Starting from Tianlong, Wudu Tianxia

A moment later, the dust raised by Gao Yuan's horse gradually dissipated.

The high cliff bulges outwards, and on that large blue stone that shelters the road and protects from the rain, a figure, like an old monk in meditation, moved almost imperceptibly.

He was dressed in a blue robe, his aura as still as a corpse, and the color of his clothes was similar to that of the blue stone. When he stood still like this, it was almost impossible to distinguish him with the naked eye when looking up from below.

Therefore, none of Gao Yuan and the bandits noticed him.

Suddenly, a soft rustling of clothes was heard, and the man in the green robe spread his sleeves, revealing two thin, black iron staffs, each as thin as a chopstick, sliding out from his left and right sleeves.

With a light tap of his iron staff on the bluestone, he leaped up like a feather and landed lightly a few feet away.

The man's feet were suspended in mid-air, and he relied entirely on two thin iron rods to support his body as he slowly leaped down the cliff.

Such a bizarre posture, if someone were to witness it, would probably think a ghost had appeared and be so frightened that they would wet themselves.

The man in the green robe landed beside the corpse and examined the bandits' wounds one by one: the sword wound on their throats, the palm prints on their chests, from the henchmen who had been knocked into the haystacks to the bandit leader who had crashed into the old locust tree with his eyes wide open and died with his eyes still open, he missed them all.

There were four sword strikes and three palm strikes in total.

Apart from the burly man under the locust tree, everyone else was killed with a single blow.

It is evident that the boy's swordsmanship and movement were so precise and swift, and his internal strength was so profound, that he far surpassed ordinary martial artists!

If the man in the green robe hadn't witnessed the boy's moves firsthand, he would have found it hard to believe that he had killed all the bandits in the area.

He gently pried open the big man's clenched fingers with his iron staff, and sure enough, he saw that the joints of his palms were covered with thick calluses, and the color of his entire palm was unusually dark.

"Breath originates from the dantian, focus all your attention on the palm, press firmly to unleash power, open the palm and sink horizontally, it is the Heart-Piercing Palm."

The man in the green robe had a stiff face like a stone sculpture, his lips did not move an inch, but his words floated out like a ghostly whisper.

Judging from the traces of his training, the dark color in the big man's palm was still shallow, indicating that he had not yet mastered the Heart-Piercing Palm technique to a high level, but it was still far beyond the reach of ordinary martial artists.

The man in the green robe thought to himself: if he were to face this big man, although he could defeat him as easily as the young man, he would certainly not be able to do so with such ease.

Looking at the burly man's death, it was clear that the young man's internal strength was inferior to his own. If he could use his own unique skills to create distance, he might be able to defeat him after a hundred moves.

However, his movements were exceptionally skillful, making it no easy task to kill him.

At this point in his thoughts, a hint of melancholy suddenly appeared in the man in the green robe's eyes:

"A young man, full of vigor and ambition, soars to the highest peak amidst the verdant mountains!" Wasn't the young prince of yesteryear just like that?

The memory abruptly ended, and the man in the green robe sighed softly, his tone filled with melancholy.

"God, you deserve to die! The Duan brothers deserve to die too! I am no longer myself. There will never be another young prince in this world... Alas!"

Only after that long sigh did the pent-up frustration and sorrow in his heart begin to surface.

……

When Gao Yuan returned to Kainan Prefecture, it was Shen Shi (3-5 PM).

He went to the Shennong Gang's headquarters immediately; if he didn't show up soon, Sikong Xuan would probably be jumping up and down in anxiety.

In the main hall, Sikong Xuan, whose face was originally pale, became much rosier when he saw Gao Yuan enter. His words were full of concern for Gao Yuan's safety, without mentioning at all where Gao Yuan had been these past few days.

Based on Mu Wufu's report, Sikong Xuan could easily guess that Gao Yuan had gone to look for that so-called "ferry" again, though it was unclear whether he was looking for a person or an object.

But as long as Gao Yuan stayed with the Shennong Gang and helped him deal with the current crisis, he didn't bother to ask too many questions.

Sikong Xuan wanted to use Gao Yuan's power to fight against Lingjiu Palace, while Gao Yuan needed to rely on Shennong Gang to "avoid disaster." The two tacitly understood this.

Therefore, Sikong Xuan has always managed Gao Yuan with a "relaxed approach," and his title of "vice gang leader" is, in reality, more like a mascot.

After dealing with Sikong Xuan, Gao Yuan rode back to Qingjing Street.

On the way, he couldn't help but reflect on the changes that had occurred in recent days.

Previously, he possessed considerable internal energy but lacked corresponding techniques. Now, having learned the Lingbo Weibu (a martial arts technique) and mastered the Tianjian Yufeng Nineteen Styles, his overall martial arts skills have improved by at least two levels in just a few days.

If I were to encounter Hong Zhaoren again, I might be able to outmaneuver him.

Even if he were to encounter a veteran martial arts master like Du Lingzi, he could probably put up a fight with the Nineteen Styles of Heavenly Mirror Wind Control.

However, his internal strength was ultimately slightly inferior to his, and the outcome was still unpredictable.

Fortunately, he possessed the Lingbo Weibu (a martial arts technique), which provided an extra layer of insurance. He could fight if he could win, and if he couldn't, he was very skilled at escaping.

As soon as I stepped into the courtyard, I saw Chang Ying sitting on a small stool under the eaves, staring blankly at the ground.

Seeing him return, the little girl's eyes lit up, then she pouted, saying with a hint of reproach, "So, the great hero has finally decided to come back?"

Gao Yuan noticed that she wouldn't even call him "Big Brother," and he knew that the little girl was really angry.

He smiled and stepped forward, pulling a small wooden rabbit, about the size of his palm, from his pocket and waving it in front of her.

"Are you angry? I was indeed busy and delayed for a few days, making you worry. Here, this is for you."

Chang Ying lightly touched the rabbit's ears with her fingertips, a smile involuntarily creeping onto her lips, but she maintained a stiff expression: "Are you trying to fool a child with this?"

"Hey, aren't you a kid? If you don't want it, then forget it."

Gao Yuan was amused by her, took a step forward, and lightly tapped her on the forehead.

"If you keep a straight face, I'll make you copy 'Heaven and Earth, Black and Yellow' ten times tonight."

"Ouch, brother, that hurts!"

Chang Ying covered her forehead and cried out, snatched the little rabbit, and quickly hid to the side.

Seeing Gao Yuan fetch water and go inside to wash up, she secretly peeked at the door and muttered, "You've messed up my brain, now no one's cooking for you anymore, humph!"

Gao Yuan was both amused and exasperated. But then again, children from poor families mature early. Although Chang Ying was young, her cooking skills were quite good, and she kept the house in perfect order, which saved him a lot of trouble.

Although he washed and groomed himself at the Sword Lake every day while in Langhuan Paradise, he still neglected to take good care of himself for a few days.

At this moment, after washing away the dust and dirt, arranging my hair, and changing into clean clothes, I feel completely refreshed.

At dinner, Chang Ying laid out several side dishes.

He ordered Dongpo Jade Rice Noodle Soup, Vinegar Fish, and two seasonal fresh vegetable dishes. Then he happily ran out to get Gao Yuan a pot of plum wine.

The brother and sister ate together, but Chang Ying's gaze was always fixed on the sword that Gao Yuan had placed on the table.

The precious sword he brought back from Langhuan Paradise had now been taken out of the oilcloth. The scabbard was exceptionally luxurious, and a blood-red gemstone, as smooth as congealed blood, was inlaid at the junction of the hilt and the scabbard. Reflecting the lamplight, it seemed to shimmer with a red glow.

Beautiful objects, especially sparkling gems, may not appeal to all girls, but they hold considerable allure for most children.

Gao Yuan chuckled at her absent-minded look and picked up a piece of the tenderest fish belly for her: "Does it look good?"

"nice!"

When Chang Ying saw that he had picked up her favorite fish belly meat, her eyes curved into crescent moons, and she instantly beamed with joy.

"Children shouldn't play with swords," Gao Yuan interrupted her.

"Then touching it is okay, right?"

"No, this sword is too sharp; be careful it doesn't hurt you."

"All right……"

Chang Ying, her face downcast, asked curiously, "Big brother, why is it so beautiful?"

"Because it's expensive."

"Huh?" Chang Ying was taken aback, then asked, "How expensive is it?"

Gao Yuan teased her on purpose: "It's so expensive... if you pawn it, you can eat big meals of meat every day and wear new clothes every day without repeating the same one. You could eat like that from this year to the year after."

Chang Ying's eyes widened suddenly, and she started counting on her little fingers, her brows furrowing into small knots, as if she was calculating the "huge sum" in her mind again.

Gao Yuan pinched her little face: "You're so clever for your age. Eat your food. You're still growing, so eat more."

"Mmm! Mmm!" Chang Ying shoveled rice into her mouth, her heart filled with joy. With her older brother around, hot meals, and new clothes, life was truly wonderful!

"Big brother!"

"Um?"

"I want to learn to read," Chang Ying said, putting down her chopsticks with a serious expression.

"Didn't you say you didn't want to study?" Gao Yuan asked, somewhat surprised.

"If you learn to read, you can practice martial arts!" Chang Ying said, secretly glancing at Gao Yuan's face.

What she didn't say was that once she learned martial arts, she wouldn't be a little girl who needed protection for everything; who knows...

Thinking that one day she could stand in front of her older brother, a smile forced onto her little face.