly welcomed him, personally pulling out a chair and pouring a cup of tea.
Night Fragrance felt extremely uneasy, as if sitting on pins and needles. He sensed something sinister behind Lin Beifan’s excessive hospitality, suspecting that there might be a hidden motive or deception. However, at this moment, he couldn’t afford to worry about all that. He urgently said, “Lord Prefect, I have something to ask of you!”
“Whatever it is, please go ahead. If I can help, I definitely will!” Lin Beifan reassured with a pat on his chest.
“Thank you, Lord Prefect. The situation is like this: there’s a crazy rumor going around that I killed the grandmaster from Great Xia. But that’s completely untrue. So, I’d like to ask you to help me clear things up.”
Lin Beifan blinked his eyes, “Why do you need to clarify? Isn’t it the truth?”
Night Fragrance was dumbfounded, “Huh? What truth?”
Pointing at Night Fragrance, Lin Beifan had a look as if he had figured out everything, and he said with a smile, “Night Fragrance, why do you still want to hide it from me? It’s clear that you killed the grandmaster from Great Xia, and you’re not admitting it?”
Night Fragrance vigorously shook his head, “No, it’s really not…”
“If it’s not, he would have already come back for revenge! But up until now, there’s been no word from him, which means he’s already dead, and he died at your hands! You lied to me, saying you just injured him, but your mouth has yet to speak a single truth…” Lin Beifan chuckled, shaking his head. “But the net of heaven is wide and sparse, and the eyes of the masses are sharp, haha!”
Night Fragrance became even more anxious, “It’s really not like that…”
“Don’t bother explaining. Explanation is just a cover-up, and cover-up is the truth!” Lin Beifan taunted.
“Ah~~” Night Fragrance didn’t know how to explain, feeling utterly exhausted and rolling his eyes.
Subsequently, the speculation about Lin Beifan gradually spread from the official government.
“Even the Lord Prefect has admitted it. The grandmaster died at the hands of our distinguished cat, Night Fragrance!”
“During the incident at the Hulao Pass, he actually killed a grandmaster from Great Xia to save Great Wu. And then, after returning to the capital, he killed another one! Killing two grandmasters in succession, he’s so powerful!”
“What’s a grandmaster? In front of our Hero Night Fragrance, they’re just a piece of crap!”
“Hero Night Fragrance, you’re amazing without explanation!!!”
…
This matter became more and more insane as it spread. Good news rarely travels far, but bad news crosses a thousand miles!
Even the three Grandmasters of Great Wu couldn’t sit still!
“There are rumors outside that our distinguished cat, Night Fragrance, possesses the power of a grandmaster and has killed two grandmasters from Great Xia!”
“True heroes show themselves in youth, indeed talented!”
“Two fellow grandmasters, grandmasters are rare. Why don’t we go find him for a lesson?”
“Absolutely agreed! Night Fragrance should readily accept!”
…
As a result, the three Grandmasters of Great Wu came to seek him out, wanting to engage in a martial exchange and learn from him!
Night Fragrance was frightened. The situation he had been worried about had come true!
Anxiously, he said, “Seniors, you’re really overestimating me! My strength is insignificant, and I’m nowhere near capable of killing a grandmaster. It’s all just a series of mistaken claims from outside. It’s absolutely not true!”
The three guardian grandmasters were resolute in their determination.
“Where there’s smoke, there’s fire!”
“Don’t waste words. Whether it’s true or false, we’ll know after a fight.”
“Night Fragrance, let’s fight!”
…
In the end, Night Fragrance was taken outside the city for a battle.
This fight was earth-shattering!
Night Fragrance was beaten like a sandbag, his handsome and dashing face turned into a face full of swollen lumps, his eyes swollen, his mouth crooked, his clothes in disarray. He lay on the ground looking up at the sky, his face covered in resignation.
At this moment, he saw an even more handsome and dashing face.
Lin Beifan blinked and said, “So, you really can’t do it!”
At this moment, Night Fragrance’s chest heaved with frustration!
His heart full of grievances erupted into a furious roar, “For fuck’s sake, I told you all a long time ago, but none of you believed me!”
His voice resonated for miles around, causing listeners to feel heartbroken and bringing tears to their eyes.
Lin Beifan sighed, “The truth tells us that you shouldn’t get too cocky, or you’ll end up getting beaten up!”
On the other hand, the Great Xia delegation that had already left the capital was anxiously waiting for the Crown Prince and the grandmaster.
But as they waited and waited, even after several days, they couldn’t see them.
This made them extremely anxious.
“According to the timing, Elder Mu should have already rescued the Crown Prince and met with us! Why haven’t we seen them yet?”
“Could something have gone wrong?”
“It shouldn’t, right? Elder Mu personally took action, what could possibly go wrong?”
“But…”
…
They began to have a sense of foreboding.
