Chapter 131: Majestic, Benevolent, Brave and Noble... Toad

  It can be imagined that after successfully passing the buck to Wang Chengxiu, it will be those guys from Nigula who will be bothered by those endless sneak attacks and harassment.

  Xia Ya was delighted for a while, and Duoduo Luo also secretly rejoiced in her heart. She and Bidalduo had a deep grudge against each other. It's always good to take the opportunity to find some trouble for each other.

  After walking for a while, Xia Ya suddenly pulled tight the reins, her face changed, and she looked puzzled.

  "What's wrong, Lord Xia Ya?"

  Xia Ya shook her head, not saying a word, but in her heart, she had a faint feeling of unease. The trouble was that the bodyguard who followed Nigul earlier was absolutely not an ordinary character. That guy's oppressive aura was just his eyes, and with Xia Ya's intuition, he could definitely be ranked among the top three of the masters she had seen.

  And thinking of himself and Nigul fighting, that guy's subtle movements, originally preparing to step forward and block, but suddenly retreated and didn't intervene, letting him and Nigul fight it out —— thinking of this, Xia Ya suddenly broke out in a cold sweat!

  That guy, he clearly saw through his own intentions! At least at the moment when he made his move, that guy had already seen through the fact that he didn't use his true strength. He was just pretending!

  Moreover, despite this, he didn't come forward to stop him, nor was he worried that he might suddenly explode and hurt his protected object? So there are only two explanations: First, this guy is a reckless fool - but from the look in his eyes, which was full of oppressive power and yet icy cold, this kind of person is absolutely not a brainless fool. So the second explanation may be the only reasonable one: He was simply fearless, even if he suddenly burst out and hurt Nie Gu, that guy had enough confidence to have a firm grasp on stopping him!!

  Thinking of this, Xia Ya wiped her face fiercely and muttered: "Damn it, the imperial capital is full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers, from now on I must be more careful when doing things."

  Reminding himself to be careful, Xia Ya soon relaxed, anyway, he had shifted the blame to someone else and got rid of a big trouble. Looking at Duoduo, who seemed to still have worries, knowing that he was still troubled by the trial, Xia Ya suddenly slapped his forehead: "Ah, right! The trial only said you need to find the magic kiss flower, but it didn't say you must go collect it yourself. Let's take a look at the market, maybe we can buy some from the black market!"

  Duoduo sighed with a bitter smile, wanting to speak but stopping herself. She didn't hold out much hope in her heart, but thinking again, even if it was just one in ten thousand possibilities, what harm would it do to take a look?

  The two of them changed direction and headed west into the city, then turned south, almost circling the entire city, until they arrived at a bustling area in the southern part of Osgiliath.

  In the southern part of Osgiliath, near the docks, has long been the most prosperous trading place in the city. As a coastal city, the southern beach dock of Osgiliath is quite magnificent and has always been the first major port of the empire. The maritime transportation routes brought new vitality to this city. Just north of the dock, several streets that were once there have developed into a thriving commercial district after years of development, thanks to the influx of trade from the sea. This place gathers exotic goods from all over the world, including some illegal transactions on the black market.

  Xia Ya was born in Ye Huo Yuan, and had also hung out on the black market in Ye Huo Town. Although he had never been to this commercial district in the Imperial Capital, the rules of underground black markets were all similar everywhere. The two squeezed through the crowd, with Duo Luo speaking in an Osgili accent, Xia Ya casually grabbed a hoodlum on the street and tossed out a silver coin to gather information, before being led to a small tavern in a roadside alley. After probing the tavern owner with a couple of sentences, they went around to the back of the tavern, which was actually a specialized underground store selling contraband goods.

  However, after inquiring about the market price of Mo Xunxiang Yu, both Tu Bie and the magician were disappointed.

  Moguixiangyu this thing, can be bought. Only...the price is absolutely not something that the two of them can afford.

  A single Black Market price of a Mandrake is 10,000 gold coins and it's made to order, no stock available. Even if there was, it's unlikely that ten could be gathered from the market at once - even if they could be bought, it would take 100,000 gold coins.

  For Tu Jie or Duo Duo Luo, one hundred thousand gold coins was already a number that made them tremble with fear.

  Although Toad has made a small fortune now, his total assets are only worth several hundred gold coins.

  Buying is impossible... But if you really want to run to the depths of the chaotic eastern continent, the sea of forests, and face the elf tribe that hates humans... Hmm, shaking my head is faster.

  With a disappointed heart, they walked out of the underground shopping mall and returned to the bustling streets outside. Duo Duo Luo's mood had clearly dropped significantly, the magician muttered to himself, seemingly in a daze, as he led his horse forward. Suddenly, a small child squeezed out from the crowd and bumped into the magician's chest, letting out a cry of "Ah!" before quickly apologizing and attempting to run away.

  Todor didn't pay attention at first, but Xia Ya hummed and grabbed the child's wrist, lightly pulling him to the ground. He stepped forward with one foot on the child's leg and took back a small bag from his hand, which belonged to Todor.

  That child was so scared, trembling with fear, his eyes rolling wildly, constantly begging for mercy. Just as Xia Ya was about to pick him up, a woman suddenly rushed out from the crowd and threw herself at Xia Ya's feet, hugging his legs and pleading in tears. The woman had a pale complexion, looked around thirty years old, wore coarse linen clothes with rough patches all over, her eyes were dull, and her cheeks were sunken. "Sir, please spare me... my mother is really starving! I... this is the first time I've done something like this..."

  At this moment, a crowd had already gathered around to watch. Xia Ya grunted and calmly picked up the child, looked at him coldly, then suddenly threw him to the ground and took out the sword scabbard from his waist, slapping the boy's buttocks repeatedly with it, more than ten times. He didn't hit lightly, the child cried out in pain, eventually bursting into tears, his face covered in tears and snot.

  After Xia Ya finished, he picked him up again and said coldly: "You're not the first time you've stolen something, your movements are very skilled. Lying is not a good habit, let alone you're so young! The dozen or so hits just now were punishment for stealing things! If you do something wrong, you have to be punished, otherwise you won't remember the lesson firmly."

  After finishing, he let the child go back, then took out a few gold coins from his pocket and stuffed them into the woman's hand: "Buy something to eat, and use this money to find a good life... You have a very filial son, because he is willing to be a thief for you."

  After doing all this, Xiaya pulled Duo Duo Luo and squeezed through the crowd to leave.

  The two quickly left the business district and headed north, with fewer pedestrians on the road. After walking down a small alley, they suddenly heard soft cries for help and rescue coming from a nearby lane, accompanied by the evil laughter of several men.

  Xia Ya immediately stopped in her tracks, looked around, and quickly walked into the alley with big strides. With one kick, she knocked over a broken bamboo basket that was blocking the entrance of the alley, and shouted loudly: "What are you people sneaking around for inside?"

  As I turned the corner, I saw a young girl being forced into a wall by several suspicious-looking men with shifty eyes. From their clothes and appearance, it was clear that they were street thugs. The girl's hair was disheveled, her clothes were in disarray, her cheeks were flushed red, and her face was pale and delicate, with bright, shining eyes. She was a beautiful young woman, but she had her hands clasped over her chest and was shrinking into the corner of the wall.

  Just as Xia Ya rushed in alone, those thugs immediately went up to meet him. One of them pulled out a dagger from his waist and brandished it: "Hey! Don't interfere with this, or else..."

  He hadn't even finished speaking when he felt a fist suddenly enlarging in his eyes, and the next instant, he was flying through the air, falling backwards to the ground, with blood gushing from his nose and more than half of his teeth knocked out.

  Xia Ya grunted and, without paying attention to the shocked expressions of several thugs beside him, went up and kicked the two men away. The last thug stared at Xia Ya in a daze, then suddenly knelt down with a plop and begged for mercy.

  Xia Ya looked at him and shook his head, saying: "I don't necessarily want to punish you, it's just that your actions are making me sick! You can actually take advantage of a girl like this!"

  After finishing speaking, he kicked this guy unconscious with one foot.

  The girl in the corner stumbled to her feet, as if she had suddenly seen a savior, and flung herself into Xia Ya's arms. Her soft body pressed against Xia Ya's, her originally disheveled clothes now even more askew, with a white patch on her chest pressing against Xia Ya's shoulder. Her enticing eyes were puffy from crying, like peaches, exuding a pitiful and moving charm.

  Xia Ya was not fooled at all, calmly pushed the girl away and said lightly: "Alright, you don't have to thank me, I just happened to be passing by, hurry up and go."

  The girl wanted to say more words of gratitude, but found Xia Ya's expression cold and distant, so she couldn't get the words out. After a moment's thought, she took out a snow-white silk handkerchief from her bosom and handed it to Xia Ya. Originally, she was going to ask Xia Ya to guess the bloodstain on his fist, but Xia Ya shrank back, avoiding her hand. The girl could only gently place the handkerchief in Xia Ya's palm, speaking softly: "Sir, thank you for saving me... My name is Lenna, and I live at the front of the street. If you have time, please come to my house, and I'll definitely find a chance to express my gratitude."

  After finishing speaking, this delicate girl bowed slightly, covering her chest with one hand, and ran away quickly.

  When she ran out of the alley, her slender figure made Duoduo stare for a while, his eyes fixed on the girl's waist for a long time before reluctantly withdrawing.

  These two things seemed to be just a small episode of the two returning home, but after walking through another street, there were fewer pedestrians. Xia Ya walked and suddenly pulled the reins, her face changed, looked at Doro beside her: "You go first!"

  Duoduo was taken aback, but Xia Ya's expression turned serious: "You go first! Scram, I still have something to do."

  Duoduo did not dare ask more and could only quickly whip his horse to leave.

  After the magician left, Xia Ya turned over and got off his horse, standing in the middle of the street. He pressed the handle of the fire fork at his waist with one hand, and put the other hand on his hip. He looked coldly at the other end of the street, humming heavily and shouting loudly: "You've been following me for a long time, come out!!"

  He suddenly shouted loudly, and the few pedestrians on the street originally cast strange glances, whispering to each other. Some saw Xia Ya holding a weapon in her hand and didn't dare to stay, quickly running away.

  The street was soon left with only Xia Ya, and at this time, a figure finally turned out from the other end of the long street.

  Medium build, wide warrior robes, short hair like steel needles, a face full of ferocity. This man walked step by step, his pace just like a leopard searching for prey in the wilderness!

  As soon as Xia Ya saw this guy, his eyes changed instantly. This was clearly the guard warrior who had been beside the giant Niegur earlier!

  "It's you! Hmph, did you think you could sneak up on me and I wouldn't notice?" Xia Ya's hand gripping the fire fork tightened involuntarily. He clearly felt that as this warrior stepped forward one step at a time, the entire long street seemed to be centered around his figure, and an invisible yet powerful aura was pressing in on him! With each step forward, the pressure he felt grew deeper!

  "I didn't have any suspicious or secretive behavior, if I wanted to be secretive, you wouldn't even notice."

  The warrior finally spoke, and what surprised Xia Ya was that although this person looked fierce and cold, his voice was surprisingly gentle and pleasant to the ear, forming a strong contrast with his fierce and cold appearance.

  The other party stopped at a distance of only ten steps from Xiya, and Xiya felt that the air around him seemed to thicken, surrounded by an invisible sense of oppression on all sides. He strained himself to resist this ubiquitous oppressive atmosphere, his muscles tensed unconsciously, the veins on the back of his hand grasping the fire fork bulged, his eyes fixed tightly on the other party.

  And this short-haired warrior, however, seemed to be standing there so casually, his expression was cold and cruel, but his eyes were very relaxed, and even after sizing up Xia Ya for a few moments, the corners of his mouth gradually revealed a strange smile.

  "You're cunning." The warrior seemed to smile in a complex way: "You let Nigul take a small loss, and he will soon know that he has joined your party."

  "Hmm." Xia Ya gritted her teeth: "How can you be so sure?"

  "I am Nigul's guard, and I know more about his abilities than you do." The warrior still wore a cold smile: "So it's you... You're the one who defeated Hastings on the battlefield? Hmph, interesting..."

  Xia Ya immediately tensed up.

  "That guy who defeated Hastings on the battlefield..." He didn't know how many times he had heard this phrase over the past few days, and every time someone said it to him, they immediately started challenging him. He took a step back, hesitating whether to draw his spear and launch a preemptive attack...

  "Don't worry, I'm not here to challenge you." The warrior saw Shaya's movement and the mocking tone in his smile deepened. He said lightly: "You can't really think that Hastings would lose to a kid like you? Hmph... That was just a farce, a farce created by the military department."

  "This warrior looked into Xia Ya's eyes: "Your strength is not bad, but to say that you can defeat Hei Ting Yan, it's a bit ridiculous. I know you've encountered a lot of trouble in the past few days, but you should be grateful, at least those true masters in the Imperial City are not fools and won't believe the lies fabricated by the Military Department. Otherwise, those who came to challenge you wouldn't be just those insignificant characters."

  Xia Yan nodded. He acknowledged that what this guy said made a lot of sense.

  "But... how can you be so sure that I'm not a match for Kuroba Haten?" Xia Ya snorted, he was simply somewhat displeased because his momentum had been thoroughly suppressed by the opponent.

  "Why?" The warrior shook his head: "The reason is simple, because I have compared with Kuroba Nobuyuki before, I know how terrifying he is... and you are far too inferior." As he spoke, the warrior shook his head, as if in a tone of boredom.

  The warrior said, and suddenly took a few more steps forward. Then, with an air of ease, he brushed past Xia Ya's side. In the instant their bodies passed each other, Xia Ya felt as if all the hairs on his body stood up, as if it wasn't a person but a ferocious wild beast that had just strolled by. There were several times when he was driven to unbearable madness by this oppressive feeling and almost drew out his fire spear to slash wildly at him. But after these urges, an even stranger feeling held him back.

  This strange feeling is... fear.

  That's right, it's fear. Genuine fear. Xia Ya had a strange feeling in his heart, as if he was very clear that as long as he dared to make a move, once he made a move, he would definitely be dead for sure. This guy was absolutely not someone whose strength he could match.

  At last, the warrior slowly walked to Xia Ya's back, his back facing Xia Ya, and stopped.

  At this moment, Xia Ya suddenly felt her body relax, and the oppressive atmosphere that was everywhere instantly dissipated.

  His voice sounded a few degrees warmer: "I'm not here to bother you. It's just that, although I don't believe you can defeat Hastings, but I heard that Hastings was really injured by you, and I was curious for a moment, so I followed you to take a look... You just helped the mother and son thieves on the commercial street, and rescued the fox girl in the alley, I happened to see it. Hmm, you're a very interesting little guy."

  He suddenly tilted his head to the side, slightly turning it back, and a hint of a smile appeared on half of his cheek: "So - interesting kid, I hope you live well. Although your strength isn't that great, but at your age, having this level is already pretty good. You're the youngest person I've met who can withstand my aura. Live on, live well - until your strength grows to the point where it's worth me taking action."

  As soon as the voice finished, it immediately disappeared. Xia Ya stood there, feeling stiff all over, and finally slowly turned her head to look back, but behind her, on the long empty street, where was anyone else?

  A gust of wind blew by, and Xia Ya felt a chill run down his entire body. Only then did he realize that the sweat under his clothes had already soaked through to his underwear!!

  "Oh, is that how it was."

  A faint and slightly tired voice.

  In a bright little cottage, Kavishir lounged lazily on a soft couch, his body curled up under a thick and plush fur blanket, as if this cold winter was still a torment for the old man. Next to the couch, the young girl with freckles on her face stood by, holding a hand warmer, testing its temperature before stuffing it into Kavishir's hands.

  In front of Kavihir, on the floor in the room, three people knelt down.

  If Xia Ya were here, she would definitely exclaim in surprise.

  These three people were the two thieves, a mother and son he had met at the market, and the beautiful young orphan girl he had rescued from the ruffians.

  At this moment, the three of them knelt down reverently, and when facing the weak old man on the soft couch, the three were as still as cicadas in winter, even with their eyes cast downward, their faces were filled with reverence.

  "Alright." Kavi's gentle voice came, and the three of them didn't dare to say more, quickly getting up and bowing their heads as they left.

  The old sage sat there, hugging his knees, dazed for a while, and a playful smile gradually appeared on his face.

  "Hmm, quite an interesting kid... It seems my old friend, the transmission you chose, hasn't let me down too much after all. The mysterious sage suddenly glanced at the ordinary-looking girl beside him: "Little sparrow, what's your evaluation?"

  The girl called 'Little Sparrow' replied respectfully: "Yes, teacher." Then the girl lowered her head and thought for a moment before saying in a low voice: "Hmmm... punishing young thieves shows severity. Giving alms to weak mothers shows benevolence. Saving innocent orphan girls shows bravery. And refusing feminine temptations shows loftiness..."

  "Ah, majesty, benevolence, bravery, nobility... " Kavihir's smile suddenly became joyful, his aged face now smiling like a child: "Haha, it's too interesting. Tell me, if someone has these precious qualities and also possesses outstanding abilities, then... such a person would find it hard not to stand out."

  That girl called Xiaoyue looked somewhat puzzled: "Teacher... do you mean that this guy named Xia Ya has actually gained your approval? But, I saw him the other day and he didn't seem to have any special skills..."

  "You don't understand." Kavihr said with a faint smile, shaking his head: "Skills can be learned, but cultivating qualities is the most exhausting. Personality determines fate, and this kid's personality is quite interesting."

  The little sparrow looked at the teacher with some surprise, and the shock in her heart was extremely strong!

  Is it interesting? Is this the teacher's evaluation of that guy?

  To know that these few words, although seemingly simple, ... for a teacher to make such an evaluation, is already the praise of a traitor!

  The youngest son of Duke Minas, the elder in the Imperial Court, Little Minas, is a stunning talent, excelling in both literature and martial arts, hailed as the brightest hope for the future of the Empire. However, in the words of his teacher, Cavishill, he only received a simple evaluation: "Not bad."

  If Teacher's evaluation of this sentence can be spread out - relying solely on Mr. Kavihir's words, that kid will immediately become famous in the Imperial Capital!

  Xia Ya didn't know that the number one wise man in the Imperial City actually thought of himself as "majestic, benevolent, brave and noble" - if Dodo Luo or Wang Cheng Si Xiu or Hei Xin Ting and General Rabbit heard this sentence, would they laugh their teeth off?

  Alright, it can be imagined that our turtle... saying she is majestic perhaps has some truth to it, and being kind and brave perhaps really exists. But being noble and not tempted by beauty...

  To be honest, at that time he was able to push away that coquettish girl with such a calm attitude simply because... cough cough... (the old man is still smiling slyly...)

  After rushing back to his residence, Xia Ya only felt a slight relief from the shock when he entered the door. His undershirt was soaked with sweat, and the mysterious warrior's terrifying pressure made Xia Ya recall the time he first faced Hastings.

  "That guy..."

  After returning home in disarray, Xia Ya immediately called out to Duoduo: "That Nigula, what's his story anyway?"

  Duoduo indeed knew the inside story of Wang City's Four Nobles: "That Nigul, seems to be the nephew of the General of the Central Guard Corps of Osgilia, I heard that the General has no sons, only one daughter, so Nigul seems likely to be the first heir of the family in the future."

  The nephew of the Imperial Guard General? This background is quite impressive!

  "So... Today, next to that guy, there was a guy with hair like a hedgehog... Hmm, do you know him?"

  Duoduo was stunned for a moment, then shook his head: "Don't know... The General of the Imperial Guard is a high-ranking general in the army. Under his command, there are always some top-notch experts in the military, and these experts rarely come into contact with secular people, so many of them, even if they have strong abilities, are not well-known."

  Xia Ya furrowed her brow and thought for a moment...

  That guy, it seems like he said something else too...

  I see!

  He even had a fight with Kurotsu!! This guy actually fought against Kurotsu and is still alive, which already proves his extraordinary strength.

  A master in the army... has fought against Kurotsu...

  I don't know why, but that piercing chill makes Xia Ya feel uncomfortable just thinking about it. Moreover, although that guy didn't make a move against himself today, Xia Ya has a feeling in his heart: this person is very dangerous! He's an extremely dangerous existence for himself!!

  A commander who can bear the military defense of the imperial capital must be a trusted confidant of the royal family, and this Nigula's background is quite extraordinary.

  "Never mind, I'll ask Ruru tomorrow when I get a chance." Xia Ya sighed.