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Are you a member of the martial arts world?

If you are one of them, you must have heard the following statement:

There is a city on the water, named Baili, but its name is only known and its trace is never seen.

Thirty years ago, this phrase was famous throughout the martial arts world. Thirty years ago, Baili City was not only the number one city in the martial arts world, but also the most mysterious holy land of martial arts.

Because, although everyone knows that Baili City exists, no one knows exactly where it is, and of course no one has ever been there... It is like the wind, you can feel its presence, but you can never see it; it is like a dream, it exists in the heart of every Jianghu person, but the dream can never come true.

However, that was thirty years ago.

Today, Baili City remains the number one city in the martial arts world and a sacred place in people's hearts. However, if you arrive in the sparsely populated border region of Yunnan on the ninth day of the eighth lunar month every year and find the town called Baili, you will find that martial arts practitioners from various factions gather there. If you go with them to the inn called Baili in the town and are willing to spend a large sum of money, you will receive a jade token. With this token, you can swagger into the sacred place in your heart - Baili City and stay there for three whole days.

Only three days: from the 10th to the 13th of August.

If you are kind and intelligent, you will not only receive a warm and friendly welcome from the people of Baili City during these three days, but your martial arts skills will also greatly improve.

Because every year on these three days, thousands of disciples from Baili City compete on the Sword Testing Platform.

Baili City has dominated the martial arts world for over a century, and its residents are filled with masters. If you are a martial artist, seeing so many masters compete on the same stage for three consecutive days will surely make you want to stay longer.

However, remember, you must leave Baili City before sunset on the third day. Do not be dazzled by the picturesque scenery of the city, or you may never be able to get out.

Of course, if you are a person with evil intentions, once you dare to enter this city gate, you will never be able to leave.

Thirty years later, the most famous saying in the martial arts world became—

The supreme martial arts master resides in a city of great renown; the good people benefit, while the bad people perish.

Are you a member of the martial arts world?

If you are, you should have heard this saying.

Skilled at making money

The ninth day of the eighth lunar month is auspicious. It is suitable for trading and traveling.

As the waiter at Baili Inn in Baili Town yawned, he removed the door latch just as dawn was breaking.

The faint light of dawn illuminated the stone-paved road of this small town on the border of Yunnan, and a large group of people standing guard by the roadside.

Upon hearing the door open, the crowd stirred, and a burly man strode forward, barking at the waiter, "Opening the door now? Are you trying to kill me with waiting?"

Seeing his menacing expression and his attire as a street thug in short clothes and bound legs, the waiter assumed he'd encountered a bandit and immediately began screaming like a pig being slaughtered: "I've just arrived in this town and only worked for a few days. I'm penniless. If you want money, go find our manager. I didn't see anything, I didn't see anything..."

"I'm not asking for any money, I'd rather lose it!" The big man spat a mouthful of phlegm on the ground. Thinking that the waiter was a newcomer and there was no point in saying more, he asked, "Where is your manager?"

"Count the jade pendants in the back room," the waiter replied honestly. "The manager said there will definitely be more customers this year than in previous years, so more jade pendants have been made. We need to count them carefully."

The big man was already impatient. He pushed him aside and went inside. The others followed suit and rushed in like a swarm of bees, finding seats in the lobby.

One of the old men, with a goatee, stared at the cotton curtain in the inner hall and said to the person next to him, "Have you heard? This year, Mayor Xiao of Baili City is personally guiding his disciples in the competition, so the number of people who have come here to hear about him is several times greater than in previous years!"

"Yes, I heard that on August 13th, which is his 50th birthday, Lord Xiao will appear at the Sword Testing Platform."

"I suppose we'll get to see Madam Xiao then? She was a great beauty when she was young. I wonder what she looks like now."

The old man chuckled and said, "Isn't Madam Xiao most famous for her beauty?"

"That's right. Everyone in the world knows she's the Goddess of Wealth. Without her, how could Baili Town be what it is today? And let me tell you, last time my cousin, a high-ranking official, got married, my cousin specifically asked to come to Baili Town to pick out her dowry. It's because it gathers almost all the best of goods from the north and south. There's no other place in the world that has more complete selections and everything you could want."

"Have you forgotten Madam Xiao's identity before marriage—the eldest daughter of the richest family in the world, the Gong family of Luoyang? How could she not understand business? Look, Baili Town was transformed from nothing into the most prosperous town on the Yunnan border in just thirty years under her leadership."

Just as everyone was discussing this, the cotton curtain was suddenly lifted, and a fair-skinned, plump, and auspicious-looking middle-aged man walked out. It was none other than Jin Yidou, the innkeeper. Seeing that the lobby was already packed, he was not surprised at all. Instead, he greeted everyone with a beaming smile, "Everyone has arrived earlier than usual this year... Qiao Laosan, you probably only get up this early today, right?"

"Can't it be any better if I'm not early?" The burly man glared at him and strode up to him. "Last year, I was only half an hour late, and all the good seats were taken. I ended up sitting in the last row, craning my neck but not being able to see anything!" As he spoke, he pulled out a gleaming gold ingot from his pocket, hurriedly handed it over, and shouted, "One hundred taels of gold, for the first row, middle seat. Hurry up and give me the jade token, or they'll snatch it up first."

"Sorry, that was last year's price." Kim Il-doo smiled amiably. "If you want to sit in the first row this year, it'll cost this much."

He spread his right hand and shook it.

Five hundred taels of gold! This is no small sum; it's equivalent to nearly ten years' worth of expenses for an average family.

Unexpectedly, a hint of joy flashed in Qiao Laosan's eyes, and he exclaimed loudly, "So, the rumors in the martial arts world that City Lord Xiao will personally take part in the battle this year are true?"

Jin Yidou's gaze swept over the expectant faces of the crowd, and he said unhurriedly, "That's right—my city lord will personally guide the martial arts of our city's disciples on the final day of the competition..."

Everyone's faces lit up with joy, and one of them couldn't wait to ask, "Then, will the city lord really use the 'Return to the Past Sword Technique' in public?"

Jin Yidou said with a smile, "Regarding this matter, my wife is still trying to persuade my city lord. I can't guarantee whether it will succeed. However, the Jinghong Sword has not been drawn for ten years. If the city lord agrees, everyone will be in for a treat. Of course, the viewing fee will be charged separately..."

Upon hearing this, Qiao Laosan could no longer contain himself and loudly chimed in, "I don't know about others, but I'm a swordsman, and no matter how much money it costs, I want to see what the number one sword looks like!"

Everyone nodded in agreement. Everyone knew that the city lord of Baili City was a peerless martial artist. No fool would miss the chance to witness his prowess firsthand. If they could learn even a move or two from him, they would benefit from it for a lifetime.

"Alright, please pay your admission fees first." Kim Il-doo sat down behind the counter and took out the ledger.

Everyone rushed forward, vying to buy seats with the best views. In no time, the gold ingots on the counter were piled up like a small mountain, and people were still coming in from outside the inn... By then, it was just getting light.

Qiao Laosan managed to snag a good spot ahead of everyone else and sat down contentedly. Just as he took a sip of tea, the waiter who had scared him half to death earlier came over, slammed a plate on the table with a bang, and shrieked, "One breakfast, ten taels of silver."

Upon closer inspection, Qiao Laosan discovered that the so-called breakfast was just a bowl of water with a few wontons, some vermicelli, a few vegetable leaves, and a steamer basket of buns—the basket was quite large, but there were only two buns.

Qiao Laosan was immediately embarrassed. He didn't care about the money, but he didn't like being treated like a lamb to the slaughter. He slammed his fist on the table and roared, "Ten taels of silver for such a small amount of food! Do I look like a fool?"

“My father isn’t stupid. As for you…” The waiter looked at him seriously for a few moments, then shook his head, “I can’t tell.”

"I can see that." Old Qiao laughed angrily. "I can tell you're looking for death."

"Who said I want to die?" The waiter opened his innocent eyes wide. "I just want your money."

He seemed genuinely confused about what Qiao Laosan was saying.

Old Qiao was about to make a move, but he calmed down and looked the man up and down. Suddenly, he realized—this man wasn't normal; he was very likely mentally challenged. So he decided to tease him and asked, "What if I refuse to give it to you?"

"You have to pay." The waiter put on his serious face again. "My mother said that as long as a customer sits down in the shop, they have to eat, and if they eat, they have to pay. If you don't pay, my mother will be unhappy. If she's unhappy, my father will be unhappy. If my father is unhappy, you're in trouble."

"Me, unlucky?" Old Qiao almost burst out laughing. "You think your father is the King of Heaven?"

"My father isn't called the Heavenly King; his surname is Xiao, and his name is Xiao Zuo," the waiter said.

The inn, which had been noisy, suddenly fell silent.

Xiao Zuo... Everyone recited this name at least three times in their hearts, as if silently reciting the title of a deity.

Thirty years have passed. Although his black hair has turned to snow and the world has changed, the name Xiao Zuo remains an enduring legend in the hearts of people in the martial arts world.

Because he is the city lord of Baili City, the number one city in the martial arts world, and also the most famous martial arts master in the martial arts world in the past hundred years.

But now, this seemingly dim-witted waiter is claiming to be his son?!

"You're saying Lord Xiao, the old master of the city, is your father?" Qiao Laosan looked as if he wanted to cut off his own ear. He turned and glared at the counter, hissing, "Manager Jin, what he said isn't true, is it?"

Jin Yidou glanced at him, then at the waiter, sighed almost imperceptibly, and opened his mouth to reply when he suddenly heard a cool, clear, and melodious female voice coming from the inn's entrance—

“What he said is true. He is indeed the son of the city lord of Baili City, the third young master of the Xiao family, Xiao Nuo.”

Everyone turned around and saw a very strange woman standing outside the inn: she was definitely not old, but she had a mature and composed air about her; her eyes were clearly not looking at anyone, but everyone felt that she was looking at them... The strangest thing was that she was clearly standing there, but people felt that she did not exist at all!

She seemed to belong to another world; her clear eyes were as still as water, devoid of any emotion, joy, anger, or hatred, and not even cold.

Who is she? How can she be so calm at such a young age?

Just as everyone was wondering about this, the woman climbed the steps and walked straight to the waiter, who was none other than the astonishing Young Master Xiao, and stopped in front of him.

Disciples of an old friend

I stopped in front of the table, glanced at the breakfast placed in front of Qiao Laosan, smiled slightly at Xiao Nuo, and said, "This person is so fierce, he scared you, didn't he?"

Xiao Nuo nodded, a lingering fear showing on her still-childish face.

"So that's why you made him buy such an expensive breakfast, right?" I asked again, my eyes fixed on him without blinking.

A look of confusion appeared in Xiao Nuo's eyes: "Sister, what are you talking about? It's not that I insisted he buy it, it's that my mother said that anyone who sits down in the lobby must eat..."

"Boss Jin is sitting here too, why don't you give him a serving as well?"

"Huh? This..." Xiao Nuo was stunned for a moment, then sat down on a chair and buried her head in her hands. "Yeah, we should give him one too."

"Also, now that you're seated, shouldn't you have some too?"

Xiao Nuo jumped up in fright and waved her hands, saying, "No, no, no, I can't eat it! My mother said that breakfast is sold to customers so that we can make money. It would be a loss if our own people ate it!"

A murmur of laughter rippled through the crowd. I frowned slightly. Could he really be as my master said...? But how could such a handsome young man, with such exceptionally talented parents, be like this?

I decided to try him again, so I sat down and asked, "Third Young Master, if I want to pay for a token to see your father, is there any other way besides paying money?"

“Yes,” he answered quickly, “as long as you shave your head and wear a red shirt.”

A collective gasp of astonishment immediately rose from the crowd.

Xiao Nuo explained, "Last time, an old bald man came but didn't buy a jade pendant, so Uncle Jin took him to see my father."

Jin Yidou coughed awkwardly twice and said, "Third Young Master, that person is Abbot Deyuan of Shaolin Temple."

"Really?" Xiao Nuo was taken aback, then smiled at me sheepishly. "Then you can carry a few sacks. My father will see you too."

Jin Yidou remained embarrassed: "Third Young Master, that's the leader of the Beggars' Sect."

"I see..." Xiao Nuo seemed to be at a loss. After stammering for a while, her eyes suddenly lit up and she said loudly, "That's right, sister! If you wear your hair in a 'Chasing Stars and Chasing the Moon' bun, a brocade robe with eight treasures, and silver-threaded shoes, you'll look beautiful. My father will not only see you, but he will also be very happy."

Jin Yidou turned to him in surprise and asked, "Third Young Master, who is this? I don't remember any guest like this asking to see the Master."

“My mother,” Xiao Nuo answered with a bright smile, but everyone’s faces darkened.

I remained silent for a moment, then decided to give up. I took out a small ebony box from my pocket, turned to Jin Yidou, and said, "If it's this, I wonder if it's possible to make an exception?"

Jin Yidou took the box with both hands, opened the lid, and took out a brocade handkerchief. After he clearly saw the words embroidered on the handkerchief, his expression changed drastically, and he looked at me with extreme caution: "What is your honorable name, young lady?"

“Feng Chenxi,” I said calmly, “I have no father or mother, and I take my teacher’s surname.”

Jin Yidou let out a long sigh: "So it's an old friend's disciple."

Disciples of old friends... My gaze drifted through the open window to the distance, where the sky was ablaze with crimson clouds and the sun was just rising. And it was because of these words that those long-forgotten memories were finally brought back to mind.