Shen Bai’s voice ca from the carriage. "There are countless peaks in this world. You’ll wear yourself out trying to asure up to every single one."
Ouyang Sword nodded. "I understand. Starting today, I’ll set a new goal. But Brother Shen, you will always remain the highest peak I strive for."
"Let’s keep moving," Shen Bai said.
Ouyang Sword said no more. He returned to his seat on the carriage and raised his whip.
"Yah!"
With that single command, the carriage traveled on through the wind and rain, leaving only two ruts in the road as it gradually receded into the distance.
...
A dreary rain fell without end.
The rain soaked a straight path not far from the main road, leading to a dilapidated inn.
The word "Welco" was written on the inn’s door flap. Every so often, a gust of damp wind would blow in, lifting the fabric.
The inn wasn’t large, but it already had quite a few people staying inside.
This spot was a good distance from the next major town. Combined with the several days of rain that had made the main road unfit for horses, this inn had beco the obvious choice for a temporary rest stop.
Inside the inn, the proprietress, a woman of about thirty dressed in simple clothes, was at the counter tallying her accounts.
A waiter bustled between the tables now and then, and the sizzle of food hitting pans echoed from the kitchen, filling the inn with a lively atmosphere.
The rain had caused the temperature to drop, making the air damp and chilly.
In the center of the inn, a few Jianghu People were gathered around a stove, warming themselves by the fire.
In the flickering firelight, their voices rose and fell in conversation, adding to the inn’s already bustling atmosphere.
"Have you heard? Things haven’t been very peaceful in Xia Yunzhou lately."
"I heard a while ago. Seems it has sothing to do with the Xinhua Academy. Tsk, tsk... those lunatics are always researching so bizarre stuff."
"Let’s not talk about those madn. Let’s discuss the internal examination. It’s not far from here in Xia Yunzhou."
The mont Xinhua Academy was ntioned, the Jianghu People all subconsciously shivered and imdiately clamd up.
With the change in topic, the mood shifted. The brief chill in the air vanished, and the conversation imdiately grew lively again.
"Are there any shocking new talents in the internal examination this ti?" soone asked.
A man who seed to be in the know wore a smug expression. "This ti around? They’re all top experts from the Observatory. It’s hard to say who’s better."
Soone grumbled, "You clearly know a lot, so stop keeping us in suspense. It’s no fun."
The man in the know shot back, "My information isn’t free. How about you all buy a cup of wine, and then I’ll tell you everything in detail."
Hearing this, the crowd of Jianghu People imdiately erupted in a boisterous clamor.
A few of the Jianghu People pooled their money together and actually ca up with enough silver coins to buy the man a pot of wine.
The man took a long drink, feeling the chill leave his body, and then let out a sly chuckle.
"The way I see it, there are four people this ti with a real shot at taking first place."
"Who are the four?"
"Lv Bei from Celestial Cloud State. He’s a master of the Prayer Fire Technique. They say he’s a Fire Priest, which is an extrely rare profession. Wherever he goes, he can scorch the earth for miles."
"Xiang Quan from Nanhe State, famous for his Double Hooks. It’s said those hooks can dismantle anything, tangible or intangible, into nothing."
"Chen Yu from Beiyuan State. I hear he’s an expert in Poison Techniques. He’s mastered his Poison Palm to a terrifying degree and is incredibly insidious."
"And then there’s Ouyang Sword from Huaxing State. His talent for Swordsmanship is unparalleled. They say he was born to wield a sword."
As the man laid out the details, many of the Jianghu People nodded in silent agreent, acknowledging the accuracy of his words.
All four of them were already famous figures, so it was only natural that many would agree with his assessnt.
Of course, that was all just talk. No one knew how things would actually turn out. After all, there were too many geniuses, and the final outco was always subject to change.
At a nearby table, Shen Bai glanced at Ouyang Sword beside him and smiled.
"Brother Ouyang, your fa is quite impressive. I wonder, do you have a title to go with it?"
His tone was laced with a hint of teasing.
Ouyang Sword felt his face flush red and said helplessly in a low voice, "Brother Shen, you don’t have to tease . I know my own capabilities. The boasts you hear in the Jianghu can’t be taken at face value."
Shen Bai took a sip of wine and stroked the nearby Amber, looking completely at ease.
Ouyang Sword glanced around. Seeing no familiar faces, he asked, puzzled, "Brother Shen, if Xia Yunzhou needs help, why hasn’t anyone arrived yet? They told us to wait for them here."
Shen Bai set down his wine cup. "Then we’ll just wait. If they don’t show up by the appointed ti, we’ll head directly to Yunxi State for the internal examination."
A short while ago, a ssage had arrived for Shen Bai by carrier pigeon.
Shen Bai had opened it to find a letter from the Observatory in Fenglin State.
The letter stated that Xia Yunzhou was in trouble. People from the Xinhua Academy were causing problems, and they needed assistance.
Xia Yunzhou was a great distance from Fenglin State, but the order from the higher-ups was clear: anyone in a position to help, should do so.
So, Liu Wufeng had arranged for a carrier pigeon to send the letter to Shen Bai.
After receiving the letter, Shen Bai had considered it for a mont before deciding to co to Xia Yunzhou.
As arranged, they were to wait here for mbers of the Xia Yunzhou Observatory to co and rendezvous with them.
Shen Bai and Ouyang Sword had been waiting here for an hour, but no one had shown up.
But Shen Bai wasn’t the least bit worried.
’If the ti cos and goes, that’s Xia Yunzhou’s problem. I’ll just head to the internal examination.’
Hearing Shen Bai’s reasoning, Ouyang Sword felt it made sense. He nodded and said no more, simply joining Shen Bai in drinking his wine.
...
Ti gradually passed.
In the blink of an eye, another hour or so went by.
The Jianghu People around the stove were still talking, their topic having gradually drifted from the internal examination to various amusing anecdotes from the Jianghu.
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