"Brother Ye Sheng, look, this is the Mud Figurine Grandpa gave me."
One of the little girls took out a clay figurine and handed it to Song Yan.
From their earlier laughter and chatter, Song Yan had learned that her name was Xie Chan, and she was Xie Xing's granddaughter.
Xie Chuan chimed in, speaking of the old man holding a sword up ahead, his eyes full of admiration and reverence. "Grandpa Xie Xing is a swordsman. He's really amazing."
For some reason, when Xie Chan showed Song Yan the Mud Figurine, Xie Xing glanced back from up ahead.
The boys and girls laughing and playing inside the carriage stood in stark contrast to the tense, vigilant Xie Xing outside.
"This Mud Figurine is so exquisitely made."
Song Yan carefully accepted it and studied it in his hand.
Xiao He grew interested too, hiding in his sleeve and watching the clay figurine through the gap at Song Yan's wrist.
She simply liked little handmade trinkets like these.
The two little girls in the carriage watched Song Yan's earnest expression and whispered to each other, "This scholar is so handsome."
Young boys and girls, their hearts were just beginning to stir, yet they remained innocent and unknowing. Song Yan and Xiao He heard every word.
"..."
Xiao He peered out along the sleeve at the little girl.
"She's got a good eye. Back in Shiliang, our Yanyan was a famous beauty for miles around!"
"What was that sound?"
Song Yan tapped the little snake's head through his sleeve, telling her to be quiet.
Then he asked toward the front, "Senior, did you make this clay figurine? What fine craftsmanship..."
"Hahaha, I'm just a rough, uncouth old martial artist. How could I have such fine handiwork?"
Xie Xing laughed. "This was passed down from my ancestors."
Perhaps because Song Yan had done nothing unusual throughout the journey, and they were about to reach Fufeng City's territory, Xie Xing had become considerably less wary of him.
"The Xie Household doesn't have much of an estate. We've been in the clay figurine business for generations."
"My branch is the exception. Every generation produces a reckless martial artist."
"My grandfather was a renowned swordsman in the martial world. He made this Mud Figurine."
"To this day, rumors still circulate in South Chu's martial world that this Mud Figurine contains a peerless sword art. But I've spent more than half my life examining it and never found anything."
As Xie Xing spoke, Song Yan sensed something was a little off.
The seasoned wanderer's words seemed to lay his cards on the table, but were actually more like a probe.
"Young fellow, you look like a scholar with a good grasp of things. Have you seen anything in it?"
"Well..."
In this brief time aboard the carriage, even if it really contained some profound intricacy, it would be difficult to discover any clues.
Song Yan shook his head. "I'm slow-witted. I can't see anything."
He truly had seen nothing, and casually returned the Mud Figurine to Xie Chan.
Even if it really did contain some so-called "peerless sword art" from an expert of the mortal martial world, it probably wouldn't be of any use to a cultivator like him.
"Hehe..."
Xie Xing turned back and said no more.
Amid laughter and conversation, they were soon approaching Fufeng City's territory.
As the carriage reached a dense forest, Song Yan, who had been resting with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them.
Someone seemed to be lying in ambush nearby...
Bandits?
This place was close to Fufeng City. There shouldn't be any bandits so brazen here.
Though his cultivation had fallen, his Divine Sense had not been affected. On the contrary, perhaps because he had endured a battle to the death in the secret realm, his Divine Sense had grown slightly stronger.
Enemies?
Judging by Xie Xing's earlier vigilance, that wasn't impossible.
In any case, he owed this party from the Xie Household a favor. Song Yan was just about to warn them.
"Hmm?"
Xie Xing frowned. Sounds had already begun stirring around them.
"Not good!"
"Xiao Chuan, all of you stay in the carriage. Don't run about!"
"Whoa-"
The convoy stopped.
Xie Xing leaped down and drew his sword, shouting, "Who's skulking around here?"
Several black-clad figures emerged from the dense forest.
"Please don't blame us, Senior..."
"We bear you no grudge."
Their leader was likewise dressed in black and masked. "It's just that someone paid a hefty sum for the life of your Xie Household's young master!"
This was...
Mortal strife, conflict in the martial world.
It seemed the mortal martial world wasn't peaceful either.
"Young Master Xie Chuan was born with a spiritual root and can enter the Daoist path. How we envy him..."
Xie Xing's gaze sharpened.
For this journey, the Xie Household had uniformly told outsiders that several children had been fortunate enough to gain admission to Morning Dew Academy in Fufeng City.
To maintain the cover, they hadn't even hired any escort agencies or martial artists besides him to accompany them.
Now that the news had leaked, among the Xie Household's clansmen...
There had to be a traitor!
Moreover, the clan elders had probably known long ago. Otherwise, why summon a wandering martial artist like him from a thousand miles away to return to the clan and make this trip?
"A spiritual root?"
The children inside the carriage barely dared breathe. Song Yan glanced sideways at Xie Chuan, who had shrunk into a corner in fright.
He was terrified that Song Yan might be with the villains outside who had intercepted the convoy to kill them.
"Did the Qin Household send you?"
Xie Xing's gaze swept over the opposing group as he considered how to repel them.
"Well... I'm afraid we can't tell you that."
Though they hadn't answered directly, Xie Xing was almost certain his suspicion was right: it was the South Chu Qin Clan. Anger immediately flared within him.
"The South Chu Qin Household has vast holdings and great wealth. Several cultivators have emerged from your clan, and your mortal connections extend throughout South Chu."
"Why must you exterminate a small lineage like the Xie Household to the last person?!"
The South Chu Qin Clan?
Song Yan pondered.
Another of the four great Aristocratic Clans. He had heard that a favored daughter of heaven named Qin Ying in the Dongyuan Sect's Inner Sect came from the South Chu Qin Clan.
Yan in the north, Qin in the south.
The North Chu Yan Clan and the South Chu Qin Clan had numerous cultivators among their members and deserved to be called "immortal clans."
From the look of things now, this Qin Lineage seemed quite ambitious.
The man in black waved a hand, no longer bothering to conceal it. These people were all going to die anyway.
"Hehe, throughout all of vast South Chu, the Qin Household is the only cultivation clan of any standing. A seasoned veteran like you, Senior, should understand the reason with just a hint."
"There's no need to struggle, Senior Xie. Beneath the immortals, you and I are all ants. Just accept your fate."
Hum-
Before he had finished speaking, Xie Xing seized the initiative and thrust his sword.
Alone, he actually fought the group of black-clad men to a standstill.
Through the carriage curtain, Song Yan saw that every move of Xie Xing's swordsmanship was a killing stroke, without the slightest flourish, flowing like clouds and water, honed to perfection.
It was just that...
From a cultivator's perspective, he was a little slow.
"Sixteen, go kill everyone in the carriage. Make it quick."
The leader shouted, his saber work never slackening.
Xie Xing's heart tightened. He wanted to protect the children in the carriage, and as a result, the evenly matched fight began turning against him.
Naturally, Song Yan couldn't simply watch the Xie Household's people be killed. He was about to call out the little snake, but after a moment's thought, he decided to act himself.
He was now at Qi Refining, First Layer, while Xiao He's strength could match a cultivator at the middle Qi Refining stage. Xiao He was his true trump card.
Clang!
Outnumbered and advanced in age, Xie Xing ultimately could not keep going.
One careless move let the fierce Blade Aura from the leader's saber wound his fingers, and the blade followed through to knock his sword out of his hand.
The black-sabered leader reacted swiftly, slashing viciously down at Xie Xing's face.
The sword fell, spinning through the air.
He had wandered for half his life and long expected such a day. But without his protection, the Xie Household's five young children would have no chance of survival.
Desolation filled Xie Xing's heart, but he was powerless to turn the tide.
Hum-
The sword suddenly flew up, knocking aside the black-clad leader's killing blow.
"Who?!"
Under the astonished gazes of the martial artists, the flying sword shot toward the black-clad man who had already reached the carriage.
Squelch.
"Ah-"
With a scream, the man's palm was pinned to the ground by the flying sword.
"..."
Xie Xing's eyes widened, filled with disbelief.
No one knew which of the black-clad men had murmured it, but in the deathly silence, everyone heard it clearly.
"An immortal..."
Inside the carriage, Song Yan lowered his eyes slightly.
He had not taken anyone's life. After all, everything about the Qin Lineage, the Xie Household, and the causes of these disputes was only one side of the story.
Without seeing the full picture, Song Yan did not want to become involved. He only wanted to return safely to his sect.
Besides, these were disputes between mortals. Though powers from the cultivation world were involved behind the scenes, he had no reason to interfere.
He had intervened only to repay the kindness of letting him share their carriage on the road.
By some unknown means, a clear voice echoed throughout the bamboo grove.
"Senior Xie Xing here is an old acquaintance of mine. Whatever grudges you may have..."
"Bring them up another day."
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