XIAO SHUXIANG'S

208 - Building a Strong City

The citizens of Cold Cloud City every morning and evening were always visited by one or two disciples of Butterfly Sect and Silver Bamboo Sect.

They were taught simple martial techniques, all of which had to go along with both young children and elderly parents. This action was done to make the citizens of Cold Cloud City as much as possible able to protect themselves.

".. We are both human, having dantian in each other's bodies. The only difference lies in our ability to sense Qi.."

Jing Mi noticed the explanation from Qi Xuan. His brother who had now grown into the best disciple of the Lotus Flower Sect in the Rising Sun Empire seemed to be very authoritative.

Even when Qi Xuan first set foot in the Butterfly Sect, Yi Wen and Ro Wei did not recognize him at all, his brother actually became a handsome and mature man.

".. No man is born with talent. We just have to try to find him.."

Qi Xuan explained the most basic part of martial arts, the Breathing Technique. He helps his friends train the citizens of Cold Cloud City while searching for information about the Scarlet Shadow.

Xiao Shuxiang's small blue flame seemed to be hovering beside Qi Xuan. Only this young man and Hu Li understood his words, he said everything Xiao Shuxiang had ordered to him.

".. Dad, I'm sorry that Xuan'Er also asked me to practice,"

Qi Onglin patted his son slowly. He and his beloved wife had not seen their beloved son for a long time.

"Why apologize. I'm glad I learned something new from you. Incidentally in the store owned by Dad quite a lot of people who like to make trouble, so practicing a little martial arts can also. It's possible that Dad is so talented that he can break their hand, hahahaha"

Qi Onglin had never practiced martial arts in the past, all he did every day was continue to work in the fields, grow potatoes and keep donkeys for sale.

You could say, most of the residents of Tani Village did not know how to practice martial arts at all. The only sect in their village was the Butterfly Sect and they often regarded it as a place of ordinary entertainment.

".. Life outside the village is very hard, but that does not mean Father and the villagers of Tani Village want to continue to live life without change. 'The one who doesn't want to take risks, won't be able to thrive'. This expression was the same as the initial state of the Butterfly Sect,"

If there were no one like Yang Shu, it was likely that Qi Onglin and the citizens of Tani Village would only continue to live hard-fought lives in the most remote region of the Rising Sun Empire.

Some hungry wolves often mess up in Tani Village. Some can be expelled, but it will be very difficult if the wolf is a Demonic Beast.

".. Actually, this town is not very safe. Not only was the danger from Demonic Beasts life-threatening, but the danger also came from cultivators and warriors.."

Qi Onglin was slow to start practicing, he was certainly very confident that he would not be able to win against people who had long practiced martial arts, but if he could retaliate against their attacks two or three times, even if he could, that's enough.

"Don't talk like that, Uncle..!"

!!

Qi Onglin, Qi Xuan, Jing Mi, and some of the citizens of Cold Cloud City were shocked upon hearing a familiar voice in their ears. When they turned their heads, they saw Xiao Shuxiang in the uniform of the Sky Sword Sect walking up to them.

"I like the Moving Mirror Style the most, which allows me to save time on travel.."

Xiao Shuxiang greeted Qi Xuan's father, several citizens, as well as his friends. Previously he had gone to meet the First Patriarch of the Sky Sword Sect, unfortunately Yu Changhai gave up listening to his flute game so badly.

He then thought of playing his flute to his brothers and sisters, as well as the citizens of Cold Cloud City.

".. No one can save anyone but themselves. The world is hard, all that can survive is the strong.."

All this time, in Xiao Shuxiang's first life. Many ordinary people who did not know to protect themselves were killed, either because of the battles of the warriors or the attacks of the Demonic Beast.

".. Roughly, in the eyes of people like me.. Uncle and the citizens of the Cold Cloud City were just weak ants, dry grass on the road, and a burden.."

Xiao Shuxiang told Qi Onglin not to be offended, he had already seen when many villages were being slaughtered and the citizens were completely unable to resist. They just wait for help or cry for mercy on the enemy.

".. I hate to protect other people let alone this city, but I also don't want the city I've been helping to turn into rubble because of the weakness of its citizens.."

Qi Onglin listened to Xiao Shuxiang's words who wanted to make the Cold Cloud City strong, where all of its citizens were able to protect themselves, their families, including their residences.

There was nothing wrong from Xiao Shuxiang's remark, the citizens of Cold Cloud City could not refute. The young man's words were very clear, he made them aware not to depend on anyone.

Training the citizens of Cold Cloud City was no easy matter, they could not provide the same training as warriors in general. This is because they still have to run a family business.

One of them is Jing Bai, the uncle of Xiao Shuxiang's college brother is the owner of a diner with the main ingredients are smoked duck and grilled duck.

Jing Bai in addition to practicing martial arts, also had to keep her shop open. Fortunately, Ro Wei and Shao Nu had made the training schedule light and easy for Jing Bai and the other citizens.

Not many warriors and cultivators passed by or stopped in the Cold Cloud City in the morning and evening, these two times were used to give directions as well as train the townspeople.

Xiao Shuxiang made use of one of the time that the citizens of Cold Cloud City had to play his flute game.

He also did the same to the disciples of the Silver Bamboo Sect and his own fellow disciples. Although in the end they all gave up because they could not listen to the discordant voice of him who was still learning to play the flute.

Xiao Shuxiang often used the Moving Mirror to two places, namely the Cold Cloud City and the Sky Sword Sect. What he did was clear for his own will.

Over the next three days, Xiao Shuxiang's flute game improved even more. And those three days he also focused on practicing and pranking Ling Qing Zhu.

Duan De and Grandma Nian tried to familiarize Xiao Shuxiang with Ling Qing Zhu by having him do the same job as the white-haired girl.

Just like this time, where Xiao Shuxiang helped Grandma Nian cook in the kitchen. He certainly did not mind, cooking was one of the jobs he liked.

Xiao Shuxiang initially looked ordinary, but when he found out Ling Qing Zhu was not good at cooking.. Things start to differ.

Not only was he not good at cooking, Ling Qing Zhu did not know the names of the kitchen herbs at all. To his horror, he was not even able to tell which carrots and radishes were.

Xiao Shuxiang did not think there was a girl like this, obviously carrots and radishes had a huge difference. However it remained that Ling Qing Zhu would definitely misjudge the names of the two vegetables.

".. This is the fifth time I've explained, take a good look. Carrots are orange and turnips are white,"

Xiao Shuxiang held the carrot in his right hand, while the radish in his other hand. He said Ling Qing Zhu should be able to tell the two apart well.

I don't know since when Xiao Shuxiang's call towards Ling Qing Zhu changed. Usually he called Ling Qing Zhu 'Sucks', now he called her 'White Cat'.

This cannot be considered an increase or even a decrease, clearly both calls have a meaning of ridicule.

".. Now do you understand the difference between the two?"

Ling Qing Zhu nodded. She was not a stupid girl, but her flaws did exist in this kind of cooking world.

Xiao Shuxiang was not sure Ling Qing Zhu understood, he then told the girl in front of him to close his eyes.

!!

"I told you to close your eyes, not glare. Quickly close your eyes..!" Xiao Shuxiang was instead surprised to get a plot from Ling Qing Zhu, in the end the girl complied as well.

Nian's grandmother and some of the women on duty in the kitchen noticed Xiao Shuxiang's actions. The young man now placed the radish on his right hand, while the carrot on his left.

He then asked Ling Qing Zhu to open his eyes and told him to guess back which one in his hand was a carrot.

Ling Qing Zhu so confidently instead pointed at the radish on Xiao Shuxiang's right hand as a carrot. He immediately got a carrot by Xiao Shuxiang.

".. You're a girl but you suck. Learn again..!"

Ling Qing Zhu could only resignedly continue to get a plunge from Xiao Shuxiang. This young man he saw was completely devoid of weakness, even the young man could make dishes with a good aroma.

Xiao Shuxiang teaches some simple techniques in cooking, one of which is the technique of bending hands when you want to cut vegetables.

".. There is nothing wrong with learning to cook, especially for women. So practice even though you won't be as good as me,"

Xiao Shuxiang, despite being with Ling Qing Zhu, tried to take some distance and at least avoid looking at this girl.

Nian and Duan De's grandmother always teased him, saying non-non-issues about him and Ling Qing Zhu.

The two old men even openly betrothed him to this white-haired girl.

Ling Qing Zhu himself did not say anything, his indifference resembled that of Lan Guan Zhi when the future GrandElder was said to have an illicit relationship with Xiao Shuxiang.

Cooking apparently can make Xiao Shuxiang calm, he became better than before. This situation made him feel able to wear his Heavenly Heirloom.

After helping Grandma Nian, Xiao Shuxiang met Patriarch Lan. He had now managed to make a sound on the White Jade Flute despite not being able to use it as a weapon yet.

It took him two days until he was quite capable of wearing it, and the Blood Skull Sect became the first in Xiao Shuxiang's Sky Heirloom trial.

When he came to the Blood Skull Sect, it just so happened that Lai Kuan Ye was watching his disciples train.

He gasped when he heard a piece of music, even though the existence of the person playing it could not be felt by Lai Kuan Ye and his students.

Fortunately this melodious voice was completely harmless, instead it could calm their minds.

However it all only lasted for one minute, until the disciples of the Blood Skull Sect felt their stomach ache even the next second they all vomited blood.

!!

Lai Kuan Ye also felt her stomach ache, as if something urgent wanted to come out of her mouth. He instantly spewed out a reddish-black viscous blood, simultaneously as he could feel the presence of someone heading right towards him.

"Uncle..?! Are you still breathing?!"

Xiao Shuxiang touched Lai Kuan Ye's shoulder, he himself was shocked because the sound of his White Jade Flute had this kind of effect.

"Xiao'Er, are you intending to do a mass Heart Demon Purge on my sect, huh?! Your way is dangerous..! Damn, this kid is still at the 13th level of Forging Qi, but why is his existence so hard for me to detect?!"

Among the many cultivators that Lai Kuan Ye had met, only Xiao Shuxiang confused him.

His sect was extremely powerful and could not be broken into just like that, yet it seemed as if this was useless to Xiao Shuxiang.

".. How could you come to my sect so easily?! Are you really human?!"

***