Upon seeing Huangfu Yuchen dodge to the side, everyone wore an unsurprised expression.
At this moment, the middle-aged man with brown hair spoke up, “I have long heard that Xiaotian Xie from the Great Han possesses a wicked character and a cunning martial skill. Even some people with higher martial skills have been defeated by him. Seeing him in person today, it is indeed quite remarkable.”
Huangfu Yuchen estimated that he had had enough after about a hundred moves, and his figure suddenly flickered, shifting to Zhong Xie’s left side. They stood side by side in opposite directions. With his right fist, he slapped below Zhong Xie’s right elbow, and the latter let out a low cry as he helplessly watched his sword slip from his hand and soar into the sky. It then descended and pierced three inches into the ground.
He turned to look back at Huangfu Yuchen with shock, and with a sudden twist, he flew sideways. Seizing the sword with his right hand, he spun around and launched an unexpected attack towards Yan Ge.
Huangfu Yuchen didn’t even blink.
Yan Ge Was carrying Yan Jin on his back but he remained unaffected, displaying his agility as he gracefully flipped in mid-air. He positioned himself above Zhong Xie, placing his right foot on his back. With a forceful push, he landed lightly on the ground. Zhong Xie, on the other hand, crashed heavily onto the ground, emitting a muffled groan. It was evident that Yan Ge showed no mercy with that maneuver.
Pei Jinde and the others looked at the formidable duo with shock. When did such powerful characters emerge in the martial world?
The foreign visitors wore shocked expressions, tinged with caution.
Huangfu Yuchen gazed deeply at Zhong Xie. He didn’t urge him, but the coldness in his eyes made Zhong Xie aware that if he dared to go back on his word, there would be dire consequences.
Zhong Xie sighed, got up, and dusted off his clothes. “After observing for many days, I’ve noticed that the thunderstorms disappear without a trace every three days. Tomorrow is the day when the thunder will vanish. However, despite this, there are still areas on the ground where the mighty power of thunder strikes lingers. Three days ago, I witnessed with my own eyes a hot-blooded fellow who couldn’t restrain himself and jumped into the valley. He was struck by lightning and turned into a charred corpse, like a dried fish.”
Yan Ge asked, “Is the Zhantian Vine really inside?”
Zhong Xie replied, “That’s what they say, but no one has seen it with their own eyes. I have looked for those herb pickers who claim that Thunder Valley contains the Zhantian Vine but found nothing. Either these people don’t exist at all, or someone with ill intentions has already silenced them.”
Yan Ge frowned. “Zirui, if the herb pickers don’t even exist, it’s highly likely that the news about the Zhantian Vine was intentionally spread.”
“No matter what, I’m going in to take a look,” Huangfu Yuchen said, encircling his back with his arm. “Baby, you understand. If we can’t resolve that matter, it will always be a hidden danger. I’m worried.”
Yan Ge emphasized, “We’ll go together.”
Huangfu Yuchen curled his lips, not arguing with him.
Zhong Xie sheathed his sword and slung it over his shoulder, leisurely walking away.
“Hey, where are you going?” Huang Shuya looked at him with confusion as he moved farther away from Thunder Valley.
Zhong Xie turned around and said, “With those two present, even if the Zhantian Vine truly exists, I can’t get a part in it. I’d better retreat of my own accord.”
Yan Ge stood with his arms crossed, watching him. Indeed, Zhong Xie’s character was truly wicked. Just now, he had cooperated so well that he thought Zhong Xie had finally become honest. But now, it was clear that he had deliberately put him and Huangfu Yuchen at odds with everyone present.
Sure enough, Pei Jinde and the others looked at Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen with vigilance.
Zhong Xie smiled mischievously at Yan Ge and leisurely walked away, his steps becoming lighter. Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in his back. He let out a hoarse cry and turned around to see a pea-sized green fruit on the grassy ground. If it were a sharper hidden weapon, or worse, a poisoned one, he would undoubtedly be dead!
He looked towards the direction of Thunder Valley with horror. Huangfu Yuchen looked at him calmly, while Yan Ge had a smirk on his face. Zhong Xie let out a bitter smile, bowed apologetically to the two of them, rubbed his neck, and quickly left.
Seemingly oblivious to the attention they received, Huangfu Yuchen surveyed their surroundings, then led Yan Ge to a spot behind two closely positioned trees. The area was surrounded by tall grass that reached shoulder height, creating a secluded small space. Huangfu Yuchen took out a small blanket from his bundle and laid it on the ground. He carefully helped Yan Jin on the blanket, covering his abdomen with another small blanket.
“Wife, please have a seat and rest for a while,” Huangfu Yuchen said.
Yan Ge sat on the ground and took out an oiled paper package containing two pieces of beef. He used his internal energy to heat them up and handed one piece to Huangfu Yuchen.
Pei Jinde, Huang Shuya, and the others exchanged glances and sat down, taking out their dry rations to eat. Their thoughts were similar: this couple’s martial arts skills were indeed impressive, and their chances of obtaining the Zhantian Vine were greater than theirs. It would be better to deal with them after they obtained the vine.
Yan Ge chewed his food slowly, occasionally glancing at Huangfu Yuchen. They saw each other almost every day, and it seemed like he didn’t miss or care about him much. But the thought that they might truly never have a chance in future made him unable to resist stealing more glances. The feelings between him and Huangfu Yuchen were not intense or deeply engraved, but each day was real, and every small memory was filled with happiness and joy. Everything was so beautiful, so beautiful that he couldn’t help but fear it was all just a dream.
Huangfu Yuchen grabbed Yan Ge’s hand in surprise. “Why are you pinching yourself so hard?”
Yan Ge snapped out of his thoughts and placed both hands on Yuchen’s shoulders, deeply kissing his lips.
Huangfu Yuchen gently responded to his kiss.
“Zirui,” Yan Ge whispered against his ear, calling his name softly.
“I’m here,” Huangfu Yuchen interlocked their fingers, pecking his cheek lightly. Their rings touched closely.
“I love you.”
Huangfu Yuchen’s body trembled slightly as he tightly embraced him. “You fool, I know.”
Yan Ge pushed him away and continued eating the beef. “This beef must have been boiled in water. It’s too tough, like chewing wood. I’ll have to think of a way to improve it when we get back.”
“Then I’ll charge you,” Huangfu Yuchen said solemnly.
Yan Ge burst into laughter.
After finishing their meal, they gave some water to Yan Jin. He was currently asleep, and since they were in the wilderness, they couldn’t feed him liquid food. However, Yan Jin was not an ordinary person, and his body wouldn’t be affected by not eating for a few days.
Feeling full and satisfied, Yan Ge yawned. “I want to take a nap.”
Huangfu Yuchen allowed him to rest his head on his lap. “Sleep peacefully, I’ll keep watch.”
Yan Ge nodded and nestled against his leg, his face buried in Huangfu Yuchen’s abdomen to escape the sunlight. After days of continuous travel, he was indeed fatigued.
Before long, Huangfu Yuchen could discern that Yan Ge’s breathing had become steady, indicating that he had fallen into a deep sleep.
He carefully flattened the bundle and gingerly placed Yan Ge’s head on top, covering his face with a handkerchief to shield him from the light. He then took out a small delicate porcelain bottle from his personal pouch and scattered some insect repellent powder around. With light steps, he walked to the edge of the cliff.
Once he confirmed that he could still see Yan Ge and Yan Jin when he turned around, he stopped and carefully observed the bottom of the valley. The lightning continued to strike with resounding crashes, its formidable force undiminished. Lightning mostly appeared on cloudy and rainy days, but even on clear days, Thunder Valley had such frequent and intense lightning, indicating an unusual reason behind it.
He had a feeling that if he could discover this reason, they would be able to enter the valley successfully. And after observing for a long time, he actually made a discovery.
Every move made by Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen attracted the attention of others. With Yan Ge asleep, the focus of everyone’s attention shifted solely to Huangfu Yuchen. At this moment, some martial artists from the martial world hurried over. When they saw that everyone was looking at Huangfu Yuchen, they also glanced over but couldn’t fathom the reason.
Pei Jinde and the others maintained a tacit understanding and said nothing, lest they attract more opponents.
Huang Shuya exchanged a glance with Pei Jinde, who then got up and walked to Huangfu Yuchen’s side.
Huangfu Yuchen pretended not to notice, his expression calm and inscrutable.
“Master Luo, have you discovered something?” Pei Jinde asked in a hushed tone.
Huangfu Yuchen remained silent. He once again turned his head to ensure that Yan Ge and Yan Jin were still safe, and continued to gaze expressionlessly at the valley below.
Pei Jinde said, “As you’ve mentioned before, we are all citizens of Great Han, descendants of the same ancestors, and in a smaller sense, we are fellow villagers. If you have indeed discovered something, you can trust me and tell me. We can cooperate and enter Thunder Valley together, for there is strength in numbers. Master Luo, does what I say make sense?”
“It does,” Huangfu Yuchen expressed his doubts, “However, when my wife inquired about Thunder Valley earlier, why didn’t I hear you say these words?”
“You’ve misunderstood me and my wife,” Pei Jinde said earnestly, “Those people are all foreigners, and we pretended to keep our distance from you to have the opportunity to collaborate in secret and act at the right time.”
Huangfu Yuchen thought to himself that Pei Jinde truly lived up to his reputation as the “Master of Deception,” as he said both flattering and negative words.
“I have indeed made a discovery. The slope on this side is steeper compared to the other side. If we want to descend to the bottom of the valley, it’s best to go down from the opposite side,” Huangfu Yuchen said.
Pei Jinde was momentarily speechless. Before he could respond, someone from the other side laughed and shouted, “Who’s there? Searching for treasures while carrying a child?”
Worried that they might wake up Yan Ge, Huangfu Yuchen swiftly used his lightness skill and flew over. “The child is feeling unwell, and he’s finally fallen asleep. Please lower your voice.”
Upon hearing this, the young martial artist immediately fell silent, showing an apologetic expression and bowing to Huangfu Yuchen.
Huangfu Yuchen nodded, indicating that there was no need to apologize.
Pei Jinde, who was standing at a distance, was annoyed by the untimely interruption. If only he could have a few more words with Huangfu Yuchen, he was certain he could gather some information.
Author’s note: Foreigners: Referring to people from other kingdoms.
