Chapter 178 - Get Over Here (2)

Xu Yuan watched a lock of long hair by his temple drift down without a sound. The corner of his eye twitched. He raised one hand while quietly backing away. “That... wasn’t necessary, was it?”

Ran Qingmo advanced step by step with her sword in hand, her gaze dark and steady. “Master said only husband and wife may do such things. If someone outside tries to do that to me, he is a lecher, and I may cut him down on the spot.”

Xu Yuan kept backing away and quickly said, “It was just a joke. Miss Ran, don’t take it seriously.”

“Ran Qingmo.” Ran Qingmo’s eyes were very serious, and her steps did not stop.

Xu Yuan gave a light cough. “Ahem. Fine. Ran Qingmo, stand there first. Don’t come any closer.”

The sight of her approaching with sword in hand sent him straight back to that Buddhist hall deep in the mountains.

When Ran Qingmo heard this, she fell silent for a moment. Then she suddenly asked, “But if I don’t come over, how am I supposed to kiss you?”

The cave suddenly sank into silence.

After a long while, Xu Yuan said, “Then why did you try to cut me just now?”

She thought about it seriously and replied, “I couldn’t help it...”

A few breaths of quiet passed.

Xu Yuan laughed despite himself and waved a hand. “I was joking just now. Even if you didn’t agree, I’d still do it.”

Ran Qingmo stared unblinkingly at his cheek. “Then... no kiss?”

Xu Yuan shrugged. “Naturally. Personally, I don’t like forcing people when it comes to this sort of thing.”

After another moment of quiet, Ran Qingmo stared at him for several breaths. Her beautiful eyes slowly lowered. “...Oh. All right.”

Xu Yuan walked over and casually rubbed her head.

Ran Qingmo’s eyes snapped up at once by reflex. Her gaze was cold, and her grip tightened around the hilt of her sword.

They stared at each other in silence.

The corner of Xu Yuan’s mouth twitched. “Don’t tell me your master said something about this too?”

Her voice was cold.

“No.” The moment she finished speaking, the iceberg of a woman sprang up and leapt straight out of the cave through the opening in the ceiling, leaving Xu Yuan standing there alone, deep in thought.

The direction Xu Yuan and Ran Qingmo took was not toward any nearby border county town, but toward a market town called Yellow Dragon Market.

After studying the map, Xu Yuan had made this decision. Right now, they did not need to seek reinforcements in person. They only needed to find a communication crystal so Xu Yuan could notify his old man.

On the military map General Wang had provided, Yellow Dragon Market was very large. It sat beside three official roads and one canal, and that was what had made it so prosperous.

In a market town of that scale, there was a good chance a communication crystal existed.

More importantly, Yellow Dragon Market was the closest place to Sageridge in a straight line.

At the speed the two of them could travel at full tilt, it would only take about a day to reach it.

And if Yellow Dragon Market did not have a communication source crystal, the two of them could still set off from there toward nearby Moneyridge. In terms of time, that would only be about half a day slower than heading directly to the nearest county town.

ᯓ➤

A day passed in a hurry.

There was no moon tonight, and the wilderness was pitch-black. But because of that, the stretch of lights on the horizon stood out all the more.

Xu Yuan looked at Yellow Dragon Market in the distance, exhaustion plain in his eyes.

Ran Qingmo could go without sleep, but he could not. If Yellow Dragon Market did not have a communication crystal, then in all likelihood, Xu Yuan would not be sleeping tomorrow either.

Two days and two nights without sleep. He wondered if that was enough to drop dead on the spot.

Just as he was thinking this, a cool voice sounded by his ear. “Xu Yuan.”

Xu Yuan circulated his Blood Origin Heartfall Art to force himself awake and sent back by voice transmission, “What is it?”

“When we reach Yellow Dragon Market, do you want to find an inn and rest for a while?” Her voice was still cold and clear, but this was the first thing Ran Qingmo had said to him the entire way here.

Clearly, the iceberg of a woman was still angry because of his joke earlier.

But hearing the concern in her words, Xu Yuan smiled faintly. “No need. I’m tired, but if I keep circulating my cultivation method, I can still hold on.”

“Oh.” Ran Qingmo said nothing more.

In silence, the dozen or so miles between them and the market quickly passed, and the lights on the horizon grew clearer and clearer.

Looking down from the sky, Yellow Dragon Market was practically a town without walls.

Streets and houses packed the land in neat, dense rows. Bright pattern lamps lit the roads until they shone, and pedestrians flowed through them in lively crowds. All kinds of pleasure boats drifted along the canal. The night lights here were even more prosperous than those of some commandery cities.

Perhaps if there were no war in the future, then in another ten years or so, the Great Flame Empire’s authorities would build a proper town of no small size here.

The southern entrance of Yellow Dragon Market was brightly lit. Carriages and horses streamed through in endless traffic, and the coming and going of merchant caravans filled the place with noise and bustle.

Suddenly, two figures descended from the sky.

The moment they landed, they drew many startled looks.

Both of them were travel-worn, clearly having been on the road for a long time. More importantly, sustained flight through the air was at least a sign of fourth rank cultivation.

Experts of that level were still quite rare in a market town near the border like this.

Ignoring the chattering around them, Xu Yuan led Ran Qingmo straight into Yellow Dragon Market. In a market of this size, there was a very good chance they would find a communication crystal.

Right now, he only wanted to get this done as quickly as possible, then find an inn and sleep.

ᯓ➤

The western entrance of Yellow Dragon Market,

A convoy was heading out of the market, and among it, one carriage engraved with a black coiling dragon was especially eye-catching.

Wherever the convoy passed, pedestrians on the road stepped aside one after another.

Soon, without the slightest obstruction, the convoy followed the market road onto the broad official road outside.

Amid the crisp rhythm of horse hooves, the convoy gradually faded into the distance, leaving only a crowd of merchants in Yellow Dragon Market clicking their tongues in wonder.

After traveling more than ten li, the surroundings gradually grew desolate, and the merchant caravans on the official road became fewer and fewer.

Zhou Ziqing rode her flamehoof horse and slowly eased its pace until she was moving side by side with the coiling dragon carriage at the center of the convoy.

After a breath of silence, the carriage curtain was drawn open from within, revealing a gentle, graceful face as soft as water.

Xu Xinyao smiled faintly. “Ziqing, what is it?”

Zhou Ziqing’s expression carried a hint of apology. She cupped her fist slightly. “Xinyao, I’m sorry. My junior sister and junior brother are playful by nature, so we ended up losing a whole day.”

Xu Xinyao gently shook her head when she heard this. Her voice was soft. “How could that count as a delay? We came out to temper ourselves through experience. Since we arrived somewhere new, naturally we should take a look at the local customs and scenery.”

After a pause, Xu Xinyao glanced back at the young man and woman riding together behind them, then laughed softly. “And besides, after we reach Sageridge, Zhonghua will be leaving. You know what that girl Luoxi feels toward him. Letting them spend one more day together is a good thing. Once they part this time, who knows when the two of them will meet again.”

When Zhou Ziqing heard this, her beautiful eyes curved, and an ambiguous smile tugged at her lips. “That’s true. From here to Sageridge, we probably only have about five days left by carriage. Once that girl Luoxi returns to the sect, she’ll probably start pestering everyone to let her go find Zhonghua...”

Before she could finish speaking, Zhou Ziqing suddenly snapped her head up and looked toward the pitch-black sky behind them.

After sensing for a breath, Zhou Ziqing directly drew the slender sword from her back. Her face turned serious as she said in a low voice, “Xinyao, someone’s coming. Activate the carriage array first.”

When Xu Xinyao saw Ziqing’s expression, her eyes flickered slightly. “Are they strong?”

“Judging from their aura and speed, they should be two Grandmasters. And they’re coming straight for us.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Zhou Ziqing began circulating her cultivation method.

BUZZ! Dust billowed up along the official road as two figures descended from the sky and landed directly in front of the convoy, blocking its path.

Zhou Ziqing looked back and met Li Zhonghua’s eyes behind her. The two nodded to each other, then flew forward at the same time, landing at the head of the convoy. Their gazes were grave as they stared at the cloud of rising dust.

And before the smoke and dust had even settled, a warm male voice, tinged faintly with coldness, drifted over first. “Xu Xinyao, get over here.”