EBE Chapter 188 Journey Through Wind and Snow
Chapter 188 Journey Through Wind and Snow
Chen Junxuan was thrilled and quickly stepped forward, respectfully clasping his hands in a salute.
"Senior Song, I am Chen Junxuan."
His eyes were full of expectation, hoping to get a glimmer of hope from this elder of the Beggars' Sect.
The guard beside him then said, "Young master, why are you still calling him Senior Song?"
Upon hearing his subordinate's words, Chen Junxuan quickly replied, "Master, disciple greets Master."
Song Jiuxian nodded and stood up. Although he was thin, he had a certain air of authority.
He reached out and gently placed his hand on Chen Junxuan's shoulder, then slowly moved down his arm, carefully feeling his bones, before withdrawing his hand and standing still.
"Hmm, not bad. You must have put in a lot of effort and practiced some martial arts skills."
Song Jiuxian nodded slightly, a barely perceptible hint of approval flashing in his eyes, like a fleeting shooting star in the night sky.
He changed the subject: "However, if you want to reach the pinnacle of martial arts and transcend the ordinary, your current aptitude still needs some fine-tuning. The road ahead is long..."
Song Jiuxian stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze looking into the distance through the window of the dilapidated temple, as if recalling the many hardships and difficulties he had faced in the past.
Upon hearing this, Chen Junxuan's eyes dimmed instantly, as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over his head, and his heartfelt hopes were obscured by a thick fog.
But in an instant, a flame called fighting spirit ignited in his eyes, burning ever brighter.
"I know myself to be nothing more than a rough diamond, uncarved and full of flaws."
That is why I humbly request my master to generously offer his guidance and offer advice.
Even if it's just a few words or a little guidance, this disciple will treasure it as if it were a precious gem, studying it with all my might, and daring not to slack off in the slightest!
Chen Junxuan spoke earnestly, every word coming from the bottom of his heart, and his voice even trembled slightly when he got excited.
Song Jiuxian seemed to be touched by this sincerity. He chuckled softly, his laughter carrying a hint of testing.
Then he walked at a steady pace, each step seemingly touching Chen Junxuan's heart.
"Seeing your burning desire for martial arts, I'm afraid it's not just a momentary whim or a sudden impulse."
Let me ask you, do you possess the perseverance and determination to endure hardships without fear?
Song Jiuxian's gaze was piercing, fixed on Chen Junxian as if trying to see through his soul.
Chen Junxuan felt a tightness in his heart as he was stared at, but he did not back down in the slightest.
He bent his knees and knelt heavily on the ground with a thud, his back straight as a pine tree, undaunted by frost and snow.
"My sincere devotion to martial arts is as clear as day! I only ask to embark on the righteous path of martial arts and live a life without regrets! I humbly beg my master to grant my request!"
Song Jiuxian paused, staring silently at Chen Junxuan with a complex expression in his eyes, as if weighing the pros and cons.
"Get up. Starting tomorrow, we'll have a six-month period. How much you learn and remember is up to you."
Upon hearing this, Chen Junxuan quickly bowed and said, "Thank you, Master."
Nothing was said that night, and dawn broke.
Snowflakes fluttered down, covering the earth in a blanket of white. Shui'er and Xiao He awoke from their slumber, the sounds of the merchants bustling about filling the air.
The two quickly got up from the cold grass and shook off the quilts covering them.
Chen Gui, the experienced steward of the trading company, spotted the two of them at a glance.
"Hey, you two, why are you up so early? Breakfast isn't ready yet."
Xiao He smiled and replied, "Uncle Chen, we still need to continue our journey today, we can't delay any longer."
Chen Gui nodded, and a look of worry appeared on his face when he saw the heavy snowfall outside.
"Alright then, you guys go pack your things first. Breakfast will have to wait a little longer."
Upon hearing this, the two immediately turned around and walked towards the area where their luggage was piled up, and began to get busy.
They packed up their bedding, food, and other belongings from the previous night's rest in the dilapidated temple and loaded them onto the carriage.
After a flurry of activity, the two returned to the temple.
At this moment, Chen Junxuan was already sitting by the fire, loudly calling out to them.
"Shui'er, Xiao He, come and eat breakfast to warm up. It's too cold outside."
At his call, everyone gathered around the fire and began to enjoy a hot breakfast.
The steam from the food rose into the cold air, bringing a sense of satisfaction and warmth to everyone's faces.
Song Jiuxian looked at the two little girls, his heart filled with curiosity.
"Are you two leaving today? It's still snowing."
Xiao He nodded: "Yes, Senior Song. We must continue on our way today and cannot delay any longer."
Song Jiuxian was slightly taken aback, then asked, "By the way, I haven't asked you yet, where are you going? I saw your four carts yesterday, they seemed to be loaded with grain and fodder."
Shui'er answered frankly, "That's right, it is indeed grain. We're taking it to Jiaxian County."
Song Jiuxian's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Jiaxian County? Wasn't Jiaxian County already occupied by Gu Xuanchao?"
"Are you two from the Gu Xuan Dynasty? But judging from your accents, you should be from the Ling Kingdom."
Xiao He sighed and explained, "We are from Ling Kingdom, and we originally wanted to go to Jia County. But it was our first time traveling so far, and we accidentally took the wrong road."
We arrived in the territory of the Gu Xuan Dynasty and encountered a group of soldiers on the road. After a battle, the two of us could only take these four carts of grain.
Upon hearing this, Song Jiuxian frowned and said, "Then you can't go to Jiaxian City. It's now full of people from the Gu Xuan Dynasty. If you want to go back to Ling Kingdom, you'll have to take a detour."
Shui'er shook her head: "We have to head towards Jiaxian County, where the person we're looking for is."
Upon hearing this, Chen Junxuan immediately advised, "Do you really have to go? That place is currently a battlefield. What if you encounter danger?"
Why don't you come with us? I'll take you to Sichao; it's so much fun!
Shui'er smiled and refused, "You don't need to worry about our affairs. You should focus on learning martial arts from Senior Song."
If we have the chance to meet again, I hope you'll have cultivated to the second-rate level.
Chen Junxuan looked bewildered upon hearing this: "Second-rate realm? What is the second-rate realm?"
Xiao He patiently explained, "The second-rate realm is a classification of our martial arts realms; actually, it should be called the intermediate realm."
Song Jiuxian looked at Chen Junxuan and explained, "I will explain these realms to you in detail later."
Xiao He nodded and continued, "You should learn from Senior Song properly."
Senior Song's skill level is very high. Although I can't see through it, I could sense yesterday that Senior Song's martial arts were comparable to those of the Spirit King.
Shui'er asked curiously, "Senior Song, could you tell me what level you've reached now?"
Song Jiuxian smiled slightly, his face full of confidence and composure.
"The old man's realm is already at the peak of the Great Yuan Realm."
Shui'er and Xiao He were both surprised when they heard this.
"Amazing! You've actually reached the Grandmaster level. Alright, I'm full. Xiao He, are you done eating? We should probably head out soon. I wonder how Sister Daya and the others are doing now."
Xiaohe nodded: "Okay, I'll be done soon too."
She quickly shoveled the food into her bowl and stood up shortly afterward.
Seeing this, the merchants immediately helped to tidy up the horses and prepare to send them on their way.
Chen Junxuan took out two exquisite jade pendants from his person and handed them to the two of them.
"You two should take good care of yourselves. If you ever have time to come to Sichao, remember to come find me at Xiangrui Trading Company in Qingping City."
Xiao He took the jade pendant and replied with a smile, "Okay! If we have the chance to go to Si Chao in the future, we will definitely come to find you."
Shui'er accepted the jade pendant and looked at everyone with deep affection.
"Alright, everyone, then farewell!"
Everyone waved goodbye to the two of them.
Farewell! Take care on your journey!
As the sound of horses' hooves rang out, Shui'er and Xiao He's figures gradually disappeared into the wind and snow.
But their hearts were filled with anticipation for seeing Daya and Xiaoyue.
The two drove the carriage, braving the biting wind and snow, towards Jiaxian County.
Snowflakes, like countless tiny blades, danced wildly in the air, cutting into every inch of exposed skin.
The carriage wheels rolled laboriously through the deep snow, making a dull thud, like the sigh of the earth.
Shui'er sat at the front of the carriage, gripping the reins tightly, her gaze piercing through the swirling snowflakes, trying to see the road ahead.
"This awful weather, I don't know when this snow will stop."
Her tone carried a hint of helpless complaint.
Xiao He's gaze swept ahead: "I really want to abandon this carriage; we can travel faster using our light-footed skills."
But she also understood that the food on the wagon was their vital supplies.
It was meant to be taken to Sister Da Ya and the others; we couldn't give it up easily.
Shui'er smiled bitterly when she heard Xiao He say that.
"In that case, wouldn't all this food be wasted?"
We're going to take this grain to Jiaxian County and give it to Sister Daya and the others."