Railroad Speed

The next day, the sun rose.

On the dusty yellow dirt road, three figures cast long shadows.

Zhou Xiaoxian carried a small bundle on her back, her little face full of sleepiness and a touch of bewilderment.

Late last night, her father had suddenly woken her up to take Xia Yi as her master, then urged her to pack her things and return to the prefectural capital, Lieyang City, early today to report what had happened to Brother Lizhu to the authorities.

"Dad, I... am leaving, then?"

"Go on." Zhou Feng struggled to hold back his reluctance and worry. "Be careful on the road. Once you reach the prefectural capital, listen to the elder."

"Dad, it's not my first time going to study at the Holy Academy. Besides, I'm pretty strong."

This time was different. As Zhou Feng recalled last night's conversation with Xia Yi, his worry showed on his face.

"Since the enemy is very likely still tracking down my Xia family's bloodline, why did you send that girl to study at the Holy Academy? Is the Holy Academy no longer the Human Race's sacred ground? Does it no longer investigate every student's family background?"

"Forever fair and neutral? Heh. Wherever there are people, there can be no everlasting fairness and neutrality."

"Never count on luck. From the moment she entered the Holy Academy, that girl's identity was exposed beyond doubt!"

"Sacrifice an insignificant girl and gain King Zheng's friendship-with such a profitable deal, do you expect every senior member of the Holy Academy to remain unmoved?"

"But judging by the current situation, King Zheng really hasn't received word. Most likely, certain people intercepted the news. Don't panic, don't panic. Whoever is secretly coveting your girl and my Xia family's legacy, I'll deal with them!"

Xia Yi said pointedly, "All right, stop worrying about the girl. I've eaten more rice than you've walked over salt. I'll take good care of her."

"Then I'll leave her in your hands, old... elder."

"Dad, why don't you come to Lieyang City with us?" Zhou Xiaoxian couldn't help asking.

Zhou Feng laughed and shook his head. "How old are you now, still unable to leave your dad? Don't cry. The elder will laugh at you if you do. Go on, Xiao Xian."

Looking back with every few steps, Zhou Xiaoxian set off for the prefectural capital with Xia Yi. They traveled light. Zhou Xiaoxian carried only a longsword slung diagonally at her side and a small cloth bundle containing a few changes of clothes and some silver, while Xia Yi brought nothing but himself.

The only addition was a new bamboo hat.

They soon left the boundaries of Zhou Family Village. Zhou Xiaoxian said, "There's a carriage station up ahead that the nearby villages share. Should we go there?"

Xia Yi glanced at her. "A carriage station?"

"Yes, Railway Carriages. You don't know about those either?" Zhou Xiaoxian asked curiously. She kept feeling that her teacher knew very little common knowledge. She explained, "Eight hundred years ago, ten great princely and noble families invented a way for carriages to run along rails, allowing even ordinary people to travel a thousand li a day. It's very convenient."

"Jointly invented by ten great princely and noble families? How impressive..." Xia Yi murmured, then asked, "Do the rails cover a wide area?"

"Yes, they run throughout all seven kingdoms!"

"Oh, that's good." Xia Yi fell silent for two seconds, then smiled. "Would you like to take a carriage?"

"Mm, it takes less than two hours to reach the prefectural capital by carriage. It's very convenient, but the fare... is a little expensive."

A faint look of distress over the expense appeared on Zhou Xiaoxian's face.

"What if we walk?"

"If we keep following the main road, we can still reach the prefectural capital before dark. That's what I did before."

Xia Yi considered it. "Then let's walk."

A flash of irrepressible delight crossed Zhou Xiaoxian's face. Seeing Xia Yi look over, she hurriedly said,

"Walking is good. Walking is good."

"Heh, tell me a little about Lieyang City on the way," Xia Yi said.

"No problem, Teacher. Speaking of which, are you from our Zheng Kingdom, Teacher? Where did you live and cultivate before?" Zhou Xiaoxian's cheerful voice and laughter gradually drifted into the distance. "Oh, Teacher, I keep feeling as though we've forgotten something..."

"Forgotten something? No, no. I never forget anything." Xia Yi was all smiles.

Shi Lai logged in extremely early today.

After school, he hurried through his homework, then told his parents he wasn't feeling well. After having his temperature taken and drinking some isatis root medicine, he crawled under the covers at just seven o'clock and logged into Saint Soul Continent.

First, he ran to the place where Xia Yi and Zhou Lizhu had fought yesterday. Finding nothing but a mess and a few villagers looking on, he hurried to Zhou Xiaoxian's house.

Zhou Feng had just returned home when he happened to see Shi Lai hurrying over. Since Zhou Xiaoxian hadn't mentioned Shi Lai in her account yesterday, he reflexively assumed Shi Lai had come to propose marriage again.

He immediately picked up the poker.

Zhuzi's already mutated, and you, a teenage matchmaker here to propose marriage, still won't give it a rest? I'll beat you to death!

Shi Lai took quite a beating before finally explaining the situation clearly. But the answer he received from Zhou Feng struck him like a bolt of lightning.

"What?! They left! When did they leave? Half an hour ago? What happened to telling me to come learn swordsmanship this morning? Wow, I've never seen such shameless NPCs! You're cheating me out of my quest reward?"

Shi Lai lost his mind on the spot. This was even harder for him to accept than Xia Yi being beaten to death by Zhou Lizhu!

"They headed toward Lieyang City? I can catch them!"

"What the hell was that about?"

Zhou Feng watched Shi Lai run off, casually tossed the poker aside, and felt a little guilty. "Why was he talking nonsense? Did I beat him stupid...?"

Shi Lai sprinted and jogged all the way. Already level 50, his physical fitness far surpassed his real-world self and was probably on par with an accomplished athlete's. He had long since scouted the route out of the "starter village," too, so he wasted no time. He ran for more than an hour before he could no longer keep going.

Stopping with heavy, ragged breaths, he looked back and forth in puzzlement. As far as he could see, there wasn't a trace of anyone on the yellow-sand main road!

"That's strange. There's only one road, isn't there? Were they running too? Or did that damned old village chief lie to me, and they didn't come this way at all?"

"Argh, this is so annoying! What the hell kind of game is this? I completed the quest, but the NPCs ran off without giving me my reward, and the almighty system won't do anything about it?!"

Several thousand meters ahead.

Zhou Xiaoxian said in surprise, "Teacher, we seem to be walking... very fast."

She was clearly walking at her normal pace, yet somehow she was moving at a sprint. More importantly, she wasn't tired at all.

"Fast? Are we?"

Xia Yi smiled and kept walking. In front of his feet, an illusory railroad stretched toward the edge of his vision, invisible to everyone but him.

This was one of his only two six-star Saint Souls:

Railroad Speed!

This was the six-star Saint Soul Xia Yi had comprehended eight hundred years ago, after developing Railway Carriages that allowed even ordinary people to travel a thousand li a day!

A six-star Saint Soul with the potential to advance to seven stars!

It was also what had drawn the covetous attention of countless experts, ultimately leaving Xia Yi gravely wounded.

Had he not aged and gone white-haired overnight, gaining firsthand experience, then "copied" Cao Cao's Turtle Lives Long, comprehended the true meaning of "an old steed rests in its stall, yet its aspirations reach a thousand li," and condensed another six-star Saint Soul, Turtle Lives Long, he would surely have died long ago.

"The rails cover all seven kingdoms, yet Railroad Speed still hasn't advanced to a seven-star Saint Soul. It seems I was right. I'll have to make a train."

"Back then, I was really worried, because I knew absolutely nothing about that field." Sensing Shi Lai's footfalls on the railroad behind him that was about to fade away, Xia Yi murmured, "Now I don't have to worry!"

Having chased them a little farther, Shi Lai stared at the unchanging yellow-sand scenery and was nearly worried to death.