XIAO SHUXIANG'S

17 - Rocky Hill [Revised]

"WAAAAH...! I feel like I'm coming back to life...!" Jing Mi smiled with satisfaction as she was able to drink water from the onion grass dug by Yang Shu, Xiao Lu and Qi Xuan.

"If Grandpa had known from the beginning that this grass was water, maybe we wouldn't be thirsty..." Yang Shu shook his head slowly, he regretted himself.

"Haiy... Though all this time I often go out of the village to adventure and also visit my friends. However, I never once dug the dried grass because I thought it was just ordinary grass."

Qi Xuan looked at Xiao Shuxiang, "Brother Xiao? How do you know that this grass has roots that can store water?"

!

Not only her, but also Yang Shu, Jing Mi and Xiao Lu. They looked at the boy with curiosity.

Xiao Shuxiang, who was drinking water from the onion grass roots, looked at Grandfather and his fellow students. "It is I who am astonished that you do not realize it.a.."

He looked at the dry grass that lay wide before him and continued, "... You should be thinking, how could such a very dry grass never burn for even a single leaf, let alone with the presence of a Little Lizard that could let out a Fire in its body, isn't that strange?" Xiao Shuxiang with his innocent face looked at Yang Shu and his friends.

His voice and innocent face seemed to say that, they should be the first to realize the peculiarity of this dry meadow. Especially Yang Shu, whose incidentals often pass through this place to get out adventuring. Why even himself?!

"Khoek ohok!!" Yang Shu choked on the water he drank upon understanding the intent of his granddaughter's gaze.

Qi Xuan and Xiao Lu gasped as Yang Shu coughed, the two of them immediately stroking the old man's back softly.

Jing Mi herself who also understood the intent of Xiao Shuxiang's gaze instead held back a laugh when she saw her elder choking. He shook his head as he glanced at his fellow students, "You naughty Brother Xiao..."

After Yang Shu had not coughed again, Xiao Lu and Qi Xuan again drank the water from the onion grass they had already dug up and collected.

"Grandfather... I hungry... Is there no food?" Xiao Lu looked at Yang Shu as he blinked his eyes, he put on a cute expression and it made Xiao Shuxiang spout water right on Jing Mi's face.

"Sa-Brother Xiao...! You're outrageous...!" Jing Mi rubbed her face that was hit by the spray.

Xiao Shuxiang simply smiled as he patted Jing Mi's shoulder gently, "I didn't accidentally. Think of what was just water to purify you..."

Jing Mi, "Do you think I'm dirty?"

Xiao Shuxiang, "Of course, did you forget the last time you took a bath? You were also rolling around earlier, your body and clothes were full of dust. You're also a scintillation and a smell, is it still considered clean?"

Jing Mi looked annoyed, "Brother Xiao. You smell just as shitty...!"

"I don't smell, my sweat is fragrant,"

"Geez, you're so confident. Can't you smell your own body?"

"My memory is sweet and I am very confident. I'm amazing,"

"Brother Xiao...!"

Qi Xuan held back a laugh as he looked at the mannerisms of Xiao Shuxiang and Jing Mi. He then continued drinking it and went back to watching Xiao Lu who continued to put on a hopeful face toward Yang Shu regardless of his other fellow classmates.

Yang Shu gently stroked the head of her grandson, "Lu'Er... Grandpa still has food, but it's for dinner. If eaten now, we'll starve tonight."

Xiao Lu softened his lips, "Then what should I eat...? I must drink this water until I'm full." he wiggled the onion grass in his hand.

Jing Mi heard him, "Brother Xiao...? Is it possible that the leaves of this Onion Grass can be eaten?" he seemed to have forgotten his debate with Xiao Shuxiang before, "... I reckon... If this onion grass root stores water, there's a good chance the leaves can also be eaten."

Xiao Shuxiang, "Come, try eating. It might be."

Jing Mi then nodded and then bit off that long-looking piece of onion grass leaf.

He slowly spied on it, while Qi Xuan, Xiao Shuxiang, Xiao Lu and Yang Shu were watching him.

Qi Xuan looked enthusiastic, "Brother Jing, how does it feel...? Can it be eaten?" he saw Jing Mi nodding as she continued to chew onion grass leaves.

"Ehm, it tastes.seepy and juicy..."

Seeing Jing Mi's expression that was like enjoying eating spring grass leaves made Qi Xuan and Xiao Lu start eating leaves from the grass.

Yang Shu and Xiao Shuxiang were also starting to eat it, but the two of them glanced back at Jing Mi because they felt something was wrong.

"Ha ha ha ha, how does it feel? Pretty good for livestock, right? Ha ha ha" Jing Mi held onto her stomach. It was a pity that he could not reply to Xiao Shuxiang, but he was happy to be able to prank his other two friends.

Xiao Lu gnashed his teeth in annoyance once, while Qi Xuan was downcast. The next second, they attacked Jing Mi. The two jumped towards Jing Mi and together snapped and hit the boy's arm with anxiety.

"How dare You Stab This Beautiful Brother Lu...! You're Tega Once...!"

"Brother Jing, You're Outrageous!"

Xiao Lu pinched his brother's cheeks while continuing to take out his curses. Jing Mi repeatedly apologized and also moaned in pain.

"Sa-Brother Xiao...? T-help me..." Jing Mi flailed her hand towards Xiao Shuxiang. However the boy only glanced at him a little, then turned his gaze the other way while enjoying the water from the onion grass roots.

Yang Shu looked at the behavior of his students, he then sighed softly while shaking his head. "Haiy... It was almost that Old Grandpa was bullied by his own student..."

After releasing enough thirst, their journey resumed. This time they simply filled the stomach with water from the grass roots of the onions.

Xiao Lu, Jing Mi and Qi Xuan already did not seem tired and furious. This is actually because the sun is slowly descending and returning to its place of contention.

As the day gets late... Yang Shu and his four disciples had already arrived at the rocky hill. This hill is not too high, only the whole hill is a big rock.

"Grandfather will tell you something," Yang Shu then asked his disciples to listen to what he was going to say.

"We're going to climb up and have to get to the top before midnight, then take a short break and continue down this hill again until sunrise..."

Yang Shu also explained that if they continue their journey down the hill in the morning, then it is likely that they reach below the hill at noon. And it will make the rocks around them feel hot due to exposure to sunlight.

Xiao Shuxiang and his companions nodded, they were very understanding of this old rascal's intent.

Yang Shu then walked up the hill, followed by Xiao Lu, Qi Xuan, Xiao Shuxiang and Jing Mi. There was no problem in their climb as the road they were walking on was the Yang Shu trail.

Slowly but surely, Yang Shu and his four disciples continued to climb the mountain. Sunlight was no longer visible, and he and his four disciples stopped walking.

Xiao Lu rubbed his forehead, "Grandfather... How's now? We can't continue the journey while fumbling the way, can we? I'm too exhausted. Really, I haven't eaten anything other than drinking water from the grass roots of that onion..."

Xiao Lu continued, this time his face looked pouted. "Why does tonight have to be a new moon anyway? it should be tomorrow. I can't see at all. In the sky it was just filled with stars and it was not enough to be a street lighting."

Qi Xuan, "Sister Lu Yang is Beautiful, you don't blame that kind of thing... Not good,"

Yang Shu then extended his hand and held Xiao Lu's hand, "Lu'Er... You guys hold hands and walk slowly following Grandpa. Stick together like this and don't let go,"

The journey up the hill did not take long, but Xiao Shuxiang was sure that this chatty and noisy girl would continue to complain throughout the journey, but she did not. He did not expect this girl to be quiet either.

Yang Shu and his four disciples were now eating their last batch of food. After resting for a while, the five resumed their journey. This time they joined hands down the hill.

"I've.... very.. sleepy... once..." Jing Mi yawned a few times and a few times also almost fell down. Yet Xiao Shuxiang kept trying to keep him awake.

"You can sleep as much as you can after we get to the bottom,"

"Brother Xiao...? Your voice doesn't change... Aren't you... sleepy...?" Jing Mi tried to stay awake, but her eyes were already getting heavier.

"I'm actually sleepy, too, but we have to keep going."

When compared to Jing Mi and her other friends, Xiao Shuxiang was the most exhausted right now. Although he could use the Air Breathing Technique so that his energy would not quickly drain away, it did not mean that he could not get tired.

"When I get to the bottom of the hill, I'll start to rest. Haaa... Tsk, tsk, tsk. I was given an amazing test. Really late. Tests like these should be given to good people, not even to me...! Justjust look. When my powers return... Everything will be done."

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Author's Note :

Enjoy the journey Minna.. （⌒▽⌒）Scene in this Chapter is the other side of the World that is possible for you should be filled with luck and battle. But if you don't like this, Dasha doesn't force you to stay either. Gomen yes, but this is the groove that 'Author' likes. Your taste and 'We' can be different. (*´∀`*)