Chapter 119

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Chapter 119: Traveling Far Away

Then, Senior Brother Chang retorted: “Does being part of Huanxi Villa make someone a member of the Piaomiao Sect? Who told you that, He Tianshu?”

He Tianshu was momentarily stunned by the rebuttal, his words hit the nail on the head, making it impossible for him to answer.

Another, younger man interjected: “Senior Brother He, there’s no need to waste your efforts. Our Piaomiao Sect has always been strict about accepting disciples. We were all chosen for our superior aptitude. Though this junior brother may not be the most outstanding among the younger generation, I’m certainly not worse than this Xiaohua. I’ve been studying the medicinal texts from our Hall since I was a child, and even I haven’t found a solution. Does Senior Brother He truly believe he could perform a miracle?”

Senior Brother Chang then added: “If the seeds don’t germinate, no one’s blaming it entirely on you. At worst, you’ll just have to stay at Huanxi Villa for another year.”

He chuckled softly as he finished.

He Tianshu’s face turned dark from what the two of them said.

Standing beside him, Zhang Xiaohua tugged at He Tianshu’s sleeve and whispered: “There’s no need to borrow any books for me, Captain He. The Villa Mistress has already given me more books to read.”

Hearing this, Hall Master Bai’s eyes momentarily flashed with interest before returning to their usual calm. After all, many young heroes in the Piaomiao Sect’s Medicine Hall were better than Zhang Xiaohua. They were all trained from a young age, and when it came to theoretical knowledge, they were a hundred times better than Zhang Xiaohua. Although he was a little surprised by Ou Yan’s attitude towards Zhang Xiaohua, he did not pay much attention to him.

Afterward, Hall Master Bai waved his hand and said: “Stop arguing, all of you. He Tianshu’s intentions were good, but he was too eager for quick results. The rules within the sect must still be followed. It’s better not to lend out these books. Let’s go, let’s take a look at those medicine fields.”

After saying this, he led the way toward a nearby, seemingly barren medicine field.

Elder He followed closely behind, seemingly oblivious to their argument.

Senior Brother Chang and the other junior brother glanced at He Tianshu with smug looks before following along, not even bothering to give Zhang Xiaohua a single glance.

He Tianshu patted Zhang Xiaohua apologetically and quickly followed after them.

Zhang Xiaohua, however, didn’t mind. He had seen such looks many times before and had long since grown accustomed to them. He had his own path to follow, so why should he care about the opinions of others?

Afterward, Zhang Xiaohua continued his work nearby, watching from a distance. The group seemed to be arguing intensely, but neither side managed to convince the other. They only dispersed when it was getting late.

When it was time for dinner, Zhang Xiaohua finally saw He Tianshu, whose face looked extremely sullen.

Zhang Xiaohua sighed to himself, thinking that even flattering people is a skill.

The next few days passed uneventfully, with nothing worth mentioning.

That evening, Zhang Xiaohua was reading his books as usual when He Tianshu walked in, looking utterly exhausted. He said: “Zhang Xiaohua, hurry up and pack your things. We’re going out tomorrow.”

Zhang Xiaohua wasn’t surprised and said: “Alright, Captain He. Why the sudden rush? Why didn’t you mention it during the day?”

He Tianshu forced a bitter smile and said: “I only just got the news. How could I have told you earlier?”

After saying this, he turned to leave, but suddenly stopped and looked back in surprise: “Huh~ Why aren’t you asking where we’re going? It’s like you already knew we’d be going out in advance.”

Zhang Xiaohua smiled and said: “A few days ago, I went to the Villa Mistress to borrow some books and was already given a heads-up. I thought we would have left earlier, but it was delayed for so long that I almost thought I wasn’t going.”

He Tianshu laughed and said: “I see, but it’s as you said, this trip won’t be easy. I heard that our leader was strongly opposed to it, but even he couldn’t withstand the Villa Mistress’s arguments. After several debates, he finally gave in and approved the trip.”

Zhang Xiaohua frowned and asked: “Leader? Who is that?”

He Tianshu replied: “That’s the Sect Master of our Piaomiao Sect, haha, and he’s the Villa Mistress’s elder brother.”

Zhang Xiaohua suddenly understood. No wonder Huanxi Villa is so closely tied to the Piaomiao Sect, they are blood relatives.

Seeing Zhang Xiaohua’s expression, He Tianshu added: “The martial world has always been full of turmoil and bloodshed. The Sect Master is protective of his sister and doesn’t want her to travel far. Originally, Hall Master Bai of our Medicine Hall was supposed to go, but unfortunately, Hall Master Bai has some unresolved grudges with the person the Villa Mistress is visiting. So it wasn’t appropriate for not only our Hall Master but also for anyone from the Medicine Hall to go. Since the medicinal herbs were grown at Huanxi Villa, the Villa Mistress felt she hadn’t fulfilled her responsibility and insisted on going. Also, let me tell you something.”

He Tianshu spoke with a mysterious expression.

Zhang Xiaohua was startled and said: “It’s not some big secret, is it, Captain He? If it is, you’d better not tell me, I need to protect my own life.”

He Tianshu jokingly scolded: “What dangerous secrets could I possibly have? Even if I wanted to know, I wouldn’t have the connections or sources.”

Then, with a face full of admiration, he said: “Our Villa Mistress is a highly learned person with deep knowledge in many areas. Her research into medicinal herbs is no less impressive than that of our Hall Master. This is one of the reasons she’s going south.”

Zhang Xiaohua didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “What kind of secret is that? I already knew that.”

He Tianshu, disbelieving, asked: “How could you know that? Even most people in the villa are unaware.”

Zhang Xiaohua picked up the book he had been reading from the bedside and handed it to He Tianshu, saying: “Take a look, and you’ll understand.”

He Tianshu opened the book and was stunned. As he read, he shook his head and muttered: “Impressive, impressive, very insightful.”

After finishing, he turned to Zhang Xiaohua and said: “Brother Xiaohua, aren’t we good brothers?”

Seeing He Tianshu’s ambiguous smile, goosebumps suddenly appeared on Zhang Xiaohua’s body, and a bad feeling rose from the bottom of his heart. He cautiously asked: “Captain He, you’re my teacher. How dare I consider us brothers? Is there something you need?”

He Tianshu laughed and said: “Forget about the teacher-student stuff. From today on, you’re my little brother. If you need anything, just tell me, your big brother will definitely help you. Haha!”

Zhang Xiaohua became even more certain that He Tianshu was like a weasel paying a New Year’s visit to a chicken, up to no good. He cautiously asked: “So, what is it that you need, Big Brother He?”

He Tianshu awkwardly said: “Well, little brother, could you let me borrow those books as well?”

As he spoke, he sheepishly pointed at the large pile of books on the table.

Zhang Xiaohua suddenly understood, his eyes darting as he replied: “There shouldn’t be any problem with that, but without the Villa Mistress’s permission, it might not be appropriate.”

He Tianshu looked a bit disappointed, so Zhang Xiaohua then added; “Aren’t we heading south together tomorrow? I’ll bring these books with me, and since we’ll be together, you can read them too. When we have the opportunity on the road, I’ll ask the Villa Mistress for permission. Since we all have a desire to learn, I’m sure the Villa Mistress will agree.”

He Tianshu was overjoyed at this and reluctantly returned the book he was holding to Zhang Xiaohua.

Seeing He Tianshu’s reaction, Zhang Xiaohua couldn’t help but feel a sense of shared understanding. He casually spread out a sheet of blank paper on the table, picked up a brush with his left hand, and with practiced ease, wrote a few large characters on it. He Tianshu, upon seeing this, clapped his hands in approval and said: “Not bad! This is exactly how we scholars should behave.”

Sunlight streamed through the window, making the words on the paper shine brightly. The inscription read: “No criticism, no reading!”

In truth, many of the books that Ou Yan lent to Zhang Xiaohua were probably ones that He Tianshu had already read. However, what mattered to He Tianshu wasn’t the books themselves but the annotations that Ou Yan had made on the books. These notes reflected Ou Yan’s learning methods, and if He Tianshu could learn from these, it would greatly benefit his own studies and help him advance within the Medicine Hall.

But how could Zhang Xiaohua know any of this? He secretly looked down on He Tianshu in his heart, thinking how ridiculous it was for someone from the esteemed Piaomiao Sect’s Medicine Hall to not have read these books and yet compete with him for them.

After He Tianshu left, Zhang Xiaohua quickly packed his belongings. He also took out the package he had brought from the inner courtyard that day and stuffed all the books from the table into it. He had heard that this trip would last several months, so by the time they returned, he would likely have finished reading all of them.

Looking at the large bundle on the table, along with the smaller one containing his personal items, Zhang Xiaohua couldn’t help but laugh.

As the night deepened, Zhang Xiaohua lay on the bed, still pondering He Tianshu’s instructions before leaving: “Don’t tell anyone about tomorrow’s trip. I’ll come to get you early in the morning, and we’ll leave quietly.”

Zhang Xiaohua was puzzled. Why all the secrecy for a simple outing? It wasn’t as if they were trying to evade debt collectors.

Moreover, he didn’t have any particularly close friends at the villa, so who would he even tell?

What Zhang Xiaohua didn’t know was that in the deep night, a figure quietly emerged from the villa’s inner courtyard. The person moved stealthily to the edge of a wooded area, carefully looked around, and then placed a small piece of paper in a specific spot on a large tree before silently leaving. The person’s figure suggested it was a woman.

The next morning, Zhang Xiaohua woke up early. After finishing his martial arts and sword practice, he returned to his room to wait for He Tianshu. Not long after he returned, a young servant dressed in blue quietly made his way to the wooded area. He approached the tree where the woman had hidden the paper the night before, retrieved it, and carefully read it. Frowning slightly, he tucked the note into his clothes, glanced around cautiously, and then quietly left.

Zhang Xiaohua was back in his room when, not long after, He Tianshu arrived, carrying a bundle on his back. Seeing Zhang Xiaohua holding a small bundle in one hand and a large one in the other, He Tianshu couldn’t help but laugh: “Why are you carrying so much stuff? What’s all this?”

Zhang Xiaohua innocently replied: “Aren’t you the one who wanted to read? I brought these books for you.”

He Tianshu didn’t know whether to laugh or cry and said: “You didn’t have to bring so many. How many can I read?”

“But can’t I read them too?” Zhang Xiaohua winked as he spoke.

He Tianshu, feeling helpless, said: “Alright, let’s get going.”

As he spoke, he reached out to help Zhang Xiaohua with the large bundle, but Zhang Xiaohua couldn’t let him do that, so he naturally refused. He Tianshu said: “If people see a little kid like you carrying two bundles while walking with me, they’ll surely talk about me. Especially since everyone knows us, it’s even more important not to give them a reason to laugh.”

After thinking for a moment, Zhang Xiaohua handed the small bundle in his right hand to He Tianshu and said: “Then help me carry this one. No one will say anything about that.”

He Tianshu reluctantly accepted it and urged Zhang Xiaohua to hurry out of the room.

The two of them, carrying their bundles, left through the outer gate and followed the path toward the woods. Before long, they arrived at another courtyard gate.

As they walked through the courtyard gate, they entered a large courtyard, where four horse-drawn carriages were parked in the center.

The courtyard was bustling with people going about their tasks, but when Zhang Xiaohua entered, the first thing that caught his eye was a large man standing in front of the first carriage.

This man was a head taller than most people, with a massive build and bare arms that revealed strong muscles. He stood there silently, like an iron tower, unaffected by the bustling activity around him. His presence was so commanding that he drew everyone’s attention, and apart from Zhang Xiaohua, everyone who looked at him did so with admiration and awe.

Zhang Xiaohua noticed the expression on He Tianshu’s face and carefully tugged at his sleeve, asking: “Who is that? Is he your leader?”

He Tianshu shook off his sleeve and whispered: “Zhang Xiaohua, don’t talk nonsense. That’s Shi Niu, the strongest warrior in our Piaomiao Sect. His skills in external martial arts are very formidable. It’s said that he has several thousand jin of strength on each arm, much stronger than you.”

“Ah~ A few thousand jin!” Zhang Xiaohua’s eyes sparkled with admiration.

Although he felt the urge to approach and get to know Shi Niu, seeing how everyone kept their distance from him, and that He Tianshu didn’t go up to greet him, Zhang Xiaohua didn’t dare to either.

At that moment, Qiu Tong came out carrying some items. She saw the large bundle in Zhang Xiaohua’s hand and couldn’t help but smile in exasperation, chiding him: “Xiaohua, we’re not going on a vacation. Why are you carrying such a big bundle? Could it be the books I gave you last time? I remember they were quite heavy. Aren’t you worried about crushing the carriage with it?”

Qiu Tong’s voice was loud enough to catch Shi Niu’s attention. When he saw Zhang Xiaohua holding the large bundle in his left hand effortlessly, his eyes couldn’t help but widen in surprise.

Zhang Xiaohua, feeling a bit embarrassed by Qiutong’s words, replied sheepishly: “Big Sister, didn’t you say that you were gone for several months last time? I thought I’d take advantage of the time to read all these books, so I brought them with me.”

Both Qiu Tong and Shi Niu were taken aback by this.

Qiu Tong, knowing how many books she had given him last time, was stunned. She thought to herself: “Even if he reads one book every three days, it’s unlikely he’ll finish them all. And reading a book every three days, how could he fully understand them?”

Shi Niu, realizing the bundle was filled with books, was also surprised. Seeing this young child casually holding such a heavy bundle with one hand was no small feat. While it might not compare to his own strength back in the day, it wasn’t far off. Whose disciple was this child?

Qiu Tong then said: “Alright, go ahead and put your bundle in the last carriage. But remember, reading requires serious attention. If you just skim through them, it’s meaningless and would waste the Villa Mistress’s good intentions.”

Zhang Xiaohua smiled and replied: “Don’t worry, Big Sister. I know what I’m doing.”

After speaking, Zhang Xiaohua followed He Tianshu to the last carriage. The carriage was quite spacious, even more so than the ones Zhang Xiaohua had previously been in. It had a space that resembled bookshelves, likely for storing items. Zhang Xiaohua opened the bundle, took out some books, and placed them inside. He then set the bundle aside. He Tianshu threw both his and Zhang Xiaohua’s smaller bundles into the carriage before stepping back out.

As Zhang Xiaohua finished tidying up and stepped down from the carriage, he noticed that there were fewer people in the courtyard. Most seemed to have finished their preparations. At that moment, Zhang Xiaohua felt someone watching him. When he turned around, it was the burly man, Shi Niu. Zhang Xiaohua nodded and smiled at him, intending to approach and start a conversation. Just then, a group of people emerged from a small gate in the courtyard, led by Ou Yan, the Villa Mistress.

Following Ou Yan was Great Aunt Qin, the woman with a very special figure that Zhang Xiaohua had seen in the inner courtyard. What made her stand out was that she was followed by several young women all of whom were very attractive. All were dressed in tight-fitting outfits with swords at their waists. They looked spirited and heroic, so much so that even Zhang Xiaohua, at his age, couldn’t help but take a few more glances.

In such an atmosphere, how could Great Aunt Qin not stand out?

However, Great Aunt Qin remained composed. As she descended the steps with Ou Yan, the young women kept their distance, their expressions respectful.

Ou Yan approached Shi Niu and greeted him with a smile: “Shi Niu, you’ve been here for a while, haven’t you?”

Shi Niu replied in his simple, earnest manner: “Good morning, Villa Mistress. Not too early, just arrived half an hour ago.”

Ou Yan responded: “I’ll thank you for your hard work on the journey.”

Shi Niu said: “It’s nothing. Sect Master instructed me to ensure Villa Mistress’s safety. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be allowed to drink when I return.”

Ou Yan smiled gently, then looked around and asked Qiu Tong, who had walked over: “Is everything ready?”

Qiu Tong answered softly, “Yes, miss, everything is prepared.”

Ou Yan nodded in satisfaction and said: “Then let’s set off. The journey is long, so the sooner we leave, the sooner we’ll return.”

With that, she climbed into the first carriage with Qiu Tong’s assistance.

Subsequently, Great Aunt Qin and Qiu Tong boarded the first carriage, while the remaining female disciples took the second one. Zhang Xiaohua and He Tianshu, along with the rest of the group, took the last two carriages.

Once everyone was aboard, Shi Niu climbed into the first carriage, picked up the whip, shouted, and drove the carriage out of the courtyard. The other drivers followed suit.

Thus, Zhang Xiaohua’s journey south officially began.

Not long after Ou Yan and her party’s carriages left the villa, several servants in blue clothing took their leave and exited the Huanxi Villa. When they reached Pingyang City, they scattered. One of them went to a general store, the same servant who had retrieved the note from the forest in the morning. Soon after, this servant bought something and blended into the crowd, disappearing from sight.

Thus, news of Ou Yan’s departure was quietly uncovered by those with ulterior motives, but their intentions remained unclear.

However, none of this concerned Zhang Xiaohua.

Sitting curiously in the carriage, Zhang Xiaohua gazed eagerly at the changing scenery outside.

Although Lu Town was situated to the south of Pingyang City, it was slightly to the west. Ou Yan’s destination for this southern journey, however, was towards the east. Therefore, upon leaving the villa, they did not head toward Pingyang City but instead took a small path heading east towards the main road.

It was now late autumn, and everything was beginning to wither. The crops in the fields had already been harvested, leaving the fields empty and visible for miles. The terrain near Pingyang City was similar to Lu Town, with many hills and undulating terrain. The hills were still dotted with wild fruits and grasses, and one could occasionally see rural folk carrying small baskets or herding flocks of sheep up and down the slopes. Naturally, Zhang Xiaohua felt a pang of nostalgia, thinking of his hometown and his parents.

It had been almost a year since he last saw them. How were they faring in the distance?