Starting with the divine power of the Great Vajra, he traversed the heavens.

Chapter 113 The First Divine Sword Returns to the Martial World
The Dragon Boat Festival falls in midsummer, when the weather is clear and the days are long.

After the Dragon Boat Festival, the sun rises earlier and the weather gets hotter.

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Ren Shaoyang finished washing up and brought two basins of water back to his room.

The little beggar lay on the bed, sniffed, and then said half-asleep, "Crippled man, your soap pods smell so good."

Ren Shaoyang smiled and gestured for her to get up.

Hongxiu whine and plead on the bed for a long time before reluctantly getting up.

She sat down at the table, casually combed her hair a few times, and then put on the copper-embroidered hairpin.

Ren Shaoyang noticed that the hairpin looked a bit old, so he said, "I'll buy you a new one later."

"No need. Glug glug."

The little beggar submerged his round face in the water and refused outright.

Ren Shaoyang shook his head, got up and called Ding An to get up. As he passed Hongxiu, he casually flicked her smooth forehead.

Hongxiu covered her forehead, puffed out her cheeks, and flicked water droplets at his back, making "whoosh" sounds.

By the time they finished eating downstairs, the sun had just risen.

Seeing that everything was arranged, the three drove out of the city and continued westward.

Seeing that Ren Shao was staring at the map in his hand, the little beggar asked, "Crippled man, where is this place?"

Ren Shaoyang said, "It's the lair of a big rat."

“Wei Wuya?” Hongxiu’s face immediately darkened, and she said coldly, “I’ll go with you.”

"No rush," Ren Shaoyang said with a smile. "Let's talk about it after we've resolved the underlying health issues."

Hongxiu said earnestly, "What I mean is that we should go together once I'm feeling better."

"That place is dangerous and disgusting; you need to be mentally prepared."

"It's alright." Hongxiu looked up at the blue sky. "If he dares to disgust me, I will definitely kill him with my own hands."

Ren Shaoyang gave her a deep look, pursed his lips, and said nothing.

We traveled on and on, and before we knew it, half a day had passed.

The three were passing through a small town and were about to get off the bus for a meal when they suddenly heard someone across the street call out, "Excuse me, is this the 'Three Great Heroes'?"

Ren Shaoyang got up and got out of the car, and asked, "It is indeed us. May I ask who you are?"

The man laughed and said, "Are you perhaps the 'White-Clad Sword God' Ren Shaoyang, the great hero Ren?"

Ren Shaoyang said calmly, "I dare not accept such praise."

The man was overjoyed and said, "I am a disciple of the Northern Sai Tuo Gang. I have been waiting here for a long time on the orders of the gang leader!" He then beckoned people over.

Then five or six burly men emerged from the roadside shops in two rows, each carrying a vermilion lacquered box, and stood behind the man.

The disciples of the Tuobang clasped their fists and said, "Hero Ren, our leader has long admired you all. Hearing that you were passing through this place, he was unfortunately too busy to come and see you off in person. He had no choice but to send me on his behalf. Please forgive him."

Ren Shaoyang asked, "Are you giving gifts?"

The disciple from the Camel Gang laughed and said, "It's a gift. For a lowly person like me, to be able to meet the Sword God of this era would be enough to make me willing to die."

Ren Shaoyang smiled and said, "I won't accept the gift; I can't accept something for nothing. But I appreciate your kind intentions."

The Tuobang disciple said, "Master Ren, please accept these without worry. These are some local specialties that someone asked us to give to Miss Hongxiu. They are not valuable, but they are a token of our appreciation."

"Furthermore, I came here on orders. If I take it back, even if the patriarch doesn't say anything, I myself will have no face to live on."

Having said that, he had the burly man behind him put the things down, and without giving Ren Shaoyang a chance to refuse, he clasped his hands in a salute and said, "Great Hero Ren, please continue westward. The answer lies in Luoxia Town, a hundred miles ahead." With that, he hurriedly left.

Hongxiu came running up, excitedly asking, "They brought me a gift?"

Ren Shaoyang said, "Let's see what's inside first."

Ding'an was already unpacking the box. After opening it, he immediately called out loudly for Little Beggar.

The little beggar exclaimed in surprise upon seeing it.

The boxes were filled with different kinds of food. Some contained tonics such as ginseng and bird's nest, some contained sweets and candied fruits, and some contained delicate Jiangnan pastries.

Six boxes, and they were all filled with her favorite foods!

Hongxiu felt a little dizzy, and her mouth was practically watering.

Ding An scratched his head, puzzled, and asked, "Hey, how does the leader of the Tuobang know what Hongxiu likes to eat?"

Ren Shaoyang was also puzzled. These things were better than gold and silver, but it would take a lot of manpower and resources to obtain them in the remote northern border region.

The leader of the Tuobang gang is truly generous.

"It seems that the person behind this not only has a lot of influence, but also knows the little beggar very well."

Thinking of this, Ren Shaoyang saw that Hongxiu and the other girl had already started sharing snacks and candies, and immediately chuckled, "You two seem to be having a lot of fun?"

Hongxiu smiled and fed him a piece of candy, saying sweetly, "Crippled man, isn't it delicious!"

Ren Shaoyang savored the rare sweetness and said with a smile, "It's very sweet, but many more people will be giving me gifts later."

Hongxiu said, "It's alright, it's alright, I like receiving gifts!"

As Ren Shaoyang predicted, things turned out exactly as he had expected.

In the following days, wherever they went or stopped, they didn't have to pay for anything; all their expenses were covered.

And people come to visit from time to time.

Many famous local heroes, sect leaders, and gang leaders came to visit, bringing local specialties with them.

Ren Shaoyang welcomes all who come, and there is not a single fault to be found in his dealings with people.

Hongxiu and Ding'an were extremely happy with their meal.

Everyone enjoyed themselves immensely, but when asked who was behind it all, they all smiled but did not answer. When pressed further, they all said the same thing: the answer lies in Luoxia Town.

Ren Shaoyang then stopped asking questions.

Before the donkey cart even reached the Kunlun Mountains, it was already piled high with gifts.

Yes, even Jiang Biehe's meals have improved significantly.

Ding'an and Hongxiu went from initial excitement to numbness. Looking at the piles of ginseng, bird's nest, and lingzhi, they felt that the heat was too intense and that they had overdone it.

The three continued on their way, and as they approached the town of Luoxia, Hongxiu gazed at the distant sky, lost in thought.

Ding'an asked in surprise, "What are you looking at?"

The little beggar remained silent for a moment, while Ren Shaoyang casually pointed to the sky: "Look."

Ding'an looked in the direction he pointed, and at the end of the sky, a fiery cloud, red with purple hues, seemed to be burning with brilliant flames in the vast sky.

The silvery-white Kunlun Mountains in the distance contrast beautifully with these purplish-red clouds. The clouds are the mountains rising and falling like mist, and the mountains are the clouds piercing through the sky like jagged rocks.

Ding An said softly, "These clouds are really beautiful."

"I know who it is," Ren Shaoyang said with a smile, looking at the little beggar. "And you?"

“I know too.” Hongxiu said confidently. “Besides him, there really isn’t anyone else with that much influence.”

Ding An scratched his head and pouted, "You guys always speak in riddles."

Ren Shaoyang laughed and said, "You'll know once we get to the town."

As the three of them talked, they entered Luoxia Town.

The stone slabs were clean, the houses were simple, and the people had kind smiles.

This is an ordinary small town, with no other forces except for a small sect called "Heavenly Blade Sect".

The orange-purple glow of the sunset clouds illuminated the town's only long street and the slowly approaching donkey carts.

Finally, it stopped in front of the town's only liquor store.

Ren Shaoyang looked at the three large characters "Taibaiju" on the old wine sign and smiled slightly: "Get out of the car, the person is waiting for us inside."

Just then, a thin old man in a blue robe came out of the wine shop with a smile.

"Young master, Miss Hongxiu, Young Master Ding'an, how have you been?" the old man said, bowing deeply.

A white shadow flashed, and Ren Shaoyang chuckled as he helped him up: "Haven't seen you for half a year, are you getting distant with me?"

This old man was none other than Wan Chunliu.

Upon hearing this, Wan Chunliu laughed heartily: "Etiquette should not be neglected."

"Useless my foot!" Ren Shaoyang said, then gave him a big hug.

Wan Chunliu was taken aback, but his expression softened, and he hugged her tightly as well.

At this moment, Hongxiu and Ding'an got out of the car and greeted him.

"Good, good, all good!" Wan Chunliu stroked his beard and replied with a smile, then asked Ren Shaoyang, "Young Master, has Miss Hongxiu mastered the 'Acupoint Shifting Technique'?"

Ren Shaoyang said with a smile, "Hongxiu."

"Have!"

Hongxiu gave a little cat salute, then proudly raised her chin: "I've mastered it!"

"Great! That's wonderful!" Wan Chunliu clapped his hands and laughed.

Hongxiu asked, "Grandpa Wan, was Uncle Yan responsible for all the gift-giving and billing along the way?"

"Haha, you noticed?"

"Yes!" the little beggar clapped his hands and laughed, "I didn't expect Uncle Yan to remember what Hongxiu likes to eat!"

Wan Chunliu said softly, "A few days ago, Master Yan was already saying that Miss Hongxiu was coming back and that we must prepare some good food for her so that she wouldn't lose weight."

Hongxiu said with emotion, "Uncle Yan is such a kind person."

At this moment, Ding An stepped forward and asked, "Doctor Wan, did Hero Yan say anything about me?"

Wan Chunliu paused, then said, "Hero Yan is very 'happy' to know that you defeated Hero Lu, and he really wants to see you."

Ding An was overjoyed: "Really?"

Shao Yang and Hong Xiu: "(#￣～￣#), (#￣～￣#)"

Is he thinking of you?
He misses you terribly!

Wan Chunliu slapped his forehead and said with a wry smile, "Oh dear, I'm wasting time here. Come on, let's go inside."

Everyone laughed and walked into the small wine shop together.

The place was completely empty; there wasn't even a bartender.

A burly man wearing a cloak sat in the center, exuding an air of authority.

He was extremely robust, with thick eyebrows and fierce eyes, exuding an imposing aura even without anger.

His once thin and sharp cheekbones have become fuller, and his face shape has become square, showing signs of hardship.

The big man sat there, smiling at everyone. The setting sun shone obliquely on him from outside, making him look like a ball of fire burning the heavens and the earth, boiling and raging.

It can warm people's hearts and burn away all evil.

"Uncle Yan!"

Hongxiu laughed and rushed forward.

Yan Nantian immediately opened his arms and hugged Hongxiu, shouting, "Little beggar, haha, little beggar!" He laughed as he got up, picked her up, and spun her around.

Hongxiu flailed her arms and legs, screaming in alarm, "Uncle Yan, I'm dizzy! I'm dizzy!"

Yan Nantian then put down the dizzy beggar and burst into laughter.

Hongxiu looked him up and down and exclaimed "Huh?" before stepping onto a stool and grabbing his face. "Uncle Yan, what did you eat? You've changed so much in just six months!"

This girl has a strong grip; Yan Nantian's face was stretched so wide it looked like an Indian roti, but he just grinned and said, "Your martial arts have recovered, your appetite has improved, and you've gotten fat!"

"Your appetite is amazing, it's like you've become a completely different person."

Yan Nantian patted his belly and laughed heartily, "I've always been this strong."

Wan Chunliu and Ding An were dazzled and shocked, and almost wanted to stop him, but seeing Yan Nantian laughing and not taking it seriously, they had nothing to say.

After the two joked around for a while, Yan Nantian turned to look at Ren Shaoyang, who also smiled back at him.

"Good!" Yan Nantian raised his eyebrows and shouted, "I thought I would be invincible after mastering the 'Wedding Dress Divine Skill,' but who knew that I would still have no confidence when I meet Brother Ren again today!"

Ren Shaoyang smiled faintly: "Master Yan has made progress, and I, Ren, have also made some progress."

“A little?” Yan Nantian shook his head. “You always talk like that, with arrogant humility.”

Ren Shaoyang said quietly, "So, Master Yan is going to admit defeat?"

"Admit defeat? Admit defeat my ass!" Yan Nantian raised his eyebrows and shouted, "I'm really looking forward to the Kunlun Sword Tournament!"

Ren Shaoyang laughed heartily: "Today we'll drink until we drop, to celebrate the little beggar's recovery and the grand sword-fighting competition at Kunlun!"

"Well said!" Yan Nantian laughed loudly. "We haven't seen each other in so long, we should have a good drink together!"

Suddenly, his laughter stopped abruptly. He stared intently at Ding An's bright red face, and then his expression grew increasingly strange.

"Ding'an, how much wine did you secretly drink? Your face is so red!"

(End of this chapter)