Chapter 272 - 268: The Woman in the Purple Dress
Chapter 272: Chapter 268: The Woman in the Purple Dress
"Ahang, what are you doing over there? Come over here and eat!" A clear, pleasant female voice called out from a short distance away.
"Just a minute, Sis! I’ll come over after I finish these noodles. They’re so good! Wow, so delicious!"
"SLURP!" "SLURP!"
The finely-dressed little boy couldn’t resist taking a bite of the instant noodles and found he couldn’t stop. His little mouth was stuffed full, and he slurped away nonstop.
"Ahang, why aren’t you coming over yet? Huh? Where did you get noodles?"
Just then, a young woman in a light purple dress came jogging over.
At the sight of her, Ye Xing’s eyes couldn’t help but light up.
The woman in the light purple dress looked to be about seventeen or eighteen, youthful and beautiful.
As she ran, her long skirt fluttered, and her smooth, jet-black hair traced a graceful arc in the air.
Her graceful figure was perhaps second only to Mengxue among all the women Ye Xing had ever seen. If one were to categorize a woman’s appearance into levels like "very ugly," "slightly ugly," "average," "somewhat attractive," "beautiful," "great beauty," "rare top-grade beauty," and "peerless celestial fairy," then this purple-skirted woman would belong in the "rare top-grade beauty" category. Just a single glance was a treat for the eyes.
"Sis, Sis, this bowl of noodles is so good! This big brother gave it to me. Try some if you don’t believe me, it’s really delicious! I’ve never eaten noodles this good before," the finely-dressed boy said, slurping down his instant noodles.
The purple-skirted woman couldn’t help but look up at Ye Xing. It was obvious she had a gentle and introverted personality, as her face flushed red after just a moment of eye contact. She said apologetically, "Young Master, I’m so sorry to have troubled you. How many silver taels for these noodles? Let me pay you for them!"
"Haha, don’t worry about it. It’s just a bowl of noodles, not worth much at all. Consider it my treat for the little guy!" Ye Xing said with a smile. ’It’s not often you meet a girl who gets shy so easily. She’s like a lotus rising from clear water—so natural, so pure.’
The purple-skirted woman’s face grew even redder. She lifted the hem of her skirt, ran back to her spot, picked up a plate of food, and ran back over. She said to Ye Xing, "These are some chicken wings and roasted meat I just made. Please, have some, Young Master." Clearly, she felt bad that her brother had greedily eaten someone else’s noodles.
With that, the purple-skirted woman placed the plate of chicken wings and roasted meat in front of Ye Xing, then pulled the finely-dressed little boy away. "Ahang, how many times has Sis told you? You can’t just take things from other people. It shows a lack of manners."
"It’s fine, that big brother is really nice! Mmm, these noodles are so good. You should try some too, Sis! They’re really, really good! I’ve never had such delicious noodles in my life." The finely-dressed boy continued to eat as he walked, and after finishing the noodles, he tipped the bowl back to drink the broth.
"Haha, this brother and sister are pretty interesting, and so polite." Ye Xing laughed, picking up a chicken wing and putting it in his mouth. "Hey, this isn’t bad. Pretty tasty!"
In the clearing by the road, some of the faster people had already finished their lunch, while the slower ones were still cooking or roasting wild game. After finishing his instant noodles, Ye Xing began to pack up his bowl and utensils, putting the gas stove, iron pot, and other items into his Qiankun Bag.
Not far from Ye Xing, there were three people: a middle-aged woman, the purple-skirted girl, and the finely-dressed little boy.
At that moment, the finely-dressed boy’s big, dark eyes were fixed ahead with immense curiosity. He exclaimed in surprise, "Sis! Aunt Qing! Look! That big brother’s cloth pouch is amazing! It’s only the size of his palm, how can it fit such a big iron pot?"
"Haha, Young Master, that’s a Qiankun Bag, not some ordinary cloth pouch," the middle-aged woman, Aunt Qing, said with a smile. "Qiankun Bags are made from the hide of a special Demon Beast, the Pouch Kangaroo. They contain a pocket dimension and are extremely valuable. A Martial Artist who possesses a Qiankun Bag usually has a Cultivation of at least the Martial Arts Seventh Realm. That young master must be a very powerful Martial Artist!"
"The Martial Arts Seventh Realm?" the finely-dressed boy asked in astonishment. "Aunt Qing, are you at the Martial Arts Seventh Realm? Who’s stronger, you or that big brother?"
In the finely-dressed little boy’s mind, the person he admired most was his Aunt Qing.
He, his sister, and their family had grown up in Yongfu Town, helpless and without support. It was Aunt Qing who had always protected them. If not for her, some of the bullies in that small town would have long since abducted his sister. He had personally seen his Aunt Qing send a bully flying with a single slap, knocking his teeth out.
"Me? The Martial Arts Seventh Realm is already the Qi Condensation Stage. With my meager skills, how could I possibly be his match?" The middle-aged woman, Aunt Qing, lovingly stroked the little boy’s head. "Young Master, my abilities are only enough to protect you in a small place like Yongfu Town. But the Golden Scale Imperial City is full of masters. Once we get there, you must be careful..."
"It’s fine. The Lieu Family is a great aristocratic clan in Golden Scale, ranked among the very top in the entire Southern Tang Country," the little boy said, puffing out his chest and huffing proudly. "Once I inherit the title of Duke and become the Patriarch, what’s there to be afraid of?"
"Yes, yes, Ahang is the most amazing. In the future, you’ll definitely be a great Lord Duke," the purple-skirted woman said with a doting smile as she patted her brother’s head.
"Of course!" the finely-dressed boy huffed through his nose.
...
After everyone in the convoy finished their lunch and packed up, they returned to their respective carriages one by one. The wheels slowly began to turn as the convoy set off once more.
"Young Master Ye, I saw Miss Nuoning over by you just now. What do you think? Miss Nuoning is quite something, isn’t she?" The young Escort Master, Little Fei, said from outside the curtain as he drove the carriage.
"Just now? You mean the girl in the purple dress? Yes, she’s very nice. A good person," Ye Xing nodded in praise.
"Haha, then you should hurry up! I, Little Fei, am not so fortunate, but you, Young Master Ye, are different. Seriously, Miss Nuoning is an absolute beauty." The young Escort Master, Little Fei, shot him a ’you-know-what-I-mean’ look. "Young Master Ye, if you’re interested, you’d better make your move. Only a powerful expert like you is worthy of pursuing Miss Nuoning. If you don’t seize this chance now, you’ll miss the golden opportunity once we leave the convoy!"
"Huh?" Ye Xing was taken aback, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. "Where is all this talk coming from? Just focus on driving the carriage."
Ye Xing’s attitude toward beautiful women was purely one of appreciation. After all, as a normal man, it was pleasant to look at a pretty face. But that was all. Appreciation was one thing, but he wasn’t the type to want to pounce on every beauty he saw. Right now, Ye Xing was focusing most of his energy on his Cultivation. He only wanted to break through to the Innate Realm as soon as possible and become a true powerhouse.
CLIP! CLOP CLOP!
CLOP CLOP CLOP! CREAK! CREAK!
The wheels rolled and the hooves clopped. The convoy traveled for more than three shichen, past dusk. The sky gradually darkened until the road ahead was no longer visible. The convoy came to a halt. With no inns near the mountain path, they could only rest for the night in a patch of woods.
The night deepened. Bright moonlight filtered through the gaps in the trees, leaving dappled shadows in the woods.
A gentle breeze rustled the leaves on the branches.
Inside one of the carriages, Ye Xing sat cross-legged with his eyes closed, circulating the <<Innate Skill>> and breathing rhythmically. As the <<Innate Skill>> operated, streams of True Qi cycled continuously through his body. With every full Circulation, his True Qi would condense a little more, moving him slowly toward the Innate Realm.
Ye Xing had now reached the Peak of the Martial Arts Ninth Layer in his Cultivation, just half a step away from the Innate Realm. Perhaps with enough accumulation, an epiphany would be enough to cross into the Innate Realm; or perhaps he needed a satisfying, all-out battle to break through. The transition from the Ninth Realm to the Innate Realm was a massive hurdle that stopped countless Martial Artists. Some might break through in ten days or half a month, while others might not succeed even after a decade. At this great hurdle, one might lack a bit of talent, or perhaps a sliver of luck. ’Who can say for sure? We Martial Artists can only strive and strive again.’
EXHALE—
INHALE—
He inhaled slowly, then exhaled just as slowly, repeating the breathing cultivation technique over and over again.
Time dripped by. Before he knew it, it was the third watch of the night, and the darkness was profound. Apart from Ye Xing, who was still cultivating, and a few Escort Masters from the Escort Agency who forced themselves to stay alert while patrolling the perimeter, almost everyone else in the convoy was sound asleep.
RUSTLE! RUSTLE RUSTLE!
RUSTLE RUSTLE RUSTLE!
A faint rustling sound suddenly broke the silence of the night. It was different from the sound of wind blowing through leaves; it sounded more like footsteps on fallen leaves. However, the sound seemed to be coming from very far away. It was incredibly faint, so quiet that an ordinary person, or even most Martial Artists, would not have been able to hear it.
"Hm?"
Inside the carriage, Ye Xing, who had been sitting cross-legged in cultivation with his eyes closed, abruptly snapped his eyes open.
(First Chapter of the day, there’s a second one coming tonight!)