Chapter 35

Xu Fei was also stunned. After all, he had practiced martial arts and had a discerning eye. He knew the basic divisions of cultivation levels. Seeing Yu Qing leap off the water's surface, he understood that this Brother Shiheng's cultivation had at least reached the Upper Martial Realm. A beginner in martial arts would not have such a level of internal energy control.

He also enjoyed wielding weapons and was a martial enthusiast. Seeing Yu Qing fly over the water, he felt extremely envious.

Of course, he knew this wasn't true water walking. True water walking wouldn't require such effort and wouldn't cause so many splashes.

There is a realm of water walking called Lingbo Weibu, and Lingbo Weibu, body as light as a swallow, and treading on snow without leaving a trace are the marks of entering the Mystic Level.

He knew that those who practiced external martial arts like him found it very difficult to reach the Mystic Level. Of course, there were some external martial artists who reached the Mystic Level, but they were extremely rare, and the standards for entering the Mystic Level were different. Making external martial artists perform water walking would be too much to ask.

Yu Qing, who had reached the cliff, looked around and suddenly ran off.

Xu Fei immediately became nervous but didn't dare to shout loudly. He thought to himself, "It's over. Is Brother Shiheng going to leave us behind?"

Getting ashore might not be too worrying; the riverbanks couldn't be cliffs all the way. There would be shallow areas eventually. The key was that they had been drifting in the underground river for half a day, and now he had no idea where they were in the ancient tomb wasteland. They had likely intruded into the demon realm. If Yu Qing ran away, he had no chance of leaving alive.

But Chong'er said confidently, "Young Master, don't worry. Brother Shiheng is a good person and won't abandon us."

Hearing his tone, Xu Fei was somewhat surprised, not knowing why his servant was so certain about Brother Shiheng's character. At this moment, he didn't want to say anything bad about others behind their backs, but he could only sigh that Chong'er was naive. That person was so greedy for money that he would do anything for it. What wouldn't he abandon?

Chong'er's eyes were fixed on Yu Qing, and a smile appeared at the corners of his mouth. He saw Yu Qing stop beside the giant skeleton on the cliff, clearly trying to find a way to save them.

"..." Xu Fei was speechless. He saw it too and realized that Chong'er's words were indeed accurate.

Yu Qing kicked the giant skeleton to test its sturdiness. After all, it had been exposed to the elements for many years. The result was that it was quite solid, almost petrified.

He ran onto the skeleton, bounced a few times to confirm its sturdiness, and then jumped back onto the shore. He ran in the opposite direction, approached the tree floating downstream, and with a running start, leaped from a high point to a lower one. He then performed a mid-air flip to reduce his momentum and landed lightly on the tree.

Turning around, he said to Xu Fei, "When we pass under the giant skeleton, can you jump up?"

Xu Fei estimated the height and said hesitantly, "It's a bit high. If I were on solid ground, I could, but with the tree floating and reducing my momentum, I might not be able to jump that high."

Yu Qing: "I understand. I'll give you a hand. When I throw you up, remember to grab on."

"Alright, no problem," Xu Fei assured him. After all, he was a martial artist and had confidence in his abilities.

A moment later, the floating tree was under the shadow of the giant skeleton.

Yu Qing took two steps on the tree, pulled Chong'er up with one arm, and then grabbed Xu Fei's arm. With a burst of strength, he threw the burly Xu Fei into the air.

The tree dipped and then floated back up, having moved away from the giant skeleton. Yu Qing, still carrying Chong'er, ran back to the starting point, crouched, and leaped over a dozen feet high. He grabbed the giant rib bone and easily flipped up, then ran with Chong'er on the skeleton and jumped to the shore.

Chong'er, who had been set down, bit his lip and glanced at Yu Qing.

Yu Qing had already turned to the side and knelt down. He first untied the bag on his back to check the spirit rice, worried it might have been soaked. The packaging was excellent, and the small waterproof bags were intact, with no water inside.

Of course, it was also because he had protected it well. The bag had only been submerged twice, and the rest of the time it had been on his back, not soaking in the water for long.

The spirit rice was fine, and he then took out several hundred silver notes. The wax paper was waterproof, and the silver notes were also fine.

He patted himself all over and found that a few loose silver coins were indeed missing, likely lost when they fell from the waterfall.

The half-scroll of calligraphy was also fine, as the metal tube was well-sealed.

After checking everything he carried, Xu Fei slowly climbed ashore.

Xu Fei didn't have Yu Qing's courage and didn't dare to run on the skeleton. He walked back carefully, like walking a tightrope, and when he finally jumped to the shore, he felt a great relief, sitting down and groaning, "I really like the feeling of solid ground under my feet."

The tree that had carried them all the way floated away.

Chong'er, also feeling relieved, looked up at the purple-tinged evening sky and sighed, "So beautiful."

Yu Qing, who had just stood up, glanced at him and was momentarily stunned.

All three of them were disheveled, their hair having been scattered when they fell from the waterfall, though it wasn't visible in the darkness.

At that moment, Chong'er's hair was down, and his face was clean from the water.

With a clear face and large, bright eyes gazing at the evening sky, and a slight smile, he had a captivating charm, which left Yu Qing momentarily speechless.

Chong'er quickly noticed something was wrong and, seeing Yu Qing's unusual gaze, became flustered and avoided his eyes.

Yu Qing patted Chong'er's shoulder and shook him, saying with a chuckle, "Xu Brother, have you noticed that Chong'er looks like a girl?"

Chong'er didn't know what to say, waving his hands to deny it.

Xu Fei, sitting on the ground, turned his head and couldn't help but laugh, "No need for Brother Shiheng to remind me. He's been with me for three years, and I noticed it long ago."

"Three years?" Yu Qing was surprised. "Wasn't he raised in your home from a young age?" After all, servants usually start from a young age; otherwise, how could they be called 'servants'?

Xu Fei: "He came to my home at the age of thirteen. I used to have a servant, but he was dishonest and stole from us. Raising a new one from a young age was too late, and a very young child wouldn't have the strength to carry things or accompany me to the capital for the exams. When the family was hiring, Chong'er came to the door, offering to sell himself into servitude. He was so hungry, like a beggar, skin and bones. My parents saw that he could read and had some education, and thought he would be a good companion for me, so they bought him."

Speaking of this past, Chong'er lowered his head in sadness.

"My mother said he had a face that combined both male and female features, and that such a face would be beautiful regardless of gender. If he were a girl, he would be a great beauty. My mother said that when he grew up, he would be a handsome young man and would charm many women."

"Wow." Yu Qing laughed, pinched Chong'er's cheek, and pulled it, saying, "Look at this smooth skin. He'll attract many girls in the future. I won't have saved a heartbreaker, will I?" His tone seemed a bit envious.

Chong'er's face was pulled into a mix of laughter and tears, and he nodded hesitantly.

Xu Fei stood up and said seriously to Yu Qing, "If Brother Shiheng doesn't mind, I'll give Chong'er to you as a servant. There's no paper and pen here, but I promise to write a contract when we find some, transferring Chong'er to you, with no regrets."

Upon hearing this, Chong'er was shocked and felt a bit embarrassed, with a hint of pain in his eyes.

Regardless of his servant status, he was a living person, and being given away like an object would make anyone sad.

Yu Qing looked him up and down and said coolly, "No need, it's not worth it."

Xu Fei bowed and said, "Brother Shiheng saved our lives. Please accept him."

A servant? Why would he need a servant? Wouldn't it cost money for food and other expenses? Yu Qing had no interest in this. Besides, he didn't want others to know about his true identity. He didn't want to argue and could see Xu Fei's intentions, but he couldn't give any guarantees, so he said casually, "I appreciate your offer, Brother Xu, but I'm used to being alone. I don't need a servant now. After the imperial exams, if I pass, and I need someone to help with guests, I'll consider your offer."

It was a polite refusal. Not to mention his lack of knowledge, even if he had enough, he would deliberately fail the exams and wouldn't pass.

Seeing his refusal, Xu Fei didn't insist and could only agree to the promise after passing the exams, with a forced smile.

Chong'er had no say and remained silent, head down.

"It's getting dark. Let's find a place to rest for the night," Yu Qing said, looking around and walking ahead.

Xu Fei waited for him to walk a bit further before leading Chong'er along, whispering to him, "Chong'er, don't blame me. We are likely already in the demon realm. It's unlikely we can leave safely. In such a situation, I can't even protect myself, let alone you. He is a ruthless person and more capable than us. Only if he is willing to protect you will you have a chance to survive."

He was afraid that if they encountered danger, Yu Qing would abandon them.

He had seen Yu Qing's character; he was a person who could kill without hesitation, even if it was demons. He was definitely someone who could be ruthless in critical moments.