Wen Wenhai was exhausted, and mechanically whipped the horse's hip with his riding crop, hoping it could run faster. Xue Qing, who was riding beside him, had her veil back on, concealing her face, and she too urged her horse on.
Wen Wenhai occasionally glanced back at Xue Qing and sometimes encouraged her, "Junior Sister, hang in there a little longer. We'll be in our sphere of influence soon, and then we can rest."
Xue Qing replied: "I know, Senior Brother, let's hurry."
After they left Stone Man Peak, they didn't give it much thought at first. Their mission was complete, and all they had to do was bring the object back to their sect. They even reveled in the joy of obtaining the medicine for a while. However, when they mounted their horses, both of them suddenly realized the significance of why their Master had given them such extraordinary horses, and Wen Wenhai also recalled his Master's seemingly inconspicuous instruction: "Hurry back". At the same time, they became aware of the danger they were in. Not to mention whether other forces had hidden intentions, even ordinary Jianghu sects might catch wind of their possessions or find out what they were carrying, which were priceless treasures in the eyes of their fellow peers. They might have caught themselves in a perilous situation. With a shudder, they glanced at each other, mounted their horses, and sped off without pausing for a moment.
The two rode day and night without stopping to rest. Fortunately, they were martial artists; their bodies were physically resilient, unlike ordinary people who might have collapsed long ago.
One day around noon, as they were on their way, they saw a teahouse on the roadside. Such teahouses were usually simple tents or thatched roofs set up by the side of the road, with open sides allowing air to pass through, providing simple tea and refreshments for travelers to rest.
As they approached the teahouse, Xue Qing couldn't help but suggest to Wen Wenhai, "Senior Brother, shall we take a break? We will enter the sphere of influence of our Piaomiao Sect after another meal, and it should be safe here, right?"
Wen Wenhai was tempted, and slowed down, gradually nearing the teahouse.
However, Wen Wenhai hesitated, and with a smile, said to Xue Qing, "Junior Sister, it's only another meal's time, and we'll be there before we know it. We've been hurrying for so long already, so there's no need to fret over this short stretch. Let's press on a little further, and once we are in our territory, we can rest, alright?"
Xue Qing replied, "Alright, Senior Brother, we won't do anything to ruin our progress, let's hurry on."
With that, they both regained their spirits, picked up the pace, and galloped past the teahouse, paying no heed to the beads of sweat on their horses' bodies and the trembling legs.
At that moment, there weren't many people in the teahouse. Two burly-looking men sat at a small table near the roadside. One had a pale face and long whiskers, fluttering with the wind, and held a sword in his hand. The other had dark skin, a robust figure, and large hands and feet, without any weapons. They were leisurely sipping tea from the coarse tea bowls on the table. When they saw Wen Wenhai and Xue Qing's horses slowing down and then speeding up again, they noticed everything.
As Wen Wenhai's horse passed by, that swordsman glanced at the dark-skinned man across from him, laughed and said, "Sixth Brother, let's not drink any more. Let's go. I didn't expect A Hai to be so cautious as to not even enter this teahouse. Third Brother has taught him well."
That Sixth Brother replied, "Indeed, Fourth Brother. None of our disciples are as cautious and careful as A Hai. It's a pity that his talent is limited, making it difficult for him to progress in martial arts, or he would have been quite promising. Alas, it's just a shame for these fine horses."
After saying that, the two men threw down their tea money, led their own horses, and mounted to pursue.
However, they didn't realize that an ordinary-looking passer-by behind them had a glint in his eye and muttered to himself, "What's happening that even two of the Six Misty Tigers are coming to receive them?"
After the two men led their horses away, the passer-by also immediately settled the bill and quietly followed them.
Meanwhile, Wen Wenhai continued to ride his horse forward. After another meal's time, he saw more and more people, and many small stands were set up along the main road. Pingyang City was now in sight. Suddenly, he heard the horse beneath him neigh mournfully. Its four legs softened, and it collapsed to the ground. Wen Wenhai felt his body sinking, and quickly patted the horse's back, using the momentum to leap off. Seeing this, Xue Qing quickly pulled on the reins and gradually stopped her own horse. The collapsed horse lay weakly on the ground, foaming at the mouth, its eyes slowly closing—it had been literally run to its death. Xue Qing hastily checked her own horse, which wasn't in much better shape. Its legs shook uncontrollably, and there was a slight white foam at the edges of its mouth, indicating that it could no longer be ridden.
Wen Wenhai stood by the roadside, looking at the collapsed horse and the panicked pedestrians around him. After a moment of thought, he took a flare arrow from his bosom and shot it into the sky. The arrow flew into the air with a whoosh, and a sharp sound pierced the vast sky, traveling far and wide.
Just after the sound of the flare, a voice called out from behind, "A Hai~" Wen Wenhai and Xue Qing turned around and couldn't help but be overjoyed.
It was the two burly men they had seen resting in the teahouse earlier.
As the two men rode their horses over, Wen Wenhai and Xue Qing stepped forward and greeted, "Greetings to Fourth Martial Uncle, Sixth Martial Uncle."
The two men dismounted their horses, laughing and saying, "No need for such formalities, our nieces and nephews. We were sent by the Sect Leader to meet you here. Just wait for a moment, and they will be here shortly."
Both Wen Wenhai and Xue Qing nodded in agreement, and stood beside their martial uncles, waiting quietly.At this time, the tension in their hearts was completely relaxed.
Sure enough, before long, a group of horsemen rushed in from a distance. The one in the lead was a scholarly-looking man wearing a square scarf on his head. He appeared to be in his forties, with a clean-shaven, pale face. Dressed in white, he looked quite young, as if he were still a student. Following him was a beautiful woman who exuded maturity, dressed in plain clothes. Both were riding white horses. Behind them were a dozen people wearing strong attire, each armed with knives and swords. Their eyes were shining with vigor, and some even had prominent temples, suggesting that they were martial arts experts. These people urged their horses while glancing around, vigilant of their surroundings.
When the two reached them, they dismounted and approached Wen Wenhai and Xue Qing with polite bows, saying, "Greetings, Master."
This scholar was none other than Ou Peng, the Sect Leader of the Piaomiao Sect!
He was so inconspicuous.
The two also bowed to the beautiful woman, saying, "Greetings, Master's Wife."
The beautiful woman watched with a smile, not saying a word, as Ou Peng said, "All right, A Hai, Qing Er, you have both worked hard, there's no need for more formalities. You both know that your Master Mother rarely involves herself with the affairs of the Sect. Today's outing can be considered a fun outing."
Wen Wenhai and the other two also came forward to pay their respects, saying, "Greetings, Sect Leader Senior Brother and Sister-in-law."
Ou Peng reached out to help them up, saying, "You too have worked hard."
Fourth Brother then said, "Not really, we just drank tea. But your disciple was so cautious that he didn't even enter the teahouse."
Wen Wenhai finally understood and quickly replied, "It was only because I didn't know my Martial Uncle was here, otherwise, I would have been with him long ago."
He then addressed his master, saying, "Junior Sister and I have managed to complete the task and return unscathed, but these horses..."
Ou Peng laughed heartily, saying, "No matter. Even if the horses were divine, they are not as important as you two. Your safe return is what matters most."
He then turned to the people behind him and said, "Leave a horse for Qing Er and then take care of the situation here."
After he said that, he left with Wen Wenhai, Xue Qing, and the other two on horseback, leaving two people behind to deal with the deceased horses. Surprisingly, they didn't inquire about the things Wen Wenhai was carrying.
The passing bystander who had been following them had witnessed the whole process and was even more amazed. However, he didn't think about it further, but instead mounted his horse and sped off in another direction. It was most likely to report the matter to the Sect, as the incident that required Ou Peng's personal attention was definitely significant.
Wen Wenhai and the others rushed toward Pingyang City with the large group of horsemen. However, upon reaching the city, they did not enter but bypassed the city gate and headed in another direction. After about the time it took to drink a cup of tea, they arrived at a manor outside the city.
The manor was built against the mountainside, and the front was scattered with households. The high and low houses were arranged in an orderly manner, and many people were busy with their own affairs. Upon seeing the large group of horsemen approaching, they stepped aside early, clearing the Great Dao, while also paying their respects to Ou Peng on horseback.
Inside, there was a straight road with large trees planted on either side. At the end of the road was a magnificent archway with the two characters "Piaomiao" engraved on it. It was the same word as the token Xue Qing had given to the Zhang family, but it exuded an indescribable elegance.
Passing through the archway, they saw a high platform with an open door on top of a flight of ten steps. Dozens of people who appeared to be disciples of the Sect had been waiting at the door and on the steps early on. In front of the crowd was a fair-skinned, gentle-looking young man who appeared to be around the same age as Wen Wenhai. It was none other than Zhang Chengyue, the senior brother of the Sect. As Ou Peng and the others approached and dismounted at the foot of the steps, he led everyone in unison, saying, "Welcome, Sect Leader."
As they dismounted, someone took the reins of their horses. Ou Peng said, "Good job, everyone. You all worked hard. Now everyone can disperse. To those participating in the advancement competition, you should hurry to practice as there is not much time left."
The disciples replied, "Yes, we will follow Sect Leader's teachings."
Zhang Chengyue then followed Ou Peng and the others into the Council Hall, while the other people went about their own business. The disciples who had been on guard day and night since being summoned by the Sect Leader days ago thought that a major event was about to happen, but to their surprise, the Sect Leader had just gone out for a while and canceled the seemingly insignificant alert. The disciples were confused, but this was a matter left to the Sect Leader. What mattered most to them was their own advancement examinations, which determined their future position and treatment within the Sect. If they could advance, they might even learn more advanced martial arts, which were their real priorities. As for other matters, the disciples did not ask further questions.
Ou Peng led the group to the Council Hall. His wife excused herself upon seeing that they had matters to discuss concerning the Sect. The others followed Ou Peng into the hall.