Chapter 243: The River Flows East, Peach Blossoms Bloom

Chapter 243: The River Flows East, Peach Blossoms Bloom

Chapter 243: The River Flows East, Peach Blossoms Bloom

"Hey~"

In front of Yunwu Villa, Rouge Horse heard her master's whistle and trotted over from the stable. The horseshoes struck the stone pavement with crisp, short sounds, breaking the dawn sky.

Zhao Xia walked out of the door quickly.

"Which direction did he go?"

The gatekeeper saw the village chief coming out with his hair loose and still untied. He was stunned for a moment before saying, "Reporting to the village chief, it seems to be...to the west."

Zhao Xiafei mounted the horse, clamped his legs around the horse's belly, lifted its hooves into the air, let out a long cry, and a white shadow galloped towards the west city gate.

The disciples guarding the gate looked at each other in surprise.

"He didn't brag, he really knows the village chief..."

On the Fengyu Hall, there were four wooden boxes filled with gold, silver, jewelry, and a bunch of brambles.

Liu Dachui paced back and forth, slapping his forehead in regret.

"Brother Yuan, why didn't you persuade me before?"

"what?"

Yuan Dingjia was still in a daze. A lot of things happened this morning. The originally hostile Ji Qianhu came to his door to apologize before dawn and brought the news that Zhong Zhen and Le Hou had been killed.

Qingfeng Village was immediately out of danger.

"The man who killed the two guards of Songshan Sect should be the same person who came to our door last night."

Liu Dachui knew that Yuan Dingjia entered the village late, so he was not very clear about some past events.

Even I had no impression of the words 'Master of the Bamboo Tower' when I first heard them last night. Back when I was in Qingfeng Village, Master Zhang cut bamboo into wood and built a small tower, where he lived in seclusion all day long to practice martial arts. Only the young leader was allowed to enter the tower to serve him.

When Zhao Xia heard that the owner of the bamboo building came to visit him, and thought of the murder of the master of Songshan School, he immediately thought that Zhang Yu had returned to Pingyang City.

"The village chief couldn't find him, so he will definitely blame me when he comes back."

Yuan Dingjia couldn't help but ask: "Who is the owner of the bamboo building?"

Liu Dachui looked at the plaque with the words "Feng Yutang" in the hall.

"Master of the Great Village!"

"So it's him, no wonder he looks so imposing."

Yuan Dingjia recalled that when they were drinking, Chen Wu and Liao Quan told him that Qingfeng Village originally had a village chief named Zhang, who was highly skilled in martial arts and had extraordinary wisdom. He led his people to create the foundation of Yunwu Mountain...

Twenty miles west of Pingyang City, and then one hundred and eighty miles south, there is the Pudeng River.

Zhao Xia asked along the way and found this place based on vague and specious information. It was already past noon.

The clear yellow river ahead is very silty and is silted up most of the year. But now is the flood season and large boats can pass through.

There were several flat-bottomed boats with a capacity of thousands of stones docked on the shore. Sailors with Jin accents shouted slogans, pulled ropes, and raised several large sails from each ship. They slowly sailed away from the shore and headed southeast.

There was no one on the pier.

Zhao Xia slowed down the horse, which had been galloping for half a day, and then lowered his head to nibble on the grass by the roadside.

She looked at the gradually disappearing sail, sighed softly, and felt relieved. She had come to this place relying on luck. There were many things in the martial arts world that were beyond one's control. Perhaps the two of them had already gone in different directions.

To the east of the Pudeng River Wharf, there is a peach blossom forest. The Rouge Horse was nibbling on the grass and gradually walked into the forest. Suddenly, it raised its head, sniffed the air, and then ran eagerly.

About two or three miles later, Zhao Xia saw a majestic horse with snow-white fur all over its body. It raised its head and ate peach blossoms on the tree. Its eyes were bright, as if it understood human nature. It looked warily at the rouge horse that broke in.

"grown ups!"

Zhang Yu was sitting under a peach tree, slowly putting down the cowhide sword manual in his hand. When he saw the woman, he couldn't help but smile and asked, "How did you know I was here?"

"grown ups……"

Zhao Xia dismounted, walked in front of him, and knelt on one knee. He had a thousand words in his heart, but he couldn't say them. All the words were stuck in his throat. He felt his nose slightly sour, as if he had been punched hard, and tears welled up in his eyes.

"You have been the village chief for several years, commanding the whole area, and your orders are carried out by the whole prefecture. Why are you still acting like this?"

Zhang Yu placed the sword manual on the ground covered with peach blossoms and helped her up. Seeing that Zhao Xia's hair was disheveled, he guessed that it was not easy for her to come all the way from Pingyang and she must have not had any food or water, so he took out some water and sesame cakes from his bag.

Zhao Xia remembered that he also ate sesame cakes when they first met, and couldn't help but smile: "My lord, you still carry sesame cakes with you, and they are cold."

Zhang Yu smiled and said, "You are lucky. The ships were full of cargo and there was no space for the mount. That's why I am waiting for the next ship. Otherwise, you wouldn't be able to eat this cold pancake."

In the peach blossom forest, the rouge horse gradually approached and gently sniffed the other's scent. The Zhaoye Jade Lion raised its head proudly, snorted, walked forward, changed to another tree, and continued to chew the peach blossoms on the tree.

Zhao Xia ate the sesame cake and asked, "Where are you going, sir?"

"The Jianghu in the South has not been peaceful in recent years. Several old friends have been dragged into the turmoil. No matter what, I have to go there and do my best to save as many people as I can."

Zhao Xia asked in a low voice: "Old friend? Is there that girl?"

"It was Qu Yang, the Right Envoy of Light. He saved me and was my teacher in music. Because of something, he was labeled a traitor by the Divine Religion and his life is in danger. They were both peaceful and kind-hearted people, so they should not have ended up like this."

"So Right Envoy Qu has such a connection with you. If so, I will gather the brothers from Qingfeng Village to escort you south."

Zhang Yu shook his head and said, "Master Qu is a traitor to the Divine Religion. I went south this time to find an excuse. I want to do it in secret so that no one can know."

"I see. No wonder you didn't reveal your true identity when you passed by Pingyang. I almost..."

As the two were talking, they suddenly heard a strange sound.

"Hmph, hmph..."

"Whoosh..."

In the woods, the Jade Lion Zhaoye finally realized that there were things in the world that were more delicious than peach blossoms, and was trying hard to stab the red colt.

"Whoosh..."

Although a closer look at the cause showed that it was the Rouge Horse that started the war, it was no match for the alien species from the Western Regions. The other side was strong and its hooves went weak, and it wanted to kneel down several times but it forced itself to fight back.

No matter how hard the path you choose is, you have to eat it while standing!
Zhao Xia's cheeks were flushed, and even though she didn't practice the Blood Evil Technique, her face was truly as red as a peach.

Zhang Yu thought to himself, "This beast doesn't even know how to avoid people."

The two were about to say something, but were always interrupted by the "grunt" and "grunt" sounds, which was really awkward.

"God is fair. The way of nature is to take away the surplus and make up for the deficiency."

Zhang Yu practiced Bei Ming Divine Art to the third level but encountered a bottleneck. He took a lot of Taoist classics on this trip to the south, hoping to achieve a breakthrough by analogy. By chance, he also got a copy of "A Hundred Charms of Joy" from Yin Yang Master Le Hou. After studying for these days, he gained an understanding of the Taoist gains and losses of yin and yang, conversions of size, and changes of strength and weakness.

Zhang Yu was thinking about the profound principles of Taoism in his mind, and seeing the actual examples before his eyes, he had some new insights into the Bei Ming Divine Art, and he nodded slightly.

"grown ups?"

Zhao Xia saw that Zhang Yu was so absorbed in watching that he nodded from time to time, and her face immediately turned red. The two of them sat on the ground covered with peach blossoms, and the fragrance filled the air. They were so close that they could almost feel each other's breath.

She lowered her brows and pondered for a moment, finally made up her mind, suddenly stretched out her arms, hugged the man's waist, and buried her head in his chest.

Zhang Yu felt warm and soft, and seeing her act so bold, he couldn't help but ask in surprise, "Zhao Xia?"

The woman seemed to be afraid that he would push her away, so she hugged him tighter with her arms. She was naturally strong and had practiced the Blood Evil Sutra, so her strength exceeded that of an ordinary person. Whether intentionally or unintentionally, she was using her internal strength. An ordinary man would surely be out of breath if he tightened his grip on her like that.

The woman's voice was very thin, like a mosquito, almost inaudible.

"You call me Xiao Xia."

Zhao Xia still didn't want to raise her head, but the blush on her cheeks spread across her hair at a speed visible to the naked eye, gradually dissipating and climbing up to her ears and the back of her neck, like peach blossom petals dotted on her snow-white skin.
"Xiao Xia."

Zhang Yu sighed lightly and couldn't help laughing. The woman in his arms was not inferior to him in stature. This Miss Zhao was usually quiet and looked like a taciturn person, but she had a strong self-esteem. She was so direct and it was obvious that she had made up her mind.

"Dong dong!"

The sound of bells was heard.

At the Puhe Wharf a few miles away, the old ferry official rang the ferry bell, and another boat was approaching.

"Xiao Xia, let me give you a gift."

"Ah."

Zhao Xia agreed without hesitation and very quickly.

She remembered the training of the Zhaoye Jade Lion in the forest just now. Thinking about it now was really scary, but Xiaohong didn't seem to think so.

"My lord, I'm not afraid!"

Zhao Xia's voice was trembling but firm. Seeing that Zhang Yu did not move, he thought that he did not hear what he said, so he gave a more clear response. At the same time, he slightly dispersed his strength and loosened his arms around the man's waist to make it easier for him to display his skills.

Two horses, one red and one white, stood in the woods. They had finished and were nibbling on the grass to replenish their lost energy. The rouge colt was very considerate and deliberately lagged behind the Zhaoye Jade Lion by half a horse's head, giving the most juicy and fresh young leaves to her lover.

Zhang Yu picked up the waterfall-like black hair, put his five fingers into it, and slowly combed it. The originally messy hair soon turned into long and smooth black hair. He skillfully tied the long hair into a bun.

He took out a jade hairpin from his bosom.

"I originally intended to give this hairpin to you, but I almost missed it. Fortunately... it has now been returned to its original owner."

Zhao Xia raised her head quietly: "So the master wants to give me a hairpin?"

"Otherwise, what do you think it is?"

"I thought it was..."

Zhao Xia lay in Zhang Yu's arms, but she was too embarrassed to say it out loud. She had never had sex before, and the boudoir was private, and there was no adult female elder to teach her. She just felt that it had happened, which meant that she had confirmed the other person's identity, but... this jade hairpin seemed to have the same meaning.

The tail ornament of the jade hairpin was carved with a strange beast with a human face and tiger stripes, and wings on its back. Its name was Yingzhao, and it was originally a deity in charge of the garden of the Emperor of Heaven.

Hairpins are placed in the temples.

Zhao Xia sat up, the blush still on her face.

"Sir, do you think I... am pretty?"

"Xiao Xia is naturally pretty."

She whispered, "I thought you thought... I was too tall and not as good as others..."

"I never felt that you were inferior to others."

"Then why did you...why did you only give me the jade hairpin?"

Zhang Yu naturally understood Zhao Xia's intentions.

However, this place is open-air and close to the pier, so caravans and passengers pass by from time to time. Besides, even if there is no one here, there are still four big blinking eyes looking over here from time to time. I can't just ignore them for the sake of momentary desire.

To be honest, he had other hesitations in his mind.

A girl like Zhao Xia who is affectionate and righteous is different from Concubine Wan.

There was originally only desire but no emotion between him and Wan Zhen'er. Both sides got what they wanted, and there was no question of who owed the other. If there was anyone who suffered a loss, it was him... because of his kidneys.

Facing Zhao Xia, he has to bear a heavy debt of love.

Zhang Yu was just a quasi-second-rate master. Although he was not a small shrimp in the martial arts world, in the eyes of Zuo Lengchan and Fangzheng Chongxu, he was just a more ferocious carp. Even the second-rate ones like Yue Buqun, Yu Canghai, Lu Bai, and Fei Bin had to be avoided by them.

After all, it is because their power is too small, their strength is too weak, they have too many concerns, and their selfishness is too strong.

"Xiao Xia, some things will take time to come!"

Zhao Xia's beautiful eyes sparkled: "There's a lot of time to come? Is that what you mean, sir?"

Zhang Yu couldn't help laughing when she asked so bluntly, and quickly suppressed the corners of his mouth, not wanting to hurt the girl's self-esteem.

"I'll bring you a gift when I come back from the south."

"Sir, it's a deal. I'll wait for you in Pingyang."

Zhang Yu looked towards the dock two miles away. The white sails were hoisted high and the ferry bell was ringing in the distance. It turned out that a larger ship had docked at the dock. It seemed that it had more than 3,000 cargoes, which should be enough to leave space for the greedy Zhaoye Jade Lion.

"I killed Nine-Curved Sword Master Zhong Zhen and Yin-Yang Hand Master Le Hou this time, which means I have cut off two fingers of the Songshan Sect. Zuo Lengchan may not let it go. I am afraid he will put the blame on Qingfeng Village."

"Although there are undercurrents in the southern martial arts world, most of the elite forces of the Five Mountains Sword Sect will be involved."

"But there are many masters in Songshan Sect. You must be careful and don't stay in Pingyang Prefecture. The safest way is to stay in Yunwu Mountain."

Zhang Yu blew a whistle, and the Zhaoye Jade Lion rubbed the little red horse with its nose, as if saying goodbye. After a while of being sticky with each other, it ran over reluctantly.

Zhao Xia put his bag on the horse's back and chuckled, "Don't worry, sir. I understand."

Zhang Yu jumped on his horse, glanced at the woman standing under the peach tree, and said, "Take care!"

"Take care, sir!"

The Jade Lion of the Night spread out its four hooves and roamed proudly across the wilderness, as if it had endless energy.

The woods are filled with fallen peach blossoms, leaving only splendor and mess on the ground.

Zhao Xia led the rouge horse out of the peach blossom forest and looked towards the river bank.

The rider boarded the boat, and the sail gradually moved away from the dock and headed southeast.

"There is still a long way to go, and only then can we ..."

She thought of these words and savored them carefully. The fragrance lingered on her lips and teeth, and her face turned red again.

(End of this chapter)