Chapter 788 Two Little Imps
It was deep in the long winter season, and everything in the region was covered with white snow. Some of the scenic landmarks in Ding Hao’s memory could no longer be seen, so they were completely useless to help him navigate the way.
Three years had passed, and the landscape of Snow Province seemed to have undergone some changes.
Ding Hao, with the black puppy, the Demon King Evil Moon, and the Primeval Fairy Butterfly, had lost their way in the vast snowy terrain. They did not know where to go.
For some reason, Ding Hao felt himself more and more like a road idiot, with a terrible sense of direction.
He had got lost even in Snow Province. If anyone were to hear of this, he would laugh long and hard at Ding Hao’s title as the Saber and Sword Addict.
“What should we do?”
Ding Hao did not want to trudge around aimlessly, lest he went in another direction and ended up even farther away from the Swordsmanship-seeking Sect.
“Meow, you’re getting more and more stupid. My human pet, you’re in your homeland, Snow Province! And you can get lost here? I feel so sad for you.” Evil Moon expressed his undisguised contempt for Ding Hao.
“If you’re so great, show us the way,” Ding Hao said, gnashing his teeth.
“You’re really stupid to say that. I’m a cat, not a dog. Finding the way isn’t my specialty.” Evil Moon refused flatly without hesitation. In fact, except for treasure hunting, he was no less a road idiot than Ding Hao.
“Woof, woof!” The black puppy barked twice, implying that it had never been to Snow Province before, so it was quite natural for it not to know the way to the Swordsmanship-seeking Sect.
The Primeval Fairy Butterfly did not like this kind of cold weather. She felt a little dispirited and had long hidden herself in Ding Hao’s storage space, sleeping.
Ding Hao unceremoniously gave Evil Moon two raps on his knuckles and ignored its angry response. He summoned his magic motorcycle, Black Lightning, to scour the surrounding thousands of miles on the speedy vehicle. Surely, someone must be around whom they could ask for directions…
Right at this moment—
“Meow? There seems to be someone in front…” Evil Moon crumpled Ding Hao’s hair into a bird nest. It suddenly pricked its ears and pointed at a glacier in the distance.
“Huh? There’s really someone there.”
Ding Hao’s gaze shot out like lightning. Through the vast snow, he saw a small team of about 10 martial artists about three miles away. They came out from behind a cold, walking on the snow.
“How long is there to the sect? I’m exhausted. I want milk.”
A chubby little fellow was walking in the middle of the team, puffing out white air and yelling breathlessly.
This little fellow was wrapped in a thick animal fur coat, scampering about. Under his leather cap was a small, tender, and pink face, he looked no more than three at most, yet he was walking so easily in the knee-deep snow with a big bundle on his back. It was quite hilarious. He looked like a little squirrel bearing a pine tower.
As the little guy spoke, he took out a crystal inscription milk bottle from his bag and sucked the bottle teat.
“Ren Woxing, you lazybones, you can’t walk anymore? When can we go back if you keep stopping like that? We’ve sneaked out for almost half a month. If we don’t go back soon, they will find out about us…” Another childish voice rang out from the front of the team.
It was also another small kid who spoke, about two to three years old, but a girl. Dressed in white armor, she looked very neat and tidy. Her delicate, jade-like face was most exquisite. One could tell at a glance that she was a little beauty.
The little girl walked in front, braving the snow and the wind with quick, deft steps. Obviously, she had a good martial arts foundation.
There were seven or eight young warriors with the two kids, dressed in earth-colored robes of sword warriors. Around 17 to 18, they were of both genders, all good-looking with extraordinary demeanors. Every one of them had exceptional strength. Three of them were above the Primordial Realm in Qi cultivation. In the martial arts world of Snow Province, they would definitely be considered experts.
With long faces, the six or seven young warriors protected the two kids, like stars clustering around the moon.
The robes of these sword warriors were woven from extraordinary materials, with a tiny light golden sword emblem embroidered on their chests. If there were any other passersby here, they would definitely recognize them as the core disciples of the Swordsmanship-seeking Sect from their attire.
They were all disciples of the Swordsmanship-seeking Sect.
“My dear Ding Tianshuang, you’re already at the three-apertured Martial Warrior Realm. I’ve only just reached the peak of the Martial Disciple Realm. Of course, I can’t keep up with you.” The fat boy happily sucked a few more mouthfuls of beast milk from the crystal milk bottle, licking the milk stain dribbling down his lips. He pulled a long face. “What’s more, I’m carrying such a big bundle. It weighs at least 800 pounds. Don’t stand there and talk like it’s none of your business. More than half the stuff inside is yours.”
“I think highly of you to let you carry that bundle! Cultivating with weights is a course taught to us by Great Martial Uncle Wang Juefeng. Why? You won’t do it?” Ding Tianshuang, the little girl with the delicate babyish face, raised her chin and chided him in a childish voice.
“I will, I will, of course I’m willing to, but at least let me rest for a while and drink some milk…” the little fat boy said, pulling a long face.
“You’re almost three this year, and you haven’t weaned yourself off milk? Do you remember how much trouble you created each time you were drunk with milk? You’re already an adult, how can you still be such a baby? Can you act a little more mature?” Ding Tianshuang looked like a little adult, pulling the fat boy’s ear and shouting into it.
The seven young warriors next to them could not help laughing.
These two kids were simply the most precious treasures of the Swordsmanship-seeking Sect. Other kids of their age would be still in their wet nurse’s arms, sucking milk, and could not walk steadily. But these two kids had already reached the Martial Warrior Realm because of their extraordinary innate foundation, talent, and intelligence. Moreover, they had been fed with all kinds of precious herbs and treasures since their births.
These two kids had caused so much ruckus at the Swordsmanship-seeking Sect.
Their parents were huge pillars of the sect, so no one dared to provoke them.
This time, these two spoilt kids pretended that they were training in seclusion when they had in fact sneaked out to play.
These young warriors were all disciples who knew the two kids well, coerced and enticed into accompanying them out. Fortunately, thanks to their frequent adventures and errands here, they were quite familiar with the surrounding thousands of miles around the Swordsmanship-seeking Sect, and so did not run into any danger.
“Well, Young Master and Missus, it has been almost half a month since you two ran out. If you don’t go back now, they will raise hell in the sect once they find out about your disappearance,” a beautiful female disciple of the Swordsmanship-seeking Sect said with a smile.
“Yes, there’s another half a day more before we reach the sect. Snow Province is in quite a mess recently. It’s better to go back as quickly as we can,” another male disciple, steady and mature with a squarish face, also concurred.
Before his voice died away…
The squarish-faced disciple suddenly noticed something. His expression changed and looked to the right.
He suddenly saw an absurdly handsome, teal-robed young man with a jade-like complexion walking over to them slowly, step by step. In the blink of an eye, he was already less than ten meters away.
“Young valiant warriors, it’s an honor to have met you.” The young man in teal cupped his hands.
The other six young disciples of the Swordsmanship-seeking Sect looked surprised, only noticing him at this moment.
“This man has horrific strength. He managed to sneak within ten meters of us and went undetected.” The young disciple with the squarish face was shocked. He signaled his fellow disciples with his eyes. His other six junior brothers and sisters instantly reacted, surrounding the two children and forming a protective shield around them.
“What can I do for you?” the squarish-faced young disciple asked vigilantly.
“I was walking on this icy terrain and lost my way. I didn’t know where I was, so I came to ask for directions. Sorry for approaching you so abruptly. Young heroes of the Swordsmanship-seeking Sect, please don’t take it to heart,” the young man in teal said with a smile.
The wariness on the squarish-faced young disciple’s face did not quite fade away. He said nonchalantly, “I see. Could I know where you’re going, sir?”
The young man’s smile was like a warm spring breeze. “I’m going to the mountain gate of the Swordsmanship-seeking Sect. I wonder if you could take me there.”
The Swordsmanship-seeking Sect?
The young disciple with the squarish face was stunned. If this man was going somewhere else, he could simply point in another direction and send him on his way. However, he happened to be going to the Swordsmanship-seeking Sect. So, should he let this man follow them all the way?
Normally, it would be no problem taking him to the Swordsmanship-seeking Sect.
However, Snow Province had encountered sudden upheavals. One could no longer easily tell the good from the bad since they were often mingled. The Demon Clan had invaded in large numbers, and the two precious kids with them were so important to the Swordsmanship-seeking Sect. If this teal-robed young man was an enemy, they would be in big trouble.
“What do you want from the Swordsmanship-seeking Sect?” the squarish-faced young man asked calmly.
Of course, the teal-robed young man was Ding Hao.
Ding Hao had not expected them to be from the Swordsmanship-seeking Sect. It was great. He could go back to the Swordsmanship-seeking Sect with them. But Ding Hao also wanted to test them. After three years, he wondered how these new disciples of the Swordsmanship-seeking Sect really were, so he did not reveal his identity.
He had been in the Towering Buddha Pagoda less than half a year ago, and because he had been integrating the Jades in Stone, his skin had become more and more lustrous. He looked younger like he was only 16 or 17. Hence, these disciples of the Swordsmanship-seeking Sect did not recognize this teal-robed young man in front of them as their Highest Elder Ding Hao, venerated by countless disciples and masters of the sect.
Ding Hao was very satisfied with the reactions of these young disciples before him.
“I’m looking for a friend in the Swordsmanship-seeking Sect,” Ding Hao said with a smile.
“Oh, I wonder which friend it is that you are looking for? I’ve been a disciple of the Swordsmanship-seeking Sect for two years. Why haven’t I seen you before?” The young disciple with the squarish face was still very wary.
“I haven’t seen my friend for more than three years. His name is Wang Juefeng.” Ding Hao mentioned that scheming teacher-in-charge.
Great Martial Uncle Wang?
Sure enough, as soon as he mentioned this name, the expressions of the young disciples instantly relaxed. They looked at Ding Hao with a little more intimacy.
However, that young disciple with the squarish face was still very vigilant. He asked a few questions about Wang Juefeng’s looks, only agreeing to take Ding Hao to the Swordsmanship-seeking Sect after he answered those questions correctly.