From the fusion of Tongbei Quan to the Longevity Martial Saint

Chapter 123 The Jade-Faced Scholar

The sounds of commotion rose and fell in waves.

Zeng Qian's face turned so red it looked like it was about to bleed.

She was both embarrassed and anxious, so she simply pulled out another, slightly larger backpack from her bundle...

He shoved a handful into the exhibition hall's hands.

"Zhanbo! You got a share too!"

"You don't actually think...you think I'm interested in you too, do you?!"

Zhanbo immediately put on an extremely exaggerated expression.

His hands trembled as he took the backpack.

I looked at it over and over again.

"Oh my goodness... these stitches! This workmanship!"

"Junior Sister Zeng, I appreciate your feelings!"

"but……"

He deliberately drew out his words, winking and making faces as he continued:

"I know that Zhanbo is just as handsome as Fang Qing."

"I can understand if you're interested in both of us."

"But I still can't agree to your two-timing behavior..."

Before he could finish speaking...

Zeng Qian raised her leg and kicked Zhanbo!

She has a cultivation level of the sixth level of Body Tempering.

Although this kick wasn't delivered with full force, it was extremely fast, accompanied by the sound of wind breaking through the air!

Zhanbo was only at the fifth level of Body Tempering, so he couldn't dodge it at all.

He only had time to let out a bloodcurdling scream...

The thickest part of her buttocks took a solid hit.

Zhanbo was kicked and staggered forward several steps.

He clutched his buttocks, grimacing, tears welling up in his eyes.

"Ouch! You really kicked me!"

An even louder burst of laughter erupted from the reserve camp.

The atmosphere was so lively it was like a pot had exploded.

Fang Qing had already accepted the backpack that Zeng Qian had handed her earlier.

Fingers traced the fine, neat stitches on the leather surface.

He could imagine how focused the girl was last night under the lamp, cutting the leather and sewing it stitch by stitch.

He looked at Zeng Qian and said sincerely:

"Thank you, I really like this bag."

Upon hearing this, Zeng Qian's blush deepened.

She gave a soft "hmm" and didn't look up again.

Fang Qing didn't delay any longer, put on the new bag, and waved to the crowd.

"Set off!"

He led Zeng Qian and the rest of the team to quickly begin a thorough search of another area.

Only Zhanbo was left clutching his badly injured buttocks...

He hopped on one foot, waving and yelling at Fang Qing and the others' backs.

Gu Changyuan stood a short distance away, taking in the entire scene.

Looking at these energetic, playful young people...

He couldn't help but think back to his childhood.

At that time, he was also in the preparatory camp with a group of companions.

They diligently practice during the day and chat about everything under the sun at night.

There's the passion of fighting side-by-side, and the ease of playful banter.

There was also a beautiful figure who had long since faded into the past, and whose memory once stirred his emotions.

"I remember when we were young, you loved to talk and I loved to laugh..."

Gu Changyuan murmured softly, a faint, nostalgic smile appearing on his lips.

Those youthful days filled with youthful spirit and budding emotions...

Even now, it remains clear and beautiful.

Ding Mingcheng stood beside Gu Changyuan...

At this moment, however, he looked heartbroken.

He glanced at Zeng Qian's graceful and alluring figure in the distance.

Then I looked at the exquisite leather bag on Fang Qing's back.

Finally, I couldn't help but pound my chest.

"Ding Jiao, oh Ding Jiao... my silly little sister..."

"You have absolutely no chance!"

"Look at the girl next to Fang Qing..."

"She's got the looks, the figure, she's skilled in needlework, and she's a sixth-level Body Tempering expert!"

"And you?"

"A ship owner at the fifth level of Body Tempering, who works on ships every day, is tanned as dark as a Kunlun slave..."

"They can't even cook a proper meal!"

"How can you compare to them?"

"What a terrible thing!"

Ding Mingcheng looked up at the sky and let out a long, helpless sigh.

……

Lu Jianfeng led ten men deep into the target area.

His face remained gloomy.

One of the team members leaned closer and asked in a low voice:

"Lu Tou'er, how should we search? Which way should we start?"

Lu Jianfeng coldly surveyed his surroundings.

"What's the rush?"

But he had a different plan in mind.

He didn't care whether he could find the ledger or not.

They even secretly hoped they wouldn't find it.

His mind is full of thoughts right now...

It was about how to create trouble for Fang Qing and how to slow down their progress.

Ideally, Fang Qing should be made to lose face in front of Gu Changyuan.

"Listen up, all of you."

Lu Jianfeng lowered his voice and gave instructions to the team members beside him.

"Any suspicious traces, especially those that might point to other directions in the search..."

"Report to me immediately, and do not act or pass on messages without authorization."

"Do you understand?"

His gaze swept over the crowd, carrying an undeniable sense of oppression.

"yes!"

Although the team members were somewhat puzzled, they still responded.

Lu Jianfeng then turned his head in satisfaction.

Looking in the direction Fang Qing's group had left, a cold smile flashed in his eyes.

"Fang Qing, we'll see."

"You might not be able to seize this opportunity to make a contribution."

My mood improved slightly.

……

In a hidden cave below Tiger Leaping Gorge.

The campfire was crackling.

The flickering firelight cast a half-light, half-shadow on the originally fair and handsome face of the jade-faced scholar, Pan Song.

He was sitting on a flat rock at that moment.

The finely crafted cloud-patterned brocade robe he was wearing had long since lost its original color.

The hem of his robe was covered in mud, the cuffs were frayed from the rocks, and there were several dark stains on his chest, which he couldn't tell were blood or dirt.

This was an unbearable torment for Pan Song, who has a strong aversion to germs.

But he could only endure it.

They had been trapped in Tiger Leaping Gorge for three whole days by the salt patrolmen, who were like an iron barrel.

Even though he was a master at the seventh level of Body Tempering, he was only one step away from the True Essence Realm, which requires the condensation of true essence.

Faced with layers upon layers of crossbows and swords outside, he could only cower like a rat in this damp cave.

Eating, drinking, and relieving oneself are all done here.

A complex smell filled the air.

The smell of smoke from the campfire, the aroma of roasted meat, and the lingering musty and urine odors in the corner.

Pan Song, expressionless, took a wild rabbit from the fire, its skin golden brown and sizzling with oil.

He tore off a plump hind leg, carefully poured out some coarse salt from a small leather pouch at his waist, and sprinkled it evenly over the meat.

Then he opened his mouth and took a big bite.

Chewing vigorously.

It was as if he wasn't biting into rabbit meat, but rather the meat of that salt patrolman named Gu Changyuan outside.

Just as his cheeks puffed out, and he focused intently on the food in his mouth...

A faint sound of pattering water could be heard from deep within the cave.

Immediately afterwards, a fresh, hot, pungent odor wafted through the air and hit his nostrils.

Pan Song's chewing motion froze instantly.

The vein on his forehead throbbed slightly.

There was no turning back.

He didn't even look up.

He simply held the rabbit leg in his left hand, while his right hand swiftly grabbed at the ground beside him.

A fist-sized stone with sharp edges, used to surround the campfire, was scooped into his hand.

immediately……

He twisted his waist, turned around, and waved!

The movements were executed in one fluid motion, as fast as the wind!

call out……

The stone, accompanied by a gust of wind, struck precisely into the darkness of a corner of the cave!

"You bastard!"

Pan Song's curses rang out almost simultaneously with the sound of stones shattering through the air.

"Didn't I tell you to go to that puddle over there and take care of it?"

"I was eating, and you were peeing right next to me?"

"You're tired of living, aren't you? Believe me or not, I'll cut off your two ounces of rotten flesh right now and roast it for a snack with my drinks!"

"Ouch!"

A bloodcurdling scream came from the darkness of the corner.

Then came a flurry of rustling sounds.

A small, thin figure scrambled out.

He covered his bleeding forehead with one hand, while desperately pulling up his pants with the other.

The rough linen waistband was only pulled up halfway, revealing most of his thin, filthy buttocks.

He didn't dare look at Pan Song at all. Like a frightened mouse, he pulled up his pants, naked, and staggered away to the deeper part of the cave.

Pan Song watched the disappearing figure and then sniffed the increasingly strong odor in the air.

His face showed extreme disgust and annoyance.

"This is fucking inhuman living..."

He angrily slammed the half-eaten rabbit leg in his hand onto the ground.

The plump rabbit leg bounced on the rock, rolling around in the dust.

Pan Song's chest heaved as he suddenly stood up, took a few steps to the vicinity of the cave entrance, and looked out at the faint light of day through the cracks in the rock.

His hands clenched so tightly they cracked.

I wish I could rush out right now, find Gu Changyuan, and tear him to pieces with the most ruthless means!

But he can't.

He knew very well that, given his current state and the mere dozen or so exhausted subordinates he had left...

Rushing out would be no different from walking into a trap.

"Tolerate……"

Pan Song squeezed out the word through gritted teeth.

"Jade-faced scholar, what you need most right now is patience!"

He took a few deep breaths of the cold air.

He forcibly suppressed the surging murderous intent and nausea.

Just as he was about to turn around, considering whether to pick up the rabbit leg again...

A sudden change has occurred!