Ginger Is Still Old and Spicy!

The two slipped out of the courtyard like a gust of wind, using their Movement Technique to dash southward. Only when they were far from the small yard did Lu Chen speak:

"Rong'er, my swimming's mediocre at best. I doubt I could make it across a river like this..."

Huang Rong grinned:

"No worries, I'll teach you a few tricks on the water. With your Internal Energy, you'll pick it up in no time."

The thrill of escaping from under her father's nose made her feel like a bird freed from its cage. Her cheeks flushed, and her voice brimmed with lighthearted pride.

Lu Chen nodded without another word, pouring all his effort into his Movement Technique to keep pace with Huang Rong.

"Hurry, hurry—we've only got two quarters of an hour."

Huang Rong urged him on, and when she saw he was still a bit slow in his dash, she simply reached out, grabbed his hand, and pulled him along as she sprinted.

Holding her soft, boneless, cool little hand and catching a glimpse of her radiant, slightly flushed face, Lu Chen felt his heartbeat quicken and his breath grow a little ragged—he was ashamed to admit it, but in both his lives, he'd been a lifelong single. The last time he'd held a girl's hand was all the way back in kindergarten in his previous life.

Rong'er was truly the first girl to be this close to him in both his existences.

Just as his thoughts were tangled, Huang Rong turned her head and scolded:

"Why are you slowing down?"

She'd suddenly noticed he seemed heavier, making it harder to pull him along than before.

Lu Chen snapped back to reality, realizing his wandering mind had disrupted his lightness technique, dragging Rong'er down. He quickly suppressed his stray thoughts, focused on channeling his true energy, and activated his Movement Technique properly. Only then did Rong'er give a satisfied smile and continue pulling him along in a blur.

Soon, they dashed out of the city and headed south toward the Cao'e River, arriving at its banks within the two quarters of an hour.

Huang Rong took off her shoes and socks, revealing a pair of delicate, crystalline little feet. She stuffed them into her bundle and said to Lu Chen:

"Since you're not a good swimmer, don't wear too much—it'll just be dead weight."

"Alright."

Lu Chen nodded. Seeing Huang Rong turn her back, he quickly stripped off his Clothes and shoes, leaving only a pair of boxer shorts—he couldn't get used to the underwear in this world, so these shorts had come with him from the "Main World." After a month of daily washing, they were nearly threadbare.

At the sight of his lean, muscular frame, Huang Rong's cheeks flushed again. She quickly averted her gaze and instructed:

"First, splash cold water on your pulse points and chest. We've been running and are all heated up—if you hit cold water suddenly, you might cramp or mess up your breathing."

Lu Chen did as told, stuffing his Clothes and shoes into his bundle, then bending down to scoop up river water and pat it over his pulse points and heart.

Huang Rong also stepped barefoot into the river, crouching to slowly immerse herself until her Clothes were soaked through. Once she'd adjusted to the chill, she began teaching Lu Chen how to breathe and regulate his breath in the water, and how to coordinate his limbs with the rhythm of his breathing to generate power.

Lu Chen memorized everything, practicing a bit in the shallows as Huang Rong instructed. He found that swimming indeed felt much easier and more efficient.

"Alright, let's get in the water now."

With that, Huang Rong took Lu Chen's bundle and sword, hung both bundles on the blade, held the sword horizontally above her head, and lightly dove into the water. Without even using her hands, she kicked her feet to propel herself swiftly downstream:

"Lu Chen, keep up!"

Lu Chen took a deep breath, plunged into the water, and used both arms and legs, maintaining his breathing rhythm as he chased after Rong'er.

Huang Rong held the sword with the bundles aloft, swimming like a nimble mermaid, occasionally glancing back at Lu Chen. Seeing him following closely, his stroke not exactly effortless but far better than his earlier flailing in the sea, she flashed him a big smile.

Lu Chen smiled back. Once he'd gotten the hang of the swimming techniques she'd taught him, he gradually picked up speed until they were side by side.

They drifted downstream for several li until they reached a river bend where a stream flowed out from the forest on one side and merged into the river. Huang Rong called out, "Follow me!" and swam toward the stream's mouth.

Lu Chen followed her into the bend and up the stream. Before long, the water grew shallower, only reaching Huang Rong's waist.

She stood up straight, not bothering to get out, and simply waded upstream.

Lu Chen understood her intent—wading in the stream left no traces on either bank. Silently praising her carefulness, he took the sword and bundles she'd been carrying and walked beside her.

They waded upstream for several li, deeper into the forest, until the water barely reached mid-calf. Just then, they spotted a cave on one bank. Huang Rong pointed at it and laughed:

"We'll rest there tonight. After hiding out here for a few days, we'll be free as birds and wide as the sea!"

Lu Chen smiled and nodded. He climbed onto the bank, checked the cave—it wasn't deep, and the interior was small but fairly clean—then called Huang Rong in to change Clothes.

After they took turns changing, they wrung out their wet Clothes and hung them on a small tree outside to dry in the breeze. They didn't light a fire, just sat at the cave entrance under the moonlight and talked.

"The Black Wind Double Fiends have been lying low for years. Where are we supposed to find them?"

Huang Rong rested her chin on her hands, pouting a little, looking troubled.

Lu Chen thought for a moment, then said:

"Don't worry, Rong'er. I can find them."

Huang Rong was surprised:

"You know where they are?"

Lu Chen smiled and nodded:

"I do."

Huang Rong's mouth fell open slightly. She wanted to ask how he knew, but thinking of his miraculous "fall from the sky" and his unbelievable progress in swordsmanship, she decided to trust him unconditionally. She simply asked:

"So where do we go next?"

Lu Chen answered without hesitation:

"First, to Xiangyang."

A craftsman must first sharpen his tools if he wants to do good work.

Though his swordsmanship had advanced greatly, his inner power was still shallow. He needed to find a way to raise his cultivation, letting sword technique and power advance together, only then would he have the capital to contend with a first-rate expert like Mei Chaofeng.

Having settled on their destination, seeing Huang Rong yawn, Lu Chen told her to rest inside the cave while he kept watch outside.

Once Huang Rong had entered the cave, Lu Chen sat alone at the entrance, laying his sword across his knees and closing his eyes, hoping to gain some insight into the "Sword One" imprint.

He was always extremely focused when training, whether practicing swordsmanship or comprehending sword intent, able to enter a state of concentration instantly.

But today was very different.

The moment he closed his eyes, the soft, silky sensation of Huang Rong holding his hand involuntarily surfaced in his mind, and before his eyes, the image of her snow-white, crystal-clear little feet playfully kicking and splashing water kept appearing.

Those exquisite, adorable feet kicked and flicked, as if striking his heart, leaving him restless and agitated.

At that moment, the deep, magnetic voice of some narrator from a past-life Animal World program even echoed in his mind: "Spring has arrived..."

Two lifetimes as a bachelor meant his resistance was naturally low, and at the vigorous age of eighteen, a strong, blood-rich martial artist, he truly couldn't achieve a heart like still water, unruffled and calm.

Lu Chen sighed, not daring to comprehend sword intent in such a state. He simply stood up, walked a dozen paces from the cave, found an open space, drew his longsword, and began practicing his sword forms.

Once his body was in motion, he quickly suppressed the distracting thoughts and entered a focused state.

But as he practiced for a while, he suddenly felt something was off in his surroundings. Glancing with his peripheral vision toward the direction his instincts flagged, his heart jolted with alarm.

Not ten paces away, a tall, thin figure in a green robe stood with hands clasped behind his back, quietly silhouetted in the dappled moonlight filtering through the treetops. The night breeze occasionally stirred the hem of his green robe, giving the impression that the man might ride the wind and drift away at any moment.

Looking at this green-robed figure, who even standing still exuded an ethereal grace, Lu Chen sighed inwardly: The older, the wiser.

He sheathed his longsword and clasped his hands in a respectful salute:

"Senior Huang."

Without a doubt, the green-robed figure was Huang Yaoshi.