"At worst, I won't look back."
Is this a question of whether you look back or not?
Fu Mingxu was extremely helpless. The thought of still having half the journey left to go made him realize that he had never walked such a long distance in one go before. The mountain road was difficult to traverse, and Zhang Yanran looked anxious and worried. He didn't want to become a burden.
But what would it look like if someone saw this?
Han Tao seemed to see his hesitation and said in a deep voice, "Come on up, I'll put you down when we're almost down the mountain."
Fu Mingxu looked down at him and pursed his lips: "Then I'll trouble you."
So he steeled himself, closed his eyes, and simply bent down, letting Han Tao carry him on his back.
Seeing the two behind her set off, Zhang Yanran immediately quickened her pace and headed down the mountain. She didn't forget to send a message to Zhang Hengbo to come and meet her, otherwise she would still feel uneasy.
Feeling the strong force beneath his buttocks, Fu Mingxu, who had been carried for two steps, finally couldn't help but say, "Why don't you put me down?"
Han Tao said without turning his head, "Zhang Yanran has a speed talisman on her leg, making her speed three times faster than before."
Looking at the barely visible back view ahead, Fu Mingxu thought for a moment and said, "How about I post two pictures too?"
"She is in the late stage of Foundation Establishment, and her body has been tempered, which is why she can withstand the sudden acceleration." A light breath fell beside his ear. Even though he tried to keep his distance, Han Tao could still smell the fresh scent on him, like the grass and trees in the mountains.
Fu Mingxu wanted to retort, but then he heard him say, "If you don't want your legs, you can try it."
"Heh, then forget it." Fu Mingxu tried to keep his distance without affecting the other party, but Han Tao's words clearly angered him. He sneered, but did not want to try any speed talismans anymore. Instead, he patted the arm of the person under him, "I'll trouble you to act as my speed talisman."
He thought the other person would be angry, or at least wouldn't betray him again after his cold words.
Han Tao didn't pay attention to his tone, replied with an "okay," and sped up as he had said.
“What good…” Fu Mingxu’s words were only halfway through when the person beneath him suddenly began to exert force, the speed so fast that he could hear the mountain wind whistling past his ears.
He leaned back, his hands instinctively gripping his shoulders. Before his mind could process it, his body had already pressed against his back.
Their hair tangled in the wind, making them indistinguishable.
Fu Mingxu's heart pounded. He grabbed his subordinate's hard arm and said through gritted teeth, "Did you take a speed-boosting talisman?!"
Rapid breaths landed on his neck, and Han Tao felt a dense shiver run down his skin. Sensing the weight behind him and the increasingly close breath, his blood seemed to boil.
Zhang Yanran was so startled by the two figures whizzing past her that she almost fell to the ground. Fortunately, she reacted quickly and, just as their figures were about to disappear from sight, she immediately slapped two more speed talismans onto her legs.
With all three working together, the time to descend the mountain was halved compared to previous estimates.
Zhang Yanran looked at Zhang Hengbo who had rushed over and felt like crying.
"Junior sister, what's wrong with you?" Zhang Hengbo was shocked to see her disheveled hair, as if she had fought a monster for three days and three nights, and looked like she might collapse at any moment.
The speed, far exceeding her physical limits, made her legs go weak, and the flesh in her calves trembled uncontrollably, making her feel as if her legs no longer belonged to her.
"Senior brother, I'm exhausted. Can you carry me back?" She no longer cared about her carefully maintained image; all she wanted was a broad back for support.
Zhang Hengbo had carried her on his back before. The two entered the sect together and became disciples of the same master. She was the youngest and was afraid of getting tired or in pain, so she often acted coquettishly. When they were young, he and his senior sister carried her on their backs countless times. Even their master could only shake his head helplessly when he saw it.
Seeing that his eyes were still wandering, Zhang Yanran was immediately annoyed: "Hurry up!"
"Oh, oh." Zhang Hengbo finally came to his senses, squatted down naturally as he did when he was a child, and said with a smile, "I'll carry you on my back."
Junior sister must have put in a lot of effort to capture the Heavenly Mystic Beast, otherwise why would she be in such a sorry state? It's no big deal for her senior brother to remember it.
Zhang Yanran skillfully carried him on her back. After her senior brother got up, she patted his shoulder and suddenly said with disdain, "Tsk, this back is not broad and strong at all."
Zhang Hengbo instantly lost his temper and roared, "Then get down here!"
"No way!" Zhang Yanran grabbed his neck and shouted, "I'm your junior sister!"
Zhang Hengbo felt his neck being strangled so badly he could hardly breathe. His face turned red, and he roared, "You're going to strangle me to death!"
Zhang Yanran relaxed a little, but she didn't plan to come down.
Fu Mingxu saw the interaction between the two clearly, and when he saw them start bickering, he forgot to get off Han Tao.
"Wow, they have such a good relationship," he couldn't help but exclaim.
Han Tao thought to himself, "If you're willing, our relationship will be even better."
"I wish I had a senior brother like that," Fu Mingxu said enviously. Glancing at the back of Han Tao's head, an idea popped into his head. "City Lord Han, how about we become..."
Han Tao's heart skipped a beat, fearing he would say the words "sworn brothers," so he immediately put him down and interrupted him: "Look, her legs are beyond the limits of the speed talisman, just like hers."
The sudden feeling of his feet landing on solid ground made Fu Mingxu forget what he was going to say. He followed Han Tao's gaze and saw Zhang Yanran clinging to Zhang Hengbo like an octopus, complaining as she fixed her hair.
"Senior brother, you're too thin. Eat more, or you won't have a Daoist partner in the future."
Fu Mingxu noticed that Zhang Hengbo's forehead was throbbing with anger and said comfortingly, "Someone as refined and elegant as Fellow Daoist Zhang is just right."
It seems that Zhang Hengbo is stronger than me.
Perhaps relieved, the two siblings were so engrossed in their playful banter that they forgot about the other people present.
Just as Zhang Hengbo was about to speak, he heard Han Tao say, "The dragon energy should be enough to protect you all the way to the sect."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Yanran tensed up and immediately whispered something in her senior brother's ear. Zhang Hengbo's gratitude was even greater than before, and he nodded to the two of them: "I won't thank you enough for such a great favor; I will repay you in the future."
Han Tao did not ask the two why they were searching for the Heavenly Mystic Beast, and watched them leave.
The Tianxuan Mountains stretch for thousands of miles. Looking back, Fu Mingxu felt as if everything that had happened before was hidden deep within the mountains.
"Let's go." Han Tao looked down at him, his aura enveloping him from head to toe. "Didn't you want to go to the Tianxuan Sect's market?"
This reminded him that Fu Mingxu was still thinking about the rare spiritual herbs Zhang Yanran had mentioned earlier, and he nodded, "Okay."
Han Tao seemed very familiar with the place. He walked in front of Fu Mingxu, with only a step between them. He only needed to turn his head slightly to see the person behind him.
A gentle breeze and bright sunshine added warmth to his serene face.
Feeling the gaze directed at him, Fu Mingxu looked up and asked, "Don't you know the way to the market?"
His words completely shattered the peaceful atmosphere, leaving only the urgency of getting on the road.
Han Tao turned his head and pointed southeast: "Go another ten miles in this direction."
Ten more miles? Fu Mingxu squinted at the bright sun overhead and muttered deliberately, "Sigh, I really wish I had an older brother who could carry me on his back."
Han Tao's brows furrowed into a deep frown, and he continued walking in silence, pretending not to hear.
After walking another five miles, until the people behind him started to slow down, he couldn't help but stop and say, "Circulate your cultivation energy for one cycle."
Fu Mingxu was puzzled, but after doing as instructed, he felt his sore calves instantly relax, and his eyes lit up: "It really works!"
So, the two of them started their journey together by teaching Fu Mingxu basic cultivation techniques while walking slowly. By the time they arrived at the Tianxuan Sect market, it was already dark.
Han Tao had never traveled such a slow distance before, while Fu Mingxu was full of enthusiasm for his initial cultivation. He not only mastered the secret to keeping his legs from getting tired, but also took the opportunity to learn a cleaning technique.
He was very satisfied with the trip.
The Tianxuan Sect's market was just as lively at night as during the day. Fu Mingxu had never been here before and wanted to see everything new and exciting.
Although this market town is not as large as Yunhan City, it is very lively. Not only are there disciples of Tianxuan Sect, but also many independent cultivators from all over the place, as well as patrol teams to maintain order.
"Although it is a market run by the Tianxuan Sect, there are many small sects nearby, including the Sword Sect. Not all of the businesses here belong to the Tianxuan Sect alone," Han Tao said calmly.
Sure enough, Fu Mingxu spotted groups of people carrying long swords. Compared to the otherworldly cultivators, they were dressed smartly and looked dashing.
Han Tao followed his gaze and continued, "Those are disciples of the Sword Sect."
Fu Mingxu exclaimed, "It looks so impressive."
Unfortunately, the group of Sword Sect disciples were in a hurry, as if they were chasing something, and they just passed by the two of them. Although they didn't touch him, their speed was like the wind, which brought him closer to Han Tao.
As the crowd passed by, many people's eyes fell on him with amazement as Fu Mingxu looked on with curiosity.
"Be careful." Han Tao wrapped his long arm around him and pulled him to his side, staring at the people without any politeness.
His golden eyes held a beastly sharpness and ferocity, forcing those people to not dare to look at him again.
After doing all this, he released Fu Mingxu, as if it were just a casual gesture.
Fu Mingxu didn't think much of it, but he paid more attention to pedestrians to avoid collisions, since he wasn't used to being touched by strangers.
The cold winds were slowly eroding his defenses, but he seemed oblivious.
"It's late, let's go sightseeing tomorrow." Han Tao noticed that he looked a little tired and spoke up at the right time, "Let's go get something to eat first."
A day and a night had long since allowed Fu Mingxu to digest all the wild fruits. If it weren't for the dragon blood he had consumed earlier, he would have been starving long ago.
Unfortunately, he was unaware of these things, only thinking that his appetite had diminished considerably after his cultivation returned.
After all, the higher one's cultivation level, the less one needs to eat. The spiritual energy of heaven and earth is sufficient to sustain their life, and indulging in food and drink would only waste their time.
But with a hundred different ways of life, and no hope of ascension after the separation of heaven and earth, the idea of seizing the day was quite popular for a time. Although it was eventually curbed, the various industries that remained were still thriving.
This restaurant is one such example, except that the food served has been changed from ordinary grains to ingredients imbued with spiritual energy.
Reminded by him, Fu Mingxu belatedly realized that he was hungry.
He casually pointed to a place where cultivators were coming and going most frequently, and said, "That place looks like it's doing good business. Let's go there and get something to eat."
Over the years, his transactions with Shen Ange, aside from exchanging some medicinal herbs and spiritual plants, have not resulted in any other expenditures, and he has accumulated a fairly substantial fortune.
Of course, these are just a drop in the ocean compared to the top-grade spirit stone mountain in the city lord's mansion, but they are enough for a meal and drinks.
Han Tao glanced at the "Yunshilou" he pointed to, his expression shifting slightly, but he did not refuse.
The two entered the building together, and the waiter standing at the door immediately stepped forward to greet them: "Are you two immortals looking for lodging or something to eat?"
Fu Mingxu just wanted to say something about what to eat first, but Han Tao next to him had already spoken up: "We have everything."
After thinking about it, since the two of them were going to rest here for the night anyway, Fu Mingxu didn't refuse.
"Alright." The waiter beamed and led the two inside, rattling off a long list of dishes. After they were seated at an empty table, he asked with a smile, "What would you like to eat, Immortal Master?"
Fu Mingxu looked at Han Tao, who simply said, "You order."
He recalled the names of the dishes the waiter had just mentioned, and carefully ordered three vegetarian dishes and three meat dishes, all of which were delicious and full of vitality.
The waiter quickly wrote it down, agreed, asked the two to wait a moment, and then took the menu to the kitchen.
The restaurant wasn't quiet; some people were talking softly, while others were drinking heartily, creating a lively and bustling atmosphere.
While waiting for the food, Fu Mingxu quietly yawned and rested his chin on his hand, lost in thought.
Han Tao received a message, his brows furrowed slightly, and he spoke to the person opposite him who looked detached: "I need to go out for a bit."
"Oh... okay." Fu Mingxu reacted a beat late and asked, "What is it?"
He realized he had been meddling too much after asking the question, and quickly said, "I was just asking casually. Go and do it. Just remember to come back for dinner early."