Chapter 55

"Ah, I don't want this! If I eat this piece of meat, I'll gain another ten jin." Zhao Mengjiao's face was full of disgust, and her attention was instantly diverted.

Zhao Qiying, however, said, "If you don't eat meat and only eat vegetables, where will you get the strength? We'll reach Leigu Mountain today, where all sorts of people mingle. You'll have to be careful."

"Don't worry. I've already mastered seventy percent of Father's 'Seven Stars Sword Technique.' If some blind fool comes looking for trouble, they'll have to get past the sword in this old auntie's hands first!" Zhao Mengjiao said, brimming with confidence.

Zhao Qiying shook her head and stopped trying to persuade her.

She knew Zhao Mengjiao's temperament well and never expected her to listen; the reminder was merely to change the subject.

Zhao Mengjiao had a short memory, and sure enough, she never brought it up again, sparing Zhao Qiying any awkwardness.

After the meal, the escort caravan set off again, beginning the final day of the journey.

059 Coachman Huang Yaoshi, Using Evil Against Evil

"Qiying, are you alright?" Jiang Sishui helped Zhao Qiying to a seat.

Zhao Qiying lowered the carriage curtain, let out a long breath, shot Jiang Sishui a withering look, and said peevishly, "My father was staring at my walking posture the whole time. Do you have any idea how hard it was to pretend?"

Jiang Sishui wore an apologetic smile and said sheepishly, "The first time is unavoidable. It won't happen again."

Zhao Qiying's face flushed. She spat, "Bah! Like some stubborn ox."

Jiang Sishui, thick-skinned, leaned close to her ear and whispered, "If I don't act like a stubborn ox from now on, you might not even be happy about it."

The warm breath tickled her ear, and hearing Jiang Sishui's teasing, ambiguous words, the scene from last night involuntarily surfaced in Zhao Qiying's mind.

She immediately flushed crimson with embarrassment, punched Jiang Sishui hard, and said, "Your bedding needs to be taken out for some sun when you get the chance, or it'll get moldy."

"Alright~ I'll do as my wife says." Jiang Sishui caught her meaning, and the smile on his face grew even brighter.

Being stared at by his burning gaze, Zhao Qiying found it hard to bear.

But she was, after all, an open and magnanimous heroine. After the initial shyness, she gradually calmed down and, under the pretext of exchanging sword moves, changed the subject.

Jiang Sishui suddenly gave a soft "Eh?": "Qiying, your sword technique is even more brilliant than yesterday."

"Of course, because I've broken through." Zhao Qiying explained happily.

Jiang Sishui suddenly understood.

In Chapter 20 of "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber," there is a passage numbered 253—

Yin Tianzheng was fighting Song Yuanqiao, but Zhang Wuji, watching from the side, could see many openings in their moves and couldn't understand why neither took advantage of them to attack. Could it be that they were deliberately going easy?

But this was actually because Zhang Wuji possessed the two supreme arts, "Nine Yang Divine Art" and "Heaven and Earth Great Shift," and his martial cultivation and internal energy were beyond the reach of the other two.

To put it in an analogy—

Yin Tianzheng and Song Yuanqiao were a wild wolf and a hound on the ground, while Zhang Wuji was an eagle soaring in the sky.

Seeing the wolf and hound fight, the eagle couldn't help but think, "Why not swoop down from on high to secure certain victory?"

Yet wolves and hounds cannot fly—how could they swoop down from the sky?

Unable to do it, they wouldn't even think in that direction.

In other words, Zhang Wuji crushed them with sheer realm.

It was precisely because of his high cultivation and deep internal energy that, even with an extreme lack of combat experience, he could still sweep through the Liuda Sect.

This is also the reason Jiang Sishui has remained so low-key until now.

Because without internal energy and true Qi in his body, even if his "Heavenly Sword Drawing Technique" could slay a Celestial Being in one strike, anyone could easily kill him.

But once he inherits Wu Wu Ya Zi's full body of skill, that will be his moment to "soar to the heavens"!

With Zhao Qiying's cultivation advancing and her insight growing sharper, sword moves she previously couldn't break she could now break, so the two of them sparred even more fervently.

Suddenly, Zhao Tianhao's full, resonant voice rang out from outside the carriage: "Island Master Huang, it's been a long time. How have you been lately?"

A free and easy voice replied, "Well, of course I'm well. Thank you, Mr. Zhao Zongbiao, for your concern."

"Island Master Huang is heading in this direction—are you going to Leigu Mountain?"

"Mr. Congbian sent an invitation, so I'll go take a look at this 'Zhenlongqi Society'."

"I see. Island Master Huang is erudite and talented, so receiving such an invitation is only to be expected."

"Mr. Zhao Zongbiao, are you also heading to Leigu Mountain?"

"Indeed, but I have no invitation. I'm an uninvited, unannounced guest."

"Haha, the world is vast—did it belong to any one family from the very start? That Leigu Mountain, if you want to go, you go; if you want to leave, you leave. Where would you need anyone's invitation or anyone's permission?"

"Island Master Huang truly is a transcendent master."

"Taohuadao isn't some paradise beyond the world either; I simply happen to dislike listening to other people's rules and reasoning."

Inside the carriage, Jiang Sishui's heart gave a sudden leap.

"Island Master Huang? Taohuadao?"

These names were all too familiar!

Jiang Sishui couldn't help but reach out and lift the carriage curtain to look outside.

He saw that beside Zhao Tianhao, another carriage was also traveling, not far from him.

And the coachman driving it was, unmistakably, a scholar dressed in a blue robe and wearing a matching square cap of the same color.

"Huang Yaoshi?"

Although he hadn't seen the man's face directly, Jiang Sishui was nearly certain it was him.

"If Huang Yaoshi is serving as a coachman, then who could be in that carriage? It couldn't possibly be Rong'er, right? Rong'er is so lively and active—would she sit obediently in a carriage?"

Jiang Sishui was quite doubtful about this.

With a nervous and excited heart, he stared fixedly at the carriage.

At this moment, as if sensing his gaze, the blue-robed scholar turned his head.

Jiang Sishui caught a glimpse from the corner of his eye and looked over as well.

He saw that the scholar was thin and refined in appearance, with an elegant, dashing bearing—poised, lofty, and radiant as a god.

In just one glance, he left a deep impression.

There was no second possibility; it was undoubtedly Huang Yaoshi.

Huang Yaoshi glanced at Jiang Sishui, then said coldly, "Kid, if you keep gawking everywhere, watch your eyes."

Anyone could hear the threat in those words; Zhao Tianhao and Zhao Qiying both tightened inwardly, secretly on guard.

Jiang Sishui, however, felt no fear at all; he smiled calmly and said, "The world is so vast—surely no one can forbid me from looking wherever I please from the very start?"

"Since we're walking on this broad main road, then everyone is free to look."

"I look when I want to, and don't when I don't. Whether I look or not, why should I have to follow anyone's rules and reasoning?"

At these words, the others all froze for a moment.

This retort was extremely clever and sharp; he took Huang Yaoshi's earlier words and used them to seal his mouth—turning the man's own spear against his own shield, making him lift a stone only to drop it on his own foot.

If mishandled, Huang Yaoshi would surely lose face badly.

Suddenly, the curtain on the opposite side of the carriage was lifted at one corner, revealing a face of ethereal, otherworldly beauty.

A pair of luminous, almond-shaped eyes glanced this way, as if Jiang Sishui's words had stirred a touch of curiosity.

Jiang Sishui's attention had never left the carriage; he looked over at once.

The moment he saw that woman, his first thought was to rule out Huang Rong.

The eyes are the windows to the soul; the woman in the carriage had a gaze soft and gentle, like a lady from a noble house—nothing at all like Huang Rong's mischievous, lively, and playful temperament.

Therefore, though the woman was beautiful, she absolutely could not be Huang Rong.

Moreover, considering Huang Yaoshi's age, Huang Rong would now be only a little girl in her early teens, clearly not matching the beautiful matron inside the carriage.

"A beautiful matron who can make Huang Yaoshi serve as her coachman… could she be Rong'er's mother, Feng Heng? She's not dead?" Jiang Sishui's heart stirred.

Zhao Tianhao, hearing how sharp Jiang Sishui's reply was, worried Huang Yaoshi would be embarrassed and angered, so he was about to speak up to smooth things over.

But Huang Yaoshi burst out laughing first; his voice was clear and bright, free and unrestrained, with not the slightest hint of wounded pride.

Suddenly the laughter cut off; Huang Yaoshi narrowed his eyes slightly, fixed his gaze on Jiang Sishui, and said grimly, "Kid, I can see you're nothing but a weak scholar, yet you dare speak such wild and treasonous words before me. Aren't you afraid I'll smash you dead with a single palm?"

Jiang Sishui, however, was not intimidated; he countered, "Then does the senior dare to say those same words in front of a Heavenly Being or even a Demigod?"

"Of course I dare, but I wouldn't." Huang Yaoshi replied without hesitation, and without the slightest embarrassment.

"If the senior dares, then naturally I dare as well."

"But I wouldn't."

"If Master Zhao Zongbiao weren't here, and I faced you alone, then I wouldn't either."

Huang Yaoshi was taken aback, swept a glance at Zhao Tianhao, understood at once, and burst out laughing again.

060 Tang Bohu and Ding Chunqiu have come to blows?

"Interesting! Truly interesting! This is the first time I've ever seen such an interesting young man!"

Huang Yaoshi laughed for a while, then turned to the woman in the carriage and said, "Ah Heng, don't you think this kid is far more interesting than that Chu kid?"

Feng Heng replied in a gentle voice, "He resembles you, but Liuxiang is more honest."