Wan Jian returns to his clan!

Chapter 23 Anticipating the Enemy's Moves
"After passing Ji'an and Caoling, take a boat from Feiyun Ferry and travel for seven days to reach Xiangzhou."

Ouyang Lan took out a piece of silk cloth from her bag, squinted at it carefully, and then a smile appeared on her face.

There were no eagles watching from the sky.

Another wave of pursuers was eliminated.

At this moment, she felt greatly relaxed. Even though the residual poison in her body still made walking a little difficult, it couldn't hide her joy at seeing the boundless spring scenery of green mountains and clear waters in the wild.

Lu Wubing glanced at her with amusement, but he wasn't as oblivious as his senior sister.

His past experiences taught him that the last leg of a journey is the hardest.

The more secure you feel.

This could very well be the beginning of another tragedy.

He looked up at the sky and asked in confusion, "Senior Sister, are you saying that this time we're going back to the mountain, following the same route we came by, going down the river to Feiyun Ferry?"

"Of course, although the waterway is slower, the route is familiar."

Moreover, Chief Wu of the Flying Cloud Branch of the Canal Gang has some connections with my Heavenly Star Sect... With his arrangements, the journey will surely be uneventful.”

Seeing that Lu Wubing's expression remained cautious, Ouyang Lan hesitated slightly before asking, "Junior Brother, do you feel this is inappropriate?"

"No, it's just that I remembered something. Our third senior brother has been separated from us. Could he also go to Feiyun Ferry to meet us ahead of time?"

"Third Senior Brother is the most familiar with people and has a very good relationship with Chief Wu. If he can't find us, he will definitely go ahead and wait for us."

"I see. You all think that taking Feiyun Ferry back to the mountain is the best option... Senior Sister, have you ever considered that Gu Dongting might think the same way?"

As the saying goes, anticipating the enemy's moves is the best strategy. Once Gu Dongting and the East Sea Sword Sect catch up with us, we'll likely be in serious trouble.

Lu Wubing had something he didn't say.

As the saying goes, distant relatives cannot separate close ones.

I had only recently joined the Heavenly Star Sect.

As for the third senior brother, Wu Yunchong, it is said that he has been a disciple of the sect for eight years and is deeply trusted by the sect leader. Because he is capable and proper in handling affairs, the sect leader trusts him to go out and handle some matters that require the disciples to take action.

Of course, Lu Wubing didn't think that his third senior brother would definitely have any problems.

All he knew was that ever since Wu Yunchong had been by his side, their luck had been terrible.

Anyway, whatever suggestion or choice that third senior brother makes, something bad is bound to happen.

If it happens only once, it's not so bad.

This happening repeatedly cannot be explained by coincidence.

Of course, these are all subjective judgments, and reasoning from the result to the cause has the stigma of being wise after the event.

The main reason is that Lu Wubing always remembered that when the cat first met Wu Yunchong, it wouldn't let him pet it.

Forewarned is forearmed, without prejudging the waste.

Being extra careful is always the best policy.

He gently stroked the kitten's back in his arms, feeling the little guy's even and deep breathing. A hint of coldness flashed in his eyes, but his face was all smiles.

"Senior sister, why don't you take another look at your map and see if there are any other safer paths marked on it?"

"Where are there so many roads? Besides taking Feidu, the only other option is to pass through Pingshan Pass."

The official road was easy to travel, but if you encountered pursuing cavalry, you would see everything clearly.

"With the manpower the East Sea Sword Sect brought this time, they could easily expose us by simply placing a few spies."

"Senior sister's consideration is very thorough; this official road is indeed not a safe route."

Ouyang Lan beamed with joy at the praise. She shook the silk scroll in her hand, eager to show off her knowledge of landscape and geography to her junior brother. Pointing to the richly colored drawing, she said, "The waterway is impassable, and the land route is even more dangerous..."

To surprise the East Sea Sword Sect and prevent them from tracking us, there's only one option: traverse mountains and valleys, crossing the hundred-mile-long Hengshan Mountains.

“Senior sister is right, let’s cross Hengshan then… It’s a bit tiring, but don’t worry, I’ll carry you this time.”

Lu Wubing made a solemn vow.

"Dream on."

Although Ouyang Lan was a young woman who had never experienced anything.

Perhaps she was a bit naive and innocent, but she wasn't truly ignorant. Looking back on the events of the previous day, she finally understood…

What exactly happened to the cumbersome sword sheath when my junior brother was perched on my back?

This guy, despite his serious demeanor, is actually quite dishonest.

……

After deciding to cross mountains and valleys.

The two did not hesitate at all.

He simply lived like a savage, drinking from mountain springs when thirsty, hunting and roasting wild rabbits to fill his stomach when hungry, spending the night in desolate mountains, and diligently cultivating his internal strength and swordsmanship.

As dusk approached, the two gathered firewood, roasted a wild boar, and ate until their bellies were round.

Ouyang Lan focused on regulating her breathing and meditating, circulating her internal energy to stimulate her acupoints.

As always, Lu Wubing swung his sword to clear a space, taking one step after another, thrusting out one sword strike after another...

He practiced the "Square Inch Step" and "White Rainbow Piercing the Sun" meticulously.

Ouyang Lan was so engrossed in watching this that she kept chewing her teeth.

She had never seen anyone practice swordsmanship so diligently, nor had she ever seen anyone so fond of basic sword techniques like rapier.

But then again.

As it turns out, the junior brother's method of sword practice resulted in a speed at which his combat skills improved, a speed that left the junior brother far behind.

From this perspective, he seems to be right.

Therefore, Ouyang Lan decided to observe more and speak less, and stop interfering in guiding her junior brother's practice.

Although I won't offer any specific guidance, there are still some things that need to be said.

"Junior brother, perhaps you think that practicing only one sword technique is enough."

However, each of the other sword techniques in the Thirteen Deadly Swords has its own unique application.

If you master the seventh sword technique, "Gentle Breeze and Flowing Clouds," or the twelfth sword technique, "Three Rings Encircling the Moon," then no matter which move you use, that needle's edge won't be able to harm you that day.

"Furthermore, you have already mastered the [White Rainbow Piercing the Sun] technique. It will be extremely difficult to make any further progress."

My father said that from mastery to perfection, every sword technique requires not only long-term practice, but also a flash of inspiration.

Before the opportune moment arrives, no matter how hard one endures the years, it will be difficult to break through.

Thinking of her own father and mother, who were stuck at this point and unable to break through, Ouyang Lan felt a pang of sympathy.

"A flash of inspiration?"

Lu Wubing nodded, indicating that he had listened.

What he has in abundance is a flash of inspiration.

With the destiny of "Heaven rewards diligence," as long as you keep practicing, you will naturally break through any bottleneck.

All that's needed is more practice.

However, it was not appropriate to say this to Senior Sister Xiaolan.

Lu Wubing has been practicing the "White Rainbow Piercing the Sun" rapier technique because of his fear of insufficient firepower.

His past life experiences taught him that whether a person can live well or achieve great things cannot actually be determined by developing in parallel.

A person's success or failure often depends on the longest plank in the barrel.

After all, life isn't like filling a container with water; there are no second chances...

In this world, the strong act with impunity, while the weak suffer a fate worse than death.

Without strength, one cannot live the life one desires, nor can one even escape a tragic fate.

After thinking for a moment, he changed the subject: "Senior sister seems to have said that for every level of swordsmanship that one gains, one can fight against people three ranks higher."

Now that I've mastered the rapier technique, am I able to fight a second-rate, sixth-rank swordsman without defeat?

……

(End of this chapter)