In the remote inn, the upper room was simple. Wen Caishang knew that "misfortune" would come, but not this quickly.

There was no mirror in the room, so she asked Li Xian to bring a basin of clear water, pushed open the window, and placed it under the moonlight. She removed her white clothes and used the water as a mirror to examine the injuries on her back.

Just now, the thunder struck suddenly and hit her back. Her clothes were resistant to water and fire, so there were no burn marks. However, threads of Thunder Power seeped into her body, and the injuries were indeed severe.

Wen Caishang frowned, thinking, "The Thunder Power has invaded my internal organs. These injuries are severe and will take several months to recover even with good care. This place is still far from Yihetang Manor. This injury along the way will be hard to manage."

"I can only recuperate slowly, prepare herbs to nurse the injuries. Fortunately, Li Xian is here with me, and he can handle these matters for me."

She examined herself, feeling the Thunder Power ravaging. Her internal organs and the acupoints throughout her body ached slightly. Keeping a calm face, she sat cross-legged, enduring it all.

Li Xian went back downstairs to eat. The waiter said, "Strange, strange, you say this on a sunny day, how did thunder suddenly come?"

The shopkeeper said, "It's good that no one was hurt. Tomorrow, call the old carpenter from the neighboring village to come and repair it well."

The shopkeeper said to Li Xian, "Dear guest, I'm terribly sorry for disturbing your peace of mind. I'll ask the kitchen to prepare a plate of sauced beef as compensation, please don't mind!"

Li Xian smiled and said, "Okay!"

There were already three dishes on the table: stir-fried yellow beef, crispy beans, and stir-fried oily seeds. Originally, it was just a basic meal. Now with an extra plate of sauced beef, making four small dishes, although simple, they were complete. Not having some wine would be inappropriate.

Li Xian spent dozens of Wen Coins to purchase a jar of Daughter Red, a ten-year-old fine brew. The crispy beans were crispy, the beef had a mellow flavor, and the oily seeds, being noodle food, were quite filling.

A bite of the side dish and a sip of fine wine, it was quite enjoyable. The inn was open from north to south, with windows wide open, allowing a cool breeze to blow through.

It was mid-February, with winter fading and spring coming, vitality was everywhere. Nearby was a patch of green bamboo forest, rustling in the wind.

The exotic scenery was very peaceful.

Night had fallen into silence. The waiter began to snore, and the shopkeeper went to his room to rest. Li Xian sat alone in the hall, enjoying the wine and side dishes, constantly recalling what had happened earlier.

"Out of nowhere, the heavenly thunder descended, it was definitely not a coincidence."

"Could Madam be injured?"

Li Xian had some suspicions but felt it unlikely. Wen Caishang's demeanor remained as graceful as ever, with her white dress fluttering, serene and noble, how could she be injured?

"Could it be Madam's strength, even strong enough to withstand heavenly thunder and protect herself?" Li Xian shook his head with a smile, deciding not to think too much about it.

He reached into his backpack. Fifty taels of silver, five taels of broken silver, and several strings of copper coins. It was enough for quite some time.

"Traveling with Madam, there's really no need to worry about a shortage of money. If I were traveling the Jianghu alone, I'd need to be thrifty and economical," Li Xian muttered to himself.

Having found joy in drinking, the four small dishes seemed insufficient. Li Xian waved his hand and bought two more small dishes.

After eating to his content, he went back to his room to sleep.

The next day.

Li Xian got up, knocked on Wen Caishang's door. Wen Caishang's face was pale; she had sat cross-legged for half the night, stabilizing her body. A Martial Artist's body is like heaven and earth, and when struck by thunder, heaven and earth become chaotic, and their strength is impaired.

Wen Caishang circulated Qi and revitalized her face to its usual warm complexion, put on her boots and shoes, and stepped out. Li Xian said, "Madam, shall we return?"

Wen Caishang nodded and said, "Alright!"

Li Xian called the waiter, tipping him a tael of silver, and inquired about the nearby major cities. The waiter noticed the refined demeanor and generous spending of Li Xian and Wen Caishang and respectfully showed them the route into the city.

Following the path, they arrived at the boundary of "Changhong City". The city was bustling, and they walked through the streets. Li Xian asked, "Madam, what shall we do next?"

Wen Caishang, not lightly injured, said, "You decide." She focused on healing her body and stabilizing her internal balance.

Li Xian went to a bookstore and first purchased a map. The shop owner, being a shrewd person, divided the maps into four grades: Grass Map, Earth Map, Mountain Map, and Water Map. Each map cost two taels of silver.

Only by looking at the four maps together could one see the surrounding terrain clearly. Coming from poverty, Li Xian felt the silver wasn't worth it. But glancing at Madam, for the sake of convenience, he decided to spend the money.

Looking at the maps together, they realized this was "Huashui Prefecture", a major prefecture within Yu Nan Dao. It was still a great distance from "Qiong Heavenly Mansion".

The Great Wu's territory was vast, with prefectures connected to one another. Sometimes the distance across one prefecture was unimaginable. Maps were measured by human legs, drawn step by step.

Therefore, the maps were scattered and fragmented, not forming a complete system. Knowing that Qiong Heavenly Mansion was to the south, Li Xian planned to head south based on the map.

Li Xian asked, "Madam, shall we ride a horse?" Wen Caishang thought, "The journey is long, the toil of carriages, horses, and boats is of no use if rushed. It's better to proceed slowly and observe the condition."

She replied, "With the scenery along the road, why rush?"

Li Xian thought, "Madam has this sense of leisure; it seems she is confident. I yearn to explore the Jianghu, and this journey is a rare opportunity." Following the map, they left the city.

Heading south, they traveled more than ten miles. Wen Caishang's injuries hadn't healed, but her condition gradually stabilized. Thus, she instructed Li Xian to purchase a carriage and horses for the journey.

Ordinary horses cost over ten taels, and with the carriage, it totaled more than twenty taels. Wen Caishang frowned slightly but saw that in this small town, better horses and carriages were difficult to obtain.

So she made do and took her seat.

The carriage was bumpy, disturbing her rest. Wen Caishang thought, "Once we reach a major city, we can exchange for better horses and carriages. For now, we have to make do for a few days."

Because the territory was vast, the cities were not densely packed. Running for several days without seeing a trace of people was quite usual.

That day, the sky poured with spring rain.

Suddenly, there was a rumbling thunder.

Wen Caishang frowned slightly and said, "Little Immortal, the rain is getting heavier, let's find shelter."

Li Xian held the reins, looking around. Seeing no village or house, he used the art of geomancy to search for a cave along the road.

The sky's dark thunder accumulated, suddenly a loud clap, striking the tree ahead. The horse was startled, and combined with the slippery muddy road, it collapsed instantly on the ground. Wen Caishang's lightweight skill was exceptional, landing steadily, her toes lightly touching the muddy ground, still calm and collected.

The horse's knee bone was broken, unable to get up again. Li Xian sighed, "Good horse, leaving you here, you'll just be eaten by beasts. I'll give you peace." He pressed his palm down, helping the horse to die painlessly.

Wen Caishang looked distressed, her eyebrows tightly knit. Not expecting such intense bad luck, "That thunder just now, did it mean to strike me? Hmph, if it wants to stop me, then I must get this Earth Radiance!"

Her expression was icy.

Seeing the continuous rain, Li Xian noticed a banana grove nearby. He cut down banana leaves to make a large umbrella and went into the mountains to find a cave to wait for the rain to stop.

The water he carried was already consumed.

Li Xian collected rainwater, boiled it over the fire, handed it to Wen Caishang, and asked, "Madam, do you have something on your mind?"

"Nothing," Wen Caishang replied indifferently. She took the kettle, drank a sip of rainwater, and only felt slightly relieved seeing the rain gradually stop and the thunder grow distant.

She said, "The road outside is muddy, let's wait for a moment before continuing." Sitting cross-legged, she adjusted her inner breath.

"Hmm."

With nothing to do, Li Xian was unwilling to waste time, and practiced martial arts in the cave, accumulating skill level. His Vast Leg had already reached perfection, heading towards the peak.

The wind roared. Suddenly, he saw claw marks, sword marks, and fist marks on the cave's stone wall. He wondered, "Could this cave have been carved out by someone before? Judging by the marks, it doesn't seem long ago."

He was greatly curious. But having reached the bottom of the cave, there were no clues. Li Xian continued to practice, suddenly hearing a playful laugh above his head: "Good boy, good boy, good skills!"

The voice echoed.

Li Xian stopped his movements, cautiously looking around, and said, "Who? Which senior is hiding here?"

"You boy, so strange, so strange," the voice said, "This is clearly my place, how could you say I'm hiding?"

"I, your granduncle, am obviously here."

Li Xian felt a tap on his shoulder.

That voice said again, "And here." It scratched Li Xian's ear. A voice came again: "Here," patting his belly.

With such speed and strong lightweight skill, the figure was elusive. Li Xian knew he was outmatched and admitted, "Senior is formidable, this junior is no match." He stood still.

"Boring, boring!"

The voice sounded displeased. A figure appeared, surprisingly a short man. His stature only reached Li Xian's waist, his hair was disheveled, and his face was black with anger.

Li Xian said apologetically, "This junior did not know this was senior's cave, if I had known, I would never disturb you."

This person mastered the Bone Shrinking Skill and had an extremely peculiar personality. Having been curled up in the rock crevice asleep, he awoke as Li Xian and Wen Caishang approached. But he did not move, simply observing.

Wen Caishang said, "Little Immortal, let's go!"

Li Xian bowed and helped his wife leave. The man let out a sharp whistle, his figure leaping ahead of them both, delightfully saying, "Amazing, such amazing characters!"

Wen Caishang frowned. The man stared at Wen Caishang and said, "You, spar with me?"

Wen Caishang said, "Let's go." Unwilling to pay attention, she grabbed Li Xian's shoulder, leaped into the air, her lightweight skill soaring. Stepping on leaves, she drifted several meters away, her figure ethereal and light.

The man laughed gleefully, "Great, great. It's been a long time since I've seen such a powerful expert!" He moved on all fours, darting out with extreme speed.

Wen Caishang frowned in thought, "It's that Martial Fool, he challenges everyone he meets. If I wasn't wounded, I could easily shake him off. But now with such urgency, it's truly annoying."

As it turned out, this person was not nameless in the Jianghu. His name was "Martial Fool."

They each traveled several miles.

The man struggled to keep up, but managed to stay on their tail. Wen Caishang said lightly, "Martial Fool, if you keep chasing, don't blame me for tearing you to pieces later!"

Upon hearing this, the man was not angry but overjoyed, clapping his hands and cheering, "Great, great. You come and tear me to pieces, I won't let you. That way, you will have to fight me. Haha, if that's the case, I should chase even more."

Wen Caishang, utterly helpless, landed in the forest and said, "Alright, I know you're this Martial Fool, obsessed with martial arts, you have to exchange blows upon meeting an expert. Today I can't escape you, so I'll spar with you, and kill you another day."

The Martial Fool said, "Alright, one move it is." He was feverishly excited. The Martial Fool immediately gathered his strength, qi accumulating in both palms. He was very powerful, his palms carrying immense thunder power.

This palm strike came with flying grass and trees along the way, rushing forth like a rainbow. Wen Caishang gathered qi, lightly tapped with her palm. Their palms met, deadlocked for a long time.

Suddenly with a "bang," the Martial Fool flew tens of meters away, and as he hit the ground, he immediately darted off escaping, spitting out three mouthfuls of fresh blood.

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