Do you know what mythical life is?

The thunderous sound of hooves approached from afar, raising clouds of dust.

"What happened?"

Everyone looked up in surprise and doubt.

Few people travel by horseback in Xiaoshi Village.

Lu Pingan also turned his head to look. The black feathers on his shoulder brushed against him, which made him feel a little uneasy and gave him a general idea of ​​who was coming.

"Whoa!"

Amidst the dust and smoke, two magnificent black horses galloped like arrows and suddenly stopped in front of the courtyard.

The two men immediately swept their gazes across the entire area with lightning speed.

The man in the lead was about fifty years old with a kind face, while the other man was in his twenties with a straight back. They were Liu Cang and Qin Zheng.

"Young Master!"

Upon seeing Lu Ping'an, Liu Cang and Qin Zheng's eyes lit up. They quickly dismounted, stepped forward, and, ignoring everyone else, clasped their hands in a salute.

"Uncle Liu, Qin Zheng." Lu Ping'an's eyes lit up when he saw the two of them. "I didn't expect it would be you two who came to pick me up."

"Young master, here?"

Qin Zheng looked at the mess around him and frowned slightly.

Judging from the situation here, it seems as if these people had a conflict with their young master and suffered a loss.

But he knew Lu Ping'an's situation better than anyone else.

Since childhood, he has been plagued by a bone-chilling poison. Even if, as the patriarch said, the poison in Lu Ping'an's body has disappeared and he has awakened his martial arts talent, things shouldn't be like this.

He looked at Li Yun, who was lying on the ground clutching his chest.

Li Yun was tall and had calluses on his fists, clearly indicating that he was a martial artist.

Judging from his posture on the ground, he was clearly knocked down and seriously injured. How could our young master possibly have such strength?

Qin Zheng's mind raced, but his face remained impassive. He simply swept his sharp gaze across the room before finally looking at Lu Ping'an, awaiting his instructions.

Liu Cang also sensed something amiss. With his greater experience, he stepped forward and stood protectively beside Lu Ping'an: "Young Master, this place is chaotic. Has someone been so inconsiderate as to disturb your peace?"

After the two spoke, the room fell silent.

Lu Pingan just made a move, demonstrating his formidable personal strength.

At this moment, the two imposing warriors, riding in on horseback, addressed him as "Young Master" and acted with utmost respect, revealing the potentially even more formidable force behind them.

In this remote and isolated village of Xiaoshi, where even horses are rare, such a spectacle far exceeded the imagination of ordinary villagers.

"You've come at just the right time..."

Lu Pingan turned around, his gaze sweeping over the pale-faced Li Yun and the silent crowd, and briefly explained the situation.

"Qin Zheng, I'll leave this matter to you," Lu Ping'an instructed.

"Yes, young master." Qin Zheng immediately bowed in response.

[At this point, I hope readers will remember our domain name: 10 ...

Lu Ping'an ignored the scene and walked towards Su Yongfu and the two children at the gate of the courtyard.

Upon seeing this, the villagers quickly retreated to the left and right, bowed their heads and held their breath, making way for the road and daring not to obstruct the way in any way.

Liu Cang remained silent, taking half a step behind, and followed closely behind.

"Uncle Su, I'm sorry to have startled you."

Upon reaching the door, Lu Pingan spoke gently to Su Yongfu, whose face was still somewhat pale.

He reached out and ruffled Su He and Su Shi's hair, his tone relaxed: "Alright, it's okay now."

As he spoke, he led Liu Cang into the courtyard and closed the gate.

As for the outside world, he believed that Qin Zheng would definitely be able to handle it well.

"Young master."

Entering the slightly dimly lit room, Liu Cang took out an exquisite wooden box from his pocket and handed it to Lu Ping'an, saying, "This is what the patriarch asked me to bring to you."

"Oh?"

Lu Ping'an opened the wooden box and found a letter, a stack of silver notes, and the Lu family's clan-protecting martial art—the Twelve Fists of Mountain Suppression.

He took out the letter, glanced at it, and after a moment, his expression faltered slightly.

"Young master, the county town appears to be peaceful on the surface, but there are many undercurrents beneath the surface, which is why the patriarch has asked you to stay in Yunxi County for the time being."

Liu Cang said, "As for joining the Four Symbols Martial Arts School, it's because the master of the Four Symbols School had made a move in the county town before coming to Yunxi County."

"According to the patriarch, he is very likely a master of the True Qi Realm."

"A master of the True Qi Realm?"

Lu Ping'an's eyes lit up.

This world is called the Ancient Realm of the Vast Ocean, which contains three continents and four islands.

Since the fall of the Wanchuan Dynasty, which ruled over three states, decades ago, the world order has begun to disintegrate, and there has been no more sovereign ruler.

The three states also entered a chaotic era of powerful independent states, city divisions, and each guarding its own territory.

Whether it's Yunxi County, where he is currently located, or Tianhai City, the main city of Tianhai County where the Lu family is located, they are now each governing themselves independently.

The True Qi Realm experts that Liu Cang mentioned usually only appear in truly large cities; even Tianhai City doesn't have such experts.

Lu Pingan thought of Qin Mu's miraculous methods; perhaps there really was such a possibility.

"Uncle Liu." Lu Ping'an put away the letter, looked at Liu Cang, and announced, "Yesterday I met the master of the Four Symbols Martial Arts School in the back mountain and have already become his disciple, receiving his true teachings."

"During my practice this morning, I gained some insights and have now grasped the two changes of light and dark energy."

"What?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Cang's body trembled, and he even paused for a moment, his face showing undisguised astonishment.

He raised his head, his gaze fixed intently on Lu Ping'an as if he were seeing Lu Ping'an for the first time, his eyes filled with disbelief.

Just...one day?

He only became a disciple yesterday, and today he has already grasped the subtle changes in the strength of light and dark?

Is it unnecessary to nourish the body after the initial elimination of cold toxins?

If your muscles and bones aren't strong, why bother training your strength?

Did they somehow manage to bypass all these obstacles?

It's a bit too exaggerated to think that these two realms can be crossed by simply relying on awakened martial arts talent, and to master the changes of light and dark energy in a single day.

"Since Grandpa wants me to stay in Yunxi County, then I'll stay in Yunxi County."

Lu Ping'an seemed oblivious to the shock on his face and said to himself, "There's no time like the present. Let's set off after Qin Zheng finishes dealing with his affairs outside and has lunch."

"……yes!"

Liu Cang's lips moved, but in the end, he only managed a soft "yes".

He suppressed the turmoil in his heart, lowered his head slightly, and knew that some kind of earth-shattering change must have occurred in Lu Ping'an that he could not understand.

But this change is clearly a good thing.

He didn't ask any more questions. He said something to Lu Pingan, then turned and left the house, leaving the space to Lu Pingan and the three members of the Su family.

After Liu Cang left, the room was quiet for a moment.

"Brother Lu... are you leaving?" Seeing Liu Cang leave, Su Shi finally couldn't help but step forward and grab his arm.

"Mm." Lu Pingan nodded, reached out and rubbed the little guy's head. "You've been here for so long, it's time to leave."

After saying that, he turned his head and looked at Su Yongfu, who had a complicated expression and seemed hesitant to speak: "Uncle Su, I should be staying in the county town from now on. You can come with me later."

"Shitou is still young, and it's the time for him to start his studies. Xiaohe should also continue her studies. In addition, if she is interested, I can find a martial art suitable for women to practice for her to try."

"This... Xiao Lu, this..."

Su Yongfu's throat tightened, and for a moment he didn't know how to respond.

His first instinct was to refuse.

After all, when he saved Lu Ping'an, he really didn't expect anything in return.

But when he turned his gaze to his granddaughter and grandson beside him, who were looking at him expectantly with longing for the outside world, he was overwhelmed with mixed feelings.

Should we leave this small stone village and live in the county town?

Let Shi Tou go to school for his first lessons, and let Xiao He learn those women's martial arts that she never dared to dream of before?

This was something he had never even dared to dream of before.

He had already resigned himself to his fate.

I thought I would grow old in this mountain village, and my grandchildren would repeat the same days as me, toiling in the fields from dawn till dusk, a life I could see from beginning to end.

"Little Lu... no, young master, if we go to the county town with you, won't we be a burden to you...?" Su Yongfu asked anxiously.

"Uncle Su, please don't say that."

Lu Pingan shook his head: "I will always remember your life-saving grace and kindness in taking me in. If you continue to stay here with Xiao He and Shi Tou, I will truly feel uneasy day and night and guilty."

"Xiaohe and Shitou are both good children. I'm overjoyed to have them by my side. Please listen to me on this matter."

"Then...then we'll go with you!"

Su Yongfu agreed, and as soon as he finished speaking, he seemed to have unloaded some heavy burden, and his back straightened up unconsciously.

Beside her, Su He's eyes lit up instantly, and the corners of her tightly pursed lips involuntarily curved upwards, her expression joyful.

Su Shi couldn't help but cheer softly.

"good!"

Lu Pingan smiled and handed the plump pheasant in his hand to Su Yongfu: "Uncle Su, I'll have to trouble you to prepare this. Let's have a simple lunch to fill our stomachs before we set off."

"Okay, okay! I'm good at this!"

Su Yongfu quickly took the pheasant, and his helplessness immediately disappeared. He turned around and carried the chicken to the kitchen, his steps becoming much more steady.

Su He sensibly followed along to help add firewood and boil water, while Su Shi excitedly gathered around the stove.

"Uncle Liu." Lu Ping'an walked out of the room and looked at Liu Cang standing under the eaves. "We'll set off after dinner. Uncle Su and the others will be with us. Go and see if you can find a carriage."

"Yes, young master." Liu Cang nodded in agreement.

Xiaoshi Village was poor, but that didn't mean the landlords were poor.

Li Yun will always have to pay a price for attacking our young master.

"Young Master!"

Just then, Qin Zheng strode in from outside, his figure as swift as the wind, and approached Lu Ping'an.

He lowered his voice slightly and said, "Something has happened. Bandits have entered the village, and the Zhou and Tian families have all been killed."

"What?" Lu Ping'an's face darkened. "What happened? Explain yourself."

"A blessed ancient temple has appeared on the back mountain of Xiaoshi Village. The Zhou family, the Tian family, and a family surnamed Sun each have a token from the ancient temple."

Qin Zheng said, "The main reason Li Yun helped the two families was to obtain the ancient temple token."

"Somehow word of this matter leaked out, attracting a group of bandits who stormed into the village, wiped out two families, and stole their tokens!"

"I found out a little late. I only made it to the Sun family's house in time, killed a few bandits, and bought an ancient temple token from them."

As he spoke, Qin Zheng took out a black token that was neither iron nor wood from his pocket and handed it over.

"Ancient Temple Token?" Lu Ping'an took the token, his gaze falling on the blurred patterns on it. "What abilities does this blessed ancient temple possess?"

"According to Li Yun, offering sacrifices to the ancient temple can bring a state of mental clarity. The reason he broke through to the Condensation Realm was because of this blessed ancient temple," Qin Zheng replied quickly.

"How strong are those robbers? Which direction did they go?" Lu Ping'an asked suddenly, his expression shifting upon hearing this.

"The robbers I killed were all ordinary people, except for one who was a martial artist at the Strength Refinement Realm."

"According to them, their leader was a Ming Jin martial artist. I caught a glimpse of him from afar. He killed his men in a few moves when he saw me, then rode off on horseback along the road to the west," Qin Zheng said.

"West side?"

A glint of light flashed in Lu Ping'an's eyes.

He said no more, his mind sank into his sea of ​​consciousness, and he instantly changed his perspective.

At the bottom of the dark Yunxi River, the Futu Tianzhu Turtle, whose body had swelled to more than two meters and resembled a black boulder, slowly opened its cold vertical pupils.

Upon receiving Lu Ping'an's command, it pushed off the riverbed with its strong limbs, and its massive body shot off like an arrow, cutting through the currents and swimming straight toward the bridge west of Xiaoshi Village.