Departure

The sunset was intoxicating.

Still in the private room on the second floor of the Quiet Heart Tea House on Qing Shi Street, Ji Wenyue leaned by the window, gazing absently at the evening clouds on the horizon. No one knew what she was thinking of, but a blush would occasionally sweep across her lovely face. Bathed in the sunset's glow, she was breathtakingly radiant.

"Alas!"

After an unknown amount of time, Ji Wenyue seemed to remember something again. She suddenly let out a soft sigh, then turned and walked over to sit beside the tea table.

Creak!

The wooden door to the private room was gently pushed open from outside.

"Brother Xia!" Seeing Xia Daoming enter, Ji Wenyue's almond eyes lit up, and she hurriedly rose to her feet.

When Xia Daoming saw Ji Wenyue stand, his eyes could not help but brighten slightly.

In the mere few months since they had last met, Ji Wenyue had somehow grown taller and slimmer, yet her lethal assets had become even more imposing.

"You seem to have grown taller again, and you've gotten thinner too. These past days must have been hard on you, right?" Xia Daoming asked with concern, his gaze flickering over Ji Wenyue's proud peaks.

"Ah, I got taller again? Won't that look ugly?" Ji Wenyue asked, her face unexpectedly full of worry.

She was already close to one meter seventy tall. Among women in this world, she absolutely stood out like a crane among chickens, which made her somewhat insecure.

"What nonsense are you talking about? Tall is beautiful! Especially those long legs—I could... ahem, ahem!"

"Really? Then that's good!" Ji Wenyue's worry immediately turned to joy.

"Of course it's true! Let me tell you, I've seen countless beauties. My standards are the pickiest there are. If I say it looks good, it looks good!" Xia Daoming said, secretly breathing a sigh of relief.

Good thing I didn't say I could play with those legs for years!

"Seen countless beauties? Didn't you say you came from some remote little city in the north?" Ji Wenyue asked with a hand over her mouth, smiling.

"So what if my little city produces nothing but beauties?" Xia Daoming immediately retorted.

"Heehee, it can. Of course it can!" Ji Wenyue giggled and made a face at Xia Daoming. Then, very casually, she took out a small sandalwood box and handed it to him.

"Brother, this is for you."

Xia Daoming took it and casually opened it.

The moment he did, he caught a trace of pill fragrance that could faintly stir his qi and blood.

"What kind of pill is this?" Xia Daoming's expression changed slightly, and a trace of gravity appeared in his eyes.

"A Phoenix Cry Pill. I just refined it recently. Impressive, right?" Ji Wenyue proudly thrust out her lethal assets.

"Impressive!" Xia Daoming gave Ji Wenyue a deep look and raised a thumbs-up at her.

"Brother, you're doing it again!" Ji Wenyue suddenly flushed crimson and shot Xia Daoming a fierce glare with her beautiful eyes.

Watching Ji Wenyue's bashful, reproachful expression, Xia Daoming was left speechless.

Heaven and earth bore witness—his eyes had definitely not wandered just now!

And what he had said was absolutely proper.

It seemed he would have to be more careful in the future. Otherwise, if this went on, it would damage his tall, upright image!

"This pill must be very precious, right?" Xia Daoming soon asked with a solemn expression.

"I refined it myself. What's precious or not precious about it?" Ji Wenyue replied casually.

Xia Daoming gave Ji Wenyue another deep look, then silently put away the Phoenix Cry Pill.

After that, the two drank tea and chatted idly.

Only after the sun had completely sunk beyond the western hills did they leave the tea house, one after the other.

"Damn it, I was so busy chatting and admiring a beauty that I forgot to ask what the green liquid in this bottle is!" On his way home, Xia Daoming touched the small bottle tucked into his clothes and could not help smacking his forehead.

"Forget it. It's not urgent. It won't be too late to ask after I return from the Vast Mountain Range." With that thought, Xia Daoming quickened his pace.

The moment he returned home, Xia Daoming went into the rear courtyard and consumed the Phoenix Cry Pill.

Early tomorrow morning, he would set out for the Vast Mountain Range with Liang Jingtang. Before then, it was always good to gain a little more strength.

As soon as the Phoenix Cry Pill entered his stomach, Xia Daoming felt its surging medicinal power spread out and pour into his meridians.

An hour later.

Xia Daoming slowly opened his eyes, his expression complicated.

The Phoenix Cry Pill's efficacy had exceeded his expectations.

Originally, his meridian strengthening progress had been stuck at ninety percent of Level Six.

Now, his meridian strengthening progress had reached fifty percent of Level Seven.

Such efficacy was almost comparable to that three-hundred-year-old Blazing Qilin Ginseng.

Most crucially, the Phoenix Cry Pill's medicinal power was far gentler than that of the Blazing Qilin Ginseng.

That also meant this pill's value definitely far exceeded that of a three-hundred-year-old Blazing Qilin Ginseng.

That Blazing Qilin Ginseng had cost him nearly seven thousand taels of silver.

By that calculation, one Phoenix Cry Pill was worth at least ten thousand taels, and it was a rare commodity to be hoarded. If someone truly needed it and had deep pockets, they would probably be willing to pay twenty thousand taels for one.

Forget it. She's given me far too much. So what if her assets are a little fierce? I should still protect her when I can in the future!

After teasing himself, Xia Daoming ended his cultivation and rose.

"Master, you've finished cultivating! Are you tired? This servant will help you relax." Seeing Xia Daoming rise, Liu Qiaolian, who had been flipping through that yellowed volume of so-called immortal formation book nearby, hurriedly stood. Her willow waist swayed as she stepped forward and curtsied.

"Sounds good." Xia Daoming nodded, lay back in a wicker chair, and enjoyed the decadent life of a master.

"Tomorrow, I'll set out for the Vast Mountain Range. Don't stop taking the medicine you should be taking! As for studying the secret diagram, don't take it to heart. If you can't succeed once, study it a few more times." Xia Daoming narrowed his eyes, enjoying Liu Qiaolian's gentle massage as he spoke.

"It is because this servant is useless that Master has to trouble himself for this servant..." Liu Qiaolian lowered her head, blaming herself.

"Don't say foolish things. You're this master's Lian'er. What does this little effort amount to?" Xia Daoming interrupted.

As he spoke, Xia Daoming pulled Liu Qiaolian onto himself, and his hands began to wander dishonestly.

"Master, no! Tomorrow, you still have to go to the Vast Mountain Range with School Master Liang. You need to preserve your strength!" For the first time ever, Liu Qiaolian struggled to get up.

"Fine. This master will deal with you after I return!" Though Xia Daoming believed that even after playing cards all night, he would still be full of life the next day, he could not bear to reject Liu Qiaolian's good intentions or make her worry. Smiling, he let go and gave her a light pat in passing.

"When Master returns, this servant will certainly serve you well!" Liu Qiaolian curtsied.

The next day.

Early morning.

A fine rain fell without end.

It brought a trace of chill.

A group of martial masters sat astride fine horses, wearing bamboo hats as they waited outside the eastern city gate.

Powerful auras of qi, blood, and force radiated from the martial masters. The air was thick with killing intent, frightening passersby at the city gate into giving them a wide berth.

Xia Daoming wore black martial attire and a bamboo hat, with two short spears strapped to his back. Mounted on horseback, he quietly followed behind Liang Jingtang, his eyes observing the surrounding martial masters beneath the brim of his hat.

Ten Sixth-Rank Great Martial Masters, twenty-three Fifth-Rank Great Martial Masters, and twelve Fourth-Rank Martial Masters.

Xia Daoming counted silently to himself.

This time, the Xu family had gathered ten forces from Li City, including the Hidden Dragon Martial Arts School.

Of those ten forces, apart from Liang Jingtang, who had brought only one disciple, every other group had brought at least two disciples or family members.

The martial masters occasionally looked toward the city gate. Seeing that the Xu family members had yet to appear, they said nothing, but faint displeasure and irritation had already surfaced on their faces.

Just as the martial masters were beginning to grow impatient, the sound of hoofbeats rang out.

At the end of East Gate Street, a cavalry procession galloped over. In the blink of an eye, it passed through the city gate and arrived outside the city.

A vast, tyrannical aura of qi, blood, and force swept toward them with crushing pressure.

The martial masters immediately became solemn.

The leaders of the various forces stepped forward one after another and greeted an elder and a young man standing proudly side by side at the front of the mounted procession.

"Greetings, Elder Zhiji. Greetings, Young Master Shixiong!"

Xia Daoming tugged his bamboo hat lower, concealing half his face, while his heart turned grave.

They had not met for over half a year, yet Xu Shixiong now felt even more unfathomable than he had in Crimson Flame Valley.

Fortunately, Xu Shixiong's aura of qi, blood, and force was still at the Seventh-Rank realm. Xia Daoming was confident that if he unleashed his full strength, fighting him would not be a problem.

But with that Eighth-Rank elder added to the equation, Xia Daoming did not dare casually speak of battle.

Though the elder looked aged and frail, already well into his eighties or nineties, and his qi, blood, and force had surely declined greatly, he was still at the Eighth-Rank realm—two realms higher than Xia Daoming.

Aside from those two, the Xu family had also brought twelve Great Martial Masters, all at least Fifth-Rank.

Among them was even a Seventh-Rank Great Martial Master, though he was already past seventy and could not compare with Xu Shixiong.

Xia Daoming was confident that in a one-on-one fight, he could utterly defeat him!

The Xu family truly deserves to be Li City's only grandmaster clan. With such a powerful formation holding the line, none of the other forces will dare cut corners. They can only give it their all!

Just as he was thinking this, Xia Daoming suddenly sensed a trace of hostility.

Xia Daoming's heart stirred slightly. Looking out from beneath his hat brim, his gaze fell upon a young man.

That young man was none other than Xu Shisen, who had crippled Gu Ren and had later tried to violate Liu Xiaoqiang at Jade Flower Pavilion.

After several months apart, Xu Shisen was already emitting the aura of a Sixth-Rank Great Martial Master.

At that moment, his lips were hooked in a sneer as he looked at Xia Daoming from afar with the contemptuous gaze one reserved for the dead.

Clearly, he had recognized Xia Daoming.

What a fool who doesn't know whether he's dead or alive! Xia Daoming sneered inwardly, killing intent flashing deep within his eyes beneath the bamboo hat.

Just then, Xia Daoming suddenly felt a chill. Xu Shixiong had somehow also turned to look at him, a trace of contemplation in his eyes.

No way. It's been nearly a year. Could this man still remember a nobody like me? Xia Daoming was slightly startled.

Fortunately, Xu Shixiong soon withdrew his gaze with an indifferent expression.

Clearly, whether he remembered where he had seen Xia Daoming or not, to someone like Xu Shixiong, Xia Daoming was merely an insignificant nobody.

"Set off!" Xu Zhiji merely nodded slightly at Liang Jingtang and the others, then decisively waved his hand.

"Yes!" Everyone straightened and answered.

In the rain, the group raised their whips and spurred their horses, swiftly galloping toward the Vast Mountain Range like a whirlwind.