Inner Demons

Chapter 8: The Young Man

All that was said before, Li Yunxin only needed that one instant.

Two greenhorns. Perhaps two powerful greenhorns.

But he was no fourteen-year-old boy.

And his parents in this world were at least not what they claimed to be—renegade disciples of the Zhenwu Sect who only knew some Talisman techniques.

They were more likely the ones those two referred to as being revered by the high sects and schools...

Danqing Taoist priests!

In that very instant, the cloud patterns originally drawn on the corners of the wooden table quietly flowed out. It was a flow, but it was extremely fast. By the time the two Taoist priests blinked, they found themselves entangled in wisps of cloud mist.

Chisongzi frowned, intending to disperse the cloud mist and subdue Li Yunxin. But with this movement, his heart was even more shocked—the spiritual energy in his Qi Sea had become as ethereal as the cloud mist, unable to gather!

And Li Yunxin had already darted out a step, then stomped his foot hard on the ground.

The two Taoist priests didn't know what else he intended to do, but they had already realized that they seemed to have made a mistake this time.It seemed... the Grotto-Heaven Taoist priest they had planned to kill wasn't entirely unprepared for them—at least half of what he said was nonsense.

Something like, "This poor Daoist has observed him for over a month, and has long known that he is nothing more than a yellow-mouthed child. It's laughable that Li Chenfeng and his wife had some genuine skill, yet truly wished to live here in anonymity, not even passing on their techniques to this only son. If it weren't for that thunder tribulation exposing their whereabouts, hehe..."

Looking at this young man today, he was cunning and composed—how could he be a "yellow-mouthed child"?!

Anxious and alarmed in their hearts, they immediately bit their tongues, spitting a mouthful of vital blood onto their swords. The longswords immediately hummed and vibrated, and in a single breath, the cloud mist wrapped around them dissipated.

But even after the cloud mist dispersed, the spiritual energy within their bodies still couldn't gather. The two didn't know what kind of strange magic this was, they only knew that now they could only rely on their martial arts to capture the young man!

But as they took another step, the entire courtyard changed—the small area suddenly darkened, the sky overhead changed color with wind and clouds, and even the tree in the courtyard began to sway its branches, as if a great ghost had suddenly come alive!

This was what happened seven days ago. It was the beginning.

From that day on, Li Yunxin finally left the small mountain village where he had lived for fourteen years and truly stepped into the world.

However, it was not the magnificent and fantastical journey he had once imagined. Now he was exhausted, sitting against a tree, just waiting to gather some strength to quickly leave this troublesome place.

During the chase and escape, the two Taoist priests had used a Talisman to seal his Qi Sea, turning the pursuit from a battle between cultivators into a struggle between three ordinary people.

If his Qi Sea wasn't still sealed because of that, why would he need to fear those five constables, risking his life to lure Young Master Nine?

When he vaguely saw torchlight and heard human voices in the distance again, Li Yunxin barely managed to get up from the ground. He first searched the bodies of several corpses, finding a dozen copper coins, a few scraps of silver, and a one-tael silver ingot. Then he stumbled along the river downstream.

Weeping willows on white sandy banks, a beautiful spring scene.

A group of people walked along the river. Two armed men on horseback led the way, followed by four young men with swords. Further back were three large carts, their wheel tracks very deep, suggesting they carried a lot of goods. There were also people on the three carts, but the most eye-catching was probably the young woman on the last cart.

The young woman was in her teens, dressed in a short, practical black outfit. Her hair was tied in a ponytail, with a few strands hanging down her forehead, a typical appearance for a jianghu lass. At this moment, she held a willow branch, idly looking left and right, her bright eyes lively, but her cherry lips were slightly pouting, clearly not very happy.

Because they had been traveling for three days. Although the scenery was good, people were scarce, and occasionally seeing a wisp of smoke rising from a distant mountain hollow was an eye-catching event.

Actually, the young woman Qiao Jiaxin regretted it a little. She shouldn't have pestered her father to come out on this escort mission. If she had stayed at home, she would probably be fishing in the water right now. Catching small transparent fish and shrimp to keep in a clay pot, watching them swim around every day was also a joy.

She wrapped the willow branch in her hand for a while, then raised her hand to block the sun shining from the east, turned her leg and turned to speak to a middle-aged man in a worn Taoist robe on the other side of the cart: "Hey, Old Liu, do a trick for fun."

The old man in the Taoist robe frowned: "This poor Daoist is not a street performer—I am an Artificer. Tricks and the like..."

Qiao Jiaxin pouted: "A few days ago in Huicheng, I saw you in an alley pulling a woman, doing a trick for her. You drew a piece of paper, waved your hand and burned it, and then scared her away."

The old Taoist priest's face flushed, and he quickly interrupted her: "Don't talk nonsense, what kind of person am I to do such a thing? You must have seen wrong, seen wrong!"

The coachman in front laughed heartily, turning to tease the old Daoist: "I believe Jiaxin—I even saw you enter the Jadeite Pavilion—"

The old Daoist's face turned green again: "I, I, I am the Sect Master of Dongxuan Sect, how could I go to such a place!"

The young woman giggled again: "I know, I know Dongxuan Sect, your Dongxuan Sect is just you!"

She was speaking happily when the cart suddenly stopped.

Looking forward, she heard her father, Qiao Duanhong, who was on horseback, said in a low voice: "Who are you, Your Excellency?"

Qiao Jiaxin's heart immediately thumped—had they encountered bandits, had they encountered bandits?!

She quickly jumped off the cart and stretched her neck to look, only to see a young man.

A young man in green clothes, looking like a scholar, but with a short knife hanging at his waist, which seemed a bit out of place. The young man stood by the roadside, curiously examining their group, and even raised a hand, giving a thumbs-up, as if expressing something she didn't understand.

Qiao Jiaxin was stunned for a moment, her face reddening slightly.

Because she thought... that young man was really handsome.

Unlike those people in the escort agency, whose skin was slightly dark and red from years of enduring the elements. The young man's skin was very fair, even appearing somewhat translucent in the sunlight. His clothes clung to his body, making him seem long and slender, as if he would sway in the slightest breeze.

Bah, bah, bah, what was she thinking!

At this moment, she saw the young man scratch his head and smile apologetically: "Um, are you guys escorting goods?"

Qiao Duanhong's gaze lingered slightly on the short knife at his waist, then he looked at him carefully and said, "Weicheng Hongfu Escort Agency. We are indeed escorting goods."

The young man seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, raised his hands and cupped them: "Long time no see, nice to meet you. My name is Li Yunxin, and I happen to be going to Weicheng. Can I hitch a ride?"

Qiao Jiaxin couldn't help but laugh. Although it was her first time escorting goods, she was used to seeing jianghu people at home. So she immediately saw that this young man...

Hahaha, he was a novice—of course, this was what the uncles and elders called them. Whenever they talked about those young masters who would act like jianghu heroes in front of them, she would also laugh.

As for the term "hitch a ride," she heard it for the first time, but she probably understood what it meant. It was certainly dangerous to walk alone in the wilderness; even if you didn't encounter bandits or highwaymen, there would be jackals, wolves, tigers, and leopards.

Hmm... that old Daoist priest surnamed Liu was also "hitching a ride."

Qiao Duanhong frowned slightly, hesitating for a moment. He was a little worried that this young man was a scout. Generally, large-scale bandits would send scouts to mix in with the caravan before acting. They would either use sleeping gas or laxatives, and after the deed was done, they would send a secret signal, and a group of people would come charging in from somewhere—of course, this was what he had heard.

In reality, Hongfu Escort Agency only traveled the route from Luocheng to Huicheng. Although they had encountered dangers over more than ten years of wind and rain, they had never actually experienced such a situation. After all, this area was the fertile heartland of the Great Qing, and it did not tolerate large-scale bandits or marauders.

As these thoughts ran through his mind, Qiao Duanhong softened his tone: "My name is Qiao Duanhong. A ride, yes, that can be arranged. But—"

He felt that if this young man wasn't a bandit's scout, he was probably a young master who had secretly run away from home to travel. Looking at his long, slender, fair, and delicate hands, he clearly wasn't someone who did strenuous labor. His clothes weren't luxurious, but they didn't seem to belong to a poor family either. And seeing his relaxed and casual demeanor, he probably had some worldly experience. If he were a child from a poor family, he would mostly be timid and obsequious, not possessing such an air.

Therefore, he was about to speak—a ride would cost money. He was afraid this young master didn't understand.

Unexpectedly, before he finished speaking, the young man was very savvy and reached into his sleeve, pulling out a one-tael silver ingot and tossing it to Qiao Duanhong: "Understood, understood, is this enough?"

Heh, quite generous with his money. One tael of silver was enough for a middle-class family in the countryside to live on for a month.

At this point, Qiao Duanhong felt even more relieved. He took the silver and put it in his pocket: "That's enough. Young Master Li, please go to the back—choose a cart."

Li Yunxin bowed and smiled, then stepped forward.

Qiao Jiaxin had already jumped back onto the cart, curiously observing him. Jianghu people experienced the elements, and those who came and went from her home were all martial artists, so she had no strict rules like a young lady from a wealthy family. Usually, when she looked at boys her age like this, those with thinner skins would blush, while the more composed ones would appear awkward. After all, she was a beautiful girl, and boys were at an age most sensitive to certain emotions.

But this one was different. He didn't blush or appear awkward; instead, he looked at their group with great interest, as if everything was incredibly new to him.

This was true. He had lived in a small mountain village for fourteen years, and this was his first time venturing out. Of course, he was more curious... what were the customs and traditions of the larger ancient world, the other world?

When his gaze met Qiao Jiaxin's, he even curled his lips slightly into a smile and nodded.

Qiao Jiaxin let out a soft "aiya" in her heart and subconsciously lowered her head. But then she felt that being shy like this was even more embarrassing, so she raised her head again.

But the young man had already jumped onto the cart. Qiao Jiaxin felt the cart sink slightly—he had gone to sit with Old Daoist Liu.

She felt a little relieved, but also a little disappointed.