Chapter 197: Chapter 197: The Martial World of Mortals (Part 1)
 

“`

Chewing on the delicious grilled bear meat, Wang Chen glanced at the two who had just come in.

The man blocking the temple entrance was a burly, muscular giant with a beard, dressed in a blue-gray tight-fitting shirt.

His appearance was rugged, but his face was pale, with a bloody scar stretching from the corner of his right eye down to his chin, making his flesh look ferociously turned out.

This bearded giant’s left and right temples bulged high, revealing the characteristics of someone who had reached Great Achievement in their internal energy.

The one he was protecting was a richly dressed youth about twelve or thirteen years old.

The boy timidly peeked out from behind the bearded giant, his handsome and refined face showing a hint of curiosity.

As soon as his gaze met Wang Chen’s, he immediately withdrew.

Upon getting a good look at Wang Chen, the bearded giant relaxed his grip on the shortsword and said with a cupped fist and in a deep voice, “Taoist, my young master and I are passing by to take shelter from the rain, please grant us convenience.”

Even though Wang Chen looked very young and was alone,

the bearded giant, who was rich in Martial World experience, did not underestimate him in the slightest and was very polite.

Wang Chen smiled and said, “I am also here to take shelter from the rain, make yourselves comfortable.”

“Thank you, Taoist.”

The bearded giant closed the temple door, then took the hand of the richly dressed youth and sat down in the corner of the main hall.

Maintaining a certain distance from Wang Chen.

Their clothes were completely soaked, and the richly dressed youth began to shiver as soon as he sat down.

The bearded giant took out a flint from his bag.

He went behind the deity statue and to everyone’s surprise, brought back a pile of dry firewood.

These firewoods had been left behind by travelers or hunters who had stayed in the temple before to facilitate those who came after.

Doing favors for others is a kind of virtue in the Martial World, which could benefit oneself as well.

The bearded giant skillfully set up a campfire using the firewood.

Making the temple interior both brighter and warmer.

“Gurgle~”

The stomach of the richly dressed youth warming himself by the fire suddenly made a strange noise.

His face instantly turned red.

“Young master, please wait a moment.”

The bearded giant hurriedly took out two dry flatbreads from his bag and placed them near the fire to toast.

These flatbreads were dry and hard, very difficult to eat without heating.

The richly dressed youth swallowed and stealthily glanced towards Wang Chen, his eyes sticking to the steaming pot.

His eyes revealed an expectant look.

The bearded giant noticed and secretly gave a wry smile.

Their young master was good in all respects, but he had never tasted the hardships of mortals.

Now in these straitened circumstances, he still thought of the delicacies others had.

However, to be fair, one had no idea what kind of food Wang Chen was cooking; it was so fragrantly enticing.

Even he, an old hand in the Martial World, almost salivated at the smell, not to mention a growing boy.

Bang!

Just as the bearded giant was hesitating whether or not to ask Wang Chen if he was willing to sell some food,

suddenly the temple door was violently kicked open.

A group of people surged into the hall, jostling one another, instantly making the atmosphere noisy and tumultuous.

“Dammit, such heavy rain!”

“It’s soaked the seat of my pants, fuck it!”

“Quickly, close the door!”

They were all robust and fierce-looking Martial World folk.

Many of them carried large bags, cursing as they wiped the rain off their heads and faces.

When they saw Wang Chen sitting in front of the deity and the servant and master in the corner,

their voices immediately dropped, and they looked at each other uncertainly.

“`

One of the men who seemed to be the leader gave a sign with his eyes, and the travelers from the Martial World tacitly sat down in the great hall, staking out a sizable piece of territory.

The two headed straight behind the divine statue, only to return empty-handed.

One cursed, “Damn, which bastard took all the firewood, not even leaving a single twig!”

His outburst of annoyance unintentionally made several of the travelers glance towards Wang Chen and the man with the majestic beard.

Two bonfires were burning brightly.

The leader furrowed his brows and said sternly, “Old Four, shut your mouth!”

In the Martial World, the last thing you want to do is provoke unknown figures over trivial matters.

That bearded giant was obviously not someone to be trifiled with, accompanied by a young man who looked like the son of a wealthy family, most likely in hiding to escape disaster, a sure recipe for trouble.

As for Wang Chen, who occupied the best spot in the great hall, his depth was impenetrable.

But from experience in the Martial World, monks who dare to travel alone often possess hidden skills and profound knowledge.

Wang Chen’s appearance was unremarkable, but his demeanor, cloaked in a Taoist robe, was composed and inscrutable.

They roamed the Martial World to make a living; their lives were more important than anything else. Why trouble themselves with such figures over a few pieces of firewood?

After a glare from the leader, Old Four sullenly closed his mouth.

He was not without experience in the Martial World, it was just that the downpour had soaked him through, and he was cold and hungry after the long journey.

Seeing Wang Chen enjoying the bonfire, simmering porridge and roasting meat, it made him very uncomfortable.

His cursing was, in fact, a form of probing.

If the other party seemed weak, wouldn’t that be delightful?

But with the boss speaking, he could not disobey and reluctantly returned to his companions with a resentful face.

Everybody started munching on their dry food.

Bang!

Before they had taken more than a few bites, the temple door was kicked open again with a heavy thud!

Wang Chen, sitting in front of the divine statue, was simply at a loss for words.

Was this a temple fair or what?

This time, four men and one woman, a total of five individuals, entered.

They looked odd in every way, with one bald, one earless, one with a missing eye, one armless, and one who had lost a leg, using a crutch to walk.

The one thing they all had in common was their ugliness, and each was uniquely repulsive.

Even the one-eyed woman was outrageously hideous!

However, having seen these five, the bearded giant and the group of more than a dozen travelers from the Martial World all simultaneously changed expressions.

The motormouth Old Four blurted out, “The Disfigured Five Wandering Martial Artists!”

These five were notorious in the Martial World, said to be as close as siblings, skilled in martial arts, and adept in unique techniques, with a record of jointly defeating an Innate expert.

Because of their distinctive appearances, they were recognized at a glance.

No sooner had Old Four’s words fallen, than a snake-like vicious gaze fixed on him, “Hehehe, who would have thought that after so many years away from the Martial World, people still remember us siblings.”

Damn, just look at yourselves!

A group of travelers muttered under their breath while gripping their own weapons.

The Disfigured Five Wandering Martial Artists were extremely volatile, killing without batting an eye, and utterly unreasonable.

Now that they ran into them, even if there were no grudges, they were ready for a fight to the death.

Yet, in the next moment, the focus of the Five Wandering Martial Artists turned towards the bearded giant.

The one-legged man spoke in a sinister voice, “Yuchi Zhong, we respect you as a real man. Just hand over the person obediently, and we’ll let you off the hook!”

The bearded giant took a deep breath, stood up, and stepped forward, gripping his short sword.

As his fighting spirit surged, he glanced at Wang Chen beside him.

This glance immediately drew the attention of the Five Wandering Martial Artists.

The one-legged man asked with a flicker in his eyes, “May I have the honor of knowing the distinguished name of this Taoist priest?”

Wang Chen, in an instant, became the center of attention!

———-

The first update is here.