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

Chapter 32 The Twin Swordsmen
"Drive~!"

"drive!"

On the official road, a donkey cart was speeding along happily.

The driver was a round-faced girl with a ponytail, wearing a coarse cloth floral dress, and a curved knife at her waist.

What's most striking are her incredibly bright and lively eyes, like pools of autumn water. As she nimbly steered the donkey cart, she glanced around furtively, like a little weasel stealing chickens.

"No, little beggar, slow down, slow down!"

Inside the carriage, Ding'an clung tightly to the door frame with one hand, shouting loudly.

"Oh dear, is this what you call fast?" Hongxiu laughed, her girlish, silvery voice echoing throughout the spring.

Just then, a hand reached out from inside the carriage.

*Smack!* A sharp rap on the head!
"Ouch!" Hongxiu loosened the reins, clutched her head and cried out in pain, and the donkey cart slowed down a bit.

Ren Shaoyang pointed to his water-soaked trousers and angrily said, "Look!"

Hongxiu and Ding'an covered their mouths and chuckled as they read it.

"What a joke!"

Ren Shaoyang said irritably, and with a flick of his hand, he wiped his pants. The Great Vajra Divine Power flowed, and steam rose up, instantly drying them.

“Hongxiu, you just mastered the ‘Bright Eyes’ technique, which puts you in a state of super-vision, making everything seem slow. Driving like this is too reckless. As the saying goes: ‘Improper driving will bring tears to your loved ones’ eyes.’”

"You switch places with Ding'an, let him come!"

"Oh~!"

The little beggar didn't dare to argue, so he could only pout and switch seats with Ding'an.

"drive!"

Finally, the donkey cart started moving smoothly, and the donkey, whose mouth was full of white foam, was able to catch its breath.

"Crippled man, where are we?"

Hongxiu turned around and went out. With her "Eye-Brightening Style" practice now in hand, she turned her head to look around and found everything new and interesting.

Ren Shaoyang said, "We've been traveling for half a month and have arrived in Guanzhong."

"Guanzhong?" Hongxiu's big eyes darted around. "Ah, we've crossed Mount Hua?"

"Yeah, you're sleeping like a log."

"Oh dear!" Hongxiu cried with a mournful face. "The monkey told me that Huayin's broadsword noodles, tofu pudding, clear broth mutton, and crystal pancakes are all delicious."

Ding'an's voice came: "Haha, I knew you'd react like this. The cripple has already bought them all."

Hongxiu was taken aback and lowered her voice, saying, "Really? Is that so?" Turning her head, she saw Ren Shaoyang smiling as he held up a large bag of food, and her eyes immediately lit up. "Wow, when did you buy this? Oh my, this is amazing!"

Ren Shaoyang handed the steamed buns to the two of them, smiled smugly, and said, "Hmph, while you were asleep, I ran back and forth for dozens of miles to buy them."

"Oh dear, cripple!" Hongxiu cried, tears welling up in her eyes, and buried her face in his arms.

"Slap!" Ren Shaoyang slapped her face away. "Stop it, are you trying to wipe your mouth with my clothes again?"

Hongxiu stared at her for a long time before finally saying, "I don't like you anymore." She then huddled in a corner, sulking.

After a while, she glanced at Ren Shaoyang slyly, then brazenly asked, "Crippled man, how much longer until we reach Jiangnan?"

Ren Shaoyang said, "It's April now. If we follow the official road, we'll arrive in another month."

Hongxiu stuck out her tongue: "It's been so long." She then asked, "What's Jiangnan like?"

"Beautiful scenery, beautiful people, prosperous and rich."

Ren Shaoyang has never been to Jiangnan, but that doesn't mean he doesn't know about Jiangnan.

"I've heard that it has all the delicious food, fine wine, and goods in the world. And when we go to Jingzhou, there will be dragon boat races, and even a competition to eat zongzi (sticky rice dumplings)!"

"Great!"

Hongxiu's big eyes sparkled. "Is it a competition to see who can eat the most?"

Ding An laughed and said, "Yes, yes, you can have as many meat-filled and sweet-filled rice dumplings as you like!"

"Whoa!" Hongxiu clenched her fist and shot it skyward, "Charge!"
-
The three of them continued on their journey, and the scenery became increasingly beautiful.

At this time, the grass was lush and the birds were singing, and the spring breeze was gentle. Having left the harshness of the northern desert, they traveled into the Central Plains, where they saw magnificent and expansive landscapes. Hongxiu chattered excitedly, asking about everything and wanting to know everything.

Ren Shaoyang, through a combination of deception and trickery, pointed out the local scenery along the way, saying where there were wise men of the past and where there were elegant and talented people.

Not only was Hongxiu startled, but Ding'an was also taken aback.

They walked around like this for half a month, during which Ren Shaoyang, on a whim, taught the little beggar a move or two of the "One Step at a Time" Zen technique.

Although this is not the core essence, it still reveals the principles of Yin and Yang and the workings of creation. Even a small part of the martial arts essence, such as "performing a ritual within a snail shell" and "entering the space between without thickness," is enough to benefit ordinary people.

Although Hongxiu was mischievous, she was extremely competitive. In addition, she possessed both the "Bright Eyes Style" and the "Heart-Sacrificing Style," so she learned everything quickly. In just half a month, she even made progress, incorporating the shadow of "The Zen of a Thousand-Pounds-a-Hand" into her swordsmanship.

After a long and arduous journey, under the moon and stars, the three of them and their donkey cart finally arrived in Jingzhou.

The scenery in the south, compared to the roughness of the north, has a different kind of beauty. The mountains are shrouded in mist, and the water is sparkling. It is much more exquisite.

As for the food, it didn't suit Ding'an's taste, but Hongxiu ate everything and loved everything, so it didn't turn from a pleasant job into a miserable one.

At that moment, the sky suddenly changed color, with dense clouds and dark clouds. Ren Shaoyang knew that a heavy rain was coming, so he quickly spurred his horse and found a restaurant to stop the donkey cart.

At this moment, the slanting rain, like silk threads, began to fall in a light drizzle.

The three abandoned the donkey cart and went upstairs, sitting by the window.

A light rain was falling outside, and pedestrians were walking along the street with umbrellas.

"Wow."

Hongxiu and Ding'an were somewhat astonished by the sheer number of pedestrians on the street, marveling at the sheer volume of people in this southern city.

Looking into the distance, one sees pavilions, towers, bridges, flowing water, boats along the river, bamboo groves, and gardens.

The pedestrians on the street were polite, yet their expressions were detached; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it a prosperous place.

"Jiangnan is truly beautiful."

Hongxiu and Ding'an stuck their heads out of the window and exclaimed in unison, "You country bumpkins!"

"Get back in! Get back in!"

Hongxiu and Ding'an turned their heads.

Then Ren Shaoyang shouted, "You two are sticking your heads out like turtles, don't fall down the stairs!"

Hongxiu snorted, slapped the bundle on her back, and said, "The money is with me, how dare you talk back to me?"

Ren Shaoyang said, "You're using silver to inflate your own value?"

Hongxiu laughed arrogantly, "I don't care about you, money talks!" As she spoke, she slammed her hand on the table and repeatedly told the boss to hurry up and serve the dishes, wine, and tea!
The loud noise drew everyone's attention to the three of them.

The two young men were wearing ill-fitting black robes, one of them missing an arm, while the arrogant girl was wearing a plain, coarse cloth dress.

Looking at their rough skin, unlike the fair skin of people from Jiangnan, everyone laughed, knowing they were probably country bumpkins from beyond the Great Wall who had come to Jiangnan to broaden their horizons and visit relatives, so they didn't care much.

It's rare to see a woman so arrogant.

At that moment, a man and a woman were also having a meal at the next table.

Both of them had long swords hanging from their waists. The man was dressed in a yellow robe and was tall and thin, while the girl was dressed in white and had a slightly dark complexion, but her appearance was still pretty.

As the girl ate, she would frequently glance at the young man in yellow beside her, their eyes sparkling with affection.

At this moment, the young man was also all smiles. He picked up a piece of fish cake with his chopsticks and was about to feed it to the girl.

Suddenly hearing Hongxiu's arrogant voice, he immediately frowned and glanced at her sideways.

The girl playfully scolded Hongxiu for interrupting their public display of affection, saying, "What a country bumpkin!"

Hongxiu was taken aback by the scolding, but after realizing what had happened, she wasn't angry at all. Instead, she smiled and said, "What's wrong? Did I offend either of you?"

The young man was surprised that this girl dared to be so arrogant. He threw down his chopsticks and said coldly, "Sharp-tongued." He glanced at Ren Shaoyang and Ding An, a sneer appearing on his lips. "So you're just a bunch of bumpkins from beyond the Great Wall. You really have no manners!"

Ren Shaoyang put down the cup, his face cold and stern: "Kid, have you been eating too much shit? Your mouth smells so foul."

The young man in the yellow shirt felt humiliated in front of the girl and said angrily, "You country bumpkin, who are you calling a bumpkin?"

He lunged forward and grabbed at Ren Shaoyang's chest.

(End of this chapter)