Escaping Danger by Way of the Li River

What are you afraid of?

Not long after they left the canyon, Qin Ming noticed that the two goddesses looked a little off, with a hint of fear and panic flashing in their eyes from time to time.

"N-nothing... it's nothing."

Although Wan'er tried her best to hide it, Qin Ming still saw through her nervousness.

"Did your master discover that you ran away?"

Qin Ming suddenly asked.

Wan'er's body stiffened suddenly; she hadn't expected anyone to be so clever.

"Looks like I guessed right."

Qin Ming's face was cold. He grabbed the head of the white-clad female Ling'er, and unleashed a Fire Poison Power. The ghost's entire face was engulfed in terrifying flames, sizzling as it burned. Ling'er screamed in pain, scratching her face wildly with both hands and kicking her long, slender legs erratically.

"I'll talk, I'll talk! It's because we ran away before, so the Master set up a barrier around the canyon. He can sense us as soon as we leave the canyon."

Wan'er's voice was trembling with tears, "I've told you everything, please let go of my sister."

Are you deliberately keeping quiet to get me killed?

Qin Ming slammed the Red-Clad Female Ghost to the ground with a single palm strike, but he only used a fraction of his strength.

The Red-Clad Female Ghost cannot die yet.

"Lead the way!"

Qin Ming said coldly.

Half an hour later, a figure moved through the forest like a monkey, leaping several feet away with each light touch of the ground, its movements graceful and light, like a dragonfly skimming the water.

"This Water-Walking skill is truly extraordinary!"

Qin Ming thought to himself.

He was now using a lightness skill selected from the black-robed man's collection of martial arts techniques.

Lightness skill (轻功) also belongs to the category of movement-based martial arts, but its function is only one-dimensional.

On the road.

With a large number of Free Attribute Points at his disposal, Qin Ming unhesitatingly leveled up his lightness skill "Water-Walking" to the Perfection Realm.

Upon reaching the Perfection Realm, Qin Ming instantly mastered the "Water-Walking" technique. He treated the forest as a body of water, and with a light step on a fallen leaf, the leaf rippled as if on water. Qin Ming, as light as a feather, quickly darted several feet away.

When faced with a steep slope or cliff, Qin Ming used the "Ladder Cloud Vertical" technique, taking several steps in succession, rising higher and higher without slowing down, and quickly soaring through the air.

How much further ahead is it?

Qin Ming asked.

"Just two more hills and it'll be fine."

The voice of Wan'er, the Red-Clad Female Ghost, rang in Qin Ming's ears.

Two female ghosts were attached to the strands of hair behind Qin Ming's ears.

Just then, Qin Ming sensed a terrifying aura rapidly approaching from the dense forest behind him.

"It's Master! He's coming!"

Wan'er's voice was filled with extreme terror.

The last time she tried to escape, she was caught and tortured for a whole month; the memory still makes her shudder.

Qin Ming's eyes were serious as he charged forward with all his might.

The man in black robes was Bright Strength expert. Although he had broken through to the Bone Refining Realm and Perfect Mastery the Pure Yang Art, his true strength was at most comparable to the Blood Refining Realm, and he was no match for Bright Strength expert!

If we are caught, we will surely die!

Qin Ming looked at the remaining three martial arts manuals.

Two manuals on Horizontal Training Martial Arts, and one manual on throwing darts.

"Fill it all up!"

Qin Ming muttered to himself.

Every bit of strength we gain now means a greater chance of survival.

As the three cultivation techniques were completed Perfect Mastery after another, Qin Ming felt his whole body subtly boiling.

"Leopard Bear Strength," "Iron Head Skill," and "Swallow Flying Daggers"

The "Leopard Bear Strength" is somewhat similar to the "Savage Bull Strength" of the Weiyuan Escort Agency. After practicing it, the muscles all over the body bulge high, the body becomes bigger, and the body is covered with black hair. Only after reaching Perfect Mastery will it return to its original appearance.

"Iron Head Skill" and "Iron Crotch Art" are somewhat similar, except one trains the large head and the other trains the small head.

After Perfect Mastery the Iron Head Skill, Qin Ming felt a tingling sensation on his scalp, as if an electric current was running through it, and his strength also increased significantly.

"Swallow Flying Daggers" is a rare throwing dart martial art. After Perfect Mastery, Qin Ming could casually pluck a leaf and accurately hit an ant dozens of meters away.

Moreover, Qin Ming discovered that after Perfect Mastery "Swallow Flying Daggers," his control over subtle forces had become much stronger.

In the blink of an eye, Qin Ming swiftly climbed over the two mountains.

The Ladder Cloud Vertical Leap was of great help to Qin Ming, as it could not stop him in some treacherous places.

After crossing two mountains, a breathtaking view suddenly opened up before us.

As far as the eye can see, there is a lush, vibrant forest, and further away, a large river.

The great river flows from east to west, its waters surging and magnificent, rushing onward as far as the eye can see.

Further away, a straight and wide official road can be clearly seen.

Without a second thought, Qin Ming immediately dashed down the mountain.

His method was simple and brutal: he jumped directly from the mountaintop to the foot of the mountain, and then used the Ladder Cloud Vertical Leap technique to slow down midway before finally landing with a thud.

However, doing so also put a tremendous strain on Qin Ming's body, especially the sudden stop in mid-air, which caused great damage to his Five Viscera and Six Bowels. Blood quickly flowed from Qin Ming's seven orifices, winding down like small snakes.

"Hateful!!"

The man in black robes watched helplessly from behind, letting out a powerless roar.

He was Bright Strength expert, faster than Qin Ming, but Qin Ming had mastered several movement techniques, allowing him to move through the complex forest as if it were flat ground, and leap through the air to quickly cross dangerous terrain, thus widening the distance between them.

When he finally caught up, Qin Ming jumped off the mountaintop.

The man in black robes was so angry that his vision blurred, but he dared not jump. His body was riddled with holes and emitted a strong stench of decay; he feared that he would shatter into pieces the moment he hit the ground.

"Boom!"

A large crater was created in the ground, with rubble flying everywhere and dust filling the air. A large hand, covered in dust and blood, clung tightly to the roots of an old tree at the edge of the crater, struggling to climb out.

"Cough cough."

Qin Ming coughed up blood, and his pupils suddenly contracted as he looked at the black-robed man who was almost halfway up the mountain.

There was no time; he had to leave quickly.

"Go to the river! Once you jump in, he won't be able to sense you!"

Ling'er suddenly spoke up to remind her.

"Sister, how did you know?"

Wan'er looked surprised.

Without time to ask any more questions, Qin Ming gritted his teeth and stood up.

Now that he had no other choice but to try anything, he quickly composed himself and ran wildly towards the river.

"Stop right there!"

The man in black robes immediately panicked.

Seeing the black-robed man's appearance, Qin Ming felt more confident; it seemed Ling'er was telling the truth.

Qin Ming sped up, rushing to the riverbank without stopping. Without the slightest hesitation, he plunged in and disappeared completely.

"Qin Ming!!"

The man in black robes roared, and the ghostly energy within his body transformed into a gigantic ghostly hand ten feet in size, which he slammed onto the surface of the river.

With a deafening roar, waves dozens of feet high surged up on the river, but Qin Ming was nowhere to be seen, as if he had vanished into thin air.

The man in black robes looked at the surging river, his face showing hesitation, and ultimately he didn't dare to go down.

This month happens to be the River God's foraging season. If I go down there, I will soon be discovered by the river River God and become River God food.

He was still unwilling to give up and chased downstream along the riverbank, but after following for dozens of miles, he still couldn't find a trace of anyone.

"You little brat, don't let me catch you again!!"

The man in black robes gritted his teeth in hatred but had no choice but to give up.

He turned and left quickly.

After a short while, he silently reappeared at the spot where he had been standing. After carefully examining the area and finding no trace of Qin Ming, he cursed under his breath and left.

After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, he reappeared in the same spot.

An hour later, he reappeared.

Three hours later, the man in black robes surveyed his surroundings with a gloomy expression, then turned and left.

Five hours later, six hours later...

The man in black robes reappeared, like a ghost.

After confirming once again that Qin Ming had left, the man in black robes reluctantly departed.

He returned to the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, only to find the Ghost Furnace reduced to rubble and his collection destroyed. The black-robed man was so enraged he nearly Deviation and Demonic Possession.

"You little beast! I'm going to kill you! Kill you!!"

The man in black robes was enveloped in billowing Ghost Fog, from which countless Ghost Fog Ghost Entity appeared, emitting bursts of ghostly wails and howls.

The next day, at dawn.

On the Li River, a small fishing boat drifts downstream.

The boatman was an old man with white hair, wearing only a pair of coarse cloth shorts, revealing his strong and lean upper body.

At the bow of the ship, Qin Ming sat cross-legged, his gaze fixed on the distant city, his eyes deep and thoughtful, as if he had something on his mind.

Grandpa, the fish soup is ready.

A girl who looked to be about seven years old stepped out of the cabin.

The little girl has a baby face, big, dark eyes, a pert nose, and red lips—a typical beauty. In a few years, she will surely blossom into a stunningly beautiful woman.

Her name is Xiangxiang. She is the granddaughter of an old boatman. The two of them depend on each other for survival, making a living by fishing on the Li River. They eat and sleep on the boat every day.

"Xiangxiang, first serve your benefactor a bowl of fish soup."

The old boatman laughed.

"Okay."

Xiangxiang was quick and efficient; she turned around, ladled out a bowl of fish soup, and served it to Qin Ming.

The fish soup was milky white, with a few chopped scallions floating on top.

Thank you.

Qin Ming took the fish soup and drank it all in one gulp.

The fish soup had a faint fishy smell, mixed with a hint of scallion aroma.

"My benefactor, how are you?"

Xiangxiang stared with her dark eyes, like black gemstones, her gaze filled with undisguised anticipation.

"It tastes good."

Qin Ming laughed

"Yay! Grandpa, did you hear that? My benefactor praised me!"

Xiangxiang was so excited that she danced around.

Seeing this scene, Qin Ming couldn't help but recall the terrifying experience of last night.

That is what the old boatman later referred to as --

River God.

Qin Ming jumped into the Li River yesterday to escape the pursuit of the men in black robes.

However, the man in black robes was relentlessly pursuing him, so Qin Ming had no choice but to dive underwater and use the current to his advantage.

They only dared to show their faces again after the man in black robes left.

It was already late at night, and the surroundings were pitch black. The river water was icy cold. Qin Ming wanted to swim to the shore, but the river water suddenly began to swirl around him, as if a huge creature was stirring up the bottom of the river.

Not only that, the previously calm river surface suddenly began to churn, with countless Silverfish leaping out of the water and scrambling to escape. This bizarre scene immediately alerted Qin Ming.

The mountains are teeming with Ghost Entity, and the waters are no exception.

Without a second thought, Qin Ming immediately sped up, wanting to get ashore.

To his surprise, a strange force in the water greatly slowed him down, and combined with the force of the whirlpool on the surface, Qin Ming's speed almost came to a standstill.

Just then, a small fishing boat that had gone out to sea late at night was sucked into the whirlpool and was swept uncontrollably toward the center of the river.

Qin Ming seized the opportunity, his terrifying Fire Poison covering his entire palm. He suddenly slapped the water's surface, using the recoil to forcefully escape from the water.

Qin Ming then used his lightness skill to Water-Walking, making it feel like flat ground, and finally landed on the small fishing boat.

Strangely enough, the eerie suction disappeared after leaving the river.

Qin Ming sat at the stern, striking out with both palms in quick succession, using the powerful recoil to quickly pull the small fishing boat away from the center of the whirlpool.

Qin Ming thus became known as the savior of the grandfather and grandson.

Just as he was about to escape the vortex, Qin Ming turned around and saw a scene that shocked him to his core.

At the center of the vortex was the enormous maw of a colossal creature!

As the whirlpool spun wildly, countless Silverfish fell into it.

"The River God! It's the River God!"

The old boatman knelt at the bow of the boat and kowtowed repeatedly.

"River God?"

This was the first time Qin Ming had ever heard of the concept of River God.

A few breaths later, the enormous creature seemed to have eaten and drunk its fill, and slowly sank to the bottom of the water.

Qin Ming secretly memorized the location.

"My benefactor."

The old boatman walked over, interrupting Qin Ming's thoughts.

"When we arrive at the Desolate City, please don't leave yet, my benefactor. Let my grandfather and I do our best to be good hosts."

"Big brother, is it okay?"

"Certainly."

Qin Ming smiled slightly and looked towards the large city on the distant shore.

That place was Desolate City.

When they parted last time, he and his Martial Uncle made a promise that if he didn't return within three days, they would meet again in the Desolate City.

"Embroiderer, Senior Sister, I've come to find you."