As the sun set, casting a golden glow, a man and a woman rode Red Flame horses slowly along the official road.
"Xiao Xin'er! What are you thinking about?"
Alex, carefully guiding his somewhat temperamental Red Flame horse, noticed Chu Xin's unusual expression and asked with a smile.
Chu Xin looked up, forcing a slight smile. "Alex, what do you think will happen to this world's Teng Qinghu and Li Qingyu after we leave? And their families? My father? And your mother?"
Alex fell silent. Having spent time with Tiger Mother, he had felt her unconditional love for Teng Qinghu, but for that very reason, he had been avoiding her. In a way, Teng Qinghu was already 'dead' to him.
"So, you don't know either," Chu Xin said softly, her mind replaying the poignant farewell with Lord Li. He had given her the fatherly love she had always yearned for but never received in the real world.
When Chu Xin (Li Qingyu) saw Lord Li again, she barely recognized him. The man, who was always composed and mature in Li Qingyu's memories, had become despondent in just ten days.
His once-clean chin was now covered with stubble, and his eyes were bloodshot, revealing how he had spent these days.
When Lord Li heard that Chu Xin was planning to travel far with Alex, he nearly broke down, frantically questioning Alex about why he wasn't keeping his promise and why he forced Li Qingyu. Lord Li had misunderstood, thinking Alex had used some means to make Li Qingyu submit to him.
If Chu Xin hadn't rolled up her sleeve to show the still-red cinnabar mark, calming Lord Li's fury, Alex was sure he would have been hacked to pieces by the enraged Li family guards.
"Xiao Xin'er, why worry about so much now?" Alex said, leaning closer to Chu Xin with a mischievous grin. "We need to look forward. Our most important task now is to increase our strength and survive in this damned Main God Space.
Only if we survive will we have the right to consider these things.
The Main God Space is mysterious but also the best place to enhance our power. As long as we keep getting stronger, one day, we might become the legendary beings who can control the wind and rain.
At that time, everything might be solved."
"Beings like gods! Is that even possible?" Chu Xin looked at Alex, seeking encouragement.
"Of course it is. Aren't there supreme experts in this world who can split mountains and rivers? Figures like Emperor Yu and Emperor Qin are no different from gods!"
Alex flashed a bright smile at Chu Xin, setting a goal for both of them. "So, let's work hard, girl!"
"Beings like gods! Emperor Yu! Emperor Qinling! Supreme experts!" Chu Xin's eyes sparkled, and she found a new goal in her heart.
"But," Alex added with a grin that Chu Xin found both annoying and endearing, "the biggest problem now is that our journey has been way too slow because of a certain little piggy.
At this rate, we might not make it to the inn tonight and have to camp out. I don't mind, but will a certain delicate little beauty be scared and ask for a hug?
Hehe! Xiao Xin'er, I wouldn't mind if you snuggled up with me!"
"Die, you lecherous tiger! You're hopeless, always thinking about..." Chu Xin's face turned red as she realized she had indeed slowed them down. "Stop talking and hurry up! We must reach the inn before sunset."
...
Wan City, one of the major cities in Wuan County, Yangzhou, home to the Li family, a wealthy household known for their generosity, led by the benevolent Li Yuan.
In a small courtyard of the Li family's mansion, Alex sat at a stone table, meticulously planning their upcoming expedition into the wilderness. The notebook on the table was filled with detailed plans and notes.
These were his preparations for the wilderness journey. He and Li Qingyu (Chu Xin) were too weak; without thorough planning, they'd likely fall prey to the beasts and dangers of the wild.
"Squeak~"
The courtyard gate opened, and Chu Xin stormed in. "Alex, are your plans not ready yet?"
She plopped down beside Alex, crowding him to peek at his notes, showing no trace of ladylike modesty.
Alex glanced at her, handing over his notebook while rubbing his tired eyes. "The plans are almost done, but your execution ability..."
After spending a lot of time together, Alex had discovered that the seemingly gentle girl before him was not only a mediocre student but also an impulsive 'reckless' girl.
"My ability? What about it?" Chu Xin pouted, her cheeks flushing in defiance. "I'm pretty capable, you know."
Their dynamic was indeed strange. Alex, who looked like a simple and honest brute, was actually quite cunning and relied on his intellect. Meanwhile, the gentle-looking Li Qingyu, besides her ability to sense good and evil, still had a lot to learn, such as curbing her impulsive temper.
However, she wasn't without her merits. At least she managed to outsmart Alex once, almost successfully escaping. This showed she wasn't dumb, just often too lazy to use her brain, which frustrated Alex even more.
"What about the side quest with Li Jun? How's that going?" Alex asked. His prolonged stay in Wuan County was partly to gather firsthand information and finalize their plans.
He was also there for an important potential side quest involving Li Jun, the female lead of the Nine Cauldrons world.
Li Jun, the sole daughter of the Li family in Wan City, was born with blocked meridians, making it difficult to cultivate inner strength techniques, yet she possessed a rare talent for understanding animal languages. The Li family suffered a disaster, and Li Jun's family was killed. She was saved by Teng Qingshan, who was on his way to the wilderness, leading to a special bond between them.
"My task is almost complete, but you, lecherous tiger, haven't you considered winning over little Jun? That's a 5% personal strategy increase!"
Chu Xin's face showed a mischievous smile as she squinted at Alex.
"Side Quest—Li Jun."
"Side Quest One: Kill Li Jun, personal strategy increase by 2.5%. Conquer Li Jun, personal strategy increase by 5%, and gain top-level animal language talent..."
"Don't joke about that!"
Alex (Teng Qinghu) frowned. "Little Jun is only seven years old. I'm not a beast who would prey on a child."
"Are you sure you don't want to consider it?" Chu Xin's smile widened, exuding a fujoshi vibe. "You could raise her, like Hikaru Genji! Don't look at me like that. I'm open-minded and don't mind if a teammate wants to play the long game."
"Raise her!" Alex stood up, circling Chu Xin and making her uneasy as he cornered her against the stone table.
He reached out, gently stroking her dark hair, then leaned in close to her ear, blowing warm air. "There's someone more suitable right here. Why go for someone else when I have you? Xiao Xin'er, I think you have great potential."
Alex pulled Chu Xin into his arms, pressing her body against his.
The masculine scent filled Chu Xin's nostrils. This once-good girl, who had let herself go, found herself increasingly interested in certain things. Half-dazed, she wrapped her arms around his neck and offered a kiss.
"Ah!"
A sudden scream shattered the intimate atmosphere in the courtyard. Chu Xin pushed Alex away.
"Little Jun!"
Alex turned to see a cute little girl standing at the courtyard gate, covering her face with her hands as she peeked at them through her fingers.
"Brother Teng, I came to learn martial arts from you!" Li Jun said, lowering her head and wringing her dress, looking like a child awaiting punishment.
"Oh," Alex replied, pointing to the courtyard's open area. "Warm up over there. I'll be with you soon." Teaching Li Jun inner strength was a side quest.
Li Jun was born with blocked meridians, making it difficult to cultivate inner strength. However, internal martial arts had surprising benefits for physical training. At her young age, with her simple and determined nature, there was a chance she could master internal martial arts and open her meridians.
If Li Jun succeeded, it might prevent the Li family's massacre in the future. Alex saw this as an experiment to see if he could alter 'fate.' He wanted to know if there was an invisible hand guiding everything.
"Fate," Alex muttered as he watched Li Jun's back.
"Huh? What?" Chu Xin looked at Alex in confusion. "What did you just say, you lecherous tiger?"
"Nothing," Alex shook his head, stretched his arms, and with a sunny smile, walked over to where Li Jun was warming up.
...
Nanzhou City, a major city in Wuan County, Yangzhou, was comparable in size to Yicheng in Jiangning County. It was the closest city to the wilderness and had developed better than most cities in Wuan County, thanks to the many resources from the wilderness.
Nanzhou City was bustling with many outsiders. Some were warriors unafraid to venture into the wilderness, while others were herbalists collecting herbs from its edges.
On the third floor of a tavern near Nanzhou City's south gate, a young couple, looking about sixteen or seventeen, sat by a window, attracting many gazes.
"Are we really going there?" Chu Xin sat by the window, looking at the distant, endless black wilderness with its mist-shrouded peaks.
"I must go. I have reasons that compel me. If you want, you can stay in Nanzhou City. There's a Guiyuan Sect outpost here. As a sect disciple, you'll be safe there."
Alex took a bite of his mutton leg. In the wilderness, food would be scarce, and they might not have the chance to cook, so he wanted to eat well now. "Don't underestimate me. I'm coming with you! I won't let you be lonely," Chu Xin huffed, wrinkling her nose in annoyance.
"If you're coming, eat up. The wilderness won't be as comfortable or bountiful as this," Alex said, tapping Chu Xin's bowl with his chopsticks. "Now's not the time for dieting. In there, we might not eat well for weeks."
"You're such a nag..." Chu Xin grumbled but obediently picked up her bowl and started eating.
They ate quickly, and soon the table was full of empty dishes. Alex called for the bill, and they left the tavern together. As they exited, several people who had been watching them closely also got up and followed.
Outside Nanzhou City, Alex stood among a pile of corpses—local thugs who had targeted them. Their lavish spending in the tavern had drawn unwanted attention.
But these men didn't know Alex had also been watching them. He needed luck points, and lots of them, but he wasn't a senseless killer. He used this method to bait 'fish.' Most of these men were habitual criminals who had done this before, just like the bandits led by Er Gouzi. Alex had no qualms about killing them.
"Lecherous tiger! Are you done yet?" Chu Xin's voice called from a distance. She still wasn't used to bloody scenes and had stayed far away.
"Get lost!" Alex kicked the shoulder of a man who had been coerced into crime.
In this chaotic world, there were two kinds of bandits: those who chose the life and those forced into it. This man was the latter.
"Thank you, sir! Thank you!" The ragged bandit kowtowed before running off, planning never to return to the dog-eat-dog world of Nanzhou City.
"This world," Alex sighed. The man he spared was just one of many caught in this era's turmoil. There were countless others like him, people unable to control their fates... the weak.