bestfiction Chapter 20 Heading South
Chapter 20 Heading South
In late autumn, the cold wind is biting and the ordinary streets are deserted, but some semi-shaded places, such as under the eaves of taverns, are bustling with people.
The vendors set up their stalls here, shouting loudly, as if they were trying to outdo the shopkeepers in shouting.
The diners also know the rules. After finishing their meals, or simply taking a stroll, they would squat down to the side, gather together to chat, and create a lively atmosphere. Ideally, this would be next to a stall where hot snacks are cooked, where the crowd would be so large that at first glance, one might mistake it for a wealthy man distributing porridge.
Several elderly women were chatting here, saying how nice it was to be here, with a vendor selling hot tofu in a big pot right next door, much warmer than their own cold and quiet homes.
The house isn't big, but when the old man goes out, he's all alone at home burning firewood for warmth... It's really a waste of money.
A woman glanced out of the corner of her eye and seemed to see something extraordinary, turning her head sharply to look to the side.
"Aunt Sun, look over there, what a handsome young man."
The word "俏" in this dialect has multiple meanings. Obviously, the word "来" (lai) has nothing to do with "俊俏" (junqiao). It mostly refers to someone who is very capable.
"Oh my, look at those arms, one arm could lift both of us up."
"Hey, is your daughter still unmarried? Go and find out. She definitely won't suffer with him. Look, once those smuggled goods are sold, they might even cover the bride price... Or are you planning to take matters into your own hands and divorce your old man first..."
Another older woman nudged her neighbor with her shoulder and said, "Look at that young man, his steps are unsteady. He probably already has a wife, and who knows what time he went to bed last night."
The older women spoke without any restraint, and Zhong Ming could only ignore them.
So what if I had a dozen or so black carnivorous fish hanging on my shoulder as travel expenses? Although these fish, several feet long, are indeed rare, I bent them up and they didn't look that exaggerated.
Indeed, he didn't look like someone picking fish. From a distance, it looked like a big young man carrying a thick, black steel pipe over.
Coupled with his unsteady steps and disordered gait, anyone who saw him would have to look at him with suspicion.
"Young man! Where have you been? Are you tired? Come and rest here with your auntie. I'll make you some goji berry tea."
It's unclear who started it, but everyone around burst into laughter.
Seeing several middle-aged women brazenly casting their gazes at his trembling legs, Zhong Ming sighed.
He didn't want to either, but the problem was that breaking through to the second level of Qi Refining yesterday was incredibly tiring. It wasn't that the breakthrough was too forceful and damaged his kidneys along with his meridians; it was mainly the posture he was in...
Normally, Taoist practitioners cultivate using the Five Hearts Facing Heaven method, which involves the palms of both hands, the soles of both feet, and the crown of the head. However, the old Taoist taught him a strange posture, using the Strength to Lift a Mountain posture.
He assumed a horse stance, stepping on the large stone slab of the Heavenly Stone Mica itself, and using his hands and head to lift up another stone slab given to him by his master, which was the derivative Heavenly Stone Mica with a bluish tinge.
And so, with the bell ringing between the two stone slabs, it held out for two hours. The abundance, turmoil, and chaos of spiritual energy were unprecedented. In one go, it broke through the barrier and advanced to the second level of Qi Refining.
Thinking about it now, I still feel a bit scared. If you could hold a horse stance for two hours with a big stone slab on your head and still move your legs, it would be thanks to the protection of the dragon.
"Auntie, could you please tell me how to get to Jishuishan Mine?"
"A mine?" The middle-aged women exchanged glances, their expressions uneasy. "Young man, don't do anything rash. What are you going there for?"
"I'm short on spirit stones for cultivation, I need to go earn some."
As soon as he finished speaking, the surroundings fell silent. The next moment, a large group of people knelt down.
The old woman who had just uttered those outrageous words turned deathly pale and trembled uncontrollably.
Almost without hesitation, the older women whose "crimes" were less serious immediately began kowtowing, crying and pleading, "We were blind and didn't recognize your greatness! We offended you, Your Excellency! Please spare our lives!"
One of the more quick-witted ones was already kneeling on the spot, his back ramrod straight, and he started slapping himself hard across the face. He really hit hard; after a few slaps, his face swelled up, and his teeth and blood splattered out together.
Zhong Ming was startled by the scene and even looked behind him with some confusion, feeling that it was more likely that there was an important person standing behind him.
"Auntie, please stop! I'm just asking for directions, why are you kneeling down?"
Grandma Sun reacted the fastest, immediately replying, "Master, just keep going straight along the road, and when you see a fork in the road, go towards the mountain, and you'll arrive."
"Uh, okay, thank you."
Zhong Ming wanted to give the old Taoist priest some money for asking for directions, as was customary, but then he remembered that he had already given all his money to the old Taoist priest, so he made a tough decision.
"Thank you so much, ma'am... thank you so much..."
Zhong Ming moved with incredible speed, fleeing the area as if he were escaping.
The crowd behind them, still shaken, took a few deep breaths, and the older women started again, "Wow, look at how fast he walks! No wonder he's a great immortal master, carrying such a heavy load on his shoulders and running so fast."
"If you don't think he's an immortal, I must have been mistaken just now. What unsteady steps? I've heard Old Wu talk about it before. That's clearly a profound kind of footwork."
"Ha, you were just thinking about marrying off your daughter, but look at your back! If you called all the girls from your aunts and uncles together, could you even last half the night?"
.....
Following their directions, Zhong Ming found a canyon hidden behind a high mountain, heavily guarded. At a glance, the person standing on the watchtower could kill him in an instant, and there were countless people like that.
The soldiers at the gate noticed someone approaching, raised their crossbows, and shouted, "This is a restricted mining area. Unauthorized personnel must leave immediately, or don't blame us for the ruthlessness of our swords!"
Seeing this, Zhong Ming responded politely: "I am Zhong Ming, a lineage cultivator from Maoshan Taoist Temple. My master ordered me to work in this mine to hone my physique. I would appreciate your help."
He presented the genealogy book with both hands, but the guard did not accept it.
A gust of wind swept by, and the genealogy was instantly swept into the hands of a cultivator high up. The cultivator used his spiritual energy to examine it, and his face immediately darkened.
Good heavens, his backing is so strong! Just touching that aura with my spiritual energy almost made my legs go weak. I have no idea what realm it is. His master is at least a Golden Core cultivator.
"Quickly, let them through, guide them, hurry and welcome them."
Immediately, a handsome young man in fine clothes took the genealogy and hurriedly came to Zhong Ming's side.
He carefully examined the person in front of him, but couldn't discern any level of cultivation from him; he truly had powerful backing.
Zhong Ming only knew the general idea: a certain tooth in his mouth seemed to help him conceal his aura and shield him from the detection of low-level cultivators, but he himself couldn't tell which tooth it was.
"What is the name of this fellow Taoist?"
“I am… Master Cuihong.” Zhong Ming almost blurted out his real name.
"Greetings, Master. Just call me He Cheng. It's windy outside, please follow me into the valley."