Simultaneous Transmigration: The Re-merging of 99 Selves

Chapter 34 The Charming Yue Lingshan

As Zhao Yu left Qingxu Temple, the wind at the alley entrance carried the lively atmosphere of the marketplace. He casually tucked the cassock into his robe.

He stretched with a smile, his joints making a series of crisp cracking sounds.

After planning for many days, I fought my way down from Blackwood Cliff and traveled thousands of miles to Fuzhou. Now I have finally achieved my goal and obtained the Evil-Repelling Sword Manual. This trip can be considered a success.

As for what Zhao Yu had said to Yue Buqun before, it was just a casual remark.

He knew in his heart that Yue Buqun, a leader of a faction who had endured for half his life, would never easily surrender to another before he had truly suffered a crushing defeat.

But what he said was indeed sincere. Compared to the chivalrous and carefree protagonist like Linghu Chong, he admired Yue Buqun's ruthless and unscrupulous nature in pursuing his goals.

Of course, this appreciation is based on his absolute confidence that he can completely control Yue Buqun.

For now, however, his main focus should be on the court in Lin'an, the capital of the Southern Song Dynasty.

This world of martial arts and chivalry in the Ming Dynasty has to come to a temporary end.

Zhao Yu strolled along the street, his gaze lingering on the shops and stalls on both sides, secretly thinking, "Now that things are done, it's time to go back. I might as well buy some local specialty snacks to take back and surprise Sister Lin when she arrives in Lin'an."

Just as Zhao Yu was pondering where to buy it, he heard light footsteps behind him, accompanied by a girl's sweet voice.

"Hey! Why are you walking so fast? Are you afraid those people from the Qingcheng Sect will catch up with you and fight you to the death?"

Zhao Yu paused, turned around, and saw Yue Lingshan lifting her skirt and quickly catching up.

Her pretty face was slightly flushed from running, and a thin layer of sweat appeared on her forehead. She was still clutching half a string of candied hawthorns in her hand.

"Why did you follow me here?" Zhao Yu asked, raising an eyebrow in surprise. "Weren't you supposed to stay at Qingxu Temple to see Yu the Dwarf off on his final journey?"

"Who wants to send him?" Yue Lingshan pouted. "Anyone who can raise a son like Yu Renyan can't be a good person either. Besides, with my dad and second senior brother around, why would I need to get involved?"

As she spoke, she coughed lightly, dropped her innocent charm, and adopted the demeanor of a serious江湖人 (jianghu person, a person who walks the martial arts world), then clasped her hands in a fist salute to Zhao Yu.

He then spoke in a serious tone, "Having met you, as fellow martial artists, how could I not see you off? Otherwise, wouldn't it make the Huashan Sect appear impolite?"

Zhao Yu's lips curled slightly, and he couldn't help but laugh: "Oh? Is that so? So Miss Yue had this in mind. That's truly remarkable."

He was just looking for someone to show him the way to some local food, and Yue Lingshan delivered herself right to his doorstep.

This girl has been undercover in Fuzhou with Laodenuo for so long, she must know better than him, an outsider, which local foods are the most authentic.

Zhao Yu immediately turned around, raised his chin towards the bustling market ahead, and said, "Since Miss Yue is offering to see me off, I can't be impolite. Perfect timing, I was just planning to buy some local snacks; it's my treat. Shall we go for a stroll together?"

"Really? You're treating?" Yue Lingshan's eyes lit up instantly, completely losing her previous serious demeanor.

Girls naturally enjoy shopping and finding new foods. These days, she and Laodenuo pretended to be a grandfather and granddaughter from the countryside, staying in a tavern outside the city and rarely venturing into the city.

Even after entering the city, they still had to wear that ugly mask and dared not wander around, let alone go shopping.

She'd been holding it in for ages.

Now that the pretense is gone and someone is treating her to a meal, how could she possibly resist?

Immediately catching up with Zhao Yu in a few strides, Yue Lingshan said excitedly, "Then it's a deal, you can't go back on your word. I know all the good food in Fuzhou, I promise I'll take you to eat your fill."

With Yue Lingshan leading the way, Zhao Yu saved himself a lot of trouble.

The two strolled along the streets and alleys, with Yue Lingshan pulling Zhao Yu to stop at various stalls.

First, I bought two bowls of freshly cooked fish balls from an old stall at the alley entrance. The snow-white fish balls were made by pounding fresh fish meat, and they were bouncy and chewy.

Taking a bite, the delicious meat filling burst with broth in her mouth, making Yue Lingshan's eyes crinkle with delight.

As you walk further on, you can hear the sizzling of oil pans on the street, and the aroma of freshly fried, golden-brown oyster cakes wafting across half the street.

Yue Lingshan, familiar with the place, ordered two, handed one to Zhao Yu, and held the other for herself, taking small bites. She gasped because it was so hot, but still couldn't bear to let go.

There was also soft and sweet taro paste, rich and flavorful peanut soup, and savory and crispy sesame seed cakes. The two of them carried a lot of snacks and treats as they walked.

Yue Lingshan's mouth never stopped, her cheeks bulging from eating. The wariness she had felt at Qingxu Temple had long since vanished.

As she ate, Yue Lingshan couldn't contain her curiosity any longer. She looked up at Zhao Yu, blinked her almond-shaped eyes, and asked, "Hey, how exactly do you train your martial arts?"

"Yu Canghai was a sect leader, yet you killed him in just a few moves. Did you start practicing martial arts from the womb?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Yu scoffed, "What's so special about him? He's just Yu Canghai, a spineless wretch who can hardly be considered a master."

"Lost your spirit?" Yue Lingshan tilted her head, looking puzzled, and asked, "What does that mean?"

"It's very simple," Zhao Yu explained. "As the leader of the Qingcheng Sect, instead of studying and improving his own family's martial arts, he led all his disciples on a long journey to Fuzhou, going to great lengths to steal someone else's ancestral martial arts. What does that tell us?"

"This shows that deep down he no longer believes that his own martial arts can surpass others. He has lost confidence in his skills and has no spirit left."

After saying that, he countered with a question: "If it were you, would you be willing to give up your Huashan martial arts and travel thousands of miles to steal someone else's martial arts?"

"Of course not!"

Without a second thought, Yue Lingshan straightened her back and replied proudly, "The martial arts of Mount Hua are profound and extensive. I haven't even mastered my own style yet, so why would I need to steal other people's skills?"

"That's right." Zhao Yu nodded with a smile and affirmed, "Look, even you have this ambition, while Yu Canghai doesn't. Just in terms of this mindset, you are much better than him."

Upon hearing this, Yue Lingshan's eyes instantly narrowed into two crescent moons, her face beaming with excitement: "Really? Am I really that amazing?"

In all her life, apart from her parents, no outsider had ever been so certain of her.

What's more, the one who said this was Zhao Yu, a top expert who could kill a sect leader with a flick of his wrist, so Yue Lingshan felt secretly delighted.

But her joy lasted only a couple of seconds before she suddenly realized what she'd said, her eyes widening in anger as she glared at Zhao Yu: "Wait a minute! What do you mean by that? What do you mean by 'even I have this kind of ambition'? You still look down on me, don't you?"

Zhao Yu watched her bristling with a smile, offering no explanation, and simply sipped his peanut soup leisurely.