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

Chapter 21 Pickled Vegetables and Tofu (Please read on, vote with monthly tickets and recommendations!)
"Eat pickled vegetables and tofu, even the emperor..."

Inside the room, a small clay pot was boiling on a clay stove.

Hongxiu was singing the song Ren Shaoyang taught her, swaying her head. When she got to the part, she and Ding'an exchanged a glance.

() ()
They met eye contact and burst into song together: "Not as good as me~"

"Ding'an, stop singing, give me two more pieces of charcoal!" Ren Shaoyang was furious when he saw the two of them shaking their heads and wagging their tails, and shouted irritably.

Ding An got up and added charcoal to the small clay stove. He then saw Ren Shaoyang using a red-sleeved curved knife to cut tofu haphazardly. With a flick of his wrist, the white tofu "plop plop" into the soup, tumbling along with the green and white scallions and pale yellow pickled vegetable strips.

That little flavor came out with a scratching sound.

After rolling around for a while, Ren Shaoyang wiped away the tears from his smoke and said, "Cough cough... Okay, I'll be fine after rolling around for a bit more."

But no one answered for a long time, so he turned to look.

Ding'an and Hongxiu leaned closer to smell it, looking completely blissful.

Ren Shaoyang snorted and called out, "Little beggar, you watch the fire!"

Hongxiu was overjoyed and exclaimed, "Alright, coming right up!"

"Ding'an, you keep an eye on her too. She already ate half a sheep this morning, we can't let her steal any more!"

Ren Shaoyang said something and then walked out without looking back.

Hongxiu and Ding'an exchanged glances, chuckled, and danced around like monkeys leaping out of the Five Finger Mountain.

After a moment of joy, Hongxiu took a fan and fanned the small clay stove vigorously.

"Slow down, don't burn it."

"Don't worry!" Hongxiu patted her chest and exclaimed, "I've got your eye on it, no problem!"

Ding An chuckled sheepishly, then asked, "By the way, did you get any information out of the cook?"

Hongxiu sighed and said, "No! That kid even told me how old he was when he wet the bed, but he wouldn't say where the tunnel was!"

"By the way, he did teach me a set of techniques for butchering cattle and sheep, and it looks pretty good."

Ding An nodded: "Not bad, not bad, but...you haven't practiced your skills today!"

"Let's eat first, let's eat first!" Hongxiu said with a grin.

"No!" Ding An said seriously, "The cripple said that no matter how powerful a skill is, you can't rely on tricks; you have to practice diligently to see results."

After a moment of silence, Hongxiu picked up her scimitar, took her position, and began practicing her swordsmanship.

Steam slowly rose from the small clay stove with a gurgling sound.

Suddenly, with a "whoosh," a beautiful crimson blade flashed.

The young beggar moved with agility, wielding a curved knife with swift and graceful movements, its movements elegant and unconventional.

Ding An found it increasingly strange. He also practiced the "Fire Greed One Blade" technique and knew that it was domineering and fierce, capable of killing with just one strike.

But unexpectedly, in Hongxiu's hands, it became so dazzling, terrifying, and complex.

"Drink!"

The little beggar suddenly let out a sharp cry, and a ball of fire ignited on her curved blade. Then, her swordsmanship changed, with the blade light hidden in the firelight and the firelight attached to the blade light, layer upon layer, and in an instant, she unleashed thirteen consecutive strikes.

The unpredictable and elusive nature of their moves is truly astonishing.

Ding An was stunned. His heart was pounding. He thought to himself, "My God, how could she have made such progress in just a few days?"

Suddenly, the little beggar screamed, "The tofu is going to burn!"

With a clang, the firelight died down, and the scimitar was thrown to the ground.

Hongxiu hurriedly ran to the table to cool down the small clay stove.

Ding An stared at her in disbelief, then looked at the curved knife on the ground, feeling both relieved and helpless.

"Luckily, she's greedy for food, play, and money. Otherwise, even if I practiced for a lifetime, I probably wouldn't be able to catch up."
-
Room No. B, Tianzi.

When Ren Shaoyang came in, he saw Mu Renqing had prepared the writing brush, ink, paper and inkstone, and was sitting there properly waiting for him.

"Wow, you're quite well prepared."

Ren Shaoyang smiled at him and casually sat down opposite him.

Mu Renqing looked serious, his eyes bright and piercing. Today he was wearing a green robe that fit him very well, with fine stitches. It looked like it was sewn by his mother or given to him by his "junior sister".

He cupped his hands and said, "Mu Renqing thanks you for returning our sect's secret manual."

Ren Shaoyang waved his hand and said with a smile, "No rush, I have some questions for you. After I finish asking, I will definitely present the Heart-Sacrificing Formula."

Mu Renqing exclaimed "Ah!" before saying, "You, you ask."

"The Forty-Nine Forms of Taiyue!" Ren Shaoyang asked. "Do you know this sword technique?"

Mu Renqing coughed twice before saying, "I don't know it. The Taiyue Sword Technique is one of the Ten Skills of Mount Hua, and it can only be passed on to the sect leader." He hesitated for a moment and continued, "It was lost thirty years ago when the previous sect leader died unexpectedly. I wonder where Young Master Ren learned about it?"

Ren Shaoyang smiled slightly: "I overheard some veterans of the martial arts world talking about it, and I became curious." He then asked, "So, do you know the characteristics of this sword technique?"

Mu Renqing was stunned. He never expected that this complete stranger would dare to ask about the secrets of Mount Hua. Even though he was a man of integrity and integrity, he was speechless for a moment, not knowing what to say.

"It's alright, I'll just keep this in mind, I won't spread it!" Ren Shaoyang raised his hand mischievously. "I swear!"

Mu Renqing sat up straight, forced a smile, and said, "Young Master Ren, please don't tell anyone!"

"Yeah~!"

Seeing his sincere expression, Mu Renqing said, "The Taiyue Sword Technique was created by the master, the 'Gentleman Sword' Ancestor Yue. It emphasizes 'one breath of pure yang energy, three swords and one palm to defeat the enemy.' When it reaches its peak, the palm is used to execute sword techniques, and the sword is used to execute palm techniques. The sword and palm are used to defend against each other. The opponent often loses their life before they can even react!"

That swordsmanship sounds so damn familiar!

Ren Shaoyang's expression was uncertain as he thought to himself, "Sword and palm in harmony? If we practice this further, wouldn't it become Liang Xiao's 'man and sword in harmony'?"

"Young Master Ren, Young Master Ren?"

When Ren Shaoyang suddenly heard Mu Renqing calling him repeatedly, he realized what was happening and saw him staring intently at him.

The young man didn't put on airs; he took the paper and pen and wrote down the fragment of "The Heart-Giving Method" that Jinshouzhi had translated for him.

"By the way, how did this manual end up in the martial arts world?"

Mu Renqing gave a bitter smile and said, "It's a misfortune for our sect. A traitor stole this divine skill and took it down the mountain. I had to investigate for a long time before I finally found you."

Ren Shaoyang paused, looked up at him, and said, "I have learned the Heart-Sacrificing Style."

Mu Renqing was stunned for a moment, and said, "Ah, ah~?"

Ren Shaoyang drew a period to the end, placed the brush on the inkstone, and said slowly and deliberately, "According to the rules of the martial arts world, shouldn't you take back my skills?"

Mu Renqing exclaimed "Ah!" and scratched his head, saying with some distress, "Young Master Ren, the ancestor once said: Some things may not weigh four ounces on the scale, but once they are on the scale, they can weigh a thousand pounds!"

He looked up at the page, then at the composed Ren Shaoyang, and his upper muscles twitched involuntarily.

"You, you should have just kept quiet. Why did you have to say it?"

When Mu Renqing gets excited, he tends to stutter, and right now he is clearly very agitated.

At this moment, the wind outside was getting stronger and stronger, mixed with sand and dust, and had become like a raging storm, howling and crashing against the walls and windows with a loud "crackling" sound.

The candlelight inside the room was also blown about by the wind that seeped in through the cracks, causing the light inside to flicker and change, casting dappled shadows that flashed rapidly on the walls and floor, making it difficult to discern the light on a person's face.

Amidst the noise and chaos, Ren Shaoyang and Mu Renqing quietly looked at each other.

Ren Shaoyang smiled and said, "But I have to say it."

Mu Renqing had gradually calmed down, and patted his head with some distress: "Then this is really difficult to handle."

Ren Shaoyang said, "This is difficult. How about we make a bet?"

Mu Renqing asked, "How do we bet?"

"I'd like to witness the Huashan swordsmanship." Ren Shaoyang surveyed the room, then stretched out his hand. "We'll fight with weapons, but we can't damage anything in this room, okay?"

Mu Renqing's eyes lit up, his aura surging: "What are we betting on?"

Ren Shaoyang laughed and said, "If you win, I'll cripple my own martial arts. If I win, you'll help me out this time."

Mu Renqing frowned: "That's not fair." He took the green sword in his hand, and his demeanor suddenly turned cold. "The bet is unfair to you."

“Where in the world is there any fairness?” Ren Shaoyang pulled out the iron rod and looked at the faint blue light on it. “So-called fairness is nothing more than seeking peace of mind.”

Mu Renqing sighed, "You really have mastered the Heart-Sacrificing Style." He looked miserable, "The betting game is unfair to me."

"Enough with the nonsense!" Ren Shaoyang shouted. "Be careful!" With a swing of his arm, the iron cudgel drew a perfect arc and clashed with Mu Renqing's gleaming green longsword with a "clang." The two separated instantly, circling the table to adjust their positions for the next attack.

Ren Shaoyang chuckled softly and asked, "What's the name of your white mist-like kung fu?"

Mu Renqing's eyes flashed with a sharp light. He pursed his lips tightly and revealed a smile that was more like a grimace: "Shuang Ruohan, I didn't practice well."

Ren Shaoyang was taken aback, then laughed, "You're so good even though you haven't practiced well?" With a flick of his arm, the iron rod came crashing down on his head.

Seeing this, Mu Renqing stepped into the Nine Palaces formation, his body swaying and lowering, managing to dodge the iron rod while simultaneously invading Ren Shaoyang's side. The tip of his sword trembled, and in an instant, he thrust out three swords.

"The Deadly Triple Immortal Swords!"
Ren Shaoyang felt a chill wind on his body, and his hair stood on end. He slightly turned his body, and the iron rod in his hand moved as nimbly as a snake, wrapping around the sword with a swish and gently pulling it.

Mu Renqing felt a tremendous force that shook the heavens and the earth, causing his feet to falter and his sword to veer off course.

Ren Shaoyang laughed loudly, raised his right iron chisel, and struck horizontally and vertically, making the green sword bend like a hook with a series of "bang bang bang" sounds, sparks flying everywhere.

Mu Renqing fought back with all his might, but he was limited by the room's size and could not use his full strength to move. Moreover, the green sword was too sharp, which also limited his swordsmanship. He was beaten so badly that he was extremely frustrated.

Ren Shaoyang struck again with the iron rod, then with a swift movement of his left hand, he used the "Great Brahma Banner," and a suction force pulled him towards him.

Bang Bang Bang!
Three more blows left Mu Renqing in a sorry state, his anger flaring up. He trembled with rage, parried with all his might, and leaped backward, pointing his sword at Ren Shaoyang and shouting, "You scoundrel! You, you tricked me!"

Ren, the rascal, hoisted the iron rod onto his shoulder and grinned shamelessly, saying, "How could I possibly scheme against you?"

Mu Renqing was taken aback, then said sternly, "You've been setting traps for me all along! Knowing my superior agility, you imprisoned me; knowing the sharpness of my Green Sword, you thwarted me by saying I couldn't damage anything in the house. You, you're so cunning!"

"How can you be so shameless?" Ren Shaoyang, the little bear, spread his hands: "Didn't you already agree, monkey?"

"A monkey?" Mu Renqing was taken aback, then retorted angrily, "Nonsense! Who looks like a monkey?"

Ren Shaoyang laughed loudly: "You don't look like one, so why would I make a fool of you?"

Mu Renqing seemed to have been hit over the head, stunned for a moment, then shouted angrily: "Ren the Scoundrel, not only did you steal our Huashan martial arts, but you also called me a monkey? You, you've gone too far!"

"But I treated you to dinner!" Ren Shaoyang stared intently at his feet, his eyes narrowing. "Did you get what you deserve?"

Enraged, Mu Renqing suddenly unleashed the "Frosty Cold" technique, a secret skill passed down from Mount Hua. A dense white mist suddenly emanated from his body, and the temperature in the entire room dropped rapidly. He glared fiercely at the person in front of him.

"It's unbearable!"

Having said that, he pushed off with his feet, ready to pounce on him and fight him to the death.

Suddenly, there was a "click" sound.

The white mist stopped spreading instantly, and Mu Renqing was also stunned, slowly looking down at his feet.

But beneath his straw sandals, the shoe prints were clearly visible.

It turns out that he was so angry earlier that he used too much force and accidentally damaged the floor!

"me"

Ren Shaoyang stuck the iron rod into his waistband and spread his hands: "You lost."

"I... I lost?" Mu Renqing froze on the spot, slowly lifted his foot, and then stared silently at the shoe print on the ground.

Ren the hooligan laughed and said, "You used too much force."

"No!" Mu Renqing suddenly looked up, his face filled with uncontrollable rage. "This shoe print is wrong!"

He took off his shoes, compared them to the footprints on the floor, and looked at Ren Shaoyang with disbelief.

"You left a hidden force all along! When you were adjusting my position, you turned me to this spot, and then you slammed me down hard, pinning me to this place!"

Mu Renqing grew angrier and angrier as he spoke, and towards the end, he even hit himself with his shoe.

"And then you kept provoking me, making me use 'Frost Like Cold'."

"Wait, when you asked me about 'Shuang Ruohan,' weren't you already scheming?" His expression darkened further. "Were you trying to make me unconsciously want to use this skill?"

Ren Shaoyang, with a teddy bear on his hands, shrugs.

"You!" Mu Renqing said in grief and indignation, his large eyes already reddening. "You beast! You beast!"

“Squeak~!”

Suddenly, the door opened, and Hongxiu's round face peeked in, smiling brightly as she called out, "Shaoyang, come and eat some pickled vegetables and tofu!"

Mu Renqing's grief-stricken voice abruptly stopped. He was barefoot, clutching his straw sandal, staring blankly at the little beggar.

Slowly, his mouth opened wide.

Blushed.

Hongxiu frowned, glanced at Ren Shaoyang, and noticed that he winked at her.

Understanding the unspoken message, he extended an invitation to Mu Renqing: "Would you like to come and eat too?"

"I?"

Mu Renqing pointed to himself with his straw sandals.

Hongxiu smiled and said, "Shaoyang thinks you are a very good person."

Mu Renqing felt a headache coming on at the mere mention of "Shao Yang," and quickly waved her hands, saying, "I...I'm not hungry, I don't want to eat, I don't want to eat with him."

Ren the rascal curled his lip, turned around and walked out the door.

Hongxiu smiled and said, "It smells delicious, second only to the big meat bun!"

Mu Renqing scoffed: "What haven't I, Mu Renqing, eaten on Mount Hua?"

Hongxiu shrugged and said nonchalantly, "Okay~!"
-
Room number A, Tianzi.

Mu Renqing covered his face with his sleeve, ashamed to face Ren Shaoyang, Ding An, Hongxiu, and Qiu Moyan's silent gaze.

It wasn't until Hongxiu picked up a piece of tofu and put it in his bowl that he finally understood.

"Eat up! Shao Yang said this tofu was made by the landlady of Longmen Inn herself, it's so fragrant!"

Mu Renqing lowered his sleeves, looked into Hongxiu's round eyes, and his eyes reddened: "Miss Hongxiu, you, you are so kind."

He glanced at Ren Shaoyang: "He's much better than him!"

Ren Shaoyang snorted with his hands in his pockets, then looked at Hongxiu with a surprised expression.

Ding An whispered from the side, "Impressive, isn't it? Hongxiu's tricks almost got the cook's pants!"

Mu Renqing picked up the tofu with his chopsticks, and saw it trembling, like solidified fat, with a slight sheen of oil, and a fragrant aroma that made one's mouth water.

He swallowed hard, about to put it in his mouth, when Hongxiu stopped him with her hand.

Mu Renqing was puzzled, but the little beggar looked very serious: "Singing is the first step to eating tofu, otherwise it's not as good!"

"Sing?"

Mu Renqing and Qiu Moyan spoke in unison, while Ren Shaoyang and Ding An covered their faces together.

“Yes!” Hongxiu looked at the clay pot on the small clay stove with a devout expression. “Sing along with me!”

Helpless, everyone had no choice but to join her in singing, swaying their heads and bobbing their bodies.

"After eating pickled vegetables and tofu, even the emperor can't compare to me!"

Hongxiu nodded in satisfaction: "Let's eat!"

"Great!" Mu Renqing didn't put down the tofu with his chopsticks and immediately stuffed it into his mouth.

"boom!"

The door was suddenly kicked open, and Ghost-Faced Buddha stood brazenly in the doorway with his fellow disciples, their faces contorted in a sinister grin.

"Where's Ren Shaoyang? Come out and face your death!"

"Damn it, this is outrageous!" Mu Renqing slammed his chopsticks down.

It turned out that he was facing away from the door when the ghost-faced Buddha kicked it, sending dirt flying and making the tofu that Hongxiu had personally placed for him black and inedible.

This immediately infuriated the strongest young master of Mount Hua.

I just want to eat a piece of tofu.

Why is it so difficult?
He grinned and turned to stare intently at the group of monks.

"You bunch of bald monks, you deserve to die!!!"

(End of this chapter)