Demon Slaying, Gaining 60 Years of Cultivation From the Start

"This Liu Tong, as the magistrate of Huaiyang City, is colluding with Jianghu figures like Zheng Jinan solely for his own gain, amassing vast wealth without any regard for the lives of the people; he deserves death!" In the crowd, Luo Feng looked at Liu Tong, and murderous intent flashed in his eyes.

Standing by his side, Gu Chen glanced at Luo Feng and hadn't anticipated that this flower thief had such a potent killer instinct, daring enough to even contemplate killing a court-appointed official.

"Brother Gu, it seems difficult today to expose Zheng Jinan's true face to the public," Luo Feng said with a tinge of regret.

These past few days, he had been secretly searching for evidence, but alas, Zheng Jinan was too cunning, leaving no trace in his actions, and no martial artist he had targeted had survived.

Though Luo Feng had gathered some evidence, it was far from sufficient to prove that Zheng Jinan was a remnant of the Evil Heart Sect.

In fact, their best opportunity was that day outside the ruins, but unfortunately, Zheng Jinan was extremely cautious, employing only the techniques of the Evil Heart Sect when committing murder, preventing any suspicions from being cast on him.

Every time Luo Feng thought about Zheng Jinan still roaming freely while countless innocents were bound to die terribly, he felt consumed by rage. Had his strength been adequate, he would have wished to execute Zheng Jinan on the spot.

"No matter, he won't live past today," Gu Chen spoke nonchalantly.

"Huh?!," Luo Feng exclaimed, suddenly startled.

"Brother Gu, what do you mean by that?" Luo Feng asked.

Gu Chen remained silent, not saying more.

Seeing Gu Chen's demeanor, a conjecture vaguely emerged in Luo Feng's mind, yet he was somewhat incredulous.

Just then, following an order given by Zheng Jinan, the birthday banquet officially began.

In the course of the event, continuous toasts were made to Zheng Jinan, praising his contributions to Huaiyang City over the years and mentioning some of his achievements.

Everyone loves to hear flattering remarks, and Zheng Jinan clearly relished them. Although the figures from the Jianghu seemed rough around the edges, they all had delicate minds; without some smarts, they wouldn't have survived this long in the Jianghu.

Not only Zheng Jinan but even his son Zheng Yan received countless compliments. To be called 'promising at a young age' was an understatement; they nearly exalted Zheng Yan to the heavens.

Indeed, the praises for Zheng Yan even outdid those for Zheng Jinan. After all, in their eyes, Zheng Yan was a young talent from the Sunset Sword Sect, renowned on the List of Stars and across the land. In the future, as long as Zheng Yan remembered them, a little help from his part could easily lead to enormous wealth and rank.

Hearing the endless praises for his only son, Zheng Jinan seemed to enjoy that even more than the praise for himself, his smile unwavering.

Even the magistrate, Liu Tong, spoke up, claiming that Zheng Yan had a great future ahead, subtly alluding to the intention of betrothing his sheltered daughter to him.

Zheng Jinan laughed heartily, deeply enjoying the conversation.

Time passed, and after the third round of wine, at the climax of the banquet, Zheng Jinan suddenly stood up, silencing all the noise in the banquet hall instantly.

"Today is my grand birthday celebration, and I am very pleased to have so many from the Jianghu and Master Liu here to congratulate me. However, today, I have an announcement to make," Zheng Jinan said, pausing for a moment.

"As of today, I, Zheng Jinan, am fifty-four years old. My family was poor when I was young, and I ventured into the Jianghu when I was only thirteen. It has been forty-one years since then. In the world of Jianghu, where there's constant fighting and deceiving, I have grown somewhat weary over the years. From now on, I just want to be an ordinary old man, gardening and planting trees.

Then, I'll make some contributions to Huaiyang City, and that will be enough for this life."

"Therefore, I am announcing today, from this moment on, I, Zheng Jinan, will officially wash my hands of the Jianghu and will no longer involve myself in any Jianghu affairs."

As soon as these words were spoken, the Jianghu people below immediately began to say, "Patriarch Zheng, you are in your prime, how can you retire from the Jianghu?"

"Patriarch Zheng, you must not."

"Brother Zheng, if you leave Huaiyang City, it might become chaotic. Various villains might emerge. Please rethink this," someone from the city spoke with an anxious expression.

Zheng Jinan heard the words and laughed, "No matter, I am old, and this world belongs to the young. I will not compete with them anymore. The affairs of Huaiyang City are in the hands of Master Liu, and I trust that Master Liu will certainly make Huaiyang City prosper, and the lives of the people will become increasingly affluent."

Liu Tong heard this and smiled faintly, stroking his goatee without saying a word, as it was obvious he had already known about Zheng Jinan's intention to retire from the jianghu.

Seeing that Zheng Jinan's mind was made up, Wang Cheng pretended to be regretful and nodded, "All right, since Brother Zheng is so determined, it is not our place to say more, but in the future, wherever we can be of service, I, Wang Cheng, will certainly not refuse!"

"Same for me!"

"Us too!"

Many figures from the jianghu echoed the sentiment, and Zheng Jinan's smile deepened on his face.

"Yan'er, the world will soon be yours, the younger generation's," Zheng Jinan said, turning to his only son.

Zheng Yan stood up with a solemn face and said, "Father, rest assured, I will not disappoint you."

Zheng Jinan nodded and then called out, "Bring out the golden basin!"

The attendant who had been prepared brought the golden basin forward at the command.

In the unwritten rules of the jianghu, once someone washes their hands of it with the golden basin, all conflicts within the jianghu cease to involve them, and even enemies cannot seek revenge.

Zheng Jinan wanted to use the ritual of washing hands with the golden basin as a way to retire behind the scenes, to achieve his goals more quickly.

At that moment, a clear voice suddenly rang out.

"Patriarch Zheng, have you considered those innocents that you brutally killed? Many of them are barely cold in the ground yet!"

No one had expected someone to cause a disturbance in such a situation, and upon hearing these words, the jianghu figures present glared angrily.

In a corner stood Gu Chen, tall and handsome, his eyes like morning stars, his black hair loose, clad in dark clothes, exuding a distinctive and extraordinary air, standing out among the other jianghu figures nearby.

He held a wine cup, standing there, locking eyes with Zheng Jinan without showing the slightest hint of fear.

"Who is this greenhorn who dares to spout nonsense here? Which family in Huaiyang City do you belong to? Didn't your elders teach you anything about proper respect?!" Before Zheng Jinan could speak, Wang Cheng already jumped to his feet, pointing at Gu Chen's nose and began scolding him.

Zheng Yan saw Gu Chen daring to make a scene on the occasion of his father's birthday and his eyes immediately turned cold.

Gu Chen, upon hearing this, looked towards Wang Cheng and said indifferently, "You really are a fine dog raised by Zheng Jinan, loyal to your master even at death's door. Do you know that in Zheng Jinan's eyes, you are nothing more than bait, no different from pigs and sheep waiting to be slaughtered?"

Upon hearing these words, Zheng Jinan's pupils contracted slightly, but his face still wore a smile. He raised a hand to signal Wang Cheng to sit down, finally turning his gaze to Gu Chen.

"What makes you speak such words, young man? It's one thing to speak of me, but Brother Wang is a dear friend of many years. You know nothing and dare to speak such impolite words. Considering your youth and that you've not been in the jianghu for long, I will let this pass just this once. However, you are not welcome here. Please leave at once," said Zheng Jinan.

Zheng Jinan waved his hand, issuing an order for Gu Chen to leave.

"Yeah, get out!"

"Get out!"

Hearing this, many jianghu figures present also echoed the sentiment, with mocking looks and nasty attitudes, telling Gu Chen to scram.

Luo Feng, standing to the side, furrowed his brow upon seeing this and looked at Gu Chen, unsure of how he would handle what came next.

Despite the pointing fingers, Gu Chen remained calm and composed, his expression unchanged. He ignored the crowd that went with the flow and instead set his gaze on Zheng Jinan.

In that moment, Gu Chen's eyes suddenly blazed, and his words fell with weight, "Zheng Jinan, you have killed many, your sins are grievous. You secretly practiced the evil arts of the Evil Heart Sect, devouring the hearts of your own kind to strengthen yourself. Tell me, do you not deserve to die, should you not be killed?"