Chapter 438 - 4: Hardship
Jue trees reached the skies, and within the deep, continuous ancient forest, three figures were pressing ahead, two in the front lightly equipped for battle, while one lagged behind like a turtle, moving at a snail’s pace.
One of the figures seemed a bit odd and especially tall. Upon closer inspection, it became clear that this was a young mercenary carrying someone on his back, along with a tall and thin elderly grandmother.
Indeed, this was the July Mercenary Team on their way to Shuijiao Peak.
After signing the commission mission agreement with Lady Qingyan, Yue Jinghua, strong-armed by the elderly lady’s insistent demands, had to choose Weiwei and Chi Xi to accompany her.
Fortunately, the journey to Shuijiao Peak seemed less challenging in her mind, so she declined the earlier suggestion by Feng Buhui to follow and protect her.
She had barely left Five Saints Town when the old lady complained about the rugged mountain path and demanded Yue Jinghua carry her if she wanted to continue forward.
One might expect Yue Jinghua to explode in rage, yet to everyone’s surprise, although she was full of complaints, her demeanor was wholly submissive, and she obediently picked up the old lady.
Don’t think for a second that Yue Jinghua suddenly developed a conscience or comprehended the virtue of respecting the elderly. The moment she lifted Granny Qingyan, her thoughts were as follows:
No husband, no children, and half of Five Saints Town belongs to the Qing family, making Lady Qingyan happy equals endless wealth; this equation quickly formed in Yue Jinghua’s head.
She could already envision the shining golden path ahead and, without any complaints, hoisted Lady Qingyan onto her back.
Lady Qingyan was a northerner, taller than the average woman, even half a head taller than Yue Jinghua. Roughly estimated, she stood at about one meter eighty in modern height.
Fortunately, due to her old age, her frame was but skin and bones, and didn’t seem too heavy. With Yue Jinghua’s Dark Earth cultivation and her body tempered by Green Liquid and Jiao Liquid, even carrying five or six hundred catties was a piece of cake. That was why she didn’t outright refuse Lady Qingyan’s unreasonable demand.
"!!" Just as Yue Jinghua lifted Lady Qingyan, her knees buckled and she nearly knelt on the ground.
The soft mountain soil even sunk down by an inch.
"&%*#￥%, " Yue Jinghua was inwardly suffering. What on earth was this damned old crone made of, her body so heavy it made one want to die?
Behind her, Weiwei and Chi Xi only saw Yue Jinghua’s legs shaking like noodles, looking like they could collapse at any moment.
Lady Qingyan didn’t look that heavy, so could it be? Brother Yue, who seemed so strong and robust, was actually all show and no substance?
"Young man, are you kidney deficient? You’re wobbling like a spineless shrimp," not to give her peace, Lady Qingyan relentlessly thumped Yue Jinghua’s shoulder blades with her nanmu cane.
Yue Jinghua was indescribably miserable. Among them, she was the one with the most outstanding movement technique, yet now she was completely suppressed.
Seeing sweat bead and drip continuously from her forehead, Weiwei couldn’t help but mop Yue Jinghua’s brow and fan her.
Chi Xi, on the other hand, was sizing up Lady Qingyan, mentally noting, "This tricky old lady seems familiar from somewhere."
After enduring hardships for more than a two-hour stretch, Yue Jinghua and her companions had only covered a little more than a mile.
"Exhausted to death, set up camp and make fire immediately. I’m freezing and starving; you cannot afford the consequences. You girl who knows only how to wipe sweat, come fan me," Lady Qingyan was energetically demanding, kicking her legs and sliding down smoothly.
At night, Yue Jinghua planted Jiao Breath Flowers around the campsite, their scent warding off nearby Dark Beasts. The slightly older female mercenary immediately took out the food ingredients prepared earlier and started cooking.
Not far away, from a simple campsite, wafted an alluring fragrance.
One could see that Chi Xi had roasted a colorful pigeon to a perfect golden brown, softening even the consistently unpleasant demeanor of Lady Qingyan.
After consuming Chi Xi’s cooking, the delightful taste was unquestionable; the Dark Energy they had expended over the day’s toil was swiftly replenishing.
Indeed, the renown of a Spiritual Food Master was well-deserved; Yue Jinghua now understood why Chi Xi was rated as a Four-star Mercenary.
Every stick has two ends; indeed, the saying holds true.
At least in terms of culinary desires, Lady Qingyan was supremely satisfied.
Weiwei prepared another set of Calming Tea, finally settling Lady Qingyan for the time being.
Into the night, after everyone had gone to sleep, Yue Jinghua sat down cross-legged; despite having her strength considerably restored by the Spiritual Food prepared by Chi Xi, if the day’s pace continued, she feared she wouldn’t reach Shuijiao Peak in ten days.
Whether it was a lack of energy or physical strength, or something peculiar about Lady Qingyan herself, whichever it was, Yue Jinghua knew she must find a way to reverse this disadvantage presently.
After consuming a drop of Green Liquid, Yue Jinghua commenced the Nine Revolutions Creation Technique.
As the Dark Energy slowly flowed through the meridians and acupoints of her entire body, and as it circulated to her limbs, Yue Jinghua’s eyelids twitched. She stared at her faintly glowing limbs as flashes and rumbles of realization thundered through her mind.
Her eyes suddenly brightened, as if remembering something significant.
After a night’s rest, Lady Qingyan was full of vitality, barking at Yue Jinghua to carry her on their journey once more.
"We’re setting out," a crisp voice commanded. Yue Jinghua sunk her legs, focusing all her Dark Power into her feet, utilizing the Dark Transformation Technique taught to her by Old Kulu. Today, her footsteps were remarkably lighter compared to the day before.
In an instant, she employed the "Small Cloud Trace Steps." One could see a nimble figure shuttling back and forth through the forest. Being carried on her back, Lady Qingyan only felt the whistling wind by her ears. After witnessing countless flashes of green, they had already leaped hundreds of meters away.
"What is this?" Chi Xi and Weiwei exchanged puzzled looks. It was only one night; how could Yue Jinghua’s demeanor have changed so drastically?
Lady Qingyan on her back was also stunned for a moment. Although she had not verbally complained yesterday, she had secretly admired the physical strength of the young mercenary she rode upon. Despite wearing that strange artifact, he managed to walk for several stretches of two hours each.
Today, his steps seemed even lighter, almost not touching the ground.
On the mountain path towards Shuijiao Peak, where trees grew dense and shrubs abounded, the young mercenary’s carrying made it so that Lady Qingyan didn’t so much as graze a single branch.
"Slow down, you will disarticulate this old lady’s skeleton," seeing Yue Jing as an unrestrained wild horse charging forward, Lady Qingyan, frightened that her old bones would disassemble, gripped Yue Jing’s collar tightly. Her right hand sported a simple square ring which, under the sunlight, emitted a subdued glow.
Along this route, the road seemed especially clear.
The uninformed Lady Qingyan did not know that Yue Jinghua had already released Little Shanshan and a swarm of Giant Winged Mosquito Kings the previous night. The various Low-Middle Stage Dark Beasts along the way were either eliminated or driven away, leaving the path clear.
With the aid of the Dark Transformation Technique, Yue Jinghua estimated that, if all went well, they would reach the outskirts of Shuijiao Peak in another two days.