Sword Sect Outer Sect

Chapter 206 Legend of the Sea, General Subdues the Tiger

Zhou Chen quickly helped his companion up, his face extremely pale.

The three of them left in a disheveled state, their backs showing signs of panic.

Outside the courtyard, Zhao Huaizhen dared to step forward, her forehead still covered in a layer of cold sweat.

He bowed respectfully: "Immortal, regarding this matter..."

"It doesn't matter."

Song Yan waved his hand: "This matter involves our two families' grudges, the city lord need not worry."

"Lord Zhao, I'm sorry to have bothered you these past few days."

Zhao Huaizhen quickly replied, "Immortal Master, you flatter me! It is my honor to serve you."

Song Yan nodded slightly and said to Xiao Ju, "The matter of Yunxi City has been almost resolved. Pack your things, and we'll set off tomorrow."

Xiao Ju replied, "Yes."

The following morning, Song Yan declined Zhao Huaizhen's farewell banquet and left the city lord's mansion with Xiao Ju.

"Senior Song, I think that city lord wants you to guide his daughter's cultivation..."

Song Yan raised an eyebrow: "During the few days I was in seclusion, did he also come to see you?"

Ju Luyi nodded.

Zhao Huaizhen's daughter seems to be a celestial being with spiritual roots, but it's unknown how talented she is.

He had long wanted Song Yan to give him some guidance on his cultivation path.

But she hasn't even officially entered the immortal sect or learned the methods of cultivation yet, so giving her guidance now would be meaningless.

However, Song Yan could completely understand Zhao Huaizhen's feelings. Just like many parents in the previous life, they always wanted their children to win at the starting line.

Regardless of whether the starting line and finish line exist, the child should at least get onto the track before we talk about these things.

The two chatted as they walked toward the ferry.

Before the morning mist had even dissipated, Yunling Ferry was already bustling with activity.

This is the largest ferry crossing in Yunxi City, where cargo ships are lined up on the river, their masts like a forest and their sails like clouds.

The porters, shirtless, carried sacks and ran back and forth on the planks.

"Wow……"

Xiao He's eyes widened, her snake-like eyes filled with astonishment: "What a huge ship!"

East of Yunling Ferry, the morning market is bustling with activity.

Those who make a living at the docks, whether they are boatmen, barge haulers, brokers, or merchants, usually buy food here.

After all, there wasn't much time for them to go into the city and enjoy delicacies.

Those porters who made a living by carrying goods and luggage for passing merchants also needed food to replenish their strength.

There were vendors selling steamed buns, fried dough sticks, and small fish whose names I didn't know, skewered on bamboo strips and sizzling over charcoal.

Before I knew it, I saw Xiao He had transformed into human form and was standing in front of the grilled fish stall.

Pointing at the grilled fish in the other person's hand, she turned to Song Yan and said, "I want to eat this!"

A broker dressed in short clothes approached, his eyes scanning the three people's attire. He concluded that the man was a martial artist from the Jianghu who was about to board a boat, along with his two sisters or maids.

Are you gentlemen looking to board a boat?

Before leaving the city lord's mansion, Song Yan changed into a coarse linen outfit and wore a bamboo hat, looking very much like a martial arts master.

Song Yan asked, "Young man, is your ship a passenger ship or a cargo ship?"

"Please rest assured, sir. Our ship is an official passenger ship. We will depart at 3:45 AM for Linzhou."

At this ferry crossing, the official passenger boats only go to two places: Chenzhou Danyang Prefecture and Linzhou Xiapi Prefecture.

On this journey north to Longquan Prefecture, Song Yan happened to want to go to Linzhou to find his grandfather's ancestral home, so taking this ship was of course no problem.

Song Yan took out a few loose silver coins from the corner of his Qiankun bag, held them in his hand, pretended to take them out of his clothes, and handed them to the young man.

"I need two quiet rooms, thank you for your help."

"Alright, please wait here for a moment, I will make the arrangements right away."

Xiao He was led around by Ju Luyi, buying a little bit here and a little bit there, her little hands full of food.

She ate until her mouth was greasy.

The food at the fairy temples is good, but the food here is truly delicious.

"Don't smack your lips while eating."

Song Yan wiped the oil off her face.

Just then, they suddenly heard a lot of people shouting and yelling near the dock, seemingly trying to tell other ships to make way.

Looking out, one can see a three-story ship sailing on the river. The ship's hull is painted with vermilion cloud patterns, and oars extend from the portholes on both sides, cutting through the water in unison with the beat of drums.

"Oh my, that's incredible! Isn't that the Chu King's cargo ship?"

The surrounding chatter reached Song Yan's ears, and he narrowed his eyes: "The royal family of Chu?"

A young man in a python robe stood at the bow of the boat; his background was unknown.

They must be royalty or nobility.

"Sir! The cargo ships from Chu are about to dock, and the official ships will depart ahead of schedule!" The broker, sweating profusely, squeezed through the crowd, repeatedly apologizing, "Please follow me, gentlemen!"

"it is good."

The passenger ship only stayed at Yunling Ferry for half a day before it departed the dock ahead of time due to the cargo ships from Chudu, heading towards Linzhou.

Many travelers were enjoying the view from the deck, including Song Yan.

Since refining the sword spirit, although there has been no obvious change in the sword dao seed, he can still feel that his cultivation speed has increased significantly.

At this moment, my thoughts are clear and my mind is pure.

Chatting with Xiao Ju beside him, he occasionally mentioned the confusion she encountered in her cultivation, and offered his answers. He also learned new things from reviewing the details.

Xiao He stared blankly at the vast expanse of the river, lost in thought. This was, in fact, her first time on a boat.

"Yanyan, is this the sea?"

Song Yan was taken aback and was about to explain when an old man suddenly burst into laughter.

It seems that they were amused by Xiao He's innocence and cuteness.

The old man, with white hair and beard, wearing a brown short shirt and a brass pipe at his waist, clapped his hands and laughed upon hearing this: "Little boy, although the Wujiang River is wide, it is still far from the sea!"

He pointed eastward: "The real ocean is to go to the Yue Kingdom, or to the East China Sea coast of the Tang Dynasty in the Central Plains."

"The sea is never so calm. A wave can come and be higher than a mountain, and you can't see the end of it."

The man accompanying the old man was a young scholar wearing a square scarf.

With a smile in his eyes, he interjected, "Speaking of the sea, which of the four seas is not big? It has to be the Northern Sea that is truly extraordinary."

"Legend has it that in the far north of the world, in the vast sea, there is an ancient giant monster whose body is thousands of miles long, with huge mountains and islands growing from its back, and it only opens its eyes once every hundred years."

"It can even fly into the sky..."

Seeing Xiao He's wide-eyed expression, he became very interested and started talking non-stop.

Song Yan listened quietly as these ordinary people chatted with Xiao He.

He knew, of course, that these two had probably never even been to the shores of the real Northern Sea, let alone some ancient demon from the North Sea.

However, he did not expose it.

We met by chance and engaged in lively discussions.

That's the kind of freedom I'm looking for—the feeling of bragging to the point of forgetting everything else.

What are these East Sea Merfolk and overseas fairy mountains? Some Song Yan even actually saw similar things in the records of immortal customs and products.

"Nonsense!" Old Zhou slammed his pipe on the ground, laughing and cursing, "I think you've gone mad from reading those strange tales!"

The two argued back and forth, their faces turning red with rage.

Amidst laughter and cheers, the passenger ship drew ever closer to Linzhou.

Nothing unexpected happened along the way, and they arrived at Xiapi Prefecture in Linzhou smoothly.

Xiaohe was a little reluctant to leave and wanted to take another boat ride.

"There will be plenty of opportunities in the future."

After coaxing Shebao, Song Yan led Xiao Ju into the city.

When I was a child, I came to Linzhou with my grandfather. That was the only time I traveled far from home before I entered the Taoist sect of Xianshan.

Grandpa told him that his hometown was in Xiapi Prefecture of Linzhou, in a place called Wuzhiping.

Let's find a place to stay in the city first and ask which county Wuzhiping is in.

……

Feng'an City.

It belongs to Xiapi Prefecture of Linzhou, is located at the hub of water and land transportation, and is adjacent to a tributary of the Grand Canal, with frequent trade exchanges.

The bamboo ware, rattan weaving, and local snacks are famous here, and the Feng'an Market in the city also attracts caravans from all over.

As a result, there are many carriage companies and cargo ship owners in the city, and low-level laborers who make a living from freight-related businesses are everywhere.

Wu Dou was one of them.

He is not tall, has dark skin, and is fairly robust.

He does all sorts of work, from unloading and moving goods to giving directions.

In short, he was willing to do any kind of work to earn a little money steadily in such a "big city".

After all, for ordinary people who have lived in this city for generations, this is perhaps the entire world.

I heard that several large ships have docked at the pier, and perhaps we can make some money soon.

Wu Dou did want to work at the docks, but the jobs there were all taken up by local gangs. He was alone and unwilling to join any gang, so he could only take odd jobs in the city.

Sure enough, a few moments later many merchants and travelers entered the city, but their goods and luggage had already been helped to be moved.

Wu Dou showed a hint of disappointment.

Almost at the very end of this wave of people, he saw two figures.

One of them looked to be about eighteen or nineteen years old, wearing a straw hat and a black coarse cloth robe.

He stroked his straw hat, raised his head slightly to look around, revealing a handsome young face.

The other person was a young girl, petite in stature, with freckles dotting her face, and she was holding a long handle wrapped in coarse cloth around her chest.

It looks like a sword.

Soon, Wu Dou had already guessed the identities of the two men.

This young man is probably a disciple from a martial arts family who has come out to train, and this young woman is the sword-bearing maid who is accompanying him.

Wu Dou couldn't help but feel overjoyed again.

This combination implies a lot of information, the most important point being that such a young master from a wealthy family would definitely not lack money.

Whether it's acting as a guide for the two of them, running errands, or buying local specialties, there's plenty of money to be made.

Wu Dou hurriedly straightened his faded short jacket, jogged forward, stopped three steps away from the two, and respectfully bowed.

"Young master, are you new to Feng'an City? I am Wu Dou, and I have been working in the city for several years. If you want to eat something, buy something, or go sightseeing, just ask me."

Song Yan gently lifted his straw hat with his fingertips and exchanged a glance with Xiao Ju beside him.

“That’s quite a coincidence,” the boy’s voice was clear and melodious. “I was just looking for someone familiar with the area to guide me.”

A small piece of silver rolled out from his sleeve and was handed directly to Wu Dou.

"Young man, do you know where Wuzhiping is?"

"Wuzhiping?"

Wu Dou accepted the money with a look of delight, but upon hearing this, he revealed a strange expression: "Young master, are you perhaps going to visit General Xiao's former residence?"

"General Xiao?"

Song Yan didn't know about that.

Seeing the man's puzzled expression, he quickly explained, "Oh, young master, don't misunderstand. Wuzhiping belongs to Changfeng Village. That place is already on the border between Chu and Ning."

"It's a remote mountain village, and few people visit it on weekdays."

"The only reason to go is probably because of our Chu Kingdom's Grand General Xiao Ming. When he was young, he led troops to guard the border and once killed a tiger demon near Changfeng Village."

Wow, so such a person once visited my grandfather's hometown.

According to Wu Dou, Changfeng Village is very far from here.

It's getting late, let's find a place to stay first and set off again tomorrow.

Wu Dou led the two men toward an old-fashioned inn.

"Perfect timing! A new storyteller has arrived at Guiyun Inn. These past few days he's been recounting General Xiao Ming's exploits in his youth, including his tiger-slaying at Wuzhiping..."

It has to be said that Wu Dou is very good at handling things.

The three of them made their way through the bustling crowd, and Wu Dou's mouth never stopped: "That storyteller, it is said, came from General Xiao's mansion in the capital."

Guiyun Inn is quite large, with antique furnishings and clean, tidy guest rooms.

Business was indeed booming. The two arrived too late, and all the other rooms were already booked. They could only book one superior room.

Therefore, Song Yan requested the largest superior room.

It didn't matter. He and Xiao Ju were both cultivators. They were just staying for one night and didn't need to sleep. The night would pass quickly as they cultivated.

Nobody cares about these formalities.

Xiao Ju was somewhat worried, concerned that she might make a noise that would disturb Song Yan's cultivation.

With no luggage to settle, Song Yan leisurely leaned against the railing on the second floor, listening to the storyteller's tale below.

Xiao Ju stood quietly to the side, listening.

The inn's lobby was packed with people, and a three-foot-high pine wood platform was set up at the far end.

"Who is General Xiao? He spent his life on the battlefield, fighting in various places, and his military achievements are outstanding."

"It also nurtured young generals like Li Yi, the 'Marquis of the Wild Goose'..."

The storyteller on the stage had a goatee and spoke fluently and eloquently.

"...Ladies and gentlemen, you should know that when General Xiao encountered that tiger with piercing eyes and a white forehead, he had no personal attendants by his side, nor did he carry any spears or halberds, only a simple broadsword."

The storyteller slowly finished the first half of the sentence, then suddenly quickened his pace: "That day, when he went up the mountain, a tiger pounced on him! He swung his broadsword and thrust it into the tiger's mouth! There was a cracking sound—"

He slowed down again when he said the last few words.

His words made the audience tense, and they held their breath, waiting for what he would say next.

"Snapped!"

With a slam of the gavel, the storyteller said leisurely, "To find out what happens next, please listen to the next episode."

"Hey?"

An uproar erupted in the audience, with tea drinkers protesting.

A bodyguard with a full beard slammed a copper coin on the table: "Old man, don't keep us in suspense! What happened after the woodcutter's knife went into the tiger's mouth?"

The storyteller stroked his goatee and smiled without answering.

The audience erupted in chaos.

Song Yan chuckled a few times: "This storyteller really isn't afraid of offending people."

He turned around and went back inside.

midnight.

After completing his daily training, Song Yan summoned the crow Xianxian and slowly nurtured it with sword energy.

He could actually start practicing sword techniques related to the sword spirit now, but since Xianxian had just been formed, he still felt uneasy.

A casual glance revealed that Xiao Ju was huddled in a corner, diligently sewing a long, narrow bag.

"Xiao Ju, what are you doing?"

"Uh, I'm sewing a sword sheath."

Xiao Ju pointed to the Crying Moon Flying Sword next to Song Yan: "Senior Song's flying sword is precious, it's not appropriate to wrap it in coarse cloth like this."

Song Yan had already discovered that the nurturing effect of the Yin-Yang Pearl only applied to his natal flying sword.

Since the nameless sword box could only hold two flying swords, he simply held it in his hand, which made him look like a martial arts master.

On the way, Xiao Ju felt it was inconvenient, so she offered to carry it herself.

She was petite, and with the flying sword clutched in her arms, she looked like a sword-carrying child.

(End of this chapter)