Riding in such a remote and underdeveloped area, there was basically no difference between that and walking around with "I am rich" plastered on the forehead.
However, the young girl in the red dress clearly hadn't realized this yet!
Two youths, both around their early twenties, followed closely behind the young girl.
The one on the left was clad in white robes purer than snow, with gold mountain patterns on the cuffs that matched the girl's dress. He also had a handsome appearance—when standing next to the girl, he didn't seem to be overshadowed in looks at all. However, his temperament just couldn't match up to hers. The nag he rode beneath him was worth a mere hundred taels, suitable only for basic travel.
As for the one on the right—how should I put it?
With his sharp, monkey-like facial features, less than five-foot stature, messy hair, and a thin frame that looked underdeveloped, wearing a set of black short garments failed to hide his overall "short and ugly" aura.
This person hardly counted as normal and had no comparable attributes to the attractive pair leading the way. It was a mystery how these three ended up together.
"Little Monkey, is that demon head Hou Lao Da in Zhaoyang County, the one with six eyes, three heads, and five pairs of hands, really a cannibal like others say?"
The young girl in the red dress turned her head and addressed the frail man.
The term "Little Monkey" aptly described the frail man's features vividly.
Being called "Little Monkey," he coughed twice, just about to respond, when the white-robed man beside him cut in.
"They're just wild fabrications by cowards. Junior Sister, don't believe them. A demon path family leader of a small county town dares to call himself a demon head; you can guess he's probably just a demon path thug blinded by his own arrogance. Once we reach Zhaoyang County Town, I'll personally take care of him!"
Seeing Senior Brother Duan Zhengqi's confident demeanor, Tian Honglu shrugged her shoulders and, after some thought, nodded in agreement. "I believe that. With Senior Brother's Body-Opening Ten Layers Marrow-Cleansing Realm cultivation, aside from that Marquis of Zhaoyang Ren Feng, there shouldn't be anyone else in Zhaoyang County Town who could pose a threat to you."
"Of course. Otherwise, I wouldn't dare to bring Junior Sister along."
Duan Zhengqi's face showed a trace of pride upon hearing his junior sister's praise.
However, confident as he was, he hadn't lost his reason. He pondered for a moment and then became more composed as he spoke with a grave expression.
"Junior Sister, although Zhaoyang County is close to our Tianling County, it still falls within the demon path territory of Yongzhou."
"That Hou Yuxiao is full of tricks, extremely cunning, and skilled in Facial Transformation, often not showing his true face. He's known as the Thousand-Faced Handsome Man, and even many locals in Zhaoyang County don't know what he looks like. If we rashly go there without any leads, I'm afraid..."
"Humph, don't worry! This time I've brought the Yuan Gang Beads. Anyone who doesn't show their true face can't hide from my presence!"
Tian Honglu took out a transparent gem exuding pure Gang Qi from her bosom. As the Gang Qi appeared, it brightly illuminated the surrounding ten meters.
"Yuan Gang Beads!"
Seeing the Yuan Gang Beads in the young girl's hand, Duan Zhengqi's pupils dilated with undisguised envy.
In the path of martial cultivation, one starts with Enlightenment of the body, which is what the common folk refer to as the Ten Layers of Body Openings, consisting of Skin Refinement, Forging Flesh, Generating Tendons, Bone Crafting, Inner Membrane, Spot Essence, Transforming Qi, Nourishing Spirit, Blood Exchange, and Marrow Cleansing.
These ten stages are said to develop every aspect of the human body from the outside in, bringing the body's potential to its zenith. Once Blood Exchange is successful and the Ren and Du meridians are opened, reaching the Marrow Cleansing stage, one possesses the strength of a tiger, and not even a hundred ordinary men would come close.
A martial artist with Ten Layers of Body Openings is definitely considered a mainstay in any lesser third-rate power.
Senior Brother Duan was currently in this stage.
Marrow Cleansing is a time-consuming task, as it requires the continual replacement of the blood marrow within the body. This stage necessitates incessant fighting to force out the old blood marrow, allowing for the growth of new blood marrow. When new blood marrow has replaced the old throughout the body, the Marrow Cleansing is considered complete.
To take a step further would be to solidify blood into Gang Qi!
The solidifying involves the Qi blood that has been nurtured for over a decade, and what is formed is the Qi of Gang Sha.
At this stage, one could project their force outside of their body through Gang Qi.
Picking leaves in a gust, launching a sword to kill someone, the applications are indeed endless.
At this realm, one is known as a gang qi warrior, a formidable figure in every part of the thirteen provinces of The World. In a weaker county town, warriors of the Gang Qi Realm are exceedingly rare; in many third-rate forces, the strongest warrior is merely at the Gang Qi Realm.
To break through from the Body Opening Realm to the Gang Qi Realm, the most important thing is to have the opportunity to comprehend Yuan Gang, which can be achieved through two paths: staying in the Yuan Gang Secret Realm, or by using these Yuan Gang Beads.
Possessing their own Yuan Gang Secret Realm, whether it be a sect or a family, means at the very least being an Earth Level power, which ordinary people can't just waltz into; thus, this path is inaccessible to most, and they have to settle for the next best thing, seeking out Yuan Gang Beads.
Essentially, Yuan Gang Beads are condensed from the rich Yuan Gang Qi found within these Secret Realms.
A single Yuan Gang Bead is worth a hefty 1500 taels. Senior Brother Duan used one just last month, and despite saving for nearly three months, he still hadn't saved enough. He could hardly hide his envy when Miss Tian Honglu casually took out one.
"Senior Brother, as long as you can catch that Hou Yuxiao, I'll give you two Yuan Gang Beads when we return, how about that?" Tian Honglu could see Senior Brother Duan's envy at a glance. She seemed to have a deep hatred for this Hou Yuxiao, offering two Yuan Gang Beads as incentive for Senior Brother.
"Sister, are you serious?"
Three thousand taels of silver was not a small sum. As a True Disciple of the Mountain Sword Sect, Senior Brother Duan's monthly income from the sect, plus his own schemes to make money, wasn't even close to five hundred taels. That three thousand taels could take him half a year to earn, so of course he had to confirm.
"Of course, I never lie!"
"Miss Tian, when did that Hou Yuxiao offend you?"
Tian Honglu was in the middle of a heated discussion with her senior brother while the slim young man Little Monkey's inquiry made her grit her teeth. Looking down at her fiery-maned horse Xiaohong, her face showed a trace of indignation.
"That bastard, two months ago, he secretly sent two pregnant mares into my stable, and fed Xiaohong... some kind of strong medicine... And he left me a note after it was all done!"
"What was written on the note?"
Seeming to recall the content of the note, Tian Honglu's face instantly turned red, blushing all the way to her ears, as if she was about to bleed. After struggling for a long time, she finally spoke the contents of the note in a voice as thin as a mosquito's!
"Borrowing your breed, will return tenfold in the future, from the Marquis of Zhaoyang Hou Yuxiao..."
Senior Brother Duan naturally felt righteous indignation, scolding Hou Yuxiao for his audacious courage, cursing all his ancestors for good measure.
Although Tian Honglu didn't use foul language, she nodded continuously on the side, indicating that her senior brother was making good points, and kept saying that Hou Yuxiao deserved a thousand deaths and to go to hell.
Little Monkey, listening to the two of them speak so colorfully about himself, looked at Xiaohong, ridden by Tian Honglu, and his face showed a helpless expression.
"I was wondering why the Fourth Elder was so precious about those two pregnant mares, turns out they were fine breeds borrowed from someone else!"