Liang Jingtang looked at his disciples kneeling on one knee, blaming themselves and begging forgiveness. He could not help letting out a long sigh toward the heavens. Only after quite a while did he help them up one by one.
"Get up! Li City's situation has been somewhat complicated lately. Turmoil and chaos could break out at any time. Make whatever preparations you can in advance.
"Xingyi, your family estate is vast, and you have many children and disciples under your roof. You must prepare for a rainy day and think of a way out beforehand. Do not wait until great chaos erupts, only to find it too late to move the entire family.
"And Yongbao, Yunfeng, one of you runs a restaurant and the other a pleasure house. The people coming and going are a mixed bag of fish and dragons, the most complicated sort. Do your utmost to avoid conflict.
"If you truly feel the situation is wrong, sell off the restaurant and pleasure house early. Go be a rich man and rich woman somewhere in the countryside, in some small place, and live peaceful, comfortable lives.
"And Daoming, among all your fellow disciples, you have the least foundation and the lowest cultivation. Shi Yingdeng and Xu Shisen suffered setbacks today. If they refuse to let matters rest, they may very well take out their anger on you.
"You have decided to take a long journey soon, which is just the right way to lie low for a while. But the world is chaotic these days. Once you are out on the road, you must act with restraint. Better to swallow a moment's anger and suffer a little loss than stir up disputes with others."
Liang Jingtang finally helped Xia Daoming to his feet and gave him this earnest advice.
"Rest assured, Master. This disciple will act carefully. You must take care of your health as well," Xia Daoming said.
"I am already an old man. It no longer matters much to me." Liang Jingtang patted Xia Daoming's shoulder, swept his gaze across the others, and continued, "The situation is still unclear. Besides being as cautious as possible and avoiding disputes, you should also avoid getting too close to the Ding Family."
"Master, you mean..." Zhuo Xingyi's heart gave a slight jump as he asked.
His escort agency had quite a few business dealings with the Ding Family.
"The Ding Family is powerful, and they breathe with the Lin Family and Hegemon Blade Sect through the same nostril. The Xu Family's old ancestor is advanced in years, and no new Grandmaster has risen among them. They will not lightly enter into a major direct conflict with the Ding Family and their allies.
"That is why forces such as our Hidden Dragon Martial Arts School and Wu Family Fortress are the best targets for the Xu Family to kill a chicken and warn the monkeys. Poor Gu Ren, though. Originally... sigh!" As Liang Jingtang spoke, he could not help sighing heavily.
"Master, do you mean Wu Yueli was killed by the Xu Family?" Yuchi Xiao and the others drew sharp breaths.
The Hidden Dragon Martial Arts School's strength and intelligence network were nowhere near comparable to the Ji Family's.
Not only Yuchi Xiao and the others—even Liang Jingtang knew far less of the inside story than Ji Wenyue.
Liang Jingtang did not answer. He merely swept his gaze over them again and said, "In short, let them fight their own battles while we live our own lives. Stay as far away as possible. All right, your master is leaving."
With that, Liang Jingtang headed out of Jade Flower Pavilion.
Under the lamplight, his tall and imposing back was slightly hunched as he gradually vanished into the street.
The third day after the Jade Flower Pavilion incident.
Early that morning, Xia Daoming brought Xia He and the other three maids to the Hidden Dragon Martial Arts School.
Today, he was preparing to set out on a long journey with Liu Qiaolian.
Originally, leaving Xia He and the other three to watch the house would have been the most suitable arrangement.
But the incident at Jade Flower Pavilion three days ago made Xia Daoming worry that Shi Yingdeng might go mad. If he came looking for Xia Daoming, failed to find him, and took his anger out on the four maids, that would be disastrous. So Xia Daoming simply sent them to the Hidden Dragon Martial Arts School.
They could help with odd jobs at the martial arts school while continuing to learn martial arts.
The youngest of the four maids was only sixteen, while the oldest was merely eighteen.
Although they had started learning martial arts somewhat late at that age, it was not too late.
The world was chaotic now. Learning some martial arts for self-defense was better than knowing none at all.
Moreover, Xia Daoming no longer lacked silver or medicinal pills. Thus, ever since Liu Qiaolian bought the four of them from the human trafficker, he had Liu Qiaolian teach them martial arts whenever she had spare time.
By now, they had acquired a bit of a foundation.
Keeping them at the Hidden Dragon Martial Arts School during this period meant their martial arts training would not go to waste.
Looking at the four clever and lovely young women standing gracefully behind Xia Daoming, Liang Jingtang was initially somewhat disappointed. Then, as if he had understood something, he smiled and pointed at Xia Daoming. "You brat, you know how to enjoy life even better than your master! Still, it is good that you have seen through it. Better than ending up with a bamboo basket drawing water, all for nothing, and even more regrets."
"Cough, cough, Master, it is not what you think..."
"All right. Your master did not place much hope in you to begin with. Life is short. It would be best if you have the chance to step into the Fifth-Rank realm, but if not, enjoying yourself more while you are young is not bad either.
"As for them, do not worry. So long as they do not leave the Hidden Dragon Martial Arts School, even if Shi Yingdeng had ten times the courage, he would not dare trouble them!" Liang Jingtang waved a hand, cutting him off.
The words on Xia Daoming's lips could only be changed. "Then this disciple will take Xia He and the others to Senior Brother and ask him to arrange things for them. I will not disturb you further, Master."
"Go on, go on!" Liang Jingtang waved him away.
Thus, Xia Daoming led Xia He and the other three back to the outer courtyard.
"Hehe, one truly cannot judge a person by appearance! Seeing how serious you were at Jade Flower Pavilion, several of us brothers thought you were wholeheartedly devoted to martial arts, firm of will, and untouched by feminine charms. We admired you greatly.
"Who would have thought that you had beauties hidden away in a golden house—four of them at once!" Yuchi Xiao said with an ambiguous grin, throwing an arm around Xia Daoming's shoulder while glancing at Xia He and the others.
"Cough, cough! Senior Brother..."
"All right, your senior brother understands. Just go without worry!"
Xia Daoming looked at Yuchi Xiao's expression, which plainly said, "I understand; I am a man too," and was left speechless.
Understand my ass!
My goal is Grandmaster. How could I possibly indulge in female charms?
Cough, cough. Still, occasionally playing cards with Liu Qiaolian should not count as indulging in female charms, right?
Xia Daoming soon left the Hidden Dragon Martial Arts School and returned to the Xia residence.
Liu Qiaolian had already packed everything and was waiting for him.
One incense stick's worth of time later.
A man and a woman wearing veiled bamboo hats that concealed their entire faces each rode a fine horse out through the east gate, galloping southeast along the official road.
That man and woman were naturally Xia Daoming and Liu Qiaolian.
The bitterest cold region of Mangzhou lay north of the Vast Mountain Range.
There stretched an endless desert, scorching hot in summer and bitterly cold in winter, with few people to be seen. Beyond the northern lands lay the Tianhe Grasslands and the Tianhe Tribe who lived upon them.
The Tianhe Tribe was a nomadic people with customs fierce beyond measure. From time to time, they raided Mangzhou's northern lands. Sometimes, they even crossed through several gorge passages in the Vast Mountain Range to plunder the southern lands.
However, with the Vast Mountain Range serving as a natural barrier, the southern lands faced little threat from Tianhe Tribe raids. Their greatest threats instead came from the demon beasts of the Vast Mountain Range, scorching weather, hurricanes and torrential rains, miasma that filled the air, swarms of insects and snakes, and the natural terrain of many mountains and little flat land.
The farther southeast one went in Mangzhou, the less one was relatively threatened and affected by the harsh natural environment.
For this reason, most of Mangzhou's larger cities were located in its southeastern region, including the provincial capital.
Xia Daoming's plan for this journey was to travel through the cities in the southeast one by one, seeing whether he could uncover medicinal pills or herbs in local pharmacies that could effectively strengthen his meridians.
Southern Mangzhou had many mountains, complex terrain, and winding roads.
Not only were insects, snakes, and ferocious beasts plentiful along the way, but low-level demon beasts occasionally appeared as well. Bandits and robbers also frequently blocked the roads to plunder travelers.
For ordinary commoners, traveling from one city to another not only meant crossing mountains and rivers, an exhausting ordeal, but also facing extreme danger.
Thus, the vast majority of people never left the region where they lived in their entire lives.
The cost of moving goods between cities was enormous, so trade was very limited.
After leaving the city gate, the official road within ten or so miles of the city was broad and level. People and horses could occasionally be seen traveling along it, while fields and villages lined both sides.
But after they had traveled more than ten miles from Li City, the official road gradually became narrow and potholed, overgrown with weeds.
Mountain after mountain rose in succession, and level ground was difficult to find.
Occasionally, some fields appeared at the foot of the mountains, but most had been abandoned and left uncultivated.
Only around areas with fortified stockades could cultivated fields and signs of human habitation be found.
More than ten miles from the city, they began to encounter increasing numbers of refugees, as well as more bandits intercepting travelers midway.
Xia Daoming could not be bothered to tangle with them. He simply released the aura of a Fifth-Rank Great Martial Master's surging blood and force, and the bandits immediately scattered in rout, no longer daring to block his way.
This was already the fifth day since the two had left Li City.
"Master, Ironstone Town lies another twenty miles ahead. It is only a market town, and its food and lodging are rather ordinary. But after Ironstone Town, we would have to travel two hours into the night before we could possibly reach Green Cypress City." Liu Qiaolian raised her head to look at the setting sun and spoke to Xia Daoming.
"More haste, less speed. The mountain roads are complicated, and traveling at night would make it easier to take wrong turns. We will stay in Ironstone Town tonight," Xia Daoming said.
"Yes, Master!" Liu Qiaolian lifted the black veil covering her face and gave Xia Daoming a radiant smile. Her bright eyes shimmered, and amid this wild and desolate countryside, she possessed an especially enticing charm.
"Are you tired, Lian'er? Do you want to come over here and rest with your master?" Xia Daoming could not help feeling stirred as he looked at Liu Qiaolian's delicate, blossom-like face.
Liu Qiaolian glanced around, then nodded obediently, her face flushing red with shyness.
At the sight, Xia Daoming's appetite was greatly whetted. He urged his horse closer, stretched out his long arm, and scooped Liu Qiaolian around the waist, placing her before him in the saddle.
Holding both sets of reins in one hand and wrapping the other around Liu Qiaolian's soft, full waist, breathing in her faint fragrance, Xia Daoming felt all fatigue and drowsiness melt away.
Xia Daoming's hand soon began roaming improperly up and down. Liu Qiaolian leaned against him obediently, letting him do as he pleased and letting the horse run on.
Now this is what they mean by, "In the spring breeze of triumph, the horse's hooves fly swift!" Xia Daoming felt his heroic spirit rise.
"In the spring breeze of triumph, the horse's hooves fly swift?" Liu Qiaolian was slightly startled. Then her beautiful eyes shone repeatedly with admiration, while her lovely face grew even more bashful and captivating.
On an empty mountain road in the wilderness.
As the young pair rode one horse together, steeped in tender affection, the sounds of wagon wheels rolling and horse hooves came from behind them.
Hearing the movement behind him, Xia Daoming's eyes grew wary, and he released Liu Qiaolian's waist.
Liu Qiaolian pressed a hand against the horse's back and flew lightly as a swallow back onto her own mount.
Since the road sloped downhill, the carriage was moving quickly.
Xia Daoming and Liu Qiaolian intended to spend the night in Ironstone Town and had no need to hurry, so they moved aside to the edge of the road.
Once the carriage had passed, the two could share one horse again and continue their sweet intimacy.
The carriage soon swept past them.
It was drawn by two horses. The carriage body was decorated with gold and silver and carved with exquisite designs and patterns, appearing quite luxurious and refined.
A driver sat on the carriage seat, his blood and vitality surging. He was actually a Fourth-Rank Martial Master.
As the carriage passed, its curtain was lifted at one corner, revealing a young man with a large black mole on the lower right side of his chin.
On the silk-upholstered seat opposite the young man sat an old man in gray robes.
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