blogombal Chapter 97 Huang Rong and Mu Nianci
Chapter 97 Huang Rong and Mu Nianci
Chapter 97 Huang Rong and Mu Nianci
The world of martial arts.
A small town in the Southern Song Dynasty.
The closure of schools in the city caused a great commotion in the surrounding villages, and the county magistrate was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan.
It wasn't that there weren't other scholars in the city who could serve as school teachers, but rather that the previous Mr. Chu's level of enlightenment was truly exceptional.
I've heard that even some scholarly families are planning to send their children to school for early education.
It should be noted that early childhood education was very popular during the Northern and Southern Song Dynasties. How could someone who managed to carve out a path in such a context be incompetent?
The county magistrate was also puzzled. If it weren't for the people's protest at the county government office, he had never heard of such a virtuous person in all his years of service there.
Upon further inquiry, he learned that the renowned Mr. Chu was merely a young man in his early twenties. The county magistrate had read Mr. Chu's primers for children, and each one was considered a timeless classic. Even someone his age had benefited greatly from them.
The thought that such an article came from a young man in his twenties was unbelievable, and he couldn't help but be very curious about Mr. Chu's true identity.
"Your Excellency! It seems Mr. Chu has returned; someone saw his gate was open!"
The county magistrate's clerk rushed in from outside, tripped on the threshold, and tumbled and fell in front of the magistrate.
"What's the rush!"
The magistrate snorted coldly, flicked his sleeves, and without even glancing at the clerk, hurriedly walked out of the room.
"You're not much better—"
The clerk got up from the ground, muttered a curse to himself, and then followed closely behind the magistrate.
The county magistrate's surname was Huang, and he was exactly forty years old this year. If this were in modern times, he might still be considered an old bachelor, but in the Southern Song Dynasty, he was already a grandfather.
Even the most composed man will consider his reputation, so Magistrate Huang's sedan chair slowly swayed to the Chu family's courtyard.
Even before Magistrate Huang, the common people, holding their children's hands, stood anxiously outside the courtyard, much like modern parents vying for kindergarten spots.
The mentality of not wanting one's child to lose at the starting line will not change in a thousand years.
It's no wonder they were anxious; Chu Yang had been missing for several months.
He flew when he went to the Jin Kingdom.
But when he came back, he walked, with a whole bunch of kids with him.
Huang Rong, needless to say, was born with an active and playful personality. She insisted on dragging Chu Yang around to travel and have fun, which wasted a lot of time.
If it were just Huang Rong alone, we could simply fly back with her. After all, we've already demonstrated Wood Release, so Earth Release wouldn't make a difference.
Chu Yang didn't feel that he needed to live a secretive life in this world.
But unfortunately, Guo Jing was following right behind him.
Chu Yang felt too embarrassed to send him away.
Guo Jing is a well-known good-natured person and would never do anything like shifting blame or dragging others down with him. The incident last time was a misunderstanding.
In addition, he apologized to Chu Yang every day along the way, which almost became his mantra. His hardworking and devoted manner made it hard for anyone to be angry with him.
Guo Jing was followed by Yang Tiexin's family.
Yang Kang became incredibly obedient, eager to do all the chores, and his diligence was second only to Guo Jing.
For no other reason than fear that Chu Yang might become unhappy one day and use him as a sacrifice, so he tried his best to make himself look pleasing to the eye in front of him.
Just thinking about how arrogant he had been in front of Chu Yang with tens of thousands of Jin soldiers made Yang Kang want to slap himself in the face with the sole of his shoe.
Seeing how sensible Yang Kang was, Yang Tiexin and his wife were very pleased.
He also has his even more caring daughter, Mu Nianci, by his side.
Originally, after recognizing Guo Jing, Yang Tiexin planned to betroth Mu Nianci to him, but Guo Jing managed to fool him by saying that marriage was a major event that required his mother's approval.
Yang Tiexin took his words seriously and planned to go to Mongolia with Guo Jing and Yang Kang to visit their former sister-in-law, Li Ping, after Guo Jing and Yang Kang completed their duel agreement.
On the way, the perceptive Bao Xiruo noticed Guo Jing's feelings for Huang Rong. During their late-night conversation, she carefully told Yang Tiexin about it.
"Brother Tie, it seems that Jing'er is fond of Miss Huang. I think we should call off his marriage with Nianci. We've both suffered from unrequited love before, so let's not make things difficult for the young people."
Yang Tiexin then realized what was going on, his thick, dark eyebrows furrowing together as he said with a wry smile, "Of all the people Jing'er could like, she had to fall for her. That Miss Huang is quirky and clever, and her relationship with Mr. Chu seems to be quite unusual—"
Bao Xiruo covered her mouth and laughed, "Mr. Chu's ethereal demeanor is truly astonishing, and he is also kind-hearted. It's no wonder that Miss Huang likes him."
At this point, Bao Xiruo couldn't hold back her laughter, her voice gradually rising until she was breathless with laughter. "What a perfect couple, it's just that Mr. Chu doesn't seem to have any romantic feelings for her. He even calls Miss Huang 'good brother' from time to time, which really annoys her."
Yang Tiexin shook his head and chuckled, but his laughter soon faded.
"It's just that my poor Nianci only dares to stand far away and peek at Mr. Chu, watching him and Miss Huang play around. She can only swallow all the bitterness and sweetness in her heart."
Bao Xiruo's smile gradually disappeared. The feelings she had endured for eighteen years of longing for Yang Tiexin were something only she knew.
Now, it seems that his daughter, Mu Nianci, is also following in his footsteps.
"Xiruo, do you mean Nianci is like Miss Huang?"
Yang Tiexin looked at his wife in surprise.
"Brother Tie, you are naturally bold and rough, so it's normal that you didn't see it. Now that you know the situation, don't force Jing'er and Nianci to get married. They are destined to be different."
Bao Xiruo earnestly reminded Yang Tiexin.
Yang Tiexin nodded and fell into deep thought.
He seemed to be making some plans, and Bao Xiruo looked at him curiously.
"Since Mr. Chu has no such intentions towards Miss Huang, then perhaps Nianci could be with Mr. Chu—"
Bao Xiruo's eyelids twitched, and she subconsciously felt that something was wrong.
She wanted to persuade him again, but Yang Tiexin was too worried about his daughter and had already made up his mind. So, for the rest of the journey, the two of them kept creating opportunities for each other.
It's pitiful that Yang Kang, a grown man, although he sensed his parents' intentions, dared not speak out in anger, and still harbored some feelings for Mu Nianci.
However, he thought again, if Mu Nianci could marry Mr. Chu, wouldn't he, as her nominal elder brother, be able to take advantage of the situation?
Yang Kang had long coveted Chu Yang's "immortal skills." If the two established contact, and he asked Chu Yang for guidance, the latter would find it difficult to refuse him.
Unable to resist the temptation, Yang Kang chose to join the team of his parents, Mu Nianci and Chu Yang.
Yang Tiexin and his family followed Chu Yang into the small town.
The group had just put down their luggage when they found the area outside completely surrounded by people.
Outside the courtyard, someone was calling out "Mr. Chu" in a low voice, while many others, though anxious, waited quietly.
Yang Tiexin and Bao Xiruo exchanged a glance, only then realizing that he was a local schoolteacher with a considerable reputation.
Chu Yang tidied up the dusty room and came out to see Huang Rong's slender figure darting around like a little mouse that had entered a granary.
"What are you looking for?"
Huang Rong replied matter-of-factly, "Choosing a room? Many of these rooms are dirty and messy. Don't you ever tidy them up?"
Chu Yang looked at her with a puzzled expression. "I live alone, why would I bother tidying up so many rooms every day? It's troublesome and not very useful."
Huang Rong put her hands on her hips, stood up proudly, and said, "Now it'll be useful! I need a place to sleep, and I also need a clean kitchen to cook in."
"Stop!" Chu Yang raised an eyebrow, gestured for Huang Rong to shut up, and then said, "When did I say you could stay here?"
Huang Rong's eyes suddenly widened.
Her jade-like fingers, as white as scallions, pointed at Chu Yang, who trembled and couldn't speak for a long time.
He looked like someone who had been seduced and then abandoned.
Huang Rong retorted angrily, "Why can't I stay here?"
Chu Yang explained sincerely, "I have neurasthenia and can't stand someone as noisy as you, chattering away all day long."
"What—weak?" Huang Rong looked bewildered, then reacted fiercely, "Who are you calling a chatterbox all day long! And if I don't live here, where am I supposed to live?"
Chu Yang rolled his eyes. "You lived in the same place you did when you were a beggar. You know this county better than I do. Do you think you'd get lost?"
Huang Rong was so angry that her teeth itched. She was just about to turn around and leave, never to see this scoundrel again, when she thought of Chu Yang crossing the border to save her in Yanjing City, and she hesitated to take her own steps.
Just as Chu Yang finished speaking about Huang Rong, he saw Guo Jing and Yang Kang standing awkwardly by the door, carrying their luggage. They had just overheard Chu Yang and Huang Rong's conversation.
Even Huang Rong couldn't stay there, let alone these people who were neither related nor connected.
Yang Kang was a shrewd man. Before Chu Yang could even say anything to send them away, he laughed and said, "My family has already received a great favor from you, sir. How could we dare to trouble you?"
Guo Jing also felt that he was disturbing Chu Yang, so he nodded and said, "I still have to go find my master."
The little girl's eyes darted around, trying to think of an excuse to stay. Turning her head and seeing the huge crowd outside, she immediately changed the subject, "Xiao Chu, are all the people outside here looking for you?"
Chu Yang looked up and saw that the courtyard was crowded with people, many of whom were looking at him with strong and eager hopes.
He was gone for several months, and some people, fearing that it would delay their children's early education, sent them to other schools.
As time went on, the child not only failed to make progress in his studies, but also became less lively in his speech and actions, and his dullness grew stronger.
Previously, they only thought that Mr. Chu had a knack for teaching and nurturing students, but they never expected that the gap between him and other teachers was so great.
The longer the Chu family's school remained closed, the more anxious these parents became.
Besides the children who were already studying in Chu Yang, many others came because of his reputation.
With so many people, the spots for elementary school became extremely precious, since the courtyard was only so big and there was only one teacher, Chu Yang.
The competition was fierce; everyone wanted to become a familiar face to Chu Yang.
However, what these people did not know was that after returning from the Soul Palace, Chu Yang had given up his plan to reopen the school in the near future.
He returned this time intending to tidy up and then embark on a long journey, collecting martial arts techniques along the way to help his counterparts in other worlds.
Regardless, this matter is the most important. We all share the same fate. "Gentlemen, I still have some miscellaneous matters to attend to, so the school cannot reopen at the moment. I apologize for troubling you all with this wasted trip."
Chu Yang cupped his hands in greeting to the people around him.
The light in the parents' eyes quickly dimmed, and in its place, a light shone in the eyes of some of the children.
All they knew was that Mr. Chu's leave seemed to have been extended again. Hearing Chu Yang's resolute reply, the people outside the courtyard gradually dispersed.
Some parents haven't left yet.
"Mr. Chu, when the school reopens, will my second child still be able to study here with you?" A woman dressed in linen clothes nervously held her child's hand, staring at Chu Yang with almost pleading eyes.
More and more people are vying for a place in the school, including many who are powerful and wealthy. Their families are just ordinary poor people who came to Chuyang to study simply because the tuition was cheap.
"Of course he has to come." Chu Yang frowned and sneered, "And remember to make sure he finishes his homework. He's the loudest one shouting after school, so I need to check his homework. If he dares to slack off, hmph."
The woman, beaming with joy, shoved the child in front of Chu Yang and exclaimed excitedly, "Did you hear that? Go thank Mr. Chu, then hurry back and do your homework, or I'll give you a good beating!"
As he spoke, Erwa received a slap on the back of the head, instantly looking aggrieved. Then, seeing Chu Yang grinning gloatingly, Erwa burst into loud sobs.
His mother wasn't very strong, and he didn't feel any pain. He was crying because Chu Yang had assigned him so much homework that he couldn't finish it all, so he could only cry with tears and snot streaming down his face.
Seeing him cry so miserably, Chu Yang's resentment from his student days instantly dissipated, and he felt refreshed.
It's because I got caught in the rain back then that I'm going to tear all your umbrellas to shreds and call in a water truck so you can run wildly in the downpour.
After the crowd dispersed, Chu Yang returned home, only to find that Yang Kang and Guo Jing had already moved all the luggage they had brought in back out.
Mr. and Mrs. Yang walked up to Chu Yang and said apologetically, "Mr. Chu, we were being presumptuous. We hope you won't blame us."
Chu Yang shook his head and smiled, "What I said to Huang Rong before was just a joke, please don't take it to heart. Actually, it's because I have to go on a long trip, so it's inconvenient to leave anyone at home."
Yang Tiexin and Bao Xiruo suddenly realized what was going on. Mu Nianci, who had been helping to pack the luggage, looked up abruptly when she heard that Chu Yang was going on a long trip, but hesitated to speak.
Huang Rong spoke first, clapping her hands and laughing, "Hehe, isn't it more fun outside? What's the point of staying in this small county town all day? Let's go check out those great places I told you about last time!"
Chu Yang gave her a wary look. "I didn't say I was going to bring you along."
Huang Rong froze, unable to retaliate this time, but her eyes unconsciously filled with tears, a surge of grievance welling up inside her. "Father doesn't want me, and even you don't care about me anymore, Xiao Chu, I'll never talk to you again!"
After crying and shouting a few times, Huang Rong turned to leave, but Chu Yang had no choice but to pull her back with a headache, explaining, "I really have something to do, and the plans are uncertain. I might have to travel all over the world. What are you, a minor, doing following me?"
Huang Rong didn't say anything, but forcefully shook off Chu Yang's hand, showing that she was truly heartbroken this time.
"Go away, go away! You can go wherever you want, but I'm really impressed by you. You love running around so much, be careful you don't get kidnapped by human traffickers!"
Chu Yang reluctantly compromised, deciding to treat it as taking a chef on a trip, since the girl's cooking was quite good anyway.
One second she was crying her eyes out, the next she was beaming with joy. With a flick of her sleeve, Huang Rong's face was clean and dry, without a single tear stain.
Such a spectacular face-changing skill left Chu Yang speechless, and he couldn't help but applaud in admiration.
Guo Jing and Yang Kang were also stunned.
"Tell me, where are we going? We don't have a plan yet, but we should at least have a first stop, right?" Huang Rong excitedly moved closer to Chu Yang.
The "Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill" is the ultimate technique of Mongolian Tantric Buddhism, and its first step is naturally—
"Mongolia!"
Chu Yang sighed.
Huang Rong's eyes, as clear as autumn water, suddenly lit up, and she clapped her hands excitedly, saying, "Mongolia is great! I've never been to Mongolia before! I've heard that there are vast grasslands there."
Upon hearing that Chu Yang was going to Mongolia, Guo Jing also became excited and interrupted, "Miss Huang, there are many flocks of sheep, spirited horses, and eagles on the grasslands. We can herd sheep and horses together!"
Huang Rong, who had been in high spirits just moments before, suddenly turned gloomy. She was in the middle of talking enthusiastically when she was interrupted. How could she be happy now?
"None of your business! Who wants to herd sheep and horses with you?!"
Huang Rong really wanted to poison Guo Jing so he could be mute; she was annoyed just hearing his voice now.
Guo Jing shut his mouth in grievance, not knowing what he had said wrong, and looked pitifully at Chu Yang.
Chu Yang chuckled, "Guo Jing, weren't you still looking for your master? How come you have the leisure to go to Mongolia with us? Don't you want your master anymore?"
Guo Jing opened his mouth wide, speechless.
He immediately became listless, like a deflated balloon.
Yes.
The masters haven't been found yet, how can he go back to Mongolia with Miss Huang?
Yang Tiexin and Bao Xiruo frowned deeply.
They originally wanted to be neighbors with Chu Yang, thinking that if they spent time together, Chu Yang might develop feelings for Mu Nianci.
Unexpectedly, they were going on a long trip.
Yang Tiexin thought that if Chu Yang and Huang Rong were to leave like this, by the time they returned, their children might already be old enough to run errands!
Mu Nianci seemed to sense the crisis as well, and mustered up the courage to ask her parents for help at night. The family, along with Yang Kang, came up with ideas for Mu Nianci.
Meanwhile, Chu Yang was preparing a plan.
To perfect the sword techniques of the Breath of Fountain, one needs to refer to even more advanced sword techniques.
Improving close-combat skills requires even more refined martial arts techniques.
Among the many martial arts, there are even quite a few that can improve aptitude, have various magical effects, and can tap into human potential—all of which are what Chu Yang needs.
but!
There's something even more important!
While the combat power in the martial arts world may not be comparable to that of worlds like Bleach or Naruto, there are things here that are deeper than combat power.
Road!
It can also be called a law.
To become a higher level of existence, simply accumulating power is clearly not enough.
The reason why the world of Bleach is stronger than other worlds is because the Zanpakuto is, in a sense, the embodiment of laws.
There is still a distance between this and the true laws.
The other worlds are even further behind.
Only in the world of martial arts, or rather, in a world imbued with Eastern culture, could Chu Yang grasp this concept.
For example, Zhang Sanfeng's "Taiji Jing".
Or the "Tai Xuan Jing" from the novel "Xia Ke Xing".
Both of these martial arts are extremely close to the Dao in the world of martial arts!
Enlightenment is very important to Chu Yang. It is a seed that will grow into a towering tree in the future, determining the height of Chu Yang's future.
However, Chu Yang could not easily obtain either the "Tai Chi" or the "Tai Xuan Jing".
Zhang Sanfeng was no pushover; Chu Yang could easily manipulate him.
Even if you can defeat the famous Master Zhang, you can't force someone to use their skills if they don't eat grass.
Xia Ke Island is even more mysterious, comparable to the Bermuda Triangle.
You expect to find it without even a map? You're dreaming.
Therefore, Chu Yang decided to put his plan into practice by first collecting some practical martial arts techniques.
The Nine Yin Manual is the general outline of all martial arts. In addition to its superb techniques, it also records the principles of martial arts. For any kind of martial art, you can find the corresponding concept. It can be said to be an encyclopedia of martial arts.
This is quite friendly to martial arts novices like Chu Yang.
The other two martial arts books that are very beginner-friendly are "Nine Yang Divine Skill" and "Great Shift of Heaven and Earth".
After mastering the Nine Yang Divine Skill, one's internal energy is generated spontaneously and inexhaustible, allowing even ordinary punches and kicks to unleash tremendous attack power.
Its defensive capabilities are unmatched, with an automatic protective function that deflects external attacks, creating an indestructible body. The practitioner's lightness skill surpasses that of all other masters of lightness skill in the world. It is also a holy grail of healing, immune to all poisons, and specifically designed to counter all cold and yin poisonous internal forces.
The Nine Yang Divine Skill is highly compatible with Chu Yang, enhancing his existing abilities in almost every aspect, as if it were tailor-made for him.
"The Great Shift of Heaven and Earth" is also a martial arts manual that brings together the essence of martial arts. Similar to "The Nine Yin Manual", it can not only use the opponent's force against them and redirect the opponent's power, but also stimulate potential.
With these two martial arts manuals combined, even a useless person like Zhang Wuji could become one of the top five masters in the martial arts world after learning them; their value is self-evident.
Anyway, these two books are much easier to find than the "Tai Xuan Jing" on Xia Ke Island.
There are many similar martial arts, such as the Shaolin Temple's Yi Jin Jing and Xi Sui Jing, the Shen Zhao Jing which has the effect of bringing the dead back to life, and a host of unique skills from the Xiaoyao Sect.
But the highest priority is another martial art.
The Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill!
The effects of the "Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill" are simple and powerful. Each level you master grants you the power of a dragon and an elephant, with a total of thirteen levels.
Imagine how terrifying the power of Chu Yang's [Black Flash] would be, given that he possesses thirteen layers of Dragon Elephant Power.
At that time, being able to dominate everything and everything will no longer be just talk.
Even the most powerful, limitless curses of Gojo Satoru will eventually fail.
Accommodation is a given.
Basically, apart from powerhouses like Yamamoto Genryu Shigekuni, everyone else would be instantly killed without a second thought; there would be no other outcome.
That level of [Black Flash] could even threaten Old Man Shan.
Unfortunately, the "Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill" is overpowered in strength, and its difficulty in cultivation is even more overpowered.
To put it in the original words, it takes an ordinary person one year to master the first level, two years for the second level, four years for the third level, and so on.
Reaching the top level requires 2 to the power of 13, or 8192 years.
More than eight thousand years!
That means you can ascend to immortality through cultivation!
This is a time that is absolutely unattainable for a normal person.
But Chu Yang is not.
With the ability to share talent, Chu Yang can accelerate his cultivation process. The Golden Wheel Monk greatly reduced his cultivation time by relying on his talent, so there's no reason for Chu Yang to be inferior to him.
Secondly, the martial art "Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill" can most likely be cultivated using the cheat-like ability of multiple shadow clones.
Because it is an external martial art, it does not require internal energy to practice, thus bypassing the drawback of the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique, which can only utilize chakra.
All martial arts that do not involve internal energy should be acceptable.
Of course, Chu Yang needs to verify this himself.
The next day.
Sunlight streamed into Chu Yang's bedroom through the window sill.
Boom!
The door was violently pushed open.
Chu Yang, who was sleeping, was suddenly awakened.
He opened his eyes and saw Huang Rong charging towards him menacingly.
Wearing only a thin shirt, he exclaimed in shock, "What do you want? We're brothers!"
Huang Rong rolled her eyes, grabbed his hand impatiently, and tried to pull him off the bed, saying urgently, "Uncle Yang and the others are gone!"
Gone?
Chu Yang was somewhat bewildered. "Didn't they sleep here last night? Why did they leave so early?"
"They didn't go out!" Huang Rong exclaimed anxiously. "They left without a word, leaving Sister Mu here all alone in the courtyard, not knowing what to do."
Everyone's gone?
Only Mu Nianci remained?
What kind of play is this?
Chu Yang was completely baffled.
Urged by Huang Rong, he had no choice but to change his clothes and go into the courtyard.
courtyard.
Mu Nianci fidgeted with her hair nervously, her cheeks flushed, and she lowered her head, not daring to look at Chu Yang and Huang Rong.
"Ahem, Miss Mu, where did Uncle Yang and the others go?"
Chu Yangqian chuckled and slowly walked up to Mu Nianci, asking her a question.
"Father said that I should go to Mongolia to visit Aunt Guo first, and they will come in a while—" Mu Nianci buried her head in her chest, her voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz. Chu Yang had to strain to hear those three words clearly.
He turned to look at Huang Rong, and the two looked at each other. "Uncle Yang is sending you to Mongolia alone?" Huang Rong looked at Mu Nianci suspiciously, her expression unfriendly. "It's such a long distance. Isn't he afraid something will happen to you, a young lady? There are several countries between the Southern Song Dynasty and Mongolia! This isn't your usual way of traveling the martial world."
Chu Yang suddenly remembered the strange geographical map of this world. If he hadn't brought Huang Rong with him, he really wouldn't know where any of them was. All he had was a map to the Jin Kingdom.
Huang Rong's questioning made Mu Nianci even more ashamed, her ears turning as red as blood, and she couldn't help but complain about Yang Kang's idea.
"It's okay, I can do it."
Mu Nianci ultimately couldn't bring herself to ask Chu Yang to take her to Mongolia, as Yang Kang had suggested. She could only grit her teeth and say that she could travel alone.
But her words made Huang Rong feel a little guilty. The little girl was kind-hearted, and she and Mu Nianci had gotten along quite well along the way.
Huang Rong, who grew up on Peach Blossom Island, didn't have many friends. After running away from home, she was even more alone and without relatives. Mu Nianci was one of the few peers with whom she had a relatively close relationship!
"I really don't know what they're up to. Oh well, we can't really let you go to Mongolia alone, can we?"
Huang Rong turned to Chu Yang angrily and said, "Little Chu, let's take her with us. We'll just leave her there and do our own thing!"
Chu Yang was also having a headache. If he were only taking Huang Rong with him, he could simply spend a few more days with her and travel by flying at night. But taking a third person with him was a different story.
He can't fly.
Chu Yang's Super Light Heavy Rock Technique was only at the beginner level, barely enough to allow him to fly. If he had Huang Rong on his left and Mu Nianci on his right, he would probably crash.
Seemingly sensing Chu Yang's hesitation, Mu Nianci suddenly clenched her fingers into a fist. She looked up at Chu Yang with a sincere expression, and although her face was getting hotter and hotter, she never looked away.
"Sigh~~~"
"Let's go, let's go, it's the same whether we graze one sheep or two."
Helpless, Chu Yang told the two to pack their luggage at home while he went to the market to buy a horse-drawn carriage.
The clever Huang Rong, seeing Chu Yang leave, immediately probed Mu Nianci, "Sister Mu, Uncle Yang was in such a hurry for you to meet Guo Jing's mother, is he planning to betroth you to him and want his daughter-in-law to meet her mother-in-law first?"
Mu Nianci waved her hand in a panic and quickly denied it, saying, "No such thing! Brother Guo has someone else in his heart and I have no romantic feelings for each other. It's just that my parents haven't seen Aunt Guo for eighteen years and they miss her very much. Moreover, the martial arts competition is already a done deal, so they had no choice but to resort to this tactic."
"It is indeed a poor choice, the worst of the worst." Huang Rong snorted coldly, then asked curiously, "You just said that idiot has someone he likes? Who does he like? That guy is so silly, whoever he likes is unlucky."
Mu Nianci smiled awkwardly; she dared not say that the unlucky girl Guo Jing liked was Huang Rong.
After the two finished packing their luggage, Chu Yang returned from the market with some food. It was noon, and their stomachs were growling with hunger.
"It's wontons!"
Huang Rong sat down happily. She had been craving wontons, but said, "Actually, I could just buy them and make them myself. I'm quite good at making wontons."
Chu Yang pushed the wontons in front of Huang Rong and said helplessly, "I know you're good at cooking, but I don't have time today. Hurry up and get ready to leave, don't dawdle until evening."
Mu Nianci smiled and said, "I still remember the first time I met Brother Chu was at a wonton stall."
Chu Yang nodded and said, "I also remember that your attitude wasn't friendly when we first met."
Mu Nianci: "...—"
Upon hearing this, Huang Rong burst out laughing, "Little Chu, you're quite vengeful."
Chu Yang sighed, "There's nothing I can do; I'm just naturally petty."
"I even remember the first time we met, you stole my purse and left me starving for days."
Huang Rong: "..."
Mu Nianci lowered her head and chuckled softly.
After lunch, Chu Yang led out Guo Jing's little red horse. Since Guo Jing hadn't taken it with him, he could only make the most of it and take the horse back to his hometown.
The carriage that Chu Yang bought from the market had an adult horse blocking the front, plus a small red horse, which was enough for him.
Reaching the carriage, Chu Yang suddenly posed the crucial question, "Who among you has a driver's license?"
Huang Rong: "???"
Mu Nianci: "???"
Chu Yang shrugged, "I can't drive."
Mu Nianci immediately realized what was going on and volunteered, "Brother Chu, I've learned to drive, let me do it."
Chu Yang nodded, not embarrassed at all.
Although he could learn to drive, which wasn't difficult, he preferred to sleep inside the carriage.
Huang Rong got into the carriage first.
next second.
"ah?!"
Incredible screams came from inside!
Mu Nianci followed him in somewhat nervously.
Not surprisingly.
It was the same scream again.
"ah?!"
The two were completely shocked by the sight before them. The interior of the carriage was frighteningly large, almost as big as a small courtyard.
"Oh my God—"
Huang Rong's eyes were glazed over.
Even though she was very receptive and had witnessed Chu Yang's "immortal magic" in Yanjing City, the mental impact of such a miracle was still enormous.
Mu Nianci was even more out of shape, looking almost like she was possessed by a demon.
Chu Yang pulled back the carriage curtain, leaned halfway out, and looked at their expressions with a slightly annoyed smile: "Don't make such a fuss. This kind of thing will happen often in the future. You two should wipe the drool from your mouths!"
"Xiao Chu, are you really a deity?"
Since returning from Yanjing, Huang Rong had been reluctant to bring up this topic. If Chu Yang were to admit it, the distance between them would be as vast as light-years.
During her time away from home, Huang Rong heard many stories of love between immortals and mortals from storytellers. The endings were mostly tragic. Although the stories always featured mortals falling in love with fairies, the reverse was probably true as well.
Thinking of these things, Huang Rong nervously clutched her clothes, her face gradually turning pale.
Mu Nianci had similar thoughts, silently looking down with a dim gaze.
Chu Yang, oblivious to their odd behavior, sprawled out on the corner cushion in a perfectly relaxed pose, yawning. "Thank you for thinking so highly of me. I wish I were a god. It's just some minor magic, nothing as powerful as you imagine—"
Huang Rong became lively again, her eyes sparkling.
Mu Nianci breathed a long sigh of relief.
Huang Rong asked curiously, "Little Chu, where did you learn your magic?"
Chu Yang knew what Huang Rong was thinking and laughed, "Don't even think about it. You can't learn it. This skill depends on your physique. Besides me, there's probably no one else in the world who can learn it."
"How could you do this!" Huang Rong was so angry that she stood up straight and started to act coquettishly, tugging at Chu Yang's sleeve.
It wasn't that Chu Yang was being secretive, but rather that he was constrained by the rules of the world.
Chu Yang is not restricted because of the Soul Palace.
After letting Huang Rong make a fuss for a while, Chu Yang reminded Mu Nianci to get going. Seeing that Chu Yang wasn't having any of it, Huang Rong knew it was really not going to work, so she sulked to herself.
The map of this world is quite bizarre. The Southern Song, Northern Song, Jin, and Liao dynasties are bordered by each other, while the Mongols and the Ming Dynasty are facing each other in a more distant place.
It also included the kingdoms of Dali, Western Xia, and Tubo.
This trip is to obtain the "Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill" from the Mongolian Tantric sect, requiring a journey through several countries in one go.
Since it was a long journey, Chu Yang naturally hoped to gain the most benefits. It would be a waste of time to only take one copy of the "Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill".
Therefore, Chu Yang's first stop was Zhongnan Mountain, located at the border between the Southern and Northern Song Dynasties.
If I remember correctly, Wang Chongyang had part of the Nine Yin Manual carved in the Tomb of the Living Dead before his death.
As for the two volumes of the Nine Yin Manual carried by Mei Chaofeng and Zhou Botong, Chu Yang chose to ignore them because it required taking a long detour.
The Song Dynasty split into the Southern Song and Northern Song Dynasties.
The territory of the Southern Song Dynasty was half the size of that of the Northern Song Dynasty, and it confronted the Jin Dynasty.
The Northern Song Dynasty had a vast territory, and the Liao Dynasty, in contrast, was also a behemoth.
The four forces are caught in a strange balance, and friction has been constant in recent years.
The Southern and Northern Song dynasties were relatively better off, as they were brothers from the same root. No matter how fierce their arguments were, they were limited to verbal battles between scholars or duels between martial arts masters.
There have never been any serious conflicts between the two countries, and they have never escalated to a confrontation between nations. In urgent situations, the two countries will even cooperate in combat to jointly defend against enemies.
The relationship between the Jin and Liao dynasties was not so friendly. If it weren't for the watchful eyes of the Northern and Southern Song dynasties, which forced them to put aside their hostility, these two generations of enemies would have already fought to the death. Cooperation would have been absolutely impossible; at most, they would have just refrained from kicking each other when they were down.
Otherwise, in terms of actual combat strength, the Jin-Liao alliance was stronger than the Northern and Southern Song dynasties.
Among the four kingdoms, the friction between the Northern Song and the Liao was extremely intense, with minor battles occurring almost every three days and major battles every five days.
The Northern Song Dynasty was often at a disadvantage, and its military strength was severely depleted.
Fortunately, the Northern Song Dynasty was full of martial arts masters, especially Qiao Feng, the leader of the Northern Bow Gang, who led his heroes to block the enemy outside the battlefield.
The disappearances or suicides of high-ranking military officials made the Liao Kingdom very wary and dared not launch a large-scale military offensive.
Chu Yang had previously heard tales of Qiao Feng's battle against Hong Qigong from storytellers in taverns, but the story was eventually dropped due to the invasion of Liao soldiers and the need to defend the border.
Staying in the small county town, far from the war, Chu Yang was unaware of the hardships of the world. But once he left the town, especially as he headed towards the border, he witnessed many unspeakable tragedies.
Although it didn't reach the level of cannibalism like the one in Toyoda, I have seen many scenes of headless corpses of children floating downstream.
Huang Rong was terribly frightened and couldn't sleep well for several days and nights, having nightmares and muttering to herself.
At this moment, Mu Nianci displayed amazing maternal radiance.
Not only did he not hold Huang Rong's previous rudeness against him against her, but he also gently comforted Huang Rong to sleep every day, and the friendship between the two was developing rapidly.
Having witnessed the sight of people's bodies submerged in rivers, no one dared to fetch water from the wild unless it was spring water from the mountains.
Chu Yang made a large water tank, used the Seamless Expansion Spell to expand the space, and then used magic to fill it with clear water.
However, this made the already crowded interior space even more cramped.
After realizing that the space was insufficient, Chu Yang felt it was necessary to improve the configuration of the carriage interior.
More importantly, sleeping is very inconvenient. Chu Yang is used to sleeping completely naked, but if there are girls next to him, he can only sleep with his clothes on.
A month and a half later, the carriage arrived at a small town at the foot of Zhongnan Mountain. The three of them found an inn in the town to rest, and Chu Yang started tinkering with the carriage in the backyard.
After further expanding the interior space, he used wood manipulation to create several rooms and added some furniture, turning the carriage into a complete "motorhome".
After resting for a night, the three bought supplies in town and set off again, entering the Zhongnan Mountains at noon.
Even the strongest sunlight shining into the towering mountains only leaves dappled shadows, adding an eerie atmosphere to the mysterious mountains.
Normally, a carriage can't travel on mountain roads, but Chu Yang knew magic and cast a levitation spell on the carriage.
Nestled among the mountains, two horses pull a floating carriage as if it were on flat ground. Coupled with Mu Nianci's stunning appearance in red, it's easy to imagine her in those well-known ghost stories.
Before they could even figure out the location of the Tomb of the Living Dead, Chu Yang and his group had already scared six or seven young Taoist priests from the Quanzhen Sect who were gathering herbs in the mountains into fainting.
"How about we find a place to stop the carriage and walk instead?" Mu Nianci suggested cautiously, worried that she might frighten people again and displease Chu Yang.
Chu Yang nodded. Anyway, they would have to get off the carriage once they found the place, since carriages couldn't enter the Tomb of the Living Dead.
The three of them got off the carriage and walked for a while, when they suddenly realized that the atmosphere around them had become gloomy and terrifying.
The sunlight barely penetrated the deep mountains; everything was shrouded in mist.
"Xiao Chu, is this 'grave of the dead' you're looking for really dangerous? If any monsters or demons jump out, you'd better protect me!"
Huang Rong nervously tugged at Chu Yang's clothes, glancing left and right as if a terrifying being might burst out of the woods at any moment.
Even the seasoned martial arts expert, Ms. Mu, followed behind Chu Yang with a look of alarm, her front foot no more than a finger's width away from his back foot.
When the traffic police arrive, they will most likely remind her to maintain a safe distance.
"Don't be so nervous, okay? You're making me nervous too!"
Chu Yang reached out and pressed his hand on their foreheads, then pushed them away in an annoyed tone. "Your reactions are no different from setting a flag in a horror movie. Usually, this is the best time for ghosts and monsters to appear and scare the audience."
The voice just fell.
A white shadow flew through the air!
Then a white streak swept across Huang Rong's face!
Huang Rong was completely stunned.
Her cherry-like lips twitched.
"A ghost!! Aaaaaah!!!"