A man stands before the heavens, his sword emerges from the Emei Mountains.

"This place is not safe to stay any longer; let's leave first."

Sunlight streamed down from the western horizon. It was still some time before dusk. Yu Erxia was quite familiar with Hanyang, so he led the way, walking through the streets and alleys. Several people, including the beautiful young woman, followed along.

After making several turns, the group had left the noise and chaos of the dock behind, and a dumpling shop hidden in an alley suddenly appeared in Chen Yu's sight.

The shop wasn't large, with about ten tables. Yu Lianzhou stopped and turned around, saying, "Miss Bei has arrived in Hanyang; could it be that Miss Ji has also come?"

Bei Jinyi said hurriedly, "It's just me and my senior sister."

"So that's how it is."

Among the group of girls who had been rescued, an older man stepped forward, clasped his hands in greeting, and asked, "May I ask if you are the Second Hero of Wudang, Yu Erxia?"

"My name is Yu Lianzhou. And who are you, sir?" Yu Lianzhou returned the greeting and asked.

"Zhu Wu Lianhuan Zhuang Wu Lie from the Western Regions, this is my daughter Wu Qingying."

"sorry."

Wu Qingying's voice was gentle and pleasant, "Thank you, Hero Yu, for saving my life."

The young master laughed and said, "We are all like-minded people, there is no need to be polite. Miss Wu is highly skilled, I believe that killing those Tartars will be a piece of cake for her."

"I was mainly preoccupied with other matters and afraid of getting into trouble, but I never expected the Tartars to act so recklessly," Wu Lie explained, then turned to Chen Yu and asked, "And you are, young brother?"

"Chen Yu, a disciple of Emei."

Upon hearing this, the young man smiled and said, "So you are Junior Brother Chen. I am Song Qingshu."

"Junior Brother Chen's martial arts are quite impressive." Song Qingshu changed the subject, respectfully bowing to Bei Jinyi: "Greetings, Martial Aunt Bei. And who is this Martial Aunt/Junior Brother?"

Bei Jinyi's dimples blossomed as she smiled and said, "Senior Sister Su Mengqing, Junior Brother Tang, and also, my Junior Brother Chen, are Master's disciples."

Song Qingshu felt as if he were hallucinating. This boy, younger than himself, was actually the abbess's successor?

Even the mature, prudent, and shrewd Yu Lianzhou was stunned. The boy in front of him, who looked no more than sixteen or seventeen years old, was actually the future leader of the Emei Sect.

Yu Lianzhou snapped out of his daze and said in a deep voice, "Qingshu, why haven't you greeted Uncle Chen yet?"

Song Qingshu felt rather embarrassed when he recalled being addressed as "junior brother" earlier, but he remained polite and bowed, saying, "Qingshu was blind, please forgive me, Uncle Chen."

Chen Yu smiled and said, "I was only recently recognized by my master as his successor, and I haven't visited Wudang Mountain yet, so please don't be offended."

"Junior Brother Chen, you're too kind. How is the Abbess?" Yu Lianzhou could tell that Chen Yu was giving Song Qingshu a way out, so he took the conversation, addressing her much more warmly.

"Yes, thank you for your concern, Senior Brother Yu. My master is well."

Wu Lie then interjected, "So you were personally taught by the Emei Sect's abbess. A hero emerges from among the young. I admire you."

Wu Qingying said softly, "Thank you for saving my life, Young Hero Chen."

Chen Yu then took a proper look at Wu Qingying, one of the "Snow Ridge Twin Beauties" who was quite memorable to Zhang Wuji in the world of "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber".

She was indeed exceptionally beautiful, with few able to match her. She was about the same age as Zhou Zhiruo, but due to her privileged upbringing, she had an absolutely stunning figure.

"You're welcome," he replied simply.

Wu Lie added, "I wonder how that beggar is doing."

Song Qingshu struck up a conversation, saying, "That beggar is quite bold, actually stealing money from the Tartars."

Chen Yu smiled but remained silent.

Yu Lianzhou said in a deep voice, "That beggar might be a member of the Beggars' Sect. He is agile and skillful. He stole the Tartar's money bag, but in reality, he was helping Miss Wu out of trouble."

Wu Qingying exclaimed "Ah!" and Song Qingshu was taken aback.

Yu Lianzhou observed Chen's expression and thought to himself that Junior Brother Chen had seen through the beggar's purpose long ago. His insight was truly remarkable. No wonder he was chosen by the Abbess to be her successor. However, when his sixth and seventh brothers returned from Emei, they did not mention Junior Brother Chen. He wondered which aristocratic family in Sichuan and Chongqing had favored him.

Yu Lianzhou pondered carefully, but he couldn't recall a single detail about his ancestors being from the Chen family, a prominent martial arts family.

Wu Lie said, "Why don't we sit down and talk?"

Yu Lianzhou clasped his hands in thanks: "Thank you for the invitation, Master Wu, but I have important matters to attend to and cannot stay any longer."

"Senior Brother Yu, what's going on here?" Chen Yu asked.

Yu Lianzhou didn't hide anything from Chen Yu, "My nephew Wuji is in Butterfly Valley. He and Qingshu bought some ginseng and lingzhi to visit him."

Zhang Wuji eventually went to Butterfly Valley. As Chen Yu pondered whether Zhou Ziwang's son had died at the hands of the Tibetan monks or been taken away by Wei Yixiao, Wu Lie asked, "Wuji is Zhang Wuxia's son."

"Mm." Yu Lianzhou nodded.

Wu Lie immediately said, "What a coincidence! We have brought quite a few top-quality century-old ginseng and lingzhi mushrooms. You can give them to Young Master Zhang, Master Yu."

"How can this be allowed?"

"How could it be so? The chivalrous heroes of Wudang are renowned for their benevolence and righteousness, which my sworn brother and I have always admired. In times of crisis, there is no need for such formalities. Moreover, Hero Yu and Young Hero Song have saved our lives."

Chen Yu chuckled inwardly, but said aloud, "Saving lives is the priority. It's rare to see Master Wu's kind intentions, so please don't refuse, Senior Brother Yu."

"That's right," Bei Jinyi said sweetly. "Senior Brother Yu, please don't refuse."

Yu Lianzhou was not an indecisive person. He thought that the Western Regions were rich in rare plants, and it was indeed difficult to find a hundred-year-old ginseng. The world was vast, and how could his nephew Wuji be so lucky? He immediately said, "It would be disrespectful to refuse."

Song Qingshu replied, "Thank you very much, Master Wu. If you ever need my help, I will go through fire and water for you."

Wu Lie spoke politely, but in his heart he thought, "Using some ginseng to befriend Wudang and also to get to know the future leader of Emei Sect, this trip has been worthwhile."

Wu Qingying secretly sized up Song Qingshu and Chen Yu, thinking to herself, "Young heroes Song and Chen are so young, yet judging from their moves just now, they seem to be much more skilled than my cousin. Their backgrounds in prestigious sects are truly extraordinary. They are also very handsome, with gentle and refined appearances. Living in Kunlun Mountain for so long, they seem to have a short-sighted view, unaware that there are mountains beyond mountains, and people beyond people."

Wu Lie immediately handed over all the ginseng and lingzhi mushrooms carried by his attendants to Yu Lianzhou. The second hero Yu thanked him repeatedly, asking, "Where are Master Wu and the others going?"

"Zhu Wu Lianhuan Manor is located in the Western Regions. Some of its goods are sourced from the South. It is planning to stay in Hanyang and then go to Qiantang to purchase some silk, porcelain, and tea."

"I see. If it's convenient, let's meet at Wudang on our way back."

"I certainly will accept the invitation from Master Yu."

Goodbye.

Take care.

Yu Lianzhou then turned to Chen Yu and said, "There will be plenty of time in the future. We'll meet again someday."

Take care on your journey.

Yu Lianzhou left cleanly and decisively, without the slightest hesitation.

Chen Yu clasped his hands in a fist salute to Wu Lie and said, "We also have matters to attend to, so we'll take our leave."

"Young hero, please take care."

After Chen Yu and the others left, Wu Qingying said, "This trip has broadened my horizons."

"If Bi'er had the literary and martial talents of Young Hero Song and Young Hero Chen, I would be much less worried."

"Father, who do you think is superior?"

"One is the future leader of Emei Sect, and the other will undoubtedly be the leader of Wudang Sect. However, judging from our eyesight just now, Young Hero Chen is a cut above the rest, as he saw that the beggar was helping the baby out of a predicament. I was too blind. Let's go."

"Um."

The Wu family went far away, and soon after, Chen Yu, Bei Jinyi, Tang Zhihu and others returned. They had encountered Tartar soldiers arresting people and had temporarily taken refuge.

"How about we have some dumplings?" Bei Jinyi suggested.

"That's good, it saves us from having to go to my senior sister's place and get things done." Chen Yu agreed.

As the group entered, Bei Jinyi ordered two servings of dumplings for each person: one with mutton and one with wild vegetables.

Chen Yu was busy setting out the dishes when the sound of footsteps came from the doorway. He looked up and saw the little beggar standing outside.

"Go away, go away, where did this beggar come from?" The waiter thought it was bad luck and chased him away at the door.

"Young man, come here for a bite."

The beggar chuckled and nimbly slipped in like a fish past the waiter.

Bei Jinyi smiled and offered him her seat. The beggar was not afraid of strangers, thanked her, and sat down next to Chen Yu.

"Hey buddy, two more orders of dumplings, please."

Someone paid the money, and the shopkeeper's expression changed. He smiled and said the beggar was lucky.

Chen Yu prepared a dipping sauce with aged vinegar and chive blossoms, and served it to the little beggar, asking, "How should I address you, young brother?"

"My surname is Han, and my given name is Zhao. You may call me Xiao Zhao, young hero."

Chen Yu almost splashed the dipping sauce on Xiao Zhao's face.

He remained calm and composed when Zhou Zhiruo appeared, after all, he was a proper boatwoman from the Han River. It was quite unexpected that he would encounter Xiao Zhao, who was disguised as a beggar.