Chapter 388 (2): Traveling Around

Chapter 388 (2): Traveling Around

Zhu Lian suddenly recalled the young immortal with a red birthmark on his glabella for no apparent reason. Before their first sparring sessions, Cui Dongshan had stated that he was very ticked off when he looked at Zhu Lian's outwardly cheery yet inwardly calculating demeanor. Cui Dongshan had promised that he wouldn't move his arms or legs when they sparred, and he would allow Zhu Lian to punch and kick him as he pleased. Moreover, it would count as his loss if he so much as furrowed his brow.

In the end, Zhu Lian was taught a lesson on why Cui Dongshan was referred to as the Myriad Treasure Immortal in the Great Sui Nation's Mountain Cliff Academy. He was also made aware of how Cui Dongshan had won the nickname of Cai Clan's Ancestor after a single battle in the capital.

Zhu Lian smiled and said, "Master, your disciple Cui Dongshan is truly a remarkable person. He's truly mysterious and ingenious."

"Each person understands their own joys and sorrows. I can explain the gratitudes and grudges to you if the opportunity arises in the future," Chen Ping'an replied in a helpless voice.

Pei Qian was still sulking after Zhu Lian left.

"What, was lunch so spicy you've developed a hot temper?" Chen Ping'an asked with a chuckle.

Pei Qian lowered her head and didn't say anything.

Chen Ping'an thought she was experiencing the random mood swings of a child her age, so he didn't pay too much attention and continued to read the Legalist classic on the table.

Early the next day, Chen Ping'an had Sword Immortal and the bamboo bookcase on his back, while Pei Qian had a luggage sack slung diagonally across her back, a hiking pole in her hand, and a saber and a sword hanging by her hip. Together with Zhu Lian and Shi Rou, they left the immortal inn and set off for the capital of the Azure Phoenix Nation. Of course, there was also the little lotus spirit who could freely travel through the ground.

They were still traveling on foot in a seemingly impoverished manner, by now a well-established and unspoken rule for Chen Ping'an and his companions.

Pei Qian was wearing a wreath made or willow branches on her head, and she told Chen Ping'an that Cui Dongshan had taught her how to draw a golden circle on the ground with her hiking pole, using this circle as a perimeter to scare spirits and ghosts from the mountains and waters away. However, this immortal technique was far too difficult to learn, and she was still yet to even understand the basics of it.

Pei Qian said that she had initially wanted to tell her master about this after she mastered the immortal technique, but after thinking about it for a while, she decided that this was actually a very bad idea. After all, what if she failed to master this immortal technique in her lifetime? In that case, wouldn't she have to keep this a secret and suppress her urge to talk about it for dozens of years or even one hundred years? That would be far too pitiful!

Chen Ping'an smiled as he listened to Pei Qian babble on about these things.

Of the four people from the picture scrolls, Shi Rou disliked the perverted and hunchbacked old man the most.

Now that she was walking side-by-side with Zhu Lian behind Chen Ping'an and Pei Qian, she couldn't help but feel uncomfortable all over.

However, every time she purposely slowed down, Zhu Lian would follow her lead and slow down as well. He never said anything; he simply looked at "Du Mao" and smile.

Shi Rou grumbled in her mind, and she felt like Zhu Lian's gaze was especially perverted and repulsive. This was exacerbated even further when Chen Ping'an helped Pei Qian snap a willow branch. While she wasn't paying attention, the hunchbacked old bastard surprisingly seized the opportunity to sneakily squeeze her on the shoulders.

Shi Rou was given a huge fright.

Meanwhile, Zhu Lian smiled with squinted eyes and said, "Apologies, apologies, it was just an accident. Please don't take it to heart."

Even though she was the owner of this immortal body now, it was basically in name only, as she was still unable to fully control it and wield its powers. This was similar to the illegal temples in the regions which weren't recognized by the imperial courts. Thus, even though she possessed a shortcut to the Great Dao, one that could astonish other earth immortals, Cui Dongshan had appraised her abilities before and concluded that she would even struggle against experienced Sea Observation Tier cultivators with the measly yin entity techniques that she had learned before.

Even though Cui Dongshan had taught her an immortal technique and given her several life-saving talismans afterward, this would only allow her to rival Dragon Gate Tier cultivators at most. In fact, the only advantage of her immortal body was the fact that she could step forward in times of great danger and use her body to block attacks from sabers, flying swords, and earth immortal-tier immortal treasures for Chen Ping'an.

Cui Dongshan had also told her that the old pervert who liked to read about talented scholars and beautiful ladies fighting in bed was already a Far Roaming Tier martial artist. Thus, she had to control herself and take it easy.

Shi Rou now used a deep voice when speaking with other people. More of the time, however, she would avoid speaking altogether.

She was convinced that she could withstand all kinds of torture in the world, whether that meant being stabbed or having her flesh sliced off by tens of thousands of blades, having her soul used as a candle wick, and so on. She felt like she could endure all of this. For some reason, however, she was completely defenseless against Zhu Lian's meaningful gaze.

Zhu Lian suddenly shuffled over, causing Shi Rou to hurriedly retreat several steps.

Zhu Lian smiled and said in a soft voice, "I can tell after touching it that your body isn't a female one that's been hidden by an illusion technique. Your body is legitimately that of a man..."

"Your senses are truly keen," Shi Rou replied coldly.

"Then dare I ask, Young Mistress, how old are you?" Zhu Lian continued.

Shi Rou's heart jolted, and she asked, "What are you talking about? Are you trying to be funny?"

Zhu Lian continued to walk forward as he looked at Shi Rou and said with a smile, "When I look at people, I only look at their character and their heart. In reality, it's not very important whether one is beautiful on the outside or not."

Shi Rou was almost about to go crazy.

She quickened her pace, intending to catch up with Chen Ping'an and seek refuge over there.

Zhu Lian didn't follow her this time, and he smiled faintly behind her and remarked, "Young Mistress, you glow with natural grace when you walk, and I can envision you swaying your slender hips from side to side even if you're trying to purposely hide this. In fact, I dare say that you were definitely a beautiful lady when you were alive!"

Lu Tai turned into a small alley where he coincidentally ran into a little boy who was heading to the private school, Cao Qinglang.

Lu Tai stopped and asked with a smile, "Why are you so early today?"

Cao Qinglang flushed slightly red and replied, "Big Brother Lu, I collected some silver coins from the government office yesterday, and last night I had a huge craving for the wontons of a stall I know. The thing is, this stall is pretty far away, so I needed to wake up earlier to make it there in time. Do you want to come with me, Big Brother Lu?"

Lu Tai shook his head and replied with a smile, "I'm not a huge fan of these things, so you can head over by yourself."

Cao Qinglang said goodbye and jogged away. However, he suddenly stopped and turned around, saying, "Oh, that's right, I bought a pot of wine for you when I came back home last night, Big Brother Lu. I put it on the table, so feel free to drink it whenever you want."

Lu Tai nodded in response.

He indeed had a key to Cao Qinglang's residence.

Cao Qinglang turned around and ran out of the alley.

Cao Qinglang was always very earnest when he spoke with other people, so he definitely wouldn't speak while running or with his head turned back.

Lu Tai walked to the little boy's residence and opened the door to the courtyard. Sure enough, there was a pot of wine sitting on the table in the main building. This pot of wine was worth seven silver coins, indeed a large sum of money for Cao Qinglang. The boy was the kind of person who needed to think things through for half a night before deciding to eat a bowl of wontons.

Lu Tai grabbed the pot of wine and carried a chair over to the door. Sitting outside, he flicked his wrist and summoned a small insect that gave off the fragrance of fine wine. He then opened the pot of wine and tossed the wine insect inside, slowly waiting for the pot of wine to rapidly transform into delicious wine that tasted as rich as wine that had been sealed in a cellar and stored for several decades.

There was a bright smile on Lu Tai's face as he gently rocked the pot of wine back and forth.

Lu Tai had been honest and forthright during his first encounter with Cao Qinglang.

He had said, "My name is Lu Tai, Lu as in land and Tai as in raise up. I'm Chen Ping'an's friend. Actually, we're very close friends who overcame life-and-death dangers together."

Cao Qinglang's eyes immediately lit up upon hearing this.

Afterward, Lu Tai told the little boy some things about Chen Ping'an. And thus, Cao Qinglang started to call him Big Brother Lu.

At the same time, Lu Tai also obtained a key to this lonely residence.

One time, Lu Tai smiled and asked Cao Qinglang, "Do you want to become like Chen Ping'an?"

"Yes, I do!"

"Then do you want to become better than Chen Ping'an?"

"No."

"Perhaps you don't dare to? Because you feel like it's too difficult and too distant?"

"No, I just don't want to."

Lu Tai had never entered the boy's courtyard before, though he had a key. After this exchange, though, he would often visit the little boy's residence. He would sometimes visit when Cao Qinglang was at school, and he would sometimes visit when Cao Qinglang was reciting sagely classics in the morning.

In the beginning, Lu Tai brought some delicious breakfast for Cao Qinglang, who usually needed to start a fire and cook congee for himself. However, after eating this two times, the little boy finally couldn't help himself the third time, telling Lu Tai with a serious expression that he had enough money for school and daily necessities now that he was collecting money from the government office.

After listening to Cao Qinglang's heartfelt words, Lu Tai smiled and asked, "Then you genuinely won't be able to enjoy delicacies from these time-honored shops in the future. Do you not regret this?"

Cao Qinglang flushed slightly red and replied with an embarrassed smile, "If I truly can't suppress my urges in the future, then I'll definitely let you know, Big Brother Lu."

Lu Tai laughed heartily and said that this was no problem at all.

Afterward, however, Cao Qinglang never asked Lu Tai to buy him any food. Even today, when Cao Qinglang really couldn't hold back, he was only buying a bowl of wontons that he could afford by himself.

Thus, Lu Tai was feeling fairly happy today.

He had surprisingly found Cao Qinglang, someone much like that boy from Clay Vase Alley, in a small place like the Lotus Flower Blessed Land.

This was very interesting.

Lu Tai felt like this trip to the Lotus Flower Blessed Land had inspired him to become more motivated than before.

1. There are eleven people described; might be a mistake by the author. ☜