It was as if he were treading on wind. The surrounding scenery flew past, vanishing in the blink of an eye.

Jiang Ran felt like he could keep running like this to the very ends of the Jianghu!

Of course, he knew this was just an illusion.

However, the feeling this Celestial Nine Steps technique gave him was completely different.

Every time he channeled his qi, he felt as light as a swallow.

It was a world of difference from his clumsy travels before.

At the same time, True Qi circulated through his body—endless and inexhaustible. As he dashed along, he felt an unparalleled sense of exhilaration.

Subconsciously, he ran faster and faster.

Just as he was lost in the moment, he heard Ye Jingshuang’s voice from behind:

"Young Master Jiang... wait for me!"

Hearing her words, Jiang Ran snapped out of his daze. He turned to see Ye Jingshuang’s face, pale but flushed, and her breathing was a little heavy.

Her wounds were threatening to reopen, seeping traces of blood that were then diluted by the rain.

"Miss Ye, what’s wrong?"

"..."

Even with someone of Ye Jingshuang’s temperament, for a moment, she had the urge to curse him out.

’After learning the Celestial Nine Steps, the man had just taken off, completely forgetting I was even here.’

’If I hadn’t called out, there’s no telling how far he would have run.’

But looking at Jiang Ran’s innocent expression, she took a deep breath to calm herself.

"It’s nothing. It’s just that Young Master Jiang was moving too fast. I... had some trouble keeping up..."

If she hadn’t been injured, she would have had no trouble keeping up.

But with both internal and external injuries, running so fast strained her inner reserves, and her wounds threatened to split open.

If this continued, she feared she’d be run to death by Jiang Ran long before their pursuers could catch and kill them.

Jiang Ran scratched his head.

"This... is this fast? I felt like I was just getting started..."

"If you can’t keep up, I can just go slower.

"Or, why don’t we rest for a bit under that tree?"

"That won’t be necessary."

Ye Jingshuang regulated her breathing for a moment, calming the roiling qi and blood in her body. But when she looked at Jiang Ran again, she couldn’t hide the astonishment in her eyes.

"Young Master Jiang, your aptitude is truly astonishing. No wonder your Inner Energy is so accomplished at such a young age.

"The Celestial Nine Steps seems simple but is actually quite profound. I thought that even for someone like you, after memorizing the footwork and mental formula, it would take at least a full night of contemplation to even grasp the basics.

"I never imagined you’d be able to use it immediately."

"You praise me too highly, Miss."

Jiang Ran smiled slightly. "I don’t have any special aptitude. You’re just a good teacher."

But Ye Jingshuang shook her head slightly.

"Everything Jingshuang has said is from the heart, with no false praise."

Jiang Ran looked at Ye Jingshuang’s expression and knew she wasn’t joking.

This, however, left Jiang Ran a little confused.

’Is my aptitude really that high?’

But when he learned saber techniques from the Old Drunkard, the man had complained more than once that his talent and aptitude were utterly hopeless.

The saber technique was called Nine Sabers, because it had only nine moves.

Jiang Ran had loved sabers in his past life, so having this chance in his current one, he was extremely dedicated to the technique, even knowing his own situation.

He never dared to slack off for a single day, but his progress was truly slow.

He began training with the saber at six, but it wasn’t until he was fourteen that he achieved some minor proficiency.

After another six years of polishing his skills, according to the Old Drunkard, his saber technique was just barely serviceable.

This was why Jiang Ran had never held any expectations for his own talent or aptitude.

He never thought he’d receive a review of "astonishing aptitude" from Ye Jingshuang today.

’Could it be that the Old Drunkard was deliberately putting me down?’

Jiang Ran pondered this for a moment. It seemed to be the only explanation.

But he didn’t dwell on the issue for too long.

Now that he had learned a Lightweight Technique, the two of them could travel much faster than before.

They traveled through the night, and the rain finally let up after dawn.

Along the way, they came across a farmhouse. He took a set of clothes from a clothesline for Ye Jingshuang to change into, leaving behind some money to pay for them, of course.

After the ordeal of the previous night, Ye Jingshuang’s own clothes were no longer wearable.

They were too stained with blood and would attract attention.

Jiang Ran, on the other hand, just had wet clothes, which were a bit uncomfortable.

Ye Jingshuang then taught him how to use Inner Strength to dry his clothes. Jiang Ran had long dreamed of doing such things. With his profound Inner Energy, he followed her instructions and was soon completely dry.

The two continued on their way. Another day and night passed without incident.

The next day was beautiful, with a bright sun and not a cloud in the sky.

The pair followed a deserted path, using their Lightweight Techniques to head toward Cangzhou Prefecture.

As they were traveling, Ye Jingshuang suddenly spoke:

"There seems to be a tea house up ahead. Be careful."

Jiang Ran nodded.

The road they were on was rather desolate. It was hard to say what to make of a roadside tea house in a place like this.

They naturally had to be cautious.

Still, if there was nothing wrong with it, it would be nice to rest their feet for a bit, have a sip of tea, and soothe their throats.

The two exchanged a look, knowing they were both thinking the same thing.

They immediately slowed their pace and walked toward the tea house.

In front of the tea house was a tall pole with a banner hanging from it, bearing a large, eye-catching word: ’Tea’.

There weren’t many customers in the tea house at this hour.

A few people sat scattered about in twos and threes, idly chatting about everyday matters and local gossip.

Jiang Ran and Ye Jingshuang exchanged a glance and stepped into the tea house.

A waiter who looked quite sharp immediately hurried over.

"What can I get for you?

"We may be a tea house, but we also have good wine, fine meat, and fragrant white-flour steamed buns. Would you two like some?"

"Never mind the wine, meat, and buns. Just a pot of tea will be fine."

Before Jiang Ran could speak, Ye Jingshuang had already answered.

The waiter glanced at Jiang Ran, and seeing he had no objections, nodded repeatedly.

"Right away! Please, have a seat. It’ll be out in a moment."

As he spoke, he took the rag from his shoulder and gave the table a couple of symbolic wipes before turning to leave.

Jiang Ran and Ye Jingshuang had just sat down when Jiang Ran looked up at a tree outside the tea house.

He was slightly taken aback and was about to say something to Ye Jingshuang when he heard the thundering of hooves.

He craned his neck to look and saw a cloud of dust rising. A group of people on horseback arrived in an instant.

It was a sizable entourage. Six riders led the way, flanked by escorts, with a soft-sided sedan chair in the center.

Behind the sedan chair followed more than ten guards armed with sabers and swords.

The group reached the front of the tea house in a flash. The lead rider pulled on his reins, holding up a hand and shouting:

"Halt!"

The entire procession came to a stop.

The man dismounted and walked over to the sedan chair in a few strides, speaking softly:

"Madam, this is a tea house. The men have been traveling for half a day. Do you think we should rest here for a while before continuing?"

A gentle voice drifted out from the sedan chair:

"Very well, let’s rest for a bit. But Guard Geng, remember to instruct the men that they are not to drink any alcohol."

"Yes, thank you, Madam!"

He immediately turned and gave a slight wave of his hand.

"The Madam has given her orders! Dismount and rest. No drinking."