By the creek in the early morning, Jiang Moran, who had been traveling all night, lay on the grass with his limbs splayed out.
He already looked half-dead.
Fengqingzi walked over and handed him a freshly roasted rabbit leg, which he grabbed and began to gnaw on.
“Senior, please bear with it a bit longer. We can rest once we reach a nearby village.”
“You’ve been telling me that all night.”
Jiang Moran rolled his eyes at him. He had spent the entire night on horseback, and his backside was still sore. Those roads weren't meant for humans!
He truly admired those couriers who rode express for thousands of miles.
While grumbling in his mind, Jiang Moran devoured the rabbit leg in a few bites. As he stood up, he casually wiped his greasy hands on Fengqingzi's white robe.
“Little Feng, where are we heading next?” Jiang Moran asked with a grin.
The corner of Fengqingzi’s eye twitched slightly. He constantly reminded himself in his heart that this was an ancestor whom he couldn't defeat.
“Senior, we are heading to Jinling City next. The location on the parchment scroll has already spread, and all kinds of people from the jianghu will definitely flock there.”
“And the closest city to that location is Jinling City, the northernmost city in the Central Plains.”
Jiang Moran nodded thoughtfully. He knew of Jinling City.
It was a gathering place for all kinds of people from the jianghu, a chaotic melting pot where you could find anyone. More importantly, it was the territory of the Martial Alliance.
One could even say that the Martial Alliance was the absolute overlord of Jinling City.
Most importantly, it was a lawless border zone where the mountains were high and the Emperor was far away. If you didn't have enough power or strength in the city, even if you were killed, it would simply be blamed on your own weakness.
Such places were often the favorites of outlaws and desperadoes.
—Neighhh—
The sudden whinny of a horse rang out. Fengqingzi whipped his head around and saw that the horses, which had been drinking by the creek, were suddenly startled.
On the nearby grass sat a fallen farmwoman, still holding a wooden basin filled with laundry.
Fengqingzi rushed forward in a few steps, grabbed the reins, and gently patted the horses to calm them down. Once the restless horses settled, he finally looked down at the farmwoman.
“Who are you?” Fengqingzi asked coldly.
Startled by his tone, the farmwoman quickly stood up to explain, “Great hero, I was just coming to the creek to wash clothes like I always do.”
“I was just suddenly startled by these two horses.”
The farmwoman looked somewhat at a loss. Fengqingzi stared at her quietly for a moment, confirming that she didn't seem to be lying.
At this moment, Jiang Moran sauntered over.
“Auntie, how did you end up here?”
“I'm a villager from Lihua Village. This creek is very clean, so I often walk for about half an incense stick's time to come wash clothes here.”
A village? Jiang Moran's eyes lit up. He had finally found some hope!
“Little Feng!” Jiang Moran deliberately scolded with a dark face. “Why so fierce? Don't you know you've scared her? How impolite.”
What the hell?
This shameless move completely dumbfounded Fengqingzi. What was the meaning of this? So he was the only good person in the world, and I've become the bad guy again??
Then who was the one who slaughtered Prince Ning's Residence? Who was the one who impaled Prince Ning’s head on the ground like a candied hawthorn skewer?
To put it into perspective, even the chicken eggs in the entire Prince's Residence were shaken to pieces back then.
Fengqingzi took a deep breath. Today, my grandfather could tolerate this, but my father couldn't; my father could tolerate it, but I absolutely couldn't!
“I'm sorry, my tone was a bit too harsh just now,” Fengqingzi said sincerely.
Just kidding. He wasn't stupid.
Their first meeting had been so stunning that he had not forgotten it even now. Looking back, he still remembered the gaze Jiang Moran had given him; his heart had skipped a beat at that very moment.
The farmwoman waved her hands repeatedly. “No matter, no matter. I'll just wash my clothes and leave.”
“Wait a moment, Auntie,” Jiang Moran called out to her. “We've been traveling all night, and we still have a long way to go to our destination. Could we rest for a bit in your village?”
Hearing this, the farmwoman didn't hesitate and replied warmly, “Of course you can! Our village rarely gets visitors.”
The two waited for a moment. Soon, the farmwoman finished washing the clothes and led them toward the village. The village was nestled at the foot of a mountain. Common folk under heaven always liked to live near mountains and rivers, and this place was no exception.
The people they met along the way greeted her one after another. “Auntie Zhang is back.”
“Hey, these two young lads are quite handsome!”
Auntie Zhang smiled and responded to each villager's comment, showing she had excellent relations in the village.
“Sister Zhang, do you know these two lads?” Just then, an old man walked over and asked.
“My girl is of age as well. How about letting them get to know each other?”
Auntie Zhang waved her hand and laughed behind her hand. “Old Man Wang, stop joking. They are great heroes.”
Why can't heroes get to know girls! Jiang Moran protested fiercely in his heart. While Auntie Zhang and the old man were chatting, a voice rang out from the side.
“Father, what are you doing here?”
Before the voice even fully faded, a figure arrived. The newcomer was a burly, broad-shouldered woman. She was over seven feet tall, with a muscular and stout build.
The moment Fengqingzi saw her, the shock in his heart was beyond words. Traveling across the land all these years, he had genuinely never seen such an extraordinary woman.
Seeing his daughter arrive, Old Man Wang grinned from ear to ear and introduced her, “Xiaomeng, you're here! Your Auntie Zhang brought two guests over. I think they're a great match for you and was just about to introduce you to them.”
Seeing Wang Meng's gaze fall on him, Fengqingzi's expression froze, and he forced a strained, ugly smile.
“Senior…” he spoke with difficulty, but did not receive any response from Jiang Moran.
He tilted his head slightly, only to find that the other party had already turned his back, silent as an old monk in meditation.
At this moment, Jiang Moran's heart was far from calm.
The very 0.1 second he saw the newcomer, his body reacted faster than his brain, instinctively making the most correct choice.
Jiang Moran thought to himself: “This old man is an honest fellow. When he said she wasn't small, she really wasn't small.”
Seeing this situation, Auntie Zhang hurriedly stepped forward.
“Brother Wang, you go on with your stroll. We'll be heading off now.” With that, she pulled the two of them and quickly walked away. Seeing the three of them flee like they were running for their lives, Old Man Wang puckered his lips in dissatisfaction.
Finding themselves finally able to leave, Fengqingzi breathed a sigh of relief.
Jiang Moran felt a slight twinge of regret. Little Feng had almost been blessed with immense good fortune.
“Don't mind him, Old Man Wang is just that kind of person. He didn't mean any harm,” Auntie Zhang explained.
Fengqingzi nodded, showing his understanding.
The three arrived at a small courtyard. Though it wasn't large, it was arranged very neatly, overflowing with the warmth of everyday life.
A few nameless flowers were planted here and there, giving it quite a charming touch.
Auntie Zhang took out some teacups and deftly poured a cup for each of them.
“Thank you,” Fengqingzi said as he accepted the tea.
Auntie Zhang waved her hand and smiled. “I usually live here alone. It's rare to have guests drop by for a chat.”
“If you're not in a hurry, you can stay the night.”
Jiang Moran shook his head. “Thank you for your kindness, but we'll leave after having dinner in the village.”
Seeing this, Auntie Zhang did not insist further, but she still firmly insisted they stay for dinner.
Jiang Moran didn't refuse this. Instead, he proposed that they would buy the ingredients for tonight's dinner, and Auntie Zhang would do the cooking once they returned.
A happy smile blossomed on Auntie Zhang's face. Just then, a couple of coughs drifted from the adjacent room. Hearing the sound, she hurriedly went over to check.
Jiang Moran and Fengqingzi didn't follow. After all, it was someone else's home, and it wasn't polite to wander around.
Auntie Zhang returned shortly after, but a look of worry had crept onto her face, and she let out a gentle sigh.
“What is it, Auntie Zhang?” Fengqingzi put down his teacup and asked.
Auntie Zhang sighed again, slowly sat down, and poured herself a cup of tea.
“Two days ago, when I went to the mountains to gather herbs, I came across someone. He didn't look very old, was very thin, and was lying on the ground on the brink of death.”
“I felt sorry for him, so I brought him back. But three days have passed, and he's still unconscious...” As she spoke, Auntie Zhang sighed again and shook her head helplessly.
Suddenly, as if remembering something, her eyes shone as she looked up at the two.
“You two heroes are widely traveled. Is there any way you could save him?”
Uh, Jiang Moran's gaze drifted away. Asking him to kill people fell perfectly within his expertise, but asking him to save someone... that person would have to be tired of living.
“Let's go have a look first. I might be of some help,” Fengqingzi said earnestly.
“Excellent, excellent! You two heroes are truly kindhearted!” Auntie Zhang quickly stood up and led the way.
The three entered a small room. The furnishings were simple: a table, a bed, and a window.
Now, a person lay on the bed, looking emaciated and pale. His body was wrapped in bloodstanching bandages, with a few visible scars on his skin.
Frowning, Fengqingzi walked forward. Instead of inspecting the injuries right away, he first examined several wounds.
The skin on his arms had been sliced open, the cuts clean and neat.
This was the work of a blade, and the person who wounded him was clearly an experienced bladesman. Every strike was incredibly cunning, with the wounds on his arms serving as the perfect proof.
Every single cut had been sliced open at a different angle, without allowing the blade to swing freely with momentum.
Just as Fengqingzi was still analyzing carefully, Jiang Moran suddenly stepped forward and plucked an object hanging from the person's waist.
“Looks like I know how to save people after all,” he said as a wooden token appeared in his hand.
Carved upon it was a wild, arrogant “Wu” character.
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