Martial Arts Hall in the Distant Mountains (Seeking Recommendation Votes)

What followed was no longer of much concern to Jiang Feng. Although Ping Luanshan had already passed the preliminary examination, his results were now invalidated, and he would have to retake the test. He didn’t seem the least bit dejected—in fact, he found it entirely reasonable.

Jiang Feng left Hezhong County and hurried back to Ban Yueji to handle the gains of the last half month. He made no new purchases and soon returned to the nameless little valley. Reflecting on the day’s harrowing events, he felt as if he’d woken from a dream. Only when he stepped into the valley and saw the row of three wooden huts did it truly sink in—Chong Fan was gone, and he was now alone in the valley.

A streak of white light darted out from one of the huts, bounded over with a few leaps, and landed in his arms. A faint, feminine figure emerged from the rabbit’s body, her shape tall and slender, shimmering in and out of sight.

Jiang Feng laughed, hugging the rabbit. “Yes, you two are still with me, aren’t you?”

He brushed aside the vague loneliness in his heart and entered the hut, finding everything exactly as he’d left it. Scratching his head, he murmured, “Left in such a hurry, didn’t even bother taking anything?”

Ever since the huts had been built, Chong Fan had stopped concealing his identity. The room appeared simple, but every object was of extraordinary value; even the pen on the table was worth enough to feed an ordinary family for three years.

On the table lay a stack of papers, more than half filled with writing. Jiang Feng glanced over and realized they were Chong Fan’s detailed notes and recipes from experimenting with beast jerky—clear, methodical, and precise. By following these, not only could one make new jerky, but also continue to innovate and create other things.

For Jiang Feng, none of the luxury items in the hut could compare to the importance of these recipes. He frowned, gathered the papers, and set them aside, pondering how he might contact Chong Fan to return them.

He made a circuit of the hut and was just about to leave when he nearly collided with someone entering. The man tapped his toe lightly on the ground, gliding two steps back to stand steady.

In that instant, Jiang Feng’s heart skipped a beat. The man’s reflexes were far superior to his own—his strength was much greater!

How could an outsider suddenly appear in this secluded valley?

Jiang Feng steadied himself and, on closer look, realized he recognized this man. He was about sixty or seventy, tall and thin, dressed in a perfectly tailored azure robe, every hair neatly bound beneath a square scarf. From head to toe, the old man exuded an air of composure and order—he was the very person Jiang Feng had seen half a month ago at the gate of the Zhou family’s hot spring villa.

The old man bowed respectfully. “Young Master Jiang Feng, my name is Qiu Jueye, of the Hundred Scrolls Mountain division. By order of my young master, I am here to assist you in handling certain leftover matters.”

Even before Qiu Jueye introduced himself, Jiang Feng had begun to suspect as much. He smiled suddenly, waving a hand before Qiu Jueye’s eyes. “So, you can finally see me now?”

Qiu Jueye’s expression did not waver. “Please forgive me, Young Master Jiang. My young master instructed me previously to keep his identity concealed, so I had to resort to that disguise.”

Jiang Feng said, “It’s nothing. I ought to thank you all for your help. If not for your intervention, I’d have had a hard time slipping away from those Jiang family members.”

Qiu Jueye replied, “Li Ming’s second disciple, Li Feng, is a master tracker. Otherwise, your own cleverness would have sufficed without our aid.”

Jiang Feng inquired, “Li Ming?”

Qiu Jueye explained, “Li Ming is an aide to Lord Fuliu, the imperial preceptor of the Zhu Heavenly Emperor. He was sent to the Jiang family to help some of their youths pass the grand examination.”

“Oh,” Jiang Feng responded, deep in thought. So this Li Ming was the one Uncle Dong had mentioned before.

He continued, “Did Li Ming bring Jiang Huaiming and the others? Where are they now?”

Qiu Jueye replied calmly, “They are currently cultivating at Hidden Name Mountain. As for Jiang Huaiming, he opened the third meridian of the Dawn Realm just yesterday and is expected to pass the state examination.”

Jiang Feng pondered this for a moment before snapping back to the present with a bright smile. “Grandpa Qiu, you’ve come at just the right time. Chong Fan left something here—could you return it to him for me?”

Qiu Jueye said, “Before leaving, my young master instructed that everything he left here should be given to you for your own use. Please feel free to deal with it as you please.”

He stepped forward and, from who knows where, produced an invitation, which he presented with both hands. “Additionally, my young master will celebrate his sixteenth birthday on the eighth of November this year. He invites you, Young Master Jiang, to attend the ceremony…”

Jiang Feng started, cutting him off. “What? The eighth of November? Sixteen years old?”

Qiu Jueye’s expression was calm, but a spark of excitement shone deep in his eyes. He nodded. “Yes. My young master has been gravely ill for years—even Master Qu, the divine physician, once said he might not live past sixteen. Now, however, he seems to be recovering. This sixteenth birthday is very important to him. Please, you must attend.”

Jiang Feng took the invitation in a daze. The handwriting was perfect—every character correct and precise, unmistakably Chong Fan’s. The invitation simply listed the date and location, and, in an uncharacteristically direct style, ended with four words: “Please, you must come.”

Gazing at those words, Jiang Feng broke into a smile. He waved the card, saying, “Yes, I’ll be there!”

He looked at the invitation for a while longer, then couldn’t help but muss up his hair. “The eighth of November, sixteen years old… Who would have thought the kid is actually a few days older than me!”

Qiu Jueye studied him intently, silent.

Master Qu Shui, famed as a divine physician across the Nine Heavens, was never wrong in predicting life and death. When Chong Fan was born severely ill, the family had summoned him, and he had uttered just six words: “Will not live past sixteen.”

So it seemed—despite the lady of the house trying every possible remedy, from the age of fourteen, the young master had visibly grown weaker by the day. If not for the grave situation in the Azure Dragon Kingdom, the lady would never have left him—she would have stayed by his side until the end.

Yet, had she not left, the young master could never have ventured out alone, nor would he have met this young man…

No one had ever said so aloud, but those in the know were aware: after meeting this youth, the young master’s illness had taken a turn for the better. For reasons unspoken, everyone kept this to themselves—no one would voice it, much less spread it.

At this thought, Qiu Jueye bowed deeply once more. “Young Master Jiang Feng, before leaving, my young master instructed me to help make arrangements for your county examination. Please prepare yourself—we can set out tomorrow morning.”

…

Jiang Feng had little to pack. The next morning, after his exercises, he slung two bulging leather bags over his shoulder and greeted Qiu Jueye on his way out.

Qiu Jueye was standing stiffly under a tree, hands folded, posture ramrod straight—it was hard to say how long he’d been waiting.

Jiang Feng felt slightly awkward. “Grandpa Qiu, you’re my elder—please, feel free to relax a little… And also, don’t call me ‘Young Master’ anymore; just use my name.”

Qiu Jueye bowed. “Yes, Young Master Jiang. Let us depart.”

Jiang Feng could only shake his head helplessly. As they left the valley, Qiu Jueye asked, “Do you want me to appraise and liquidate the items here for you?”

Jiang Feng replied off-handedly, “No need, just leave them as they are.”

Qiu Jueye nodded as a matter of course, following behind. The items Chong Fan had left in the valley were worth a fortune, yet both the old and the young man seemed to think nothing of leaving them behind. For Qiu Jueye, anything the young master had used was either to be accepted by the recipient or left untouched—he would not permit them to fall into other hands.

Once they had left the valley, Qiu Jueye said, “Young Master Jiang, we are heading to Linxi County next. It is some distance away—I suggest we travel by carriage.”

“By carriage?” Jiang Feng nodded.

Qiu Jueye raised his hand, and a faint breeze gathered from all directions, swirling about them. Moments later, a carriage drawn by two unicorn horses descended from the sky to halt before them. The carriage was a deep, unremarkable blue, the horses’ coats like storm clouds before the rain, their long horns gleaming like carved jade. On closer inspection, it was the very embodiment of understated luxury.

Jiang Feng and Qiu Jueye boarded the carriage, and the unicorns soared into the sky, speeding northeast. The ride was swift; through the window, the earth seemed to flow beneath their feet—Mount Taiwu, the Longchuan River all slipped past, and a vast plain opened before Jiang Feng’s eyes.

After about half an hour, a great forest came into view. Suddenly recalling something, Jiang Feng asked, “Is that the Twilight Forest?”

Qiu Jueye replied, “Yes. Our destination, Linxi County, is right beside it.”

As he spoke, the carriage began its descent, soon coming to rest beside a small stream.

Linxi County sat at the edge of the Twilight Forest, separated from the woods by nothing more than Pear Blossom Creek. The town was small, with just two intersecting streets, both lined with pear trees. The blossoms had faded, petals carpeting the ground, the wind scattering them, lending the place a tranquil air.

At first glance, Jiang Feng took an instant liking to it.

The carriage departed after letting them off. Qiu Jueye led him to a doorway at the end of the street and knocked on the brass knocker. Jiang Feng glanced up behind him—above the door, the words “Yuanshan Martial Hall” were barely legible, with only the character for “mountain” still clear.

A flurry of footsteps approached, and the door was flung open.

A young man, scratching his messy hair, called out, “Teacher Hua is out—”

He looked up, met Jiang Feng’s gaze, and they both blurted out in surprise, “Eh, Jiang Feng!”

“Ping Luanshan, what are you doing here?!”

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A transitional chapter… Thank you all for your rewards and lollipops! Please don’t forget to click, recommend, and add to your favorites~!!