Starting with the divine power of the Great Vajra, he traversed the heavens.

Chapter 28: A Narrow Escape (5k-word chapter, please read on, please vote with monthly tickets, please recommend!)

Ren Shaoyang woke up seven days later.

He awoke abruptly from a suffocating nightmare, shivering. His eyes snapped open, bloodshot, and his chapped lips parted, letting out a long groan.

"Uh~!"

Just as I was about to take a deep breath, I felt as if I was being choked, and a rusty taste came over me.

A surge of hot blood rushed to my head, and I coughed up a mouthful of stagnant blood. I felt much better afterward.

But then I saw stars flashing in front of my eyes, making it almost impossible to see anything clearly.

Suddenly, a cry of surprise came from behind, and a small figure rushed over: "Crippled man!"

Ren Shaoyang was in pain all over his body, his face was pale, his body was trembling uncontrollably, and his eyes were flickering, as if he were possessed by a demon.

But when he saw the little beggar's round face, he was startled and his mind immediately cleared.

"Ah, I'm alive."

Ren Shaoyang turned his head and looked around, only to find that he had returned to that valley.

Yes, in their home.

Just then, Hongxiu cried out, "Crippled man, you, you're not dead?"

Ren Shaoyang was furious upon hearing this. He turned his head away from her and muttered, "He's not dead..."

Hongxiu looked around and said, "You, you've been vomiting a lot of blood these past few days!"

Ren Shaoyang took a deep breath, and suddenly a wave of turbid air rose up, making his chest feel tight. So he said to Hongxiu, "Help me up." His voice was so low that it was almost inaudible.

Seeing that his face was flushed from holding back his anger, Hongxiu quickly helped him up.

Ren Shaoyang struggled to sit up, then knelt on the ground and began coughing violently.

It felt like I was choking on sand; I coughed so hard it felt like my heart was being torn apart, my liver and intestines were breaking, and my nose and snot were flowing everywhere. In the end, I even vomited up bile.

After a while, he spat out mouthfuls of blood clots mixed with grit.

He lay back down, let out a long breath, and said, "Okay...okay, I felt so uncomfortable just now." He laughed twice as he spoke.

At this moment, the sky in the distance was faintly lit, with a few small stars embedded in it. A breeze swept through, and a cold mist slowly rose from the ground.

Ren Shaoyang felt a chill and shivered: "Little beggar, you saved my life again!" Then everything went black and he fainted again.

Hongxiu said, "Hey, cripple, don't fall asleep!"

three days later.

Ren Shaoyang and Hongxiu squatted in the mud, staring blankly at Ding'an, who was roasting chicken a dozen steps away, and swallowed hard.

"呲流~"

It has been snowing lightly these past few days. Ren Shaoyang has just woken up. Although he is in good spirits, he is too weak.

That battle was truly too brutal.

Even with the protective power of the Vajra God, Ren Shaoyang was still left with more than ten wounds by Cao Shaoqin's sword. His chest was pierced, his abdomen was ripped open, and even more terrifying was the palm wound, which broke multiple bones.

It's fair to say that there wasn't a single part of his body that was intact.

But he did survive.

Cao Shaoqin is truly a formidable opponent. His "Bright Eyes" technique allows him to observe the qi flow, and his Taiyue swordsmanship is both quick and precise. He is an enemy I have never encountered before!

If Hongxiu hadn't found a chance to strike, he probably wouldn't have escaped death!
Ren Shaoyang looked at Ding An, who was covered in soot, and suddenly smiled happily.

Okay, it's a fight to the death.

I won!

At this moment, in the blue-gray sky, there are still only a few stars, and the breath I exhale condenses into white mist in the air, like gauze.

It's winter.

The little beggar stammered, "My hand is broken, but it's not done yet! I'm starving!"

Ding'an, wrapped in gauze like a rice dumpling, replied irritably, "It'll be ready soon!"

By the time he finished roasting the chicken, it was already dawn.

The three of them shared the two chickens. Hongxiu felt sorry for Ren Shaoyang and gave him his favorite big chicken leg.

Ding'an's face, already blackened by the smoke, slumped down.

Seeing this, Hongxiu smiled and gave him the chicken butt she also loved to eat.

The three of them, their mouths stuffed full like steamed buns, looked at each other and burst into laughter.

A strong sense of relief and survival.

Ding'an was puzzled to see tears welling up in Hongxiu's eyes and asked, "Little beggar, why are you crying?"

Hongxiu blushed and glared at him with her big eyes.

"Pah! I was just exhausted from working hard! But you two, you were unconscious for five whole days. I took care of you all by myself, and carried you all home with great difficulty. Can't you even cry? Phew, thankfully God has eyes and has made you wake up!"

Ren Shaoyang glanced at the donkey cart outside: "For five days, you've been driving the cart the whole time?"

Hongxiu's hands were covered in oil from eating. She originally wanted to rub it on Ren Shaoyang, but when she saw his black coat, she immediately changed her mind and rubbed it on Ding'an instead.

Ding An pursed his lips, but dared not say anything more.

The little beggar rolled up her sleeves, gave a thumbs-up, and said in a charmingly naive tone, "Who else could it be but this heroine? You two are as heavy as two pigs. I dragged you around for two days before I finally bought a donkey cart in a town and brought you back. Oh dear, my money!"

In the morning sunlight, Ren Shaoyang saw that Hongxiu's face was pale, her hair was messy, and her hands were covered with scratches, obviously from dragging him and Ding'an. He immediately said apologetically, "You've suffered, Hongxiu."

Hongxiu felt a lump in her throat, but she lowered her head to hold it in. She pursed her lips, raised her head, and waved her hand as if she didn't care.

"Hey! This heroine is also a renowned swordswoman in the northern frontier. It's nothing, nothing at all!"

Ding An chimed in from the side, "That's right! These past few days, news of the Eastern Depot's collapse has spread throughout the desert, and the three of us have earned the title of 'The Three Fiends of the Northern Desert'!"

"Huh? The Three Fiends of the Northern Desert?" Ren Shaoyang looked completely bewildered.

Hongxiu was not ashamed but proud: "'Butcher' Ren Shaoyang, 'Crippled Knife' Li Ding'an." Then she pointed to herself, her face full of arrogance.

"The Immortal of One-Sword, Ren Hongxiu!"

"Wait, wait, wait!" Ren Shaoyang pinched her cheek. "What did you say your name was?"

"The One-Sword Immortal!" Red Sleeves, with her short arms, couldn't reach him, so she could only bare her fangs and claws. "He's incredibly ferocious!"

"Haha~" Ding An chuckled, "She used to have the nickname 'Bone Scraper,' but the little beggar thought it sounded awful, so he changed it."

Bone scraper?

I don't recognize this title from anyone but Xia He!

Ren Shaoyang looked at the prim and proper little girl in front of him with disdain: "Although 'One-Knife Immortal' is an exaggeration, it is still more appropriate than 'Bone-Scraping Knife'."

Hongxiu was overjoyed, made a face at Ding'an, and said, "You're so talkative!"

Ding An said helplessly, "Just spoil her then."

After the three of them laughed and joked for a while and finished eating the chicken, Ren Shaoyang suddenly asked, "How are they?"

Hongxiu and Ding'an remained silent for a while.

Ding An said, "I woke up a day earlier and saw Mu Renqing. He left us some medicine for our wounds and then returned to Mount Hua, saying he was going to report back."

Ren Shaoyang nodded and looked at the little beggar.

Hongxiu smiled and said, "Jin Xiangyu lost a hand, but it's not a big deal."

Ren Shaoyang was surprised that Jin Xiangyu had survived, and couldn't help but sigh, "She really has the survival instinct of a cockroach."

Hongxiu said, "You're absolutely right. When she left, she kept cursing, 'What a loss! What a loss!' I think what hurt her most was losing all her money, more than losing a hand."

"She'd rather die than give up money," Ren Shaoyang chuckled, then continued, "What about Qiu Moyan?"

Hongxiu said, "Sister Qiu was seriously injured, but she's alright. By the way, those two children were hidden in the cellar of the Dragon Gate Inn, where they not only escaped the rain of arrows but also the black storm. After Sister Qiu woke up, she brought them out of the pass."

"By the way, Jin Xiangyu shamelessly went with her, saying he wanted to open another inn outside the Great Wall!"

Ren Shaoyang and the other two exchanged glances and finally laughed from the bottom of their hearts.

Hongxiu's eyes darted around, and she suddenly asked, "Crippled man, are we really safe?"

"Safety?" Ren Shaoyang's smile vanished. "Nothing in this world is absolute. It's just that compared to before, at least we're not so easy to die."

"Oh?" Hongxiu said disappointedly, "I see."

The young man leaned on the table, struggled to his feet, looked out the window at the barren mountains and the sun high in the sky, and said without turning his head.

"In the torrent of worldly life, it is already extremely difficult to survive. To live well is even more difficult! Compared to the masses of people struggling in hardship, we have crawled out of the cave and seen the blue sky."

"Once you've recovered from your injuries, I'll teach you a few martial arts techniques for self-defense. We can't let anyone underestimate the reputation of the 'Three Fiends of the Northern Desert'!"

"it is good!"

The little beggar slammed his fist on the table and jumped up high.

"The cripple is number one in the world, and this heroine will be number two." With that, she patted Ding'an, a sly grin spreading across her face. "So you're vying for third place!"

Ding'an looked at the confident Hongxiu, shook his head, and sighed inwardly, "Still so young."
-
Sunrise and sunset, winter goes and spring comes.

Three months later.

Deep in the mountains, the little beggar known as "One-Knife Immortal," one of the Three Fiends of the Northern Desert, was crying loudly.

"Broken Blade" Ding An was clicking his tongue. He had changed into a black robe and was holding a gleaming white short sword with a beautiful curve. His arm was wrapped with silver iron chains, the material of which was exactly the same as the short sword.

Ren Shaoyang, the "Butcher," was also dressed in a black robe and carrying an iron rod. He looked helpless and said, "What are you hesitating for? Hmm, turn around and step into the center, and you'll step on your own foot and fall flat on your face?"

The little beggar covered his head with his hands and cried loudly.

When she fell, her forehead hit the tree hard, causing a large bump that made her see stars from the pain.

Ren Shaoyang said irritably, "Keep pretending. I've never seen you cry like this in Blackwater City!"

It would have been better if we hadn't talked about it, because once we did, Hongxiu cried even louder.

"I have shed blood for you, I have been wounded for you!"

"I was so stupid, really, facing so much..." She stretched out her hands, exaggerating to the extreme, her voice filled with heart-wrenching pain, "So many treasures, and I didn't even glance at them, I didn't dare to even look at them!"

"After that, we bought a donkey cart, and our purse was half empty. You guys eat and eat every day, and the money is all gone."

"Now that my injury has healed, he still hits me every day, ugh!"

Ren Shaoyang, growing increasingly impatient with her incessant sobbing, shouted, "Enough! You, the dignified 'One-Knife Immortal,' a prominent figure in the Northern Frontier, what are you yelling about for such a little pain?"

Hongxiu cried, "It really hurts! This lump is so big, and...it's not fake!"

Ding An stepped forward and said, "Hongxiu is really in pain, so let her rest for a while. She's not the kind of person to cheat or shirk her duties." His tone was gentle now, his voice was unhurried, and his face shone brightly, clearly showing that his martial arts skills had greatly improved.

Ren Shaoyang scratched his head and sighed, "I was too impatient. The 'Great Brahma Banner' is very suitable for you. But the 'Dragon Claw' and 'One Divine Fist' are not a good match for Little Beggar."

"Yes!" Hongxiu seized the opportunity to circle behind Ren Shaoyang with her knife tucked under her arm and exclaimed, "What kind of fist and claw techniques are these? They feel so awkward to use. I'd rather practice my swordsmanship a few more times!"

"Hmm~"

Ren Shaoyang squinted and thought for a moment, but did not refute her.

Although Hongxiu was mischievous, she was extremely diligent in practicing martial arts, probably hoping that one day she could share his burdens and make him stop treating her like a child.

However, the kung fu taught by Ren Shaoyang was not compatible with his own nature, so practicing it was much less effective.

“That was my oversight.” After careful consideration, the young man said slowly, “How about I teach you the ‘Bright Eyes’ style? Since you were able to master the ‘Heart-Giving Style’ in one night, this skill should be no problem for you.”

"Great! Great!" Upon hearing that it was the same skill as the "Heart-Sacrificing Style," Hongxiu immediately jumped up with joy, clapping her hands and exclaiming, "This skill is great, it suits me perfectly!"

[The Foot Taiyang meridian shines brightly in the eye, the Lesser Yang meridian illuminates the pupil's spirit. The Jade Balance star falls, washing away dust and veils; a hundred reflections in a mirror reveal truth from falsehood. Breaking through delusion, one can see through the end of autumn; on the new and full moons, poison locks away heavenly anger.]

Ren Shaoyang read a passage and then continued, "This is the opening Qigong formula of the 'Bright Eyes Style.' There are also visualization, medicinal washing, and eye training methods afterward. I will teach you when we get home."

“Mmm!” Hongxiu nodded vigorously.
-
When they arrived home, Ren Shaoyang taught her the remaining techniques, reciting them over a thousand words.

Hongxiu focused intently on memorizing, and after Ren Shaoyang finished reading, she recited it as instructed.

The little beggar was extremely clever; he didn't misspell a single word.

Ren Shaoyang then asked another question, and the little beggar answered fluently, clearly having memorized everything.

After she finished teaching, Hongxiu felt that she had exhausted her brainpower and her cravings began to creep in.

So he and Ding'an hit it off immediately and decided to drive a donkey cart to Fengyangchuan, thirty miles away, to buy noodles and pickles, saying they would make noodles to eat when they got back.

Ren Shaoyang also craved this soup and asked her to buy some eggs and make a bowl of fried egg noodles.

"oh oh."

Hongxiu and Ding'an nodded, turned around, and pushed open the door to leave.

Ren Shaoyang watched them drift away around the corner in their donkey cart and sighed softly.

The little beggar was extremely intelligent, but his body was weak. Every time he performed surgery, he had to eat to replenish his strength, otherwise he simply couldn't hold on.

Ding'an has excellent physical constitution and amazing talent in swordsmanship, but he is not very bright and has not yet figured out the "Heart-Sacrificing Style".

As for myself, without any special abilities, I'm just an ordinary person, good for nothing except for being handsome!
"Damn it, I've figured it out, we're all masters of our own skills!"

Ren Shaoyang shook his head, then went inside and sat back on his bed, which was originally the haystack.

Now a new bed has been built with wooden planks, wiped clean and covered with a new quilt, and the whole thing looks brand new.

Ren Shaoyang sat cross-legged on the bed, holding an iron rod in one hand, staring intently at it.

Suddenly, he released force from his palm, and with a "hum", the iron rod emitted a clear blue light. Then, with a slight movement, the tip actually extended a bit!

Upon seeing this, Ren Shaoyang exclaimed in surprise, "Holy crap, this thing has really gotten longer!"

His curiosity was piqued, and he continued to channel his divine power into the iron rod, but it seemed to have reached its limit. It did not extend any further, but instead slowly shrank back to its original shape.

"Hey!" Ren Shaoyang cursed, looking annoyed. "You're a complete failure!" He shook his head and stopped forcing it, instead practicing his staff techniques.

It starts with the most basic stabbing, stirring, teasing, and poking, and then progresses to "beating the world in all directions with a stick".

Then he broke down the staff technique into its most basic movements and performed it again.

Ren Shaoyang's expression turned solemn, and with a flick of his wrist, streaks of black light flashed, and a strange "whooshing" sound immediately filled the air, with a powerful and heavy aura surging through the room.

But as he changed his move and flicked his wrist, his staff technique transformed from clumsy and heavy to swift and rapid, with a sudden and dense rain-like effect, as unpredictable as the changing winds and clouds.

This feeling was wonderful, something he had never experienced before.

Ren Shaoyang's gaze sharpened: "What is this feeling? It's all so vague!"

As a master who sustains himself through battle and acts on instinct when facing life and death.

For the first time, Ren Shaoyang felt a sense of "uncertainty," which made him extremely uneasy.

So he quickly used "Strike the Ten Directions of the World" again.

"No, this doesn't feel right."

Ren Shaoyang frowned, feeling somewhat frustrated.

"Since that's the case, Cao Shaoqin, I need your help with my cultivation!"
-
By the time Ding'an and Hongxiu returned excitedly from their shopping, it was already midday.

When they carried rice, flour, eggs, and oil into the house, they found Ren Shaoyang sitting blankly on the bed, his hair disheveled, and the iron rod lying on the ground, not even glancing at it.

"Crippled man, what's wrong with you?" Hongxiu asked.

"How come you look like a defeated rooster after only a few hours?" Ding An interjected.

Ren Shaoyang glanced at them with grief and indignation, but said nothing.

During the flashback, I used my half-baked moves to fight against Governor Cao.

His throat was pierced thirteen times in a row by that "Shaking Sword Rise in the Azure Yellow" technique!
Anyone would be mentally devastated if they died thirteen times in a single move.

Hongxiu said, "Don't worry, the cripple just can't get over his own problems. Put it down, put it down, I'll make you some noodles."

As she spoke, she hummed a song and went to cook noodles.

When she came out carrying three large bowls of steaming hot egg noodles, Ren Shaoyang had already composed himself and was waiting obediently.

"Eat up, the noodles are ready!"

The three of them, each holding a bowl of noodles, squatted down at the doorway, slurping up mouthfuls of noodles and garlic.

Perhaps because they hadn't had this kind of food in a long time, the three of them had a great appetite. Even though there wasn't much oil in it, they ate with great enthusiasm and made slurping noises.

"Slow down, don't burn yourself!"

Ren Shaoyang looked at Hongxiu and offered a reminder.

"Uh-huh!"

Without even looking up, Hongxiu continued chewing her food vigorously, and, claiming she had a bump on her head, snatched the fried eggs from the two of them and began to chew them with relish. When they objected, she told them to go chew their fingers instead.

Ren Shaoyang and Ding An didn't dare to provoke her, so they could only silently suffer in silence.

The little beggar rolled his eyes, chuckled, and took out two pieces of glutinous rice from his pocket, handing them to the two of them.

This is a type of maltose made by fermenting and saccharifying grains such as corn and barley. It costs only a few coins and can be enjoyed for half a day. It was a rare source of sweetness in this era.

"Ouch, I found it this time!"

Ren Shaoyang smiled and ruffled the little beggar's hair, and he and Ding An each picked up a piece and put it in their mouths.

Mmm, sweet!
Just as he was squinting and savoring the sweet treat, Ding'an told Feng Yangchuan the news he had received.

After Cao Shaoqin's death, the Black-Clad Arrow Team was completely wiped out by the Black Storm.

Although the Eastern Depot's once-powerful influence was affected, it was not crippled; rather, it was more like a period of concealing its strength and biding its time.

The emperor still needed the Eastern Depot as a sharp weapon, to check and balance the civil officials, and to make the emperor the judge in order to maintain order in the court.

"So what about now? Has the Eastern Depot changed?"

"Yes, a new eunuch from the Eastern Depot has been appointed."

"what is it call?"

"what do you say that is"

Ding'an's forgetfulness struck again, and he was so anxious that he kept hitting his head.

"Oh dear, you're so silly!" The little beggar blinked, made a face, and said, "Your name is Wei Jinzhong."

"Oh, Wei Jinzhong."

Ren Shaoyang suddenly raised his head.

"Clam?"
-
P.S.: Thank you so much for the generous donation! I'm extremely grateful!

(End of this chapter)