At the border of Qingzhou, a young girl dressed in a purple gauze skirt was galloping on horseback across the fields beside the official road.
Beneath her gauze skirt, two slender legs resembling white lotus roots were exposed, dazzling in the sunlight.
The girl's features were exquisite, especially when she squinted and smiled, resembling a delicate flower bud.
Behind her, several black-clad figures on horseback followed closely. Upon closer inspection, one could see that these individuals had a nine-colored lotus flower embroidered on their chests.
"Hurry up, everyone! The Sect Master promised me that if I can snatch the treasure of the number one sword in Qingzhou, I can wield the Red Lotus Blade for two years!"
The girl on horseback waved her whip, moving at an incredible speed, her flowing dress swaying in the wind like a purple lotus dancing.
"Lord Protector, wait for us!" one of the black-clad figures called out, revealing the girl's identity.
Such a spirited and charming girl was actually the Lotus Protector of the Nine Lotus Sect!
The Purple Lotus Protector's steed was exceptionally fast, clearly of noble lineage, a fine horse that left the pursuers far behind.
"Hmm?"
The girl pulled on the reins, looking towards two horse-drawn carriages approaching not far away, her beautiful eyes narrowing like gemstones.
On the front carriage, a round-headed little tiger lay on the roof, proudly surveying its surroundings.
"Wow! It's a little tiger!"
Upon seeing it clearly, the girl in purple let out a delighted laugh and urged her horse towards the carriage.
In no time, she had closed the distance to the carriage.
The tiger cub on the roof, alert, stared at the approaching girl, trying to bare its teeth to intimidate her.
Unfortunately, the girl showed no signs of fear; instead, her eyes sparkled with joy.
She dismounted, lightly tapping her toes on the ground, and with a few quick movements, leaped onto the carriage.
Bang!
Hearing the commotion outside, Li Qing immediately halted his training stance.
"Who goes there?"
Not receiving a response, only the impatient growls of the little tiger could be heard.
Swish!
Li Qing frowned slightly and pulled back the carriage curtain.
He saw a strikingly beautiful girl in purple holding the tiger cub in front of her, continuously rubbing its head.
"Is this tiger yours?" the girl glanced at Li Qing and asked.
Li Qing instinctively looked outside, where a crimson steed was slowly approaching. Even he would find it somewhat strenuous to leap such a distance!
This girl was at least an external strength expert and might have even touched upon the realm of internal strength.
Realizing this possibility, Li Qing's heart immediately grew cautious, though his expression remained largely unchanged.
"Indeed."
The girl chuckled lightly and said, "This tiger is quite nice. Are you willing to sell it to me? Name your price!"
"Hmm? How about this little tiger follows me from now on?"
Unfortunately, the tiger cub was not interested at all; it kept trying to wriggle free from the girl's embrace.
Li Qing clasped his fists and said, "Miss, you jest. This little glutton has grown up with me since it was young; we have developed some feelings over time, and I cannot bear to part with it."
The girl raised her delicate brows like willow leaves, revealing a set of pearly white teeth as she said, "Glutton? You really chose that name casually."
"Alright, a gentleman does not take what others cherish. Since you are reluctant to sell, I won't force the issue; bringing it along is just a burden."
After saying this, she reluctantly scratched the glutton's head before letting the little tiger return to Li Qing's side.
"Thank you for your understanding, Miss!"
Soon, the black-clad figures who had been following the girl also caught up.
Li Qing glanced at them, and upon seeing the nine-colored lotus flower embroidered on their clothing, his heart sank slightly. People from the Nine Lotus Sect!
Are they here to join the commotion over the number one sword in Qingzhou? Qingzhou is truly chaotic now!
"Purple Lotus Protector, what brings you here?" one of the black-clad figures asked.
The girl waved her hand and said, "Let's go. If you ever decide to sell this little tiger, just take this token to any branch of the Nine Lotus Sect in a city, and I guarantee you will be satisfied with the price."
After saying this, she tossed a token engraved with a purple lotus flower to Li Qing.
"By the way, what is your name?" the girl asked casually as she remounted her horse.
To have become a protector of the Nine Lotus Sect at such a young age is truly remarkable!
"I am Wu Chong!"
Not wanting to get involved with such a person, Li Qing quickly thought of a false name.
"Wu Chong? Alright, I will remember you. My name is Shen Lianyi!"
After saying this, the girl waved her whip again and headed towards Jingyang City.
Li Qing watched Shen Lianyi's figure disappear into the distance and couldn't help but let out a sigh.
"A protector of the Nine Lotus Sect is indeed a troublesome character, but thankfully she is not a tyrant."
"If she had wanted to forcefully buy your tiger, you might have had to endure some grievances for a while."
Li Qing patted the tiger cub's head, which wore a silly and endearing expression.
More than ten days passed in the blink of an eye.
Summer was nearing its end, yet the weather remained unbearably hot.
Li Qing brought Gu Yu and his family to the imperial capital, Sheng Tian!
The bustling sounds from the streets outside the city continuously flowed in.
Master Gu's grandson, Gu Yi, was also a restless and mischievous boy. He poked his head out of the carriage, his face filled with wonder as he gazed at the prosperous streets.
He had never seen such a wealthy place in his life; it was truly an eye-opener.
"Mother, look over there! What is that?"
Just then, a lion dance passed by the street, attracting a lot of attention, making little Gu Yi's eyes widen in amazement.
"Are we really going to live here?" Gu Yi exclaimed excitedly, his mind filled with questions at that moment.
"Yes, yes, yes, we will live in Sheng Tian from now on." Gu Yi's mother lovingly patted his head.
Settling in Sheng Tian was undoubtedly a hundred times better than being in Qingzhou!
The capital of a nation, its level of wealth was truly unimaginable.
Thus, the carriage continued on, returning to Chiming Street.
Due to the appearance of mysterious treasures in Qingzhou, many martial artists had left the city, making life much quieter than before.
The attention of the entire Jianghu had shifted from Sheng Tian to Qingzhou.
Li Qing dismounted the carriage and headed straight for the old site of the Qingshan Martial Hall, intending to quickly buy a house for Gu Yu's family and establish a business.
For such matters, finding Big Boss Fang was the best choice, as he was the local power.
As soon as he announced his name, to Li Qing's surprise, Big Boss Fang hurriedly came out.
"Yo, Master Li, you finally returned!"
Big Boss Fang's next words left Li Qing's mouth agape in astonishment.
"You have no idea, while you were away, a female leader from Fengwei Sect has been waiting for you with great anticipation!"
The words "Lotus Protector" took me a long time to pronounce smoothly!
(End of Chapter)