The sky over the rivers and lakes is very clear - Chapter 178
The Sky Over the Martial World is Clear - Part One: The Sky Over the Martial World is Clear - Chapter Six (6)
Zhu Huihui cried out "Ouch!" and threw down his crutch, frantically grabbing at something to steady himself. Unfortunately, there wasn't even a thorny tree or a protruding rock nearby, and the surrounding vegetation couldn't support his weight. He was doomed! If he fell, he'd be crippled if not killed…
In his fear, he suddenly felt a tight grip on his arm; a fair hand grasped his wrist.
That hand was strong, with long, slender fingers, glossy, neatly trimmed nails, and fair, delicate skin. A section of snow-white sleeve covered the wrist, and looking up from the sleeve, there was a handsome and dashing face, with two striking, sword-like eyebrows, deep black eyes like stars in a summer night sky, a high nose, and beautiful, thin lips like the petals of a wild rose blooming on the edge of a cliff...
Looking at that noble and handsome face, Zhu Huihui suddenly felt uneasy, experiencing for the first time in her life a feeling similar to being ashamed of herself.
This was the first time he'd seen Maple Snow at such close range! Before, he'd never allowed himself to come within three feet of him. Hmm, although this guy had a bad temper and would draw his sword at the drop of a hat, he… was really quite handsome…
Looking down at Zhu Huihui's dark face, Feng Xuese frowned again.
This kid is so dirty. His face looks like it's never been washed properly; every time you look at him, his face is covered in mud. There's a layer of grime on his neck, obscuring his skin's natural color. And his hand—his wrist is so thin, and from his fingers all the way down to his arm where his sleeve slips down, it's all grime-covered and dirty…
He's probably never taken a bath in his entire life, right? It's really not easy for him to get himself so dirty!
It's even more remarkable that I had the courage to grab his wrist, given how dirty he was!
Maple Snow gripped the rock with two fingers, exerted a little force, and her body soared into the air, carrying Zhu Huihui down to the mountaintop, before dropping him to the ground.
Zhu Huihui sat on the ground, comforting the frightened little heart while saying, "Hero, thank you for saving my life!"
Feng Xuese hummed in agreement, took out a snow-white silk handkerchief from her bosom, wiped her hands, and then released her palm, sending the handkerchief flying away on the wind.
Zhu Huihui watched the handkerchief fall to the bottom of the cliff, pouted somewhat aggrievedly, and silently followed behind him again. This time, she dared not be overconfident and obediently took one step at a time, but her pace slowed down even more.
Feng Xue Se finally lost her patience and said, "Use your lightness skill!" Although it was a mediocre lightness skill, it was still faster than ordinary speed.
"How do you use it?" Everyone says he has some kind of "Lingering Regret" lightness skill, but he himself doesn't know it.
Feng Xuese was silent for a moment, then said, "Just think of it as... stealing someone's steamed bun, and a whole bunch of people chasing you. If they catch you, you'll be handed over to the authorities and punished..."
Before he finished speaking, with a "whoosh," Zhu Huihui had already darted several meters away.
Unexpectedly, Feng Xuese reacted so strongly to this remark that she almost burst out laughing. She quickly straightened her face, pretended to be nonchalant, and followed him with light steps.
Zhu Huihui looked at him as he ran: "Great hero, is this the lightness skill you were talking about?" He had no internal energy, and as soon as he spoke, he exhaled, and his speed slowed down again.
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."