The Smiling, Proud Wanderer: From the Moment He Picked Up Qu Feiyan

The rain darkens the vast river at dusk, and the autumn air still lingers; the reeds on the bank rustle and whisper.

The wind blows the roadside at midnight, and the moon shines brightly through the floating clouds.

Despite the chilly autumn night, Qu Feiyan's mood remained completely unaffected.

She chattered on and on, recounting all the amusing things that happened while Shen An was away, from how eagerly everyone at Bailianfang waited for her to see her, to how she had completely outwitted the heroes of the martial arts world at the Sword Testing Tournament. When she got to the part where she was most pleased with herself, she became even more animated and radiant.

Shen An listened quietly with a smile. He nodded occasionally, or responded with a word or two in soft voice.

The moonlight outlined his profile, and his focused and gentle expression made Qu Feiyan forget where she was in the conversation from time to time, leaving only her heart pounding wildly.

It felt more like... picking your child up from school and listening to her recount what she had seen and heard during the day.

A somewhat strange thought flashed through Shen An's mind, and then he chuckled to himself.

However, as he walked, he gradually sensed that something was amiss in his relaxed mood.

In this atmosphere that should have been peaceful and serene, he always felt a faint, discordant chill, clinging to his back, impossible to shake off.

"A pure heart remains unperturbed even when the sky falls..."

I'll open it first and then we'll talk.

As the mental cultivation method was activated, his mind instantly became clear and empty.

Everything around him—the sound of the wind, the water, the chirping of insects, even Qu Feiyan's clear laughter—seemed to be pulled away, becoming both clear and distant. His perception spread out in all directions like mercury spilling onto the ground, penetrating every crevice.

really!

A very subtle, spying gaze fell upon him, like a speck of dirt on a flawless ice surface.

That gaze carried no murderous intent, it was purely scrutiny and observation, no wonder I hadn't noticed it before.

Unfortunately... I didn't bring my sword.

Shen An sighed helplessly.

He recalled the several murders he had committed since transmigrating: the first time, he used a shovel; the second time, his fists; and the third time, he even carried a butcher's knife...

On the contrary, he has never actually used a sword properly. Isn't he just a pure farmer?

Suppressing his inner turmoil, Shen An said to Qu Feiyan:

"Someone is following us."

The voice was kept extremely low, yet it reached Qu Feiyan's ears clearly.

She grabbed Shen An's hand and instinctively tightened her grip, but neither her facial expression nor her gait changed from before; she remained innocent and carefree.

Good composure!

Seeing this, Shen An secretly admired her. This little girl truly lived up to her reputation as the granddaughter of an elder of the Demonic Sect; her composure in the face of danger was far beyond that of ordinary girls.

No wonder they treated Yu Canghai like a dog in the original novel.

Yes, it's a Corgi.

"We'll lure him to a place where he can't escape," Shen An continued in a barely audible voice.

"Mmm!" Qu Feiyan responded softly, her laughter still lingering in her voice.

The two kept in sync, maintaining their previous pace as if nothing had happened.

They walked along the riverbank at a leisurely pace, their seemingly casual steps subtly leading the "tail" behind them towards a river bend surrounded by water on three sides.

This place is the perfect spot to start.

Just as he sensed that his pursuer had stepped into a trap, Shen An suddenly turned around, no longer concealing himself, and unleashed his full power through his lightness skill!

"boom!"

The ground beneath his feet trembled violently, and his foot stomped out a clear, shallow crater in the solid mud! His figure shot out like a cannonball, hurtling towards the source of the line of sight—a dense forest a few dozen steps away!

The Songshan School's lightness skill was not known for its graceful and agile movements. Moreover, Shen An's lightness skill was not particularly high. In addition, he was strong, so he relied more on his own strength to exert force. Although he was faster, he made his lightness skill look like a hodgepodge.

We've been discovered?!

Ji Wushi, who was hiding behind the tree, suddenly narrowed his pupils.

He thought his stealth skills were so perfect that there was no way he could be discovered. Where did things go wrong?

But as Ji Wushi watched Shen An approach, a mocking sneer curled at the corner of his mouth.

Why is Ji Wushi not alarmed?

Because in the eyes of an expert like him, Shen An's lightness skill was simply... too clumsy!

Although this guy wasn't slow, every step he took was powerful and heavy, landing firmly on the ground with a dull "thump, thump." It was less like light-footed skill and more like a humanoid bull charging around recklessly.

Ji Wushi's initial wariness immediately transformed into seven parts contempt and three parts mockery.

His body swayed, like a weightless withered leaf.

Just as Shen An was about to get close, he simply tapped his toes lightly, and with a quick movement, his figure shifted several feet to the side like a ghost, lightly flashing to another place.

When Tian Boguang used his lightness skill in front of him, he was already in a state of extreme injury.

The black-clad man's lightness skill was truly the strongest I had ever seen.

Shen An felt a chill run down his spine. His speed was entirely driven by his brute strength, and in terms of straight-line sprinting, he was indeed quite good.

However, the opponent's movement technique was far superior to his own, drifting through the forest with the wind, leaving no trace.

Just as he was about to approach his opponent with the force of thunder, the other person simply touched the intertwined tree roots with the tip of his foot, and his entire figure moved several feet to the side like a ghost, lightly flashing to the other side.

In the pursuit, the difference is always just a hair's breadth.

This difference of a millimeter is like an insurmountable chasm.

After several rounds of this, Shen An felt like a bull being toyed with, possessing great strength but unable to even touch the hem of the other's clothes, and an inexplicable anger rose in his heart.

Similarly, while Ji Wushi was calmly teasing him, doubts began to creep into his heart.

'This lightness skill, though difficult to discern, seems to be rooted in the Songshan Sect…' he analyzed to himself. 'Elder Qu Yang's granddaughter is actually involved with a disciple of the Songshan Sect; this is no small matter!'

To confirm his suspicions, he decided to stop playing hide-and-seek with this guy and personally test the boy's martial arts skills!

With such poor lightness skills, how much real strength could one possibly possess?

At most, he's just a novice second-generation disciple of Songshan. His martial arts prowess will be revealed with a single test!

Ji Wushi sneered, his figure suddenly stopped, and he ceased his escape.

Besides swordsmanship, the Songshan School is most famous for its fist and palm techniques. I will exchange a palm strike with him to see how good he is!

"Kid, have you had enough?"

As he spoke, he turned around and faced Shen An, striking out with a powerful palm!

Seeing that he was finally willing to confront him head-on, Shen An was not surprised but delighted. He did not use any sophisticated moves; he had not yet mastered the Great Songyang Palm or the Great Yin-Yang Hand. He simply raised his right hand and met the attack with a basic palm technique from Mount Song.

Seeing this, Ji Wushi's cold smile deepened.

Sure enough! It's the style of the Songshan School!

However, the smile on his face froze completely the next moment.