The Blade and Axe Hall.
This mountain fortress was home to a small band of about several dozen bandits.
Though the number of bandits in the Blade and Axe Hall was small, they were an undeniable force to be reckoned with. Every bandit in the stronghold was a martial artist in their prime, possessing formidable combat strength. Even many of the larger neighboring strongholds did not dare to provoke them lightly.
“Chief, I’ve checked. That scholar named Chen Ning will be leaving Ning’an Village in two days to head to the Imperial Capital for the examinations.”
A minor bandit rushed into the stronghold to report.
“Haha, I didn’t expect the intelligence to be true! To think that in this day and age, a scholar would dare to travel alone without an escort agency. He’s practically a fat sheep delivering himself right to our doorstep!”
The Scar-faced Bandit sitting in the main seat let out a coarse, boisterous laugh of joy.
“Aside from that, did you find any other useful information?”
“Yes.”
“I’ve confirmed that this scholar does indeed have a maid as beautiful as a celestial fairy. Furthermore, the only one traveling with them is a frail old monk from Mingji Temple. If our stronghold wants to take him down, it will likely be as easy as blowing away dust.”
Hearing this, the second and third-in-command sitting on either side also grew excited.
“Truly a blessing from the heavens! To head to the Imperial Capital for the examinations, that scholar must be carrying a significant amount of silver. He even has a beauty by his side whose fame has spread throughout the nearby villages. Our Blade and Axe Hall is going to strike it rich in both wealth and women this time!”
“Exactly. Honestly, I’ve had my eye on that pretty girl from Ning’an Village for a long time. If it weren’t for the fear that there might be demons in the village, I would have slaughtered my way in to snatch her long ago. With such a great opportunity, Chief, after you’ve had your fill, you must leave a little something for the rest of us brothers!”
“Haha, don’t worry. I’m just as impatient as you all are.”
The Scar-faced Bandit laughed loudly, a lewd smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
...
Two days later.
The old monk driving the carriage from Mingji Temple arrived at Ning’an Village.
Chen Ning and Qing Yan had already packed their belongings and luggage. After one last look at the house, the two of them locked the front gate.
Everything was ready, but before departing, there were still some things to be done.
Chen Ning poured a cup of wine at the graves of Hong Ye and the teacher Mu Jing as a tribute to his old friends, and then paid a visit to the Old Village Head’s home.
Hearing the news, the Old Village Head couldn’t help but let out a long sigh. “Master Chen is leaving already? Sigh, but everyone has their own path. Master Chen has high aspirations, and this old man has no right to stand in your way. I thank Master Chen for teaching the children to read and for the kindness of slaying demons for the village recently. I hope we can meet again in the future.”
As Chen Ning had expected, the Old Village Head was indeed the only person in the village who knew his identity.
However, having lived in Ning’an Village for so long, Chen Ning didn't actually intend to abandon the village children.
He took a paper figure out from his robes. “Village Head, there is no need to worry. You can leave the matter of the students’ education to him. This paper figure is a Paper Puppet Clone I made. Each use lasts about two shichen, which should be enough to satisfy the children’s needs for one morning and one afternoon lesson.”
As he spoke, the paper figure instantly transformed into Chen Ning’s likeness.
The Paper Puppet Clone not only looked exactly like Chen Ning, but its speech and knowledge were almost identical to his as well. Even the Old Village Head, who had known him for two years, could not see any difference at all.
“Is... is this a miracle!”
The moment he touched the paper figure, the Old Village Head was instantly shocked. Even the body temperature and the sensation of touch felt no different from a real person. This paper figure was so lifelike it was terrifying!
“Thank you, Master Chen. The people and children of Ning’an Village will never forget your kindness!”
The Old Village Head let go of his crutch and gratefully clasped his hands.
...
After bidding farewell to the Village Head, Chen Ning and Qing Yan boarded the carriage. The scenery of the village quickly receded as the carriage prepared to leave Ning’an Village.
Just then, a group of children suddenly appeared by the roadside. These children were the very students from the private school.
Children of this age were usually very playful, but today, not a single student from the school was absent. They stood on both sides of the road, each holding freshly picked, vibrant wildflowers.
“Master Chen!”
The moment they saw the carriage, the children raised their arms high.
“Goodbye, Master Chen! Thank you for teaching us!”
“We wish Master Chen a safe journey and that you achieve the rank of Zhuangyuan!”
The carriage was moving quickly, and the children waved their goodbyes, their eyes refusing to leave the carriage for even a second.
“Goodbye.”
Hearing their voices, Chen Ning also lifted the carriage curtain and smiled as he waved back to the village children.
Even as the carriage gradually moved further away, the children continued to watch Chen Ning until he completely disappeared from their sight.
“Even though the children in the village haven't had much schooling, they all have hearts full of gratitude,” Qing Yan sighed softly while sitting in the carriage.
...
Soon, the carriage left the village and entered an open mountain road. The spring light was bright, and the journey was filled with beautiful mountains, clear waters, and blooming flowers.
At times, Qing Yan looked at the scenery outside with excitement; at other times, she quietly stayed by Chen Ning’s side while he read.
They had been traveling for over a shichen, but the journey didn't feel tedious at all.
“The wise find joy in water, the benevolent find joy in mountains; the wise are active, the benevolent are tranquil...”
As he was reading, Chen Ning suddenly felt a surge of heat from his sleeve. Shaking his sleeve, Xiao Jiu fell straight out.
Unlike before, Xiao Jiu’s snake skin now had a translucent golden-yellow sheen, and it was constantly radiating a scorching high temperature.
Qing Yan asked in surprise, “Young Master, what’s happening to Xiao Jiu?”
“It looks like she’s molting. No wonder the little thing was so quiet along the way.”
Moving closer to observe, Chen Ning soon discovered that the skin on the tip of Xiao Jiu’s snout had rubbed open a crack, and she was working hard to peel it back from head to tail.
Every time a snake molts, it is a moment of growth, and it seemed the same was true for Xiao Jiu.
Chen Ning used a wisp of Purple Qi to protect Xiao Jiu’s still-fragile body, helping her molt more safely.
Time passed bit by bit.
First, she worked hard to push through the old skin with her head, then half her body, until finally, the last bit of Xiao Jiu’s tail slipped out of the snake skin.
“︿(￣︶￣)︿.”
Having successfully completed her molt, Xiao Jiu’s entire body looked brand new. Even her snake skin had become blacker and more lustrous than before.
More importantly, upon closer inspection, a small protrusion had somehow appeared on the top of Xiao Jiu’s head. The protrusion looked like a horn, but because it was so small, it looked like she was just sporting a tiny pointed tooth.
It seemed that Xiao Jiu was evolving toward a Flood Dragon form.
Unfortunately, that one little pointed horn had no majesty to speak of. One could even say it looked rather cute...
“And it seems you haven't grown much larger after molting.”
Studying Xiao Jiu closely, Chen Ning found that although she had grown, the change was pitifully small. If Xiao Jiu had been about the length of an index finger before, her size now had at most increased to the length of a middle finger.
Xiao Jiu tilted her head up a bit angrily: Don't look down on me!
To demonstrate her strength, Xiao Jiu shook her body, and her entire form was covered in a layer of golden light. As the radiance flowed, her body began to slowly grow. In a short while, she was already the size of an arm.
Seeing the slightly surprised looks in their eyes, Xiao Jiu couldn't help but feel a bit proud. Her strength didn't stop there!
As the light shimmered, Xiao Jiu’s body underwent another sudden expansion. It wasn't until she had grown to a size that almost made the entire carriage too small to hold her that Xiao Jiu transformed back into her original finger-sized body.
She ran to Chen Ning’s side and affectionately rubbed against his hand, as if saying triumphantly: How was that? Pretty impressive, right?
“Not bad, not bad.”
Chen Ning gave Xiao Jiu a rare word of praise. Xiao Jiu’s ability to change size at will was indeed very convenient; otherwise, if she really grew into a giant python, there would be no way to keep her by his side in the Imperial Capital. Moreover, after gaining the ability to increase her size at any time, Xiao Jiu’s current combat strength should be incomparable to what it was before.
The carriage continued forward. Having just finished her transformation, Xiao Jiu appeared extremely joyful. One moment she was running back and forth on Chen Ning’s book, and the next she was slipping into Qing Yan’s clothes, swimming all over the place and causing a series of startled cries. If it weren't for the fact that she was a little female snake, Chen Ning probably would have thrown her straight off the carriage long ago.
Just then, the speed of the carriage quietly slowed down. The old monk, who had been driving seriously, leaned toward the carriage cabin and lowered his voice warily.
“Fellow Daoist Chen, I’ve been sensing a strange aura since a moment ago. I’m afraid we’ve already been targeted.”
“I sensed it too, but they’re just a bunch of petty thieves. There’s no need to waste time because of them. Xiao Jiu, I’ll leave these people to you.”
Chen Ning merely gave a slight smile.
Xiao Jiu had already been eager to try out her new strength. Hearing those words, she immediately reared up her body in excitement.
As the carriage slowed slightly, Xiao Jiu jumped directly into the grass by the mountain. No one noticed that a little black snake, only the size of a finger, was quietly heading toward the mountaintop...
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