Setting Out I

Setting Out I. "My body is still too weak. A few months of training are nowhere near enough." The moment Lu Sheng stopped, pain surged through his entire body.

Fortunately, the inner energy circulating endlessly through the Jade Crane Skill now spread countless threads like a spiderweb, linking to every aching part of his body.

As the inner energy continuously flowed in to nourish him, the places that had hurt began to faintly tingle and itch.

"The effect really is astonishing. This itching sensation should be what it feels like when wounds heal and flesh grows back."

Lu Sheng guessed inwardly.

Glancing at the corpses on the ground, he followed the gap Zhao Shuanghuo had entered through.

On the other side of the gap lay another household's backyard.

Entering the backyard, Lu Sheng swept his gaze over the footprints on the ground, then followed them toward the house.

The instant he entered, his expression froze at the sight before him.

Hanging from a roof beam was Lu Qingqing, with only a scrap of white underclothing left on her body.

The girl had fainted. If not for that tiny strip of cloth covering her, everything would have been visible. Most of her upper body was exposed as well, with only a little cloth concealing it.

It looked like if Lu Sheng had arrived even a moment later, Lin Shuanghuo would definitely have finished.

"Thank goodness, thank goodness."

Lu Sheng hurried forward, removed his outer robe, wrapped Lu Qingqing up tightly, and lowered her down.

No one else could be allowed to learn of this, or Lu Qingqing's reputation would be utterly ruined.

Lu Sheng decided to conceal the fact that Lu Qingqing had been captured.

For a young woman in this era, if people learned she had encountered such a situation, who would dare guarantee Lu Qingqing's innocence?

A maiden's chastity was an exceedingly important thing at this time.

In some families, girls who lost their chastity before marriage were drowned in pig cages.

Holding Lu Qingqing, Lu Sheng gently patted the girl's face several times.

If inner energy could be controlled freely, he had wondered whether he might be able to send it into another person's body, like the internal force he had heard of before, to help heal their injuries.

Unfortunately, the inner energy of his Jade Crane Skill would not budge at all.

After he repeatedly slapped her face several times, Lu Qingqing finally woke slowly and weakly.

Her eyes were unfocused, and she was still dazed from having just awakened.

Only when she felt the chill all over her body did she suddenly remember that she had been overwhelmed by those villains and tied up afterward.

The strange state of her body made her shudder. Once she realized what it meant, she stared at Lu Sheng. Her eyes reddened at once, tears filling their rims, ready to spill at any moment.

"Get dressed quickly! The others will be here soon."

Lu Sheng urged her. Uncle Zhao and the others should find this place very soon.

From the time he entered to the time he fought the Ghost Head Saber brothers, only a short time had actually passed. That was precisely why Lu Qingqing had enough time to compose herself.

Lu Qingqing's expression froze, then she quickly understood. She was no fool; she knew what her elder brother meant.

Hearing that there was still a chance to salvage things, she immediately forced up her limp body and began picking up the clothes that had been torn off her from all around the room. Some of them were badly ripped, however, and could not be put back on completely.

Even though flashes of spring leaked out while she dressed, she could not spare the thought for it.

Lu Sheng knowingly turned his back.

He only turned around once Lu Qingqing had finished dressing.

Seeing how considerate her elder brother was, Lu Qingqing let out a long breath. Her face was still a little red, but she looked much better than before.

"Big Brother, where are those villains!?"

Hatred appeared on her face.

"I killed them."

Lu Sheng answered calmly.

"Where's Xiao Ba? I didn't see him."

"I don't know. I didn't see Xiao Ba come here."

After Lu Qingqing answered, she suddenly realized something and froze.

So many people, several of them experts, had all been killed by her elder brother alone? She found it hard to believe.

In her impression, Lu Sheng had always been a refined young gentleman. Though he had only begun practicing martial arts recently, those men's martial skills had been so high that even if her master had come personally, success was not guaranteed. How could her elder brother possibly have done it alone?

"We'll look for Xiao Ba later. Are you finished? In a moment, say that you and I joined forces to kill those people, understand? When I arrived, you were still circling and fighting desperately with their disciples."

Lu Sheng prepared their story.

"Mm!"

Once Lu Qingqing understood the seriousness of the consequences, she did not ask further and nodded solemnly.

Yet when she thought that her entire body had probably been seen by her elder brother, a strange sense of shame rose in her heart.

She felt as though even standing before him like this, she was naked.

At that thought, her cheeks reddened again, and she quickly lowered her head to hide it.

Lu Sheng tidied up some of the objects and traces in the room, putting away the rope used to bind people.

Before he had finished cleaning up, Uncle Zhao and the others finally arrived.

A group of hurried footsteps poured into the neighboring courtyard.

Then came a wave of startled cries.

"It's the Head Severing Saber and the Ghost Head Saber brothers!" an older guard suddenly shouted.

The crowd erupted in commotion, then fell silent for a while.

Only then did Uncle Zhao's voice ring out again.

"Look for Young Master and Second Miss."

"We're fine!"

Lu Sheng led Lu Qingqing back into the earlier courtyard.

Uncle Zhao, dressed in a fitted black outfit and carrying twin sabers, stood in the center of the courtyard.

The other guards and retainers were splitting up to search the corpses and inspect the traces throughout the small courtyard.

"Brother Sheng! It's good that you're all right!" Uncle Zhao's eyes relaxed, and the sharp aura around him quickly eased.

"This isn't a place to talk. Let's return first."

After speaking, he glanced at Lu Qingqing behind him, a thoughtful look in his eyes. Their concealment might fool ordinary people, but it could not fool an old hand like him.

Lu Sheng nodded. Knowing that someone from the estate had already reported the matter to the authorities, he and Uncle Zhao led Lu Qingqing and the guards out, where they stopped a carriage.

The three of them rode in the carriage, while the others rode horses or ran alongside it as they hurried back the way they had come.

Several men were left in the courtyard as well, responsible for dealing with the Government Office officials.

They returned to the estate all the way.

Then the gates were tightly shut.

Lu Quan'an, Second Mother, and the other family members were already waiting in the main hall.

After changing clothes, Lu Qingqing was taken to the main hall.

Lu Sheng did not go. He explained everything to Uncle Zhao, except he changed Lu Qingqing's part of the story: when he arrived, Lu Qingqing had still been locked in a desperate struggle with the other side's disciples.

Afterward, he used his injuries as an excuse and returned to rest first.

The physician who had prescribed the medicine also came over to examine his injuries.

He had multiple muscle strains, slight bone fractures, some internal bleeding, a slightly dislocated shoulder bone, and more.

Lu Sheng hated these tribunal-like interrogations most. One person after another would speak, and a simple matter would take ages to explain.

After washing up, Xiao Qiao, her eyes brimming with tears, attended him as he removed his outer robe and went to bed.

Once the physician left, Lu Sheng felt that his injuries had recovered quite a bit more in that short time. He was brimming with energy and vitality, without the slightest sign of having just undergone a fierce battle.

After reaching its peak level, the Jade Crane Skill's healing power was indeed formidable.

Lying flat on the bed, Lu Sheng rubbed the stomach that had just downed a bowl of ginseng chicken soup. His whole body was pleasantly warm and exceedingly comfortable.

"This trip was merely a false alarm.

I never expected that what Second Sister had provoked would not be demons or monsters, but two murderers and wanted criminals from years ago."

The reason he had been so uneasy was that he had encountered something strange on that street before.

That was why he had acted with exceptional caution.

Yet unexpectedly, it had not been ghosts or monsters, but a man-made calamity.

Lying in bed, he carefully recalled the course of today's fight.

"From beginning to end, my attacks could have been more concise. If I could make flexible use of the numbing sensation produced by that trace of Tiger's Roar from the Black Tiger Saber, perhaps I could have avoided directly clashing blades with those two."

He furrowed his brow and began reflecting on it.

"Facing an opponent stronger than me is indeed troublesome. As a saber wielder, strength should not be my weakness. Perhaps I should find some external martial arts that increase strength and practice them."

He had never tried those toughening external arts, so he did not know what effect the Modifier would have on such techniques.

Lu Estate's main hall.

Lu Quan'an sat in the seat of honor, glaring grimly at Lu Qingqing below him.

Second Mother, Third Mother, and the others sat beside him.

The whole family had gathered together for a tribunal-like interrogation.

Lu Qingqing and Uncle Zhao stood below, along with several guards.

". . . That was roughly what happened." Uncle Zhao refined the version Lu Sheng had given him and recounted it to everyone.

"I've already spoken to the people at the Government Office. This case is Brother Sheng's achievement, and no one can take it from him." At this, Uncle Zhao immediately smiled.

"Brother Sheng enjoys martial arts. I never expected him to kill the Head Severing Saber and the Ghost Head Saber brothers in succession this time. It shows that his strength is already quite impressive. Such exceptional talent, blooming late into greatness!"

"I am very satisfied with Little Sheng, and very reassured."

Lu Quan'an's expression softened somewhat. His anger was greatly eased by having such a capable son.

Then he looked at Lu Qingqing again.

"Qingqing, look at your elder brother, then look at yourself.

Other than causing trouble for the family and causing trouble for your elder brother, can you do anything proper for this family?"

Lu Quan'an said sternly.

"I sent you away to learn martial arts, not so you could come back and stir up trouble!"

"Father, your daughter knows she was wrong." Lu Qingqing regretted it deeply as well. If her elder brother had not arrived in time this time, her whole life might have been ruined.

"You know you were wrong? When have you not said that? And what happened? Every single time, it was the same!"

The more Lu Quan'an spoke, the angrier he became.

"Once you've recovered from your injuries, I'll find you a husband and marry you off. Once you bear a son, perhaps you'll finally settle down."

"No!"

The moment Lu Qingqing heard she was to be married, she was like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, nearly leaping up.

"I don't want to get married! No! Father, your daughter was wrong. From now on, I'll definitely help the family properly! I won't cause trouble! Rest assured! Really! This time, I absolutely mean it!"

Lu Quan'an ignored her and instead looked at the physician who had just entered.

"How are Little Sheng's injuries?"

This physician was actually a distant relative of the Lu Family, merely assigned to a different role. Once the Lu Estate prospered, they had gathered all such relatives together.

"They're fine, only superficial injuries. With ten days to half a month of recuperation, he'll recover."

The physician hurriedly answered.

"That's good. When the time comes, ask him whether he still plans to go to Yan Mountain City to study martial arts."

Thinking of this, Lu Quan'an felt somewhat irritated as well.