The Villain is Number One in the World

First, he wrote a letter back to Questioning Sword Manor.

In the letter, as per their request, he stated the expected word count for the book, and sent it back along with the signed and sealed contract. Issues like the official registration of the contract with the government were no longer his concern.

…

Questioning Sword Newspaper was published on schedule.

Tian Changyong was a disheartened scholar who had failed the imperial exams many times and lived a life full of disappointments.

These days, the martial arts world was thriving, and many people earned their living by learning martial arts in training halls, becoming bodyguards, escorts, or even taking up positions in the government, as law enforcement, or as heroic martial artists.

They made large sums of money and lived comfortably, which made others envious.

Tian Changyong, now twenty-eight years old, had been trying to pass the scholar exams since he was eleven. After more than a decade, he had still failed every time. At this point, being a twenty-eight-year-old "old scholar" meant he had almost no future left.

His neighbors often mocked him for being a mediocre man who didn't realize his own limitations, and he felt deeply ashamed whenever he heard such comments. They would criticize him for wasting his wife's and son's hard-earned money while contributing nothing himself.

He had tried again in the most recent exams, but, as expected, his name was missing from the list.

As he watched a group of young teenagers, barely fifteen or sixteen, take the top spots, it dawned on him that he could be their father by age, and yet here he was, stagnant, filled with an overwhelming sense of confusion and despair.

What's the point of living my life?

He wandered aimlessly, almost like a ghost on the streets. Suddenly, he heard the bright and clear voice of a newsboy.

"Newspapers for sale! Newspapers for sale! Bao Hong Tang is having a celebration, and all gold jewelry is on discount! The court has issued new tax regulations, don't miss it!"

The newsboy ran past him. Without thinking, he asked, "Sir, would you like to buy a newspaper?"

Tian Changyong, still in a daze, absentmindedly searched his pockets, found a copper coin, and thought, Well, I'm probably going to die anyway, so I might as well do a good deed before I go and use this money for my wife and son's future.

He bought two newspapers and continued walking towards the river to the east. Halfway there, feeling exhausted, he sat down on a large stone to catch his breath and began to read the newspaper he had just bought.

He had already spent the money, so it would be a waste not to read it. At least it was his wife's hard-earned money.

He read through it carefully, one word at a time, until he reached the serialized fiction section, where a new story caught his eye: The Legend of the Greatest Martial Artist.

Martial artists, huh. How enviable. If only I had money, I could go to a martial arts academy and learn. But sadly, I don't have the money. My wife and son are already so tired, and they have to sacrifice so much for me, this burden.

I might as well just die.

"Li Bangyi's family is poor, and he can't afford to go to a martial arts academy, but he has always dreamed of becoming a great hero..."

"A winding, crooked tunnel took him tumbling, and after a long while, he finally fell to the ground, scattering firewood and wild herbs everywhere. His head was spinning, his teeth gritting in pain, but as he got up, he was stunned by the sight before him."

"When the dust settled, the words on the book finally appeared: Drizzling Rain Sword Technique…"

Tian Changyong felt a strange unease as he read.

This martial art, it sounds so real.

Although he had no way of judging the authenticity of the technique, the content was written in such great detail that it even included personal cultivation insights and comments on the technique. He couldn't help but wonder, Could it really be a real martial art?

But then he thought, Well, who cares whether it's real or not? After all, I'm probably going to die soon. I might as well try practicing it before I go. This way, I can at least fulfill my dream of leaving the world of literature and stepping into the martial arts world.

With this thought, Tian Changyong began practicing the technique, step by step, as described in the newspaper.

Time passed, and the sky gradually darkened.

"Father! Father!"

"Darling! Darling!"

The familiar voices of his wife and son reached his ears, and Tian Changyong was startled awake. He looked around and realized he had been sitting on the stone all day, and it was now completely dark.

Oh no! I've been sitting here for that long!

He was filled with shock.

"Darling, why did you think like this? If something happened to you, how would we, a mother and child, survive?" His wife, dressed in a simple gown, rushed over and threw herself into his arms, sobbing loudly.

"Wife, You'er? What's going on?" Tian Changyong was still in a daze.

The boy's eyes were red, and he fought back tears, "Father, no matter how tough things get, as long as our family of three is together, we can face it. If you're gone, what will happen to me and mother?"

The mother and son had returned from work at noon, only to hear rumors from the neighbors that the scholar exam results had been posted. Someone had seen Tian Changyong wandering aimlessly down the street, and they feared something had happened to him. Their hearts sank in fear, and they immediately began searching for him. Eventually, someone said they saw him heading towards the river to the east at dawn, so they hurried there to find him.

By the grace of heaven, they finally discovered him sitting on the stone.

The sky had already darkened, and if the mother and son hadn't searched carefully, they might have missed him.

Tian Changyong's heart ached as he looked at his wife and son, his eyes reddened as he held the newspaper tightly in his hand. Without saying a word, he silently embraced them both. The family of three hugged each other and cried.

…

Sun Hu was an ordinary martial artist, working as an escort at a local escort agency.

Because his skills weren't exceptional, he was usually assigned to smaller, less important jobs, transporting items of little value and earning only a small amount of money.

But he didn't give up. He trained diligently every day, harboring the dream of one day learning the ultimate martial arts and becoming a renowned hero of the martial world, adored by everyone, with stories of his exploits spreading far and wide.

He loved reading Questioning Sword Newspaper.

Not just because he admired the master of Questioning Sword Manor, Zhuo Huaiqi, but because the newspaper allowed him to stay updated on the happenings of the martial world, making him feel like he was a part of it all.

His favorite part was always the serialized stories. In those stories, he could imagine himself as a heroic martial artist, galloping across the world, striking fear into enemies.

The Legend of the Greatest Martial Artist?

A new story?

He noticed the author was a name he hadn't heard before, "Great Hero Swift Wind." Probably a new writer.

Thinking that the story might not be as interesting as those by established authors, he almost lost interest. However, since he had already bought the paper, he figured he might as well read it. After all, if it was published in Questioning Sword Newspaper, it had to have some merit.

He started reading with a casual attitude.

But soon, he became engrossed.

Sun Hu's eyes widened. He couldn't tear his gaze away from the page, focusing intently, as if afraid to miss even a single word.

"This guy is lucky, just chopping wood and he falls into a secret chamber. Drizzling Rain Sword Technique... this sounds familiar. And the martial arts part, it's so detailed… My God, these techniques seem so real!"

He finished reading the 3,000 words quickly, feeling dazed.

He stared at the notes on the martial arts techniques, an incredulous thought suddenly flooding his mind.

Could this really be real?

…

There were many others who were just as shocked as Sun Hu and Tian Changyong.

Questioning Sword Newspaper was widely circulated, reaching several prosperous cities, including Bianjing. So, when the newspaper was sold as usual, readers who hadn't given it much thought initially suddenly found themselves debating the contents of the story.

"Is it real? Can the martial arts techniques in the paper really be practiced?"

"Drizzling Rain Sword Technique... that name sounds so familiar. I swear I've heard it somewhere before."

"You don't know Drizzling Rain Sword Technique? It's the famous sword technique used by the nameless swordsman from over eighty years ago! The one who wielded the Drizzling Rain Sword and killed without leaving a trace!"

"Oh! I remember now. It couldn't be... Could it really be the legendary Drizzling Rain Sword Technique? That was the pinnacle sword technique used by the famous swordsman!"

Within just a few days, this topic spread across the streets and alleys.

If there was a trending topic list in this era, #DrizzlingRainSwordTechnique#, *#Question

ingSwordNewspaperLegendarySwordTechnique#*, and #WhoIsGreatHeroSwiftWind# would have soared straight to the top.

"Lord Chenxing, what do you think about this Drizzling Rain Sword Technique?"

At the Red Lotus Pavilion.

The beautiful and seductive Wu Chuchu leaned against a handsome young man in white robes. Her slender fingers fed him a crystal-clear purple grape.

The young man in white had a noble demeanor, with red lips and white teeth, and his phoenix eyes sparkled with passion. He smiled slightly, casting a mesmerizing gaze.

He gently took the grape from her hand and licked it seductively, then replied, "It's half true, half false."

Wu Chuchu raised an eyebrow and asked, "What do you mean?"

"The sword technique is real, but it's not the Drizzling Rain Sword Technique. The nameless swordsman's sword techniques couldn't possibly be so low-tier," the young man said, his eyes flashing with a hint of mockery.

…

"Master, what do you think of this Drizzling Rain Sword Technique?"

In the Fierce Eagle Martial Arts Academy, the eldest disciple held up the newspaper, pointing to a section of the martial arts techniques. They had clearly all read the article.

The master, stroking his long beard, looked serious. "I believe it's real."

The eldest disciple wasn't surprised. He had suspected as much.

"Master, I think this technique is quite brilliant. Do you think we can learn it?" the eldest disciple asked.

Their martial arts academy was small and relatively unknown. Whether it was the master or the disciples, their skill level was mediocre, barely scraping the bottom of the martial arts world.

Genuine martial arts manuals were difficult to come by, and they didn't have the money or connections to obtain them.

But this article gave them an unexpected hope.

If the techniques were real, what would it hurt to give them a try? After all, it was just a sword technique, not inner martial arts. It wasn't likely to cause any danger of going astray.

Besides, it seemed far more profound than their own techniques.

Seeing the master in deep thought, the eldest disciple bowed deeply. "Master, I'm willing to be the first to try. Let's see if this sword technique works!"

The master paused, then nodded, "Fine."