The martial arts world.
A small city in the Southern Song.
Because the local academy had shut down, the surrounding villages were in an uproar. The county magistrate was so anxious he was like an ant on a hot pan.
It wasn't that there were no other scholars in the city who could serve as teachers—it was simply that the previous instructor, Teacher Chu, had been far too exceptional.
It was said that even prominent scholarly families were planning to send their clan's children to the academy for early education.
One had to understand that during the Northern and Southern Song dynasties, children's elementary education was highly developed. To carve out a reputation under such circumstances was no small feat—how could such a person be mediocre?
The magistrate himself was puzzled. He had served here for many years, yet if the common folk hadn't caused such a stir at the county office, he would never have known that such a worthy man existed.
After some careful inquiry, he learned that the much-praised Teacher Chu was merely a young man barely past twenty. The magistrate had read the primers Chu used to teach children—every single piece was worthy of being passed down through generations. Even someone of his age found himself benefiting greatly from them.
And when he realized those writings had come from someone in his early twenties, it felt utterly unbelievable. His curiosity about Teacher Chu's true appearance only grew.
"Your Excellency! That Teacher Chu seems to be back—someone saw the gate to his courtyard standing open!"
The county clerk rushed in from outside, tripping over the threshold and tumbling headlong to the ground right in front of the magistrate.
"What's the rush!"
The magistrate snorted coldly, flicked his sleeve, and strode out without sparing the clerk a glance—though he himself was just as hurried.
"You're hardly any better…"
The clerk muttered under his breath as he scrambled up and hurried after him.
The magistrate's surname was Huang. He was exactly forty this year. In modern times he might still be an unmarried older man, but in the Southern Song, he was already old enough to be a grandfather.
A steady man would keep up appearances no matter how anxious he felt. Thus, Magistrate Huang's sedan chair swayed unhurriedly as it made its way to the Chu family courtyard.
Arriving even earlier than the magistrate were the common folk, children in tow. They stood eagerly outside the courtyard, looking very much like modern parents scrambling for kindergarten slots.
The desire not to let one's child lose at the starting line hadn't changed in a thousand years.
Their anxiety was understandable—Chu Yang had disappeared for several months.
When he went to the Jin Kingdom, he flew.
But on the return journey, he walked—dragging along a whole train of tagalongs.
Huang Rong aside. By nature she was lively and playful, insisting on dragging Chu Yang around sightseeing everywhere, delaying them quite a bit.
If it had only been Huang Rong, Chu Yang could have simply flown back with her. He had already shown Wood Release—adding Earth Release wouldn't have mattered.
In this world, Chu Yang didn't feel the need to live cautiously or hide his abilities.
But unfortunately, there was also Guo Jing trailing behind them.
Chu Yang hadn't had the heart to chase him away.
Guo Jing was famously kind-hearted—he wouldn't deliberately drag others into trouble. The previous incident had been a misunderstanding. Moreover, along the entire journey he apologized to Chu Yang almost daily, turning it into a verbal habit. His willingness to work like an ox or horse made it hard to stay angry.
Behind Guo Jing was the Yang family.
Yang Kang had become extremely obedient, scrambling to do any task he could, second only to Guo Jing in diligence.
Not because of virtue—but because he feared that if Chu Yang became displeased, he might be offered up as a sacrificial victim. So he did his utmost to appear agreeable.
Whenever he recalled how he had once acted arrogantly before Chu Yang, relying on tens of thousands of Jin soldiers, Yang Kang felt an overwhelming urge to slap himself with his shoe.
Seeing how sensible Yang Kang had become, Yang Tiexin and his wife were deeply relieved.
And there was also Mu Nianci—the even more considerate daughter.
After reuniting with Guo Jing, Yang Tiexin had originally intended to betroth Mu Nianci to him. However, Guo Jing deflected the matter, saying that marriage required his mother's consent.
Yang Tiexin took this at face value and planned, after Guo Jing and Yang Kang completed their agreed duel, to accompany him to Mongolia to visit Li Ping, his late sworn brother's wife.
Along the way, the perceptive Bao Xiruo noticed Guo Jing's feelings for Huang Rong. That night, she carefully brought it up to Yang Tiexin.
"Iron Brother, Jing seems to have feelings for Miss Huang. I think we should forget about his marriage to Nianci. You and I have both tasted the pain of longing—let's not make things difficult for the younger generation."
Only then did Yang Tiexin realize what was going on. His thick brows knit together as he forced a bitter smile.
"Of all people, Jing has to fall for her. Miss Huang's clever and lively nature aside, her relationship with Teacher Chu seems anything but ordinary…"
Bao Xiruo covered her mouth and laughed. "Teacher Chu truly has the bearing of an immortal—remarkable and gentle. It's not strange that Miss Huang would like him."
As she spoke, Bao Xiruo couldn't hold back her laughter. It grew louder until she was nearly out of breath.
"What a perfect immortal couple—except Teacher Chu doesn't seem to have any thoughts in that direction. From time to time he even calls Miss Huang his 'good brother,' which makes her furious."
Yang Tiexin also shook his head with a smile—then quickly stopped smiling.
"It's just pitiful for our Nianci. She only dares to stand far away and steal glances at Teacher Chu, watching him joke around with Miss Huang, swallowing every bit of sweetness and bitterness on her own."
The smile on Bao Xiruo's face faded.
She herself had spent eighteen years yearning for Yang Tiexin—those feelings were something only the one experiencing them could truly understand.
Now, it seemed their daughter Mu Nianci might be walking the same path.
"Xiruo… you mean Nianci feels the same as Miss Huang?"
Yang Tiexin looked at his wife in shock.
"You're naturally bold and rough—it's normal that you wouldn't notice. Now that you understand, don't force a match between Jing and Nianci. They're destined for different roads."
Bao Xiruo spoke earnestly.
Yang Tiexin nodded, sinking into thought.
He seemed to be making up his mind about something. Bao Xiruo watched him curiously.
"Since Teacher Chu has no romantic intentions toward Miss Huang, then perhaps Nianci could…"
Bao Xiruo's eyelids twitched. Instinctively, she felt this was inappropriate.
She wanted to persuade him further, but Yang Tiexin doted deeply on his daughter and had already decided. Thus, during the latter half of the journey, the two of them constantly tried to create opportunities for Mu Nianci and Chu Yang.
Poor Yang Kang—very much alive and aware of his parents' intentions—dared not voice his displeasure. He still had feelings for Mu Nianci.
But then another thought struck him: if Mu Nianci married Teacher Chu, wouldn't he, as her nominal brother, gain a huge advantage?
Yang Kang had coveted Chu Yang's "immortal methods" for a long time. If there was a family connection, asking Chu Yang for guidance would be hard to refuse.
Unable to resist the temptation, Yang Kang chose to join his parents in matchmaking Mu Nianci with Chu Yang.
The Yang family followed Chu Yang into the small city.
They had barely set down their luggage when the outside was already packed tight with people.
Someone softly called out "Teacher Chu" beyond the courtyard walls. Others, though visibly anxious, waited quietly.
Yang Tiexin and Bao Xiruo exchanged glances—only then realizing that Chu Yang was a local teacher of considerable renown.
After tidying the dust-filled rooms, Chu Yang stepped outside and saw Huang Rong's slender figure darting everywhere like a mouse that had found a granary.
"What are you looking for?" he asked.
Huang Rong replied matter-of-factly, "Picking a room! So many of these are dirty and messy. Don't you ever clean up?"
Chu Yang looked at her, baffled. "I live alone. Why would I clean all those rooms? It's troublesome and useless."
Huang Rong planted her hands on her hips, brimming with confidence. "Well now they're useful! I need a place to sleep—and a clean kitchen to cook!"
"Hold it."
Chu Yang raised a brow and motioned for her to stop talking.
"When did I say you could live here?"
Huang Rong's eyes widened instantly.
Her jade-white fingers trembled as they pointed at Chu Yang, her lips quivering as she failed to form words.
She looked exactly like someone who'd been cruelly abandoned.
"Why can't I live here?!" she demanded indignantly.
Chu Yang explained sincerely, "I'm neurasthenic. I can't stand noisy people like you, chirping all day long."
"Neura… what?" Huang Rong looked confused—then exploded. "Who are you calling noisy?! And if I don't live here, where am I supposed to go?"
Chu Yang rolled his eyes. "Where did you live when you were a beggar? Live there again. You know this county better than I do—am I supposed to worry you'll get lost?"
Huang Rong ground her teeth in anger, ready to storm off and never see this jerk again. But then she remembered how Chu Yang had crossed borders to rescue her from Yanjing—and her feet wouldn't move.
Just then, Chu Yang noticed Guo Jing and Yang Kang standing awkwardly at the doorway, luggage in hand. They had heard everything.
If even Huang Rong couldn't stay, there was no chance for them—people with no ties whatsoever.
Yang Kang, ever quick-witted, burst into laughter before Chu Yang could speak.
"Our family has already received great kindness from Teacher Chu for saving us. How would we dare impose further?"
Guo Jing also felt that he was imposing on Chu Yang, so he nodded along. "I still need to go look for my masters…"
The young girl's eyes darted about as she searched for an excuse to stay. Then she caught sight of the sea of people outside and immediately changed the subject. "Little Chu, are all those people outside here for you?"
Chu Yang lifted his head and looked over. The courtyard gates were packed with people, countless gazes fixed on him, filled with eager anticipation.
He had been gone for several months. Some parents, afraid of delaying their children's education, had sent them to other academies.
But after time passed, not only did the children fail to make progress in their studies, even their speech and behavior lost their former liveliness, growing increasingly rigid and dull.
Before, they had only thought that Teacher Chu had his own methods of instruction. They hadn't realized just how vast the gap was between him and other teachers.
The longer the Chu family academy remained closed, the more anxious these parents became.
Besides the children who had originally studied under Chu Yang, many newcomers had come purely by reputation.
As the crowd grew, the academy slots became extraordinarily precious. After all, the courtyard was only so big, and there was only one teacher—Chu Yang.
Competition was fierce. Everyone wanted to make an impression in front of him.
What these people didn't know was that after returning from the Soul Palace, Chu Yang had already abandoned any plans of reopening the academy in the short term.
This time, he had returned to pack up and put things in order before setting out on a long journey, gathering rare martial techniques along the way to aid his other selves in different worlds.
No matter what, this took priority—prosper together or fall together.
"Everyone, I still have some unfinished matters to attend to. The academy cannot be reopened for now. I'm afraid you've all come for nothing. My apologies."
Chu Yang cupped his hands toward the surrounding townsfolk.
The light in the parents' eyes quickly dimmed, replaced instead by a spark of joy in some of the children's eyes.
All they knew was that Teacher Chu's vacation seemed to have been extended again…
Hearing Chu Yang's firm response, most of the people outside gradually dispersed.
But a few parents remained.
"Teacher Chu, when the academy reopens, can my second boy still come study with you?"
A woman in coarse linen clothes clutched her child nervously, looking at Chu Yang with almost pleading eyes.
With more and more people competing for academy slots—some of them wealthy or powerful—her family was nothing more than ordinary poor folk. Back then, they had sent their child to Chu Yang mostly because the tuition was cheap.
"Of course he'll come," Chu Yang said with a cold chuckle and a frown. "And remember to supervise his homework. He's always the loudest one shouting after class. I'll be checking his assignments—if he dares to half-ass them, hmph…"
The woman's face lit up with joy. She shoved the child forward and said excitedly, "Did you hear that? Hurry up and thank Teacher Chu! When we get back, you'd better do your homework—or I'll beat you!"
As she spoke, she smacked the back of the boy's head. He instantly looked aggrieved. Seeing Chu Yang grinning gleefully at his misfortune, his lips trembled, and with a wail, he burst into tears.
His mother hadn't hit very hard, and it didn't really hurt. He was crying purely because the homework Chu Yang assigned was both difficult and plentiful—far more than he could finish.
Watching him cry so miserably, all the resentment Chu Yang had accumulated back in his own student days vanished in an instant. He felt refreshed and invigorated.
Since I got rained on back then, I'm going to tear all your umbrellas apart—and then call in a sprinkler truck to make you run through the storm.
Once the townsfolk had dispersed, Chu Yang returned home. Yang Kang and Guo Jing had already carried the luggage they'd moved in back out again.
Yang Tiexin and his wife stepped forward, faces full of apology. "Teacher Chu, my wife and I were presumptuous. Please don't take offense."
Chu Yang shook his head with a smile. "What I said to Huang Rong earlier was all in jest. Please don't take it to heart. The truth is, I have business to attend to far away, so it wouldn't be convenient to leave people staying here."
Only then did Yang Tiexin and Bao Xiruo understand. Mu Nianci, who had been helping pack, suddenly lifted her head when she heard Chu Yang was going on a long journey, wanting to speak but stopping herself.
Huang Rong spoke before she could, clapping her hands and laughing. "Hehe, outside is way more fun, right? What's so interesting about a little county town, cooped up here every day? All those nice places I told you about—we can go visit them together this time!"
Chu Yang glanced at her. "I never said I was taking you."
Huang Rong froze. This time she couldn't even get angry. Tears welled up in her eyes as grievance flooded her heart. "Father doesn't want me, and now even you won't take me. Little Chu, I'm never talking to you again!"
She cried out and turned to leave. Chu Yang could only grab her with a headache-inducing sigh and explain, "I really do have things to do, and the plan isn't settled. I might end up running all over the world. What's a minor like you following me around for…"
Huang Rong didn't reply. She forcefully shook off his hand. It was obvious she was genuinely hurt this time.
"Fine, fine, go wherever you want with me. I really give up on you," Chu Yang said helplessly. "You like wandering around so much—be careful you don't get trafficked!"
He finally compromised, treating it as traveling with a chef. After all, the girl cooked quite well.
A second ago she'd been crying like pear blossoms in the rain. The next, she was beaming with joy. With a swipe of her sleeve, Huang Rong's face was completely clean, not a trace of tears left.
The sheer speed of that expression change left Chu Yang dumbfounded. He couldn't help but slam the table in admiration.
Guo Jing and Yang Kang were stunned as well.
"So," Huang Rong said excitedly as she leaned in close to Chu Yang, "where are we going? Even without a full plan, we should at least have a first stop, right?"
The Dragon-Elephant Prajna Skill was a supreme art of Mongolian esoteric Buddhism. The first stop, of course, would be—
"Mongolia."
Chu Yang let out a sigh.
Huang Rong's eyes immediately lit up like autumn waters. She bounced and clapped her hands. "Mongolia is great! I've never been there before! I hear the grasslands are vast and endless."
Hearing Chu Yang mention Mongolia, Guo Jing grew excited as well and blurted out, "Miss Huang, there are huge flocks of sheep on the grasslands, along with fierce horses and soaring eagles. We can herd sheep and ride horses together!"
Huang Rong's bright mood instantly darkened. She had been speaking enthusiastically, only to be interrupted.
"How is that any of your damn business? Who wants to herd sheep and ride horses with you?!"
She wished she could poison Guo Jing mute. Just hearing his voice annoyed her.
Guo Jing shut his mouth, feeling wronged. He didn't know what he'd said wrong and looked pitifully toward Chu Yang.
Chu Yang laughed. "Guo Jing, don't you still need to find your masters? Why do you have time to go to Mongolia with us? You don't want your masters anymore?"
Guo Jing's mouth fell open. He was left speechless.
His excitement deflated instantly, like a punctured balloon.
That's right.
He still hadn't found his masters. How could he follow Miss Huang back to Mongolia?
Yang Tiexin and Bao Xiruo frowned deeply.
They had originally hoped to become neighbors with Chu Yang, thinking that with daily interaction he might develop feelings for Mu Nianci.
Who would have thought he was about to travel far away?
Yang Tiexin felt that if Chu Yang left with Huang Rong like this, by the time they returned, there might already be kids old enough to buy soy sauce!
Mu Nianci also seemed to sense the crisis. That night, she mustered her courage to seek her parents' help. The whole family—including Yang Kang—put their heads together to devise plans for her.
Meanwhile, Chu Yang was preparing his own plans.
Perfecting the sword techniques of the Source Breathing required reference to even more refined sword arts.
Improving close-quarters combat demanded exquisitely subtle martial techniques.
Among the countless martial arts, many could even improve aptitude or possessed various miraculous effects, capable of tapping into human potential.
All of these were things Chu Yang needed.
But—
There was something even more important.
The power ceiling of the martial arts world might not compare to worlds like Bleach or Naruto, but it possessed something far deeper than raw combat strength.
Dao.
Or one could call it laws.
To reach higher levels of existence, merely stacking power was clearly insufficient.
The reason the Bleach world surpassed others was because Zanpakutō were, in a sense, manifestations of law itself.
Even so, there was still a gap between them and true laws.
Other worlds fell even farther behind.
Only in the martial arts world—or rather, worlds rooted in Eastern culture—could Chu Yang truly touch upon this concept.
For example, Zhang Sanfeng's Taiji Classic.
Or… the Taixuan Sutra from Ode to Gallantry.
Both were martial arts that came extremely close to Dao within the martial world!
Enlightenment was critically important to Chu Yang. It was a seed that could grow into a towering tree in the future, determining how high he could ultimately rise.
Yet whether it was Taiji or the Taixuan Sutra, neither could be obtained easily.
Zhang Sanfeng was no pushover. Chu Yang couldn't just casually overpower him.
When the technique lived in someone's head, even if you could defeat the legendary Master Zhang, you couldn't force an ox to eat grass by pressing its head down.
As for Hero Island—it was even more mysterious, rivaling the Bermuda Triangle.
Without even a map, trying to find it was nothing but a pipe dream.
So Chu Yang decided to put his plans into action, starting by collecting some practical martial arts.
The Nine Yin Manual was the comprehensive outline of all martial arts. Beyond profound techniques, it recorded the underlying principles of martial cultivation. Any style could find its corresponding theory within it—it was practically an encyclopedia of martial arts.
For a martial arts novice like Chu Yang, it was extremely friendly.
Two other beginner-friendly arts were the Nine Yang Divine Skill and the Heaven and Earth Great Shift.
After mastering the Nine Yang Divine Skill, inner strength would be generated endlessly on its own. Even ordinary punches and kicks could unleash terrifying power.
Its defensive capabilities were unmatched—automatic protective qi that rebounded external force, forging the practitioner into a truly invulnerable body. Its lightness skill surpassed every exquisite footwork technique in the world, and it was also a supreme healing art: immune to all poisons, specifically countering every form of cold or yin-based inner power.
The Nine Yang Divine Skill had an exceptionally high compatibility with Chu Yang. It was an all-around enhancement to everything he already possessed, as if it had been tailor-made for him.
The Heaven and Earth Great Shift was likewise a martial art that represented the culmination of martial principles. Similar to the Nine Yin Manual, it could redirect force, draw in and shift an opponent's power, and even stimulate latent potential.
With just these two arts combined, even someone as useless as Zhang Wuji could rise to become one of the top five experts in the martial world. Their value spoke for itself.
Compared to the Taixuan Sutra on Hero Island, these two manuals were far easier to obtain.
There were many other comparable arts as well—Shaolin's Muscle-Tendon Transformation Classic and Marrow-Cleansing Classic, the life-restoring Divine Illumination Scripture, and the myriad supreme techniques of the Xiaoyao Sect.
But the highest priority belonged to another art.
The Dragon-Elephant Prajna Skill!
The effects of the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Skill were simple and brutal. Each layer granted the strength of one dragon and one elephant, for a total of thirteen layers.
Just imagine Chu Yang wielding thirteen layers of dragon-elephant strength—how terrifying would the power of a Black Flash be then?
At that point, annihilating heaven, earth, and even the air itself wouldn't be an exaggeration.
Gojo Satoru's Limitless technique, no matter how broken, would still collapse under it.
Sukuna wouldn't even be worth mentioning.
Basically, aside from monsters on the level of Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni, everyone else would be instantly killed—no second outcome possible.
A Black Flash at that level could even threaten the old man Yamamoto himself.
Unfortunately, the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Skill was absurdly overpowered, and its cultivation difficulty was even more absurd.
According to its original description, an ordinary person needed one year to reach the first layer, two years for the second, four years for the third, and so on.
To reach the peak required 2 to the 13th power years—8,192 years.
Over eight thousand years!
That was enough time to cultivate immortality and ascend to the heavens!
An utterly unreachable timespan for any normal person.
But Chu Yang wasn't normal.
With talent sharing, he could drastically accelerate the cultivation process. The Golden Wheel Dharma King had already shortened the time significantly through talent alone—there was no reason Chu Yang would be inferior.
Secondly, the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Skill could very likely be trained using Multiple Shadow Clones, this absurd cheat.
Because it was an external martial art, it didn't require inner power during cultivation, neatly bypassing the limitation that shadow clones could only circulate chakra.
In theory, any martial art that didn't involve inner power should work the same way.
Of course, Chu Yang would need to verify this himself.
The next day.
Sunlight streamed into Chu Yang's bedroom through the window.
Bang!
The door was kicked open violently.
Chu Yang jolted awake from his sleep.
The moment he opened his eyes, he saw Huang Rong charging at him aggressively.
Wearing only a thin undergarment, he cried out in alarm, "What are you trying to do?! We're brothers!"
Huang Rong rolled her eyes and angrily grabbed his hand, trying to drag him out of bed. "Uncle Yang and the others are gone!"
Gone?
Chu Yang was confused. "Didn't they sleep here last night? Did they go out early?"
"They didn't go out!" Huang Rong stomped her foot anxiously. "They left without saying a word—and they dumped Sister Mu here! She's standing alone in the courtyard, not knowing what to do!"
Everyone left?
Only Mu Nianci stayed behind?
What kind of play was this?
Chu Yang was completely baffled.
Urged along by Huang Rong, he hurriedly got dressed and went out into the courtyard.
There, Mu Nianci stood awkwardly, fiddling with her hair. Her cheeks were flushed red, her head lowered, not daring to look at Chu Yang or Huang Rong.
"Ahem… Miss Mu, where did Uncle Yang and the others go?" Chu Yang asked with an awkward laugh as he approached.
"My father said… I should go to Mongolia first to pay respects to Aunt Guo. They'll come later…" Mu Nianci buried her head against her chest, her voice so soft it was like a mosquito. Chu Yang had to strain to hear her.
He turned to look at Huang Rong. The two stared at each other in silence.
"Uncle Yang wants you to go to Mongolia alone?" Huang Rong sized Mu Nianci up suspiciously, her expression unfriendly. "That's such a long journey—aren't they afraid something might happen to you? There are several countries between Southern Song and Mongolia! This isn't some casual trip through the martial world."
Chu Yang suddenly remembered how bizarre the geography of this world was. If he didn't bring Huang Rong along, he honestly wouldn't even know where was where—he only had a map to Jin.
Huang Rong's questioning made Mu Nianci lower her head even further, the skin behind her ears red as blood. She couldn't help but resent Yang Kang's terrible idea.
"It's fine… I can manage on my own…"
In the end, Mu Nianci couldn't bring herself to ask Chu Yang to take her along, as Yang Kang had planned. She could only grit her teeth and insist she could travel alone.
But hearing her say that made Huang Rong feel a little guilty. The girl was kind-hearted at her core, and she had gotten along fairly well with Mu Nianci along the way.
Growing up on Peach Blossom Island, Huang Rong had few friends. After running away from home, she had no family to rely on either. Mu Nianci was one of the very few peers she'd grown close to.
"Honestly, I don't know what they're thinking. Forget it—there's no way we can really let you go to Mongolia alone, right?"
Huang Rong turned to Chu Yang, huffing angrily. "Little Chu, let's just bring her along. Once we arrive, we'll dump her there and go play on our own!"
Chu Yang had a splitting headache. If it were just Huang Rong, it would be fine—he could indulge her for a few extra days, then fly at night to make up time.
But adding a third person changed everything.
He couldn't fly.
His Ultra-Light Boulder Technique was barely at an entry level—just enough to let him fly by himself. If he had Huang Rong hanging off one side and Mu Nianci off the other, they'd probably crash straight into the ground.
Sensing Chu Yang's hesitation, Mu Nianci suddenly clenched her fingers into fists. She raised her head and looked at him earnestly. Though her face grew hotter by the second, her gaze never wavered.
"Ahhh—"
"Fine, fine. Let's go. One sheep is herded, two sheep are herded—it's all the same."
Chu Yang sighed helplessly, telling the two of them to pack their things while he went to the market to buy a carriage.
Huang Rong, that little schemer, immediately tested the waters once Chu Yang left. "Sister Mu, Uncle Yang rushing you to meet Guo Jing's mother—are they planning to marry you off to him? Letting the daughter-in-law meet the mother-in-law first?"
Mu Nianci waved her hands in panic, hurriedly denying it. "That's not it at all! Big Brother Guo already has someone he loves—there's no romantic involvement between us. It's just that my parents haven't seen Aunt Guo for eighteen years and miss her dearly. And with the duel already settled, this was the only option left…"
"That really is a bad idea—an especially bad one," Huang Rong muttered, snorting a few times. Then she asked curiously, "You said that blockhead likes someone? Who does he like? He's so dumb—whoever he likes is the unlucky one."
Mu Nianci smiled awkwardly. She didn't dare say that the unlucky person Guo Jing liked was Huang Rong herself.
After the two finished packing, Chu Yang returned from the market with food. It was already noon, and their stomachs had been growling for a while.
"Wontons!" Huang Rong exclaimed happily as she sat down. "I was just craving wontons earlier—but I thought we could've bought some ingredients and made them ourselves. I'm really good at wrapping wontons."
Chu Yang pushed the bowl in front of her and said helplessly, "I know you're good at cooking, but we don't have time today. Hurry up and eat—we need to set off soon. Don't drag it out until night."
Mu Nianci smiled softly. "I still remember the first time I met Brother Chu—it was at a wonton stall."
Chu Yang nodded. "I remember your attitude toward me wasn't very friendly back then."
Mu Nianci: "..."
Huang Rong burst out laughing. "Little Chu, you're really holding a grudge."
Chu Yang sighed sentimentally. "Can't help it—I was born narrow-minded."
"I even remember the first time we met. You swiped my money pouch and left me starving for days."
Huang Rong: "..."
Mu Nianci lowered her head and chuckled softly.
After lunch, Chu Yang led out Guo Jing's little red horse. Since Guo Jing hadn't taken it with him, Chu Yang could only make full use of it and bring it back on the road.
The carriage Chu Yang had bought at the market was already hitched to a full-grown horse. With the addition of the little red horse—one big, one small—it was more than enough.
Standing in front of the carriage, Chu Yang suddenly asked a soul-searching question.
"Which one of you has a driver's license?"
Huang Rong: "???"
Mu Nianci: "???"
Chu Yang spread his hands. "I don't know how to drive."
Mu Nianci reacted immediately and volunteered. "Brother Chu, I've learned how to drive a carriage. Let me do it."
Chu Yang nodded without any embarrassment.
He could learn if he wanted—driving a carriage wasn't hard—but he preferred lying inside the carriage and sleeping.
Huang Rong rushed inside first.
The very next second—
"Ah?!"
A scream of disbelief came from inside.
Mu Nianci, feeling uneasy, hurried in after her.
As expected—
Another scream.
"Ah?!"
The two were completely stunned by what they saw. The interior space of the carriage was frighteningly large—almost as big as a small courtyard.
"My heavens…"
Huang Rong's eyes went blank.
Even with her strong adaptability, even after seeing Chu Yang display "immortal techniques" in Yanjing City, the psychological shock of witnessing something like this was still overwhelming.
Mu Nianci was in even worse shape—she looked borderline dazed.
Chu Yang lifted the carriage curtain and poked his upper body out, seeing their expressions. He laughed helplessly. "Stop making such a fuss. Things like this will happen a lot in the future. Wipe the drool off your mouths first!"
"Little Chu… are you really an immortal?" Huang Rong asked.
Ever since returning from Yanjing City, Huang Rong had avoided this topic. If Chu Yang admitted it, the distance between them would stretch into light-years.
During her time wandering after running away from home, she had heard countless storytellers talk about romances between immortals and mortals—and almost all of them ended tragically.
Those stories were usually about mortal men falling for fairy maidens, but the reverse wasn't much better, was it?
Thinking of this, Huang Rong grew nervous, clutching her clothes tightly as her face slowly turned pale.
Mu Nianci had similar thoughts and lowered her head silently, her gaze dim.
Chu Yang failed to notice their change. He lay back in the corner on a soft cushion in a perfect "Ge You slump," yawned, and said lazily, "Thanks for thinking so highly of me. If I were really an immortal, that'd be great. It's just some small tricks—nothing as impressive as you imagine."
Huang Rong immediately perked up again, eyes sparkling.
Mu Nianci finally let out a long breath of relief.
Curious, Huang Rong asked, "Little Chu, where did you learn those spells?"
Chu Yang knew exactly what she was thinking and laughed. "Don't even think about it. You can't learn them. This stuff depends on constitution. In this world, aside from me, there's probably no second person who can."
"How can that be?!" Huang Rong stomped her foot angrily and tugged at Chu Yang's sleeve, acting spoiled.
It wasn't that Chu Yang was being stingy—it was a limitation imposed by world rules.
The reason Chu Yang wasn't restricted was because of the Soul Palace.
After letting Huang Rong fuss for a while, Chu Yang reminded Mu Nianci to set off. Seeing that Chu Yang wouldn't budge, Huang Rong realized it truly wasn't possible and sulked on her own.
The map of this world was extremely bizarre. Southern Song, Northern Song, Jin, and Liao all bordered one another. Mongolia and the Ming Dynasty lay even farther away, locked in opposition.
Between them were also Dali, Western Xia, Tubo, and other states.
To reach the Mongolian esoteric sect and obtain the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Skill, Chu Yang would need to cross several countries in one go.
Since it was such a long journey, Chu Yang naturally wanted maximum returns. Grabbing just the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Skill alone would be a waste of time.
Thus, his first stop was set at Mount Zhongnan, on the border between Southern Song and Northern Song.
If he remembered correctly, before his death, Wang Chongyang had carved part of the Nine Yin Manual inside the Living Dead Tomb.
As for the upper and lower volumes carried by Mei Chaofeng and Zhou Botong, taking a detour wasn't worth it, so Chu Yang chose to ignore them.
The Great Song had split into Southern Song and Northern Song.
Southern Song's territory was half the size of Northern Song's and faced Jin across the border.
Northern Song had vast lands, and facing it was the equally massive Liao.
The four powers were locked in a strange balance, with constant friction in recent years.
Southern and Northern Song were still relatively fine. After all, they shared the same roots—no matter how fierce their quarrels, they stayed at the level of verbal battles between scholars or martial duels among experts.
There had never been extreme border conflicts escalating into national wars. In emergencies, the two even fought side by side against external threats.
Jin and Liao were a different story. If not for Southern and Northern Song watching them like hawks, forcing them to restrain themselves, these two hereditary enemies would've smashed each other's brains out long ago. Cooperation was impossible—at best, they just refrained from stabbing each other in the back.
In terms of raw military strength, a Jin–Liao alliance would actually surpass Southern and Northern Song combined.
Among the four nations, conflicts between Northern Song and Liao were the fiercest—minor clashes every three days, major battles every five.
Northern Song often found itself at a disadvantage, suffering heavy troop losses.
Fortunately, Northern Song produced countless martial heroes, especially Qiao Feng, the leader of the Beggars' Sect, who led experts to block enemies outside the battlefield.
High-ranking military officials either went missing or committed suicide, making Liao extremely wary and unwilling to launch large-scale invasions.
Chu Yang had once heard storytellers in taverns gossip about Qiao Feng fighting Hong Qigong. The duel ended inconclusively due to Liao troops pressing the borders and cities needing defense.
While staying in a small county far from war, one could remain ignorant of how harsh the world truly was. But once they left the city—especially as they neared the borders—Chu Yang began seeing horrors beyond words.
Though it hadn't reached the point of corpses littering the fields or cannibalism, they still witnessed headless bodies floating downstream—terrifying sights.
Huang Rong was badly shaken. For several nights in a row she barely slept, muttering in her nightmares.
It was at this time that Mu Nianci displayed astonishing maternal warmth.
Not only did she not hold Huang Rong's earlier rudeness against her, she gently soothed her to sleep every night. Their bond deepened rapidly.
After seeing corpses soaking in rivers, none of them dared to draw water in the wild unless it was mountain spring water.
Chu Yang produced a large water vat, expanded its space using a traceless extension spell, and filled it with clean water using magic.
But as a result, the already packed interior space grew even more cramped.
Realizing space was insufficient, Chu Yang decided it was time to upgrade the carriage interior.
More importantly—sleeping was inconvenient.
Chu Yang had a habit of sleeping completely naked. With girls around, he could only sleep clothed, which was deeply uncomfortable.
After a month and a half, the carriage arrived at a small town at the foot of Mount Zhongnan.
The three stayed at an inn. In the back courtyard, Chu Yang began tinkering with the carriage.
After further expanding the interior, he used Wood Release to partition rooms and add furniture. The carriage was now officially a "mobile home."
After resting for a night, they stocked up on supplies and set out again, entering Mount Zhongnan at noon.
Even the strongest sunlight, once filtered through layered mountain ranges, left only mottled shadows, adding an eerie air to the mysterious mountains.
Normally, carriages couldn't traverse mountain paths—but Chu Yang had magic. He cast a Levitation Spell on the carriage.
Between the mountains, two horses pulling a floating carriage moved as if on level ground. Combined with Mu Nianci's red attire, the scene easily evoked the ghost stories people loved to tell.
Before they even located the Living Dead Tomb, they had already scared six or seven Quanzhen Taoist novices collecting herbs into fainting.
"Maybe we should park the carriage somewhere and walk instead?" Mu Nianci suggested cautiously, worried about frightening more people and accidentally offending Chu Yang.
Chu Yang nodded. They'd have to get out anyway—the carriage couldn't enter the Living Dead Tomb.
After walking a short distance, the atmosphere suddenly turned sinister.
Sunlight barely penetrated the depths of the mountain, and mist hung all around.
"Little Chu, this… dead people tomb you're looking for—how dangerous is it? If some monster jumps out, you'd better protect me!"
Huang Rong clutched Chu Yang's clothes nervously, scanning her surroundings as if something terrifying might burst out of the forest at any moment.
Even Mu Nianci, a seasoned martial heroine, looked pale as she followed closely behind Chu Yang—her front foot nearly touching his heel.
A traffic cop would've warned her to maintain a safe distance.
"Can you two relax a bit? You're making me nervous too!"
Chu Yang pressed a hand to each of their foreheads and pushed them apart irritably. "In horror movies, reactions like yours are basically planting death flags. This is exactly when ghosts show up to scare the audience."
The moment his words fell—
A white shadow flashed through the air!
A white silk ribbon brushed across Huang Rong's face!
Huang Rong froze.
Her cherry lips trembled.
"G-Ghost!! Aaaaah!!!"
(End of Chapter)