Fairy, don't try to mess with my filial piety

"You just want to go fishing to relax. You're probably nervous and stressed just thinking about the competition. If you want to go, just go. Why are you making up so many excuses?"

Chapter 23: Kick Your Horse Hard

Chu Wuji really didn't feel too much pressure about the upcoming competition.

His biggest pressure is that if he really gets the Black Jade Soul-Restoring Pill, but finds out that the pill is useless, it would be very torturous. Chu Wuji doesn't know what to do next.

At least there is hope now.

"Huh? Didn't you say you were going fishing? Why do you want to change clothes?" Ning Xianzhi was puzzled when she saw Chu Wuzhi taking off his clothes and walking towards the inner room.

Could it be that he is afraid that the slightest smell on his body will scare the fish away?

If he was worried to this extent, Ning Xianzhi estimated that the child might not be able to catch a single fish.

"A sense of ceremony! It just so happens that the one I'm wearing now was bought on the day I went fishing for bear paws. It's too new and uncomfortable to wear. I'll change into an older set."

As Chu Wuzhi spoke, he took out a box from the closet. Inside were two sets of robes, one black and one white. They were less elegant and refined than the scholar's robes, and less majestic and concise than the soldier's robes.

In between the two, there is the ranger warrior robe from more than ten years ago, which was once the reference for the "school uniform" of many martial arts sects. The clothing of each major sect was modified from this type of robe.

Nowadays, these clothes are outdated and no one would remember them. I’m afraid you wouldn’t be able to find them even if you wanted to.

"Mother, do you know where these two sets of robes came from?"

"I seem to have some impression of it. I sewed it for you, right?"

Ning Xianzhi guessed the origin of the two robes at a glance. They were probably made for him by the snake demon himself.

Because the materials of these black and white robes are actually snake skin. The white one should come from Chu Wuzhi's white snake godmother, and the black one... seems to be green snake skin, but it is dyed black.

There's nothing special about it, but it can resist some magical attacks.

Ning Xianzhi had a strange look on his face. Thinking about how he changed into the same training clothes every day, he couldn't help but find it funny:

"Robes are meant to be worn. Why haven't I seen you wearing these two sets before? I thought you only had training clothes."

Chu Wuji is now digging out the clothes that have been hidden in the bottom of the box, naturally because his godmother Bai Sujin once said that she had someone consecrate the clothes, which can ward off evil spirits and prevent ghosts. When else would he wear them if not now?

But it’s not a good idea to say it now, lest his godmother guess what he is going to do and worry about his safety.

"This is the clothes my mother made for me. I feel bad when it gets dirty, so I don't wear it normally. Now I need to borrow some luck to go fishing!"

"Fishing for luck is here, are you still planning to do some divination before casting your rod? I'll just go fishing with you."

"That's not necessary! Just rest in the room. If you're hungry, you can go to Baxian Food House and order food. Just tell me your name!"

"Does Wuji have such a big reputation in Baxian Food House~?"

Ning Xianzhi smiled and watched Chu Wuzhi put on the black ranger robe. His strong and sturdy body supported the slim fit of the robe, and his handsome and heroic face supported the youthful spirit. He was brave and courageous, but not to the point of being rough and domineering.

It's like a sword finally finding a suitable scabbard to put it in.

Ning Xianzhi was very satisfied with his outfit from the bottom of her heart. She felt like she had seen her own child finally dress up.

I even want to ask him why he didn't change it earlier? It looks so pleasing to the eye!

Chu Wu Ji always acted decisively and quickly. He put the white robe back into the box and then prepared to go out.

But no matter how anxious he was, he did not forget to say goodbye to his godmother:

"Mom, I'm going to borrow some fishing gear. You just rest well at home... I'll make everything fine!"

*

A good horse can effectively save travel time. You can't just rent a horse at the post station, as you may miss the opportunity.

In the tea room of the martial arts academy, Master Shang Liang was drinking tea with Yu Hualong. He explained the ingenuity of his martial arts competition arrangement from multiple perspectives:

"Master Yu, this competition has a new rule. The most intriguing one is this: 'If an original participant encounters an emergency and is unable to attend, spectators may register temporarily.'"

This new rule is prepared for on-the-spot arrangements. The opponents Chu Wuji will face at that time will all be "on-the-spot players".

Then all his research and intelligence gathering on his opponent in advance would be in vain.

Match players from multiple angles such as physical strength, resistance to blows, agility, etc. to consume Chu Wu Ji's state.

Yu Hualong nodded, but he was worried again: "That kid is very favored by the Jing'an Palace. Even Princess Yao'er is willing to take him out. What if the Jing'an Palace asks to guarantee him a direct entry into the finals?"

Shang Liangzheng was speechless for a moment. He really hadn't thought of this.

If this situation really happened, he could only recommend that Yu Hualong surrender as soon as possible, or keep an empty stomach before going on stage, otherwise he might really be beaten to death...

The two were chatting in silence when an apprentice ran over. Shang Liangzheng thought that this apprentice came to help ease the atmosphere and change the subject.

The apprentice hurriedly reported:

"Head Coach, Chu Wuji just ran into the martial arts academy and rode away with your beloved horse. He showed no mercy at all and kicked the horse's belly hard! Your horse kept screaming from being kicked by him!"

Shang Liang was stunned, his mind was a little confused, and he cursed:

"What did that bastard Chu Wuji mean? Did he give a reason?"

"He gave Princess Yao'er's name and said he would contact her if he had any questions."

"..."

*

yamen,

After the Cat Spirit case, they solved several difficult cases in one go. Now, with the permission of their boss, they were setting up a table and drinking to celebrate.

Besides, it's still broad daylight and it's on duty now. Being able to slack off and drink openly in the yamen feels so different!

Constable Yan Daliu said regretfully, "If only Chu Wuji were here. I've been looking for him for several days, wanting to tell him we were drinking today, but the door was locked and I couldn't find him."

Uncle Kong, the clerk, has been laughing so hard these days that he can't stop. Whenever he greets someone, he shouts "Hahahahahaha" at the top of his voice, as if he has been possessed by a ghost.

Just because he saw Shang Liang kneeling at the gate of Prince Jing'an's Mansion a few days ago, the resentment in his heart for many years was relieved a lot.

He raised his wine bowl high and said cheerfully, "Cheers to the great event of Shang Liangzheng kneeling down and falling unconscious!"

At this time, the sound of a horse being reined in came from outside the yamen, and Chu Wuji, dressed in a black robe, strode in hurriedly.

Yan Daliu was curious and delighted when he saw him: "So someone told you to come for a drink? Why are you dressed so formally?"

Uncle Kong was more straightforward and started to greet him again: "Hahahahaha, Wu Ji, do you know how long Shang Liangzheng knelt that day? Cheers!"

Chu Wuzhi listened to Grandpa Kong's devilish laughter, and the corners of his mouth were infected with a little curve. He was happy for the old man's cheerfulness.

He first offered a bowl of wine, and after the wine was down, he said with regret:

"It's a pity I'm tied up with something, otherwise I would just sit down and drink. I'd like to borrow a few peach wood knives, and I'd also like some talisman water if you have any."

Everyone in the yamen thought he was a man with some skills in exorcising demons, and hearing his tone, they couldn't help but guess that he was taking private work.

Without asking any questions, Yan Daliu, the chief constable of the yamen, went straight to the warehouse and brought out a large box filled with various mahogany weapons.

"Take whatever you want. Most detectives use knives, so these won't be of any use."

In fact, Chu Wuji doesn’t know how to use so many weapons, but these blessed peach wood weapons can be used to chop monsters, so there is no need to worry about any specialization.

He clasped his fists in thanks and offered another bowl of wine. Then he swiftly hung all the mahogany weapons on his waist and hurried away.

Yan Daliu didn't mind the boy's hasty coming and going, but was puzzled.

"It's really a slander against this Chief Constable! Hanging this pile of peach wood weapons behind you, you look quite impressive. If you don't know, you might think you are proficient in all kinds of weapons! Why did you say I looked like a porter carrying firewood when I brought this pile of peach wood weapons back?"

The young constable next to him said nothing, but he had an opinion in his heart:

Can this be the same?

Chu Wuji is a strong man, and even with all the weapons hanging from his waist, he wouldn't look like a burden. Naturally, he wouldn't look like a porter carrying firewood. Chief Constable, your physique...

This time, Mr. Kong stopped laughing. He could sense that Chu Wuji was going to deal with serious matters. He did not speculate on the inside story, but just stroked his beard and said:

"This guy's clothing style is quite vintage. I'm afraid few tailors remember this style these days. Where did he find this vintage stuff?"

The young constable was very surprised. He recalled Chu Wuji's clothes and said:

"Really? I thought it was some new dress from some shop. It's so trendy and beautiful!"

Uncle Kong felt inexplicably emotional when listening to the young constable's words.

Back in the day, when there were various sects in the Lihuo Jianghu, knight-errant robes like this were considered common, tacky, and outdated by people at the time.

Because almost all schools and factions wear this style with only slight modifications, it is very easy to see the same clothes as others when walking on the street.

As time goes by, those who go on stage to compete pay attention to dressing eye-catchingly and conspicuously, trying their best to leave an impression on the audience. They are even eager to find famous artists to write inscriptions or have landscape paintings on their robes.

What was considered rustic and outdated in the eyes of Uncle Kong's generation has almost disappeared over the years, but has become trendy in the eyes of young detectives.

After hearing the clerk's sigh, the young constable said without fear of offending him:

"Uncle Kong, could it be a problem with people? If you meet someone wearing the same clothes, whoever is ugly will be embarrassed. You can't admit it at the time, so you blame the clothes for being too tacky."

Mr. Kong immediately frowned and cursed:

"Yan Daliu, your apprentice is being mean to you! He said you look ugly and that's why you look like a firewood porter."

The chief constable frowned and scolded:

"Alcohol makes cowards bold. You haven't even finished a bowl of wine yet, and you already dare to slander your master?!"

Chapter 24: Canal Town, Human Skin Drum

Chu Wuji galloped all the way out of the city, leaving behind shadows of his horse's hooves.

The autumn night was cool and chilly. The horses sweated, and wisps of white steam rose into the air. As the horses passed by, they left a trail of white behind them.

In the middle of the night, Chu Wuji encountered a group of soldiers and officers, which should be the reinforcements sent to Yunhe Town.

"If this team is like this, they should be able to deal with ordinary monsters, right?"

Chu Wuji had rarely seen any monsters before, but he had heard rumors about them from the elders in various villages.

He has always been curious about one thing: if the monsters are really that scary, can the human country be governed peacefully?

Subconsciously, I feel that any random monster can use mysterious and unpredictable magic to sneak into the imperial palace and kill all kinds of important people.

Now that I have seen the troops sent by the imperial court, I realized that I had previously underestimated the human kingdom.

Although this group of officers and soldiers were marching at a rapid pace, they were equipped with heavy armor, and even their horses were covered in armor.

Even so, the officers and soldiers, who had been marching quickly for some time, showed no signs of fatigue and had no intention of stopping to rest.

It is difficult for soldiers who have not undergone special training to achieve this kind of endurance and physical strength.

"It seems that the Lihuo Nation should have a way of practicing martial arts, but it is limited to the military camp. I have never heard of it before, so it should not be too outrageous."

If this method of practice could really reach a miraculous level, it would have been widely spread long ago. Once used, it could not be hidden and would definitely attract discussion from the world.

Most of the time it just strengthens the muscles and bones and increases strength.

Chu Wuji soon noticed that there were a few elegantly dressed people among the officers and soldiers.

"It's impossible for a civil servant to appear here. Could it be a Taoist priest or a Qi cultivator?"

It's never good to stare at others all the time.

Chu Wuji took a few glances at him, and the non-commissioned officers in the ranks also turned around and examined the man who was riding a horse on the night road.

Chu Wuzhi didn't say anything, just nodded in apology, then kicked the horse's belly with his feet and sped towards Yunhe Town.

*

Canal Town,

The town is located on the bank of a canal. The roaring waters of the canal and the rolling sounds of the waves make the night seem quiet.

The bleakness and solemnity of autumn seem to be even more intense here.

Every household closed their doors and windows, and dared not light candles. Occasionally, a cry of fear would be heard, but the cry would be choked by fear, for fear of attracting the attention of dirty creatures.

At the canal port, a cargo ship with a blood-stained deck stood still, blocking the ships behind it that were preparing to enter the port.

Si Que and three palace guards were on the blocked merchant ship.

Hiding here together were several experienced old doctors who came to steal the medicine.