Setting Out III

Setting Out III

"Is it that urgent?"

Lu Sheng took the bundle and asked softly.

"No time to lose. You should leave early. The city may fall into chaos for a while soon, but don't worry—I've already made all the arrangements."

Lu Quan'an gave Lu Sheng a reassuring smile.

Lu Sheng nodded. Without another word, he took Xiao Qiao with him, packed a few sets of clothes, and quietly left through the side gate in a carriage.

Sitting inside the carriage, Lu Sheng looked through a narrow crack at the Lu Estate gradually receding into the distance.

For some reason, his heart felt heavy.

"Young Master, are you really going to Yan Mountain City? It's so far away. When will we be able to come back?"

Xiao Qiao asked worriedly.

Lu Sheng smiled but did not reply.

The black carriage looked much like the other carriages on the streets. It appeared worn and weathered with age.

There was no mark of the Lu Estate on its body either.

They left the city center and headed toward the main gate. Along the way, the carriage was stopped and questioned several times by passing patrol guards.

Lu Sheng lifted a corner of the curtain and saw squads of city guards outside, divided into many small groups. They led quite a few hastily assembled peasant militia units as they patrolled the streets everywhere.

He swept a glance over a pointed building passing outside the window.

Smack.

Lu Sheng suddenly clapped his hands.

The carriage immediately turned left and entered a relatively narrow side street.

Its speed dropped considerably, and it soon came to a stop.

Lu Sheng took Xiao Qiao's hand, lifted the curtain, and stepped down.

"Brother Sheng, I've been waiting for you for ages."

Zheng Xianggui's plump face appeared before them.

"Eh!?"

Xiao Qiao was instantly surprised.

"Let's go. This isn't a place to talk. I've already prepared the place you wanted."

Zheng Xianggui said in a low voice.

The carriage slowly drove out of the side street once more.

Lu Sheng and Xiao Qiao changed to another carriage on that street, then slowly headed out of the city.

Outside the city, beneath a rocky hill several li away from Black Wind Ridge.

There was a small patch of green woodland, with the sound of a stream flowing within.

The carriage stopped before the little grove.

Zheng Xianggui got down first and looked around.

"This is the place. It's a secret hideout I paid to set up when I was young. You can use it for now."

Lu Sheng got down with Xiao Qiao.

"Thanks, fatty."

"You and I are brothers. What's the point of saying that?"

Zheng Xianggui said earnestly.

"There's no sign of human habitation in many places around here. The nearest place is an estate belonging to my Zheng Family. I've already arranged for food to be delivered to this grove every day, placed outside the little house's yard. You can fetch it yourselves."

Lu Sheng nodded.

Zheng Xianggui added, "Be careful. This place isn't far from Black Wind Ridge. Though official troops guard the main road, so there shouldn't be any major trouble, wolves and wildcats occasionally wander around here."

"Don't worry. Remember to notify me promptly of news from the city. You can send it along with the food too."

Lu Sheng reminded him.

"Alright."

The three of them walked into the grove. After going several dozen meters deeper, they saw a silver-ribbon stream flowing down along the rocky mountain wall.

Amid the grass and stones between the trees, the stream formed a beautiful current so clear one could see straight to the bottom.

The woods chirped and twittered with countless birds. On the trees and across the grass, there were scarcely any traces of human activity.

Crossing the stream, Lu Sheng saw an exquisite little wooden house deeper within, near the mountain wall.

White logs had been stacked one by one, like building blocks, to form the simple-looking white wooden house.

There was also a tiny garden plot beside it.

"I'll see you off here."

Zheng Xianggui said quietly.

He had also brought two personal guards, the kind who had been raised from childhood and were absolutely loyal. He did not need to worry about them speaking of this.

"You've worked hard this time. Go back and continue with your business."

Lu Sheng nodded.

Zheng Xianggui also hurriedly led his group away.

Lu Sheng began directing Xiao Qiao as they tidied up the little wooden house.

There was grain and dried meat inside, as well as some fresh vegetables and fruit. They had clearly just been delivered.

"Young Master, are we really going to live here forever? We're not going to Yan Mountain City anymore?"

Xiao Qiao was still somewhat puzzled.

"We're still going, but that will be later. For now, we'll stay here temporarily."

Lu Sheng answered casually.

The two cleaned the house until afternoon, when the sky was nearly dark.

Xiao Qiao lit an oil lamp.

The murky yellow light looked lonely and dim within the pitch-black wooden house.

Lu Sheng stood in the yard and looked up at the sky.

The sky was gloomy and dark. The moon and stars were hidden away, without even a trace of light visible.

A thread of Yellow Light from the oil lamp inside shone into the yard.

This yard became the brightest place in the entire grove.

Lu Sheng stood in the courtyard, looking out past the fence.

The woods were pitch-black, and unknown sounds occasionally stirred and flitted past in a blur.

Lu Sheng gripped the saber hanging at his waist behind his back.

Zheng Xianggui had wanted to arrange guards for him, but he had refused.

The fewer people who knew he lived here, the better.

Looking at the trees outside the yard, where one could not see one's own outstretched hand, Lu Sheng shut the courtyard's wooden gate and turned to close the windows of the wooden house.

The windows had two layers. The inner layer was papered over with window paper, while the outer layer was a solid, thick hardwood shutter for protection.

Once Lu Sheng shut the outer wooden shutter, the light inside could only be seen through thin cracks.

He pushed open the door and entered the house.

Xiao Qiao was making the bed.

There was only one bed in the house. It had been layered with many wood chips and dry straw, then covered with a mat, followed by cotton padding and the like.

"Young Master."

Xiao Qiao's eyes were watery, and her cheeks flushed red.

"If you wish to rest, let Xiao Qiao warm your bed first."

"..." Lu Sheng was speechless. "There's a small bed in the back. Go sleep there yourself."

"Alright..." Xiao Qiao was instantly embarrassed beyond measure.

Out here in the wilds, there were only her and the young master together, and in such a tiny wooden house at that.

Whether changing clothes or bathing, neither of them could avoid the other.

If something really happened, it would be perfectly normal.

Unfortunately, the young master did not seem to have such thoughts yet.

After washing up separately, Xiao Qiao went to sleep early under Lu Sheng's urging.

The so-called small bed was actually set against the inner side of the wooden house, separated by a wooden partition. The large bed and small bed were divided only by a palm-thick wooden wall, with a small door between them concealed by a cloth curtain.

If anything were truly to happen, it would only take a single thought.

But Lu Sheng's mind was not on such matters.

He went to bed early, focused his mind, and practiced the Black Fiend Skill for a while longer.

Early the next morning, Xiao Qiao went out to retrieve the food box delivered to the courtyard gate.

After breakfast, Lu Sheng practiced a set of Heart Piercing Palm forms, then continued training the Black Fiend Skill.

Other than Xiao Qiao occasionally taking a walk around the yard, the entire morning was quiet. Lu Sheng devoted all of it to practicing the Black Fiend Skill.

After lunch, he practiced the Black Tiger Saber.

Before nightfall, Lu Sheng checked the note tucked into the food box. Once he confirmed there was no special news, he went to bed early, practicing the Black Fiend Skill for another two hours before sleeping.

The cycle repeated itself.

Thus, Lu Sheng and Xiao Qiao lived in the small grove for half a month.

Yet the Black Fiend Skill still showed not the slightest movement.

According to the records in the manuals and common knowledge of martial arts, any normal person would have given up after half a month without sensing qi.

After all, if an internal art suited someone, they would sense qi in only a few days.

But Lu Sheng knew that the Black Fiend Skill was very likely a lost internal art missing its overall diagram. Duanmu Wan had mentioned this at the time.

That was why he had persisted for so long. Yet unexpectedly, there was still no sign of progress.

Just as Lu Sheng was about to give up.

A trace of unusual qi sensation finally appeared while he was practicing the Black Fiend Skill.

The sky was overcast.

Even at noon, there was a hint of chill in the air.

The grove was dim, and even the usual birdsong seemed too feeble to continue. Only an occasional call could be heard.

Holding his long saber, Lu Sheng slowly practiced the Swallow Chasing Wind Saber in the yard.

He was not moving quickly, merely honing the precision of the forms.

On the surface, he seemed to be practicing his saber, but in truth, Lu Sheng's main focus remained on the Black Fiend Skill.

Swish! Swish! Swish! After three consecutive diagonal slashes, Lu Sheng withdrew his saber and prepared, as usual, to tidy up and go inside to eat.

Unexpectedly, just as the final slash was delivered.

A threadlike current of scorching heat flashed through the area around his two kidneys and vanished in an instant.

Lu Sheng abruptly froze, then carefully sensed it again.

He slowly guided his qi along the visualization route of the Black Fiend Skill.

That scorching sensation flashed past again at once, still located around his kidneys.

"This is... qi sensation!!"

Lu Sheng was overjoyed.

He had trained bitterly for so many days that he had begun to doubt whether the Black Fiend Skill he had obtained was truly an internal art.

Yet after bitterness came sweetness. This stirring of internal qi finally made the enormous stone in his heart crash to the ground.

"While the qi sensation is here, hurry and improve it!"

Without another word, Lu Sheng struck while the iron was hot.

"Deep Blue."

He murmured inwardly.

The blue Modifier box swiftly appeared before his eyes.

As he pressed the modify button, the box flashed sharply.

Sure enough, this box differed from before. At the very bottom of the martial arts list, there was now an additional entry for the Black Fiend Skill.

'Black Fiend Skill: Not Initiated.'

Though it was only a few simple words, the joy in Lu Sheng's heart was nearly impossible to suppress.

Now, when he could scarcely find a better way to improve, the Black Fiend Skill was practically his only hope.

Otherwise, he truly did not know how he would face the unknown abnormalities and threats beyond.

"Modify the Black Fiend Skill. Raise it by one level!"

The instant Lu Sheng's intention was conveyed.

The words Not Initiated in the Black Fiend Skill's status suddenly changed, becoming Initiated.

Boom!!! Almost at the same time, the moment Lu Sheng saw the status change, his internal organs suddenly blazed with intense heat.

A massive hot current appeared from nowhere within his body, violently surging through more than a dozen meridians.

The current was searing and scorching, like a stream of flame flowing through Lu Sheng's body.

He stood where he was, his face rapidly flushing crimson as the skin all over his body reddened as well, like the shell of a boiled shrimp.

Sweat seeped profusely from every pore, then turned into white vapor and slowly rose.