Narration System for the Journey of Martial Arts

Page 34

At this moment, on the main street of Kaifeng Prefecture, Xie Yanke and Su Yuchen walked side by side. After Xie Yanke rushed to the city, the two arrived. As the system's narration flashed by, Su Yuchen was filled with emotion for Shi Qing and Min Rou.

Having such an unlucky son is like the worst luck a couple could have ever had. All the reputation they had painstakingly built up over half a lifetime was completely ruined by their son.

"Old man, do you want to know why I sighed?" Su Yuchen asked, his eyes darting around as he looked at Xie Yanke, who had a cold expression on his face.

Xie Yanke snorted coldly, turned his head away, and didn't want to pay attention to him. This kid was too wicked, and he might fall into his trap again.

Seeing that he didn't respond, Su Yuchen nodded: "You old man, no wonder you've lived so long. It's true that those who live in the martial world can only survive long if they don't have curiosity."

"What nonsense are you spouting now!" Xie Yanke cursed angrily. "I am Xie Yanke, the dignified Sky Hermit, who intimidates both the righteous and the wicked. Do you think I live by being a coward?"

Su Yuchen scoffed, "A thousand-year-old tortoise is a ten-thousand-year-old turtle. What's wrong with a tortoise? Even if you wanted to live that long, the heavens wouldn't allow it!"

"You..." Xie Yanke glared angrily, while Su Yuchen looked at him innocently.

For a moment, the two stared at each other in the street, attracting the curiosity of those around them.

Xie Yanke laughed angrily, saying, "Little beggar, you should be glad that I made a vow not to harm anyone who possesses the Xuan Tie Token, otherwise... humph!"

Su Yuchen replied matter-of-factly, "I can see that."

Seeing Xie Yanke looking over, Su Yuchen glanced around before walking towards a restaurant, muttering to himself...

“Back in Houjianji, you were so angry that you raised your hand, but you didn’t actually do it.”

"You were so angry when I tested you earlier that your eyes almost popped out, but you still didn't make a move."

"So, I guess you definitely can't lay a hand on me!"

"Now you have to support me for ten years, and you can't let anyone lay a hand on me. If I become disabled or injured, and then die of grief, you will have to break your promise."

"You don't want to be a dishonest person, do you?"

After saying the last sentence, Su Yuchen turned to Xie Yanke beside him: "So, you have to protect me. If I do something rash, you'll be considered a traitor!"

Ignoring Xie Yanke's dark complexion, Su Yuchen had already found a table and told the waiter to start serving the dishes.

………………

Seeing Su Yuchen sitting there, playing with a chopstick in his hand, every move he made showed traces of the Snow Mountain Sect's swordsmanship and the swordsmanship of Shi Qing and his wife, one can't help but be amazed by his talent.

Xie Yanke had calmed down by this time. He said disdainfully, "Without a foundation in internal strength, you won't be able to learn anything with just a few scattered moves."

Su Yuchen glanced at him with disdain, shook his head, as if lamenting his ignorance.

Xie Yanke felt a surge of anger, but he forced it down. He felt like he was having a run of bad luck, and that today alone had made him suffer enough to last the rest of his life. He didn't bother to say anything more, afraid that he would just anger himself to death.

He just watched as Su Yuchen pointed and gestured with his chopsticks. After a moment, he suddenly exclaimed in surprise, his expression becoming more serious.

Su Yuchen's chopsticks moves gradually increased. Although the main style was still influenced by the Snow Mountain School swordsmanship and the swordsmanship of Shi Qing and Min Rou, some other messy moves were mixed in.

As Su Yuchen continued to wield his sword, the originally disparate sword techniques gradually began to connect, eventually forming a seemingly unrelated set of sword techniques based on the Snow Mountain School's swordplay.

………………

[You used the incomplete moves of the Snow Mountain School sword technique as the framework, and combined them with the Xuan Su Manor Shangqing Sword Technique, the Five Mountains Sword Technique, the Five Mountains Breaking Sword Technique, the Evil-Repelling Sword Technique, etc., to create your own sword technique.]

[You created this casually, yet it deeply shocked Xie Yanke. He is convinced that you are an unparalleled martial arts genius.]

Xie Yanke wants to take you as his apprentice, but he was betrayed by his former apprentice and vowed never to take on another. He is caught in a dilemma.

Listening to the system's narration and looking at this brand-new Snow Mountain Sect sword technique, Su Yuchen couldn't help but feel satisfied. Although his martial arts skills were gone, his realm and martial arts knowledge remained.

"Your swordsmanship... seems to be from the South China Sea School, and also from the Laoshan School. Hmm, there are some others I don't recognize. Where did you learn them?" Xie Yanke couldn't help but ask.

The waiter had already started serving the dishes, and Su Yuchen picked up his chopsticks to start eating. Just as Xie Yanke's face darkened, Su Yuchen spoke...

"Old man, I don't recognize any of those sects you're talking about. I've just looked at a few here and a few there, and if I think I can keep up, I'll just play around with them!"

Upon hearing this, Xie Yanke chuckled and cursed inwardly, "What you casually show off is something others might never learn in a lifetime. Compared to that, haven't I wasted my life?"

Thinking about it this way, Xie Yanke became even more depressed. If he were to offer to take on a disciple, would this kid turn around and make sarcastic remarks?

The thought of how he had shamelessly taken on a disciple, only to have this kid act all high and mighty made Xie Yanke's face darken even more.

Su Yuchen looked at his face, which was as red as if it had been stained with soy sauce, and thought that he hadn't really hurt him. Could it be that he saw the sword technique that he had casually created and was feeling down?

"Hey old man, we're eating, what are you thinking about?" Su Yuchen asked.

Xie Yanke glared at him: "Hey, you have no manners! What old man? You can call me Uncle Xie, you impolite little beggar."

"Tch," Su Yuchen curled his lip. "You know how to be polite, then why are you calling me 'little beggar,' don't I have a name?"

"Oh? You have a name? What's your name? Dog Egg?" Xie Yanke teased, then burst into laughter himself.

Su Yuchen stared at him in shock, remaining silent. Xie Yanke, feeling his gaze, could no longer laugh, and asked dejectedly, "Your name is really Gou Dan?"

Su Yuchen nodded and said, "No."

"Hmm! Hmm?" Xie Yanke nodded, then flew into a rage, slamming his chopsticks on the table and saying, "Why are you nodding if you're not called Gou Dan?"

Su Yuchen chuckled and said, "Why can't I nod if my name isn't Gou Dan? I can shake my head if my name is Su Yuchen, so what? Is that not allowed?"

Xie Yanke took a long breath, picked up his chopsticks, and shouted, "Shut up and eat!!!"

"Okay!" Su Yuchen said with a grin.

Chapter 66 Bargaining at the Pharmacy

Xie Yanke was in a bad mood and didn't want to talk to him anymore. Su Yuchen saw the oppressive atmosphere emanating from him and didn't want to provoke the old man too much.

Although I think the old man was a decent person in the original story, he became like someone with post-traumatic stress disorder after being injured by his apprentice, and everyone seemed to want to harm him, which was quite pitiful.

That's why I've been teasing him all along, trying to correct him, but now it seems that this can't be done in a short time. I figure there's plenty of time in the future, so there's no rush.

Neither of them was in the mood for conversation; they just kept their heads down and ate, which made them eat much faster.

After finishing his meal, Su Yuchen ordered some braised meat, steamed buns, flatbread, and water bags to pack.

When it came time to pay, Xie Yanke was embarrassed again. It turned out that he only had some gold leaves in his money bag, but no loose silver, which almost made the shopkeeper think that the two of them were there to freeload.

The waiter practically had "This shop is small and has low profit margins, so we don't offer credit" written all over his face.

In the end, Su Yuchen took out a small piece of silver to pay the bill, and then left the shop amidst the waiter's disdainful gaze.

Xie Yanke was extremely frustrated. If it were in the past, when he could do whatever he wanted, he wouldn't care whether the waiter was innocent or not. If he dared to look at him like that, he would have slapped him to his grave.

Now that I have such a sharp-tongued kid by my side, if I can't help but want to make a move, I don't know how he'll talk about me.

As a result, Xie Yanke walked ahead with a dark face, while Su Yuchen followed behind, secretly amused, carrying his luggage.

………………

"Hey! Old man, you've gone too far."

Su Yuchen stood at the entrance of a relatively large pharmacy and called out to the front.

Xie Yanke turned around, and Su Yuchen pointed to the pharmacy next door and immediately went inside.

There were hardly any people in the pharmacy at the time. Only one clerk was weighing herbs at the counter, while a thin old man sat in a grand chair on the other side, sipping tea and reading a book.

Su Yuchen walked directly to the counter, looked at the medicine shelves behind it, and nodded: "Not bad, they have most of the basics."

What would you like, sir?

The waiter initially didn't want to talk to Su Yuchen, who was dressed in loose, coarse cloth. He thought Su Yuchen looked like a beggar, having been picked up from who-knows-where.

However, Xie Yanke, who came in next, caught his eye. His clothes were made of the finest silk, which showed that he was not short of money.

Although he was curious about how the two of them got together, he didn't ask too many questions; as long as they could make money, that was fine.

"I'd like some medicine to strengthen my body and bones, do you have any?" Su Yuchen asked.

Upon hearing this, the shopkeeper's eyes lit up, as if he had seen a gold ingot fall from the sky. He then looked at the old man reading a book nearby.

The old man also heard Su Yuchen's words, glanced at the two of them, and then slowly put down the book in his hand: "Please come over here to talk, gentlemen."

When Su Yuchen sat down opposite him, the old man didn't mind and took out a slender-necked porcelain bottle from the drawer under the table and placed it on the table.

"Strengthening the body's foundation and nourishing the vital energy, fortifying muscles and bones—these are all secret medicines passed down through generations, and they are quite expensive. Are you sure you want to buy them, sir?" the old man asked, pointing to the porcelain bottle.

Although the old man asked Su Yuchen, his eyes were fixed on Xie Yanke, clearly waiting for him to make a decision.

………………

"Can I smell it?" Su Yuchen asked, pointing to the porcelain bottle.

The old man's eyes flashed, then he nodded and gestured for him to go ahead.

Su Yuchen picked up the medicine bottle and took a deep sniff, then closed his eyes and sensed it for a moment before shaking his head and saying, "Your secret medicine isn't very good! The medicinal effect is wasted!"

The old man straightened up, his eyes filled with anger. Su Yuchen waved his right hand, and before the old man could speak, he had already recited a list of medicines...

"Ginseng, deer antler, astragalus, codonopsis, atractylodes macrocephala, rehmannia glutinosa, curculigo orchioides, poria cocos, and aconite are all commonly used medicines."

"Your secret medicine is nothing more than lotus stamens, alisma, and tortoise shell..."

"Wait, wait..." the old man hurriedly waved his hand, "How did you know, young man..."

Su Yuchen chuckled and asked, "How did I know what kind of medicine you put here?"

Seeing the old man nod, Su Yuchen smiled and said, "I'm not going to tell you!"

Xie Yanke, who was behind him, was still surprised that he knew about medicinal herbs. But when he heard this, his eye twitched. He felt that the bastard was back.

The old man chuckled and said, "My medicine..."

Su Yuchen interrupted, "Don't even mention comparing your medicine to Shaolin's Arhat Butter, White Bear Bone Strengthening Pill, Tiger Bone Tendon Strengthening Powder, or Great and Small Rejuvenating Pills. Even a small martial arts school could produce something with similar effects."

The old man was also furious. He slammed his hand on the table and said, "What nonsense are you talking about, little brat? If I could refine the Shaolin secret medicine, why would I be hanging around here? Go away, I won't entertain you anymore."

Su Yuchen wasn't angry. He tossed the porcelain bottle in his hand and said, "Then name your price. How much?"

"Seven hundred taels," the old man said.

Su Yuchen shook his head: "Four hundred taels, that's all it's worth."

“Impossible. A hundred-year-old ginseng would cost more than that,” the old man said.

Su Yuchen scoffed and said, "The ginseng you used is at most seventy years old, definitely not a hundred years old. You know perfectly well how much the price difference is."

"Six hundred taels," the old man said through gritted teeth.

"Six hundred taels for two bottles," Su Yuchen said. Seeing that the old man was about to curse, he waved his hand and said, "And I guarantee I won't leak your prescription."

"You..." The old man gritted his teeth and looked at Su Yuchen, wishing he could beat the kid to death. He felt that he must have had bad luck today.

Seeing Su Yuchen's smiling face, the old man blinked and then 'snap' took out another bottle of medicine and placed it on the table.

Su Yuchen wasn't angry. He chuckled, took the medicine bottle, sniffed it, and after confirming there was no problem, waved his hand and said, "Old man, pay up."

Xie Yanke chuckled. He had been about to get angry, but seeing how angry the old man was, he suddenly stopped. He took out his money pouch from his pocket and casually tossed it onto the table.

Su Yuchen turned his money pouch over and poured out several glittering gold leaves. He counted them casually, put two back into the pouch, and then stood up.

………………

The two had barely walked a short distance from the pharmacy when they heard the old man inside berating the shop assistant. Clearly, having failed with Su Yuchen, he was trying to get some revenge on the assistant. The two exchanged a glance and burst into laughter.

After laughing enough, Xie Yanke stroked his beard and said, "You lad are quite extraordinary. Fine, I won't ask about your background anyway."

Su Yuchen said with a grin, "Go ahead and ask, maybe I'll tell you!"

"Heh..." Xie Yanke rolled his eyes and sneered, clearly not believing he was being so kind. He immediately turned and headed towards the east gate, obviously intending to leave the city.

Su Yuchen quickened his pace to catch up with him, and the two of them slowly walked away into the distance under the sunlight.

Chapter 67 Encountering Great Tragedy

It was midday and the sun was blazing, casting intense heat that made the distant road appear as waves – an illusion created by the scorching moisture in the air.

Faced with this situation, the two immediately moved away from the pipes and disappeared into the roadside woods to continue their journey. Although it was still sweltering, they were finally away from the scorching sun.

I walked for nearly thirty miles in one go, stopping and resting along the way, and finally got through the hottest period.

In the woods, Su Yuchen would occasionally pick up his water bag, take a sip, and keep it moist in his mouth...

"Hey old man, you really won't drink a drop?" Su Yuchen raised the water bag in his hand.

Xie Yanke kept his eyes closed and completely ignored him. Su Yuchen walked over with a grin, sat down next to him, and took out a water bag and food, placing them on the ground...

"Old man, you're treating us, you'll be missing out if you don't eat it!"

Xie Yanke glared at him and cursed, "You little brat, you're talking nonsense again. You clearly bought this with your own money."