Cannot Bear This Humiliation

Looking at Lu Chen's smiling face.

Huang Rong pursed her rosy lips, then suddenly dashed in front of him and said with both concern and irritation:

"You idiot, when my father came, why didn't you wake me up right away? Why did you insist on showing off and fighting him blade to blade? You've only practiced martial arts for a little over a month. You've only sparred with wooden weapons and never fought a real life-and-death battle with actual swords. Blades have no eyes—what if he'd cut you?"

"Didn't I avoid getting cut? Besides, Rong'er, you taught me my swordsmanship yourself. You should have some faith in me—and in yourself, shouldn't you?"

Lu Chen smiled and gazed into her eyes.

"Most importantly, the martial world truly is dangerous. If I didn't show Senior Huang that I had the ability to put him at ease, why would he allow you to roam the martial world with me? He might even drag you back home. I'm not afraid of traveling the martial world alone, but in my heart, I still hope Rong'er can travel with me."

"..."

Huang Rong gave a soft snort. She was delighted inside, but put on an arrogant little expression.

"You really know how to sweet-talk me."

Lu Chen nodded.

"Mm. I'm willing to make you happy."

Having been single since birth in both his lives, Lu Chen felt that he had probably finally gotten the hang of it tonight.

"Who needs you to make me happy? I'm not a child."

Huang Rong made a playful, adorable face at him, then began complaining about her father again.

"My father is really awful. He pretended to lower his guard around me, but he was actually still watching me in secret. Hmph, playing such tricks even with his own daughter. And here I was, generous enough not to hold it against him for yelling at me on Peach Blossom Island a while back. I'd even been so nice to him these past few days..."

Lu Chen laughed silently. Weren't you playing tricks on him too?

It was only that little Master Rong's cleverness had failed to outmatch Teacher Huang's greater experience and cunning.

Huang Rong puffed out her cheeks, planted both hands on her slim waist, and pretended to be angry.

"What are you laughing at?"

Lu Chen shook his head. "Nothing."

"You laughed. I saw it."

"Mm, I was smiling because I'm happy."

"What are you happy about for no reason?"

"Just thinking about traveling the martial world with you, Rong'er, makes me happy. I can't help wanting to smile."

"Really?"

"Really."

"I suppose you know what's good for you."

Huang Rong beamed, then grabbed his hand and led him toward the cave.

"A life-and-death fight must have exhausted you, right? Stop sitting out here in the wind. Go inside and get some proper rest."

"Well, the cave is too small..."

"Those of the Eastern Heretic's school don't fuss over trifles. Father has already allowed us to travel the martial world together, so what are you being shy about? Just go in and rest. I'll keep watch tonight..."

That night, Lu Chen slept especially soundly.

When he woke, he sensed that something was off. Sitting up, he saw that Rong'er had used his thigh as a pillow and was sleeping just as sweetly.

Normally, he should have gotten up to practice his sword at this hour. But seeing Rong'er's sweet, well-behaved sleeping face, he could not bear to disturb such a lovely scene. So he sat quietly, gazing at her pretty face and counting her long, curling eyelashes for a while. Then he lay back down and closed his eyes to contemplate the Sword Intent Imprint.

After an unknown amount of time, Huang Rong's long lashes fluttered gently, and she finally woke.

Opening her eyes, she discovered that her head had been resting on Lu Chen's thigh. Her pretty face flushed slightly. She secretly glanced at Lu Chen and saw that he was still "asleep." She stuck out her tongue playfully, hurriedly got up, and tiptoed outside.

Once out of the cave, she stretched luxuriously into the fresh morning breeze among the trees, then went to wash her face by the stream. Only then did she call into the cave:

"Wake up~! The sun's already shining on your butt! Time to get up, wash up, and practice!"

Lu Chen, who had spent the entire morning contemplating the Sword Intent Imprint, opened his eyes and sat up. Looking outside the cave at the charming girl in white fluttering in the morning light, a radiant smile rose on his face.

Now that they had Huang Yaoshi's permission, the two no longer needed to sneak around in hiding. They openly took the main road north.

Traveling was also a good way to practice Movement Technique. Whenever they grew tired, they stopped to rest and practice swordsmanship along the way. At night, they either stayed at inns or relay stations, borrowed lodging in village homes, found a small temple in the wilderness if no lodging was available, or camped beside a river or stream.

Both possessed Movement Technique. Even without any means of transport, they traveled quickly, and after only seven or eight days, they had crossed the Yangtze River and arrived at the banks of the Han River.

That evening, they set up camp beside a mountain stream flowing into the Han River.

Unable to find a ready-made cave, Lu Chen cut bamboo and wood to build a suspended wooden bed atop a thick horizontal branch more than ten feet above the ground.

While he bound the bamboo and wood together with vines, Huang Rong caught fish and shrimp by the stream to prepare dinner.

After more than half an hour, he had finished the crude suspended bed, while Huang Rong had more or less finished preparing dinner. They ate heartily, then sat by the stream chatting as they digested their food.

Huang Rong took off her shoes and socks, revealing a pair of crystal-clear, delicate little feet. Rolling up her trouser legs to expose her straight, slender, snow-white calves, she soaked her feet in the clear stream and contentedly kicked up splashes.

Lu Chen sat beside her and vividly told the story of Havoc in Heaven. Huang Rong listened with sparkling eyes. When she heard how Sun Wukong leaped out of the Supreme Lord's pill furnace, kicked it over with one foot and sent the Supreme Lord stumbling, then fought his way all the way to the Hall of Lingxiao, she became so excited that she fiercely kicked her little foot. With a splash, she sent a great sheet of water flying into Lu Chen's face.

"..."

Lu Chen wiped the water from his face and looked at Huang Rong speechlessly.

Huang Rong stuck out her tongue in embarrassment, gave him a playful smile, then tugged at his arm and urged him on.

"What happened next? What happened after that? Keep telling it!"

Lu Chen cleared his throat and continued.

When she heard that Sun Wukong lost the wager, was suppressed beneath Five Elements Mountain by Tathagata, and had a Buddhist talisman placed upon him that kept him from overturning the mountain and escaping, Huang Rong's mood immediately sank. Pouting unhappily, she said:

"This ending is so boring! The mighty Great Sage Equal to Heaven actually ended up like this. No fun, no fun at all! Lu Chen, hurry up and give it a better ending."

Lu Chen spread his hands.

"That's how the story goes up to this point. Besides, this isn't the ending. There's more afterward..."

Huang Rong wrinkled her pretty face, thoroughly unhappy.

"No. I can't listen to the rest. I can't bear this humiliation, and the Great Sage Equal to Heaven can't bear it either. Are you changing it or not, Lu Chen?"

Lu Chen looked troubled.

"Well... if I change this part, then the rest of the story..."

"Just change it..."

Huang Rong clung to his arm with both hands and began acting spoiled.

Her soft, sweet voice, her faint and intoxicating fragrance, and the wonderful sensation when her budding chest occasionally brushed against his forearm as she hugged and shook his arm sent a shiver through Lu Chen's body. His blood surged wildly, and he hurriedly said:

"Rong'er, stop shaking me. I'll change it right away. Let me think... Mm, at this moment, a Black Sword Hero appears beneath Five Elements Mountain. With a sweep of his hand, he sends out a streak of sword light and splits Five Elements Mountain in two. The Great Sage Equal to Heaven is overjoyed and shoots into the sky. Smiling at the Black Sword Hero, he says, 'Thank you for saving me. I cannot thank you enough. Why don't we go back to Heaven together, seize that old Jade Emperor's throne, and I'll be the Jade Emperor while you become the Dao Ancestor...'"

"Eh? Where did that Black Sword Hero come from? He wasn't there before!"

"Mm, because Rong'er asked me to change the plot, I had no choice but to personally enter the story..."

"..."

Huang Rong blinked.

"So you're the Black Sword Hero?"

"Correct."

"You can split Tathagata Buddha's Five Finger Mountain with one sword strike?"

"I can in the story."

Huang Rong giggled. "That's such an outrageous boast!"

Lu Chen laughed as well. "It's only a story. I can boast however I want."

"What about me? You've entered the story, so I have to go too!"

"You... Mm, of course you're in the story too, Rong'er. So, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven and the Black Sword Hero join forces to charge into the Heavenly Court. Just as Tathagata Buddha is about to summon his Buddha palm again to suppress them, mysterious light suddenly descends from the nine heavens. A fairy in snow-white robes, with a golden circlet binding her hair, floats down gracefully. She points a finger, and divine lightning fills the sky, crashing down upon Tathagata..."

"Ha, I've appeared!"

"That's right. The White-clad Fairy is Rong'er..."

Lu Chen had already stopped caring about plausibility. Since Rong'er could not bear the humiliation of the Great Sage Equal to Heaven being suppressed beneath Five Finger Mountain and strongly insisted on entering the story herself, he could only start making things up without restraint. Yet even so, Rong'er listened with rapt attention.

Before they realized it, the story became more and more absurd. By the end, it had nothing to do with Journey to the West at all. It had become the Great Sage Equal to Heaven sweeping through the Heavenly Court and battling the Jade Emperor, while Lu Chen and Rong'er joined forces against Tathagata and overawed Spirit Mountain...

"If you want to know what happens next, listen for the next installment!"

After making up a wildly fanciful tale, Lu Chen decisively ended the story for the day.

Rong'er still looked as though she wanted more.

"That's how a story should be. How can anyone suffer such humiliation? Mm, keep telling it tomorrow."

"..."

Lu Chen was speechless. He really could not make up any more!

Over the next several days, the two continued traveling at sunrise and resting at sunset, leisurely enjoying themselves along the way. Before they knew it, they had reached the territory of Xiangyang.

Next, they would seek out the Bosiqu Snake, which could help increase a person's inner strength.