area51novel Chapter 23 Pets resemble their owners; not one of them is decent!
Chapter 23 Pets resemble their owners; not one of them is decent!
"I departed from Baidi City amidst the colorful clouds of dawn!"
Returning to Jiangling, a thousand miles away, in a single day!
The cries of monkeys on both banks could not be stopped!
The light boat has passed ten thousand mountains!
Unfortunately, we came from the north on horseback, so we couldn't see the magnificent scenery of the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River, nor hear the mournful cry of the monkeys that brings tears to our eyes... Alas!
Xu Qingya sipped his wine and recited poetry, feigning melancholy and deep contemplation. The wine jerked violently, nearly knocking Xu Qingya off his feet.
It wasn't that Xu Qingya was bad at riding, but rather that Lao Jiu was a spirited steed that understood human nature, running fast and steadily, traversing mountains, streams, dangerous shoals, and deserts as if walking on flat ground.
Without needing to actively control it, Lao Jiu can take Xu Qingya all over the world. However, there is one thing: as a horse of noble lineage, Lao Jiu has its own dignity!
When Lao Jiu is by his side, Xu Qingya cannot ride any other mount or take a carriage; otherwise, Lao Jiu will feel that his dignity has been offended and will challenge him to a duel.
Although there were no other mounts available, Xu Qingya lamented that traveling by horse was not as pleasant as traveling by boat. Old Jiu felt a bit annoyed and couldn't help but kick up his heels in frustration.
Xu Qingya spent a long time calming him down, feeding Lao Jiu all the fine wine from the Life-Chasing Wine Gourd, and promising to find Lao Jiu a few mares. Only then did Lao Jiu stop causing trouble.
Zhui Ming sighed and lamented the loss of the fine wine.
Qin Nanqin watched the play with a smile.
Liu Qingci was very interested: "Xu Qingya, your horse is quite nice! How about we make a deal? My Zhaoye Jade Lion is a mare, could we breed with her?"
Old wine is like a young horse.
In fact, most mounts are mares or foals. Young horses are too bad-tempered and not suitable for riding, especially during their mating season, when they are easily lured away by herds of wild horses.
Fine horses of this caliber, like aged wine, are generally not used as mounts, but rather for breeding, to pass on their superior bloodlines, or to crossbreed new varieties.
Xu Qingya considered Lao Jiu a companion, so he wouldn't do anything to spoil the mood. Upon hearing Liu Qingci's words, Lao Jiu raised his head and stared intently at the jade lion.
From a human aesthetic point of view, the old wine has excellent lineage but is extremely ugly, while the jade lion has a lineage that is slightly inferior to the old wine, but its appearance is hundreds of times better.
Most importantly, the jade lion is absolutely beautiful from both a human and animal perspective. Old Jiu swayed his mane and moved closer to the jade lion.
"Pfft~~ Slurp slurp~~"
The jade lion roared incessantly!
Old Jiu roared a few times, his hair visibly becoming shiny, and he raised his head, his mane standing on end like a lion's, his muscles bursting forth.
The next second, Lao Jiu and Yu Shizi started a race at lightning speed, leaving Xu Qingya and Liu Qingci behind, speechless as they looked at each other.
Xu Qingya: What nonsense are you suggesting?
Liu Qingci: A horse follows its master! You bastard!
As a king among horses, comparable to Red Hare, Lao Jiu is not fast, but its advantage is endurance. It is the most hardworking and can withstand all kinds of harsh environments.
Within a distance of 300 li, Lao Jiu's speed is slightly slower than Yu Shi Zi's; within 500 li, they are neck and neck; and if they run more than 800 li, even Chi Tu would be overtaken.
Two horses galloped around the woods, and Xu Qingya and the others set up camp on the spot. Qin Nanqin went to fetch water, and Xu Qingya took out the "instant noodles" made by Master Lei.
People from all walks of life often live outdoors, and roasting dry food over a fire is a common occurrence, which can easily lead to stomach problems.
Stomach problems are among the most difficult to cure.
It can go on and on, with ups and downs. If you're not careful with your diet, you might get diarrhea for a few days, or even have to take sick leave to see a doctor and rest for at least ten days to half a month.
From a martial arts perspective, damage to the spleen and stomach leads to an imbalance of the five elements in the body. The Hand Yangming Large Intestine Meridian, the Hand Taiyang Small Intestine Meridian, and the Foot Yangming Stomach Meridian are all damaged to varying degrees, preventing the formation of a complete circulation of true qi.
As a chef specializing in Northeastern cuisine, with two spirit pets, Doubao'er and Tangdun'er, and with Master Lei's specially made camping noodles, Xu Qingya and Qin Nanqin quickly made a large pot of soup noodles, steaming hot.
Zhuiming drank a bowl of noodle soup, feeling the warmth in his stomach, and rubbed his belly contentedly: "Eating hot noodle soup in the wild is better than being a god!"
Liu Qingci said, "These noodles are excellent! Which chef made them? Would you like to become a royal chef?"
Xu Qingya waved his hand: "Master Lei is just an ordinary noodle shop owner. He likes making noodles and hopes to have a warm home with his wife and children. He can't be an imperial chef."
"What a pity!"
"It's difficult for others to get noodles, but if Young Master Liu wants noodles, I can make them for you anytime!"
"Something feels off!"
Liu Qingci pursed her lips, feeling that Xu Qingya's words were not serious, but she couldn't quite put her finger on why.
Qin Nanqin didn't understand either.
Zhuiming turned his back and secretly gave Xu Qingya a thumbs up. "Brother, you're really not afraid of death! If she finds out, I definitely can't save you. I can only send you some goji berries and chives during holidays!"
To prevent Xu Qingya from being exploited to death, Zhui Ming subtly changed the subject: "Brother Xu, where will we look for treasure after we arrive in Jiangling?"
Xu Qingya said, "That's simple! Wan Zhenshan is a wealthy local tycoon in Jiangling. He's holding a disciple-acceptance ceremony soon, and once he has eight disciples, I'll challenge him. Brother Cui will watch from the sidelines and analyze the names of the moves!"
Liu Qingci pointed to himself: "Xu Qingya, you and Lao San analyze the moves and poems, I'll challenge him. I've heard that Changge Sect's kung fu is the most elegant, a poem followed by a sword move, it's really something to look forward to!"
Xu Qingya said, "Absolutely not! Wan Zhenshan is physically weak and can't withstand more than a few punches and kicks. If you cripple him with one punch, how am I supposed to analyze the sword technique?"
Liu Qingci asked, "Then what should we do? Are you asking me to analyze poetry? Don't be ridiculous! I've had a headache ever since I was a child just looking at poetry and books; it drove away more than a dozen great Confucian scholars!"
Qin Nanqin said softly, "Young Master, according to the intelligence from Jiangling, the sword techniques that Wan Zhenshan taught his disciples have been scrambled in order. Apart from Wan Zhenshan himself, no one knows the correct order of the Liancheng Sword Technique!"
Zhui Ming said, "Wan Zhenshan might hide things from his disciples, but surely he wouldn't hide them from his own son? I heard his son is of martial arts age; does that mean Wan Zhenshan taught his son swordsmanship in a completely different order?"
Qin Nanqin sighed, "Third Master, it's hard for children to hide their thoughts. If we teach Wan Gui the correct swordsmanship, it will definitely be noticed when the disciples practice. To keep this a secret, we have no choice but to keep it from our own son!"
Liu Qingci angrily exclaimed, "What a scoundrel!"
Xu Qingya thought to himself that Mei Niansheng's lineage was all about the ability to deceive their disciples. Mei Niansheng added crooked moves to the sword technique, Wan Zhenshan disrupted the order, and Qi Changfa was the one who perfected it all, creating the "Lying Corpse Sword Technique"!
Zhui Ming analyzed: "Since that's the case, why not lure the snake out of its hole? The three Wan Zhenshan brothers must be paying close attention to news about the Liancheng Treasure day and night. They should know that Ding Dian presented the Liancheng Manual to the imperial court!"
Let's slow down our journey, enjoy the scenery along the way, sightsee, relax, and at the same time, let someone spread the message as far as possible.
They betrayed their master for the sake of the treasure, even keeping it a secret from their own son. How could they possibly stand by and watch the imperial court take the treasure away? They will definitely take some action.
As long as they take action, they have a chance!
Wan Zhenshan, Yan Daping, and Qi Changfa were captured and interrogated separately. They were unlikely to trust each other, and sooner or later, they would inevitably confess.
My reputation in the martial arts world is quite high, so I'll be responsible for attracting attention in the open. I'll deal with Wan Zhenshan, Qingya will deal with Qi Changfa, and Yan Daping will be left to Young Master Liu!
Hey!
The old wine and the jade lion raced against each other, making us wait here all day, but that actually helped us!
Qin Nanqin smiled and said, "Third Master truly lives up to his reputation as a brilliant detective."
Liu Qingci narrowed her eyes: "I just want to fight all three of them, crush their bones, and see if their hearts are as black as coal!"
"Awoo~~"
Doubao let out two soft cries, indicating that even I wouldn't eat the sweetheart of Wan Zhenshan's fellow disciples!
"Squeak squeak squeak~~"
The sugar doll, which had been hovering in the air, flew down and gently pecked Xu Qingya's ear twice. It then spread its wings and fluttered back and forth before finally pointing at Liu Qingci.
Liu Qingci: "What does this mean?"
Xu Qingya explained, "Tang Dun'er saw five people arrive here, and the one in the lead was a woman disguised as a man!"
"You can even see that?"
Liu Qingci looked on in surprise.
"You can understand bird language?"
Zhuiming stared wide-eyed in surprise.
"That's clearly my bird~~"
Qin Nanqin looked at Tang Dun'er with resentment.
Xu Qingya winked at Qin Nanqin: "I'll borrow your little red bird, but I'll return it to you sooner or later! I'll keep track of all the interest, and pay it back with interest!"
Tangdun chattered excitedly, then showed off her skills in mid-air, sometimes diving, sometimes flipping, spinning around a few times until she herself got dizzy.
"Clatter!"
Xu Qingya caught the dizzy sugar cube.
Liu Qingci curiously leaned closer: "Xu Qingya, let me play with your bird! Your bird is really interesting; it can even do a backflip and make itself dizzy!"
Upon hearing this, Zhuiming dashed off into the depths of the woods, indicating that his inner energy was about to leak out and he needed to choose a large tree pit as a place for the Five Grains Reincarnation.
I really can't listen to this anymore.
If word gets to the emperor's ears someday, Xu Qingya's death would be no loss, but Old Cui doesn't want to be buried with him!
There are only four people here, who would spread the word?
Of course, it's Liu Qingci himself!
Liu Qingci and Liu Dinghuan were inseparable!
Xu Qingya shrank back, worried that the emperor would send 100,000 imperial guards to invite him to the palace to perform a backflip. If he didn't do a good backflip, he would be exiled to Lingnan.
Xu Qingya handed the candied fruit to Liu Qingci.
Qin Nanqin was holding Doubao and petting the dog.
The aged wine is racing against the jade lion.
With nothing else to do, Xu Qingya added some noodles to the iron pot, intending to have some soup to soothe his palate.
Just then, the sound of horses' hooves came.
The leader had skin as white as snow. Looking at her appearance, her cheeks were slightly thin, her eyebrows were arched and her nose was straight. When she smiled, a shallow dimple appeared on her left cheek. From a distance, she looked like a dashing and handsome young man, but upon closer inspection, it became clear that she was a woman.
If Liu Qingci's disguise as a man gives people the feeling of charm and heroism, then this person's temperament can only be described as bewitching. Without even asking her name, one can tell from her temperament that she is a demonic witch.
"Gentlemen, we've been traveling for a long time, and the wind and fog are strong. We're feeling a bit cold. Could we please have a bowl of noodle soup?"
The enchantress dismounted gracefully, and her demeanor was now completely devoid of any seductive charm, except for her sharp eyebrows and hawk-like eyes.
Xu Qingya said, "It is fate that we meet! It is also fate that we met in the wilderness. We should be sitting together. My name is Xu Qingya. May I ask your honorable name, young lady?"
"My name is... Yin Susu!"
"Wow~ What a great name!"