The autumn wind rustled, like a giant hand gently brushing through the trees. Endless leaves fluttered down, covering the official road in yellow. Several carriages bearing the Jia Nan Academy crest traveled along it, their wheels crushing the leaves with a faint, crisp crunch, crunch~ The sound was rather soothing.
"Teacher Ruolin, how much longer until we reach Wutan City?"
Inside the first carriage, a pretty girl with a curvy figure and a full chest wrapped her arms around a mature beauty in green. Bored, she asked the question as she glanced out the window from time to time, hoping to catch sight of Wutan City.
The mature beauty was gentle and lovely, quite a bit older than the girl. Her shapely, voluptuous figure carried the mature allure that came with age. Her beautiful eyes seemed to ripple with tenderness as clear as water, embodying the complimentary notion that women were like water.
Ruolin gazed fondly at Xueni and lightly tapped her forehead with a jade-like finger, teasing, "You little thing, you've asked four or five times already. Are you really that impatient to see Yu'er?"
Xueni, whose thoughts had been hit right on the mark, stuck out her tongue adorably, a little embarrassed.
Suddenly, the carriage wheels stopped turning. Ruolin was puzzled, and the voice of the student driving the carriage sounded from outside.
"Teacher Ruolin, there are two people blocking the road ahead. I'll get down and ask them to move."
Hearing that someone was blocking the road, Ruolin lifted the carriage curtain. A dozen or so meters ahead, she saw two figures—a golden one and a green one—walking side by side right in the middle of the road, blocking the carriage train.
The student driving the carriage had just jumped down when Ruolin stopped them. The golden figure was dressed in fine clothes and seemed extraordinary, unlike an ordinary person. Afraid her student might offend him, she decided to go speak to them herself.
Ruolin got out of the carriage. Her long, shapely legs carried her quickly after the two walking at an unhurried pace, and she called out to them.
"Could you two wait a moment?"
Hearing the call from behind, Gu Shenge and Qing Lin stopped. Gu Shenge turned around and saw a gentle, mature beauty hurrying toward them. A faintly puzzled look crossed his face. His gaze fell on the Jia Nan Academy crest over her left chest, and he immediately understood who she was.
Given her age, she was probably an instructor at Jia Nan Academy.
Gu Shenge withdrew his gaze and asked Ruolin, "What is it?"
When Ruolin saw Gu Shenge's face clearly, she froze. How could such a handsome man exist in this world? Especially striking was the otherworldly, masculine aura he gave off, like the rising sun. Ruolin's pretty face flushed.
But she quickly came to her senses, wondering why she was acting like one of those young girls and falling for his looks. She was well past that age.
"Sorry to trouble you, young master. The thing is..."
Ruolin explained that Gu Shenge was walking in the middle of the road, blocking her student-recruitment caravan. She hoped he could move to the side and leave the road clear for her carriages to pass.
Gu Shenge glanced at the caravan stopped not far away. Realizing he had taken up the middle of the official road and blocked their way, he gave her an apologetic look. Without saying much, he led Qing Lin to the side of the road.
However, Ruolin noticed that they were traveling along the same road. Since Wutan City was the only city at its end, she grew curious and asked Gu Shenge where they were headed.
"May I ask where you're going, young master? We might be headed to the same place."
As soon as she asked, Ruolin felt she had been too forward. Why had she suddenly asked something like that? What business was it of hers where he was going?
Gu Shenge didn't hide it. He replied calmly, "Wutan City."
"Wutan City? It's about twenty or thirty kilometers from here. My students and I are headed there too. If you don't mind, why not ride there with us?"
Ruolin, what are you saying?!
But as soon as she made the offer, Ruolin began to regret it. What was she saying? She had actually invited two strangers to ride in their carriage!
Had his handsome face really bewitched her, turning her into a lovesick fool just like those young girls?
No, she had to stay calm. She was an instructor at Jia Nan Academy!
Ruolin kept mentally smacking herself on the cheeks, telling herself to stay calm and absolutely not let his looks distract her!
Gu Shenge was taken aback by Ruolin's sudden invitation. But when he saw that she was a teacher at Jia Nan Academy and that she was heading to Wutan City, he had a few guesses about her identity.
She was probably the teacher Ruolin whom Xiao Yan had once asked for two years off.
"Thank you for the offer, but there's no need."
Gu Shenge shook his head and declined, then led Qing Lin onward along the official road toward Wutan City.
Seeing that, Ruolin didn't press him. She only felt it was a pity that she hadn't gotten to know him. Then she returned to the carriage.
The wheels began rolling again, and the line of carriages traveled down the official road, kicking up leaves as they gradually disappeared from Gu Shenge's sight.
"Master, are you tired? Should I let Xiao Hong out to carry us to Wutan City?"
As the carriages disappeared into the distance, Qing Lin quietly asked Gu Shenge if he was tired from walking. Gu Shenge looked down at her. This short distance was nothing to a Seven-Star Dou Huang like him. How could he be tired?
But seeing the fine beads of sweat on Qing Lin's fair forehead, he knew she was a little tired. He smiled and said gently, "I am a little tired, actually. But there's no need to let Xiao Hong out. I have an even faster way to get to Wutan City."
As he spoke, Gu Shenge formed a sword sign with his fingers. Dawn-colored golden light flashed, and several meters of Rising Sun Sword Qi, two meters wide, shot from his fingertip. Gu Shenge stepped onto the sword qi and had the little snake beauty stand with him. With a flick of his finger, he rose into the air on his sword and headed straight for Wutan City, riding the autumn wind.
As for why they hadn't ridden the Black Prison Soul-Devouring Python, it was because the python had devoured the soul of a fifth-tier Magic Beast on the way and advanced once more. It was currently in the Serenitea Pot, in the midst of a breakthrough.
High above Wutan City, a streak of golden light flashed across the sky before descending into an open area. The sight caught the attention of several passersby nearby. They watched Gu Shenge and Qing Lin descend from the sky, their faces full of surprise.
"Qing Lin, we're here."
Gu Shenge spoke gently to Qing Lin. She looked around at the cityscape, so different from the desert cities she knew, and gazed around curiously. Was this Wutan City?
Leading the little snake beauty by the hand, Gu Shenge stopped a passerby and asked for directions to the Xiao Clan.
Before coming to Wutan City, he had taken Qing Lin to visit the Mo Tie Mercenary Group. When Xiao Ding heard that he was going to Wutan City, he had written a letter to his family and asked Gu Shenge to deliver it. He had also told him that if he didn't mind, he could stay with the Xiao Clan when he arrived.
As soon as the passerby heard he was looking for the Xiao Clan, he quickly gave Gu Shenge directions. The Xiao Clan was currently the most powerful family in Wutan City, overwhelmingly outshining the other two major clans. It was enough to make anyone envious.
Gu Shenge also asked about Xiao Yan. When he learned that a year and a half had passed since the broken engagement, and that Jia Nan Academy had come to Wutan City to recruit students, he had a good idea of the timeline.
If events followed the original storyline, Xiao Yan would leave Wutan City after Jia Nan Academy finished recruiting and head for the Magic Beast Mountain Range.
Their timing was pretty good.
~
PS: As for the protagonist's aliases, he'll use various ones later on as well, just in case, to avoid a bloody Asura love triangle.
Before you continue