At the beginning, there was a cold and aloof young man

A very ordinary boy was gently tapping the southern bamboo behind him, when Leng Wu let out a low growl and swatted his hand down. The boy smiled and withdrew his hand, then went over to embrace the little girl, softly comforting her: "Be good, don't cry, brother will buy you candied hawthorn."

The little girl timidly followed her brother to his side and softly said, "Without a surname or a name, how pitiful..." Suddenly, she cheerfully exclaimed, "I just learned quite a few characters, should I give you a name?" Cold Five shot her an annoyed glance and turned away, but he still heard the vulgar name that came from the young girl's mouth drifting into his ears. He couldn't help but sigh, pulled up his clothes to cover his face, and fell into a deep sleep.

Perhaps the heavens suddenly awakened, and Leng Wu also emerged from his stupor

***

The crowd in the blacksmith shop watched this scene, which had already played out many times in the market, with utter boredom, finding it quite uninteresting. Especially today, the boy who was being taught a lesson showed no resistance at all, which further fueled their disdain for Leng Wu's cowardice, diminishing the imposing aura of their group. As they saw the frail youth turn around, intending to leave, they couldn't help but burst into laughter.

Laughter erupted in the blacksmith's shop, and one person pointed at his nose and said, "In this world, who would let anyone off?" Then a slap landed.

Leng Wu looked at his bleeding right hand and the gaze of disdain from the older man, and softly said: "I have never fought before, I do not know what this is, it is just..."

At that time, he was fortunate enough to become the first person in the history of Yuquan Temple, which had been established for two hundred and eight years, to commit a murder and leave the temple. It may not be entirely accurate to say he betrayed the temple; on that day, he was merely a young kitchen helper, constantly being ordered around, without even a name of his own. His nickname, Cold Five, was given to him later; at that time, he was just incessantly called "Sweet Potato, Sweet Potato" because the people in the kitchen said his face always looked unclean, resembling a sweet potato covered in stubborn yellow mud.

What a swift action

It is that simple. Leng Wu's swordsmanship is that simple

He always felt that the object in his hand was very heavy, as unbearable as the heat in summer, but after a slight movement of his hand, he suddenly felt that the object had become very light, as if it were a companion specially assigned to him by heaven, fully understanding his intentions, gently piercing through as he wished.

Brother, why is this young man crying so sadly

Although Leng Wu has wandered the world for many years, he is still a youth at heart. Seeing her smile, he could not help but feel a surge of annoyance and said in a harsh tone, "You silly girl, go away."

Why? he asked calmly, with a composure far beyond his years

***

With the cries of the deceased monk, the monks in the courtyard rushed over, staring at the boy who stood foolishly, carrying a long bench, with an expression of disbelief.

Then he stood up, looking at the disdainful eyes of the leader, suddenly filled with anger. It was unclear whether he was angry about his own tragic fate, angry about having to live awkwardly due to accidentally causing harm to others, or angry at this person for hurting him, or perhaps simply angry that this person had not only crippled his right hand but also refused to let him go.

That night, he decided to have a conversation with that group of thugs

The little girl couldn't help but giggle at his disheveled appearance

Then one of the subordinates casually picked up a hammer from the floor and walked over, aiming at Leng Wu's right hand

At a tender age, Leng Wu was unaware of where he should go. He simply felt that the farther he was from the temple that could cost him his life, the better. Thus, after descending the mountain, he ran wildly along the banks of the Duoqing River. He did not know how long he had been fleeing; whenever he felt hungry, he would steal a few sweet potatoes from the fields to satisfy his hunger, and when he was thirsty, there was an endless supply of clear water beside him to drink. However, occasionally, while gnawing on a sweet potato, he would cry for a while at the sight of the oddly shaped tuber before him

I come to ask you to spare me

"Zuo Jian, I truly apologize; we cannot withstand the orders from the temple." The leader looked at him with regret. Upon seeing that hint of regret, Leng Wu felt somewhat comforted in his heart, bowed to the crowd, and slowly walked out the door. No one dared to stop him

The young man smiled and nodded helplessly

Mother once said, saving money is of utmost importance. It is truly amusing to hear such words come from this young girl at her tender age

Being laughed at by others, he did not mind, after all, he was still young. However, after staying there for a long time, he suddenly realized that he had grown tired of the daily murmurs of blessings that came from the shrine, and he was also quite afraid of the large statue standing alone on the clay platform in the main hall. Therefore, he decided to leave this place. He thought of going to Old Wang's tavern in the town to work as a helper, as he had heard that Old Wang provided meals and accommodation just like the temple, and he would also earn five copper coins a month.

With a sudden gasp, the monk felt a small spot of crimson appear on his chest, gradually expanding. Sitting on the ground, he looked at the change on his chest, and could not help but tremble as he exclaimed, "What is happening?" As soon as he finished speaking, he collapsed.

His left hand was smashed into a mass of flesh and bone, causing unbearable pain. Yet, for some reason, this suffering reminded him of the sensation of the vine whip striking him at Yuquan Temple. His mind was in a daze, and a bloodied iron nail inexplicably appeared before his eyes

The boss looked at him with a smile and said, "Little kid, do you know what you are holding?"

Leng Wu thought that these two wanted to take him in, but upon seeing that the young man appeared to be at least one or two years younger than himself, and not dressed like a wealthy heir, he reflected on his own situation of being hunted down by the temple. He considered that there was no need to burden others, so he simply closed his eyes and ceased to speak

Leng Wu looked at the deep bond between the brother and sister, feeling a sense of envy for his own solitary existence in the world. The elder brother squatted down, quietly observing him for a moment, and suddenly said, "Do you have nowhere to go?" His eyes seemed to convey a sense of inquiry.

Leng Wu, feeling dizzy, collapsed to the ground. Just as he was about to get up, someone stepped on his face with their foot. He could feel the sole of that person's shoe was sticky, unsure whether it was dust, phlegm, or something else, which made him feel somewhat nauseous. Yet, he immediately found it strange that in such a situation, he could still think of so many trivial matters.

The boss asked: "Are you afraid of death?"

Where can you find a child aged seven or eight who does not love candied hawthorn? The little girl jumped up with joy upon hearing this, her eyes sparkling with tears as she smiled and said: "You are the best, brother. But why do we need to go buy it? Let's buy some hawthorn and take it home, and you can make it for me, okay?"

At the age of sixteen, he was already an assassin in a certain gang in Xiling County

At that time, Leng Wu still did not have a name of his own; others called him Zuo Jian. No one in the gang knew his origins, his master, nor how he had cultivated his vicious and swift left-handed swordsmanship. They only knew that whenever the gang needed to eliminate a rival, this young man would quietly walk out of the gang's gates, and a few days later, he would return carrying a severed head. Although he came back to the gang covered in scars, it was strange that those seemingly severe injuries never took his life. No one in the gang knew his origins, his master, nor how he had cultivated his vicious and swift left-handed swordsmanship. They only knew that whenever the gang needed to eliminate a rival, this young man would quietly walk out of the gang's gates, and a few days later, he would return carrying a severed head. Although he came back to the gang covered in scars, it was strange that those seemingly severe injuries never took his life

The youth let out a wild cry and charged towards the monks, brandishing a bench still stained with blood.

The monks of Yuquan Temple had no idea who he was; it was only when the head cook respectfully reported that a helper wanted to sneak away that they remembered the little boy who always came to deliver meals with a face full of fear. In fact, they did not care whether there was one more or one less person in the temple, but when they saw the child being lifted by the cook's greasy hands, it was that kind of gaze that made them somewhat angry

He does not know what this mysterious fragrance is, he only senses a scent of sorrow.

Cold and terrified, he finally understood that these people wanted to cripple his hands. He couldn't help but plead in despair: "Don't... don't..." Having worked as a helper in the kitchen since childhood, his greatest wish in this life was to become a master chef. If his hands were ruined, wouldn't that mean his lifelong dream was utterly hopeless

The little girl was so frightened by his shout that she could not speak, tears streaming down her face, dripping in a continuous line onto the ground in front of Leng Wu. With her mouth agape, she cried out: "Brother, someone is bullying me." Seeing her in tears, Leng Wu felt a twinge of regret, when he heard someone beside him say: "Sister, don't cry, this big brother didn't mean to shout at you..."

He would always remember this scene in the future, for just when he did not know why he was crying, he felt a spring breeze brush across his face

However, the young servant's days did not last long. A group of ruffians in the market suddenly took notice of him. It was not him as a person they were interested in, but rather the fact that he was the only young boy who stayed in the tavern every night. Thus, they ordered him to steal some money each day to show his filial piety.

The laughter in the room had not yet subsided when Leng Wu's object had already fiercely and accurately pierced the eye he found quite detestable, a spray of blood mixed with some other color burst forth from that person's eye

Twenty days later, the temple issued the second Xiling jade tablet in ten years, but there was no name engraved on the tablet, as Leng Wu did not have a name at that time. Instead, there was only an engraving of a sword, a poorly crafted black iron sword from a blacksmith's shop in a certain market.

Misty summer, Sanhe County, Yinquan Temple

Leng Wu slowly finished this sentence and then waved his hand

A scream echoed throughout the entire market

It is now late spring, and it has been more than half a year since the incident with the Xiling Broken Army. Seventeen-year-old Leng Wu lazily sat beneath the city wall, resting against the southern bamboo, basking in the sun. For some reason, a wave of sadness surged from within, and the more he thought about it, the more he felt an unshakeable chill. He couldn't help but let out a sob, disregarding the attention of those around him.

Although Leng Wu has already gained some fame in the martial world, he is still just a youth and is incapable of such deeds. The reason he was given a piece of Xiling jade was actually due to a fortuitous event. Indeed, it was a fortuitous event. Leng Wu had long intended to forget everything from the past, yet he was unaware that the past had no intention of forgetting him. When he accompanied the gang leader to offer incense in the shaded back mountains of Pojun Mountain, he suddenly spotted the elder of Yinquan Temple, whom he had not seen for several years

He opened his eyes and saw no one beside him, only two figures, one tall and one short, slowly leaving in front of the hawthorn stall

He was not angry; instead, he felt a slight chill. Thus, he slowly placed the green fruit in his hand onto the table and grasped the sword at his waist. Feeling somewhat cold, he thought that blood was needed to warm the sword. Three days later, the temple on the Broken Army Mountain in Xiling County was drenched in blood by a single person

The county town was located on the edge of Gaotang, already in the south, and at this time in late spring, the weather was quite hot. Leng Wu was lying under the city wall with his eyes closed, basking in the sun, feeling the heat on his body, and somehow recalling the two most unforgettable summers of his life. The first summer, he accidentally killed a person, and last summer, he killed many people, seemingly also sentencing himself to death at the same time. Yet he did not know what kind of misfortune awaited him in the upcoming summer this year.

The crowd, upon seeing their leader, did not utter a single sound, and he was heavily thrown to the ground, leaving them unsure of how to react, all of them stunned. The young man simply gazed quietly at the people around him, his right hand, stained with bright red dye, resting on his chest, his expression as if he had no idea what had just happened.

Leng Wudan was not very bold, and he knew that rogues were not to be trifled with, but he was even less willing to steal the money from his employer to honor them. Having lived in the temple since childhood, he naturally believed he should be a good person. Although he accidentally killed someone that day, he thought it was merely an accident—he still wanted to be a good person. To be a good person, one must not do bad things; this simple principle he still understood

So you still dare to come like this

Leng Wu could never forget that summer when the heat was hard to dissipate, for it was during another summer that he was fortunate enough to become the second person in ten years to issue the Xiling Jade Tablet for a universal execution. The so-called Xiling Jade Tablet designates a certain notorious individual to meet with the priest at a specific time and place to discuss a certain matter. If the individual fails to arrive on time, the penalty is death

"Let me teach you a lesson," the boss said coldly. Leng Wu felt a sense of relief, thinking that receiving a beating could resolve the matter, which was not too bad after all

***

One day, he arrived at an unknown market. Although he did not understand the subtlety of being hidden in the city, he thought that this place was quite far from Sanhe County and was bustling with activity, so he decided to stop. He found a job doing odd tasks at a tavern, not caring that there was no pay; he felt that simply heating up the leftover food from the guests each night and eating it while it was still hot brought him immense joy. He lived in the tavern every day, ate there, and did not interact with others. As time passed, the neighbors all came to know that there was a quiet, nameless servant in the tavern.

Leng Wu raised his head and saw a little girl with a youthful face, who was curiously looking at him. The girl was only about seven or eight years old, with a pair of lively eyes that kept darting around, and her fine hair lightly draped over her forehead, appearing as if it were made of water, white and tender. He couldn't help but be taken aback, hurriedly wiping away his tears with his sleeve, but unexpectedly, there was too much dirt on his face, and this wipe only resulted in a smeared face.

Leng Wu tasted the flavor of the vine whip in the courtyard

Months later, Leng Wu arrived at a small county town on the outskirts of Gaotang. The continuous pursuit by the court had left him covered in bloodstains, yet he had no time to change his clothes. A bloodied person walking on the main road was quite conspicuous, but he knew he could not take the mountain paths. Those mountain trails were the most likely places to encounter skilled practitioners from the temples, and in his current state, he feared he would not last more than a few rounds. Therefore, he knocked out a farmer outside the town, stripped him of his clothes, and changed into them. He then dusted his face heavily and hid his sword inside a large southern bamboo, blending in with the beggars to enter the town. Others merely regarded him as a young beggar, and he was not troubled by them.

The cicadas have yet to sing, the birds are weary and have already rested, and under the midday sun, the small town is exceptionally tranquil. Zuo Jianlengwu, who has lived a life without a fixed abode, heard a saying in the summer of his seventeenth year: "Go to Wangjiang, for there is a new prince in Wangjiang."

The monk administering the punishment, seeing that he dared to resist, became extremely angry and swung the rattan whip down upon him indiscriminately, not caring where it struck.

However, his calm demeanor infuriated the monks of Yuquan Temple. The monks had always believed themselves to be serving the deities, holding a noble status, and that it was a rare honor for the common people to serve them. To their surprise, this young man not only did not take pride in this, but also wished to leave. If he wanted to leave, so be it; how could he do so with such a sense of ease? Thus, the elder of Yuquan Temple said with a smile, "Child, you may leave, but without a heart devoted to the deities, you shall be punished. Ten lashes shall be given to you as a reminder, how does that sound?"

Those people usually gather around the blacksmith's shop on the east side of the market at night to warm themselves by the fire and drink. After the tavern closed for the night, Leng Wu quietly made his way there. When the ruffians saw the young man approaching slowly, they assumed he was bringing money and looked at him with disdain. Then they noticed his empty hands.

When the crowd saw him carrying this object and turning around, they became somewhat interested. However, seeing his small frame struggling to drag this heavy weapon, they couldn't help but burst into laughter, and a few people squatting nearby even started to whistle.

In a moment of desperation, Leng Wu raised the long bench and swung it forward to protect his face with his hand

The boy's eyes were filled with calmness. He thought to himself that he merely wanted to change employers, so what of it

Cold Five replied: "I am very afraid"

Leng Wu stared in astonishment at the unexpected situation before him, unable to move as he stood there in a daze. He groggily turned his head to look at the long bench in his hand, only to suddenly notice a long iron nail protruding from the front of the bench for reasons unknown, its upper half now stained red.

I once killed a person with just a bench

In the midst of his pleas, the hammer fell

Upon returning to the gang, the leader remained as courteous as ever, kindly instructing that the bedding should be thicker for the night, much like a caring father. Although he found it difficult to express his gratitude, he did not resent the concern shown towards him. Later in the evening, he discovered a gentle fragrance wafting through his room

He then picked up the sword, pushed open the door, and walked out, only to see the leader and a group of brothers confronting him with knives and swords as if facing a formidable enemy

The elder showed no signs of abnormality

From the venomous gaze of the old man, Leng Wu knew that he had been recognized. Others might think that this young man had grown and changed in appearance, and how could an old elder from a temple still recognize him? But Leng Wu understood that the pain of losing a child is something no one can forget. Moreover, the kitchen where he had spent his days was a place where many small pieces of information could be overheard, so from a very young age, he had already known that the monk who had died at his hands a few years ago was, in fact, the illegitimate son of this esteemed elder. However, at this moment, he no longer felt fear, or rather, he no longer knew what fear was. He simply stared coldly into the elder's eyes, listening with indifference to the elder praying for blessings for his leader, silently telling himself: 'Di Guo, many people have already died at your hands, this one is no exception'

The young man said, "Why make it so complicated?" Then he smiled and added, "Tanghulu is not made from gourds."

The incessant shouting seemed to do little to alleviate the pain emanating from his buttocks; on the contrary, the force rebounded from the bench beneath him, causing a sense of heaviness in his chest. While most children would simply accept a beating, Leng Wu's innate stubbornness made him unwilling to concede under the threat of the whip. He thought to himself that he had not strayed from the right path, so why should these old men have the right to strike him? The more he pondered, the more indignant he became, and the more he resisted, the pain in his body transformed into an overwhelming rage, prompting him to suddenly stand up.

Leng Wu was not about to leave; he was looking for a weapon. He had never fought before and did not know what he could use to contend with these people. However, it did not take him long to find something. His gaze naturally fell upon a dark iron object hanging behind the door. It looked slender, and he thought that his small hands could manage to hold it, so he took it out and slowly walked up to the leader.

The shop fell silent all at once

The so-called great treason refers to those who usurp the throne, seize power, insult the divine, and deceive heaven

The monks were astonished to see that this child, despite his frail physique, could lift the heavy long bench and strike about wildly, resembling a mad tiger. In their shock, they instinctively recoiled in all directions. By the time they regained their senses, Leng Wu had already crawled out through the dog hole in the back wall, leaving behind a bloodied iron nail firmly standing on the long bench, as if coldly observing the people in the temple.

Leng Wu has always been unable to forget that summer when the heat lingered.

Having already offended the temple, death is surely only a matter of time. Yet before facing death, I do not know what I should do or where I should go. For now, I can only beg on the streets to survive

The young Cold Five began his second escape. However, this time, he brought along the object that had saved his life. Later, he would come to know that this dark object was called a sword

The ruffians were merely local thugs, and they had never encountered such characters before, leaving them in shock. One of them suddenly recalled the young wolf he had seen in the deep mountains last year, causing his hand to tremble in fear, and the wine bowl fell to the ground. With a loud "crack," the crowd gasped in surprise and hurriedly fled. Only the youth, standing like a flagpole, and the fallen leader, lay silently facing each other in the flickering light of the forge.

The boss looked at the curled-up and pained Leng Wu with satisfaction and said with a smile: "This is just a lesson. If you do not follow our instructions, be careful that I will ruin you"

More than a month later, Leng Wu, who was on a journey, heard some news: the gang he originally belonged to was exterminated by the Inspection Department due to harboring traitors, and none of the brothers in the gang managed to escape

Misty summer, Xiling County, Pojun Mountain

The young man, however, remained undeterred and asked, "What is your surname? What is your name?"

Leng Wu boredly turned over and lay on the ground, responding irritably: "I don't have a surname; do you believe me if I say my name is Sweet Potato?"

Only he himself knows that he seems to have a natural affinity with this sword. It can save his life, and he can also bring its potential to an elusive peak. He does not possess any so-called sword techniques; he only knows to point the tip of the sword at a certain part of the enemy's body and then find a way to stab it in. However, the opponents he encounters are becoming increasingly skilled, and the time it takes for him to go from targeting a certain spot to actually stabbing it is getting shorter and shorter. It has to be short! Because if the time drags on, it will result in a certain part of his own body being stabbed by someone else. However, the opponents he encounters are becoming increasingly skilled, and the time it takes for him to go from targeting a certain spot to actually stabbing it is getting shorter and shorter. It has to be short! Because if the time drags on, it will result in a certain part of his own body being stabbed by someone else.