Traveling with Li Dashan

Deng Qing cupped his hands. "You overpraise me, Senior. I merely got lucky and cut off a branch. It does not count as a victory."

Zhang Bo waved a hand. "This old man is not so petty as to feed you empty compliments just to make you happy.

"Mr. Settling Solitude's swordsmanship has found a successor like you. If his spirit knows in heaven, he would surely be gratified."

Though Zhang Bo said this aloud, his heart clenched tighter and tighter. He did not like Deng Qing's common origins and had always felt that Deng Qing approached Li Cheng with ulterior motives. Moreover, Deng Qing was improving far too quickly, causing Li Cheng no small amount of distress. If this continued, it would easily breed a heart demon.

Naturally unaware of Zhang Bo's thoughts, Deng Qing solemnly cupped his hands and bowed to him.

Li Cheng still stood dazed to one side, unable to tell what he felt.

The only thing he knew for certain was that, at least in the Seven Forms of Settling Solitude, Deng Qing would be able to instruct him for a long, long time.

At once, he raised his sword and challenged Deng Qing again. Deng Qing readily accepted.

Early in the morning, just as dawn broke and the city gates opened, a party of more than ten people left Everjoy County through the morning mist.

Walking at the very front was Li Dashan.

The Pacification Commissioner sent by Yanshan Prefecture had arranged a banquet in Dongting County, summoning officials, notable figures, and martial artists from Everjoy and Dongting Counties who had rendered meritorious service in the campaign against the Donghuang Cult.

Li Dashan had newly obtained the official rank of ninth-grade captain and was among those invited. Thus, at daybreak, he set out with his attendants.

Zhang Yan and Fan Sheng headed the accompanying group.

There were also seven or eight registered disciples of Celebration Hall. Deng Qing and Ding Yuan were among them.

Clearly, Deng Qing regarded accompanying Li Dashan on this journey as an opportunity, and the others saw it the same way.

Therefore, all of the attendants this time were strong contenders to become future Initiation disciples.

The morning wilderness was broad and open. In the distance, layer upon layer of mountains lay shrouded in thin mist, while the mountain breeze brushed their faces with a refreshing chill.

Li Dashan was in high spirits. Whenever he saw a fine view, he would even raise his voice and chant a few lines.

Zhang Yan usually enjoyed reading poetry and books, so he composed verses in response to the scenery before them.

His poetic talent was not especially brilliant, but his verses suited both the scene and the hour. Several lines spoke of ruined villages and towns and people driven from their homes, revealing compassion for the common folk. Li Dashan listened and nodded approvingly.

Seeing that Li Dashan was in a good mood, the disciples all sought chances to speak, offering flattering remarks to amuse him.

Only Deng Qing quietly followed within the group.

Fan Sheng looked back at Deng Qing several times, signaling for him to hurry up and say something, but Deng Qing gave no response at all.

It was not that Deng Qing did not wish to distinguish himself. He simply knew that even if he filled a cart with flattering words, how many would Li Dashan remember?

After traveling for over two hours, the group gradually neared the region around Blackwind Ravine.

Here, the terrain suddenly became precipitous and dangerous.

Looking out, they saw towering peaks on either side, with vast stretches of black pines growing along the slopes. Their layered branches and needles pressed downward, threatening to blot out the sky and sun.

The official road passed between the two mountains. On one side was a steep slope; on the other lay a chaotic field of rocks and dense forest.

The mountain wind blew from the ravine, carrying damp, cold moisture.

An occasional birdcall came from deep within the pine forest, making the surrounding silence feel all the deeper.

The party, which had been chatting and laughing, gradually fell silent.

Several disciples instinctively gripped their weapons, while Deng Qing also lifted his gaze and swept it across the forests on both sides.

The ground here was narrow, and the woods were dense. It truly was an excellent place for an ambush.

After they went several dozen more yards, a shrill whistle suddenly rang out from the forest.

Immediately afterward, the branches and leaves on both sides began to shake violently.

Dozens of men wielding sabers and spears charged out from the woods.

Some blocked the road ahead, while others circled around from behind, pinning the group in the middle of the official road.

These men wore a motley assortment of clothes. Some had old fur coats draped over their shoulders, while others wore coarse garments patched all over. The weapons in their hands were equally varied: long sabers, woodcutting axes, short spears—everything was there.

The leader had a face full of fleshy jowls and carried a demon-head saber over his shoulder.

He strode into the middle of the road and barked, "No more nonsense. Leave behind your toll money, gentlemen, and my brothers will naturally let you pass."

Before Li Dashan could speak, Ding Yuan and the others' eyes had already lit up.

They had been racking their brains the whole way over how to distinguish themselves. Now, a band of mountain bandits had suddenly blocked their path. It was as if heaven had delivered an opportunity right before their eyes.

Ding Yuan shouted, "Bold bandits!"

Before his words had faded, he had already drawn his saber and charged out.

Seeing this, the other disciples feared that he would snatch all the credit for himself, so they too drew their weapons and followed.

The two sides quickly clashed in a chaotic melee.

Though these mountain bandits looked numerous and imposing, once they truly fought, they were nothing more than a rabble.

Ding Yuan and the others were all skilled among Celebration Hall's registered disciples. The moment they exchanged blows, they gained the upper hand.

Saber flashes streaked through the air, and several bandits fell one after another.

Deng Qing remained standing where he was. Fan Sheng grew increasingly anxious, stepped closer, and lightly kicked him with the tip of his foot, but Deng Qing still did not move.

Zhang Yan saw this and deliberately asked, "Junior Brother Deng, everyone else has gone to kill the bandits. Why are you not moving?"

Deng Qing said, "Their knuckles are thick, and calluses cover their hands. They must have worked the fields in the countryside before.

"This shows that before becoming bandits, these men were also children of the common people. It is only because the times are too chaotic and heaven gave them no road to live that they had no choice but to find a way to survive themselves."

Deng Qing's words were by no means spoken without cause.

He had not spoken along the way, but he had been observing.

Many of Zhang Yan's verses lamented the people's hardships, and Li Dashan had nodded in agreement.

This showed that Li Dashan possessed some compassion.

"If you do not kill bandits, the bandits will kill you. Is that not a pedantic judgment?"

It was unexpectedly Li Dashan who spoke.

Deng Qing said, "That is why this disciple did not stop my senior brothers from killing the bandits."

Li Dashan was first taken aback, then burst into laughter. After laughing, he pointed at Deng Qing and said, "You are quite interesting. What is your name?"

Fan Sheng was delighted inwardly.

Deng Qing stepped forward and bowed. "This disciple is Deng Qing. Thank you, Master, for saving my life that day."

Zhang Yan frowned.

Deng Qing had behaved fairly steadily just now. Why had he lost his composure and tried to curry favor the instant Li Dashan asked his name? That was truly beneath him.

Sure enough, the smile on Li Dashan's face faded. He waved a hand. "Enough. Just work properly from now on."

Fan Sheng hurriedly said, "Master, he is that boy from back then who, just to get a bowl of food, knocked himself unconscious by ramming into a pillar.

"You found him truly pitiful and had someone keep him, letting him do cleaning and odd jobs at the front gate.

"If not for that one sentence from you back then, he would likely have starved to death long ago."

Li Dashan examined Deng Qing, and a look of realization appeared on his face. "It was you, boy? I remember, I remember.

"This old man found it strange at the time. You had starved yourself into that state, yet you still managed to scrape together silver to enter Celebration Hall as a disciple.

"This old man said then that whatever else might be said of you, at least you were a lad with resolve."

Deng Qing cupped his hands. "That one sentence from Master that day was a life-saving kindness to this disciple. I dare not forget it."

Li Dashan nodded slightly, his interest piqued. "Counting it carefully, you have not been under me for very long. Yet you are already at the Skin Refining Second Layer?"

Deng Qing cupped his hands. "In reply to Master, this disciple broke through to the Skin Tempering Third Layer a few days ago."

"The Skin Tempering Third Layer?"

Li Dashan froze. "Where did you get the resources?"

Deng Qing said, "At first, this disciple could not afford large cuts of meat, so I went to butcher shops and bought pig offal that others looked down on.

"Later, I chose an Internal Cultivation Method at Celebration Hall. It allowed me to digest meat much faster, and with that Internal Cultivation Method, I found work at a medicine shop.

"Besides that, I also did odd jobs here and there, carrying sacks of hemp.

"In the battle at the Mountain God Temple earlier, this disciple was fortunate enough to kill Monk Tang and received a sum of reward money.

"Together with the support of several senior brothers and friends, I barely managed to come this far."

He spoke calmly, but Li Dashan was moved.