Chapter 65
Mountains High and Roads Long, Reunion in the Martial World
"How can Miss Chu calm down?"
Jiang Chao didn't explain further, but instead asked a question in a low voice.
Because at this moment, any further explanation would only seem pale and powerless.
The truth is, ever since he arrived in the Yunmeng Mountain area, he has never paid attention to the thoughts and feelings of Chu Ning and the others.
His excessive curiosity has led him to spend the last few days pursuing new and unusual things and various secrets of the underworld, without ever caring about the feelings of the group of friends he always talks about.
Upon hearing Jiang Chao ask this question, Chu Ning, who had been fuming, suddenly fell silent.
Chu Ning had always thought they were already friends.
Although he often disliked Jiang Chao, it was only because the young man's actions were so bizarre and frightening.
The female knight-errant Chu did not know how to get along with him, which is why she showed such a confrontational attitude.
This was used to cover up the helplessness and embarrassment he felt when he was a teenager.
This time was no different. In fact, after Chu said those words, she already regretted it. She shouldn't have taken her anger out on Jiang Qilin because of her own emotional fluctuations.
After all, they were just companions traveling together.
Throughout the journey, although Jiang Chao acted recklessly and absurdly, he took good care of them...
Seeing that the other party was reluctant to speak, Jiang Chao knew that if this knot was not untied, they might not even be able to remain friends in the future.
With a sigh, Jiang Chao decided to clear up the misunderstanding from a different angle. Since it was hard to guess what a young girl was thinking, he might as well get straight to the point.
The boy slowly said:
"Miss Chu, do you like me?"
Since that's the case, then this young hero has no choice but to break through the last layer of paper!
"What nonsense are you talking about! How could I possibly like you..."
Sure enough, upon hearing this rather blunt statement, Lady Chu panicked instantly, her voice rising and falling until it disappeared as soft as a mosquito's buzz.
Although Jiang Chao couldn't see the girl's expression or whether her face was flushed, he could easily tell from her tone that she was extremely flustered.
The boy finally confirmed one thing because of this.
The heroine Chu really does like me!
Jiang Chao continued his verbal offensive:
"Miss Chu, there's no need to deny it like that. Liking this young hero is not a shameful thing, but rather something to be proud of, because it proves that your taste is excellent."
"This young hero is exceptionally intelligent, handsome, highly skilled in martial arts, and comes from a distinguished family. Most importantly, he is kind-hearted and always ready to help others. He is practically the most perfect being in the world. Tell me, who could resist liking someone like him?"
"..."
Chu Ning, whose true feelings had been exposed by a single sentence, was somewhat flustered and blushed.
However, after hearing Jiang Chao's shameless self-praise, the girl couldn't help but burst out laughing.
"Pfft... How shameless."
Hearing the other person's laughter, Jiang Chao finally breathed a sigh of relief.
It seems we can still be friends.
"Thank you for the compliment!"
Jiang Chao said with a smile.
"Jiang Qilin, you really are..."
The girl was speechless for a moment, then couldn't help but turn and glare at the boy, a slight smirk playing on her lips.
"Utterly shameless."
Just as the girl turned her head, Jiang Chao finally saw her expression clearly.
Under the bright moonlight.
Although the girl's delicate and pretty face was still wet with tears, she smiled radiantly.
At that moment, Jiang Chao admitted that his heart had fluttered for a moment.
"That's more like it. Since Miss Chu knows what kind of person I am, why get angry over a shameless scoundrel like me?"
Jiang Chao suppressed his inner turmoil and laughed, "Besides, what virtue or ability do I, Jiang Chao, possess to make Miss Chu, who aspires to become a legendary female knight-errant, shed tears for me?"
"Who's sad and shedding tears for you? Shameless."
Chu Ning gave a soft snort, raised her sleeve to wipe away her tears, and said stubbornly:
"Jiang Qilin, listen to me carefully. I, Chu Ning, will never love you in this lifetime, and I will never shed a single tear for you, never!"
"Alright, alright, I understand. Please calm down, Miss Chu."
Jiang Chao quickly begged for mercy, then changed the subject:
"I will be setting off for the capital tomorrow. What are your plans, Miss Chu? Will you continue to travel with this shameless scoundrel, or will you venture into the world alone?"
Upon hearing this, Chu Ning was slightly taken aback. "Going to the capital? What are you going to the capital for?"
Jiang Chao explained, "This is a long story. In short, I'm going to the heart of the political turmoil, ordered to stir up trouble. If Miss Chu is interested, why not come along?"
When Jiang Chao said this, he didn't have any hope; he was just being polite, after all, he had offended this girl quite badly.
Although the other party was no longer holding a grudge, the capital city was the center of the imperial court and had never been a place that people from the martial arts world liked to go.
"Sure, let's go. What's the big deal? This chivalrous woman doesn't discriminate based on location."
To everyone's surprise, after some thought, Chu Ning actually accepted Jiang Chao's invitation.
This surprised Jiang Chao. "You really want to come with me?"
Chu Ning turned to look at Jiang Chao, her head slightly raised. "What, scared? Scared that this heroine will pester you?"
Jiang Chao waved his hands repeatedly, "How could I? I would be more than happy to continue traveling with Miss Chu, how could I be afraid?"
With that, the young man cupped his hands in a respectful gesture and said sincerely:
"Then, I will have to trouble Miss Chu to take good care of me in the days to come."
"Hmph! With your abilities, Jiang Qilin, do you really need my help? But don't worry, this heroine will definitely not hold you back. Once we get to the capital, you can do whatever you want without worrying about me."
As she spoke, the female knight twisted her toe, turned gracefully, and left with light, quick steps.
Clearly, the girl's inner conflict has been resolved.
Jiang Chao watched the other person's departing figure and sighed softly.
He didn't know what the girl was thinking, but in any case, he had gotten through this hurdle.
As for the future... let's talk about it later.
……
The following day, the people of the Moon Goddess Palace set off to leave.
Before leaving, Jiang Yunyao called Jiang Chao aside and gave him careful instructions, telling him to make sure he arrived in the capital before the beginning of July and not to linger on the road for too long.
As for why they had to arrive in the capital before the beginning of July, Jiang Yunyao didn't say, and Jiang Chao didn't ask any further questions.
It's currently late March, so there are still about three months to go.
Yunmeng Mountain is only about 3,000 li away from the capital, which is not too far, giving Jiang Chao plenty of time.
Seeing that Jiang Chao showed no signs of rebellion and readily agreed, Jiang Yunyao felt relieved and left with the group from the Moon Goddess Palace.
Other Xuanmen forces and the four major martial arts families also broke camp and left with them.
"Mr. Su, will you also be traveling to Beijing with us next?"
After Jiang Yunyao and the others had gone far away, Jiang Chao looked at the martial arts arenas that were still standing in the open space, some broken and some intact, and asked a question.
Su E nodded and said softly:
"This martial arts tournament started strong but ended weakly, which is truly regrettable. Therefore, I plan to continue the journey with you, Young Hero Jiang."
Jiang Chao nodded, then looked at Lu Jing not far away and smiled:
"Where are the Lu Jing brothers?"
Lu Jing smiled shyly and said:
"I won't go. I've gained a lot this time and plan to return to Qingxi Town. My master is getting old and needs someone to take care of him."
Jiang Chao nodded, "That's fine then."
Lu Jing had no martial arts skills whatsoever. Three thousand miles was nothing to them, but Lu Jing might not be able to handle it.
"Brother Zhao, what about you?"
Jiang Chao looked at the young Taoist priest who was squatting on the ground, sighing.
Zhao Wuji sighed:
"I won't join in this fun. Yesterday, my master wrote to me, instructing me to capture these three dragons that have appeared in the world, or he won't let me return to the Taoist temple. Alas, are those dragons easy to capture? And there are three of them! This matter is truly troubling me! Alas~"
Jiang Chao was amused by the Taoist's appearance.
"How about I lend you a hand again?"
Upon hearing this, the Taoist priest, who had been frowning, suddenly brightened up and looked up at Jiang Chao.
"Is Young Master Jiang truly telling the truth?"
Jiang Chao waved his hand, "Of course it's fake. I've wasted a lot of time with you these past few days, and we haven't even seen a single hair of the dragon."
"Sigh~"
The young Taoist sighed again, then suddenly stood up, took the wine gourd from his waist, tilted his head back and gulped down a large mouthful of wine, and said with a sigh:
"Then I, this humble Taoist, wish Young Hero Jiang a swift success, a triumphant start, and a smooth journey to the capital."
Jiang Chao cupped his hands in greeting to the young Taoist priest, saying, "Thank you for your kind words, Brother Zhao. We are separated by mountains and rivers; we shall meet again!"
Jiang Chao didn't explain further, but instead asked a question in a low voice.
Because at this moment, any further explanation would only seem pale and powerless.
The truth is, ever since he arrived in the Yunmeng Mountain area, he has never paid attention to the thoughts and feelings of Chu Ning and the others.
His excessive curiosity has led him to spend the last few days pursuing new and unusual things and various secrets of the underworld, without ever caring about the feelings of the group of friends he always talks about.
Upon hearing Jiang Chao ask this question, Chu Ning, who had been fuming, suddenly fell silent.
Chu Ning had always thought they were already friends.
Although he often disliked Jiang Chao, it was only because the young man's actions were so bizarre and frightening.
The female knight-errant Chu did not know how to get along with him, which is why she showed such a confrontational attitude.
This was used to cover up the helplessness and embarrassment he felt when he was a teenager.
This time was no different. In fact, after Chu said those words, she already regretted it. She shouldn't have taken her anger out on Jiang Qilin because of her own emotional fluctuations.
After all, they were just companions traveling together.
Throughout the journey, although Jiang Chao acted recklessly and absurdly, he took good care of them...
Seeing that the other party was reluctant to speak, Jiang Chao knew that if this knot was not untied, they might not even be able to remain friends in the future.
With a sigh, Jiang Chao decided to clear up the misunderstanding from a different angle. Since it was hard to guess what a young girl was thinking, he might as well get straight to the point.
The boy slowly said:
"Miss Chu, do you like me?"
Since that's the case, then this young hero has no choice but to break through the last layer of paper!
"What nonsense are you talking about! How could I possibly like you..."
Sure enough, upon hearing this rather blunt statement, Lady Chu panicked instantly, her voice rising and falling until it disappeared as soft as a mosquito's buzz.
Although Jiang Chao couldn't see the girl's expression or whether her face was flushed, he could easily tell from her tone that she was extremely flustered.
The boy finally confirmed one thing because of this.
The heroine Chu really does like me!
Jiang Chao continued his verbal offensive:
"Miss Chu, there's no need to deny it like that. Liking this young hero is not a shameful thing, but rather something to be proud of, because it proves that your taste is excellent."
"This young hero is exceptionally intelligent, handsome, highly skilled in martial arts, and comes from a distinguished family. Most importantly, he is kind-hearted and always ready to help others. He is practically the most perfect being in the world. Tell me, who could resist liking someone like him?"
"..."
Chu Ning, whose true feelings had been exposed by a single sentence, was somewhat flustered and blushed.
However, after hearing Jiang Chao's shameless self-praise, the girl couldn't help but burst out laughing.
"Pfft... How shameless."
Hearing the other person's laughter, Jiang Chao finally breathed a sigh of relief.
It seems we can still be friends.
"Thank you for the compliment!"
Jiang Chao said with a smile.
"Jiang Qilin, you really are..."
The girl was speechless for a moment, then couldn't help but turn and glare at the boy, a slight smirk playing on her lips.
"Utterly shameless."
Just as the girl turned her head, Jiang Chao finally saw her expression clearly.
Under the bright moonlight.
Although the girl's delicate and pretty face was still wet with tears, she smiled radiantly.
At that moment, Jiang Chao admitted that his heart had fluttered for a moment.
"That's more like it. Since Miss Chu knows what kind of person I am, why get angry over a shameless scoundrel like me?"
Jiang Chao suppressed his inner turmoil and laughed, "Besides, what virtue or ability do I, Jiang Chao, possess to make Miss Chu, who aspires to become a legendary female knight-errant, shed tears for me?"
"Who's sad and shedding tears for you? Shameless."
Chu Ning gave a soft snort, raised her sleeve to wipe away her tears, and said stubbornly:
"Jiang Qilin, listen to me carefully. I, Chu Ning, will never love you in this lifetime, and I will never shed a single tear for you, never!"
"Alright, alright, I understand. Please calm down, Miss Chu."
Jiang Chao quickly begged for mercy, then changed the subject:
"I will be setting off for the capital tomorrow. What are your plans, Miss Chu? Will you continue to travel with this shameless scoundrel, or will you venture into the world alone?"
Upon hearing this, Chu Ning was slightly taken aback. "Going to the capital? What are you going to the capital for?"
Jiang Chao explained, "This is a long story. In short, I'm going to the heart of the political turmoil, ordered to stir up trouble. If Miss Chu is interested, why not come along?"
When Jiang Chao said this, he didn't have any hope; he was just being polite, after all, he had offended this girl quite badly.
Although the other party was no longer holding a grudge, the capital city was the center of the imperial court and had never been a place that people from the martial arts world liked to go.
"Sure, let's go. What's the big deal? This chivalrous woman doesn't discriminate based on location."
To everyone's surprise, after some thought, Chu Ning actually accepted Jiang Chao's invitation.
This surprised Jiang Chao. "You really want to come with me?"
Chu Ning turned to look at Jiang Chao, her head slightly raised. "What, scared? Scared that this heroine will pester you?"
Jiang Chao waved his hands repeatedly, "How could I? I would be more than happy to continue traveling with Miss Chu, how could I be afraid?"
With that, the young man cupped his hands in a respectful gesture and said sincerely:
"Then, I will have to trouble Miss Chu to take good care of me in the days to come."
"Hmph! With your abilities, Jiang Qilin, do you really need my help? But don't worry, this heroine will definitely not hold you back. Once we get to the capital, you can do whatever you want without worrying about me."
As she spoke, the female knight twisted her toe, turned gracefully, and left with light, quick steps.
Clearly, the girl's inner conflict has been resolved.
Jiang Chao watched the other person's departing figure and sighed softly.
He didn't know what the girl was thinking, but in any case, he had gotten through this hurdle.
As for the future... let's talk about it later.
……
The following day, the people of the Moon Goddess Palace set off to leave.
Before leaving, Jiang Yunyao called Jiang Chao aside and gave him careful instructions, telling him to make sure he arrived in the capital before the beginning of July and not to linger on the road for too long.
As for why they had to arrive in the capital before the beginning of July, Jiang Yunyao didn't say, and Jiang Chao didn't ask any further questions.
It's currently late March, so there are still about three months to go.
Yunmeng Mountain is only about 3,000 li away from the capital, which is not too far, giving Jiang Chao plenty of time.
Seeing that Jiang Chao showed no signs of rebellion and readily agreed, Jiang Yunyao felt relieved and left with the group from the Moon Goddess Palace.
Other Xuanmen forces and the four major martial arts families also broke camp and left with them.
"Mr. Su, will you also be traveling to Beijing with us next?"
After Jiang Yunyao and the others had gone far away, Jiang Chao looked at the martial arts arenas that were still standing in the open space, some broken and some intact, and asked a question.
Su E nodded and said softly:
"This martial arts tournament started strong but ended weakly, which is truly regrettable. Therefore, I plan to continue the journey with you, Young Hero Jiang."
Jiang Chao nodded, then looked at Lu Jing not far away and smiled:
"Where are the Lu Jing brothers?"
Lu Jing smiled shyly and said:
"I won't go. I've gained a lot this time and plan to return to Qingxi Town. My master is getting old and needs someone to take care of him."
Jiang Chao nodded, "That's fine then."
Lu Jing had no martial arts skills whatsoever. Three thousand miles was nothing to them, but Lu Jing might not be able to handle it.
"Brother Zhao, what about you?"
Jiang Chao looked at the young Taoist priest who was squatting on the ground, sighing.
Zhao Wuji sighed:
"I won't join in this fun. Yesterday, my master wrote to me, instructing me to capture these three dragons that have appeared in the world, or he won't let me return to the Taoist temple. Alas, are those dragons easy to capture? And there are three of them! This matter is truly troubling me! Alas~"
Jiang Chao was amused by the Taoist's appearance.
"How about I lend you a hand again?"
Upon hearing this, the Taoist priest, who had been frowning, suddenly brightened up and looked up at Jiang Chao.
"Is Young Master Jiang truly telling the truth?"
Jiang Chao waved his hand, "Of course it's fake. I've wasted a lot of time with you these past few days, and we haven't even seen a single hair of the dragon."
"Sigh~"
The young Taoist sighed again, then suddenly stood up, took the wine gourd from his waist, tilted his head back and gulped down a large mouthful of wine, and said with a sigh:
"Then I, this humble Taoist, wish Young Hero Jiang a swift success, a triumphant start, and a smooth journey to the capital."
Jiang Chao cupped his hands in greeting to the young Taoist priest, saying, "Thank you for your kind words, Brother Zhao. We are separated by mountains and rivers; we shall meet again!"