Chen Yan said helplessly,

"Besides, the road is wide enough for both of us. You can’t just block my way and not let me pass, can you?"

"..."

Fang Shuwen thought for a moment.

"Fine. But after this trip, we go our separate ways.

"Perfect. I don’t know the way to Qingyang Mountain anyway, just the general direction. You can lead."

Chen Yan suddenly felt that Fang Shuwen’s current level of detestability was second only to his own disobedient, stubborn donkey.

Left with no choice, he could only lead the way.

His donkey was probably no ordinary beast. It was so fast that even with Fang Shuwen and Xu Shuxin galloping at full speed, they could barely keep up.

Fortunately, the donkey wasn’t very serious. It would run for a while, then stop by the roadside to relieve itself. Other times it would just circle around a carrot. And sometimes, overcome with a sudden rage and malicious intent, it would even challenge Chen Yan to a duel.

As a result, there were times when Fang Shuwen would watch the man and donkey disappear from sight, only to find them again locked in a fierce, inseparable struggle.

What Fang Shuwen found even more amusing was that Chen Yan couldn’t beat his own donkey...

He had no idea what this donkey ate to grow up with such ox-like strength and a thick, tough hide. Chen Yan was a master of acupoint-striking techniques, yet he was completely helpless against his own donkey.

His punches landed to no effect, causing neither pain nor itch.

But a solid kick from the donkey’s hind legs would leave him wincing in pain.

Fang Shuwen instantly understood why this kid always wore such a long-suffering expression whenever he saw him.

With a mount this eccentric, anyone would look miserable.

As for his daily threats to turn the donkey into roasted meat, it was all just talk. How could he really bring himself to do it?

The donkey never truly tried to kill him, either. It was more like they were just playing around.

Except after every bout, the donkey would give Chen Yan a look of pure mockery.

Witnessing this, Fang Shuwen couldn’t help but remark,

"You and your mount have such a great relationship..."

Chen Yan: "???"

Even though Chen Yan didn’t agree with him, Fang Shuwen was now convinced that one really needed a good mount to travel the Jianghu.

It was just that ordinary mounts, like Ferghana horses, seemed far too common.

Going into the mountains to find a wild lion or fierce tiger seemed like an option, but not only were they untamable, there was no way to communicate with them, making it impossible to truly be in sync.

Besides, if he ran into these beasts in the mountains this season, they would likely be starving.

While Fang Shuwen wanted to capture one for a mount, they wanted to make a hearty meal out of him.

In the end, he didn’t catch a mount, but he did eat his fill.

And the reason Fang Shuwen had been so ruthless wasn’t just because those creatures dared to see him as dinner. More importantly, they couldn’t even outrun him. What right did they have to be his mount?

Gradually, this quest for a mount became something of an obsession for Fang Shuwen.

Following these two, Xu Shuxin felt like his eyes had been truly opened.

The two of them were truly strange, each one more than the last...

One couldn’t defeat his own donkey, and the other had suddenly developed a fixation on mounts.

But Fang Shuwen’s Martial Arts was just too high. Following him, Xu Shuxin had eaten more exotic game than he had ever dared to dream of.

For a time, he actually forgot he was being pursued.

They traveled like this for more than ten days, and the weather grew colder.

It didn’t snow much, however. This area was inland, so the wind wasn’t strong, and when the sun came out, you could feel a bit of warmth.

In fact, it was sometimes warmer to be outside than in a room.

One day, as the three men, one donkey, and one horse were walking, Fang Shuwen suddenly glanced up ahead.

"More bandits robbing people."

"Let’s go see."

Without another word, Chen Yan patted his donkey’s head, and the animal shot forward with a WHOOSH.

"You see? He might complain about not getting along with his donkey, but when it really counts, that animal has never let him down."

Fang Shuwen said to Xu Shuxin.

Xu Shuxin nodded repeatedly in agreement.

A few mere bandits were probably no match for Chen Yan, so Fang Shuwen didn’t hurry, urging his horse onward at their original pace.

They had seen this sort of thing countless times on their journey.

Ordinary people should avoid leaving the city unless it was absolutely necessary.

If you traveled without reliable guards, your life could easily be in danger.

Fang Shuwen and his companions had seen plenty of such situations along the way.

But these bandits were discerning. Back when they were traveling with the Lu’an Escort Agency, the agency’s reputation kept most of them at bay.

It wasn’t until Fang Shuwen set out for Cyan Blue Valley on his own that the number of bandits he encountered gradually increased.

It was clear they wouldn’t provoke people they couldn’t afford to offend, but they would bare their fangs at the weak or at common folk.

He had assumed that by the time he arrived, the bandits would have already been taken care of.

But instead, he saw Chen Yan and his donkey watching from a distance, not moving forward.

Fang Shuwen paused, surprised, and moved closer.

"What are you looking at?"

"An expert."

Chen Yan gestured, and Fang Shuwen followed his finger, but he didn’t see any expert.

But in the next instant, his pupils contracted. He saw a streak of azure smoke flash through the air, and suddenly, one of the bandits surrounding the caravan was gone.

Then came a loud THUD. The man had been slammed headfirst into a large tree ten zhang away, killing him instantly.

Someone had used an incredibly profound Lightweight Technique to carry him away and smash him against the tree trunk!

The skill behind this Lightweight Technique was simply breathtaking.

In comparison, Fang Shuwen’s Cyan Cloud Step was nothing. This person’s Lightweight Technique was so masterful that even with Fang Shuwen’s keen eyesight, he could barely catch a glimpse of their true form. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

The remaining bandits were scared out of their wits, kneeling on the ground and begging desperately for mercy.

But the expert showed no mercy. Using that same ghostly Lightweight Technique, they killed every last bandit in just a few moments.

The people from the caravan cupped their fists in gratitude, thanking the master and asking them to show themselves.

Finally, a dark shadow flashed, and a woman full of mature charm appeared abruptly before the caravan.

As if sensing something, she suddenly looked over in Fang Shuwen and Chen Yan’s direction.

Seeing they seemed to bear no ill will, she gave a slight nod.

Chen Yan sighed with admiration.

"What an amazing Lightweight Technique!"

Fang Shuwen nodded in agreement.

"Yeah. It’d be great if I could catch her and make her my mount."

"?"