Simultaneously traversing: traversing countless heavens

Chapter 110 If only I had learned martial arts sooner

Xie Guanying was beaten to his knees, his once flowing white robes now covered in dust and blood, his face smeared with bits of bread and dried blood, swollen and deformed, looking utterly wretched and miserable.

But in any case, he survived.

When Zhou Yi delivered the final blow, shattering the "meritorious" hard bread on his forehead, Xie Guanying even felt a flicker of relief at having escaped death.

Whatever the reason—whether it was the woman's request or the killer's reluctance to commit murder at this moment—it's good that he's alive.

As long as he is alive, there is still a chance. Even if his cultivation is damaged and his luck is dissipated, with his intelligence and shrewdness, he may still have a chance to make a comeback.

However, this glimmer of hope, like a soap bubble, was ruthlessly burst as soon as it appeared.

"Bang!"

With a muffled thud, Zhou Yi raised his leg, the movement as casual as kicking away a pebble in his way, his toes landing precisely on Xie Guanying's lower abdomen, dantian.

Xie Guanying didn't even have time to scream. He felt that the foundation he had cultivated for many years and relied on for survival, the dantian and qi sea that contained the cultivation of a Confucian sage, collapsed, disintegrated and annihilated instantly, like an ice crystal thrown into the scorching sun!

Twenty years of arduous cultivation and twenty years of scheming to acquire extraordinary power were reduced to nothing by this one kick!

Immediately afterward, an irresistible force struck, sending Xie Guanying flying through the air like a broken ball. He arced through the air before crashing heavily to the feet of the nearby patriarch, Nangong, who was struggling to catch his breath. He rolled a few times before collapsing.

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He fainted immediately, his breath as faint as a candle flickering in the wind.

Zhou Yi turned his gaze to the old patriarch of the Nangong family, his voice still calm: "She's in the car. You're here to take her away too?"

Despite the excruciating pain churning within his body and the shattered state of his meridians, the old patriarch of the Nangong family glanced down at Xie Guanying, who lay unconscious at his feet like a dead dog, his cultivation completely destroyed. A complex and unfathomable emotion flickered in his eyes, a mixture of pleasure and sorrow, before finally settling into a deep, deathly silence.

He raised his head and looked at Zhou Yi, his voice hoarse but filled with unprecedented solemnity: "Thank you for your help in punishing this scoundrel. I will never mention a word of your matter to any outsider."

He paused, his gaze seemingly trying to pierce through the carriage curtain to catch a glimpse of the sleeping Nangong Pushe inside, but in the end he only sighed deeply.

"As for this child, Pu She—her mother is no longer here, and the Nangong family—may not be a good place for her either. I urge you—for the sake of her mother, to treat her kindly."

After saying that, the old patriarch of the Nangong family said no more. He bent down and, as if picking up a bag of garbage, grabbed Xie Guanying by the back of his collar and lifted him up in his hand.

He glanced one last time at the silent Zhou Yi and the quiet carriage, then turned and disappeared into the darkness, step by step.

What awaits Xie Guanying is the cruel revenge fueled by the hatred and rage accumulated by the Nangong family, especially Nangong Batian.

This once-renowned talent, who was on par with Li Yishan and known as "Xie in the North and Li in the South," had his brilliant career, marked by his strategic maneuvering and cunning, come to a complete end on this night, with no chance of recovery.

Until the two figures completely disappeared, the wilderness returned to silence, with only the occasional crackling of the campfire.

Zhou Yi walked to the carriage, lifted the curtain, and glanced inside.

Little Nangong Pushe was curled up, fast asleep.

The sound of the flute seemed to have a hypnotic and calming effect, and she was not awakened by the earth-shattering noise outside.

The cool moonlight shone through the gap in the curtains onto her delicate yet stunningly beautiful face, her brows furrowed slightly, as if she were still restless in her dream.

Zhou Yi lowered the curtain, returned to the campfire, sat quietly, and gazed at the gradually whitening eastern horizon.

As dawn broke and the morning light dispelled the last vestiges of chill, the daylight finally arrived.

Nangong Pushe rubbed his sleepy eyes and woke up groggily.

Her first instinct was to hurriedly lift the carriage curtain, her large, still sleepy eyes anxiously peering outside.

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Only when she saw that familiar, tall figure, still leaning against that large rock, looking at her calmly, did she feel as if a heavy burden had been lifted from her shoulders. She let out a long, quiet sigh of relief, and a look of peace appeared on her small face.

Zhou Yi quickly found something for her to eat to fill her stomach, and then the two set off again.

The old horse seemed to understand human nature; without being driven, it pulled the cart along the winding official road, heading south with steady steps.

Bored, the little creature crawled out of the carriage and sat obediently beside Zhou Yi. Gazing at the desolate scenery receding along the roadside, it couldn't help but ask softly after a while, "Where are we going?"

Zhou Yi didn't answer immediately, but instead asked, "Is there anywhere you'd like to go?"

Nangong Pushe thought about it seriously for a moment, then looked blank on his face and shook his head: "No."

She grew up in the deep courtyard of the Nangong family and knew almost nothing about the outside world, let alone any place she longed for.

"Then let's head south," Zhou Yi said calmly, gazing ahead, "to—the place that used to be Liyang."

He didn't know who seized power after he destroyed Li Yang, but he figured no one would dare to use Li Yang's name to restore their kingdom.

Upon hearing this, the little creature turned its head, looked at him with some confusion, and corrected him, "The Great Chu Kingdom?"

"Chu?" Zhou Yi paused slightly, seemingly unfamiliar with the name.

The little thing turned around, gave Zhou Yi a strange look, and thought to itself, "How come you don't even know this?"

Was he someone who didn't like studying when he was a child?

She tried hard to recall what her nanny and teacher had taught her, and said in a tone like a little teacher, "After the fall of Li Yang, the Great Chu Kingdom unified the Central Plains and is now in a standoff with our Northern Mang Kingdom for almost ten years."

She paused, a hint of curiosity and confusion flashing in her eyes, and continued, "However—the book says that it was the nameless swordsman of the Southern Tang Dynasty, the greatest swordsman in the world, who single-handedly destroyed Liyang."

"But is there really anyone in this world who could single-handedly destroy such a large country?"

"I asked my mother before, but she never answered me. She would just pat my head and say, 'One day, you will understand.'"

Zhou Yi remained silent, not responding, but instead casting his gaze towards the distant southern horizon.

The little one waited a while, but didn't get an answer, so it reached out its little hand and gently pushed Zhou Yi's shoulder, with a hint of reluctance: "Hey, aren't you a martial artist? Tell me, is what the book says just a bunch of nonsense for kids?"

Zhou Yi withdrew his gaze, glanced at her, and then calmly repeated what she had just said: "One day, you will understand."

"Why are you all like this!" The little thing pouted in annoyance, turned its head away, looked at the withered grass flying by the roadside, and stopped talking.

The carriage rumbled along, and the atmosphere was quiet for a moment.

Suddenly, the little creature's low voice rang out again, trembling almost imperceptibly and filled with intense longing: "Can you—teach me martial arts?"

Before Zhou Yi could answer, she seemed lost in her own thoughts, her eyes gradually filling with tears, her voice growing softer and softer, choked with sobs: "If only I—if only I had started learning martial arts earlier, and become really, really powerful."

"That way—that way I can protect Mother—she won't die—"

"I—I want to become the greatest swordsman in the world, just like the nameless swordsman of the Southern Tang Dynasty!"

"If someone is as capable as him—he must—he must be able to protect his family, right?"

As soon as the words were spoken, a brief silence fell over the small carriage. Only the monotonous sounds of horses' hooves and wheels echoed.

"Gulp."

Zhou Yi subconsciously picked up the wine jug beside him and tilted his head back to gulp down a large mouthful of strong liquor.

The spicy, scalding liquid burned in my throat, traveling down my throat, yet it seemed to ignite something long dormant in my chest.

It was as if—

A fire was burning in my chest.

Please vote with your monthly tickets and give me a reward!

It's gone today.

Too few people are watching Snowy Mountain; its subscription count has plummeted by more than two-thirds, and it's crashed into the South Heaven Gate.

Oh, that's terrible...

I can't feel happy at all.

The writing style is still too niche. Although I really like this style, well... oh well... I'll just treat it as a personal indulgence.

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