The First Sword of the Universe

Chapter 245: Madam Guo, listen to me.
"Oh my, this is your son Guo Jing, right?"

"He is indeed a handsome man. Even at such a young age, you can tell that he is a one-in-a-million martial arts prodigy."

The Mongolian businessman and Li Ping looked at the young man's exaggerated performance and looked at each other, both seeing deep suspicion in each other's eyes.

The child who ran in was about four or five years old, short and strong, with a regular and honest face. You could tell at first glance that he was an honest child.

However, this honest child heard Xu Xingchen's inexplicable praise, looked up at him, and said something very heartbreaking: "You are the kind of charlatan my mother always talks about, right?!"

"Huh?!" Xu Xingchen showed a hint of embarrassment on his face. He felt that if he didn't wear a mask, he really couldn't act out any other personalities.

Li Ping started to teach him a lesson at the right time: "Jing'er, don't talk nonsense. This is an uncle from the Central Plains. You are hungry, right? Go and find a bowl to help yourself to your meal."

"Okay, Mom!" The little boy Guo Jing responded naively, turned around and ran to the corner in front of him, where several rough pottery jars of different sizes were placed on the ground.

Halfway through the run, little Guo Jing ran back again, bowed to Xu Xingchen, and said in a silly voice: "I'm sorry, uncle, I shouldn't have called you a liar."

Xu Xingchen had wiped away the embarrassment on his face and said with a smile: "It's okay, go ahead, let's go eat first!"

"Oh, okay!" Little Guo Jing turned around and ran to the pottery jar again, opened a lid, poured the steaming soup inside into another small pottery bowl, then held the small pottery bowl, sat on the ground, and began to drink it happily.

Li Ping looked at her son's little figure, a trace of tenderness flashed in her eyes, she turned back and smiled at Xu Xingchen, "My dear guest, my child is still young, please forgive me if there is anything I did wrong."

Xu Xingchen smiled back: "Nothing, little Guo Jing is very polite, this is all because of you, Madam Guo!"

Li Ping shook her head and said, "No way! I am just an illiterate country woman, how can I teach Jing'er well?"

Both of them could speak Central Plains dialect. After a few pleasantries, the atmosphere eased and Li Ping asked the same question again.

Xu Xingchen had thought a lot about his identity and origin along the way.

The Seven Freaks of Jiangnan had Qiu Chuji, someone Li Ping knew, as their middleman, and were able to easily win Li Ping's trust.

This guy who appeared out of nowhere seems very unconvincing no matter what identity he uses.

However, Xu Xingchen had his own way. But before he could tell the story, he had to let the Mongolian merchant beside him leave. After all, the origins of Li Ping and her son were not suitable for too many people to know.

So, he looked at the Mongolian merchant with embarrassment and said, "This is a long story."

Li Ping was able to escape here from the Central Plains after going through a lot of hardships along the way. Even though she was originally honest and loyal, she has now become a bit shrewd.

Hearing the voice, he understood the elegant intention and immediately bowed to the Mongolian merchant, smiled and complimented him a few words, and sent him away.

As for the Mongolian businessman's harsh words before leaving, saying that if Xu Xingchen dared to deceive Li Ping and her son, he would not let him off easily, Xu Xingchen pretended not to hear them.

After the man left the yurt, Xu Xingchen's face immediately became serious and he began to make up a story seriously: "To be honest, when I was young, I lived in the north of the Central Plains. Later, because the Jin soldiers entered the country, I had to flee to the south with my parents."

"On the way to escape, he was chased by Jin soldiers. He was saved by a hero with a spear and a hero with double halberds. Later, we learned that the two heroes were called Yang Tiexin and Guo Xiaotian."

When Li Ping heard this, a hint of realization and recollection flashed across her eyes.

Xu Xingchen continued: "After the two heroes saved us, they left quickly, but my parents asked me to remember the kindness of the two heroes and repay them if I have the chance in the future."

"Later, I was accepted as a disciple by an old man in the mountains. I practiced martial arts under him for many years. When my parents passed away, my martial arts skills had also improved a little. My master allowed me to leave the mountain and venture into the martial arts world."

"Who would have thought that not long after I came down the mountain, I saw a notice at a city gate that the Song Dynasty court was looking for the two life-savers. I knew there must be some misunderstanding. How could the two heroes collude with the bandits and commit rebellion?! So I secretly inquired about the news of the two benefactors."

"After careful investigation, we learned that the two benefactors had met with misfortune after being taken away by the soldiers. Only their pregnant wives seemed to have escaped."

At this point, Xu Xingchen's tone became a little lower, but his eyes became firm: "I didn't give up, and I followed the path you took when you escaped. Although I lost the trace of Yang Tiexin's wife, I was lucky enough to find out that you, Madam Guo, seemed to have gone north to the border and fled to the grassland."

"So, I have been wandering around in the grasslands and deserts outside the Great Wall for the past few years, looking for you."

"Finally, God has rewarded those who have worked hard." At this point, Xu Xingchen should have shown an excited look, but when he was not wearing a mask, his acting ability dropped sharply, and he could only say with a little excitement: "Finally, I found you and your son."

After hearing this well-made story, Li Ping actually believed it most of the time. After all, her husband Guo Xiaotian and his sworn brother Yang Tiexin really did flee from the north to the south.

With their martial arts and kindness, they would most likely help the Jin soldiers if they encountered such an injustice. However, the young man in front of her was willing to spend several years tracking him down because of the life-saving grace he had given her. Such a chivalrous act not only moved her deeply, but also made her feel that her husband and his brother had indeed saved the right person!

With this bond of gratitude between the two sides, the atmosphere became more relaxed.

Li Ping told little Guo Jing, who was sitting beside her drinking soup and eating dried meat, not to tell others what Xu Xingchen had just said. Little Guo Jing nodded his head seriously, looking simple and honest.

Then, Li Ping asked doubtfully, "I wonder what Mr. Xu wants to do after he finds us mother and son?"

Xu Xingchen looked at the little Guo Jing in the corner and said, "I want to take you back to the Central Plains, take Guo Jing as my apprentice, and teach him martial arts."

Li Ping's expression was one of embarrassment and joy: "Mr. Xu, if you said you wanted to repay my husband's kindness, I would have refused directly, but you said you wanted to take Jing'er as your apprentice, and I really wanted to agree in my heart."

"Although this place is far from the conflicts in the Central Plains, it is not peaceful either. Tribes often rob and kill each other. If Jing'er can learn good martial arts in the future, I, as a mother, will feel more at ease."

"Since you and I both agree, let Guo Jing become my disciple." Xu Xingchen patted his chest and said confidently, "Don't worry, I will definitely teach Guo Jing martial arts well. When he grows up, he will definitely become a world-famous hero!"

"In that case, I'll leave it to Mr. Xu!" Li Ping bowed solemnly to the young man in front of her.

Her bow was to thank the young man for teaching her son martial arts. As for the words "a world-famous hero", she did not take them to heart at all.

In this world, who can predict the future? That sentence is just a beautiful blessing.

Xu Xingchen wanted to move aside, but after thinking about it, he decided not to do so. He stretched out his hand and said, "You're welcome, Madam Guo!"

Li Ping straightened up and said again: "As for returning to the Central Plains, I'm afraid I can't agree to it for the time being."

Xu Xingchen was surprised: "Why is this?"

Li Ping smiled bitterly and said, "Six years ago, our Guo and Yang families were arrested by the Song Dynasty as traitors. My husband and his sworn brother were killed by the soldier Duan Tiande. Even if my mother and I returned to the Central Plains, we would have no place to stay."

Xu Xingchen said: "You can rest assured about this matter. After you go back, change your appearance and find a new place to live. I don't think those officers and soldiers will be able to discover the identities of you and your son."

Li Ping just said: "Jing'er is still young, I don't want him to suffer along the way with us."

Seeing that he could not persuade them, Xu Xingchen had to give up and said with regret: "I originally wanted to take Li Ping and her son back with me. Before leaving, I would leave a letter to the Seven Freaks of Jiangnan to see how they would react. Now it seems that my idea cannot be realized."

If the Seven Freaks of Jiangnan knew that Xu Xingchen had such a "bad" heart and succeeded in executing his evil deeds, they would probably be so angry that they would stamp their feet and curse.

Next, Xu Xingchen and Li Ping began to discuss the date and agenda for Guo Jing to become their apprentice.

Xu Xingchen originally wanted to keep things simple. He asked Guo Jing to offer him a cup of milk tea, then kneel on the ground and kowtow three times, calling out, "Master!"

The ceremony is complete!

But Li Ping thought that doing so was too neglectful and disrespectful to teachers.

Bao Xiruo, the wife of her husband's sworn brother, Yang Tiexin, was the daughter of a private school teacher.

When the two women were chatting together, they talked about many trivial matters, and Li Ping also learned about the process of a disciple becoming a disciple.

Now, they were far away in the grasslands outside the Great Wall, and some red tape could not be carried out, but at least they should pick a good day, right? !
So, she went out for a while, and soon returned to the tent again, and said to Xu Xingchen, who was drinking milk tea and eating beef jerky with little Guo Jing: "I have asked the priest here, and he said that in seven days, it will be a very good day."

"A great day?" Xu Xingchen stood up from the ground, nodded with a smile on his face, and sighed in his heart: "It will take another seven days, and I don't know if there will be more troubles at night."

As a result, his worries came true!

After Li Ping contributed a tent, Xu Xingchen found a remote place outside the tribe to live in.

After all, he was not a member of Temujin's tribe, so it was not easy for him to stay there for long.

On the fifth day, when he entered the tribe again to look for Li Ping and Guo Jing, he saw seven familiar figures.

Standing next to him was the Mongolian businessman who had brought Xu Xingchen here earlier, with a strange look on his face.
(End of this chapter)