A Long Journey

Liang Jingtang let out a long sigh to the heavens as he looked at his disciples kneeling before him, blaming themselves and asking for punishment. After a while, he helped them all up one by one.

"Get up! The situation in Li City has been rather complicated recently. It might descend into chaos at any moment, so if you can make preparations, do so in advance.

Xingyi, your family is large, with many children and disciples. You need to plan ahead and think about your escape routes. Don't wait until the chaos erupts to try and move your whole family, or it will be too late.

And Yongbao, Yunfeng, one of you runs a restaurant, and the other runs a performance hall. The people who come and go are a mixed bag of unsavory characters, making it very complex. You must try to avoid conflict.

If you truly feel the situation is unfavorable, sell your restaurant and performance hall as soon as possible and move to a small village to live a comfortable life as a wealthy person.

Also, Daoming, among all our fellow disciples, you have the weakest foundation and the lowest cultivation. If Shi Yingdeng and Xu Shisen are not willing to let go after today's setback, they might target you to vent their anger.

You've decided to take a trip far away, which is a good way to lie low. However, with the current turbulent times, you must act with extreme discretion when you are out. It's better to endure a moment of anger and suffer a small loss than to get into a dispute with anyone."

Liang Jingtang finally helped Xia Daoming up, his words filled with earnest advice.

"Master, don't worry. Your disciple will act cautiously. Master, you must take care of yourself," Xia Daoming said.

"I'm old now, it doesn't matter anymore." Liang Jingtang patted Xia Daoming's shoulder, his gaze sweeping over everyone. He continued, "The situation is unclear right now. Besides acting with caution and avoiding disputes, you must also try to avoid getting too close to the Ding Family."

"Master, what do you mean..." Zhuo Xingyi's heart skipped a beat upon hearing this, and he asked.

His escort agency had a lot of business dealings with the Ding Family.

"The Ding Family is powerful, and they are in league with the Lin Family and the Hegemon Blade Sect. The Xu Family's ancestor is old, and there are no new Grandmasters emerging. They won't easily engage in a direct, major conflict with the Ding Family and their allies.

Therefore, forces like our Hidden Dragon Martial Arts School and Wu Family Fortress are the best targets for the Xu Family to make an example of. It's a pity for Gu Ren, who originally... alas!" Liang Jingtang sighed heavily as he spoke.

"Master, do you mean Wu Yueli was dealt with by the Xu Family?" Yuchi Xiao and the others gasped.

The Hidden Dragon Martial Arts School's strength and intelligence were far from comparable to the Ji Family's.

Let alone Yuchi Xiao and the others, even Liang Jingtang didn't know as much inside information as Ji Wenyue did.

Liang Jingtang did not answer them. He simply scanned everyone again and said, "In short, they fight their battles, and we live our lives. Stay as far away as possible. Alright, I'm leaving."

With that, Liang Jingtang walked out of the Jade Flower Pavilion.

Under the lamplight, his tall and imposing figure was slightly stooped as he gradually disappeared down the street.

The third day after the Jade Flower Pavilion incident.

Early in the morning, Xia Daoming, along with Xia He and four other maids, went to the Hidden Dragon Martial Arts School.

Today, he planned to leave on a trip with Liu Qiaolian.

It would have been most suitable to leave Xia He and the other four maids at home to look after the house.

However, the incident that occurred at the Jade Flower Pavilion three days ago made Xia Daoming worry that Shi Yingdeng might go mad and, if he couldn't find him, would take his anger out on the four maids. So, he decided to send them to the Hidden Dragon Martial Arts School.

They would help out with chores at the martial arts school and continue to learn martial arts.

The youngest of the four maids was only sixteen, and the oldest was eighteen.

Although it was a bit late to start practicing martial arts at this age, it wasn't too late.

In these turbulent times, being able to learn some martial arts for self-defense was better than nothing.

Moreover, Xia Daoming was not short of money or elixirs now. After Liu Qiaolian bought the four of them from the human traffickers, she had them learn martial arts whenever she had free time.

They had a basic foundation now.

Leaving them at the Hidden Dragon Martial Arts School for a while would ensure they didn't neglect their martial arts.

Seeing the four clever and lovely girls standing gracefully behind Xia Daoming, Liang Jingtang was initially disappointed, then seemed to have figured something out. He smiled and pointed at Xia Daoming, saying, "You rascal, you know how to enjoy life even better than your master! But it's good that you can think things through, so you don't end up with nothing and have more regrets."

"Ahem, Master, it's not what you think..."

"That's enough. I didn't have high expectations for you in the first place. Life is short. It would be best if you could reach the Fifth-Rank realm, but if not, it's good to enjoy yourself while you're young.

As for them, don't worry. As long as they don't leave the Hidden Dragon Martial Arts School, Shi Yingdeng wouldn't dare to trouble them even if he had ten times the courage!" Liang Jingtang interrupted with a wave of his hand.

Xia Daoming, who was about to say something, had to change his words. "Then I'll take Xia He and the others to my senior brother and ask him to make arrangements. I won't bother you, Master."

"Go on, go on!" Liang Jingtang waved his hand.

So, Xia Daoming took Xia He and the other four back to the outer courtyard.

"Heh heh, you really can't judge a book by its cover! Seeing you so serious at the Jade Flower Pavilion, my brothers and I all thought you were dedicated to martial arts, steadfast in your will, and abstained from women. We were quite impressed.

Who knew you were actually keeping four women hidden away!" Yuchi Xiao said, glancing at the four maids and slinging an arm around Xia Daoming's shoulder with a suggestive look.

"Ahem! Senior Brother..."

"Alright, I understand. You can go with peace of mind!"

Xia Daoming looked at Liang Jingtang's expression that seemed to say, "I understand, I'm a man too," and felt speechless.

Understand what!

My goal is to become a Grandmaster, how could I be addicted to women?

Ahem, but occasionally playing cards with Liu Qiaolian shouldn't be considered being addicted to women, 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.

After the time it takes for one stick of incense to burn.

A man and a woman, wearing veiled hats that covered their entire faces, each rode a fine horse and galloped out of the east city gate, heading southeast along the official road.

This man and woman were naturally Xia Daoming and Liu Qiaolian.

The harshest and coldest region in Mangzhou Prefecture was north of the Vast Mountain Range.

There lay a boundless desert, scorching hot in summer and freezing cold in winter, with sparse population. Not only that, but beyond the northern lands was the Tianhe Great Grassland and the Tianhe Tribe who lived there.

The Tianhe Tribe was a nomadic people with an incredibly fierce temperament, frequently raiding the northern parts of Mangzhou Prefecture. Sometimes, they would even pass through the few canyon passages of the Vast Mountain Range to raid the southern lands.

However, due to the natural barrier of the Vast Mountain Range, the southern lands were not greatly threatened by raids from the Tianhe Tribe. The greatest threats came from the demonic beasts of the Vast Mountain Range, the hot weather, hurricanes and storms, pervasive miasma, and the proliferation of insects and snakes, all within a natural environment characterized by many mountains and little flat land.

As one moved further southeast in Mangzhou Prefecture, the threats and influences of the harsh natural environment became relatively smaller.

Precisely because of this, most of the larger cities in Mangzhou Prefecture were located in the southeastern region, including the prefecture capital.

Xia Daoming's plan for this journey was to travel from city to city in the southeast direction, to see if he could find any pills or medicinal ingredients in local pharmacies that could effectively strengthen his meridians.

The southern part of Mangzhou Prefecture was mountainous and its terrain was complex, with winding roads.

Along the way, not only were there many poisonous insects and fierce beasts, but low-level demonic beasts would occasionally appear, and bandits would also frequently block the road to rob travelers.

For ordinary people, traveling from one city to another was not only arduous, involving crossing mountains and wading through rivers, but also extremely perilous.

Therefore, the vast majority of people never left the area where they lived in their entire lives.

The cost of transporting goods between cities was very high, so the circulation was very limited.

Outside the city gates, the official road within a radius of about ten miles was wide and smooth, with people and horses frequently passing by, and fields and villages on both sides.

But after leaving Li City for more than ten miles, the official road gradually became narrower and more potholed, overgrown with weeds.

Mountains followed one after another, making it difficult to see any flat land.

Occasionally, some small fields appeared at the foot of the mountains, but most of them were abandoned and uncultivated.

Only in areas with fortified villages were there cultivated fields and signs of human habitation.

After leaving the city for more than ten miles, the encountered refugees gradually increased, and the bandits who ambushed them halfway also became more frequent.

Xia Daoming was too lazy to deal with them. He directly released the aura of his Fifth-Rank Great Martial Master's vital energy, and those bandits immediately fled in disarray, daring not to intercept him.

This day was already the fifth day since the two of them had left Li City.

"Master, in another twenty miles, we'll reach Ironstone Town. Ironstone Town is just a market town, and the conditions for eating and lodging are average. However, after passing Ironstone Town, we'll have to travel for two hours at night to reach Green Cypress City," Liu Qiaolian said to Xia Daoming, looking up at the setting sun.

"Haste makes waste. The mountain roads are complex, and traveling at night is more likely to lead us astray. Let's stay at Ironstone Town tonight," Xia Daoming said.

"Yes, Master!" Liu Qiaolian lifted her black veil, smiled charmingly at Xia Daoming, her bright eyes sparkling. In this wilderness, she possessed a different, alluring charm.

"Are you tired, Lian'er? Would you like to rest here with Master?" Xia Daoming looked at Liu Qiaolian's delicate and beautiful face, feeling a stir in his heart.

Liu Qiaolian glanced around, her face blushing, and nodded obediently.

Seeing this, Xia Daoming was eager to act. He urged his horse closer, stretched out his arm like an ape, and embraced Liu Qiaolian around the waist, placing her in front of him.

Holding both reins with one hand and Liu Qiaolian's soft, plump waist with the other, sniffing the faint fragrance emanating from her, Xia Daoming felt his fatigue and sleepiness vanish.

Xia Daoming's hand quickly moved up and down restlessly. Liu Qiaolian nestled against him obediently, allowing his indulgence and letting the horse run.

"This is what it means to be in high spirits on a spring breeze!" Xia Daoming felt a surge of exhilaration.

"In high spirits on a spring breeze?" Liu Qiaolian was slightly taken aback, then her beautiful eyes sparkled with delight, and her pretty face became even more shy and alluring.

In the deserted mountain path in the wilderness.

A young couple was riding a horse together, lost in their affection, when the sound of rolling wheels and horses' hooves came from behind them.

Hearing the movement behind him, a hint of vigilance appeared in Xia Daoming's eyes, and he released Liu Qiaolian's waist.

Liu Qiaolian pressed her hand on the horse's back and, light as a swallow, landed back on her own mount.

Because it was a downhill road, the carriage was moving very fast.

Xia Daoming and Liu Qiaolian planned to stay at Ironstone Town for the night and did not need to rush, so they moved to the side of the road to let the carriage pass.

After the carriage passed, the two of them, riding on one horse, continued their intimate moments.

The carriage quickly passed them.

It was a carriage pulled by two horses, with gold and silver decorations on the carriage body, carved with exquisite patterns and designs, looking quite luxurious and refined.

A coachman sat on the saddle, his vital energy surging; he was actually a Fourth-Rank Martial Master.

As the carriage passed, a corner of the carriage curtain was lifted, revealing a young man with a large mole on the lower right side of his chin.

Opposite him, on a silk seat, sat an old man in grey clothes.

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