When night falls, the sky seems to be painted with thick ink, and the stars twinkle in the darkness.

Inside the inn, as the night deepened, the lights were blown out one by one, and only a few old lanterns were still swaying tenaciously, emitting a dim yellow light, as if they would be swallowed by the night wind at any time.

The hustle and bustle of the day had long since gone with the wind, and it was so quiet that only the rustle of the leaves outside the window, the distant chirping of insects, and the occasional barking of dogs were intertwined, adding a bit of mystery and unease to the silent night.

Zhao Rangzheng was sitting cross-legged on the bed with his eyes closed.

Even though his eyes were closed, his ears were keen, catching every sound around him.

Experience has taught him that it won't be peaceful tonight!

Sure enough, just as he was about to fall into a light sleep, a strange sound came into his ears - it was a slight footstep sound from the sole of his shoe rubbing against the ground, although it was subtle, but it was like thunder in Zhao Rang's ears.

He opened his eyes instantly, his eyes were full of light, and the whole person was like a sharp sword out of the sheath, ready to attack.

The black steel knife in his hand was already being held tightly by him unconsciously, and the cold touch made the fighting spirit in his heart even stronger.

The night outside the door was dark, and the few remaining lanterns were shaken by the wind, as if they would be extinguished at any moment.

Artur and his companions, these swordsmen from the Western Regions, had a bit of ruthlessness and determination on their faces.

They originally wanted to break into the door and capture the target in the room in one fell swoop, but they didn't expect Zhao Rang to be so alert and take the initiative to show up before they could do it!

When Zhao Rang's figure appeared at the door, the cold black steel knife flickered in the faint light, and Artur and the others couldn't help but be stunned for a moment.

This momentary hesitation is fatal enough for a master!

Zhao Rang did not waste this opportunity.

His body moved, floating towards Artur like a ghost, and the black steel knife in his hand turned into a bolt of lightning that stabbed Artur in the throat.

Artur is not a mediocre hand after all, and he shows an extraordinary reaction in a life-and-death situation!

I saw that he was on the side of his body, dodging the fatal blow at an almost impossible angle.

At the same time, the saber in his hand also swung out, with a fierce wind, trying to force Zhao Rang back.

The two knives intersected, making a crisp metallic crashing sound.

The sound echoed in the silent night sky, as if it could pierce a person's eardrums.

Zhao Rang's black steel knife and Artur's saber were in a tight grip, and the strength of the two was transmitted through the blade.

Immediately afterwards, Zhao Rang suddenly changed his moves, and his sword technique was agile and fast, and every swing of the knife carried a sound of breaking the air.

Artur's saber is calm and powerful, each sword as if it has been carefully thought out, striving for a single blow.

At the moment when one of Artur's companions swung a knife at him, Zhao Rang suddenly turned around and avoided the knife.

The black steel knife in his hand drew an arc and attacked another companion beside Artur.

The Western Regions man obviously didn't expect Zhao Rang to suddenly change the target of his attack, and hurriedly swung his knife to block, but was cut through his arm by Zhao Rang's blade.

Blood stained his sleeves red, and he gasped in pain.

When Artur saw this, he was shocked!

He didn't expect Zhao Rang's knife technique to be so weird and changeable!

However, Zhao Rang didn't give Artur much time to think......

The black steel knife in his hand turned into a series of cold rays, drawing deadly arcs in the night.

Artur and his companions could only cope with it, and under Zhao Rang's knife skills, they seemed to be overstretched and in danger.

Under the flickering lights, Zhao Rang's figure became more and more erratic.

The black steel knife seemed to have merged with him, with an irresistible force.

Although the saber of Artur and the others was incomparably sharp, it became clumsy and sluggish in front of Zhao Rang's black steel knife.

The battle lasted for a moment, but for Artur and the others, it was like a whole year of exhaustion.

"Want a token? Then it's up to you to see if you have the ability! ”

As he spoke, Zhao Rang's figure made an afterimage and rushed towards Artur.

Artur was shocked, he didn't expect Zhao Rang's speed to be so fast, and hurriedly waved his saber to meet him, "Bell!" With a loud bang, the two knives collided, and sparks flew everywhere.

Zhao Rang was unforgiving, and the black steel knife attacked continuously like a raging storm.

Artur and the others could only resist with all their might, but they were still defeated......

"Ahh

A scream rang out.

A man from the Western Regions was cut off by Zhao Rang's arm, and blood splattered out.

Artur roared:

"Don't panic, let's go up together and kill him!"

"Bell! Clang! Clang! ”

Three loud bangs rang out in a row. ，

The saber in Artur's hand was slashed out by Zhao Rang.

When he was startled and was about to retreat to dodge, he found that Zhao Rang had followed him like a shadow.

"Poof!"

A muffled sound came, and another Westerner felt a chill in his chest.

Looking down, he saw that Zhao Rang's black steel knife had pierced his heart.

The man looked at Zhao Rang with wide eyes, his eyes were full of horror and unwillingness, and then he slowly fell down, dying......

The rest of the people of the Western Regions were terrified when they saw this, and they knew that they had been completely defeated......

Artur was engulfed in the blood of his companions, and said in a hoarse voice:

"You don't know where the token comes from, and if you hold this token, you'll only end up hurting yourself!"

"And we are just acting on orders, if Zhao Gongzi is willing to return the token to us, we can leave immediately!"

Zhao Rang smiled slightly, he knew that these people from the Western Regions would not give up easily.

"The origin of the token has nothing to do with me, I only know that what is in my hand is mine! You're leaving, it's still too late! ”

When Artur heard Zhao Rang's answer, a trace of ruthlessness flashed in his eyes.

If they don't reclaim the token tonight, they won't be able to leave alive.

"Zhao Rang, you are too arrogant! Do you think you can fight our entire Western Regions on your own? ”

Artur roared.

Zhao Rang sneered:

"The Western Regions? Even if you people from the entire Western Regions come, I don't have anything to fear? What's more, your master, that great swordsman, is not here at all! ”

Artur was enraged by Zhao Rang.

The remaining people from the Western Regions also swung their swords one after another.

Zhao Rang was still calm in the face of everyone's siege.

The black steel knife seemed to have spirituality, and every swing brought a blood flower.

Artur watched his companions fall one by one, his heart filled with despair......

He was not willing to fail like this, and brandished his saber to launch a final charge against Zhao Rang.

Zhao Rang watched Artur rush over, and a trace of coldness flashed in his eyes.

The black steel knife in his hand turned into a cold light and stabbed Artur in the chest.

"Poof!"

A muffled sound came, Artur only felt a chill in his chest, and when he looked down, he saw that Zhao Rang's black steel knife had pierced his heart, and his eyes were full of horror and unwillingness.

He tried to swing his saber to fight back, only to find that his arm had lost strength......

The remaining people in the Western Regions were terrified when they saw this, threw away the sabers in their hands, knelt on the ground and begged Zhao Rang for mercy:

"Zhao Gongzi spares his life! We are just doing what we are told, begging ......"

Zhao Rang looked at them coldly, without the slightest pity in his heart.

The black steel knife in his hand swung again, slashing the remaining people from the Western Regions one by one.

The faint light was finally half extinguished,

In the faint light, Zhao Rang's figure appeared more lonely and tall.

He called the stall owner and prepared to dispose of the bodies together.

At this time, he stood in front of Zhao Rang, his body trembling slightly, and his face was full of fear.

"You... What do you want me to do? ”

The stall owner's voice trembled slightly.

Zhao Rang glanced at him and said lightly:

"Help me move these bodies to the backyard."

When the stall owner heard this, his face suddenly became even paler.

He had never experienced anything like this, and his heart was filled with fear and uneasiness......

But he was even more afraid that Zhao Rang would kill him because he refused, so he could only bite the bullet and move those corpses with trembling hands.

The stall owner never dared to look at Zhao Rang's eyes.

He felt that Zhao Rang's eyes were too indifferent, as if he had no feelings.

Zhao Rang didn't care what the stall owner thought.

He stood silently on the sidelines, thinking about his next plan.

These people from the Western Regions are just hors d'oeuvres, and the real trouble is yet to come.

"You... Aren't you afraid? ”

The stall owner finally couldn't help but ask.

Zhao Rang glanced at him and smiled slightly:

"Afraid of what? These people are dead and can no longer draw their swords! ”

When the stall owner heard this, his heart was in a trance.

He seemed to understand something, but he couldn't say it clearly.

I just feel that there seems to be an unfathomable power hidden in Zhao Rang's smile.

After disposing of the body, Zhao asked the stall owner to boil a pot of hot water, and he needed to clean the blood and dirt on his body.

The stall owner did not dare to slack off and immediately went to prepare.

In the steaming of the hot water, Zhao Rang's mood gradually calmed down.

The stall owner watched Zhao Rang walk out of the bathroom, his washed face was even more cold, his deep eyes seemed to be able to perceive people's hearts, and he couldn't help but ask Zhao Rang's identity again.

Zhao Rang's answer was still as calm as water, but with an indescribable depth.

The stall owners used to think that the rivers and lakes were a place full of swords and swords, happiness and revenge, and a stage where people could display their talents and realize their ambitions.

But now, he really understands that Jianghu is actually a more complex and cruel world.

In this world, profit is the most important thing.

People can be desperate for the sake of profit, even at the expense of the lives of others.

Those people in the Western Regions hunted down Zhao Rang for profit, and Zhao Rang also fought back in order to protect himself and the people around him.

All of this is driven by interests.

The stall owner couldn't help but feel a sense of sadness in his heart.

I used to think that as long as I had enough talent and courage, I could gain a foothold in the rivers and lakes. But in this place full of interests and strife, only the strong can survive.

He found that although Zhao Rang didn't say much, every sentence revealed a kind of firmness and confidence.

This kind of firmness and self-confidence is an invisible force that supports Zhao Rang's foothold in the rivers and lakes.

The stall owner's heart suddenly brightened!

He suddenly realized that the real strong people are not those who hold great power or martial arts, but those who have firm beliefs and have the courage to face difficulties and challenges.

Only such a person can remain sober and firm driven by interests!

Zhao Rang changed into clean clothes, and the east was already white.

After a fierce battle last night, he knew he needed to recharge his energy, and the quickest way to eat it was with a steaming bowl of seafood noodles.

Zhao Rang woke up the stall owner who was still in a trance and asked him to take him to the market to buy seafood noodle ingredients.

Although the stall owner was still a little afraid and uneasy in his heart, he did not dare to disobey Zhao Rang's order.

The water market in the early morning gradually spreads out with the morning light.

Fresh fish, with silvery, shiny scales,

While the stall owners enthusiastically recommend their seafood to customers, they handle the seafood neatly, shouting and haggling one after another!

Customers squatted or stood, some picked up a crab and carefully examined its fatness, while others sniffed the gills of the fish to judge its freshness.

The air in the market is filled with the umami of seafood, and a hint of saltiness.

This unique atmosphere of fireworks makes people feel as if they can touch the pulse of life.

The stall owner's eyes were like torches, and he took Zhao Rang to shuttle between the stalls, carefully selecting the freshest ingredients.

In a good bowl of seafood noodles, the freshness of the ingredients is crucial.

The stall owners shuttling through the market seem to be a different person, and they seem extremely calm!

After shopping, the two returned to the inn, and the stall owner began to get busy.

He handles seafood with great skill.

Cutting, pickling, cooking, every step seems so natural and smooth, Zhao Rang stood aside, quietly admiring the stall owner's craftsmanship.

After a while, a bowl of fragrant seafood noodles was served in front of Zhao Rang.

Zhao Rang gently picked up the noodles and put them in his mouth.

Suddenly, the delicious soup and tender seafood filled his mouth, and he couldn't help but close his eyes and savor this rare delicacy!

"You're so good at it!"

After hearing this, the stall owner showed a rare smile on his face:

"Zhao Gongzi has won the prize!"

Zhao Rang wiped his mouth, and then said:

"You go to the market and buy some ingredients for seafood noodles and come back, remember, it should be exactly the same as the bowl just now, and the portion size should be five people."

Then after a pause, he continued:

"Also, where is the framing shop in the city?"

The stall owner described it for a long time, but Zhao Rang, the road idiot, was still confused......

Seeing this, the stall owner had to go out and hire a carriage, explain it clearly to the coachman, and ask him to pull Zhao Rang to the framing shop in the south of the city.

"Sure it's the best in town, right? I must go to the best in town! ”

Before Zhao Rang got into the car, he repeatedly confirmed with the stall owner.

"Zhao Gongzi, don't worry, this framing shop is indeed the largest in the city! And it is opened in the south of the city, and the people who come and go are high-ranking officials and dignitaries, like us, who are born in small businesses...... If you sway around the door, you will be driven out! ”

Zhao Rang laughed after hearing this, patted the stall owner's shoulder, and said:

"Don't worry, sooner or later, you can also walk in and have a good look!"

Although the stall owner knew that what Zhao Rang said was just a scene, he still grinned very cooperatively, but in his heart he wished that this killing god would go as far as possible.

When I was dealing with seafood just now, I was a little dazed when I looked at the blade of the kitchen knife...... As a chef, you can imagine how much stimulation I received!