Chapter Ninety-Five: Rushing to the Imperial Capital

  The north wind howls, snowflakes dance, and the world is wrapped in a silver blanket. It's again the coldest month of the year on the northern plains. Poor people huddle in their workshops, gathering around the stove to weave cloth, sew clothes, forge iron, and earn some hard-earned money; slightly better-off families stay by their own stoves, drinking wine and chatting; rich people go to taverns and brothels to drink, sing, and find women, living a carefree life.

  But for cultivators, there is no such leisure. Regardless of spring, summer, autumn or winter, regardless of whether it's windy or rainy, cultivating and improving their cultivation seems to be their only pursuit and pleasure. Or perhaps the cruel reality is driving them to strive forward.

  Kuo Fei stood in the backyard of Xi Yuan, amidst the swirling snowflakes, his entire figure seemingly merging with the white landscape. The air was filled with large snowflakes carrying a hint of chill that seeped into his skin through his thin clothing, blending with the ninja energy within him to produce a sense of fusion with water, which did not make Kuo Fei feel uncomfortable at all, but rather gave him a refreshing feeling.

  "Hiss!" Guo Fei's figure flickered, the Xuan Yue curved knife darting back and forth like a black lightning bolt dancing in the snowy sky. After several days of practice, the strange Xuan Yue curved knife had already shown its power in Guo Fei's hands, sinister and swift.

  "Milord, the county lady has arrived!" A servant clad in thick cotton clothing came forward to report.

  "Hmm!" Guo Fei hummed softly and stopped in his tracks, arriving at the living room.

  Zhao Xue wore a white fox fur coat, her small face frozen red and puffy, looking like a doll.

  "County Master, on such a cold day, why aren't you resting in the manor? How did you end up here?" Guo Fei shook off the thick snow from his body and chuckled lightly.

  "It's still you monks who are robust. On such a cold day, wearing only a single layer of clothing and yet not feeling the slightest bit cold." Zhao Xue said with a smile as she looked at Guo Fei's sturdy physique.

  "The county master has cultivated to the level of a Daoist, I'm afraid that this vast snow's chilliness is as warm as the spring breeze in March for the county master, or perhaps the county master has a powerful weapon."

  "Don't call me 'young mistress' all the time, it sounds like you're trying to keep your distance from me. From now on, just call me Xue Er." Zhao Xue said with a gentle smile.

  Kuo Fei was taken aback, then laughed and said: "I dare not, if the unmarried men of Heishi County hear about it, I might be killed by being surrounded."

  "Shameless!" Zhao Xuejiao laughed and continued, "Today I came mainly to deliver the identity certificate for entering the Refiner's Manor. Two months later, the selected refiners will go to the Imperial Capital to report, don't miss the trip. Let's discuss the itinerary to the Imperial Capital."

  "Are you going to the unified organization of the lord's mansion?" Guo Fei hesitated and asked.

  "No. After each contestant receives the admission certificate, they can go on their own. According to the rules of the Zhao royal family, all young nobles must enter the Xiu Shi Fu for training after turning 20, so I have to go too. We'll be leaving in two days, with a company of Imperial Guards accompanying us. I think you should come with me. Zhao Ba has already left ahead of time."

  "Oh. I'd like to travel with the princess, but I also want to return to Hei Bi for a trip, to see my brothers who have been through life and death together. The princess can go first, and I'll catch up later. As a single person, I can move faster." Guo Fei thought about it and decided to go to the imperial capital alone, as being with Zhao Xue would be inconvenient in many ways, and his soldiers were trapped in the Bing Fu space, which was not a solution, they also needed training to improve.

  "Making excuses, are you deliberately avoiding me!" Zhao Xue's face was angrily said.

  "How could that be? The county lord's beauty is extraordinary, I'd love to spend the whole day with you, hehe. Why don't you stay tonight, the heavy snow is falling, it's a night of candlelight and flowers in the bridal chamber, it has a special charm!" Guo Fei looked out at the heavy snow outside, smiling lightly.

  "Die beautifully! Tonight, Father and Mother are also going to have dinner with me at Lengdao's place. So I must go back."

  "Invite Lengdao?" Guo Fei asked with a hint of surprise.

  "Lengdao is my father's trusted aide, he wants to leave here for the imperial capital to study at the Xiu Shi Fu, and since he has a deep relationship with my father, along the way, my father asked him to escort me to the imperial capital. I originally wanted you to come along, but some people don't appreciate it, and I couldn't do anything about it." Zhao Xue put down a token on the table and stood up to leave.

  "County master, why be angry? Maybe I'll catch up with you soon." Guo Fei smiled and said.

  "I hope so. Maybe they don't even have me in their heart anymore and want to go meet their own 'little sweetheart'?"

  "Hehe, such a big vinegar taste, this is not the style of the young lady!" Guo Fei sent her to the gate of the courtyard and smiled.

  "Remember to catch up with us, it's good for you!" Zhao Xue lightly turned her body, kissed Guo Fei on the cheek, giggled and got into the Lord's carriage, leaving.

  "It's all settled! Hehe." Guo Fei rubbed his cheek with a smile and walked into the room.

  On the table in the living room was an iron plaque, with ancient and simple patterns engraved on it. On one side was also engraved the national emblem of Zhao Guo, a black giant axe.

  Guo Fei put away the iron plaque, looked around Xishuang and called over his attendants to tell them that he was leaving. Since he had already bid farewell to Zhao Xue, Guo Fei naturally had to leave, and what was most important was to go to a place without human habitation to intensify his martial arts training.

  Arrived at the main city of Heishi County, bought a lot of dry food and daily necessities, also bought some tents for camping in the wild. Although with Guo Fei's cultivation, he didn't need these to camp outdoors, but Guo Fei was a person who liked to enjoy himself, so he could rest more comfortably and didn't want to sleep under the stars.

  These goods are extremely abundant in the city of Heishi County, and demon hunters often travel between rivers, mountains, and valleys for years, so they also need these things, so the sales volume is large, and there are many business households.

  Apart from daily necessities, Guo Fei also bought a map at the grocery store. In this world, maps were extremely expensive things, more expensive than ordinary weapons. For example, a map of Zhao State would cost ten gold coins, and if it extended to several surrounding countries, it would cost over a hundred gold coins. A map of the entire North Yuan was basically priceless.

  Moreover, the map annotations are not very detailed, only roads, towns and other obvious landmarks are marked, while mountain ranges, rivers, lakes, etc. are only annotated with regions, without a very detailed description. There is only an annotation to remind whether it is a dangerous area.

  However, only monks traveling on the mainland need maps. Ordinary people may never leave their hometowns and do not need these.

  Guo Fei bought a map that extended to several countries around Zhao Guo. Guo Fei is now rich, the beast skin and demon blood in the military symbol space were all sold, these things are useless in his hands. A total of 150,000 gold coins were sold, making Guo Fei earn a small fortune.

  As I walked out of the Blackstone County town, the sky had already darkened, and the heavy snow in the sky was swirling and fluttering, as if it showed no signs of stopping.

  There are two roads to the Zhao State royal city. One is the official road, which has official postal stations along the way and passes through the town of Sancha. The other is a small path that winds its way over mountains and precipices, slanting southeast directly towards the capital. This road is extremely dangerous, with steep cliffs and deep valleys, and in some places there are no signs of human habitation, only wild beasts and monsters roaming about. Although it is somewhat shorter than the official road, neither merchants nor officials choose to take this route.

  Guo Fei chose this road because it was remote and had few people, which is why Guo Fei made the choice.

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