20: Qingyang City Wu Family

“Do…do we really have to leave now?” Xiao Shaoyou’s Adam’s apple bobbed with difficulty, his fingers unconsciously clutching at the hem of his clothes, his voice trembling imperceptibly.

“Yes.” Xiao Zhuo’s heart trembled slightly, but he knew that the time for farewell had come, and there was no turning back.

The pale light of dawn at the edge of the sky stung his eyes, making them slightly sore. The crisp, cold morning dew carried the unique scent of hay and livestock from the stables, silently entering his nostrils.

The two walked in silence to the gnarled old locust tree in the corner of the courtyard.

Their chattering words scattered in the morning breeze, like fine dust.

The crisp crunch of dead leaves under their boots mingled with the sparse chirping of cicadas in the distance. Xiao Shaoyou rambled on about old times, but when he mentioned the embarrassment of being forced to kneel in the ancestral hall that year, his voice suddenly choked, and an uncontrollable sob escaped his throat.

In the end, he forced out a smile that was uglier than crying.

That night, the two found a roadside tavern and drank until the moon was high in the sky, both utterly drunk.

It wasn’t until dawn that Xiao Zhuo, carrying the snoring Xiao Shaoyou on his back, walked steadily through the quiet streets and delivered him back to his bedroom in the Xiao Residence.

Just as Xiao Zhuo tucked the brocade quilt around him, the groggy Xiao Shaoyou mumbled, “Xiao Zhuo… you’re right… a bigger fist… is the greatest truth in this world… I… can’t hide forever… Actually… you don’t know… I’ve always… treated you as a brother… Only you… never blamed me… I know… you’ve always been… protecting me…”

Xiao Zhuo’s movements paused slightly, as if something had gently touched the depths of his heart, sending ripples through it.

But he had to leave. Only by slaying all demons and acquiring Attribute Points could he grow stronger more quickly.

Strong enough to protect everything, strong enough to end this dark era of rampant demons and lives as cheap as grass!

After a brief thought, Xiao Zhuo walked to a nearby desk, dipped a brush in ink, and left a long letter.

In the letter, he earnestly encouraged Xiao Shaoyou to Cultivate the Martial Dao diligently, so that one day he could personally slay demons, avenge his mother, and break free from his Heart Demon. He also included his insights and experiences from Cultivating several martial arts, and finally, he even copied a precious copy of the Purple Extreme Burning True Method, carefully folding it.

He tucked the letter into the money pouch beside Xiao Shaoyou’s pillow and quietly exited the room.

As the morning mist drifted over the vermilion lacquered gate, Xiao Zhuo took one last look at the familiar residence, then swung himself onto the magnificent black-maned horse and galloped away.

The sound of hooves clattering, heading east.

The territory of Great Chen now only had two Prefectures: Jing Prefecture and Ji Prefecture.

Peng City, Heavenly Wolf City, and Yuji City were all in Ji Prefecture, which was suffering greatly from demon infestations.

And Xiao Zhuo’s destination for this trip—Yuyang Sect, once a top Martial Dao Sect of Great Chen—its mountain gate stood at the border between Jing Prefecture and Ji Prefecture.

Ji Prefecture, as the frontline against demons, was practically overrun with Prodigies.

Xiao Zhuo had encountered several demon attacks on his journey, all of which had turned into the numbers flickering on his panel.

Attacks mostly occurred on remote mountain paths; official roads were much safer due to army patrols and merchant caravan escorts.

Xiao Zhuo gently nudged the horse’s belly. The black-maned horse snorted out plumes of white breath, trotting along the official road in the faint morning light.

Suddenly, violent shouts and the clang of metal on metal came from the thin mist ahead!

Three blue-canopied carriages were overturned and askew in the middle of the road, completely blocking the four carriages behind them.

On the broken shafts, uncoagulated dark red blood gleamed with an eerie purplish-blue luster in the rising sun.

Beside the official road, over thirty men were fighting desperately. Twelve of them, dressed in unified dark blue tight-fitting outfits, were clearly guards.

The other twenty-odd men, dressed in rags and looking fierce, were bandits blocking the road! More than a dozen corpses already lay scattered on the roadside.

Although the bandits were numerous, their martial arts were not as skilled as those of the guards.

However, four or five archers were hidden in the bandit group, occasionally launching surprise arrows, leaving the guards struggling and their casualties increasing. Defeat was imminent!

Xiao Zhuo frowned slightly, not wanting to get involved. He spurred his horse, intending to speed past this troublesome area.

“Whoosh—!”

A cold arrow pierced the air, aimed straight at Xiao Zhuo’s back! It was one of the bandit archers, seeing him about to leave, who wanted to take him down as well!

“Hmph!”

Xiao Zhuo’s eyes suddenly sharpened, and he let out a cold snort!

He lightly slapped the saddle with one hand, and he soared into the air like a swan. The cold arrow narrowly brushed past the horse’s belly!

Landing, his toes touched the hard dirt of the official road!

“Swish—!”

A blurry afterimage instantly crossed over thirty meters, appearing ghost-like beside the archer who had fired the cold arrow!

The archer only felt his vision blur before his neck was firmly gripped by a large, iron-like hand!

He widened his eyes in terror, a suffocated “ho-ho” sound escaping his throat, too late to even beg for mercy.

“You do your robbing,” Xiao Zhuo looked at the terrified archer in his hand, his tone carrying a hint of cold regret, “I’m just a passerby. Tell me, why did you provoke me?”

“G-great hero… spare my life… a slip of the hand… it was a slip of the hand…” The archer’s face was ashen, and he pleaded incoherently.

“Too late.”

“Crack!”

A chilling crunch! The archer’s neck bone was brutally crushed, and his head slumped limply.

The sudden turn of events! The two sides fighting fiercely in the field didn’t even have time to react before one archer was already dead!

“Third Brother—!” A bald, fierce bandit, who was entangled with the guard leader, roared in grief and fury, his eyes bloodshot. He abandoned his opponent and lunged at Xiao Zhuo, brandishing a ghost-head saber!

This man’s Aura surged; he was actually a Body Tempering Martial Artist!

Since Xiao Zhuo had made his move, he had no intention of showing mercy.

He didn't even look at the charging bald man, simply pressed his palm down towards the ground!

“Boom—!”

An irresistible, invisible wave of Qi exploded outwards from the center of his palm! The violent True Essence shockwave swept through like a raging tide!

“Puff! Puff! Puff! Puff!”

The other four archers hidden nearby flew backward like scarecrows hit by a giant hammer, screaming. While still in the air, they spat out foul blood mixed with fragments of internal organs, then crashed heavily to the ground, clearly beyond saving.

The bald, fierce bandit who had been charging menacingly was so terrified by this horrifying sight that his Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering, his legs gave out, and he fell to the ground with a “thud,” sliding by inertia directly to Xiao Zhuo’s feet!

“M-my lord, spare me…” The bald man was utterly terrified, wailing and begging for mercy with snot and tears streaming down his face.

A cold glint flashed in Xiao Zhuo’s eyes. He raised his foot, and brought it down!

“Pfft!”

Like crushing a ripe berry! The bald man’s head instantly burst open, splattering red and white matter everywhere!

Xiao Zhuo disgustedly shook off the filth clinging to his boots, his cold gaze sweeping over the remaining bandits who were already scared stiff.

“Clang!” “Clatter…”

The sound of weapons falling to the ground rang out in unison! The remaining bandits trembled like sieves, falling to their knees and kowtowing frantically.

Xiao Zhuo’s gaze shifted to the startled merchant guards, his tone indifferent: “These people, I leave them to your disposal.”

The guard leader, a resolute middle-aged man, suppressed the shock in his heart and quickly stepped forward, cupping his fists, his voice filled with the excitement and reverence of having escaped death: “Many thanks to Young Hero for your great kindness in saving our lives!”

Xiao Zhuo nodded slightly, said no more, turned, and walked through the crowd back to his black-maned horse, swiftly mounting it.

“Young Hero, wait! Young Hero, please wait!” A slightly hurried voice sounded from behind him.

A slightly stout middle-aged merchant, dressed in a cyan silk gown, trotted over, his face filled with grateful yet shrewd smiles.

“What is it?” Xiao Zhuo reined in his horse, looking down at him with a distant expression.

The merchant rubbed his hands, his smile widening: “My humble name is Wu Youqian, Manager Wu of the Wu Family business in Qingyang City. This time, it’s all thanks to Young Hero’s righteous intervention, saving us from dire straits. I’ve come specifically to express my gratitude!”

As he spoke, he pulled out a silver note from his In my arms and respectfully offered it with both hands: “A small token of my appreciation, I hope Young Hero will accept it!”

Xiao Zhuo glanced at it; the silver note was for a thousand taels!

His generosity was quite impressive.

But he did not take it. Money, to him, was far less important than strength.

He had already seen that Manager Wu’s request was not merely for thanks.

Indeed, seeing Xiao Zhuo unmoved, a hint of awkwardness flashed across Wu Youqian’s face, which he quickly replaced with an even more earnest smile: “Young Hero is of noble character, so this old man won’t beat around the bush. May I ask where Young Hero intends to go? I wonder… I wonder if it would be possible for you to escort us for a while on your way to Qingyang City? In the recent battle, our guards suffered heavy losses, and the road ahead… is truly worrying.”

“Qingyang City?” Xiao Zhuo’s heart stirred.

The name quickly matched the map information he had previously memorized in his mind—Qingyang City was the closest major town of Great Chen to Yuyang Sect!

If he wanted to infiltrate Yuyang Sect to inquire about the lower part of the Nine Revolutions Profound Essence Art, this Wu Family of Qingyang City, a local power, might just be the perfect stepping stone that had presented itself.

Thoughts raced through his mind, but Xiao Zhuo’s expression remained calm. He simply spoke lightly: “Elaborate.”

“Ah! Good! Good!” Wu Youqian was overjoyed to hear Xiao Zhuo’s tone soften. He quickly moved half a step closer and deliberately lowered his voice, his peripheral vision swiftly glancing at the delicate carriage with crimson gauze curtains in the center of the caravan. “To be frank with Young Hero, my Young Miss is also in the caravan, and this trip is to return to Qingyang City. In the recent bandit attack, the guards suffered heavy casualties, and the Young Miss’s safety… is truly… Therefore, I boldly implore Young Hero to escort us for a section of the journey. As for remuneration, everything is negotiable…”

Xiao Zhuo looked in the direction he indicated.

Just then, a gentle breeze blew, lifting a corner of the crimson gauze curtain.

Through the gap in the curtain, a beautiful and peerless profile was revealed.

The bright moon earrings beside the Young Miss’s ears glittered with a soft glow as the carriage swayed slightly. Her gaze, as it shifted, seemed to gather the morning glow from the horizon into her eyes.

But the moment her gaze met Xiao Zhuo’s searching eyes, she quickly lowered her head like a startled deer. A silk handkerchief embroidered with twin lotuses in her hand was unconsciously twisted by her slender fingers, crumpling into a ball.

“Money is not necessary.” Xiao Zhuo withdrew his gaze, his palm casually stroking the black-maned horse’s sleek mane. “When we reach Qingyang City, I’ll need the Wu Family to help me with a small favor.”

A sharp glint suddenly lit up in Wu Youqian’s eyes, and his face instantly broke into a merchant’s characteristic, warmly enthusiastic yet utterly confident smile: “Hahaha! Young Hero, rest assured! Once we reach Qingyang City, no matter what Young Hero commands, my Wu Family can still have a say in a few things!”