In the small town at the base of Henghua Mountain.
It seemed to be the first time that Bun had met so many people, and so it didn't leave Li Huowang's side for even a moment.
After a tiring journey, everyone was exhausted and in need of rest.
Even though the Benevolent Nunnery was right before them, unlike before, Li Huowang was no longer in a hurry. Since that oppressive feeling where he felt like he could be replaced by Dan Yangzi at any moment was now gone, he could finally take it easy.
Li Huowang used his somewhat tired eyes to look around. The town at the base of the mountain was the same as before. Even though it wasn't a market day, perhaps due to the fact that it was a transportation hub, there were many people going to and fro.
The only difference was the increase in the number of beggars squatting by the walls. When the ragged-looking beggars saw their horse-drawn carriages, they quickly approached them before raising their broken bowls and starting to sing.
"Come gather 'round, see the poor beggar's plea~ Oh kind sir, won't you lend an ear to me~? Have a heart and let compassion take its toll~ A bun, some soup, may you live a life whole!"
Jiang!
At that moment, a long sword was drawn, causing the beggars to scatter like frightened birds.
"Three bamboos!" said a voice.
Pa!
Hearing the voice and the sound, Li Huowang subconsciously looked toward the source.
"Pong! Six characters~"
"Aiya~ what kind of hand is this, nine dots again."
"Ah~ Haha! A self-drawn pure suit~ Hahaha, pay up!"
The mahjong parlor was quite lively and bustling with people; almost every seat was occupied, and you could constantly hear the sounds of the dice and mahjong tiles clashing. It could be seen that everyone was having fun.
"Oh, they are playing mahjong," remarked Li Huowang before continuing onward.
After walking for a while, they arrived at the inn they had previously stayed at.
As Li Huowang stepped into the inn, he said to the oncoming waiter, "We need both accommodation and a meal. Tell your chef to prepare some hearty dishes, but no pork."
"Ah~ Alright, dear guest, please come in~"
"Senior Li, while we do have ample money, we are spending without an income. Perhaps we should be a little more frugal," Bai Lingmiao voiced her concern at Li Huowang's extravagance.
Li Huowang sat at the seat of the host and sipped the tea that was offered to them by the attendant, and then said, "It's alright, let's celebrate a little. It's not like we eat like this every day."
"You beast! You still have the nerve to eat?! Have you ever thought about the people who died because of you?! Why don't you go and die?!!" shouted Jiang Yingzi.
However, despite Jiang Yingzi's insults, Li Huowang remained completely unfazed as he continued to address the others, "Wait here after we finish the meal. The Benevolent Nunnery is quite dirty. I'll be back soon."
Initially, he had found it hard to accept his new companions.
As time passed, Li Huowang was able to completely adapt to the presence of a long-dead ghost shouting in his ear. After all, Jiang Yingzi could only resort to incessant cursing, which could really affect Li Huowang.
On the other hand, Dan Yangzi often stood in the distance, watching him creepily.
After a few simple tests, Li Huowang had discovered that they were indeed just illusions, and could not actually affect him.
He did not know how long such a situation would last for, or whether others would appear in the future. But for now, this situation was a lot easier to accept than being taken over by Dan Yangzi.
"Hehe, the dishes are here~ Green Dragon Emerges from the Sea~ Twin Dragons Chasing the Pearl~ Three Suns Prosperity~ Fortune in the Eastern Sea~ Dear guests, please enjoy~ Other delicacies will also arrive shortly~" said the waiter as he brought in their dishes.
Seeing all these dishes, Lu Xiucai started salivating. Just as he was about to pick up his chopsticks, he was tapped by Lu Zhuangyuan's tobacco pipe.
After stopping his son, Lu Zhuangyuan smiled flatteringly and said, "Young Taoist, please eat first. You've had a tough trip, so let this meal be our treat."
Surprised, Li Huowang glanced at him, and then picked up his chopsticks as he began eating; he couldn't be bothered with such trivial matters.
At the same time, he had a feeling that in his presence, the Lu Family Troupe was a lot more restrained.
After having traveled for so long, everyone was hungry. Bai Lingmiao and Gao Zhijian both had large appetites, and quickly wiped clean the dishes on the table, as well as two more barrels of rice.
Bun wasn't left hungry either; it was given all the leftover bones.
After a satisfying meal that included plenty of wine, Li Huowang drank another mouthful of tea and got up. Once he picked up his belongings, he walked out of the inn, "I'm leaving. I should be back before nightfall."
As soon as it heard him, Bun, who had been gnawing on a bone under the table, picked it up and followed after him.
Once Li Huowang left, Lu Juren put down his clean bowl and chopsticks, then stepped before Lu Zhuangyuan and cleared his throat. "Dad, come with me."
After a while, they arrived at the quiet stable behind the inn. Then, Lu Juren leaned against a black horse that was eating some beans before whispering nervously, "Dad! Why aren't we leaving?! Are you really planning to go with them! Did you forget—"
At that moment, he glanced around to check that there was nobody else around before continuing, "Did you forget what they said that night? That's not a person—that's a demon! Those Taoist robes of his are stained red due to blood! Aren't you afraid that someday he'll eat us as well?"
Hearing this, the wrinkled Lu Zhuangyuan retrieved his tobacco pipe before taking a deep puff. "Perhaps... Perhaps the Taoist has some difficulties?"
"What kind of difficulties can there be to explain doing things like that?! Ah, Dad! You've started to become muddle-headed!"
"Hey! Are you asking for a beating?! What do you mean muddle-headed?!" said Lu Zhuangyuan as he raised his tobacco pipe into the air.
Faced with Lu Zhuangyuan's raised pipe, Lu Juren, who had always been honest, did not dodge it like he normally would. Instead, he stared at his father stubbornly. "For a moment, let's forget about ourselves! But what about your granddaughter Cui'er? The storytellers often say that demons like to eat children! Can you bear to place Cui'er in such danger?"
Upon hearing this, Lu Zhuangyuan could no longer retort, which was quite unlike him. After a while, he once again took a deep puff causing the tobacco inside his pipe to start glowing brightly. "Son, I understand what you're saying. But haven't you noticed it? Something has been amiss throughout this journey. I know what's going on. Originally, it just started out with there being more beggars by the roadside. It doesn't seem like much, but it won't be long before people even start selling out their own children. The world is slowly descending into chaos. Right now, we're fleeing on our own, and that makes us easy pickings for anyone who wants to have a tasty morsel. On the other hand, following the Taoist at least gives us some safety against the ordinary outlaws and their schemes. Your dad has lived for a long time, and can judge people quite accurately. The Taoist is not that kind of evil person. Though he may possess formidable powers, his character is not immoral. He cannot commit such heinous acts."
"But..."
"There's no 'buts'. Let's stick with the plan. Earlier, I noticed that your wife didn't really eat much. That's unusual for her, and she even has the urge to vomit quite often. Take her to a physician; I have a feeling that she might be pregnant."
Chapter 136 - Sword
"Hoo~ hoo~" Li Huowang panted heavily as he climbed the mountain. The oil-paper bags he was carrying in his hand swayed with his difficult ascent.
The mountain path leading up Henghua Mountain was incredibly difficult to traverse. It didn't have proper steps, and it was still quite unbearable even after the trips he had made before. His clothes were soaked with sweat, and his tender skin was chafed to the point that it was painful.
"Woof! Woof woof!!" Bun had already reached the mountain gate of Benevolent Nunnery and was wagging its tail at its owner.
When Li Huowang finally arrived at the gate with great effort, he noticed that Bun had been patiently waiting for him. Dogs had much better stamina than humans.
"Why are you following me? Go back!" Li Huowang's words were obviously not understood by Bun. The dog shook its head and wagged its tail before approaching Li Huowang and affectionately licking his fingers.
After taking a break near the couplet written in Women's Script at the mountain gate, Li Huowang caught his breath, covered his nose, and started walking toward the roof-less temple in the distance.
Benevolent Nunnery was still the same as ever—dirty, smelly, and in ruins.
The swamp of half-rotten food in the nunnery had lessened a lot. It was unknown whether it was eaten or had just rotten away.
"Why did you bring your dog up? The feces in the nunnery are used to feed the pigs, not your dog," said Miao Yu warily as she approached Li Huowang.
"Sister, is Abbess Jingxin here?" asked Li Huowang as he patted Bun's head.
Miao Yu was about to speak, but then a greedy expression appeared on her face, "Give me some of the snacks in your hands, and I'll tell you."
"I'm afraid that won't do," Li Huowang smiled and clasped his hands together toward her before turning toward Abbess Jingxin's residence. He made several turns through the dilapidated nunnery, and found his destination.
The wall that had been torn down earlier had been rebuilt. Li Huowang could see Abbess Jingxin inside the room.
At present, she had once again returned to her original state. The only things that had changed were her two dark eye sockets, and her mouth which had receded inward due to being toothless.
"Ah~ Green bean cakes! Are they from the Prosperity Bakery down the mountain? Their green bean cakes are the best. And so are their sweetheart cakes, and their red bean paste mooncakes," exclaimed Jingxin.
Li Huowang just watched as Jingxin lugged her skin folds and crawled over, using her black hands as support. Once she reached him, he handed the snacks over to her.
He could see that Abbess Jingxin didn't have any teeth as she grabbed the bag of snacks. Then, without even peeling off the brown paper packaging, she started chewing on it with her red gums.
Seeing this, Li Huowang reached his hand into her mouth to remove the oil paper, and said, "Abbess, thank you for your guidance before. If not for your help, I would likely be dead already."
However, Abbess Jingxin did not stop at all, focusing all her attention on the snacks as she stuffed her mouth full of food.
Li Huowang continued to wait patiently as he watched Abbess Jingxin enjoy her snacks. This bag of green bean cakes weighed about 3.5 pounds. Normal people would take a long time to finish it, but it was not at all challenging for the Abbess.
When only a few pieces were left, Abbess Jingxin reluctantly stopped. Then, she used the paper bags to rearrange the green bean cakes as she placed them aside.
"Is your Master gone? Let me take a look," said Abbess Jingxin as she reached out her hands toward Li Huowang.
After she carefully examined his abdomen, she withdrew her hands. "Ah, looks like you are right; your Master is indeed not around anymore. Those fellows from the Ao Jing Sect can still be considered useful."
Hearing this, Li Huowang glanced at Dan Yangzi who was nearby and nodded in agreement, "Indeed. Thank you, Abbess, for your help."
"Since you're thanking me, how come you didn't buy more snacks? Was this 3.5 pounds of snacks for me to put in between my teeth?" She said with some displeasure as she picked up the remaining cakes and sniffed them greedily. Then, she directly stuffed them in between the folds of her skin.
"Alright, I'll bring more on my next visit," reassured Li Huowang.
"Good! You better keep your word! I'll remember it. The thing that I hate the most is when people don't keep their promises, especially when it comes to matters related to food," said Jingxin.
The tone of their conversation had clearly become much friendlier than before.
"Right, Abbess, you instructed Junior Bai to have me pay you a visit. Do you have any instructions?" Li Huowang asked.
Hearing this question, Jingxin fell silent for a long time before asking, "Where're you going next?"
"Sending my juniors home."
"And after that?"
"To look for a way to resolve my issues as a Strayed One," Li Huowang spoke calmly, his tone brimming with determination.
Jingxin was not the slightest bit surprised at Li Huowang's reply. "You sure are stubborn. Go on then; maybe you'll turn around after you end up hitting a dead end."
"We can speak about that when I hit the dead end. If I'm forever stuck between reality and hallucination, then it's not much better than being dead."
"Hmm, spoken well, spoken well..."
Li Huowang's heart was stirred when he saw her reaction. "Abbess, do you have any guidance on how to break free of the condition of a Strayed One?"
"What guidance can I provide? If I could, then my son wouldn't have gone crazy. However, I won't stop you if you want to go down this road. How about this? I'll sell you a weapon for self-defense during your journey," offered Jingxin as she pointed toward a dark corner of her room.
"Weapon?" Li Huowang looked toward the dark corner pointed by Jingxin. There, lying in the corner was a longsword.
Li Huowang walked over and extended his arm to grasp the sword, only to find that it was surprisingly heavy.
He held the sword and brought it before Abbess Jingxin before gently waving the sword. In an instant, an intense aura filled the entire house. At the same time, a wave of heat surged through Li Huowang's mind, turning his eyes red. His body started to tremble uncontrollably, and he felt as though there was something continuously flowing into him from the sword hilt.
Li Huowang used all his strength to sheath the sword, after which, everything returned to normal. He gasped for breath, his heart pounding.
"It's normal for military items to have some level of ominous aura. Normal people may be easily affected by it, but it's fine since you're a Strayed One. This small amount of ominous aura isn't capable of dispersing your sense of doubt and confusion. This sword can be used for killing people and exorcizing evil spirits. It will be good to defend yourself with during your journey. In the future, don't use the Profound Records; it will bring you much agony," said Jingxin.
Li Huowang looked at the longsword in his hand with shock. Even if he did not know anything about weapons, just based on that single moment, he knew that this sword was extraordinary, and was definitely an item that should be treasured.
"Abbess, you said that you wanted to sell this sword to me, right? However, I don't have the money to afford it."
"No problem, you can just write an IOU. 30,000 taels of yellow gold should be enough, along with interest. In case, mind you, just in case, if you really do find a way to break free from the condition of a Strayed One, you must let me know."
Hearing this, Li Huowang had a complex look on his face. He could tell that the part about the IOU was said in jest, and what she really wanted from him was what she said after that.
Chapter 137 - Sitting Oblivion Dao
Staring at the Abbess, Li Huowang held the sword before kowtowing toward her. "Thank you for giving me this sword, Abbess! As long as I live, I will graciously repay you for this favor!"
Li Huowang was not someone good with words. Compared to using words, he preferred to use his actions to show his intentions.
He knew who had treated him well and who had not.
However, the Abbess was not satisfied with his answer. "Who said that I am gifting it to you? I am selling it. Don't try to skip out on the payment. 30,000 pieces with interest. You need to return it to me without missing even a single piece. I know that you can't give me the money right now, and so you should just use the escort service to send over whatever excess money you have in the future, regardless of the amount. We will accept it all, regardless if it's a thousand pieces of gold or just half a string of copper coins. Now that everything's over, just leave this place. I won't ask you to stay for dinner, nor do I think you will be able to eat it. Just bring some more snacks when you come over next time."
After saying her piece, Abbess Jingxin slowly moved her fat body back into the depths of her house. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎
However, Li Huowang immediately stopped her. He still had some questions. "Wait, Abbess, I still have some questions."
"Sigh. Why are you so annoying? Tell me quickly. I need to sleep after I finish eating." Abbess Jingxin was visibly annoyed.
Li Huowang stood there for a few seconds before asking his question. "Abbess, I'm a newcomer to Jianghu and do not know much about the various factions of the world, much less their strengths and taboos. Could you please describe some of them to me?"
"No need to fret over it." Abbess Jingzin scratched her stomach, annoyed. "You are a Strayed One. If you encounter another sect, then just run."
"Wait, that's it?" Li Huowang was thrown off by her answer.
"Of course, or do you want to go and converse with them? Weren't you lied to by the monks of the Righteous Monastery? You are a Strayed One. In the eyes of others, you are no different than a piece of gold. Who cares what sect they come from. Fight if you can, run if you can't. And don't even think about joining any of them. There are no sects that recruit Strayed Ones as their disciples, not even the Benevolent Nunnery. If they say that they do, then they are lying."
These words were a kind of wake-up call for Li Huowang. "So I can trust no one besides you?"
"Nope. Who would help you out without a cause?" The Abbess's triple chin trembled as she shook her head.
Even if he had already expected the answer, hearing the truth from her mouth still caused Li Huowang to feel depressed.
He realized that his journey was destined to be a rocky one.
Li Huowang slowly digested what she had said before asking another question. "Abbess, can I ask about how the nuns of the Benevolent Nunnery obtain their powers?"
Except for the members of the Ao Jing Sect who gained their powers through offering their mental and physical pain to Ba-Hui, Li Huowang had absolutely no idea how the people of this world obtained their powers.
"Yawn~" The Abbess yawned, "Why do you ask this? It's not like you will even be able to cultivate it. Can't you see everyone here is a nun?"
"That's not an issue. I just want to know."
"Sigh. It's not like I don't want to tell you, but we can't pronounce it with our mouths. We have to write out the method using Women's Script. And you are a guy..."
Since she had already said so much, Li Huowang knew not to trouble her anymore. "Thank you for your guidance. I hope to meet you again soon."
After saying that, Li Huowang kowtowed toward her once more before turning toward the door.
Just as he was leaving the house while inspecting the sword in his hands, the Abbess called for him. "Wait a minute, I almost forgot what I needed to say when you interrupted me just now. There is one particular group of people that you need to be extra careful with," said Jingxin.
As he heard this, Li Huowang's ears perked up. "Please tell me."
"Remember their name. They are called the Sitting Oblivion Dao."
"Sitting Oblivion Dao?" Li Huowang furrowed his brow. He had heard those three words before. He tried to recall where he had heard them, but nothing came up.
"Sigh, why do you keep spacing out? I'm still talking to you. Or do you not need my explanation?" asked the Abbess, exasperated.
"Abbess, please explain to me. Why did you mention them specifically? By any chance, are the members of the Sitting Oblivion Dao friendly toward Strayed Ones?"
"Nope. The other sects will try to capture or kill you for their own benefit, but the Sitting Oblivion Dao is a whole different matter. They are a group of liars that love to fool others."
"Hmm?" Li Huowang was visibly confused.
"The Sitting Oblivion Dao is not a group of bandits that occupies a mountain, nor is it a sect that cultivates. No one knows what they are. All we know about them is that they like to fool others without any limitations. While they do like fooling others for money, more than anything else, they absolutely love fooling people for their own amusement. Here's an example. There was a time when one of them disguised himself as the Emperor's eunuch before proceeding to fool all of the men in a town to castrate themselves. The reason? He was bored and wanted to have some fun."
Li Huowang still had no idea what the Abbess was trying to tell him.
He asked hesitantly. "A group of swindlers who like to fool others? But... Is this somehow related to me?"
Out of all the sects who wanted to capture him, why did the Abbess tell him about this group of people specifically?
"Sigh. Did you forget that you are a Strayed One and that you can't differentiate between hallucination and reality? What do you think will happen if you meet someone from the Sitting Oblivion Dao? If they know that you are a Strayed One, the issue will become complicated."
"Even then, why would you think that I would be fooled by a group of swindlers? Why are you so nervous about this?"
The Abbess shut her eyelids and shook her head. "They are not just a simple group of swindlers. We don't know where they came from nor how they obtained it, but they have some powers that are ridiculously hard to shake off. They are also extremely well versed in illusions. There was even a time when I was fooled by them. At that time, a member of the Sitting Oblivion Dao snuck into our nunnery and wanted to fool us into breaking our taboo. Thankfully we managed to catch on to his plans and forced him into the path of Buddhism. Remember this, the members of the Sitting Oblivion Dao do not fear death. Never get entangled with one of them, or you will find yourself dealing with more and more of their members."
"They even tried to fool you?"
"Yeah! Not only did they want to fool me, they even wanted to fool the Gods themselves! I've heard that a group of people within the Sitting Oblivion Dao waited thirty years to fool the God of Prosperity."
"The God of Happiness? The one that appeared above the ancestral hall of the Hu family?" Li Huowang was visibly shaken.
"No, it's the God of Prosperity, not the God of Happiness." said Abbess Jingxin as she used her blackened fingernails to write the character on her skin.
Chapter 138 - The Five Realms of Buddhism
"The God of Prosperity?" This was the first time Li Huowang had heard of it. "Is there any difference between it and the God of Happiness?"
"How should I say this? If we were to compare them, the God of Happiness's power would be equivalent to just a single fingernail of the God of Prosperity."
"Yikes." Li Huowang recalled the terrible figure of the God of Happiness. It was hard to believe that the God of Happiness was barely strong enough to match one of the God of Prosperity's fingernails.
"Hold up, I feel like my brain is on the verge of exploding now." All this information caught him off guard. "So the God of Happiness is not some major evil being?"
"How can the God of Happiness be an evil being? Those are two different things altogether."
Li Huowang took a deep breath. "In that case, what are they? What is the God of Happiness or the God of Prosperity?"
"What else can they be? They are Gods."
"Uh... Which God?"
Abbess Jingxin's face contorted in confusion. "You don't even know that? How did you even survive up until now? I thought you already knew."
Li Huowang sighed and explained, "As I've mentioned before, I'm not from this world and I was transmigrated here. I have no idea how I ended up in this place."
"Sigh... here it comes again." Abbess Jingxin stared at him with pity.
"Abbess, I really did transmigrate here!" Li Huowang shouted, his anxiety increasing; he wanted to believe that it really was the truth.
"Fine, fine. I believe you. Let's continue talking then. Have you heard of the Five Realms in Buddhism?"
"Five Realms of Buddhism?" Li Huowang recalled the five large Buddha statues he had seen within the Righteous Monastery. "I've heard of it. The Abbot of the Righteous Monastery briefly explained to me that there are five different Buddhas in Five Different Realms."
"The one in the middle is Vaicorana from Vajradhatu, the Diamond Realm. The one on the East is Akshobhya from Abhirati, the Eastern Pure Land. The one on the South is Ratnasambhava from ?rimat, the Southern Pure Land. The one on the West is Amitābha from Sukhavati, the Western Pure Land, and the one on the North is Amoghasiddhi from Prakuta, the Northern Pure Land," explained Abbess Jingxin. These were the exact same words that the Abbot had told Li Huowang. "The God of Happiness and the God of Prosperity are both Gods belonging to the Southern Pure Land; however, they are not the only Gods there. There are still many other Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Arhats."
Hearing all this, Li Huowang felt kind of lost; it was the first time he had heard most of it. He knew that this world had many strange things, but it was a lot more than he had anticipated.
To think that there exist five different realms, and each of them contained such unimaginable horrors.
"So the realm of the Immortals that you mentioned before are the Five Realms of Buddhism?" asked Li Huowang as he unconsciously turned to Dan Yangzi who was standing near the wall.
"Hmph! There's no such thing as the Five Realms of Buddhism. What do a bunch of stupid bald donkeys know?" said Dan Yangzi, his six eyes filled with contempt. This was the first time Li Huowang's illusion had reacted to his words. "What do they know? They trust just about anything that's written in the book! They haven't even seen the Southern Heavenly Gates!"
Li Huowang ignored the barrage of insults from Dan Yangzi and continued to ask Abbess Jingxin. "Can you tell me where the Five Realms are?"
"How would I know? If I knew that, then I would already have become a Buddha; I wouldn't be here," said Jingxin as she dug her before flicking the snot onto the folds of her own skin.
"Become a Buddha? Do you want to become a Buddha?" asked Li Huowang.
"Nah I'm too lazy. My son may be crazy, but he's still alive. If I were to become a Buddha, who would take care of him?"
Slowly, Li Huowang was starting to piece everything together; he was finally starting to get a vague understanding of this world.
"Which world does Ba-Hui come from?" asked Li Huowang. He recalled that Ba-Hui also came from an extremely mysterious place.
"No clue; after all, I'm not from the Ao Jing Sect."
At that moment, Dan Yangzi's horrifying three-headed self phased out from within Abbess Jingxin's stomach. "She's lying! She knows nothing! You will only know how beautiful the Immortal Realm is once you see it with your own eyes. Once you have laid eyes on it, you will know that nothing else matters!"
Li Huowang's lips twitched as he feigned calmness. "Abbess Jingxin, about the Five Realms of Buddhism, do the other sects have some other explanations about the Immortal Realm?"
"Of course. Some of them are adamant that there's no Five Realms of Buddhism and instead it's a big piece of land called Peng Lai. Some of them also say that no such place exists in the world. Anyway, no one side can persuade the other and I'm too lazy to debate with any of them either."
At that moment, the Abbess fished out a mung bean cake from the folds of her skin. She was just about to eat it but stopped when she brought it near her mouth. She withheld her desires and forced it back into the folds.
"I think that's enough explanation for today. There's no need for you to trust my words completely. Whether the supernatural stuff is true or not, it doesn't matter to you. If there's nothing else, then you can leave. It's already late and I haven't even taken my nap. Remember to avoid the people of the Sitting Oblivion Dao as much as you can. If you do meet one of them, then you can unravel their scheme by thinking just like them and working your way backward," said Abbess Jingxin.
After saying all that, she rolled her head backward and let out a thunderous snore.
Li Huowang stared at Abbess Jingxin with a complicated look on his face. After a while, he performed the Taoist salute he had learned back at the Zephyr Temple before leaving with the sword in his hand.
This time around, he had gained a lot and would need some time to sort things through.
——————————————
Yang Xiaohai sat on a rock as he admired Xiaoman who was practicing with the sword.
With the sound of metal screeching, Chun Xiaoman unsheathed her green sword. The edge of the sword glinted with a cold light and an invisible pressure forced Yang Xiaohai to sit slightly further back.
The sword danced in the air like a swimming dragon, flashing a silvery sheen from time to time.
While Yang Xiaohai didn't understand the intricacies of the sword dance being performed, he knew that Senior Xiaoman was amazing.
It was only natural, since Xiaoman practiced with the sword anytime she even had a single moment of free time. She practiced day and night, and even read the manual while having her meal.
"If I was as strong as her, then no one would be able to bully me anymore." Yang Xiaohai yearned for the day he would be able to get stronger.
"Hmph. This is nothing. If you want to become strong, then you need to learn from Senior Li."
Hearing those words, Yang Xiaohai turned around and saw Puppy leaning against the wall with his arms folded on his chest.
Thinking about how scary Senior Li looked, Yang Xiaohai felt chills running down his spine; instantly, he shook his head vigorously. "No, I don't want to learn that. It's far too painful."
Just then, Yang Xiaohai saw Chun Xiaoman stop her practice and walk toward the outside.
"Senior Xiaoman, where are you going?" asked Yang Xiaohai as he followed her.
"I'm going to the escort service. I've trained for so long but there's no one here that I can spar with. I can't improve like this," said Xiaoman.
"Xiaoman, why do you need to find outsiders to spar with you? You can just spar with me, no need to waste your time. After all, I've also trained with my blade." Puppy patted the blade on his waist.
"That doesn't count. You've only learned how to perform a single slash," refuted Xiaoman.
Chapter 139 - Escort Office
Puppy was upset when he heard Chun Xiaoman's remark. "So what if I only know one move? Haven't you heard of a thing called specialization? I could still kill someone with just a single downward slash!"
Xiaoman scoffed. Then, she stepped forward with her right foot and unsheathed her sword, thrusting it toward Puppy in one fluid motion.
Puppy wasn't able to react in time as the sword stopped just inches away from his nose.
Jiang~
Then, Chun Xiaoman sheathed her sword and left.
Puppy was left embarrassed. He glanced at Yang Xiaohai who had been watching them. "That doesn't count. She launched a sneak attack. If it was a real fight, then she might've lost to me."
Yang Xiaohai stared at Xiaoman who had just left the inn as he nodded and glossed over Puppy's words. "Yeah, yeah. Senior Cao Cao is correct."
After Yang Xiaohai saw Puppy walking away with a happy smile, he decided to follow after Chun Xiaoman. When he finally caught up to her, she was already in front of a gate. The gate had a flag with the character for "escort" on it, while behind the gates was a large courtyard.
He quickly followed her into the place.
Chun Xiaoman glanced at Yang Xiaohai. "Don't run out of the inn by yourself if you don't have any urgent issues. The world is very chaotic right now and there are many people who might want to abduct you for money."
"Alright! I will remember that. Senior, can I follow you this time? I just want to watch. I swear I will be good."
Seeing his sincerity, Chun Xiaoman chose to remain silent.
The escort office was quite big yet crowded. There were many ox carts and carriages within the large courtyard.
"There are so many people inside," exclaimed Yang Xiaohai as he walked over a pile of horse excrement.
"This is normal. The more chaotic the world is, the more money the escort services make. If the land was unified and in peace, then we would no longer need escorts," remarked Xiaoman.
Just as Xiaoman finished speaking, a man walked over. He was quite tall, at least two heads taller than Xiaoman. His muscles were quite well-toned and rippling with energy as he walked toward Xiaoman menacingly. He quickly inspected the black-veiled girl in front of him and paid his respects. He was surprisingly friendly. "Does the young lady wish to employ an escort?"
"I am a practitioner of the sword. I've heard that the reason why the escort services can stay in business is because of the martial prowess of the escorts themselves. As a fellow martial artist, I'm here to request a spar," replied Xiaoman.
The man was stunned by how frank she was. He had met someone who had requested to spar with them before, but this was his first time seeing a girl requesting a spar as a martial artist.
He thought about it for a moment before cupping his fists respectfully as he declined her request. "Young lady, there is no reason to do so; I don't think this is appropriate. Besides, the escort office is extremely busy. Almost all our escorts have left for their assigned missions."
Xiaoman was not surprised to hear this. They are a business after all; why would they grant her request without any rewards?
She stuck her arm into her clothes and took out a piece of silver. "I do not have a master and have only been able to practice on my own. At the very least, please guide me and point out some of my flaws."
"This..." Seeing how adamant she was, Wang Chengxing finally became suspicious. He wasn't interested in the silver, but he was trying to guess what her goal was. He was afraid that she was lying, afraid that she might be feigning to be weak to defeat one of them and increase her reputation.
The reason why the Longteng Escort Office had so many branches was because their escorts were amazing martial artists. If rumors were to spread that they were defeated by a young lady, then their reputation would be ruined.
Who is she? Where did she come from? Is she an expert hired by the Guangsheng Escort Office to ruin our reputation? But business is booming so there's no reason for them to do so.
For a person to act as an escort, one must not only be a talented martial artist, but their thought process must also be clear. Soon, Wang Chengxing came up with a plan to defuse the situation.
He took the piece of silver and said to her, "Since you insist, please follow me."
They walked past the carriages, past the busy main hall, and into a smaller courtyard at the back.
Faced with his foreign surroundings, Yang Xiaohai felt a little as he walked closer to Chun Xiaoman. "Senior, do you think they will harm us?"
Chun Xiaoman shook her head while observing her surroundings. "This is an escort office, not a bandit camp. They regard their reputation as the most important thing. No one would hire them if their reputation is shit."
Behind the busy escort office was a courtyard filled with various weapon racks. Youths in black were sparring against each other just like in a dojo. Some of them were training with weapons, while others were doing physical training.
"All of you, come over here!" shouted Wang Chengxing, prompting everyone to stop their training and approach him.
"Good day, Senior Uncle Wang!" greeted one of them.
"Hello!" said another.
"Have you eaten?" asked another.
Wang Chengxing stared at them for a moment before pointing to a silent youth. "Tian Ci, come here and spar with this young lady. Remember, this is a spar. Don't go overboard."
After instructing him, Wang Chengxing told another person to guard the entrance, making sure that no one got in.
This was a win-win situation for him. If they lost, then no one would know and it wouldn't affect their reputation. Additionally, if someone were to spread the rumor, they could also justify it by saying that it was a spar against a youth, especially one who was not yet an official escort. It was normal for him to lose. And this wasn't a lie either. Tian Ci was someone who was quite talented and had received extensive training, to the point that he was even stronger than some of the escorts; however, in terms of seniority he was still a junior. He had not yet graduated to become an official escort.
Meanwhile, Chun Xiaoman was not someone picky either. She stared at the youth who was sizing her up. She needed a sparring partner to determine her training progress.
She was just about to unsheath her sword when she realized it might not be suitable in this situation. This was nothing but a spar. It would be bad if either of them got hurt.
Luckily there were plenty of training weapons in the courtyard. She went ahead and picked up a polished bamboo sword.
On the other hand, Tian Ci did not pick a blade. Instead, he picked up a wooden shield. It had quite a bizarre design, with an elongated top and tapered bottom. There were even two sharp wooden spikes at the front that were akin to a boar's tusks.
After they had picked their weapons, Tian Ci stood in front of Xiaoman in an odd stance as he held the shield.
Meanwhile, Xiaoman frowned and raised her sword. She wanted to try probing her opponent's strength by lunging forward with a stab.
Tok!
The bamboo sword hit the shield directly, producing a muffled sound.
Immediately after, Tian Ci lowered his shield and charged forward, ramming Xiaoman's sword out of position. The moment he saw an opening, he lunged forward and charged, the spikes of the wooden shield approaching Xiaoman's neck. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦
Xiaoman had never encountered such a situation before. She hurriedly tried to block with her sword.
However, her sword was only halfway there by the time the wooden spikes had touched her neck.
At that moment, Tian Ci stopped and placed the wooden shield down. Then, he cupped his fists as he said, "Thank you for letting me win."