Chapter 641 (1): Zhu Lian Wants a Fist Duel

Pei Qian was slightly puzzled when she arrived at Red Candle Town. Little Mili actually dared to not show up? Was she snacking on roasted seeds so much that she had even devoured her own conscience? When she arrived at Downtrodden Mountain, she would definitely bring Zhou Mili to the ancestral hall and punish her by making her stand in the corner. When this punishment was finished, Zhou Mili would be punished to help Nuanshu sweep the courtyard clean.

However, Pei Qian quickly noticed that something was amiss. The streets and alleys in the distance were extremely busy, with spirited discussions taking place among the people. Pei Qian's ears were sharp, and she immediately sprinted over to listen, following which she tightened her grip on her hiking pole.

Even so, she still suppressed her urge to get moving straight away, and she forced herself to listen for a moment longer. Only then did she bend her knees and leap onto a roof ridge, allowing her to survey the area. Afterward, she followed the approximate route being discussed by everyone, appearing as nimble as a dragonfly as she jumped across the rooftops and vanished in an instant.

A crescent-shaped river bend lay on the fringes of Red Candle Town, and floating on it were exquisitely decorated boats that housed pitiful boat hostesses.

Pei Qian jumped across four to five decorated boats, with each one steadily sinking a slight amount before suddenly bouncing back up. However, the decorated boats didn't sway too violently.

Pei Qian continued forward after crossing the river bend, and she saw a young girl in black leaving the waterside and starting to climb a mountain.

Pei Qian didn't have time to worry about whether she would attract the attention of other cultivators or mountain and water spirits with her actions.

She would only feel at ease after she met Little Mili.

A heartless young girl in black hummed a tune as she swayed back and forth and walked through the mountain forest.

Pei Qian gently landed on a branch, not showing herself straight away. She looked around and furrowed her brows, pretending that she hadn't seen anything. She then pondered for a moment and decided that there most likely wasn't any danger, given that the little water monster hiding two hundred meters away was quite a bit weaker than that kind-hearted water goddess.

Pei Qian had initially felt worried and angry, but what she saw was Little Mili wandering around in such a leisurely manner that she even had the time to casually grab a handful of lush green leaves to stuff into her mouth. Before chomping down, she had even looked around to see if there was anyone else in the surroundings.

Pei Qian didn't feel worried anymore, but she felt even angrier than before.

According to what she had heard from the spirited discussions just then, this was genuinely no small matter. Based on the explanations of those people, Mili had randomly wandered around Red Candle Town by herself for a very long time. And today, she had lain down in front of the riverbank to do something, during which she was noticed by a patrolling water spirit from the water palace of the Fine Wine River's river goddess.

The water spirit had regarded Zhou Mili as a little water spirit that wasn't in the genealogical records, so it had wanted to recruit her to work for the Fine Wine River. Zhou Mili hadn't agreed, and their exchange had eventually descended into a conflict. Afterward, the water palace had tried to use some laws of the Great Li Empire pertaining to the mountains and rivers and whatnot, giving Little Mili a fairly big fright. In any case, Little Mili had ended up suffering a beating.

Pei Qian was aware of some additional information. According to Mountain God Wei Bo's explanation, Little Mili hailed from Mute Lake on the Northern Complete Reed Continent, so she was ultimately a water spirit from a foreign continent. As such, there was a slight incompatibility between her and these three rivers of the Great Li Empire. Fortunately, her current status as a guest elder of Downtrodden Mountain reduced this incompatibility to a level where it was almost negligible. Wandering around and interacting with the water fortune of the various regions would allow her to gradually adapt to the local environment.

It was because of this that Pei Qian always brought Little Mili out of Downtrodden Mountain to play near Red Candle Town and Go Table Mountain, but never brought her too close to the banks of the three rivers. Pei Qian always felt like it was better to take things slowly and steadily. That way, Little Mili wouldn't face any problems even if she visited the banks of the Rushing Tranquil River, the Embroidered Flower River, and the Fine Wine River by herself in the future.

Pei Qian adjusted her small bamboo bookcase and heaved a sigh before calling out to Zhou Mili.

The young girl in black turned around, only to see Pei Qian gracefully landing on the ground. A beaming smile appeared on Zhou Mili's face, and she scratched her cheek before turning around slightly, trying her best to hide her swollen cheek from Pei Qian.

However, just how sharp were Pei Qian's eyes? She immediately noticed the bruise on Zhou Mili's other cheek. So, this was the situation, huh? Little Mili was returning home so slowly and randomly chomping down on leaves for the sake of concealing the fact that she had been beaten up over here?

Pei Qian didn't say anything.

Zhou Mili blinked a few times.

The young girl clenched one hand into a fist and scratched her head with the other.

She didn't dare to furrow her brow, lest Pei Qian feel like she had truly suffered a strong grievance.

When traveling around the Northern Complete Reed Continent with Chen Ping'an back then, he had once said that each grievance during childhood was like a grain of rice. When one grew up and looked back, one would have a big bowl of rice. A very big bowl!

"What happened?" Pei Qian asked.

Zhou Mili thought for a moment before replying, "I wanted to play, so I went over to the river and put my head inside to look for fish and shrimp. I was just taking a look, and I wasn't planning to eat them. Afterward, I encountered a very high-ranking official from the Fine Wine River's water goddess residence, and I had to explain for a long time before convincing the official that I was from a small town in the Locust Yellow County. I didn't mention Downtrodden Mountain or Clay Vase Alley, and I randomly used the name of some other alley and talked about raising some chickens and ducks and whatnot. My mind was very clear, and the high-ranking official also believed me, so he let me go home..."

"Zhou Mili!" Pei Qian exclaimed in anger. "You've already been bullied so much, so why didn't you mention my master's name?! Your home is Downtrodden Mountain, and you're Downtrodden Mountain's right guardian!"

"I was afraid of causing trouble for him," the young girl in black replied in a timid voice. "It was only a small matter, as small as a grain of rice."

Pei Qian was even taller now, making Zhou Mili feel even shorter.

Zhou Mili spread her hand open, showing the last remaining handful of roasted seeds. This was everything left from the large bag she had taken with her. The young girl said in a soft voice, "Let's go home, Pei Qian. We can snack on roasted seeds as we walk."

Pei Qian shot a glare at her.

Zhou Mili scrunched up her face, and it looked like she was truly about to burst into tears.

Pei Qian had left home for so long, and she was finally able to return. Yet, she immediately scolded Zhou Mili, and it was this that caused the young girl to feel truly aggrieved.

Zhou Mili had wandered around Go Table Mountain and Red Candle Town many times, and this was all for the sake of letting Pei Qian see her first when she returned home. Not only that, but Pei Qian would also be able to snack on some roasted seeds.

Pei Qian patted Little Mili's head and said in a gentle voice, "Don't cry, okay?"

She then asked Zhou Mili to explain the situation in more detail.

The young girl in black never committed these kinds of things to memory, so it took her a great deal of effort to recount the events to Pei Qian.

"Zhou Mili, at attention!" Pei Qian said.

Zhou Mili immediately stood up straight and puffed her chest out.

Pei Qian waved a hand and said, "You can return home first. Run faster, and don't dilly-dally or aimlessly wander around. If Mountain God Wei is present when you see the old cook, you can privately tell the old cook that I'm buying some things at Red Candle Town to bring home to prepare for the New Year. If it's getting late and I'm still not back, then that means I have too many things to carry. In that case, you should tell the old cook to come over to help me."

Zhou Mili squatted down and replied, "I'm not stupid, so I'm not going to listen to your command today. We can return home together."

"Who has a higher status at Downtrodden Mountain?" Pei Qian asked. "Who recommended you for the position of right guardian? What do you say, Zhou Mili?!"

The young girl in black played dumb as she poked the soil and dry leaves with her finger.

Pei Qian squatted down and said, "I have Master's decree on me, so what is there to be afraid of?"

"What?" Zhou Mili looked up and asked.

Pei Qian retrieved the ball of golden silk thread from her sleeve and replied, "Do you see this?"

Zhou Mili covered her agape mouth with her hands and remarked in a muffled voice, "It looks very impressive and expensive."

Pei Qian stood up and instructed, "Hurry up and return to Downtrodden Mountain and deliver my message to the old cook. This is called relaying military intelligence, and it's a huge responsibility to bear. Are you able to do this?! Do you have what it takes?"

Zhou Mili immediately stood up and replied loudly, "Right Guardian Zhou Mili has received the order! Moving out right away!"

Pei Qian put away the ball of golden silk thread, after which she retrieved her beloved talisman, which she had cherished and kept for many years. She slapped the talisman onto Zhou Mili's forehead and said, "A talisman on the head makes demons dread. Now, off you go!"

Zhou Mili sprinted away, but not before spreading her hand open.

Pei Qian chuckled in frustration and scoffed, "Eat it yourself while you return home."

She then turned around and tightened her grip on the hiking pole, taking a deep breath before making a beeline toward the water goddess residence of the Fine Wine River in the distance.

Those in the martial world needed to uphold morality and justice!

Those who became the deities of mountains and rivers should further safeguard their jurisdictions.

Was it impressive to pick on Little Mili?

The water goddess shrine was on the opposite bank, so Pei Qian launched herself into the air after sprinting down the mountain, throwing a punch at the river and pushing herself slightly higher as she soared across the water. In the end, she managed to cross the great river in a single jump.

A young man in black who owned a bookshop in Red Candle Town was sitting atop a roof. Upon seeing this, he smiled and said, "Things are getting fun."

He was the formal god of the Rushing Tranquil River now, so he could be regarded as a colleague of the formal gods of the Embroidered Flower River and the Fine Wine River.

The natures of the three great rivers were different, with the Embroidered Flower River being the widest and having the gentlest flow, the Rushing Tranquil River being the fastest-flowing and most ferocious, and the Fine Wine River being the shortest but most unpredictable in terms of its flow and distribution of spiritual energy.

The spiritual energy was most abundant where the water goddess's residence was located, and the water goddess was renowned for being good at building relationships. Indeed, she had managed to forge good relationships with the various forces in the region.

The water goddess shrine was bustling with worshipers and filled with wafting incense smoke.

An old woman — the shrine attendant — walked outside the shrine before Pei Qian could enter to speak reason. Alongside her was a smiling middle-aged man, an official of the water goddess residence who was using a poor illusion technique.

The old woman had just received a piece of very bad news, with the spirit responsible for hunting down the young girl in black frantically rushing back to deliver it.

That young girl in black was surprisingly a spirit from Downtrodden Mountain, and she was even a guest elder, right guardian, or whatnot.

The old woman didn't take this seriously. Guest elder? Right guardian? To say nothing of Downtrodden Mountain, a place that no one dared to pry into; even the guest elders at the water goddess residence needed to be at least Golden Core Tier cultivators. That being the case, could guest elders at Downtrodden Mountain, which even Mountain God Wei was willing to safeguard, possess lower cultivation bases?

Before the Jewel Small World had fallen to the ground, Downtrodden Mountain had been a strange area shrouded in mystery. It was said that Mountain Master Chen Ping'an had only been an impoverished orphan in Clay Vase Alley at the time, but his fated opportunities were immense, and he had become acquainted with Sage Ruan Qiong's darling daughter before coming across Wei Bo, who was in distress and still the mountain lord of Go Table Mountain at the time. It was thanks to being acquainted with these two lofty beings that Chen Ping'an was able to achieve the terrifying feat of owning a dozen or so treasured mountains in the region.

In any case, it was most likely true that the young girl in black was listed on the genealogical records of Downtrodden Mountain.

Outsiders were only roughly aware of Downtrodden Mountain's relaxed attitude toward spirits, martial artists, and cultivation bases.

With Great Mountain God Wei safeguarding Downtrodden Mountain, who would dare to nose around and provoke it? Wei Bo was a mountain god of the Five Mountains, and more than that, he was the only Upper Five Tier mountain god in the entire Eastern Treasured Vial Continent! Even the emperor viewed him as a confidant. Moreover, not only did Great Mountain God Wei's jurisdiction cover the so-called origin of the Imperial Song Clan's dynasty, but the jurisdiction of the Northern Mountain actually covered the entire territory of the original Great Li Empire!

The official from the water goddess residence cupped his fists and bowed in respect, saying, "I misunderstood the young girl before, and I mistakenly took her for a water spirit that had barged into the town without permission. I viewed it as my responsibility to interrogate her, and this resulted in the subsequent argument and conflict. I indeed overstepped the boundaries, so I'm willing to apologize and offer compensation to Downtrodden Mountain."

The old woman also smiled and added, "Just apologizing isn't enough. The water goddess shrine of the Fine Wine River will also take responsibility, and I'll definitely bring presents and visit Downtrodden Mountain in person to express our sincerity."

Pei Qian remained silent, gripping her hiking pole tightly.

What should she do?

She had a nagging feeling that something wasn't right.

However, she couldn't figure out what was amiss.

It would be much better if her master were present.

Even if Master weren't present, having her junior brother around would also be helpful.

There was a calm and composed smile on the old woman's face.

A slight smile tugged at the corners of the middle-aged man's lips. There was no doubt that he would face punishment and be forced to purchase a compensation gift afterward. However, for a young girl to barge over and ask them for an explanation? Did she truly regard the face of the Fine Wine River's river goddess shrine as worthless? What they feared was the young mountain master with extremely good fortune, as well as his backers, Ruan Xiu and Wei Bo.

As for the comical little martial artist in front of them? What was she going to do? Rely on her fists and her hiking pole to smash the water goddess shrine? Sure, they could let her smash the entrance, and then it would be difficult to say who needed to offer apologies and compensation at that time.

The eagle-eyed Pei Qian caught the middle-aged man's smirk.

She was so angry that she could only take a deep breath to calm down.

The hiking pole in her hand shook slightly, and a barely perceptible ripple appeared inside one sleeve. However, this ripple wasn't caused by fluctuating spiritual energy arising from a Qi refiner channeling a mystical ability, so even the elderly shrine attendant, who possessed the highest cultivation base among them, didn't notice anything.

"Compensation my ass! Apologies my ass!"

A streak of green surged over and landed directly outside the water goddess shrine, coming to a stop beside Pei Qian.

It was none other than Chen Lingjun, who had comprehensively refined a Dragon King Basket.

He didn't say another word as he reached forward and summoned the Dragon King Basket that had been personally repaired by the Northern Complete Reed Continent's Spiritual Master Fire Dragon. The Dragon King Basket immediately grew to the size of a mountain peak and shrouded the entire water goddess shrine.

Dragon King Baskets were able to easily capture even flood dragons, and the old woman and middle-aged man standing in front of Chen Lingjun were only water spirits to begin with. The former was still able to withstand the innate suppression and not tremble, while the latter went weak in the knees and was just about to kneel down. It was only thanks to the old woman grabbing his shoulder that he was able to save some dignity.

"Apologize and offer compensation, right? Then let me learn from you and do the same thing. I'll beat you up before apologizing and offering compensation!" Chen Lingjun spat.

"It was naturally wrong of us to hit the young girl, but is there a problem with apologizing and offering compensation after making a mistake?" the old woman asked with a faint smile. "Perhaps this esteemed immortal wants to rely on his strength to pick on us, using this immortal treasure to suppress the water goddess shrine?"

Chen Lingjun's expression became dark as he nodded and replied, "That's right. I'll immediately make my way to the Northern Complete Reed Continent after suppressing this shitty water goddess shrine, and Master won't be able to scold me even if he wants to."

"Chen Lingjun, I'm already accustomed to being scolded by Master, so let me do this instead," Pei Qian suddenly said.

Chen Lingjun was astonished.

Could his master bring himself to scold this young girl?

"Pei Qian, your current cultivation base..." Chen Lingjun began with a smile.

However, Pei Qian forcefully slammed her hiking pole into the ground before Chen Lingjun could even finish speaking.

The ball of golden silk thread inside Pei Qian's sleeve, whose aura she couldn't contain, instantly unraveled and poured out like a waterfall, wrapping around her hiking pole.

It was as if Pei Qian were holding a golden sword.

Pei Qian leaned on the hilt of the "sword," with its tip stabbing into the ground.

Menacing sword intent instantly suffused heaven and earth.

Even Chen Lingjun, who possessed an innately tough physique, couldn't help but retreat several steps.

The old ancestor of Sword Immortal Zhou Cheng's lineage had once remarked that one should unleash sword strikes if one were feeling great discontent.

The old woman was extremely flustered, no longer able to maintain her initial composure and treat this as a minor matter.

This young girl carrying a bamboo bookcase was clearly a sword cultivator.

In fact, it was very likely that she was a fabled innate sword talent!

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