Chapter 41

To put it nicely, Zha Lingling is a clever and lively girl, one who loves to play and make a fuss. To put it bluntly, she can be summed up in three words: uncultured. After all, she grew up among the mountain bandits, engaging in bloody and violent activities. How could anyone expect her to learn embroidery or other feminine skills? As the saying goes, "If you stay close to ink, you will be stained black." It’s impossible for her not to pick up some bad habits, after all, not everyone can remain pure despite the muddiness around them!

Anyway, when Zha Rang learned that Zha Lingling was supposed to invite him, but instead, she ran into him at the door, Wu Fan had no place to argue and could only accept his bad luck. What else could he do? Try to reason with this young bandit lady from the Wagang Fort? Don’t be ridiculous! She can’t even read a single word! And she follows the bandit’s creed, which is centered around "mine, mine, all mine." If you dare to reason with her, she could easily retort with, "Playing tricks on you is a sign of respect for you."

Leaning against the door frame, Zha Lingling took out some snacks and dried meat from somewhere, chewing them while asking indistinctly, "Did I hear you mention the Maitreya Sect? You’re being hunted like this, surely you must have some connection with those demons, right? Otherwise, how could a mere dog of the Eagle and Falcon Banner be chased like a stray dog?"

Wu Fan: "..." Is she insulting me? This is a lack of education! Yes, it must be a lack of education; she can’t make metaphors.

Feeling depressed, Wu Fan rubbed his nose and blinked, saying, "I can’t really say much about this matter right now." Changing the subject, he asked, "From what you said earlier, you’ve met me before? Otherwise, how could you recognize me at the gate? I think my disguise was quite good."

Zha Lingling pointed to her eyes and said, "Do you see what these are?"

Wu Fan nodded and said, "Eyes!" After a brief pause, he added, "A pair of beautiful, large eyes that have transcended the mundane, very pretty!"

Zha Lingling rolled her eyes and huffed, "I rely on these to make a living. If I can’t even tell the difference between hostages, what kind of life would I have! When I went to your house with the big bear behind you to deliver a message, I saw you practicing martial arts from far away, of course I’ve seen you!" Her tone then changed, "I have to say, your martial arts are truly terrible! A fine set of sword techniques, but you’ve practiced them so poorly... I don’t even know how to describe it! You’re wasting your talent!"

Wu Fan’s face turned red, and he glanced around, saying, "What move did you use to ambush me at the gate?"

"Ambush? What ambush? That’s called a sneak attack! You’re so clueless, you deserve to be hung up!" Zha Lingling looked at Wu Fan with disdain and muttered, "Even in a fair fight, I could take you down in ten moves after giving you three!"

Wu Fan was speechless... Even when insulting someone, a little respect is needed, right?

Zha Rang returned at some point, probably having heard Zha Lingling’s words. He glared at her disapprovingly and smiled apologetically at Wu Fan, "My sister has been fond of martial arts since childhood and is quite talented, even more so than I am. But learning martial arts has only fueled her competitive spirit and arrogance, which I can’t control! Brother Wu, please don’t take it to heart, don’t take it to heart!"

What could Wu Fan say? He could only wave his hand and say, "I didn’t mean it that way. I just feel... that practicing martial arts is difficult, and I need to find someone to ask for advice. Learning in isolation won’t work in the real world."

Zha Rang thought for a moment, clasped his hands, and said, "If Brother Wu doesn’t mind, why don’t we exchange a few moves?"

Wu Fan’s eyes lit up, and he clasped his hands in return, smiling, "I would be honored!"

They moved to the courtyard. Zha Rang looked around and then broke a wooden clothesline pole in half, giving one half to Wu Fan and keeping the other. Clearly, he knew Wu Fan used a saber, so the half he gave to Wu Fan was about three and a half feet long, which was suitable. The half he kept was twelve feet long, indicating he used a long weapon, though it wasn’t clear which one.

They stood facing each other, exchanged bows, and the sparring began.

What was supposed to be a sparring session turned out to be a one-sided beating for Wu Fan. Not only was he outmatched in skill, but he also had to endure the verbal abuse from Zha Lingling, who didn’t hold back with her taunts...

Soon, a group of clearly not-so-good people entered the courtyard, calling Zha Rang "Big Boss" and occasionally eyeing Wu Fan. Their gaze was... they clearly wanted to strip Wu Fan of his valuable black silk robe. They were truly a band of "frugal" bandits from top to bottom!

The group came and went quickly, leaving some food and drink behind.

Zha Rang was quite hospitable, inviting Wu Fan to drink and eat first before saying, "Brother, I’ve observed that your internal energy cultivation technique is quite remarkable, but the saber techniques you use, though exquisite, are not very practical. Therefore, when you fight, you often feel a lack of power, and at critical moments, you expose vulnerabilities that can be exploited by your opponents."

Zha Rang was being considerate, but Zha Lingling was blunt, "It’s like a small ox pulling a big cart. Your internal energy cultivation technique is balanced and strong, while your saber techniques are straightforward and direct, with the decisiveness and ferocity of battlefield techniques. Precisely because of this, the two conflict. With your internal energy cultivation being superior, your saber techniques are overwhelmed."

Wu Fan slowly sipped his wine and remained silent for a long time.

He wanted to change, but now wasn’t the right time. Wu Fan decided that once this matter was resolved, he would carefully consider and develop a cultivation technique that suited him, to improve his strength. At the same time, Wu Fan became more cautious, realizing that what the system provided might not always be correct. It probably just provided something that matched his purchasing power!

He smiled and took out the "Purple Qi from the East" internal energy cultivation technique from his chest, glanced at Hu Che, and placed it in front of Zha Rang, saying, "Brother Zha! My brother is simple and honest. I hope you will treat him well in the future! This internal energy cultivation technique is a token of my appreciation!" Seeing Zha Rang’s expression change, Wu Fan quickly smiled, "Brother Zha, don’t be like that. My brother also has his own selfish reasons. He has innate strength but has never learned such an internal energy cultivation technique. I’m giving this 'Purple Qi from the East' to you as a gift, and also to ask you to teach him in the future, to improve his martial arts skills."

Seeing Wu Fan’s sincerity, Zha Rang clasped his hands and said seriously, "Brother, you’re generous! If I refuse, I’d be ungrateful! I’ll take responsibility for this!" He paused and smiled, looking at Hu Che, "It’s not too late for Brother Hu Che to start practicing internal energy cultivation techniques. Even if he can’t master them, his innate strength will still be useful. However, his techniques are designed for the battlefield and won’t be very effective in the martial arts world. My sister defeated him by exploiting a weakness."

Hu Che couldn’t interject, but he understood in his heart—what a strange netherworld!

Zha Lingling, however, was not so polite. She reached out and took "Purple Qi from the East" from in front of Zha Rang, glanced at it, and felt a bit depressed because she couldn’t read. But seeing the illustrations at the back, she pondered for a moment and smiled, "It’s a high-quality internal energy cultivation technique, similar to the 'Eight Methods of the Spirit Turtle' that I practice. I can also practice it to improve my strength."

"Girl!"

Zha Rang was quite displeased.

Zha Lingling rolled her eyes and placed "Purple Qi from the East" on the table, saying, "I’m not taking it for free! You want to find the Maitreya Sect, right? I saw them yesterday, at the horse market in Luoyang’s East Market! They were acting suspiciously, and I could tell at a glance!"

【Truly, what you seek, you will find without effort!】

Wu Fan’s eyes lit up, and he clasped his hands, saying, "Thank you!"

...

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