The sky over the rivers and lakes is very clear

Chapter 22

Feng Xue said, "Shut your mouth, press the tip of your tongue against your palate, imagine the pure energy of heaven and earth entering through the Baihui acupoint, slowly gathering in the lower dantian, and the energy traveling along the eight extraordinary meridians, gradually converging at the Yongquan point on the sole of your foot... I told you to shut up, why are you closing your eyes?"

Zhu Huihui rubbed her forehead in pain. She was not used to running on mountain roads at this speed. Before she knew it, she bumped her head on a tree and got a bump.

"Do you even know what a dantian is? What are the eight extraordinary meridians?" Feng Xuese asked. What he was telling Zhu Huihui was just the most basic breathing technique, but if this kid didn't understand at all, then he shouldn't waste his breath on him; he didn't have time to teach him from scratch.

This time, Zhu Huihui did not disappoint him, saying, "I know! My mother taught me!"

He was taught, but he never practiced properly—and the key point is that his mother didn't force him to practice!

Feng Xuese nodded: "Then you should follow my instructions to circulate your internal energy, and then use the method your mother taught you."

The Sky Over the Martial World is Clear, Part Two: Chapter Seven (1)

Zhu Huihui grinned, making a pained expression. His mother had taught him this method of circulating internal energy, but it was too tedious. Back then, he couldn't sit still for long after practicing it and ran off to block the chimney of the third uncle next door. His mother didn't care; she let him practice as he pleased.

But this hot-tempered old man isn't a mother; if you don't listen to him, you might get beaten up—the worst thing in the world is losing money right in front of you…

As he pondered these thoughts, he unconsciously followed their advice. At first, his mind kept wandering, and he ended up falling several times. Learning from the pain, he gradually regained his composure and focused, his breathing became more even, and his steps became much lighter...

It was completely dark, and the dark clouds grew heavier and heavier, pressing down heavily overhead.

The wind rustled through the trees in the mountains, creating a sound like ghostly apparitions. Occasionally, a night owl would cry out, its cry sharp and brief.

In the distance, Feng Xuese gazed at the slender gray shadow fluttering between the two opposite peaks. His eyes were sharp; even in the darkness, he could still discern that it was a long pier.

So, this must be Lone Eagle Gorge!

After crossing the pier, you'll reach Broken Stele Mountain. After descending the mountain, you'll find yourself on a network of official roads. The nearest city is Chenzhou. If it weren't for Zhu Huihui's hindrance, I would already be in Chenzhou by now, having taken a hot bath, put on a comfortable and clean robe, and slowly enjoy my dinner.

Similarly, because of Zhu Huihui, it was impossible to cross the mountain overnight. The mountain path was already steep, and visibility was poor at night; if it were to rain and thunder, it would be extremely dangerous.

So they had no choice but to spend the night in the mountains.

Feng Xuese determined the direction and walked down into the woods on the east side.

After running for most of the day on mountain roads, Zhu Huihui was exhausted and had no energy to ask any more questions—anyway, no one would answer anyway.

After walking for several miles, a few lights appeared on the hillside. A house was nestled among the lush trees.

This is an inn.

The inn was very simple, with only two floors, built of bamboo and logs. Although it was dark, you could still see that the exterior of the inn was a bit old, but it was still quite clean.

Two lanterns hung under the eaves, and a swarm of flying insects circled around them. The dim light illuminated the wooden plaque above the door, which read "Listening to the Wind Inn," the red paint faded to brown.

The inn's door was open, and bamboo curtains hung on the doors and windows. A faint, warm orange light shone through the gaps in the curtains.

As soon as Feng Xuese and Zhu Huihui arrived at the door, a waiter lifted the bamboo curtain and hurriedly came out to greet them with a big smile: "Please come in, sirs!" He then led the two into the shop.

The inn's interior was spacious, with a side door leading to the back hall. To the right of the side door was a staircase leading up to several guest rooms on the second floor. To the left was a large counter with a large abacus and some wine jars on it. An old innkeeper with a wrinkled face sat behind the counter, squinting his eyes. When a guest arrived, he immediately greeted them with a beaming smile.

The inn seems to be doing very well today. Of the six tables in the main hall, all but the middle one are occupied by guests.

Feng Xuese's beautiful eyes darted around, giving her a quick glance before she sat down at the empty table, took the sword from her waist, and casually placed it on the table. Zhu Huihui, of course, dared not sit down, standing three feet away with her hands hanging at her sides.

The waiter followed and brought water to wash his hands. While serving him, he said attentively, "Sir, what would you like to order? Our shop has fresh mountain delicacies, our own brewed wine, and river carp that was just brought up from the foot of the mountain this morning!"

"Let's cook a few of your restaurant's signature dishes, and also tidy up a guest room."

"Just one room? What about me?" Zhu Huihui was angry, but dared not ask.

Because if you ask, the answer you'll most likely get is: woodshed, stable, cowshed, pigsty, you can stay anywhere, and they might even send you to sleep in the outhouse—pshaw!

"Please try our mountain tea first, the dishes will be here shortly!" The waiter poured a cup of tea and then went to prepare the food.

Fengxue slowly sipped her tea. The teacup was made of rough earthenware. The camellia was a bit bitter, but the water was sweet, and the combination created a unique flavor.

Zhu Huihui was also thirsty, and stared longingly at Feng Xuese, but the other person acted as if they didn't see him, holding their cup and sipping slowly. He had no choice but to swallow his anger and ask another waiter in the shop, who had a towel draped over his arm, for a bowl of cold water, which he gulped down.

Soon, the waiter brought over four side dishes: shredded chicken with longevity vegetables, stir-fried rabbit with mushrooms, steamed fish with wormwood, and bamboo shoots with enoki mushrooms, along with a pot of rice wine.

Zhu Huihui glanced at the table and saw that there was only one set of bowls and chopsticks. He knew there was no room for him. In fact, even if the waiter had set out two sets of bowls and chopsticks, he wouldn't have dared to sit at the same table as Feng Xuese. He knew that this old man in white didn't "like" him and that it was only because he was being forced to leave that he had no choice. So he would never take the initiative to approach the old man.

However, Zhu Huihui didn't care at all whether Feng Xuese liked or disliked her. She had already endured this much in order to redeem Hua Hua as soon as possible, so it wasn't worth upsetting him over such a trivial matter—besides, she couldn't afford to offend him!

He asked the waiter for a bowl of brown rice, topped with a few pickled vegetables. Holding the bowl, he sat on the threshold of the inn, facing the dark mountains. He ate the rice and pickled vegetables with relish.

Against the backdrop of the wide, dilapidated wooden door and the black night, Zhu Huihui's figure appeared very thin, sitting on the rough wooden threshold like a doormat.

Watching him shovel a mouthful of rice into his mouth, and then take a bite of pickled vegetable strips, Feng Xuese suddenly felt a little sorry for him, but when she saw the rice grains stuck to his dirty face, her heart immediately hardened.

He was known for his kindness and chivalry, and treated everyone equally, from high-ranking officials to commoners, with humility. But he simply couldn't be polite to this Zhu Huihui.

In fact, Zhu Huihui hadn't done anything particularly heinous, but his many bad habits made him unappealing to most normal people in the world.

He was cowardly, afraid of death and pain, lazy, spineless, sycophantic, opportunistic, bullying the kind, glib, sophistry, and habitual liar. He used all his cleverness on a bunch of dirty tricks, stealing things—mostly petty theft, like casually taking a couple of buns or a chicken. He was very hateful, but when you really wanted to punish him, you couldn't really get him into any real trouble!

His only redeeming quality is his self-awareness and ability to adapt; he knows who he can't afford to mess with and is willing to grovel before the powerful—a typical petty person! Sigh! This guy isn't old, but his character is so despicable. You can call him whatever you want: thug, hooligan, rogue, street ruffian, scoundrel, petty scoundrel…

Thinking about how she would have to escort this shameless man a long way because of that case, Feng Xuese sighed inwardly.

The Sky Over the Martial World is Clear, Part Two: Chapter Seven (2)

Zhu Huihui put the last grain of rice into her mouth and casually wiped her face with her sleeve.

The food at this kitchen is bad; they put the wrong seasoning in the rice. Those kinds of mushrooms, when added to rice, have a slightly astringent taste. They're better suited for dishes with chicken, duck, fish, or meat; once dissolved in oil, the unpleasant flavor disappears.

Sigh! Now is not the time to be picky; having food to eat is better than nothing. I wonder if Hua Hua is being properly fed by that big monk; she might still be starving!