Diligence System: From Servant to Martial King-Chapter 291 - 260: Past Joys Like Dream Shadows, Treacherous Brat Betrays My True Heart (Part 3)

Chapter 291: Chapter 260: Past Joys Like Dream Shadows, Treacherous Brat Betrays My True Heart (Part 3)

Li Xian spent the night in the wilderness, finding a patch of crushed stone clearing. He swept his hand across, sending the stones flying, and laid soft grass as a bed. Lying therein, the forest breeze mixed with the fragrance of grass and trees, with a faint mist of water... yet it was quite suitable.

Li Xian untied his water bag. Thinking about the thousands of miles of escape, at the most dangerous time, two people shared a water bag. Drinking directly from it, it didn’t feel strange at all. Now they have turned against each other.

He could only drink from it facing the moon.

Sleeping under the stars and moon, he always felt an emptiness in his arms, slightly uncomfortable.

"Strength... I am ultimately too weak. If I were stronger than the lady, how could I let her be so arrogant? Hmph, I’d smack her bottom with my big palm and make her behave."

Li Xian found this thought rather interesting. The sense of sadness diminished, and the desire to pursue Martial Arts grew stronger.

He had high ambitions and disliked being constrained. Although he felt like a wanderer in his life, drifting with the wind, his nature was open-minded. When the wind blew, he didn’t succumb to inferiority or self-pity, but instead felt grateful for the vastness of the world, full of boundless beauty and excitement.

"When I achieve Martial Arts success in the future, I should sweep away any discontent. But for now, with so many great things, it’s better to have a good dream tonight. I shall sleep now!"

He placed his arms behind his head, breathing steadily.

The next day.

Li Xian climbed mountains and rushed along the road, traveling dozens of miles until he saw a main road. Following the main road, he entered a town.

He temporarily didn’t know where to go, but knew his finances were running low. He only had a few taels of gold left.

So, he went to a money shop to exchange the gold for silver. Dozens of taels of silver were heavy in his chest pocket, making him feel quite secure.

Li Xian pondered, "Having left Yihetang Manor, the gratitude and grievances are cleared, returning me to a free body. But though I possess martial abilities, I have neither property nor profession under my name, and must be economical with all resources."

"In this world... it’s not easy to earn money!"

His stomach was growling. Nearby, he saw a small tea house, and since it was early, there were few guests. He sat in a secluded corner and ordered a bowl of hot clear porridge and some fried snacks.

While waiting for the food, he organized everything he had:

Thirty-four taels of silver, Poison Powder, dart, Jade Pendant, sachet, silver hairpin, jade dagger, Sinking River Treasure Sword, Thunderbolt Finger Martial Arts, Flower Cage Sect Token, Crane Pill, pen, ink stick, water bag, Jade Water Pearl, Iron Copper Body Martial Arts, seven scroll paintings, nine calligraphy pieces...

Since childhood, he was impoverished, and everything he obtained was treasured. Many times he wanted to shed the clutter, traveling lightly. But after much thought, there was nothing he wanted to part with.

While traveling, he looked dashing and handsome. Under his clothes, it was packed full of miscellaneous items.

Through the miles of escape, he had gained a few more treasures.

Originally, Li Xian was equipped with the "Yellow Dao Bow," which was quite powerful. But the Tomb Hidden Mountain was extremely perilous, and when Wen Caishang was surrounded, Li Xian, disguised as a Wuji Saber Sect disciple, feared carrying the bow might reveal his identity. So he found a hidden place and buried the bow.

The Jade Pendant, sachet, and silver hairpin all came from Wen Caishang. In the chaos of wind and rain, they ended up with him, hazy and confused. Li Xian thought, "These things, I’ll keep them as mementos for now."

He searched around. Thankfully, he didn’t bring out the silk stockings or tummy wrap.

Li Xian spread out the calligraphy works.

The calligraphy was crooked... all by Wen Caishang. The lower left corner was all "signed." Indicating the year, month, who, and where it was written.

Wen Caishang was initially very unwilling, as this greatly affected her reputation. She thought if these were leaked out, her face would be lost. Li Xian, full of tricky thoughts, forced her stubbornly. Wen Caishang resisted for a while but eventually relented and obediently signed.

Nine calligraphy pieces, seven paintings... all with names. Li Xian coughed lightly, rolled up the paintings, and tucked them under his clothes.

"I have two Martial Arts manuals, Thunderbolt Finger and Iron Copper Body... these I acquired during my glorious days, spending a lot of money."

"I have already reached the Peak, and if I really run short on money, I could sell them to exchange for money. These over thirty taels, if I spend them frugally, can last a while."

The waiter brought the hot porridge and small dishes. Steam rose, refreshing and relieving the greasiness. Li Xian accompanied the small crispy dishes with the porridge, finished it all.

Putting down a few copper coins.

The street was already bustling. Li Xian, knowing his looks were noticeable, wanted to avoid crowded city areas. He saw a roadside vendor selling dry cakes, coarse grains, and cured meats.

Li Xian said, "Shopkeeper, what’s the price?"

The vendor said, "With filling, three copper coins, without filling, two."

In every era, the region of Qiong Heavenly Mansion was poor and sparse, and dry cakes were made from "coarse millet," with rough quality, hard to swallow. Ordinary people would not eat them unless they had to travel far.

Li Xian said, "Give me thirty pieces with filling, thirty without." Hesitating momentarily, he added, "Also, a sausage."

The vendor was surprised and smilingly said, "Sir, are you traversing the mountains?" They counted thirty dry cakes each, pressing them with a wooden board.

The dry cakes were wrapped tightly with coarse cloth. Li Xian paid the bill and carried the cakes on his back, lightly weighing them. They were quite heavy.

To the east of this city, there was a large mountain. Li Xian walked through the mountains and wilderness, avoiding pursuers. Expecting not to see anyone for days, he bought food in advance.

This avoided the trouble of hunting, allowing him to focus more on martial practice during this period.

"Senior Lü’s Five Viscera Avoiding Dross and Gathering Yang Scripture, although it has been in my mind for a long time. I’ve never practiced it, and now it’s time to do so."

Li Xian already had a direction.

To advance in Martial Arts and enhance himself offered broad prospects. Along the way, he saw some bookstores, spending some spare money on books, paintings, and calligraphy supplies.

Exiting the town, he entered the continuous mountain ranges.

Filling his water bag with water, Li Xian took a bite of dry cake and a sip of clear water. It was quite carefree and comfortable.

...

...

Meanwhile, on the other side.

Wen Caishang, with good medicine, disrupted the "Qi-Eating Gu" and its five elements, reversing its Yin Yang, significantly reducing its rate of Qi transformation.

She also successively consumed "Red Treasure Ginseng" and "Prayer Clean Water"... to accelerate healing. These many rare and exotic medicines are extremely hard to find.

Her injuries had solidified for a while, and the situation was stable. With slow adjustments, she could heal within ten days or so. She didn’t need to use these precious medicines. However, she was impatient and knew that with Li Xian’s cunning, the longer she delayed, the harder it would be to catch him.