Chapter 103 Dual Cultivation

As evening fell, the Fuwei Escort Agency arrived in Hengyang City, and the group found an inn to stay at.

Tomorrow they will part ways—Zheng, the镖头 (bodyguard), and others will escort the ashes of their fallen brothers back to Fuzhou, while the Lin family of three, along with Qu Feiyan, Sunflower Girl, and the female coachman, will head north to Kaifeng. Wei Mama and the pimp Xiaobao will naturally return to Qunyu Courtyard.

Lin Zhennan originally thought that since they were going north by water, the female driver could go back, but she refused.

Shi Potian could tell that this female coachman was no ordinary coachman; she also possessed martial arts skills and was likely responsible for protecting Sunflower Girl.

In the backyard of the inn, several carriages were parked in a row. Chief镖师 Zheng, Chief镖师 Shi, and others stood in the courtyard, looking at the boxes containing ashes, which had been previously stored in Hengyang City.

With their great revenge fulfilled, their fallen brothers could finally rest in peace, but everyone's eyes still reddened, though they bravely held back their tears.

Li, the head镖师 (bodyguard/escort), walked over and patted him on the shoulder: "Old Zheng, don't think about it anymore. The young head镖师 (bodyguard/escort) has avenged us, and the brothers can rest in peace."

Chief镖师 Zheng nodded and said in a hoarse voice, "I know. It's just... I always feel a sense of regret."

On the other side, Chief Escort Wang was inspecting the carriage wheel axle, with Ma San helping him. They were both seasoned veterans, knowing they would be traveling a long distance tomorrow, and the carriage and horses had to be properly prepared.

Hearing Zheng, the head镖师, express his regret, he added, "Yes, if the brothers were alright, they would be so happy to see their young head镖师 looking so majestic."

Lin Zhennan walked over and said in a deep voice, "Old Zheng, Old Li, Old Wang, you guys go first. Be careful on the road, no need to rush, brothers... a few more days won't make a difference."

Chief镖师 Zheng clasped his hands and said, "Rest assured, Chief镖师, I will definitely escort the brothers home safely."

Lin Zhennan nodded, gave a few more instructions, and then turned to walk towards the guest room.

Madam Wang was packing her belongings in the room when her husband came in. She asked softly, "Have you gone to see Ping'er yet?"

Lin Zhennan said, "We're talking in Miss Feifei's room."

Madam Wang paused, then sighed, "This child, I don't know what she's thinking. We know nothing about Sunflower Girl's background, and her opponent is such a formidable opponent..."

Lin Zhennan sat down at the table, remained silent for a moment, and said, "Madam, Pingzhi has grown up. He has his own ideas."

Madam Wang's eyes reddened slightly: "I know, but I just... I'm worried. When his martial arts were weak, Flying Eagle and Horse worried about him. Now that his martial arts are so high, yet he's going to do great things, I'm still worried about him."

Lin Zhennan held her hand and said softly, "We're going with him to help him, aren't we? Although our martial arts skills are average, our experience in the martial world is top-notch."

Madam Wang said, "What use is experience alone? We also need to hurry up and practice. Once we've mastered all the martial arts that Pingzhi taught us, we'll at least be first-rate masters. Then we won't hold him back anymore."

Lin Zhennan said, "Madam is right. We've been traveling by boat all the way, which has given us a good opportunity to practice the internal energy cultivation method that Ping'er taught us. This internal energy cultivation method is truly extraordinary. Let's get some rest."

Madam Wang nodded.

Silent all night.

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, everyone got up and set off.

Chief镖师 Zheng, Chief镖师 Shi, and others, carrying the carriage containing the ashes, clasped their hands in greeting to Lin Zhennan and his wife, saying, "Chief镖师, Madam, take care!"

Lin Zhennan nodded: "Be careful on the road."

Madam Wang also instructed, "Once we arrive in Fuzhou, make sure the brothers are settled first; there's no rush for anything else."

Chief Escort Zheng solemnly agreed, then clasped his hands in a fist salute to Shi Potian: "Young Chief Escort, take care!"

Shi Potian said, "Chief Escort Zheng, let's go back and have a drink!"

The carriage slowly started moving, drove out of the city gate, and headed southeast.

That's the road to Chaling and Yongxin, passing through Tieniu Pass into Fujian.

Shi Potian stood there, watching the carriage gradually disappear into the morning mist.

Qu Feiyan tugged at his sleeve: "Little brother, we should get going!"

Shi Potian nodded and looked at Sunflower Girl. The two of them had also finished packing and were ready to set off.

The group hurried towards the dock. The Xiangjiang River dock outside Hengyang City was bustling with activity, with boats coming and going.

With a considerable sum of money to be won, Lin Zhennan specially found a large passenger ship with several cabins and hired a boatman, and the group boarded the ship.

The sails were raised, and the ship slowly moved away from the shore.

Standing on the boat, a gentle river breeze was blowing. If the journey was safe, it would be a very comfortable trip.

Qu Feiyan stood at the bow of the boat, watching the dock recede into the distance, excitedly waving her arms and legs: "We're on a boat! We're on a boat! This is my first time on such a big boat!"

Madam Wang smiled and pulled her over: "Don't stand so close to the side, you might fall."

Qu Feiyan stuck out her tongue and obediently took a few steps back.

Sunflower Girl stepped out of the cabin, stood by the boat, and gazed at the surging river, lost in thought.

A river breeze swept by, lifting the sleeves of the Sunflower Girl's dress; her red gown fluttered as if she wished to ride the wind and return home.

Shi Potian walked up to her and said, "Miss Sunflower, we can take a boat to Kaifeng. Your enemies might not be able to find you, so the journey will be safe."

Sunflower Girl turned to look at him and laughed, "Young镖头 (镖头 is a term for a镖头, meaning镖头 is a kind of镖头, meaning镖头 is a kind of镖头) now."

These words were quite amusing, and Shi Potian couldn't help but laugh.

He said, "You are my dart, I must protect you well."

He said, "You are my dart, I must protect you well."

Sunflower Girl was slightly taken aback, then smiled.

Unexpectedly, despite her unparalleled martial arts skills and heavy burdens, she would one day have someone say to her, "I will protect you well." It was a wonderful experience for her.

"What a wonderful 'You are my dart'!" Sunflower Girl gazed at the Xiang River flowing northward, eagles soaring in the sky, and said leisurely.

"Young Master Escort, you are a good escort. I also want to be a good escort."

Shi Potian didn't understand what the escort meant. The two stood side by side at the bow of the boat, gazing at the surging river, speechless for a moment.

Shi Potian suddenly asked, "Can I help you with your internal injuries?"

Sunflower Girl looked at him: "Help me?"

Shi Potian nodded: "When you circulate your internal energy, do you feel a burning sensation all over your body, like it's on fire?"

A hint of surprise flashed in Sunflower Girl's eyes: "How did you know?"

Shi Potian said, "I can see that. Your internal strength is extremely profound, but your yang energy is too strong. Every time you circulate your energy, your blood boils, so your face turns red, your body gets hot, and you even go into qi deviation."

Sunflower Girl was stunned.

This young man actually saw right through her problem at a glance!

Her injury was not an ordinary internal injury, but rather caused by a qi deviation during her cultivation. The internal energy she cultivated was extremely special; originally, her path had been smooth and rapid, and she had already become a force to be reckoned with at a young age.

She thought she had found a smooth path, but recently a surge of intense yang energy has appeared in her body. Every time she practices, she feels unbearably hot and painful. She then realizes that she is also facing the first hurdle of this divine skill.

She frequented brothels, places steeped in yin energy, and even performed embroidery for customers, mostly in search of a solution. But last night, she finally lost control and went mad.

"You... can cure it?" she asked tentatively, her tone surprisingly excited.

Shi Potian thought for a moment and said, "I can help you absorb that heat."

Suck it away?

Sunflower Girl was taken aback, then realized: "You mean, you'll help me share that yang energy?"

Shi Potian nodded: "When you are cultivating, transfer that hot energy to me and I will help you dissipate it. That way, you can restore your strength on your own."

Sunflower Girl fell silent.

Transferring one's inner energy to another is an extremely dangerous act. A slight misstep could lead to qi deviation, resulting in either death or serious injury. Moreover, her cultivation level is astonishing, and not just anyone can withstand it.

Moreover, this heat is different from true energy; it contains a kind of heat poison. Even with the Star Absorbing Technique, one would not dare to absorb this heat, otherwise it would inevitably backfire on oneself. This is one of the reasons why she tried to resolve it in the brothel.

But the young man before her also possessed unfathomable martial arts skills, and she couldn't help but believe his words.

"You...really can?" she asked softly.

Shi Potian: "It really works."

Sunflower Girl stared at him blankly, then suddenly smiled.

"Okay," she said softly, "then let's go back to the cabin and try."

The two acted immediately, returning hand in hand to Sunflower Girl's cabin.

The two sat cross-legged on the couch, their palms touching.

Sunflower Girl tried to circulate her Qi throughout her body, and soon a surge of heat rushed out, causing her blood to flow faster and even boil.

He quickly sent the heat to his palm and transmitted it to Shi Potian. As soon as Shi Potian touched the palm, his whole body felt warm.