Blood Robed Marquis?? What Kind of Ancient Fantasy-Style Nickname Is That?! (Pained Expression)

"Ow..."

Liang Fa was so startled that his feet suddenly slipped.

His arms flailed wildly in midair.

Fortunately, Ji Boying acted in time, lightly catching him by the collar and lifting him off the slippery steps, leaving him dangling in the air.

Paired with Liang Fa's thick padded clothes, it was as if he had effortlessly picked up a bear.

"Junior Disciple Brother, you nearly scared me to death."

Liang Fa looked at the steep stone stairs, still shaken by the close call.

"How can you blame me? It can only be blamed on your shallow skills, Senior Brother. Falling off a cliff on your own Mount Hua—you'd become the laughingstock of the entire martial world."

Ji Boying felt rather helpless.

But he had to admit that Mount Hua's paths had always been perilous, and after snow, they became even harder to travel.

It was a challenge for all the disciples of Mount Hua.

Liang Fa looked with both envy and admiration at his tall, lightly dressed Junior Disciple Brother.

It was already the depths of winter, and the mountain was even colder than below, yet his Junior Disciple Brother still wore only the clothes he had put on at the start of autumn.

Clearly, his internal energy had reached a level where he feared neither heat nor cold.

Especially when his Junior Disciple Brother lay so freely atop Chaoyang Peak on that icy stone platform in such thin clothing—it left Liang Fa deeply awed.

"Comparisons really can infuriate people. How can ordinary folk like us possibly compare to you, Junior Disciple Brother? Hurry up, there are guests on the mountain. They specifically asked to see you."

"See me? My family's troubles have all been settled. I have no relatives, no friends, and I've never gone down the mountain. Who could possibly know me?"

Ji Boying was full of doubt, unable to make sense of it.

"Come to think of it, it is strange. They seem to be from Fujian. An Escort Leader came carrying box after box, with many gifts."

Hearing Liang Fa say this, Ji Boying immediately thought of a major escort agency in Fujian.

Wasn't it the Fuwei Escort Agency, the one that could not avoid its fate before this jianghu story even began?

But what connection did he have with the Fuwei Escort Agency? Why did they want to see him?

"Forget an Escort Leader—even my entire family had never been to Fujian. What old acquaintance or family connection could we possibly have there?"

Ji Boying continued asking.

Liang Fa shook his head.

"Then I don't know. But those people seem quite polite. Mount Hua's paths are so difficult, yet they carried so many boxes of gifts up here. It's only the hour of the dragon, and they've already reached our mountain."

"Master has always valued propriety. Since they've been so courteous, we can't neglect them either. Let's hurry. It'll take at least half an hour to get down from the middle of Chaoyang Peak."

Liang Fa was dressed in bulky layers, and with the thick snow making the road slippery, a place like Mount Hua was truly difficult to traverse.

Putting himself in their shoes, he knew how much effort that Escort Leader must have spent. He had likely begun climbing the mountain at the hour of the tiger.

Who knew how many times he had fallen along the way? No wonder Master had been so courteous. As soon as they asked to see Junior Disciple Brother, he had sent Liang Fa to fetch him.

"Why worry about neglecting them? Senior Brother, you're too slow like this. Come, I'll take you."

The moment Ji Boying spoke, before Liang Fa could respond, he grabbed one of his arms.

"Hey... hey... Junior Disciple Brother..."

Liang Fa was suddenly yanked forward and shuddered in fright.

But just as he tried to speak, the howling cold wind filled his mouth and forced his words back down.

Ji Boying lightly held Liang Fa by the arm. Liang Fa did not even dare resist, afraid that the slightest mishap would cause trouble.

Even if he wanted to resist, he could not stir up the slightest trouble in Ji Boying's grasp.

Ji Boying merely extended one hand and lifted Liang Fa, a burly man weighing nearly two hundred jin.

His arm was as steady as if forged from steel and iron, without the slightest tremor in the howling wind.

Holding Liang Fa, he leaped down from the stone steps.

Several dozen steps and several zhang of distance—he jumped straight down just like that.

It felt like bungee jumping. The fierce cold wind blew upward, distorting Liang Fa's plump face.

Liang Fa's terrified cries rang out without end, his screams echoing across Chaoyang Peak.

His face had gone pale with fright, his eyes wide with terror.

What swept past his ears on both sides was not only the whistling wind, but also the sheer, bottomless cliffs.

Ordinary people would descend one step at a time with utmost care, afraid that one slip would send them tumbling down the cliff.

Who would jump straight down the steep stone stairs along a cliff like Ji Boying?

One careless misstep, even two or three inches off, and the result would be utter destruction.

Not to mention that Ji Boying was jumping like this while carrying a grown man in one hand.

That was why masters were bold.

Ji Boying's expression remained calm throughout.

He let the cold wind howl past his ears, tossing a few strands of his hair and making his thin robes snap loudly.

At times, a single leap took him several zhang and dozens, even hundreds, of steps down.

Yet the wet, slippery stone stairs did not hinder Ji Boying in the slightest.

With only a light tap of his toes against the steps, Ji Boying redirected his force and leaped down once more.

His robes fluttered, his posture carefree. He truly looked like a wild goose soaring through the sky, an immortal descending into the mortal world.

What terrified Liang Fa was effortless for Ji Boying—far easier than climbing the mountain.

When jumping down, the earth's pull naturally aided him.

Ji Boying merely had to let his body fall naturally, then circulate his energy lightly upon landing before leaping down again.

Climbing up, on the other hand, required him to maintain his lightness skill the entire time and exert force upward constantly to break free of the earth's restraint.

In the span of only a few breaths, Liang Fa felt as though more time had passed than in all his years of life. It was as if he could see the end of his life at a glance.

Only when the wind at his ears finally subsided and his feet felt solid ground beneath them did Liang Fa seem to awaken from a dream. His feet felt like they were stepping on cotton, his legs trembling so badly that he could not move.

His large hands clutched Ji Boying's robe. Only after a long while did color return to his face. Though his feet were still shaking, he had recovered his senses.

He faced Ji Boying with an unexpectedly flustered expression.

After waiting for quite some time, he finally spoke.

"That was... amazing! Junior Disciple Brother, let's do it again sometime!"

Liang Fa's eyes gleamed. His reaction left Ji Boying somewhere between laughter and tears, so he could only pat his broad shoulder and swiftly take him toward the House of Non-Action.

Before long, they had reached the entrance.

After setting down Liang Fa, who was still immersed in the thrill, Ji Boying saw his master, Yue Buqun, chatting cheerfully with a middle-aged Escort Leader.

Before Ji Boying could speak, the Escort Leader had already spotted him. He hurriedly rose from his chair and came forward with both hands outstretched, greeting him warmly.

"Oh my! I've finally met the Blood Robed Marquis! What a young hero—truly extraordinary in bearing!"

??????

Blood Robed Marquis?

Was he talking about him?

What kind of ancient fantasy-style nickname was that?!