The Blood of Youth – CH 047

Chapter 47: Loneliness of the Traveller Away From Home

For three consecutive days, Lei Wujie practiced nothing but the art of drawing his sword.

Every morning, Li Hanyi would walk out of the straw hut and attack Lei Wujie with a sword. However, no matter how powerful Li Hanyi’s sword was, Lei Wujie couldn’t draw that sword. In the later moves, Li Hanyi clearly didn’t go easy on him, and after a few sword moves, Lei Wujie was already battered with bruises and cuts.

Every time after Li Hanyi executed a sword move, he would turn around and leave. Sometimes, he walked into the straw hut and stayed inside without coming out. Sometimes, he leapt deep into the mountains to train his sword. The only thing Lei Wujie could do was to dedicate himself to drawing his sword and looking after Li Hanyi’s three daily meals. Actually, the disciples at the foot of the mountain would bring food every day, but Lei Wujie only took one bite and drove them away. Later, he built a stove on his own and started cooking. The nineteen peaks of Cangshan had countless varieties of vegetables and mushrooms, as well as birds and beasts. Coincidentally, Lei Wujie’s biggest hobby since he was a child, besides martial arts, was cooking, so he volunteered to take care of the food. Li Hanyi had no opinion either way, but when it came to his sword arts, he had yet to teach a single move.

At dawn on the fourth day, Lei Wujie was preparing breakfast, and Li Hanyi walked out of the straw hut.

Lei Wujie greeted hurriedly, “Shifu, good morning.”

Li Hanyi sniffed the air, a rare smile in his voice. “If only your talent for martial arts were half as good as your talent for cooking.”

Lei Wujie was immediately overjoyed. “Shifu, you’re in a good mood today.”

Li Hanyi waved his sleeve. “You can go down the mountain.”

Lei Wujie was stunned, and the spatula he was holding dropped onto the ground. “Shi…shifu, although I’m really dumb, you don’t have to get rid of me.”

Li Hanyi shook his head. “I’m not getting rid of you. I’m going into seclusion for the next three days. So, you can go down the mountain for three days. During this time, don’t let anyone enter the mountain.”

Lei Wujie’s sorrow turned into joy, and he nodded. “No hurry then. I will leave after preparing breakfast for Shifu.”

Li Hanyi didn’t speak but turned his head silently. With a small leap, he jumped onto the roof of the straw hut and sat down facing north, looking into the distance. He sighed softly. “He’s really like her.” He reached out a hand and snatched a leaf that wafted past, then placed it on his lips. The tune he played was a little sad, like a team of geese flying across the sky. Lei Wujie found the tune very familiar and suddenly remembered it was the same tune Xiao Se played when he sat on the roof of the wine shop that day. Lei Wujie turned his head to look at Li Hanyi’s back, feeling a sudden sense of familiarity in his chest.

Li Hanyi lowered his hands and recited softly, “Spring in the courtyard when the moon is high, its silver light dances with the plum blossoms and the aroma of wine. Walking through the corridors, the fragrance of fallen plum blossoms filled the air. Wispy clouds and mist shroud the moon, always illuminating a paradise for youths. Unlike the light of the autumn moon, that makes the traveller away from home seem all the more lonesome.”

“Shifu,” Lei Wujie called out.

“You haven’t practiced your sword today, have you?” Li Hanyi suddenly turned around.

“Huh?” Lei Wujie started.

Li Hanyi waved her right hand lightly, and the blade of leaf was suddenly tangled within a gust of wind, aiming straight for Lei Wujie.

Flying Leaf Plucks the Flower, a brilliant skill!

Lei Wujie grabbed the Rainfall sword beside him and yanked hard, but the blade remained unmovable. The flying leaf was almost on top of him, so he could only retreat frantically. But the flying leaf’s momentum didn’t decrease, and even after Lei Wujie retreated four steps, he could still feel the incredible sword aura surrounding the leaf. He decided to simply turn around and sprint down the mountain.

“Shifu, see you in three days!” Lei Wujie shouted.

Li Hanyi removed the gray veil that always covered his face and suddenly laughed.

Lei Wujie sprinted all the way down and very quickly arrived in Snow Moon City. It had been a number of days since he went up the mountain, and to be honest, he rather missed Xiao Se and Tang Lian, who used to be constantly by his side. Once he arrived in the city, he wanted to look for them. He looked around and finally found a familiar face.

He had a pale complexion and slender figure, and he wore a white cloak with the big word “gamble” written on its back. It was Luo Mingxuan, the tower guardian of the thirteenth floor of the Tower of Ascension. Next to him stood a beautiful woman with a graceful figure and a charming face. She looked to be in her early twenties, but Lei Wujie knew that she was the world-renowned Luoxia Fairy, Yin Luoxia, and also Luo Mingxuan’s master. Because she was also wearing a nearly identical white cloak, except the word “gamble” written on its back was even bigger.

“Lei Wujie?” Luo Mingxuan smirked at him maliciously. “Where is the eight hundred taels you owe me?”

Lei Wujie scratched his head. “Well…”

“Does a loser have the right to ask for money? You’re such a disgrace.” Yin Luoxia took a step forward, and although she rebuked him angrily, her voice remained gentle and pleasant. She looked at Lei Wujie and smiled. “You’re Lei Wujie? I am Yin Luoxia.”

“Luoxia Fairy, I’ve admired your name for a long time!” Lei Wujie was flattered and hurriedly cupped his fists.

Yin Luoxia returned a beatific smile. “Why did you come down the mountain today? Where’s your shifu?”

“Shifu said he’s going into seclusion and told me to stay in the city for the next few days so that I won’t disturb him,” Lei Wujie replied.

Yin Luoxia nodded thoughtfully and said in a low voice, “Seclusion? Could it be that an old friend is coming again?”

Lei Wujie did not hear clearly and asked curiously, “Did Fairy say something?”

Yin Luoxia came back to herself and shook her head with a smile. “Nothing. So, where are you heading now?”

Lei Wujie frowned slightly. “I’m looking for a friend of mine, the one who entered the city with me.”

“You mean Xiao Se?” Luo Mingxuan chuckled lightly.

“Luo-xiongdi knows him too?” Lei Wujie was instantly happy.

“Not just me.” Luo Mingxuan raised his head and looked into the distance. “The entire Snow Moon City already knows of him. Shifu, guess how long it’ll take him to reach our Sunset Pavilion today? I’m betting one more quarter.”

Yin Luoxia heard the word “bet,” and her eyes lit up. “I bet on now.”

As soon as she said the word, a figure swept up onto the roof of the main hall and rushed towards them. A set of blue robes and a handsome face—it was Xiao Se!

“He’s getting faster every day.” Luo Mingxuan sighed.

“Xiao Se!” Lei Wujie shouted excitedly.

Xiao Se started when he heard the shout, and his pace slowed down a little. At the same time, a dark golden spear caught up from behind. He ducked to one side, but his sleeve was still sliced with a cut. He scolded angrily, “Do you know what you just cut? This is Yunyan fine cotton! It costs one thousand taels per bolt!”

“Like I care!” The girl really didn’t care and swung her spear down at him.

Xiao Se just managed to dodge the move and continued to increase his pace and sprinted ahead.

“Cloud Step is indeed the number one lightness skill under Heaven. This young man has no internal strength whatsoever, but his lightness skill is at a level on par with experts in the Unrestrained Earthly Realm,” Yin Luoxia praised as she observed Xiao Se’s movements.

Xiao Se yelled as he sprinted at full speed, “Lei Wujie!”

“Coming.” Lei Wujie understood tacitly what Xiao Se wanted and took a step forward. He launched a fist, aiming at the sky.

It was his signature martial art, Lei Clan’s Unseen Fists. Before the fist connected, the qi arrived first.

Lei Wujie had no impression of Sikong Qianluo. The day he challenged the Tower of Ascension, Sikong Qianluo snuck out of the city. Although she rushed back after hearing the news, she was delayed by Xiao Se on the street. Finally, although they met each other, there were too many people around at the time, and neither of them were introduced to the other. So, although Lei Wujie didn’t know Sikong Qianluo, Sikong Qianluo could never forget Lei Wujie.

Her spear paused for a moment, and she came to a stop. She stood on the rooftop and glared down at Lei Wujie, declaring arrogantly, “Fine. Today, I’ll take care of both of you at the same time.”

“That day when Lei Wujie challenged the tower, on the sixteenth floor, Second City Master sent him flying with a single sword. On the fifteenth floor, Lei Yunhe used his Summon Thunder from Ninth Heaven, and if he hadn’t shown mercy, Lei Wujie would already be dead. On the fourteenth floor, Da-shixiong went easy on him. So, to put it bluntly, Lei Wujie only passed my thirteenth floor when he challenged the tower. Now that he’s meeting the true tower guardian of the fourteenth floor, can he win?” Luo Mingxuan turned his head and looked at his master.

Yin Luoxia, who had the face of a divine immortal, raised an eyebrow and tossed the dice in her hand. “Would you like to bet on it?”