Sunset Warrior Chant - Novelbike -

At the table, a feast was devoured to the last crumb. The teapot seemed still not satisfied, and Lingxin ordered more dishes. Alixin ate slowly and thoroughly, to the point where he could barely move.

Suddenly, Ivy leaned forward and menacingly said to Alixin, “Before I figure out how I want to cook you, you’d better keep running around to speed up your circulation. It’ll get rid of the gamey taste, making you delicious and tender when stewed.” Sesame added, “Looking so soft and tender, you should add some vinegar, some ginger, some wine, and some…”

Sesame went on and on, and Ivy added, “Hmm, we’ll make a vertical cut down the middle, you take the left side, I’ll take the right. Of course, if you want the right side, that’s fine too; both sides are the same.”

Upon hearing this, Alixin suddenly leapt onto an empty bowl. With a forceful stomp on the rim, the porcelain bowl flipped and soared high, then came crashing down over him, sealing him tightly under it with a loud clang.

Seeing Alixin hide, Lingxin raised an eyebrow and scolded Ivy and Sesame, “Stop scaring the little one, or I’ll end up eating Ivy and Sesame!” The elders around snickered.

Fu Qiruo, hearing the cold tones in which Sesame and Ivy spoke, really felt scared for Alixin for a moment, before realizing it was all a joke. There was no sign of Alixin under the bowl, as if he had disappeared. Lingxin chuckled, saying, “Alixin has hidden himself well, no one can find him.” Seeing Luo Ying also laugh, her usually icy face thawing, was like a breath of spring. Fu Qiruo thought to himself, “So she can laugh too, and when she does, she’s quite beautiful. No wonder those men like to stare at a pretty woman.”

A group of people stared at an overturned bowl, waiting to see when Alixin would emerge. Fu Qiruo suddenly noticed Teapot pointing at the bowl and gently sliding his finger about a foot away from it. A sizzling sound followed, and blue light flickered across the surface of the bowl, creating fine lines. It turned out that Teapot was writing on the bowl, and soon several upright and forceful characters appeared: “The bowl as a tent!”

The characters sank into the surface of the bowl, appearing smooth and shiny. Fu Qiruo was astonished, wondering what kind of techniques could allow such delicate work. It was almost as ingenious as his master’s Piercing Needle. It wouldn’t have been surprising if he had shattered the bowl from a distance, but the fact that he could write on it so casually, with such control over his magic energy, was truly masterful.

Upon seeing the characters, Lingxin softly asked, “Alixin, can you guess what is written on the bowl?” Alixin did not respond, but after the time it took to drink a cup of tea, it could no longer hold back and lifted the bowl to look. Touching the characters, they felt smooth, as if they had always been part of the bowl and not just carved. Teapot wiggled his fingers towards the bowl again and chuckled, “Do you like the handwriting? Take a look at the other side of the bowl.”

Alixin flipped the bowl over to see a few more characters on the opposite side: “The table as a blanket.” Teapot had written a few more characters on this other side while talking, forming the sentence, ‘The bowl as a blanket, the table as a bed,’ echoing the old saying, ‘The sky as a blanket, the earth as a bed.”

The characters were perfectly sized and aligned, not only impressing Fu Qiruo but also eliciting praises from bystanders like Big Tobacco Pipe and Stone. The skill displayed was truly unparalleled.

Scratching his head while looking at the characters on both sides of the bowl, Alixin remarked, “This signature on the bowl is nice; this bowl now belongs to me.” Everyone laughed heartily. Lingxin sighed, “Why can the eagle dad gave me only fight and not talk? With the eagle by my side, hardly anyone dares to play with me.”

Luo Ying said, “That’s because the young lady has immense magical talent but does not cultivate it. Being delicate, the young lady naturally needs constant protection. Although the divine eagle looks a bit frightening, it means well..”

Lingxin then asked, “Could someone really intend to harm me?”

Luo Ying replied, “Lady, you are such a lovely person, loved by everyone who sees you, and I am particularly fond of you. No one would really want to harm you, but your identity involves more than just your own safety.”

Fu Qiruo looked at the ten people before him, thinking to himself: “These eight old men possess unique and formidable skills, always so mysterious. That beautiful woman named Luo Ying is so cold, hardly saying a word. Only Lingxin is different, sometimes talking to me, but even that’s thanks to Alixin. Miss Lingxin seems to be someone of princess-like stature, talking about how great the Yan Kingdom is. A wealthy young master must have met many like her; naturally, she wouldn’t care much for a stranger. Me, coming from a poor village, sitting among these people, feels completely out of place, how can I compare to those wealthy young men?” He felt somewhat disheartened by this thought, but then he remembered Yu An, who seemed cheerful and approachable. Although they often hung out together, sometimes he felt that Yu An was a cut above the rest.

Lingxin had decided to stay, and Big Pipe instructed the attendant. Within a quarter of an hour, Li Changshun had cleared out a large courtyard next to where Fu Qiruo was staying, and that evening, Lingxin moved into the neighboring courtyard.

The next morning, Lingxin visited the Disya Cathedral at Saier Square, and Luo Ying, along with Big Pipe and others, naturally went along.

By noon, a group of people arrived at the entrance of Eight Directions Inn. It was the City Lord of Kur City, Qiao Hongwen, accompanied by his personal guard unit to meet Miss Lingxin at the inn. Learning that Lingxin and the ten others had gone to the Disya Cathedral and were on their way back, he surveyed the inn inside and out but did not sit down, choosing instead to personally wait with his soldiers at the entrance of the inn.

Qiao Hongwen, concerned about Lingxin’s safety the day before, had locked down the vast Kur City under martial law. However, hearing that eight experts from the Yan Kingdom had come, and with news of Lingxin’s arrival in Kur City spreading far and wide, there was no longer a need for the lockdown. Thus, by early this morning, the city was back to normal. Despite this, the area around Eight Directions Inn was still heavily guarded, with soldiers stationed every few steps.

The front of Eight Directions Inn was bustling, but the restaurant upstairs was much quieter. Li Changshun had cleaned the second floor early in the morning, refusing to let anyone upstairs. If it weren’t for the presence of several influential patrons within the inn, Li Changshun would have closed the first floor as well. Even so, the entire Eight Directions Inn was extraordinarily lively, with Li Changshun running around, not daring to slack off.

City Lord Qiao Hongwen’s personal guard unit, clad in shining steel helmets and armor, stood imposingly in front of the inn, creating a striking scene. They are the best-equipped swordsmen in Kur City. Next to the guard unit was a band composed of musicians, clearly indicating the importance of Princess Lingxin in Qiao Hongwen’s eyes.

Qiao Hongwen waited for nearly an hour before he finally saw a small red sedan approaching the inn, drawn by eight tall horses. Riding the horses were Big Pipe, Rocky, Teapot, Tanya, Ivy, Sesame, Willow, and Roly-poly, eight elders who looked straight ahead without wavering.

Qiao Hongwen shouted, “Play the music!” The military band began to play a cheerful Rolandese tune, and the area in front of the inn became bustling with noise and excitement. As the sedan neared, Qiao Hongwen stepped forward, bowed deeply, and proclaimed, “Kur City’s Lord Qiao Hongwen, at your service, Her Highness Princess Lingxin of Yan Kingdom!”

“You are too kind, Lord Qiao!” Princess Lingxin, accompanied by Luo Ying, stepped down from the sedan and returned the greeting. Knowing that Qiao Hongwen had prepared a banquet on the second floor, she did not linger in formalities but proceeded upstairs directly. Following her, Qiao Hongwen said, “Your Highness, how could you stay at an inn upon visiting Kur City? My residence should be your home. I was aware of your arrival yesterday, yet I could not welcome you in person, which is truly regrettable.”

Princess Lingxin smiled and replied, “Do not trouble yourself, Lord Qiao! Staying at this inn is just fine. I am honored by your personal visit today. During this trip to Roland, I have visited many places and found the people of Roland to be very warm. On behalf of my Royal Father, I send greetings to the residents of Kur City and to you, Lord Qiao.”

After returning to the inn, Fu Qiruo watched Princess Lingxin until she went upstairs. Indeed, she was a princess-a dignified princess of Yan Kingdom. As the crowd in front of the inn dispersed, Fu Qiruo returned to the backyard alone, his heart filled with thoughts of Lingxin.

In the following days, while Lingxin sought out Alixin for company, Fu Qiruo let Alixin go alone and no longer frequented the second floor. Instead, he stayed in the backyard, immersed in cultivation, becoming much more subdued. Sometimes Lingxin spoke to Fu Qiruo, but he seemed distracted and responded perfunctorily, as if he had changed. Princess Lingxin did not mind, as if she could converse with anyone in her presence.

Lingxin had stayed for some days, and the day finally came for her to leave. She took off a delicately carved jade bracelet from her wrist and placed it in Fu Qiruo’s palm, saying, “If you ever come to Yan Kingdom, make sure to look for me. Then, I can see if Alixin has grown taller, and check if you have too.”

Fu Qiruo said, “If master goes to Yan Kingdom in the future, I will definitely come and find you.” After a moment of thought, he took off the Tranquil Jade Pendant his master had given him from around his neck and said, “I’m giving you this jade pendant. It’s very beneficial for magic cultivation; it can double the effects with half the effort.”

Lingxin looked at the pendant and said, “This is a treasure for cultivating magic, which is of no use to me since I don’t practice magic. If it were just a simple trinket, my family has plenty of those at home. It’s better for you to keep it.”

Fu Qiruo felt somewhat melancholy. Growing up, aside from his master and senior brother, he never knew his mother. Lu Xiner, like an older sister, was always by his side, yet he couldn’t fathom his own feelings. It seemed he was missing something. This princess, whom he had known for less than half a month, seemed to understand him quite well. But now she was leaving, would there ever be another day they could meet?

After Lingxin left, Fu Qiruo focused on preparing for the entrance exam. Every day, he practiced dark magic followed by wind magic, and then practiced with the Spirit Sword. He felt that the Spirit Sword also greatly benefited the use of magic, and his progress was rapid. With the Tranquil Jade Pendant hanging on his chest, Fu Qiruo almost felt he was reaching the limit of level 3 magic and could break through to level 4 at any moment.

Yu An had already settled in the backyard, sparring with Fu Qiruo daily. The backyard of the Eight Directions Inn, originally a place of tranquility, was now filled with people preparing for the magic exam. The area buzzed with the sounds of spells and the smashing of stones, often disturbing the peace. The backyard of the inn had almost become a venue for showcasing skills.

The neighbor who used to complain at noon about not being able to nap eventually got tired of shouting. Later, it turned out he had packed up and left when no one heard him anymore.

The house next door had a new resident who, unlike everyone else, wasn’t bothered by noise-in fact, he was the loudest of all. Every morning, the sound of steel blades slicing through the air could be heard in the neighboring courtyard, continuing intermittently for seven or eight hours. Sometimes, the clang of swords and blades clashing in a duel echoed, and after a few exchanges, a steel blade would slip from a hand and hit the ground, followed by a burst of scolding. Occasionally, these blades would fly over the courtyard wall, landing in Fu Wenjun’s yard, catching him and the little white cat off guard like startled birds.

One morning, as Fu Qiruo was just getting out of bed, he was greeted by the noise next door. A middle-aged man’s voice bellowed, “With those tofu-grabbing hands of yours, when will you put some real effort into it? Come on, try to strike me down, if you dare! With your pitiful skills, you can’t even hold a blade steady, how do you expect to attend Yan Mountain Academy? You’re already in your teens, look at your lack of progress, squatting at a level 3 swordsman’s pit for five or six years now, and still no improvement?”

“Dad, I’m trying my best,” a timid boy replied.

“You always say you’re trying, but how much food have you eaten? How much purified water have you drunk? How many jin of Spirit Gathering Pills have you consumed? Where has all that strength gone?” the man scolded.

Fu Qiruo listened as the sound of blades clashing intensified, suddenly followed by a loud crash and a whooshing sound; it seemed the boy’s blade was knocked away by the man’s sword. The boy shouted, “I don’t want to learn anymore! I won’t go to Yan Mountain Academy!”

“You dare not learn? You dare not go? I’d like to see you try!” the man roared. A series of slaps followed, and the boy fell silent.

“Go pick up the blade and continue training!”

“Yes!” the boy’s voice was mixed with sobs.

“Think of it this way, imagine the expert standing opposite you is like this rock, you need to smash it into pieces with one strike, imagine it as a big block of tofu, a pile of soft cotton, you see…”