"Um... sir, this humble scholar is weak, and with this torrential rain, the road is difficult to travel. I wonder..."
Who cared whether he was "traveling on foot" or "Xia Hou"? When he could hitch a ride, who wanted to walk? Ji Ning was filled with resentment toward his current identity as a powerless scholar.
"No!"
Swordsman Xia Hou, the "Number One Sword Under Heaven," shot Ji Ning a cold glance and shook his head. "Taking you along would just be a burden."
"Uh?"
Ji Ning stood there dumbfounded.
Fine, that reason was too powerful. He had no comeback at all!
The fine horse galloped away, and Swordsman Xia Hou sat tall in the saddle, his straight back like a sharp sword.
"That's too much! That's way too much!"
Ji Ning glared gloomily at Swordsman Xia Hou's retreating figure and stomped his foot fiercely. "If I hadn't lost my power, would I need your help?"
His plan to hitch a ride had failed, so Ji Ning could only shoulder his book chest and trudge onward, one deep step and one shallow step at a time.
The rain poured down in sheets, mist filling the air. The post road beneath his feet gradually turned muddy, making Ji Ning's journey even harder.
"Kill!"
"Kill!"
After another hour of walking, the downpour finally stopped. But... the sounds of battle unexpectedly came from a mountain pass ahead.
"A gentleman does not stand beneath a crumbling wall! I'm no longer a Purple Mansion cultivator. I'm just a powerless scholar."
Seeing this, Ji Ning hurriedly slipped into the forest beside the post road.
"Hey! Don't come over here. Hide on the other side!"
The moment he entered the woods, Ji Ning suddenly heard a low shout from nearby.
"Uh? Someone's here?"
Ji Ning's heart skipped a