With the force of a sudden storm, the music and singing from the Qin surged instantly through the hearts of everyone nearby and far off. Especially within the martial world (Jianghu); regardless of whether they were foes or friends, regardless of their original intentions, regardless of loyalty or villainy, at this moment, within the melody of Xiao Ao Jianghu (Smiling Proudly in the Martial World), which debuted to the world for the first time, a strange and inexplicable resonance arose within every soul!

Jianghu... a dream!

So much heroism, so much splendor, so much inscrutability, so much helplessness, so many loves, hates, passions, and sorrows...

Many burly men with rough features listened quietly. These seasoned wanderers of the Jianghu, these iron-blooded men, sported smiles on their lips and looks of reminiscence on their faces. Several held a glimmer of yearning, a hint of hope, as if dreaming once more of the innocent, unknowing martial dreams of their youth... Yet, a trace of wetness gathered at the corners of their eyes...

Wielding a sword across the world, sitting astride a warhorse, howling at the heavens, soaring proudly through the Jianghu!

With a soaring sound, a tremor that seemed to burn the very sky, the piece concluded! It was as if a peerless swordsman, at the zenith of his power, suddenly shed his campaign armor...

As the song ended, silence reigned supreme! It could only be... absolute silence!

Everyone remained wordless, lost in thought...

Two white-robed old men sat opposite each other in a corner of the Tanguan Tower. The moment the Qin music began, both simultaneously tilted their ears and concentrated their focus. They listened so intently that they truly became entranced. Long after the music ceased, the two remained seated, lost in a daze. In their ears, the passionate, magnificent, yet sorrowful melody seemed to echo endlessly, truly like a lingering charm lasting for three days and nights!

A touch of bewilderment veiled both their faces. After another long moment, one old man let out a long, soft, melancholy sigh, murmuring in a voice like a fading dream: "Jiang... hu... ah..."

The other white-robed elder opposite smiled faintly. His dry, withered fingers trembled lightly. Suddenly, a single turbid tear fell, plopping down his cheek, wetting his white beard, then silently rolling down to leave a damp spot on the front of his robes before dripping onto the floor...

He mumbled softly, "The masses smile... no longer lonely, the passion still lingers in foolish laughter... no longer lonely, hehehe. But within this phrase 'no longer lonely,' how much loneliness has been swallowed down?

The passion remains... but... where are my old friends now? For this unjust and unscrupulous Jianghu, how much have we abandoned, and how much have we lost? What have we truly gained?..."

A barely audible, self-mocking, tragic chuckle escaped him. He shook his head again, finally reaching for the wine cup on the table, closing his eyes, and draining it in one gulp! It seemed as if in that single cup, he drank down the entirety of his life spent in the martial world, a past too painful to recall...

On the staircase, the black-veiled girl, Zhan Mengdie, stood transfixed. As she ascended the stairs, she had heard the sudden burst of Qin music and impassioned singing, involuntarily pausing to listen quietly until this very moment...

Her phoenix eyes were slightly closed, her face filled with genuine emotion.

After a long while, she blinked open her eyes as if waking from a profound dream, sighing softly: "What a piece about the Jianghu! This single composition truly condenses all the bittersweetness, joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure of the entire martial world... Endless to savor! Endless in its resonance..."

The elderly man beside her sighed softly amidst his reflection: "Miss, you are not one of us who wanders the Jianghu, how can you be so moved?"

"A single song exhausts the Jianghu dream, a single piece reveals the depths of the Jianghu..." The black-veiled girl smiled faintly, lost in thought: "Though I have never ventured into the Jianghu, I can still feel the heroism within it. This piece sings of freedom, and the playing demonstrates even greater magnanimity, but... the heaviest element is the profound sense of inevitability." She paused, then added, "Besides, is our Zhan family itself not a Jianghu?"

The old man started slightly, then sighed and fell silent.

Zhan Mengdie pondered for a moment, then declared: "Since we have encountered such a musical master, how can we let this pass? I must go up and see who it is... who could possibly play such a piece that is both bold and heroic, yet desolate and lonely!"

Upstairs, Chen Chen’s face no longer held the false placidity and gentleness; only deep emotion remained! Even though the music had ended, he was still striving to recall every note, struggling in thought, rhythmically tapping his hand as if the melody was still playing, still reverberating...

After a pause, he looked up, abandoning his composure, and urgently asked: "Brother Dongfang... what is the name of this piece?"

Jun Mo Xie took a deep breath, his eyes filled with nostalgia and reminiscence, and stated calmly: "Let us call this piece The Song of Smiling Proudly in the Martial World!"

The Song of Smiling Proudly in the Martial World! The Song of Smiling Proudly in the Martial World... What a magnificent name for a song!" Chen Chen repeated excitedly, a divine light shining in his eyes: "The vast ocean smiles, the heavens smile, the mountains and rivers smile, the cool breeze smiles, the common people smile... Smiling Proudly in the Martial World... Hehe, among all the martial heroes throughout history, who hasn't wished... to smile proudly in the Jianghu?"

"But among all the heroes in the world, who truly can smile proudly in the Jianghu?" Jun Mo Xie replied wistfully, "Who has the qualification to genuinely smile proudly in the Jianghu? From ancient times to the present, not a single one!"

Chen Chen closed his eyes. After a long moment, he turned his face, tapping the table: "Hearing your music today is a great honor. You all should leave! Leave **Cheng (City Name)! Leave far away! Never set foot in **Cheng again! Because within **Cheng, it is utterly impossible for you to smile proudly in the Jianghu, or... if you sink too deep, you will never have the chance to smile proudly in the Jianghu again!"

He suddenly spun around, his gaze fixed intensely on Jun Mo Xie: "Just for this Song of Smiling Proudly in the Martial World, I, Chen Chen..." truly do not wish to be your enemy! If you intend to leave, I will use every ability I possess to see you off! You only get one chance, please cherish it, brother! Brother Dongfang, I have been hypocritical my whole life; today I am being truly sincere! I hope you... make your decision quickly!"

Jun Mo Xie sighed slightly, offered a faint smile, then gently shook his head, looking at Chen Chen with a pitying helplessness: "I already said earlier, when one is in the Jianghu, they are not their own master."

If you are not your own master, neither am I! Chen Chen, because of what you just said, I will also give you a chance. If you leave **Cheng right now and never return to this place, you will still have a chance to smile proudly in the Jianghu! There are truly too few lovable people left in this world, and I really do not wish to be the one to kill someone as relatively lovable as you!"

Chen Chen let out a bitter chuckle: "There is certainly too much helplessness in this world... whether it's the Jianghu, the imperial court, or even within one's own family—is that not also a form of Jianghu? I have long accepted my fate! I cannot even decide my own marriage, yet I dare speak of smiling proudly in the Jianghu? A fool's delusion! Hahahaha..."

As he spoke, he suddenly laughed mournfully, laughing until tears streamed from his eyes, shaking his head: "I appear endlessly glorious, but deep down, I am merely a tool of the family! Merely a tool! Brother Dongfang..." Chen Chen looked at him earnestly: "It is hardest to find a true soulmate in this world... If you die, I will be even lonelier!"

"A soulmate? You take me as a soulmate, but unfortunately, I am not yours!" Jun Mo Xie said calmly. "And you are certainly not mine! Because what I think, and what I do, is to smile proudly in the Jianghu!"

Chen Chen couldn't help but startle upon hearing this. Just then, a clear voice chimed in: "Excuse me, who was it that played that piece just now?"

The two turned to look. They saw a slim, black-veiled girl standing gracefully at the entrance of the staircase, her pair of cold eyes sweeping over both their faces.

At that moment, Jun Mo Xie acutely sensed that the crowd outside was gradually dispersing, but the dozen or so latent spiritual senses that had been lurking were now converging towards this location...

Chen Chen's mission had failed!

Because his original intention was to investigate Jun Mo Xie, but here he found himself developing a sudden sympathy for him. The moment his attitude shifted, his mission was doomed to fail.

Therefore, those lurking in the shadows immediately changed their strategy. It seemed they were planning to capture him alive!

A strange, mocking smile touched Jun Mo Xie's eyes. He said lightly: "If I have not guessed incorrectly, this young lady should be the treasured daughter of the Zhan family... Miss Zhan Mengdie, correct?"

On the contrary, Chen Chen's eyes showed an expression of extreme surprise and astonishment. He had never imagined that his nominal fiancée would appear here at this precise moment. But the expression on his face instantly turned gloomy, as if he had realized something...

The black-veiled girl, Zhan Mengdie, revealed a hint of surprise as she looked at the ugly man before her and asked: "Who might you be, sir?"

Although Jun Mo Xie hadn't explicitly stated it, his speaking before Chen Chen effectively revealed the true master of the preceding composition. This image did not align well with the figure Zhan Mengdie had envisioned.

In her mind, the one who played that piece should have been a dashing and carefree young man, a heroic wanderer whose spirit towered over the heavens, a lone hero with a single sword facing the world—an unparalleled master! But certainly not this slovenly-looking youth before her!

"Me? I am from the Dongfang family!" Jun Mo Xie gave a strange laugh, suddenly rising to his full height. "Fine tea! Fine Qin! I trust the subsequent arrangements are mostly ready? It is time for me to depart!"

Chen Chen became anxious, suddenly standing up: "Allow this junior to escort you out! The Song of Smiling Proudly in the Martial World should never become a final lament!"

At this moment, the sounds of garments sweeping through the air could be heard continuously from the rooftop; no fewer than ten masters had already arrived here!

Chen Chen was genuinely worried now. At this juncture, he truly cared for Jun Mo Xie.

Because he absolutely did not want this so-called 'Great Scholar Dongfang,' whom he had met only recently, to be destroyed here!

If this 'Dongfang Da Shu' fell into the hands of the Chen family, Chen Chen was clearer than anyone about the suffering he would endure! Especially since the one currently in charge of the family was no longer a member of the Chen lineage; once captured, the outcome would be entirely beyond his control!

Thus, this 'Heartbreak Young Master,' who had always been reserved, unexpectedly revealed genuine affection!

"If you truly consider me a soulmate, then retreat from the Jianghu early!" Jun Mo Xie laughed loudly. "Tanguan Tower! A truly excellent place! Haha, 'Pour wine to ease your worries, human relationships shift like the waves. Meeting old friends even in old age, still holding your sword; the rich and powerful mock the recluse who resigns. Grass colors lightly touched by fine rain, flower branches ready to move in the chilly spring breeze. What is worth asking of the floating affairs of the world? Better to lie high and dine well!'"

At this moment, he was still squinting and had a vulgar appearance, yet his spirit soared, and his gestures were grand, perfectly manifesting the uninhibited freedom belonging to the Jianghu!

In this instant, in the eyes of Chen Chen and Zhan Mengdie opposite him, Jun Mo Xie seemed to transform into a romantic and dashing young man, utterly disdainful of powerful enemies and oppressive authority!

This moment of brilliance actually made these two, who were usually proud and haughty, feel captivated and dazzled!

Just then, Jun Mo Xie let out a long cry and suddenly leaped up, lightly gliding out through the window. With a soft thud, he vanished. A light laugh, with a faint accent, still drifted from mid-air: "Since it is so, let us see how I shall smile proudly in the Jianghu today!"

Today, I shall also smile proudly in the Jianghu... A cup of white wine, a cup of red wine, two bottles of beer. I suddenly feel as heroic as a supreme commander today! After finishing the drinks, I hailed a taxi—nineteen yuan and five coins home. I pulled out twenty yuan and said generously: "No need for change!"

The driver said: "I really don't have change either..."

Only this one update today... Dizzy and drowsy, I shall rest, you may go... I will compensate tomorrow!