Chapter 44: Finding a New House
Chapter 44: Finding a New House
Xiao Xia moved in with a new roommate, who was also a third-level warrior. His last name was Gui. When Xiao Xia heard this last name, he thought of Xiao Guizi. He really looked like Xiao Guizi, with a mean look. He would sneakily come to Xiao Xia's window to peek before moving anything into the house.
You can tell with your toes who sent this little Guizi and what he wants to do.
Xiao Xia kicked the door shut with great force, and the strong gust of wind almost knocked Xiao Guizi, who was peeping, over.
It looks like I can’t practice martial arts in the dormitory anymore.
At lunch, Xiao Xia saw that there was no one around, so he asked in a low voice: "Balang, I want to rent a room outside, is there any cheap one?"
Xiao Zhurong completely understood Xiao Xia's difficulties. He didn't want to be spied on while practicing martial arts.
Xiao Zhurong smiled and said, "I have a yard of my own, which is currently vacant and very close to here. I can lend it to you."
"Great, can I stay here for a year?"
"Why do you want to stay here for a year? Are you going to leave Jiangdu after a year?" Xiao Zhurong asked with a sly smile.
Xiao Xia hesitated for a moment and said, "I don't know either. I just feel that by the end of the year, the entire family will undergo a big change, and everyone's fate will change accordingly. Balang, you should also be prepared."
Xiao Zhurong nodded silently and sighed, "You are right. The new wharf is about to be built. If we can't get the quota for the business, the Xiao family will start to go downhill. Half of the people here will leave. The Xiao family can't afford to support so many people."
Xiao Xia tapped the table with her finger and said, "Don't worry about others, just take care of yourself. As long as you are strong, you can have a job anywhere!"
"Thank you!"
Xiao Zhurong added: "But I want to make it clear that my house is only for you to practice martial arts. You must come back to live at night. This is the rule of the Xiao family. Level 3 warriors must live in the Warrior Courtyard. I don't want to break this rule."
"It's okay if I don't come back for a few nights occasionally!"
Xiao Zhurong smiled and shook his head. "It's not a big problem. Sometimes when I'm out on escort missions, don't I often not come back?"
After lunch, Xiao Zhurong, who was always decisive, took Xiao Xia to look at houses.
In fact, Xiao Xia just wanted to find another room to cover the secret room in the south of the city.
"Hachiro, don't tell anyone?"
"Okay! My dad won't know anything either!"
The two of them came to a small street not far away. Xiao Zhurong pointed to a small courtyard with a red-painted roof in front of him and said, "That's the one my father gave me as a gift for my sixteenth birthday!"
Xiao Xia looked at the Warrior Academy which was two hundred meters away. It was really close!
The house is not bad, with four rooms, one of which is locked, probably hiding some of Xiao Zhurong's secrets.
"Don't go into this one, and don't be curious. The other three rooms are enough for you."
Xiao Zhurong gave the key to Xiao Xia. Xiao Xia weighed the key, glanced at the locked room and said with a smile: "You are not hiding a mistress in this golden house, are you?"
"I'm not as boring as you. Don't forget, you have to report to the martial arts gym today. Xiao Qi, don't cause trouble!"
Xiao Xia smiled and gave a military salute, "Captain Xiao, get busy!"
Xiao Zhurong looked at his nonchalant appearance, could only smile bitterly, shook his head, and hurried away.
Xiao Xia walked into the house and looked around. All three rooms were empty. There was nothing in them. The wooden floor was covered with a layer of dust. It would be a good place to practice martial arts, but unfortunately he didn't know how to practice martial arts here.
Xiao Xia picked a few branches from the loquat tree in the yard and used them together as a broom, sweeping the dust in the three rooms to avoid being discovered that they had not been used.
After throwing away the branch, Xiao Xia clapped his hands, made sure that there was no one around, then locked the door and ran towards the south of Jiangdu City.
..........
In a blink of an eye, it was the time agreed with Zhang Jue. Xiao Xia got up at dawn. At this time, he was in a state of breaking obstacles. His eyesight, hearing and various perception abilities were extremely sharp. He wanted the obstacles to disappear, but after sitting at the head of the bed for a long time, the state of breaking obstacles still did not subside.
"Dang!" A light sound came from next door, and Xiao Xia felt annoyed. Xiao Guizi next door was watching him, and he couldn't relax his subconscious vigilance, so the barrier state could not be eliminated.
He had no choice but to get up and go out, carrying all the medicines with him. Who knew if that shifty little Guizi would sneak in and rummage through them?
When he reached the entrance of the mule and horse shop, Xiao Xia suddenly felt that someone was following him. He looked back out of the corner of his eye and saw the light of a rat flashing at the gate of the Samurai Academy.
Xiao Xia sneered and changed his mind. He stopped riding the donkey and stopped a bullock cart and ordered, "Go to the county school!"
The ox cart started slowly, and sure enough, Xiao Guizi followed behind on a donkey. Just as the ox cart turned, Xiao Xia stuffed a handful of copper coins into the driver's pocket, "Go to the South Gate!"
He leapt into the alley and disappeared in an instant.
The ox cart continued to move towards the south city, followed by a silly little Guizi.
Xiao Xia ran back to the mule and horse shop like lightning, rode a donkey to Shugang outside the north city.
..........
In the bamboo forest, Zhang Jue shot bamboo leaves at him one after another like darts, at an extremely fast speed and in extremely tricky angles.
Xiao Xia used his various super-sensory abilities to the extreme. The short sword in his hand glowed coldly, and his figure moved rapidly in the bamboo forest, never missing a target with his sword.
Xiao Xia chopped off ninety-eight bamboo leaves in one breath, which made Zhang Jue a little stunned. You know, it took him fifteen years of martial arts training before he could chop off a hundred bamboo leaves.
How long has Xiao Xia been practicing martial arts?
But he understood it in a flash. Xiao Xia started taking Spring Rain Pills at the age of five. Although he only started practicing martial arts at the age of fifteen, he had accumulated experience for ten years!
This is called accumulation of strength for a sudden burst of energy!
He picked up another handful of bamboo leaves and shouted, "Again! This time two at the same time!"
..........
It was almost noon when they finished their training.
Back in the cabin, Zhang Jue poured him a cup of herbal tea and said with a smile, "If there's no hot water, drink it cold!"
Xiao Xia gulped down the drink, wiped his mouth and said, "Xiao Hu sent a bastard to spy on me. Why?"
"How do you know it was sent by Xiao Hu?"
"Zhu Balang saw him secretly reporting to Xiao Hu yesterday!"
Zhang Jue shook his head. "I don't know why. Maybe he wants to find me through you."
"From the Xiao family's perspective, isn't Uncle Zhang already gone?"
Zhang Jue sneered, "That's Xiao Cong's opinion, Xiao Hu may not agree. He may be afraid that I am spying on his secrets!"
Xiao Xia chuckled, "Uncle Zhang isn't really monitoring him, is he?"
"I don't have that much free time, but there have been many experts coming to Jiangdu recently, they should all have come from Chang'an. I saw a disciple of the Yuan family yesterday, a seventh-rank expert."
"No way! It's only what month now, and the emperor's inspection won't start until the end of the year?"
"Then you are wrong. It's not because of the emperor's inspection, but to compete for the interests of the new dock. Jiangdu will become the world's largest material transfer point. You can imagine how much profit there is. How can those dignitaries in the capital let it go?"
Xiao Xia was not interested. This kind of competition for interests had nothing to do with him. He asked curiously, "How can Uncle Zhang tell at a glance what rank the other person is in martial arts?"
"I can't explain this clearly. You will understand it after practicing for a certain period of time. It can only be understood intuitively, not explained in words."
"Uncle Zhang, I'm leaving first!"
Xiao Xia stood up to say goodbye, and Zhang Jue escorted him out of the hut. He groaned for a moment and said, "I have to go out for a few days. Don't come for the time being. Just stay at the Xiao family."
"When will you come next time?"
"I don't know either. I'll come find you when I get back. Remember! Don't show your barrier-breaking state in public in the next few months. You must keep a low profile."
"I know, I'm still a farm hound and can't go into the forest!"
Xiao Xia smiled and waved, then rode down the mountain on his donkey.
Looking at Xiao Xia's figure going away, a trace of worry flashed in Zhang Jue's eyes. He found that one of his enemies had also appeared in Jiangdu City.
(End of this chapter)