In this chaotic world of martial arts, I'll become a god by adding skill points!

Chapter 103 Three People

Wang Anping raised his hand to signal, and the team immediately stopped, with everyone holding their breath.

Sure enough, from the woods ahead came a slightly anxious conversation and rustling footsteps.

Looking through the dense foliage, one could see three people standing in a small clearing not far away.

The three of them were pointing at a faded, simple map in their hands, their faces showing confusion and anxiety.

Of the three, the one on the left is a young couple.

The man was about twenty years old, dressed in an indigo brocade outfit, with a long sword hanging at his waist.

He was fairly good-looking, but his brows carried the typical reserve and a hint of anxiety of a scion of a prominent family.

The woman was a little younger, about seventeen or eighteen years old, wearing a pale yellow embroidered silk skirt and a light purple vest over it, and she had a pretty face.

But at this moment, her delicate brows were furrowed, and she seemed somewhat uneasy.

The two men were dressed smartly and had an extraordinary air about them; it was clear at a glance that they were scions of well-to-do families.

The person on the right, however, seemed completely out of place with the couple.

He was a boy who looked about sixteen or seventeen years old, with dark and rough skin.

He was lean but muscular, dressed in a faded, patched-up coarse cloth outfit.

He carried a tattered bundle on his back and wore a pair of straw sandals that were worn out.

His features were ordinary, but his eyes carried the simplicity unique to mountain people and a stubbornness that refused to admit defeat.

At that moment, he also craned his neck, trying hard to see the map in the hands of the man and woman, but dared not get too close.

"Senior brother, have we... gone to the wrong place again?"

The woman in the yellow dress said in a tearful voice, "The map markings are too blurry, it's been three days already—"

"Don't panic, Junior Sister Qingyao,"

The man in blue tried to remain calm, but sweat was already beading on his forehead: "It should—it should be around here. Let's look again—"

The boy in coarse cloth scratched his head and said in a muffled voice, "Gentlemen—I look at this map, and it seems to be different from the route the old hunter told me about in town—could we have it upside down?"

"What do you know!"

The man in blue, already annoyed, snapped, "This is a route map our family paid a fortune for! How could a country bumpkin like you possibly understand it? Stop making things worse!"

The boy in coarse cloth choked for a moment, his dark face turning bright red, but he still stubbornly whispered, "But—but I think we're going the wrong way—"

Just then, they noticed the movement behind them and all three turned around at the same time.

Upon seeing Wang Anping and his group, especially Zhao Fu, the guards, and the conspicuous pile of luggage, their eyes revealed surprise and vigilance, which quickly turned into a glimmer of hope.

The man in blue composed himself, stepped forward, clasped his hands in greeting, and said, "Greetings, everyone! I am Liu Mingxuan from the Liu family of Jiangzhou, and this is my younger sister, Liu Qingyao."

We are also heading to Misty Peak to participate in the outer sect selection. I wonder if you are going the same way?

We—we seem to have lost our way here. Would it be possible for us to travel together?

He adopted a humble posture and spoke earnestly, clearly suffering greatly from the maze-like mountains and forests.

Liu Qingyao quickly curtsied and looked expectantly at Wang Anping and the others.

The boy in coarse cloth hesitated for a moment, then followed suit and clasped his hands in a fist salute. His voice was somewhat stiff: "I—I am Shizhu, from Qingshuigou. I also want to try my luck at Piaomiao Peak."

"Could you give me a ride? I'm strong and can help carry things!"

As he spoke, he patted his thin but well-defined chest.

Since being publicly humiliated last time, Lin Yunshu has become much more cautious. Although she was somewhat tempted by the Liu siblings' extraordinary attire and demeanor.

Seeing the poor boy Shizhu's rustic appearance, he instinctively felt disdain, but after glancing at the expressionless Wang Anping, he swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue.

He simply stood aside and watched coldly, secretly making plans in his heart:

If Wang Anping refuses, he might be able to speak up for the Liu siblings and take them in. This would not only make him friendly with the aristocratic family, but also make him appear magnanimous and subtly give Wang Anping an edge.

Wang Anping's gaze swept over the three of them.

The Liu siblings were in relatively good spirits, roughly at the late stage of Ming Jin to the early stage of An Jin, but their steps were unsteady, clearly indicating a lack of truly arduous training and life-or-death combat.

The stone pillar's aura was actually more solid. Although its cultivation technique was rudimentary, its foundation seemed to be quite solid, possessing a tenacity like wild grass.

Most importantly, the three of them did not have any malevolent or evil aura, and their eyes were relatively clear, unlike those who were disguised as bandits.

He hesitated for a moment.

This place is close to the outer edge of Misty Peak, and the route is inherently hidden and complicated. It is not easy for our side to find the way with Zhao Fu leading the way, so it is understandable that the other side gets lost.

If you refuse them, they might secretly follow you and cause trouble instead.

It would be safer to keep it under our noses and let our side control the speed and route of the march.

"Can."

Wang Anping nodded, his voice calm: "You will walk at the front of the group, keep your distance, and do not act without permission, nor disturb our journey."

Upon hearing this, Liu Mingxuan and Liu Qingyao were overjoyed and quickly bowed to express their gratitude: "Thank you very much, brother! Rest assured, we will certainly comply!"

They noticed that the group seemed to be led by this composed young man in a blue robe, and their attitude became increasingly respectful.

Shizhu grinned, his expression simple and honest, and bowed repeatedly, saying, "Thank you! Thank you, brother! I'll definitely be obedient!"

Just then, Shizhu's gaze inadvertently swept over the heavy, bulging chests and bundles on the backs of the Zhao family guards.

He glanced at Zhao Qingyue and Lin Yunshu's neat and tidy clothes, even in the mountains, and his face showed obvious puzzlement and curiosity.

He was outspoken and blurted out, "You guys are bringing so much stuff, are you going to visit Misty Peak?"

"I heard that's a martial arts training ground, it's very tough. Why bring so much useless stuff?"

Upon hearing this, the Liu siblings' expressions changed slightly, thinking to themselves that this country bumpkin didn't know how to speak properly.

Zhao Fu frowned.

Zhao Qingyue lowered her head somewhat embarrassedly.

Lin Yunshu had always looked down on Shizhu for his country bumpkin appearance, and now that he dared to question them, the pent-up anger and resentment he had been holding onto towards Wang Anping seemed to have found an outlet.

He sneered, stepped forward, and looked down at the stone pillar, his voice laced with sarcasm: "Hmph, you frog in a well, so ignorant! Misty Peak is a sacred place of martial arts, how could a country bumpkin like you possibly imagine it?"

What we bring and what we don't bring—we have our reasons and our own way of making a grand entrance!

Do you think everyone is like you, carrying a tattered bag and thinking of sneaking into the holy land of martial arts?

It's ridiculous! Some people are just born to be busy.

Even if they manage to get into the mountain gate by sheer luck, they'll probably only be able to do menial tasks like chopping wood and carrying water!

His words were sharp and merciless, revealing the sense of superiority of a scion of a powerful family and his disdain for the lower classes.

The Liu siblings frowned slightly, but didn't say anything, after all, they came from a good family.

While not quite that harsh, deep down he held a certain contempt for people like Shizhu.

Shi Zhu's dark face instantly turned purple, his fists clenched tightly, the veins on his arms bulged, and his breathing became heavier.

He glared at Lin Yunshu, his eyes filled with anger and humiliation.

But then, as if remembering something, he forcibly suppressed it, gritting his teeth and squeezing out a few words: "I—I'm going there to learn skills, not to enjoy a life of luxury!"

Wang Anping witnessed all of this, which increased his dislike for Lin Yunshu, but he did have some appreciation for Shizhu's forbearance and his indomitable spirit.

He glanced at Lin Yunshu indifferently, his gaze calm and unwavering.

But this made Lin Yunshu's heart skip a beat for no reason, and the even harsher words that followed stuck in her throat.

That's enough.

Wang Anping's voice was not loud, but it carried an undeniable authority: "Since we're traveling together, let's avoid causing trouble. Uncle Fu, continue leading the way."

Zhao Fu quickly agreed and walked in front again.

The procession restarted, and the Liu siblings and Shizhu obediently followed Uncle Fu at the front of the procession.

The atmosphere within the team became even more delicate because of Lin Yunshu's words.

Shi Zhu kept his head down and followed silently, never glancing at the luggage again.

After Wang Anping's glance, Lin Yunshu dared not openly provoke him anymore, but when she looked at the stone pillar and Wang Anping's back, the gloom in her eyes deepened.

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