parentshiftbook Chapter 60: Girl
Chapter 60: Girl
This ledger was obtained by Zhang Ping halfway through his journey, and it is different from the key he received earlier.
Halfway there, someone spotted Mao Tianyu, who had disguised himself and infiltrated the group. Upon learning this, Zhang Ping, without saying a word, drew his sword and killed him.
A roadside path, done casually. To settle old scores.
The ledger was found on the other party. The ledger itself was not of great value, but it solved Zhang Ping's problem of how to find out the distribution of Tianxing Martial Arts School's businesses in the prefectural city.
Having the key is only half the battle; you also need to know which door to use it on.
The procession moved forward slowly.
In the distance, the majestic outline of Lanjiang City comes into view.
The fields on both sides of the muddy road are open, with flowers, grass and woodland intertwined, and the area seems to be much larger than when Zhang Ping last came.
To his surprise, there were people moving about in the fields. Plain clothes were bent over tilling the land, while scholars were enjoying the spring scenery. They were completely unafraid of the dangers of the wilderness.
Zhang Ping had disembarked and transferred to a tall, black horse, arriving at the front of the procession.
He rode alongside Xiao Ling'er and Chu Hanwei.
Chu Han's minor injuries have not yet fully healed, but as long as he doesn't fight, he will be fine.
"Lanjiang City... seems different from before?" Xiao Ling'er hadn't been to the prefectural city for several years and curiously observed those who were not afraid of danger.
She spurred her horse forward to inquire and learned that the Demon Extermination Bureau had recently increased its manpower and intensified its efforts to eliminate demons around Lanjiang City.
Within a radius of dozens of miles, demons and monsters have vanished, and even strange beasts with some cultivation are hard to find.
"It must be due to the demonic chaos," Chu Hanwei speculated. "The demonic chaos attracted reinforcements from the Demon Extermination Bureau headquarters, and perhaps... that forced the demons to flee south." Her eyes flickered slightly as she recalled the three-headed demon in Lingchuan and the Demon Lord mentioned by the Turtle Prime Minister.
Zhang Ping didn't understand what she was thinking, but he felt that the surrounding scenery was peaceful and his heart was at ease.
For days on end, it was either fighting or fleeing, with hardly a moment of relaxation.
Just then, the three of them were simultaneously drawn to a wasteland.
A wooden box sat on the edge of the field, and a girl in a gray dress with a ponytail was bending over and groping among the weeds.
What's striking is that she has two wooden knives strapped across her back. Every time she catches a green mantis, she excitedly places the insect on a wooden box, then takes out the wooden knives and slashes at the mantis from a distance.
His strange movements caused the young men and women who were out enjoying the spring outing to give him a wide berth, with some occasionally chuckling and pointing fingers.
The girl was extremely efficient; in the short time the group had approached, several more praying mantises had appeared in the box. A smile never left her face.
"That man's swordsmanship... is quite interesting? It bears some resemblance to Zhang Ping's." Xiao Ling'er, initially drawn by the strange behavior, then noticed the swordsmanship skills the girl inadvertently revealed, and said curiously, glancing at Zhang Ping.
"How about we go and get to know him? He may look a bit strange, but his swordsmanship is commendable."
Even the greatest swordsmanship master has profound insights, but this is not the end; he often needs to exchange and verify his understanding with fellow practitioners.
"It does have some skill, but... it doesn't seem to follow the proper path? There's no trace of mainstream sword techniques." Chu Hanwei also took a few more glances, then turned her gaze to Zhang Ping. "This place is close to the prefectural city, so there's no need to worry about demons. It would be good to go and offer some pointers."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Ping awkwardly patted the horse's rump.
Under their astonished gazes, he raised his hand and shouted, "Brother Hua!"
Hua Zhu, who was searching for insects in the wasteland, blinked when she heard the word "Brother Flower." It seemed that only…
The image of the big spender from a while back immediately popped into her mind. She turned around and spotted Zhang Ping on horseback.
He immediately raised his wooden sword high and waved it forcefully in response, "Brother Zhang!"
A spring breeze swept by, ruffling the slightly damp strands of hair at her temples.
With a bright smile, he looked forward to making another fortune.
"So you two know each other?" Xiao Ling'er suddenly felt it was a coincidence, judging from their appearances, they seemed quite familiar with each other.
"Go catch up with some old friends. We'll take care of the team, nothing will happen."
"Alright." Zhang Ping dismounted.
His clean boots trod across the damp, fishy soil of the paddy field, glistening with lingering dew, as he strode toward the bamboo grove.
Reaching the wasteland, he glanced at the wooden box full of praying mantises and chuckled, "Here to catch praying mantises again? Short of money?"
Hua Zhu laughed heartily, revealing her white teeth, and shook her head:
"Brother Zhang, you've misunderstood! These were all caught specifically for you! The price is fair and reasonable, guaranteed not to exceed one thousand..."
"No, no! Wait a minute!"
Zhang Ping was taken aback by her sudden sales pitch. Was she waiting for him here?
He chuckled and said, "Brother Hua, I don't need any mantises right now."
"Oh? Is that so..." A flash of disappointment crossed Hua Zhu's face, but she quickly perked up. "Brother Zhang, really don't you want to take a look? A few days ago, the Demon Extermination Bureau swept away demons, and all the mantises that had been corrupted and mutated by demonic energy escaped. They're in excellent condition!"
"Look, my swordsmanship has improved by a lot!"
As she spoke, she picked up a wooden knife and demonstrated a couple of moves, as if afraid that Zhang Ping wouldn't be tempted.
Zhang Ping: "..."
After not seeing him for several months, his friend seemed to have become obsessed with money.
Putting the money aside, upon closer inspection, Zhang Ping discovered that Hua Zhu's knife skills had indeed made great progress, showing initial brilliance, and he was already rarely matched in the tempering stage.
"Such rapid progress!" He was secretly shocked. Upon closer inspection, he was even more surprised to find that the other party's cultivation had broken through to the late stage of Skin Tempering! Such speed is considered divine among ordinary martial artists!
His rapid progress was entirely due to the miraculous effects of the black blood energy from the Ghost Blade. It was truly remarkable that Hua Zhu could achieve such a level of cultivation while making rapid progress in his swordsmanship.
Judging from her appearance, she seemed to be living a rather relaxed life.
Seeing that Zhang Ping had no intention of buying, Hua Zhu felt quite frustrated and stopped trying to sell him the product.
The two shared their recent experiences, and then, each with a wooden sword, they began to spar on the wasteland.
Zhang Ping felt that Hua Zhu possessed an innate optimism, which was especially rare in this world. It was good to have such a friend. Moreover, the crucial demon sword Xiao was bought from her; although it cost five hundred taels, it was insignificant compared to what he had gained.
Strictly speaking, he still owes the other party a favor.
Deliberately submerged, the two swung their swords back and forth among the weeds. Wooden blades flashed, their powerful energy cutting down large swaths of wild grass.
The flying insects hiding in the grass were startled and scattered in all directions.
In a slightly elevated pavilion not far away, several men and women in fine clothes were sitting.
Their gazes were fixed on the figures fighting in the wasteland.
"Tsk tsk, I didn't expect there to be more than one delusional fool. It seems you're going to have another one in mind, Leng Ruxue?" The man in brocade robes was handsome, deliberately exuding a strong aura of bloodlust. At only eighteen years old, with a mid-stage Body Refinement cultivation level, he was already a standout among his peers.
Beside her, a hint of disgust flashed in Leng Ruxue's eyes.
"Nangong Wendi, is your Nangong family completely blind? Can't you even tell the difference between skill levels in swordsmanship?"
Those around them, used to the two being at loggerheads, remained silent.
The Nangong family, the Leng family.
The Lanjiang City's top aristocratic clan boasts more than one Bone Forging Realm expert, who also holds a high-ranking position in the Demon Extermination Division. Within the city, almost no one dares to provoke them!
Unfortunately, the two families have been rivals for generations, constantly vying for power both openly and covertly.
By their generation, the conflict had escalated to the point of near-war. Had it not been for the chaos caused by demons, who knows how far things would have turned out.
Half a month ago, the ice and snow melted, and a group of people came out to socialize and exchange cultivation experiences.
She happened to run into the girl practicing her swordsmanship, and Leng Ruxue decided to befriend her.
Nangong Wendi scoffed.
A commoner at the Skin Tempering Realm, so poor he was practically penniless, was actually a fool who dared to clamor to learn swordsmanship from a praying mantis!
Do these people even deserve to lower themselves to befriend them?
That's utterly shameful.
This incident became the catalyst for a fight between the two, and they even ended up fighting over it. The result...
Bang! !
Nangong Wen slammed his hand on the stone table. "Leng Ruxue, how dare you be so insolent!"
"What? Want to fight again?" Leng Ruxue chuckled, not even glancing at him. Her oval face was full of disdain.
"you……"
Seeing that another fight was about to break out, those around them rushed forward to stop them.
……
The weeds on the wasteland were damaged.
Hua Zhu was stunned by Zhang Ping's swordsmanship. She blinked blankly, and her first thought was that she should have regretted selling the mantis to him.
"Brother Hua, you need to work harder!" Zhang Ping was quite pleased with her astonishment.
Seeing that the group had gone far away, he cupped his hands in farewell and said, "Brother Hua, I have to go now. Until we meet again!" He waved and turned around, and before leaving, his gaze intentionally or unintentionally swept over the pavilion not far away.
"Oh, oh..." Hua Zhu came to her senses and waved goodbye.
Watching his departing figure, her gaze returned to the mantis box, and her little face fell.
"It must be because that praying mantis we sold to Brother Zhang was too powerful...we lost a lot of money!"
……
The group entered the city, and the people parted ways.
Before leaving, Xiao Ling'er specifically pulled Zhang Ping aside: "I'll go find Aunt Nangong first. If the Dragon Bloodstone is still there, I'll go to the Sitong Martial Arts School's headquarters to find you." She hadn't forgotten about the new secret medicine.
"Okay," Zhang Ping replied.
He could take advantage of these few days to take over the Tianxing Martial Arts School's assets and sell off what needed to be sold. Otherwise, where would the money come from to send to the Nangong family?
And then there's the Lu family... They left in a hurry after resolving the trouble.
I wonder how things have become these past few months.