Tumor Sword Immortal

Chapter 216 Parting ways
As they reached the shore, night was falling, so the group decided to build a campfire on the bank.

Sleeping outdoors in the open is an extremely arduous task, especially by the sea where the environment is even more harsh.

But for the four people who had just left the belly of the Sea-Patrolling Divine Fish, the sand under their feet seemed to have a certain affinity. Cao Heng almost wanted to hug and kiss the familiar, normal grass, trees and rocks.

Old Han caught a rabbit and a pheasant nearby, while Pei Xia went into the water and caught two fat fish. The group gathered around the fire, enjoying the familiar aroma of the meat, and were in high spirits.

After they had eaten and drunk their fill, Pei Xia leaned back against a rock, glanced at Cao Heng beside her, and asked, "Young Master Cao, what are your plans for the future?"

Cao Heng was taken aback by his question: "What do you mean?"

"What I mean is, isn't it about time we parted ways?"

Cao Heng wiped his mouth and rolled his eyes: "Well... we don't know where we are right now. It would be safer to travel together. Besides, Master Xie saved me from dire straits. His kindness is as heavy as a mountain. We're going back to Ao City together. I should at least give you a proper welcome."

Pei Xia sneered.

Come on, he's seen plenty of people like Cao Heng. When things are tough, he's as humble as a bug, willing to throw away all his dignity, but as soon as things improve, he turns his back on everyone.

It's pointless to talk about past favors with this kind of person. If Pei Xia really dares to go back to the Cao family with him, the moment she crosses the threshold, he can send people to arrest her. He won't rest until she hands over the Sea-Opening Golden Needle.

Pei Xia rolled over and took out the wine flask Chen Fengcai had given him: "Let's not beat around the bush, Cao Heng, we're not on the same wavelength. Whether we lose or gain, once we're out of the fish's belly, let's just accept our fate and go our separate ways tomorrow morning. If you really don't want to leave, I can help you leave."

Having said all that, Cao Heng could only bite his lip and remain silent.

Pei Xia grinned, picked up the wine flask, and took a sip.

Chen Fengcai said that this contains the sake he usually drinks, which is considered a local specialty.

Indeed, the intensity was average, but it was still quite refreshing. Pei Xia smacked her lips, about to say that it wasn't bad.

Suddenly, a powerful energy swelled within his body, flowing down into his dantian and up to his crown chakra!

Even with Pei Xia's physique, the intense pain caused her face to contort in agony.

He quickly turned his face away, hiding his expression in the shadows where the firelight couldn't reach, while trying his best to suppress the surging, powerful energy within his body.

He had experienced that feeling before.

It was in Beishi City, when he discovered Pei Xi's feigned death, on the terrace of the waterside residence, in the wine the old man gave him to drink.

However, Pei Xi said that it was a pot of old wine, and the energy in it had obviously dissipated a lot, far less than what was now that shot straight to the top of one's head.

After taking a small sip of wine and holding it for several breaths, Pei Xia barely managed to suppress this peculiar aura.

Lu Li, who was sitting not far away, must have noticed Pei Xia's unusual behavior: "What's wrong?"

Pei Xia waved to her silently.

The energy in the wine was so powerful that Pei Xia couldn't discern or analyze it until it dissipated. He only vaguely sensed that An Shenglongchang had displayed a similar ability when he helped him suppress the refining blanket.

It resembles sword energy, yet it doesn't appear sharp; instead, it is majestic and vast, like a great river flowing eastward or a silver river falling.

This should also be a kind of "qi", and the fact that it is transformed into wine proves that its owner has a very deep level of cultivation, no less than Pei Xia, the sword cultivator who was at the peak of martial arts.

Who is it? Is it Chen Fengcai, or Pei Xi?

Pei Xia turned around, let out a long breath, his fingertips still trembling slightly from the intense pain. He stuffed the wine sac into his mouth, his face grim.

The Nine Provinces are indeed full of hidden talents. Neither when he left the capital nor on the day he was born did he notice Pei Xi and Chen Fengcai's cultivation levels. But now it seems that one of them can reflect on the present world through the memories of others, and the other has cultivated his own Qi, which is so powerful and domineering that it can even be dissolved in wine...

He looked down at the unremarkable wine bag again.

Chen Fengcai gave him this item, certainly not to harm him, and no one knew what the deeper meaning was... As night fell, the other three quickly fell asleep to the sound of the waves.

Although Pei Xia has four clusters of heart fire as a counterbalance, and is less affected by the calamity pig, it is still a bit difficult for her to sleep in a place where there is no human presence.

By the next morning, before sunrise, Pei Xia, Han Youzhi, and Lu Li had packed up and left Cao Heng behind, departing from the coast.

A coastline with a beach but no people is likely to be in a harsh environment. After walking along the cliff for half an hour, the three of them finally found a narrow path that they could barely climb.

As they climbed up, Old Han casually remarked, "That Cao Heng, he wouldn't just die in the middle of nowhere, would he?"

Pei Xia shook his head: "No, the Zhen Gang Realm has already transcended the realm of mortals. As long as he doesn't encounter other cultivators or demonic beasts, his safety won't be a problem. Besides, his status as the young master of the Cao family is still there. As long as he can find people and successfully sail back to Ao City, as long as..."

He looked up and gazed at the view ahead: "As long as we don't land right on the Qinzhou coast, we'll be fine."

Strictly speaking, Hanzhou and Leyang are also possible landing points on both sides of Dongzhou Sea. However, the eastern coast of Hanzhou is all steep cliffs and high mountains, while the coastline of Leyang is very short. In addition, Dong Leyang is now under the control of Admiral Longjiang. Once you get there, you should be able to see the naval port within a mile.

The main ones are You, Mai, Yue, and Qin.

Han Youzhi followed Pei Xia's footsteps, stepped onto flat ground, and looked into the distance following his gaze. Surrounded by mountains and forests, she could vaguely see the eaves of houses: "So, where are we now..."

“It’s Maizhou, and it should be within the territory of Xiao Chen Kingdom,” he said, pointing to the eaves that were peeking out from the dense forest in the distance. “The Red Feather Enlightened Beast is a divine beast worshipped by the royal family of Xiao Chen Kingdom. People would carve its image on eaves and door frames to ward off evil spirits.”

Pei Xia sighed inwardly.

This must be the goodwill of the sea god, who knew in advance that Pei Xia was coming to Maizhou, so he simply took him on a trip.

Hey bro, you've got it all wrong. I'm actually going to Yuezhou. The reason I keep mentioning Maizhou is because there are only ships going to Maizhou Port from Aocheng. I didn't expect there to be this perk!

Han Youzhi didn't think too much about it, taking it all as good luck. She excitedly said, "Let's go, let's go to the village to rest and replenish our supplies."

Seeing her beaming with joy, Pei Xia didn't object, but teased her, "Can you speak Maizhou dialect?"

"You can!"

"So, do you have money?"

You do!

Pei Xia had previously sold Qiu Sheng's twin swords for over two thousand taels of silver. Although he had spent a considerable amount of it in Youzhou, he should still have some left for travel expenses.

Pei Xia shook his head: "You're wrong. The silver I have left is all in banknotes. Youzhou's banknotes are from the Northern Barbarians. If you want to exchange them for money in Xiao Chen Kingdom, you have to go to a bank in a major city. If you want cash..."

He pulled out ten copper coins from his pocket: "That's all."

Han Youzhi pursed her lips, "Ten copper coins..."

“Okay,” she said, tugging at the torn fabric on her thigh and poking the exposed flesh with her index finger. “I’ll find a grandma to sew it up for me, that’ll be a good rest.”

Pei Xia ignored her and, carrying the pears, headed down the slope towards the woods. Han Youzhi quickly ran a few steps to catch up.

"Looking at a mountain from afar is one thing, but actually walking it takes time."

After walking for more than an hour, we finally saw a solid dirt road. Just as we breathed a sigh of relief, we suddenly heard the sound of rapid hoofbeats behind us.

Three men dressed in yellow robes and carrying long swords galloped closer and reined in their horses.

A beautiful woman with long hair, standing at the head of the group, looked down at Pei Xia and her companions and asked in a slight Chen accent, "Gentlemen, is that Zhao Jia ahead?"

(End of this chapter)