The sky over the rivers and lakes is very clear - Chapter 187
Feng Xuese smiled slightly, unable to explain further, and simply said, "You wouldn't understand the ways of the martial world!"
"What don't I understand?" Zhu Huihui complained. "My mother said that someone like you, hero, is a pushover, just like Mr. Dong Guo. You'll be eaten by wolves sooner or later!"
Feng Xuese had no energy to listen to this guy's lecture and coughed lightly twice.
Seeing the crimson stain on his lips, Zhu Huihui said anxiously, "Hero, are you about to vomit blood? Come, come, I'll cover you, vomit on me!" She pulled open the collar of his tattered coat, gesturing for him to turn away from others and vomit wherever he wanted.
If he vomits on his white clothes or on the ground, it will be too conspicuous, clearly telling people that he is injured and that he has been seen by someone in the shadows, which would be bad! Anyway, his clothes are so black that you can't tell the color, so he won't miss his blood.
Feng Xuese gently wiped the bloodstains from her lips and said, "Don't worry, my injury isn't that serious."
"I'm worried about myself..." Zhu Huihui bit her tongue and blurted out the truth!
Maple Snow Color: "..."
Zhu Huihui gave an awkward smile: "Um, great hero, what do you think we should do next?"
Feng Xuese said, "Let's find a quiet place. I need to heal my injuries first." Then, as if nothing had happened, she started walking down the mountain.
Zhu Huihui followed behind, watching his retreating figure, her worry growing. The old man's gait remained as elegant and carefree as ever, but his hand gripping the sword trembled slightly, his fingers turning white as he held the scabbard. He was clearly exerting considerable force to control himself—his injury was definitely not as minor as he claimed. Oh no! Could the old man be dead? That would be a real disaster for him!
His eyes lit up, and he had an idea. As he walked, he pretended his legs went weak and staggered forward a few steps, cursing, "Damn fatso, he's broken my bones!" He grabbed Feng Xuese's arm.
Feng Xuese wouldn't let him get close. With a light dodge, Zhu Huihui missed his grab and, unable to stop himself, rushed towards a large rock by the roadside, yelling loudly. Feng Xuese stretched out his arm, put it on his shoulder, and pulled him back before he could "steal food like a vicious dog."
Zhu Huihui cried out, "Great hero, I'm afraid I've broken a few bones and can't move easily. Please, have mercy and help me!" He reached out and supported Feng Xuese's arm.
Just as Feng Xuese was about to shake him off, she suddenly felt his thin shoulders supporting her with all their might. She suddenly understood his intention, and a warm feeling flowed through her heart. She suddenly felt that although this guy was dirty, lazy, and had many bad habits, he also had some redeeming qualities at times.
Although he still found him disgustingly dirty, he couldn't bear to refuse his kindness, so he said, "Okay!" He shifted part of his weight onto Zhu Huihui.
Zhu Huihui used all her strength to support Feng Xuese, while also pretending to be seriously injured and limping. It was really hard, but in order not to let anyone discover that Feng Xuese was injured, she still gritted her teeth and endured it. The two slowly descended the peak.
The Sky Over the Martial World is Clear, Part Two: The Sky Over the Martial World is Clear, Chapter 10 (2)
A dense forest.
A mountain spring.
An old hunter's house.
The house contained some crudely made household utensils, and seemed to have been uninhabited for a long time, with dust and grime everywhere.
Feng Xuese sat cross-legged on a straw mat in the corner of the room and slowly opened her eyes.
The west-facing window was covered by a straw curtain, and the orange-red light filtering through the gaps shone on a dirty figure under the window, who was curled up in a clump of dry grass, dozing off.
It turned out that it was already dusk.
Feng Xuese sized up the filthy person, a slight smile playing on her lips. Suddenly, she raised her sleeve to cover her mouth, coughed lightly, and then her sleeve was stained with dark red blood.
Though the voice was soft, the people in the haystack jumped in alarm: "Damn it! Someone's attacking again!"
Looking around in panic, he saw Feng Xuese looking at him with a smile. His heart, which had been hanging in suspense, suddenly dropped to a thud. His dirty, dusty face broke into a wide smile, and he scurried over, bowing and scraping with concern: "Great hero, are you alright now?"
Maple Snow Color hummed in agreement.
He possessed profound internal strength. After several hours of internal energy cultivation and treatment, although his injuries were not fully healed, they were no longer a major concern. He had just expelled the stagnant blood from his chest, and now his physical strength and true energy flowed freely without any stagnation. With a few days of recuperation, he would be fully recovered.
Suddenly, I caught a peculiar fragrance, but before I could identify what it was, my stomach rumbled loudly.
Zhu Huihui chuckled.
A slight blush crept onto his fair, maple-colored face as he looked at him somewhat awkwardly: "What's this smell?"
Zhu Huihui beamed, "The meat smells delicious!"
The old man was pretending not to know what it was, but unfortunately his stomach couldn't hold up from the hunger, and he gave himself away!
He chuckled and turned to walk to the door. He dug around in the warm ashes under the stove and pulled out a dark, scalding object. He rolled it on the ground in front of Feng Xuese and said obsequiously, "Great hero, please accept this!" It was supposed to be his own dinner, but considering the old man's injury, he would give it to him first.
Feng Xuese was taken aback, staring at the black ball of matter, and asked, "What is this?"
Zhu Huihui laughed and said, "A roasted pheasant." He squatted down and started peeling the black ball.
Looking down at Fengxuese, the blackened outer layer was a bamboo shoot husk. Peeling it open revealed a fragrant roasted pheasant with its golden-red skin glistening with oil.
"Although there was no salt, I found some sour goji berries, purple catalpa leaves, and lotus seeds outside. I mashed them into juice and smeared it on the chicken. I also stuffed the chicken's cavity with bamboo shoots, pine nuts, and wild bamboo shoots, and roasted it over a low fire for nearly three hours!" Zhu Huihui said with a smile, "Would you please have a meal, hero?"
If you flatter someone now, you might feel a little embarrassed when that old man brandishes a sword at your neck someday.
Feng Xuese's gaze fell on Zhu Huihui's hands, which were covered in gray and black dirt, and she hesitated for a moment: "This chicken looks pretty good..."
But is it edible? Putting aside its black claws, the juice from those strange fruits, leaves, and lotuses—I've never heard of them before. It's hard to say if they're just the common and elegant names for poisonous creatures like "Qianjiang Mushroom" and "Golden Hook Jade Soul"...
"That's right, it tastes even better!" Zhu Huihui said with a beaming smile. "You don't need to be so polite with me, sir!"
Look how generous I am! I've been eating your salted vegetables and rice for days, and I even have a roast chicken!
Maple-colored eyes lingered on his face for a moment before she finally decided to grant him a favor. She got up and walked slowly outside, washed her hands in the mountain spring, and returned. She tore off a chicken leg, sniffed it, and took a small bite. The chicken was tender and juicy, with a slightly sweet and sour taste. A soft and tender aroma lingered on her tongue and quickly filled her mouth.
He couldn't help but praise, "Not bad!" This guy is quite good at cooking!
Zhu Huihui, feeling smug, boasted, "I dare not speak of anything else, but when it comes to cooking, I... cough, I'm an expert! Especially chicken. I've roasted at least eight hundred, if not a thousand. Chickens taste different because of what they eat while alive. Wild chickens usually eat tree seeds and fat insects in the mountains, so their meat has a wild, mountain flavor that's incredibly delicious! It's a pity they're hard to catch. This chicken... I chased it for almost half an hour before it finally died of exhaustion! Ordinary farm chickens are much easier to steal. When no one's around, I sneak up, grab the chicken by the neck, twist its head under its wing, stuff it in a bag, and run away..."
The Sky Over the Martial World is Clear, Part Two: The Sky Over the Martial World is Clear, Chapter 10 (3)
He spoke animatedly about his signature move, gesturing wildly with his hands and eyes. In his excitement, he momentarily forgot who the old man was and even stood up to give him a live demonstration.