52: You even gave me Huang Rong's socks? That's nostalgia!

Inside the room on the second floor of the Inn, Xie Hui had just taken off his wet shoes when he smelled a faint scent of fresh grass—not the smell of wild grass outside the window, but something drifting over from Huang Rong's side. He turned his head and saw Huang Rong sitting at the table, holding a pair of pale green socks. Her fingertips were pinching the lace trim at the cuff, and her earlobes were flushed red, as if she were pondering some difficult problem.

"What's wrong? Are the socks torn?" Xie Hui leaned over, only to discover that the socks were freshly washed. The fabric was soft, and a tiny lotus flower was embroidered on the toe, the stitches incredibly fine.

Huang Rong was startled by him, the socks nearly falling onto the table. She hurriedly hid them behind her back, stubbornly saying, "Who... who let you peek! I was just checking if the socks were dry."

Xie Hui raised an eyebrow, teasing her on purpose: "Oh? I thought I saw a lotus flower on the toe just now. You embroidered it yourself, right? I didn't expect our Young Miss Huang to be so skilled at needlework; it looks even better than the cross-stitch my mom does."

As soon as these words were out, Huang Rong's face turned even redder, as if smeared with rouge. She glared at Xie Hui, but took the socks from behind her back and awkwardly handed them to him: "Here... for you! When we were walking in the stream yesterday, I saw your socks were soaked through. Your feet must have been frozen. You wear this pair first."

Xie Hui was stunned. Looking at the socks that still carried a hint of residual warmth, he suddenly realized—Huang Rong must have worn these, otherwise they wouldn't fit her size so perfectly. And that faint scent of fresh grass was the soapberry scent she often used. He was about to take them, but remembering something, he deliberately furrowed his brows: "Aren't these socks too small? My feet are a size bigger than yours. If I put them on, won't the lotus turn into a morning glory?"

"You're the one who'll turn into a morning glory!" Huang Rong was so angry she reached out and pinched his arm, "These socks are cotton and have elasticity! I specifically chose a loose style. If you don't wear them, I'm throwing them away!"

As she spoke, she made a gesture to throw them out the window. Xie Hui hurriedly caught them and said with a grin, "Don't throw them, don't throw them! Such good-looking socks, it would be a shame to throw them away. I'll wear them, I'll wear them, alright?"

He held the socks while thinking—this girl is sharp-tongued, but she really cares about people. Just as he was about to put them on his feet, he suddenly heard a commotion downstairs, followed by the sound of tables being overturned, and then the Waiter's cries: "Spare me, Guest! We really haven't seen any guest who knows the Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms!"

Xie Hui and Huang Rong exchanged a look, both seeing vigilance in the other's eyes. Xie Hui quickly stuffed the socks into his inner universe and said to Huang Rong, "Stay in the room, don't come out. I'll go down and take a look."

"No, I'm going with you!" Huang Rong immediately stood up and grabbed the dog beating staff from the table—Seventh Hero Hong had lent her the staff to play with yesterday and she hadn't returned it yet.

The two quietly went downstairs and hid at the staircase to look out. They saw a dozen or so Jin Soldiers surrounding the Waiter. The leader was none other than Ouyang Ke, who had been beaten away yesterday. He was toying with a folding fan, his face twisted in a sinister smile: "If you tell the truth, I'll spare you. If you dare to lie to me, I'll tear this Inn down!"

The Waiter was trembling all over, tears almost streaming down: "There really isn't any! Some guests did check in yesterday, but they didn't say they knew any palm techniques!"

Ouyang Ke snorted coldly and raised his hand to strike the Waiter. Xie Hui suddenly walked out from the staircase and said with a smile, "Young Master Ouyang, why such a temper? Isn't it me you're looking for? I'm right here."

When Ouyang Ke saw Xie Hui, his eyes lit up instantly. He waved his hand, letting the Jin Soldiers block the entrance of the Inn, then said to Xie Hui, "Kid, I didn't expect you to dare to show your face! You beat me yesterday, and today I'll make you pay the price!"

Xie Hui shrugged, looking indifferent: "Just relying on these subordinates of yours? Haven't you been beaten enough yesterday? Do you want to try my Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms again?"

Saying that, he deliberately struck the opening Move of "Arrogant Dragon Regrets," scaring the Jin Soldiers into taking a step back. Ouyang Ke's face sank. He pulled a black whistle from his chest and blew it; the sharp whistle pierced the sky.

Not long after, the sound of horse hooves came from outside the Inn. A dozen Jin Soldiers on horseback rushed in, holding bows and arrows, aiming them at Xie Hui: "Don't Move! Move again and we'll shoot!"

Huang Rong hurriedly ran out from the staircase and stood beside Xie Hui, gripping the dog beating staff tightly: "Xie Hui, be careful!"

Xie Hui patted her hand to signal her not to worry, then said to Ouyang Ke, "You really have skills, being able to mobilize cavalry. However, do you think you can catch me like this?"

Ouyang Ke laughed triumphantly: "Otherwise? Even if you know the Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms, you can't block arrows, right? Today, I'm going to take you and these three girls back and let the Prince deal with you properly!"

Just then, Seventh Hero Hong suddenly rushed in from outside, holding a chicken leg bone he had just finished gnawing on, and threw it at the Jin Soldiers: "What a nerve, Ouyang Ke! Daring to use bows and arrows to bully the younger generation, this Old Beggar thinks you're tired of living!"

The Jin Soldiers were hit by the chicken leg bone and immediately fell into chaos. Seventh Hero Hong took the opportunity to rush to Xie Hui's side and said to him, "Kid, come with me! There are horses at the back door, let's leave here first!"

Xie Hui nodded, took Huang Rong's hand, and ran towards the back door following Seventh Hero Hong. Ouyang Ke shouted angrily, "Chase them! Don't let them run!"

The Jin Soldiers hurriedly chased after them, but Seventh Hero Hong and Xie Hui ran extremely fast and soon rushed out of the Inn's back door. Sure enough, there were a few horses tied outside the back door, which they had specifically tied there yesterday. Xie Hui helped Huang Rong onto a horse and mounted one himself. Seventh Hero Hong also mounted a horse, and the three of them ran towards the outside of the city.

Ouyang Ke led the Jin Soldiers in pursuit. Seeing them riding horses away, he hurriedly mounted a horse and followed: "Don't let them run! There's a reward for catching them!"

The group rode their horses, galloping on the official road. Xie Hui looked back; the Jin Soldiers were still in hot pursuit and getting closer. He was anxious, suddenly remembering that the Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms he copied yesterday had another Move, "Dense Clouds No Rain," which could use palm wind to interfere with enemies.

He reined in his horse, turned to face the pursuing Jin Soldiers, and pushed out a palm. The palm wind whistled past, kicking up dust from the ground and blinding the Jin Soldiers. The Jin Soldiers were scared and hurriedly stopped their horses, rubbing their eyes, unable to continue the chase for a moment.

"Run!" Xie Hui shouted, quickly riding his horse to catch up with Seventh Hero Hong and Huang Rong, and the three continued to run forward.

After running for about an hour, they finally shook off the Jin Soldiers. The three found a hidden forest and stopped to rest. Huang Rong jumped off the horse, exhausted, leaning against a tree, panting and saying, "That scared me to death. We were almost caught by them just now."

Xie Hui walked over and handed her a waterskin: "Don't worry, we're safe now. Thanks to Seventh Master just now, otherwise we really wouldn't have been able to escape."

Seventh Hero Hong took a sip of water and smiled, "No need to thank me. If you didn't know the Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms, we wouldn't have been able to shake them off so quickly. By the way, kid, how is your practice of the 'Flying Dragon in the Sky' I taught you yesterday? Do you want to practice it again?"

Xie Hui nodded, "Sure, I'd like to get more familiar with it anyway."

The two walked to an open space in the forest, and Seventh Hero Hong began to demonstrate the Move of "Flying Dragon in the Sky," while Xie Hui followed along. Huang Rong sat on the side, watching Xie Hui practice martial arts, the corners of her mouth unable to help but curl up slightly. She thought about the socks she gave Xie Hui, wondering if he would wear them, and felt a little nervous.

After practicing for about an hour, Xie Hui could already skillfully execute "Flying Dragon in the Sky." Seventh Hero Hong nodded with satisfaction, "Not bad, not bad, you learn really fast! At this rate, it won't be long before you can learn the entire set of the Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms."

Xie Hui smiled and was about to speak when he suddenly heard the sound of horse hooves outside the forest. His face changed, and he said to Seventh Hero Hong and Huang Rong, "Not good, the Jin Soldiers might have caught up! Let's leave quickly!"

The three immediately mounted their horses and ran deep into the forest. They hadn't run far when a small river suddenly appeared in front, the water rushing, and there was no bridge. Xie Hui took a look and said to the two, "Let's go through the river; this way we can cover our hoof prints and keep them from finding us."

The three rode their horses and carefully entered the river. The water was icy, making Huang Rong shiver. Xie Hui quickly slowed down to let her follow behind him. Seventh Hero Hong walked in front, probing the way to avoid hidden reefs.

After crossing the river, the three continued to run forward until they could no longer hear the sound of horse hooves before they stopped to rest. Huang Rong jumped off the horse, rubbing her frozen red feet, and complained, "This river water is too cold, my feet are almost frozen off."

Xie Hui squatted down, held her feet, and helped her rub them, "Stop complaining, it's good that we're safe now. By the way, I haven't had a chance to wear the socks you gave me yet. Let's find a place later, and I'll try them on to see if they fit."

Huang Rong's face turned red instantly. She hurriedly pulled her feet back and glared at Xie Hui, "Who wants you to wear them! Wear them or not, I don't care!"

Xie Hui looked at her shy appearance and couldn't help but laugh, "Alright, alright, I'll wear them, I'll wear them, okay? However, if your socks are too small and cramp my feet, you'll have to be responsible."

"You deserve it!" Huang Rong finished, turned, and walked to the side, but the corners of her mouth couldn't help but curl up slightly.

Seventh Hero Hong watched the two flirting, smiled and shook his head, and walked to the side to check the surrounding environment. He found a Ruined Temple not far away and said to the two, "There is a Ruined Temple ahead, let's go there and rest for the night, and continue our journey tomorrow."

The three walked to the Ruined Temple. It was full of dust and spider webs, and a few mice were running around in the corners. Huang Rong frowned in disgust, "It's too dirty here, how can we live here?"

Xie Hui said with a smile, "Don't be picky, it's not bad to have a place to stay. I'll go pick up some firewood and build a fire. It can keep us warm and drive away the mice."

He walked out of the Ruined Temple to pick up firewood nearby. Huang Rong and Seventh Hero Hong cleaned up the temple, clearing a clean space. Before long, Xie Hui returned with a large pile of firewood and started a fire.

The firelight illuminated the Ruined Temple and dispelled the cold. The three sat around the fire, eating the dry rations they carried. Xie Hui thought of the socks Huang Rong gave him, took them out from his inner universe, and smiled, "I'll try them on now to see if they fit."

He took off his shoes and put the socks on his feet. The socks were indeed a good fit and very warm. A faint scent of fresh grass lingered at the tip of his nose, making his heart feel warm. He lifted his feet and said to Huang Rong, "Look, they fit well, right? And they're very warm. Thank you, Huang Rong."

Huang Rong looked at the socks on his feet, a smile appeared on her face, but she said stubbornly, "Who wants your thanks! I just saw that you were pitiful, so I gave them to you."

Xie Hui smiled and didn't expose her. Seventh Hero Hong looked at the two and smiled, "You two, you really are a lively pair. Alright, it's getting late, let's rest early, we still have to travel tomorrow."

The three lay down by the fire and gradually fell asleep. But they didn't know that Ouyang Ke hadn't given up. He was taking the Jin Soldiers, searching everywhere nearby, swearing to find them and take revenge. And a greater danger was quietly approaching them.