However, the middle-aged coachman felt nothing at all.
Instead, he was surprised as to why these two Demon Beasts had suddenly frozen in place, a look of terror on their faces.
Could it be that they were subdued by my overwhelming aura?
What a golden opportunity!
Without hesitation, the middle-aged coachman struck out with one blow after another.
Bang! Bang!
The wolf demon and bear demon spat blood and were sent flying backward, completely devoid of any chance to fight back.
The middle-aged man looked at his own hands in astonishment.
"Am I really this strong?"
He found it hard to believe.
Normally speaking, either one of these two Demon Beasts would have been more than enough to give him a terribly hard time.
Yet now, he seemed fully capable of handling both of them at once.
The wolf demon and bear demon were beaten down to the ground.
They tried to crawl back up.
But that oppressive coercion descended once more, leaving the two of them gasping for breath and completely unable to get back up.
"There's a Demon King! There's a Demon King!"
Terror gripped the hearts of the two Demon Beasts, yet they couldn't utter a single sound!
Chapter 20: Ye Qingyun, the Calligraphy Grandmaster
The middle-aged coachman attacked again.
The two Demon Beasts felt like crying without tears.
Clearly, this fellow was no match for them, yet for some reason, they couldn't fight back at all.
They could only stand there and take the beating.
It was utterly humiliating.
They had never felt so humiliated in their lives.
The middle-aged coachman, on the other hand, felt fantastic.
With only Early Core Condensation cultivation, he was rubbing two Mid Core Condensation Demon Beasts into the dirt.
It felt amazing!
Before long, the wolf demon and bear demon were beaten to the point of vomiting blood and screaming in agony.
Dahei, resting in the carriage, let out a yawn.
The coercion pressing down on the two Demon Beasts instantly vanished into thin air.
Sensing this, the bear demon and wolf demon scrambled to their feet and fled into the distance without daring to look back.
They didn't dare stay here a moment longer.
If that coercion were to appear again, the two of them would truly leave their lives right here.
"I never expected these people to have a Demon King protecting them! We almost bought the farm!"
"It must be that the Demon King showed mercy, otherwise neither of us would have stood a chance of escaping."
The bear demon and wolf demon ran for their lives.
In the blink of an eye, they had vanished without a trace.
The middle-aged coachman did not give chase.
He quickly returned to the front of the carriage.
"Young Miss, those two Demon Beasts have been driven away by me."
The young master said, still shaken with lingering fear: "They won't come back, will they?"
The middle-aged coachman shook his head.
"They shouldn't."
The young master breathed a sigh of relief.
"That's good."
The middle-aged coachman hesitated for a moment.
"Young Miss, I have a feeling there was an expert secretly assisting us."
The young master was startled.
"Why do you say that?"
The middle-aged coachman replied, "The cultivation levels of those two Demon Beasts were actually higher than mine. Logically speaking, dealing with even one would be a struggle, and it would be utterly impossible for me to defeat both."
"Yet just now, those two Demon Beasts acted as if they were suppressed by some kind of force. They just let me attack them without fighting back at all."
"If not for that, I wouldn't have been a match for the two of them."
Hearing this, the young master agreed that it made a lot of sense.
The problem was, where would an expert be coming from to help them?
They hadn't hired any experts to protect them in secret on this trip.
Could it be?
The middle-aged coachman and the young master simultaneously looked toward Ye Qingyun, who was shivering inside the carriage.
"Could it be him?"
Both of them harbored the exact same suspicion.
Among them, Ye Qingyun was the only one whose background they didn't know.
However, the young master quickly dismissed the thought.
"He's just a mortal without a shred of cultivation. He can't possibly be any sort of expert."
The young master thought to herself.
The middle-aged coachman, however, did not think so.
He stared at Ye Qingyun, trying to catch any clues.
Yet no matter how carefully he observed, he couldn't find the slightest trace of an expert about Ye Qingyun.
"Did I overthink it?"
The middle-aged coachman wondered in secret.
"Why are you staring at me?"
Ye Qingyun asked with a suspicious look.
"It's nothing."
The young master shook her head.
The middle-aged coachman didn't say anything further either.
He continued driving the carriage, whipping the horses to leave this place as quickly as possible.
Inside the carriage.
The young master kept glancing at Ye Qingyun from time to time.
Her constant gaze made Ye Qingyun feel quite uneasy.
"What is your name?"
It was only then that the young master realized she didn't even seem to know what Ye Qingyun was called.
"Ye Qingyun."
The young master was startled: "Are you from the Ye Family?"
Ye Qingyun looked completely blank.
"The Ye Family? What Ye Family?"
Seeing that Ye Qingyun didn't seem to be feigning ignorance—and knowing that someone from the Ye Family wouldn't be entirely devoid of cultivation—the young master dropped the subject.
"Never mind."
The young master brushed it off perfunctorily.
Ye Qingyun was left speechless.
Acting all mysterious.
What on earth is she playing at?
"Are you surnamed Xiao?"
He took the initiative to ask.
"Mhm, my name is Xiao Shi."
"Xiaoshi? That name doesn't sound very auspicious."
Ye Qingyun remarked.
Xiao Shi's face darkened.
"It's not 'disappearing', it's Xiao Shi, as in poetry and song."
"Oh, oh."
Xiao Shi rolled her eyes.
Ye Qingyun stroked the rabbit in his arms.
"Uh, why don't you just let me go? I'm just an ordinary person, and I'm of no use to you anyway."
Xiao Shi let out a soft huff.
"How are you of no use? You can tell me stories."
Ye Qingyun gave a bitter smile: "How about I write down the story of The Legend of the Condor Heroes for you to read at your leisure, and then you let me go? How does that sound?"
Hearing this, Xiao Shi thought it was acceptable.
Although she was willful and spoiled, she still knew how to draw the line.
Dragging Ye Qingyun along for so many miles and making him tell stories for this long was already quite enough.
If she continued to drag him along, it really would be going a bit too far.
"Then go ahead and write."
"You got it."
Ye Qingyun immediately began to write.
Paper and brushes were already available in the carriage. Even though it was a writing brush, Ye Qingyun had long since honed a fine hand at calligraphy through the system's brutal training.
Whether it was running script, regular script, or cursive script, he could handle them all with ease.
With absolute casualness, he could easily reach the level of a calligraphy grandmaster.
At the very beginning, Xiao Shi hadn't paid much attention.
But when she cast a glance out of the corner of her eye and saw the characters Ye Qingyun was writing, she couldn't help freezing in her tracks.
Ye Qingyun's handwriting was free, graceful, and elegant. Every single character was so perfect that looking at it brought an immediate sense of comfort.
Watching the posture he struck as his brush touched the paper was simply an absolute treat.
"Your handwriting is actually this good?"
Xiao Shi asked in astonishment.
Ye Qingyun smiled faintly.
"It's alright, just passable."
Passable?
Xiao Shi looked at those characters—each one vigorous and powerful, yet lacking none of their delicate grace.
If this was considered passable, then the characters she wrote could only be described as a chicken scratching in the dirt.
He wrote for an entire night.
Only then did Ye Qingyun finally finish writing The Legend of the Condor Heroes.
Of course.
To save time, Ye Qingyun had completely condensed and extracted the core plot points, which was why he was able to finish it in a single night.
"Finally done."
Ye Qingyun rubbed his slightly sore and numb wrist, and handed the dozen or so written pages over to Xiao Shi.
"Right, let me draw an illustration to go with it."
Ye Qingyun produced another painting.
It vividly depicted Guo Jing drawing his bow to shoot the giant eagles.
This painting was naturally executed with extreme mastery.
Ye Qingyun's painting skills, just like his calligraphy, had been tempered through the system's torment.
The sight of this painting left Xiao Shi dumbstruck.
Before her eyes, it felt as though there truly stood a hero upon the desolate wilderness, holding a precious bow, drawing the bowstring with an arrow nocked, and bringing down two eagles with a single shot.
That intense impact, that genuine shock—
For a moment, Xiao Shi was completely captivated by the painting, involuntarily sinking deep into it and forgetting everything else.
"Ahem."
Ye Qingyun coughed lightly.
Xiao Shi still stared fixedly at the painting.
"Sigh, Miss Xiao."
Ye Qingyun spoke up to remind her.
Only then did Xiao Shi snap out of her daze as if waking from a dream.
She looked blankly at Ye Qingyun.
"What is it?"
"I'll be taking my leave now."
Ye Qingyun said.
"Oh, stop the carriage."
Xiao Shi called out.
The carriage came to a halt.
Ye Qingyun immediately stepped down from the carriage holding the rabbit, and Dahei jumped down right behind him.
Xiao Shi poked her head out from inside the carriage.
"We'll meet again in the future if we're destined to."
Ye Qingyun smiled and nodded.
The carriage continued moving forward.
Ye Qingyun let out a long breath of relief.
He was finally free.
Yet when he looked around his surroundings—
He was baffled once more.
Where the hell am I?
Chapter 21: The Shocked Otherworldly Expert
Ye Qingyun was lost.
To be precise, he didn't even know where he was.
Wild mountains and desolate ridges, with nocturnal winds blowing in gusts.
Accompanied by the occasional howl of a wolf echoing in the distance.
Ye Qingyun felt a bit panicked.
He couldn't help tightening his grip around the rabbit in his arms.
Fortunately, Dahei was still by his side.
"Dahei, do you know the way back home?"
Ye Qingyun asked tentatively.
They always say an old horse knows the way.
Who knows if an old dog can do the trick?
Dahei let out a bark, then wagged its tail and began walking forward in a leisurely manner.
Ye Qingyun wore a skeptical look.
Does this fellow really know the way?
Seeing that Ye Qingyun wasn't moving, Dahei even stopped and looked back at him, as if signaling Ye Qingyun to follow along.
Ye Qingyun had no other choice.
He had no option but to follow.
One man, one dog, and one rabbit strolled leisurely through the desolate wilderness just like that.
The dog was leisurely.
The rabbit was carefree.
The man was panicked.
After walking for the better part of the night, Ye Qingyun felt his legs grow sore and weak, completely exhausted and famished.
"I can't walk anymore. How about you carry me on your back, Dahei?"
Ye Qingyun said with a face full of misery.
Hearing this, Dahei's canine face instantly collapsed.
Are you even human?
You actually expect a dog like me to carry you on my back?
Don't you have any self-awareness of how much you weigh?
However, Ye Qingyun truly couldn't walk another step.
Seeing this, Dahei walked over to a nearby spot and let out a couple of barks toward the empty space.
Woof! Woof!
Ye Qingyun was wondering what Dahei was up to.
Suddenly.
A gust of fierce wind swept over.
A giant black bear came running straight toward them.
Ye Qingyun was startled.
"Run, Dahei!"
He hurriedly rushed forward, wanting to drag Dahei away.
He was terrified that this stupid dog would be eaten by the bear.
Yet he saw that Dahei wasn't afraid at all. Instead, it barked a couple more times at the giant black bear.
The giant black bear squatted down in front of Dahei, nodding repeatedly.
As if it could understand whatever Dahei was barking about.
A dog and a bear began communicating right there in front of Ye Qingyun.
"What the hell?"
Ye Qingyun looked completely bewildered.
Judging by the looks of it, though, Dahei should be in no danger.
After Dahei and the black bear communicated for a moment, the black bear walked right up in front of Ye Qingyun.
Feeling a bit frightened, Ye Qingyun shrank back a few steps.
Only to see the black bear suddenly drop flat onto the ground, presenting its back directly to Ye Qingyun.
Standing to the side, Dahei barked directly at Ye Qingyun again.
"You want me to climb up? You want this bear to carry me on its back?"
Ye Qingyun was utterly astonished.
Dahei nodded repeatedly.
Ye Qingyun was shocked.
The dog I raised actually has this kind of ability?
He couldn't help feeling amused.
No longer afraid, he immediately seated himself firmly on the black bear's back.
The black bear carried Ye Qingyun forward while Dahei continued to lead the way ahead.
"Dahei, is it your friend?"
"Woof woof!"
"Though I can't understand you, I suppose it is."
"Woof woof!"
"You're amazing, Dahei. I'll reward you with a big bone when we get back."
"Woof woof woof!"
"This black bear's fur is a bit prickly against my crotch, feels kind of uncomfortable..."
The black bear: "..."
I am, if nothing else, a dignified Demon Beast, and yet you say my fur is prickly against your crotch?
If not for the sake of this esteemed Dog Demon King, I'd slap your fragile human self into a bloody paste with a single paw.
This black bear was none other than the bear demon that had previously appeared alongside the wolf demon.
At this moment, having revealed its true form, it had been summoned over by Dahei to do chores and serve as a mount for Ye Qingyun for a spell.
On a mountain peak not far away, the wolf demon gazed at the departing bear demon and silently wept in its heart.
More power to you, Brother Bear, you've suffered.
...
"Young Miss, we've arrived at Yutian Valley."
At the mouth of a narrow ravine, the carriage came to a halt.
The middle-aged coachman announced to Xiao Shi inside the carriage.
Xiao Shi stepped out of the carriage.
At this moment, she had already changed back into women's attire.
If Ye Qingyun were here right now, he would undoubtedly be stunned by Xiao Shi's beauty.
While dressed in men's clothing, her appearance hadn't fully stood out.
But once changed back into women's clothing, Xiao Shi was nothing short of one of the peerless beauties of this world.
And precisely because her appearance was too striking, she would draw a multitude of gazes wherever she went.
Xiao Shi disliked such attention.
That was why she so often disguised herself as a man.
"We've finally arrived."
Xiao Shi looked at the mountain pass before her, filled with absolute anticipation.
She had traveled thousands of miles, coming all the way here from the lands of Beichuan.
Just to find an expert living in seclusion in this place and take them as her master.
Xiao Shi's great-grandfather had once shared a past friendship with this expert.
Before her great-grandfather passed away, he had instructed the members of the Xiao Family that if any of their descendants possessed particularly outstanding talent, they could be sent to Yutian Valley to apprentice under the expert residing within.
The expert in the valley had once made a promise to the Xiao Family.
If the Xiao Family sent a junior to apprentice under him, he would certainly make them a world-renowned master.
Now, Xiao Shi had arrived.
Coming with the expectations of the Xiao Family.
"Uncle Jiu, bring the apprenticeship gifts and follow me into the valley."
"Understood!"
Uncle Jiu was none other than the middle-aged coachman. He picked up a package and closely followed behind Xiao Shi, stepping into Yutian Valley together.
The valley was exceedingly tranquil.
Not long after Xiao Shi and Uncle Jiu walked in, they spotted a thatched cottage in the distance.
Beside the thatched cottage grew a peach tree.
Beneath the peach tree, a white-haired old man was napping on a bamboo reclining chair.
Xiao Shi's eyes lit up.
Yet she didn't dare to step forward and disturb him rashly.
She and Uncle Jiu simply stood at a distance, waiting for the expert to wake up from his sleep before stepping forward to pay their respects.
They waited for a full two hours and more.
Only then did the white-haired old man slowly wake up.
"Hmm?"
The moment he woke up, he spotted the two people standing not far away.
"The little girl from the Xiao Family?"
Xiao Shi hurried forward.
"Junior Xiao Shi pays respects to Senior!"
The white-haired old man smiled faintly.
"Not bad, not bad. Your aptitude is exceptional, entirely to my liking."
Xiao Shi was overjoyed.
"Disciple pays respects to Master!"
With that, she kowtowed heavily three times to the white-haired old man.
With a smile on his face, the white-haired old man accepted Xiao Shi's three prostrations.
"Master, this is the apprenticeship gift from my Xiao Family to you."
Xiao Shi took the package from Uncle Jiu's hands and offered it up respectfully with both hands.
The white-haired old man nodded and opened the package, only for a painting to tumble out.
Looking somewhat awkward, Xiao Shi hurriedly picked up the painting.
This was what Ye Qingyun had painted for her back in the carriage; somehow, it had gotten mixed in with the apprenticeship gifts.
"Master, this isn't part of the apprenticeship gifts, just an ordinary painting."
Xiao Shi said.
However, the white-haired old man seemed rather interested in the painting.
"Hand it over and let me have a look."
Worried that the painting might displease the white-haired old man, Xiao Shi felt a bit anxious.
Yet since the white-haired old man had already spoken, Xiao Shi had no choice but to hand the painting over to him.
The old man immediately unfolded the scroll.
At that single glance, the old man's expression changed drastically.
He sprang straight up from his rattan chair, his eyes locked fixedly onto the painting.
His expression was as though he had laid eyes upon some terrifyingly unimaginable existence.
Both Xiao Shi and Uncle Jiu were startled.
"Master, is there something wrong with this painting?"
The white-haired old man's hands trembled, his face filled with shock.
"This painting... this painting..."
"This painting is extraordinary! It contains a supreme Great Dao!"
As soon as those words left his mouth, Xiao Shi and Uncle Jiu were left utterly dumbfounded.
What on earth?
A supreme Great Dao?
Chapter 22: The Little Beggar
The white-haired old man stared at the painting with intense agitation, his eyeballs seeming as though they might pop out at any second.
"What a magnificent Painting of Drawing a Bow to Shoot Eagles!"
The white-haired old man said with a trembling voice: "This painting contains an aura of desolation and heroism. If one can calmly comprehend it, perhaps they might touch upon a Great Dao that no predecessor has ever trodden before."
"The person capable of painting this is absolute an unimaginable expert."
"I fear they are an existence who has already comprehended the Great Dao and mastered every single aspect of this world!"
"To think... to think that such a figure truly exists in this world! I truly wish to lay eyes upon the true visage of this expert!"
As he spoke on and on, the white-haired old man couldn't help beating his chest and stamping his feet in regret.
Leaving Xiao Shi and Uncle Jiu completely bewildered.
Is this painting really that amazing?
Wasn't this just something Ye Qingyun casually doodled?
Even though the artwork was indeed exceptional, calling it imbued with the Great Dao was going way too far, wasn't it?
"Master, th-this should just be an ordinary painting, right?"
Xiao Shi ventured cautiously.
The white-haired old man instantly glared at her.
"This is definitely not an ordinary painting!"
"Whoever could paint this is without a doubt an unimaginable otherworldly expert!"
"This single painting is worth more than centuries of this old man's bitter cultivation!"
What?
A single painting was worth centuries of bitter cultivation?
Xiao Shi and Uncle Jiu were truly shocked.
The two of them exchanged blank stares.
Could it be...
That Ye Qingyun, who looked like a mere mortal, was actually an unfathomable supreme expert?
"Where did this painting come from?"
Staring intently at Xiao Shi, the white-haired old man eagerly sought to learn the origin of the artwork.
Naturally, Xiao Shi dared not conceal the truth.
"Master, this painting was drawn by a young man named Ye Qingyun."
The white-haired old man fell into deep thought.
"A young man? That shouldn't be the expert's true appearance. Such an expert must have long since achieved heaven-reaching cultivation, making the alteration of their appearance as easy as turning over one's hand."