Ultimate Path to Heaven

Chapter 43 Passing Through a Small Town

After lunch at noon, Xiao Jin was finally able to leave the canyon.

Besides Ye Bufan and Li Mian, Qin Huang and Lin Miao were also present in this group.

The passage out of the valley was silent until the view opened up.

Lin Miao involuntarily loosened the reins, closed her eyes, and tilted her face up—the wind immediately rushed into her arms, carrying a sense of freedom, blowing the stray hairs at her temples into the air.

This moment felt like a breath that had been suppressed for a long time could finally be exhaled deeply and freely...

Xiao Jin turned his head casually and saw Lin Miao laughing freely. The smile spread from the corner of her lips all the way up to the corners of her eyes and eyebrows.

At this moment, in Xiao Jin's eyes, Lin Miao was a joyful figure in this world. The reins in her hands were no longer a constraint, but rather a bond connecting her to this world. Riding her horse, she galloped steadily and happily towards that vast expanse!

Watching Lin Miao gradually disappear into the distance, Xiao Jin shook his head with some emotion before spurring his horse to follow.

The nearest distance from outside the valley to Nahui Prefecture City is at least two hundred miles. Since Ye Bufan had planned the route in advance, it would take him around many villages, which would add even more distance to the journey.

But perhaps for Lin Miao, it doesn't matter whether it's near or far.

As Xiao Jin rode his horse, he asked Ye Bufan, "Commander Ye, how long will this trip to Huizhou take?"

"It will take at least two days, or at most three to five days!" Ye Bufan responded almost instinctively.

"Is it taking that long?" Xiao Jin suddenly became anxious: "Give me the fastest speed!"

After a moment's hesitation, Ye Bufan replied, "There's a small town along the way. If we rest there, change horses, and travel through the night, we should be able to arrive by noon tomorrow."

After speaking, Ye Bufan looked at Qin Chong and Lin Miao ahead and asked with some doubt, "But I wonder about those two..."

"It's settled then!" As soon as he finished speaking, Xiao Jin spurred his whip and accelerated.

"..."

Although he couldn't understand why Xiao Jin was in such a hurry, Ye Bufan naturally chose to obey the young master's order.

Xiao Jin was in such a hurry because he was afraid of missing Chu Xiong due to the delay.

As evening approached and night had not yet fallen, at Xiao Jin's insistence, the group of five arrived ahead of schedule at the town Ye Bufan had mentioned.

The horse was too exhausted to run anymore, but Lin Miao showed no signs of fatigue, which relieved Qin Shen's worries and prevented him from questioning Xiao Jin about why he was in such a hurry.

Although Lin Miao has always been in the valley, with the help of special techniques and the spiritual energy of the valley, his martial arts realm has now reached the seventh rank. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why Lin Yan felt at ease letting him leave the valley.

The bluestone pavement gleamed with a warm sheen from the footsteps of passersby, and the wine flags swayed gently in the rising evening breeze, attracting groups of regular customers.

The town gave Xiao Jin the feeling of a woman who had worked all day and was finally able to remove her hairpins and jewelry at dusk, her eyes revealing a peaceful yet weary gentleness.

The townspeople, seeing Xiao Jin and his group of outsiders dressed in fine clothes, kept their distance for no apparent reason. Even when customers came to the tavern, no one took the initiative to greet them.

"Why is this?" Xiao Jin was puzzled. He and his group of five had clearly come with money, yet the restaurant not only ignored them as if they were invisible, but also seemed to be keeping their distance out of fear.

Upon entering the restaurant, Li Mian, at Ye Bufan's urging, almost shouted, "Bring the good wine and food quickly!" He was in a hurry.

The shout made the already fearful waiter tremble. Under the helpless gaze of the shopkeeper, he forced himself to remain calm and stepped forward to greet him.

Xiao Jin paid no attention to this. Seeing that the tables were almost full, he figured the food and wine must be delicious and thought to himself that the restaurant was doing well in this small town.

Qin Huang gracefully took his seat. Lin Miao looked around curiously at everything. Xiao Jin saw Mengmeng and saw her as cute, but that was all.

When the food and wine were served, Xiao Jin frowned. He didn't know the names of the vegetables, and the only meat dish was a fish that was only about three inches long. The only other dish was peanuts, which were barely enough to go with the wine.

This so-called fine wine and food can't even compare to the canyon, yet it's so packed in this small town.

After feeling a bit emotional, Xiao Jin picked up the "black pancake" and started eating it casually. The others also started eating one after another, but Lin Miao looked like she didn't know where to start.

At this moment, the three people at the next table all looked over, their gazes wandering and finally landing on Lin Miao. Their undisguised malice made Xiao Jin sense it, and he subconsciously glanced at her before frowning slightly.

Just as he was wondering what this 'malice' might bring, Ye Bufan, who was sitting next to him, whispered, "These three are the three heroes of Changzhou. They usually rob the rich and help the poor in Changzhou, but they were eventually wanted by the Temple. I wonder why they are here in Huizhou today..."

Robin Hood-like behavior?

"Could it be that they see us as prey?" After thinking this to himself, Xiao Jin looked at Lin Miao, who had picked up her chopsticks but hadn't eaten anything.

Lin Miao was pampered by Lin Yan in the canyon, and her meals were carefully prepared by a specialist. She probably didn't have much of an appetite for the "simple food" served at the restaurant.

After Lin Miaoxiao and Jin shook their heads helplessly, the system then examined the so-called three heroes and analyzed their strength, finding them to be around the seventh or eighth rank, nothing to worry about.

Having made this judgment, Xiao Jin stopped eating and quickly filled his stomach before continuing his journey.

But Qin Huang, who had also been observing the three heroes, couldn't hold back any longer. Fortunately, Li Mian, who had downed his wine in one gulp, called out to the waiter, "Check, please!"

Li Mian, already scarred and with a fierce look, now spoke loudly, his voice echoing throughout the room, causing the waiter to tremble with fear as he approached.

As the waiter approached, Li Mian slammed a silver ingot on the table: "The food and wine were to my liking, consider this silver a reward!"

Regardless of the waiter's reaction, Xiao Jin rolled his eyes at him, disgusted by Li Mian's high-profile behavior as if he were afraid of being seen.

"this......"

The waiter glanced at the silver ingot on the table, then looked at Li Mian who was still drinking, and hesitated to reach out and take the ingot.

Just as Ye Bufan was about to speak, he saw Lin Miao pick up the silver ingot: "Young man, you can take it!" As he spoke, Lin Miao had already stuffed the silver ingot into the shop assistant's hand.

With gentle words, a joyful look in his eyes, and the way he addressed the waiter with the honorific "you," Lin Miao's sincerity and genuine nature were evident.

The waiter, somewhat startled, instinctively looked at the shopkeeper for permission before bowing and leaving safely.

At this moment, the shopkeeper glanced at Ye Bufan without being noticed. Ye Bufan met his gaze, nodded slightly, and got up, making an excuse to use the outhouse.

Xiao Jin, of course, didn't notice such a detail, and was somewhat distracted as he looked at Lin Miao...

Although I didn't know much about Lin Miao, since leaving the canyon, I felt that this girl seemed like a completely different person...

As Xiao Jin was distracted, the three heroes withdrew their gazes one after another, and their malice gradually faded away. Qin Huang also calmed down completely at this moment, as if nothing had happened.

Seeing that Lin Miao finally picked up some vegetables, Xiao Jin came back to his senses. But when he saw that Ye Bufan had not returned, he was about to signal to Li Mian, but seeing that Ye Bufan was drinking happily, he had no choice but to get up and go look for him himself.

Unwilling to linger too long in this small town and thus delay Huizhou.