Chapter 32 - 30: Perfectly Ordinary
Chapter 32: Chapter 30: Perfectly Ordinary
Zhao Rong eventually stopped Su Xiaoxiao.
Regardless of whether the clothes she was wearing fit Zhao Rong or not, there was still the insurmountable barrier of gender to consider. After all, they had only just met not too long ago.
However, Zhao Rong accepted her kind intentions, at least now knowing that although she seemed unreliable, like a troublemaker, she was at heart kind and knew how to be grateful.
Zhao Rong felt quite happy inside. Who said, “Seeing Benefactor’s ordinary appearance, I will be a cow or a horse in the next life to repay Benefactor”? Those of you spreading rumors are just sour grapes.
However, when Zhao Rong had grabbed her hand in his urgency, her reaction did indeed startle him.
At that moment, she froze, then, like electrocuted, she suddenly withdrew her hand and looked at Zhao Rong with a guarded expression, muttering something about how her ancestor said that if a man is up to no good, he will try to grope around, and that she, Xiaoxiao, should not talk to such a man…
Zhao Rong had a face full of black lines.
So, you’re not stupid either.
Later, when Zhao Rong asked Su Xiaoxiao how she knew he was also heading to Du You City, the little Fox Demon strangely asked in return if all the people on that boat weren’t going to Du You City. Did they not, like her, buy a ticket for Du You City before boarding that vessel?
Zhao Rong nodded, feeling that her logic was sound, it was her who had issues.
He then asked her why she trusted him, daring to follow him northward, unafraid that he might be a villain with ulterior motives?
She shyly lowered her head, without speaking.
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Zhao Rong was quite satisfied with her attitude. That’s trusting the character of this young master! How do you judge character? By the face, of course. This young master is dignified and handsome, with sword-like brows and starry eyes, graceful and suave.
Zhao Rong whistled happily, turned, and walked away. After a few steps, he realized the naive girl behind him wasn’t catching on.
“Follow along.”
“Ah, oh, oh.”
Su Xiaoxiao, carrying a basket bigger than herself on her back, happily caught up with Zhao Rong’s pace.
Zhao Rong, hearing the movement behind him, could not help but tease.
“Humph, didn’t you say this young master’s looks were plain and unimpressive?”
He was expecting her to be at a loss for words, but no response came after an extended wait.
Zhao Rong suddenly turned back.
He found the girl with fox-like eyes looking at him shockingly.
Zhao Rong’s expression darkened.
So, it wasn’t just a rumor, you really did say it or at least thought it?
Su Xiaoxiao nervously looked at the bad man in front of her who had saved her. How did he know what Xiaoxiao was thinking?
In Su Xiaoxiao’s eyes, many people in this world had plain faces, and even those few who were a bit more outstanding were just slightly better-looking to her, because no matter how attractive they were, they couldn’t compare to her beauty. Such as the scholar rushed off by her in that old temple, or the few good-looking men acknowledged by the Su clan’s people.
Or like a few months ago, when the boat docked temporarily at a certain pier, she disembarked to buy books and encountered a young Daoist with starry eyes. However, that man had tried to speak with her, but Su Xiaoxiao didn’t engage with him. She gave him a glare and ran off in a panic because her ancestor had said that if a man stares straight at you as if wanting to devour you upon meeting, that would be a bad man, and with such a man, Xiaoxiao should not converse…
To Zhao Rong, Su Xiaoxiao might appear like someone anyone could bully, but in actuality, she was quite proud.
Humph, Xiaoxiao is so beautiful; she can certainly find a satisfactory husband. Just one, Xiaoxiao would be content with just one. It doesn’t matter what he looks like, but he must be like those described in the Saintly Books, a scholar whose belly is full of books. Wait, no, that would be letting him off too easy. It must be someone who has read through five carts of books!
Eh, what’s that idiom? Learned five carts, or is it learned full five carts?
Su Xiaoxiao flipped through the thin dictionary in her little head but couldn’t find the word. However, she quickly stopped dwelling on it.
Anyway, she shouldn’t be like that bad person in front of her, who always bullied Xiaoxiao. Despite wearing scholarly clothes, he idled his days away and didn’t buy books in the Bookstore, just gazing at women’s faces. In the early morning, he wasn’t sincere enough to revise his studies. Even Xiaoxiao took studying seriously in the morning, while he did not attend to proper duties, only knowing how to climb windows to scare people.
How could there be such a bad person?
If it weren’t for that day on the ship when he made Xiaoxiao feel that he was different from other bad people that he wouldn’t hurt Xiaoxiao, she wouldn’t have bothered with him at all.
Su Xiaoxiao felt more and more aggrieved the more she thought about it, and she glared fiercely at Zhao Rong, who had quickened his pace, then hurriedly shouldered her basket and trotted to catch up.
Hmph, what’s wrong with saying your appearance is unremarkable? Where are you not unremarkable?
Always bullying people!
…
Zhao Rong, walking ahead, was unaware that he had become someone’s ultimate negative example in their heart.
He was leading Su Xiaoxiao to find Liu Sanbian.
At this moment, Liu Sanbian was no longer in the same place where he was waiting. Zhao Rong looked around and saw him not far away, standing on a large piece of blue-green stone that was of no short height.
Two clear mountain springs gushed down from above, slow at times, rapid at others, varying in pitch, at one moment sounding like galloping iron horses, and at another like thunder clapping.
That piece of stone was situated right at the center where the two springs converged, its shape resembling that of an ox.
The impact of the spring water sent droplets flying in all directions, like a silver vase suddenly shattered, creating sounds as if precious stones were being thrown about, a pleasing and endless tinkling.
From Zhao Rong’s angle, the Liu Sanbian above the blue-green stone appeared to be standing like a post, in a strange boxing stance, as still as a statue, emanating an ancient and magnificent vibe.
Liu Sanbian saw the two approaching, relaxed his boxing stance, yet still retained a divine presence. With a light leap from the high stone, it was hard to tell which foot landed first. There was no bend in the knee to cushion the fall, and his body came to an abrupt halt upon touching the ground, utterly soundless. The sunlight filtering through the trees produced some sort of effect, forming bright pathways that slowly moved. The drifting dust was not disturbed by his landing.
Not a speck of dust was stirred.
Zhao Rong’s gaze narrowed.
“He’s a decent Martial Artist, a Martial Cultivator after Fu Yao, there are four realms and nine grades, and I reckon he should be no less than Sixth Grade. Speaking of which, haven’t you ever asked about the Cultivation Realm of your makeshift big brother?”
“I haven’t asked. Previously, I never considered cultivation, and I thought it was better to avoid extra troubles. Besides, Cultivation Realms are such that even close kin may not know about them; asking is futile. Nowadays, who doesn’t have a few tricks up their sleeve when wandering the world, like hiding their true strength? It’s foolish to bluntly ask about it.”
“Oh.”
Gui seemed quite interested in Zhao Rong’s know-it-all attitude.
“You seem very knowledgeable. How about it, Zhao Rong, could it be that you’re the legitimate heir of some ancient clan, sent to the mundane world for trials? After completing your trials, you’re supposed to be taken back by your ancestors to become the primary successor, being fed Divine Pills like candies without cost, and your blood talent and Cultivation Realm skyrocketing. Noble daughters, Fairy ancestors, and even Marquis Mansion’s young ladies would desperately cling to you. When the time comes, you’ll pick the most beautiful and powerful one as the Empress, and without missing a single one, all the rest would be added to your chamber.”
“Tsk tsk tsk, living a long and prosperous life, the Daoist path stretches far, soft jade in the embrace, Zhao Rong, you would live quite happily.”
“If it were really so, then I have truly been blind as a dog, having made such a laughable vow of Vast righteousness. My apologies, my apologies, I hope Zhao Rong will be magnanimous.”
Zhao Rong listened with relish until it finished speaking, thinking that it was a pity for it not to become a novelist among the family of novelists, as, from what Zhao Rong had seen so far, on and off the mountain, those stories of deprived main characters rising up and receiving endless blessings were extremely popular in bookstores. Every time he walked in, he could see them prominently displayed, and typically, the protagonists had surnames like Ye, Su, Lin, and so on.
Don’t ask how he knew about it. Wasn’t it just broadening his horizons, expanding his knowledge? What’s wrong with a Scholar reading a few miscellaneous books after reading the Saintly Books?
“I couldn’t handle that many. How about I give a few to you?”
“No need,” Gui stated firmly.
“If only that were true. This is all from what I’ve read in books. Isn’t that what’s popular now? Playing the fool to catch the wise, being cautious and steady. I think we should also learn a bit of this when walking the mountains in the future.”
“Learn my ass, we’ll roll over everything in our path. Playing the fool to catch the wise? Humph, if you dare play, I will turn you into a real pig. Cautious and steady? A sword to break all methods; let them have endless hidden cards, continuous plots and schemes, it’s all one sword strike to us.”
“A Sword Cultivator hands over his sword seeking a great sense of satisfaction in his heart, unbound by anything, achieving Great Tranquility between heaven and earth.”
Zhao Rong just smiled and shook his head, not engaging with it for the moment.
He introduced Liu Sanbian and Su Xiaoxiao to each other, but the attitudes of both parties made Zhao Rong somewhat embarrassed.
Liu Sanbian simply stated his name and nodded to Su Xiaoxiao, while Su Xiaoxiao went a step further, only glancing cautiously at Liu Sanbian, softly acknowledging with a hum before hiding behind Zhao Rong.
Zhao Rong was a bit frustrated; one was a reticent grump and the other a self-absorbed victim. He wondered how he would manage walking between these two.
Seeing that the red mark on Su Xiaoxiao’s forehead hadn’t faded and her pretty face was still streaked with tear stains, Zhao Rong took her to a nearby mountain spring to wash with the clear biting spring water.
After a busy interlude, the trio took up their baggage and resumed their journey northward.