The Smiling, Proud Wanderer: From the Moment He Picked Up Qu Feiyan

After finishing the matter, Shen An was about to return to the inner courtyard to practice his skills when he stepped into the courtyard and immediately saw Ji Wushi, who was tied up to a pillar.

Qu Feiyan found a foxtail grass from somewhere and was idly waving it in front of his nose, causing the "night owl" to dodge away repeatedly.

Unfortunately, his acupoints were sealed, rendering him unable to move. His face was filled with a look of utter despair, making him appear both comical and pitiful.

Upon seeing Shen An return, Qu Feiyan immediately dropped the grass and rushed over like a little deer: "Brother An, you're finally back! This guy is so stubborn, he wouldn't say a word."

Looking at her self-righteous little face, Shen An couldn't help but chuckle: "Uh...did you even ask?"

"Huh?" Qu Feiyan blinked her big eyes, then put her hands on her hips with an air of self-righteousness. "Do you still want to ask?"

Seeing her cunning expression, Shen An knew that this girl was doing it on purpose, purely to retaliate against being deceived by Ji Wushi yesterday, and was taking her anger out here.

"Even if you didn't ask, did you release his speech acupoint?"

"Oh!" Qu Feiyan had really forgotten about this, and scratched her head embarrassedly.

Shen An smiled, not surprised by the scene.

He was about to sit down on the stone bench in the courtyard to adjust his breathing for a while before starting his cultivation for the day when he caught a glimpse of Wang Xiaocao standing quietly under the eaves not far away, twisting the hem of her clothes with her hands, as if she had something to say but hesitated to go forward.

Unlike Qu Feiyan, she wasn't lively and outgoing; she always seemed to carry a thin layer of unspoken worries. Shen An softened his tone and asked, "Xiao Cao, what's wrong? Is something the matter?"

Wang Xiaocao trembled slightly when he called on her. She then mustered her courage, lowered her head, and walked over, her voice barely audible: "Young master... there's something I... I'd like to ask for your opinion on."

"Please feel free to speak."

"Yes..." She took a deep breath, as if using all her strength, "The day before yesterday, the afternoon before the Sword Testing Tournament, I was practicing the zither in the courtyard. A... an old gentleman who had infiltrated the Hundred Refinements Workshop suddenly appeared."

Shen An raised an eyebrow, signaling her to continue.

"He said his name is Mo Da, the head of the Hengshan Sect. He thinks I have a great talent for music and am the perfect candidate to practice their Hengshan swordsmanship. He wants to... wants to take me as his disciple." After Wang Xiaocao finished speaking, she nervously raised her head, her clear eyes filled with trepidation. "Young master, I don't know what to do, so I want to hear your opinion."

But another voice echoed quietly in her heart: If... if I became Master Mo's disciple and learned martial arts, could I be closer to the young master? Could I, like Miss Feifei, go out to find him without any worries, instead of being left alone and helpless in the empty house last night, waiting for dawn in long agony...

How enormous?!

He actually came to Bailianfang that day?

Shen An was taken aback at first, then suddenly understood.

He remembered that two days ago, after Sha Xihe provided the clue about the Prince Ji's mansion, he had Li Qingde use all available channels to search for Mo Da's whereabouts throughout Hengyang City.

It must have been this grand gesture that caught the attention of the elusive Hengshan Sect Leader, which led him to personally come to Bailianfang to investigate.

Unexpectedly, Xiaocao received this incredible opportunity without even seeing him.

This is a good thing!

Shen An was indeed quite troubled about what martial arts to teach Xiao Cao in the future, and this was the reason why he hadn't taught her yet.

His own martial arts style was not suitable for Wang Xiaocao. The "Ice Heart Technique" seemed simple, but it required cultivation from childhood to fully grasp its wonders, and he himself had only laid a foundation in it by chance. The "Glassy Body Sun King Mantra" placed even greater emphasis on temperament and wisdom, requiring extremely high comprehension.

What if we send her to Mount Song?

Leaving aside whether she was confident in persuading her master to accept her as a disciple, the bold, powerful, and vigorous style of the Songshan swordplay was absolutely unsuitable for a delicate and quiet woman like Wang Xiaocao.

In contrast, the Hengshan School's swordsmanship is light, graceful, and ever-changing, and coupled with her talent in music, it is perfectly suited to her.

What's more, the one who accepted the disciple was none other than the sect leader, Mo Da himself!

"That's great news!" Shen An smiled sincerely and looked at her encouragingly. "Master Mo is a renowned grandmaster in the martial arts world. It's your good fortune to have his favor. Of course I agree! Wait here, I'll prepare your things and take you there right away."

Hearing Shen An agree so readily, even with a hint of eagerness, the light in Wang Xiaocao's eyes dimmed somewhat.

She instinctively took a half step back, shaking her head repeatedly, "No...no need to trouble you, young master, I...I can go by myself. Besides, there's someone else in the courtyard to keep an eye on things..."

Shen An said gently, "Silly girl, this matter is no small thing. The world is dangerous. What if that person is a fraud? I have to take you to Hengshan Sect myself before I can feel at ease."

"Brother An is right!" Qu Feiyan volunteered, patting her chest. "Sister Xiaocao, you can go with Brother An without worry! I'll keep an eye on this guy; I guarantee he won't be able to escape!"

Having said that, Wang Xiaocao could find no reason to refuse and could only nod silently.

Shen An nimbly entered the room, found a bundle, packed some bedding and bowls, and then took out a heavy bag of loose silver and stuffed it into her hand.

"Although you shouldn't have much to spend after joining Hengshan Sect, as your expenses will be provided by your sect, it's always convenient to have some money on hand when you're out and about. Here, take this."

Watching Shen An busy himself for her and listening to his meticulous instructions, Wang Xiaocao felt a lump in her throat and a warm feeling welled up in her heart.

She suddenly had a thought—not to go anywhere, but to stay here, even if it was just doing his laundry and cooking for him day after day, that would be good enough.

But the thought only flashed through her mind before she forcefully suppressed it.

The young master is an outstanding person, and I... cannot become a burden to him.

After Shen An finished packing the package, Wang Xiaocao also finished packing her clothes. She silently walked over, carefully wrapped the shovel that had been sitting in the corner for a long time in a cloth, and hugged it tightly to her chest.

Shen An smiled, knowing that she couldn't forget this.