Republic of China Era: Entering the Dao through Divine Strike.

Zhuang Hongxiu knew she couldn't persuade him otherwise, so she stopped talking.

She carefully straightened his collar, stepped back, and curtsied, saying, "Take care, young master."

……

Li Xin walked to the front yard, where Cheng Feiyan was already waiting in front of the screen wall.

She clearly came from home after hearing the news.

Her hair was simply tied in a ponytail, and she had two swords hanging at her waist, looking ready to go out with him at any time.

"Junior brother, I'll go with you."

Li Xin shook his head.

"Why?" Cheng Feiyan asked anxiously. "Last time when we went to the Niangniang Temple, you wouldn't let me go with you, and the Japanese embassy wouldn't let me go with you either. And now you won't let me go this time either?"

"I'm a master of Baguaquan, having achieved a high level of internal strength; I won't hold you back!"

"It's not that I'm afraid you'll hold me back," Li Xin said, looking at her. "If I leave, Li Garden needs someone to look after it. Master can't manage it all by himself."

There's been some unusual activity over at the Great Snow Mountain. A group of monks has entered the palace; they must have some ulterior motive.

The embassies of various countries are also restless; they dare not come out directly, but they will do their share of underhanded tricks behind the scenes.

If someone tries to harm Li Yuan while I'm away, you'll have some protection at home.

If all else fails, we can abandon the house and still protect them as they leave the city.

Cheng Feiyan opened her mouth.

She knew her junior brother was right, and she also knew that staying at home was indeed more useful than going with him.

But the worry and resentment in her heart still surged, making her feel a tightness in her chest.

After a long pause, she raised her head again and said, "Then promise me you'll come back safely."

I promise you.

Cheng Feiyan took a brocade pouch from her waist and stuffed it into his hand: "This is a protective amulet I obtained from Miaofeng Mountain last month. Although you are very capable and don't need these... consider it a small token of my appreciation."

Li Xin took the brocade pouch and carefully put it away. He smiled at her: "When I get back, we'll practice our strength again through push hands. You lost three moves last time, but next time I'll let you win one."

"Who asked you to give way?" Cheng Feiyan was finally amused by him, but the smile only lasted for a moment before it disappeared. "Take care."

As Li Xin mounted his horse, he saw Li Xiaoyue again.

The little girl had appeared out of nowhere, wearing a pajamas and standing barefoot on the steps, holding an oil paper package in her hands.

The morning breeze blew her stray hairs all over her forehead, but she didn't bother to tidy them up.

"Second brother, this is the osmanthus cake I secretly hid last night. You can eat it on the way."

Li Xin bent down to take the oil paper package, picked her up, and lifted her up briefly.

The little girl giggled twice, then quickly covered her mouth. Sister Hongxiu had said that loud noises were not allowed in the morning.

"Xiaoyue, your second brother is going out to take care of some business and will be back in a few days. You must listen to Sister Hongxiu at home, practice your skills diligently, and don't be lazy."

"I didn't slack off." Xiaoyue wrinkled her nose. "I can now complete the sixty-four-step Bagua Step. Sister Hongxiu even praised me for my rapid progress. Second Brother, you have to bring back some delicious food."

"Okay, Guangping is by the sea, the fish and shrimp are especially fresh, I'll bring you a basket when I get back."

Li Xiaoyue's eyes lit up, and she nodded vigorously. Then she leaned close to Li Xin's ear and whispered mysteriously, "Second Brother, are you going to rescue Sister Yourong?"

Li Xin paused slightly.

"I guessed it." Xiaoyue squinted her eyes smugly. "Every time Sister Rong comes to our house, you smile a few more times. If something happens to her, you'll definitely go to save her."

Li Xin was speechless, then lightly flicked her forehead: "Small in stature but big in talent."

“I’m not little at all,” Xiaoyue said, rubbing her forehead. “I’ll be seven after the New Year. Mother said that seven years old is when you’re a big girl.”

When she said the word "mother," her voice unconsciously lowered, and her eyes dimmed for a moment.

She quickly cheered up and tugged at Li Xin's sleeve, adding, "Second Brother, Sister You Rong needs to be saved, so don't get hurt yourself. Otherwise, I won't eat the fish and shrimp you brought back."

"Okay, I promise you."

Li Xin readily agreed.

I thought to myself that it would be difficult for me to get injured, thanks to the [Healing] talent and the [Life-Giving Character] for protection.

If you were actually attacked, the wound would probably heal before the blood even flowed.

Xiaoyue then let go and skipped back into the courtyard. She ran to the screen wall and turned back to wave at him.

Li Xin spurred his horse, and the chestnut horse snorted and trotted lightly onto the long street.

The morning mist had dissipated, but the cobblestone path was still damp with dew.

Breakfast stalls have been set up on the street, and the aroma of fried dough sticks mixed with the steam of soy milk wafts over.

Several early-rising neighbors saw Li Xin riding by and called out from afar, "Good morning, Master Li! Have you eaten? Want a couple of fried dough sticks?"

Li Xin waved to them without stopping his horse.

The neighbors didn't seem to care and continued with their work, heads down.

Once outside the city gate, the willows along the official road had sprouted new branches, their tender green leaves swaying gently in the morning breeze.

The sky was pale blue, and a few swallows skimmed the ground before darting up to the treetops.

Li Xin had no time to appreciate the scenery. He unfolded the map drawn by Zhang Youqiu, looked at it once, then folded it up and put it in his pocket.

Guangping is located southeast of the capital. Taking the official road, you have to pass through three county towns. If you ride at full speed, you can arrive by noon tomorrow.

Zhang Youqiu said that the Angusa people's merchant ships would set sail the day after tomorrow evening. In other words, he still had two days and two nights.

enough.

After running for more than ten miles, the population along the official road gradually thinned out. Vast fields of wheat stretched out, a lush green that seemed to extend as far as the eye could see.

Occasionally you can see a few farmers weeding, bending over slowly, as if the sky falling wouldn't concern them.

Li Xin was pondering how to make his move once he arrived in Guangping when he suddenly felt a slight warmth in his heart.

This is a kind of spiritual connection unique to spiritual practitioners.

It was as if something was echoing him from a great distance, not strongly, but so clearly that it could not be ignored.

He reined in his horse and looked up at the southern horizon.

There was nothing there, only a few white clouds drifting lazily by.

Guangping.

The direction of the sea.

Deep within his mind, the image of the Third Prince Nezha suddenly trembled slightly.

This divine intention has been stuck at 23% for some time now.

Since the battle at Wanhua Tower, no matter how he tried, his digestion progress seemed to be frozen, remaining completely stagnant.

He knew where the problem lay. The transition from second to third level required a ritual:

"Making a ruckus in the sea".

These two words are easy to say, but when it comes to actually doing them, there's absolutely no clue how to do them.

There are several lakes in Beijing, such as Shichahai, Beihai, and Zhonghai, and he has visited them all.

Standing by the water, the divine intent remained serene, without even a ripple.

He even rented a boat and spent an afternoon drifting in Beihai, only to end up with nothing but a belly full of cold wind.

Making trouble at sea isn't just about finding a place with water and causing a ruckus.

It requires a specific setting, a specific opponent, and a specific meaning.

Just like Nezha caused havoc in the Dragon Palace, killed the Dragon King's third son, and stirred up the waters of the four seas.

It is a challenge to power, a subversion of order, and a resistance and killing of oppressors.

The Wang family of Guangping happened to hit this spot.

Wang Donghai. His name contains the character "Hai" (sea).

They trafficked people, oppressed the common people, colluded with the government, and sought refuge with foreigners.

In his small territory, he was the local tyrant, the "Dragon King."

The innocent civilians who were abducted were imprisoned in dock warehouses, waiting to be sold overseas as pigs.

Isn't this the "Chentang Pass" that was ravaged by the Dragon King?

As for the Fish-Dragon Taoist, that demonic Taoist who, according to his master, had already touched the threshold of true qi, cultivated water magic and was known as "Fish-Dragon." Wasn't he precisely a "wicked dragon" who acted as an accomplice to evil?

They killed Wang Donghai, destroyed the Wang family, and rescued the people.

This is what is meant by "slaying the dragon" and "making a ruckus in the sea".

In addition, Guangping is located by the sea, and the merchant ships of the Angsa people are anchored in the outer harbor, while gunboats patrol the sea.

If things escalate to the end, we might be able to capsize those foreigners' ships as well, and wipe out all the beasts who traffic in people.

That completes the "stirring up the sea" ritual.

No wonder it didn't work no matter how many times I tried in the capital.

No wonder the divine intent reacted as soon as it approached the direction of Guangping.

It turns out that everything was preordained.

This trip to Guangping was not only to save people, but also to complete a key milestone on his spiritual path.

After causing havoc in the sea, Nezha's divine will allow him to break through the second level and enter the third level.

What new secret technique will be unlocked then? He felt a little excited.

But that's a story for another time.

The most important thing right now is to keep moving forward.

Li Xin spurred his horse's flanks, and the chestnut horse neighed loudly before galloping away along the official road.

The mud kicked up by the horse's hooves carried the pungent smell of grass, and the morning breeze whistled into his collar, making his long blue robe flutter in the wind.

After running for more than an hour, the sun gradually rose higher, and a heat wave rose in the air.

The chestnut horse was sweating, so Li Xin stopped in front of a roadside tea stall to let the horse rest and drink some water.

The tea stall was very simple. A few bamboo poles supported a piece of oilcloth, under which were three or four benches and a crooked square table.

An old man with gray hair was boiling water in front of the stove, and the iron kettle was bubbling and steaming.

Li Xin ordered a large bowl of tea and a dish of boiled peanuts in salt water, and sat on a bench to slowly peel and eat them.

There were two traveling merchants in the tea stall, each holding a bowl of tea, chatting casually.

"Have you heard? Something big has happened in Guangping."

"what's up?"

"The prefectural government has sealed off the city, saying they're arresting some rebels. But I heard that the Wang family is behind it all."

They arrested people from several villages outside the city and imprisoned them in dock warehouses, intending to sell them to Southeast Asia as forced laborers.

"Damn it! Doesn't the government care?"

"Why should we care? The prefect is their backer."

You have no idea how many years the Prince of Guangping has been in the salt transport business. They have hundreds of thugs under their command, and even the naval battalion obeys their orders.

In this area, a fart from Master Wang carries more weight than an imperial edict.

"Sigh, this world... when will ordinary people be able to live in peace?"

Li Xin listened silently without interrupting. It seemed that the Wang family's actions were no secret in the Guangping area.

The locals, however, dared not speak out against their anger, and could only grumble a few words during their leisure time.

He finished the tea in his bowl in one gulp and stood up. The chestnut horse, having also drunk its fill, was swishing its tail to swat away flies.

Just as they were about to mount their horses, a cloud of dust rose from the official road to the south. In the distance, they could see a troop of people hurrying towards them.

They weren't soldiers; they were dressed as merchants. Leading them was a fat merchant riding a mule, followed by seven or eight large carts piled high with cloth and miscellaneous goods.