Chapter 074: Journey to the Summer Capital

“What level is Zhao Tianhong as a martial artist?” Xin Lang asked thoughtfully.

Hearing Xin Lang’s question, Gu the Fatty’s eyes lit up. “I heard Zhao Tianhong is a level-four martial artist, but he’s only the third-in-command at Sky Peak Mountain. There are two others: the second-in-command, Li Tianba, is level five, and the chief, Huang Tianqi, is said to have mastered the ninth level of the Dark Force, known as the ‘Heaven-shaking Force’!”

“A level-nine martial artist? Excellent…” Xin Lang smiled.

“Boss! A level-nine martial artist—do you really think you can take him?” Gu the Fatty, who had been with Xin Lang for a long time, immediately guessed what Xin Lang was thinking.

Xin Lang replied, “Even if I’m not confident, we still have to go to Sky Peak Mountain! Your old man was hurt so badly—if we don’t go get some compensation for his medicine, how can we just let it go?”

Xin Lang’s resolve was absolute, for just now the Upgrade Device had issued a seven-diamond side quest: “Eliminate the bandits of Sky Peak Mountain. Reward: 350 experience points!”

Though side quests rarely carried penalties, Xin Lang was determined to visit Sky Peak Mountain for the sake of those 350 experience points.

He told Gu the Fatty, “Let Qian Baidu know we’re setting out for Xiadu tomorrow!”

The Upgrade Device hadn’t specified that Xin Lang needed to defeat all the bandits alone, so he planned to bring two helpers along to complete the quest, while also giving Gu the Fatty and Qian Baidu some experience.

To become a true martial artist, one must undergo the trial of life and death!

News of their departure soon spread, and Meng Linglong and Meng Chuchu came especially to see the three off.

Among the crowd was a young girl of about fourteen or fifteen, younger and shyer than Meng Chuchu, who was clearly reluctant to part with Qian Baidu.

Meng Linglong, holding the little girl’s hand, said to Qian Baidu, “Qian, I’ve already arranged for your sister’s enrollment. Don’t worry, Chuchu and I will take good care of her!”

Qian Baidu said to his sister, “Qianqian, wait for me. I’ll come back to get you soon!”

“Hey, your little sister is way prettier than you!” Gu the Fatty teased Qian Baidu from the side.

“Fatty, get lost! If you so much as glance at my sister again, you won’t live to see tomorrow’s sunrise!” Qian Baidu protectively shielded his sister behind him.

Gu the Fatty shot back, “You’re always going on about robbing the rich to help the poor, acting all righteous, but turns out you’re just an overprotective brother!”

Qian Baidu, clearly irked, didn’t bother with words—his fist landed squarely on Gu the Fatty.

Their brawls were so common that no one paid them any mind, though little Qian Qian always worried about her brother.

Meng Linglong walked up to Xin Lang. “Xin Lang, next year I’ll send Chuchu to the Martial Academy as well. Please look after her for me!”

“I’ll do my best,” Xin Lang replied simply, then stepped aside to wait for Qian Baidu to finish saying goodbye to his sister.

Meng Linglong was so exasperated by Xin Lang’s indifference that she stamped her foot and refused to speak to him again. She cast him a resentful, longing glance, her feelings for him unspoken yet evident.

Having lived two lives, Xin Lang had long since noticed the faint affection in Meng Linglong’s eyes, but his heart belonged only to Hong Xiu. So he maintained an air of detachment, hoping to nip her feelings in the bud.

Meng Chuchu admired Xin Lang deeply and wanted to say a few words to him, but seeing his distant demeanor, she feared being coldly rebuffed again and held back.

Meng Linglong stole a final glance at Xin Lang, thinking to herself, “Xin Lang, will we ever meet again?”

Gu Dong, though he had taken Xin Lang’s medicine, was still not fully recovered, so no one came to see Gu the Fatty off—something that wounded his pride. Yet he quickly turned sorrow into bravado, thrusting his hips toward the sky and shouting, “Beauties of Xiadu, your dashing and charming Gu Ge is coming! Get yourselves ready and wait for me in bed!”

No sooner had he shouted this than a hail of bricks and shards flew toward him.

Sky Peak Mountain, within the borders of the Great Xia Dynasty, rose a thousand meters high. Steep and easily defended, it had long been a bandit stronghold. The imperial court had once sent elite troops to wipe them out, but with only one narrow path up the mountain and rolling stones and burning oil raining down, not even the best-trained soldiers could take it.

Unable to root them out, the court had adopted a conciliatory approach, granting amnesty to some of the bandits. But after one batch laid down arms, another soon took their place. The authorities could do little but turn a blind eye to the bandits of Sky Peak Mountain.

The current chief, Huang Tianqi, was shrewd—he only robbed wealthy merchants passing by, never the powerful or influential. Since he didn’t threaten the interests of the elite, the court had long since stopped bothering with the bandits.

Xin Lang and his companions set off for Xiadu.

Xiadu, the capital at the heart of the Great Xia Dynasty, was a journey of seven or eight days from Jiuyang City. None of the three could ride horses, so before their departure they purchased a carriage.

“Fatty, drive the carriage!” Qian Baidu, chewing on a toothpick with an air of arrogance, tossed the whip to Gu the Fatty.

“It was my money that bought the carriage! If you don’t want to walk to Xiadu, you’d better get up there and drive!” Gu the Fatty replied, flaunting his wealth.

“Hmph! So what if you paid? As of now, I declare this carriage mine! If you disagree, step up and fight me for it!” Qian Baidu laughed.

“You little punk, I’ve had it with bandits lately! If you don’t fight me, you’re no man!” Gu the Fatty rolled up his sleeves and charged at Qian Baidu.

“Whoever loses is a coward!” Qian Baidu shouted, meeting Gu the Fatty head-on.

Xin Lang, used to their scuffles, walked off by himself into the trees, where he silently struck a huge boulder with his fist.

Boom! The boulder shattered into pieces from the force of his internal energy.

He glanced at the Upgrade progress bar of the “Heavenly Halberd”—the green bar had reached ninety-three percent. Only seven percent more, and it would level up automatically.