Master of Martial Arts, please enjoy a drunken revelry in the martial world.

Chapter 28 Spending the Night in a Mountain Lodge

The next morning, Gu Qianbei greeted Bai Zhantang and then went to the entrance of the town to meet Xiao Zhao.

Black Wind Ridge is about thirty miles from Qixia Town. It is not all on the official road, so it is not very convenient to travel there.

Speaking of which, when Guo Furong was one of the two fierce rivals, she once attacked a hunter from Black Wind Ridge due to a misunderstanding.

"Xiao Zhao, can you ride a horse?"

When Gu Qianbei asked her question, Xiao Zhao shook her head.

She had never actually learned this.

Dai Qisi didn't specifically teach her either.

After all, this is a skill that is not needed in Qixia Town.

"Then I'll teach you. Riding a horse isn't difficult, and if you're just sitting on it and walking, it's even simpler."

Gu Qianbei himself had only recently learned to ride a horse, but he was a quick learner, so teaching Xiao Zhao at this time was not a problem.

Both of these horses are inferior, so they are not very wild and are perfect for teaching purposes.

Xiao Zhao was also an extremely clever person, and she learned to ride a horse in no time.

"Young master, I can ride a horse now!"

Xiao Zhao rode her horse at a trot for a while, extremely excited.

"Not bad, it seems you have a real talent for this."

Gu Qianbei said with a smile.

The two were not in a hurry to get to Black Wind Ridge. They rode their horses along the way, chatting and laughing, and the atmosphere was quite harmonious.

"By the way, Xiao Zhao. There's something I wanted to discuss with you, but something came up and I couldn't get around to it."

I will be leaving Qixia Town for a while in a little over two months. Could you please watch the shop for me during that time?

With you here, I feel at ease.

"Of course, I will pay you wages, how about two taels of silver a month?"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Zhao's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly asked, "Where are you going? Will you be gone for a long time?"

"Going to the capital. It could take three months if things go smoothly, but it could take about a year if things go slowly."

"It took you so long?"

Xiao Zhao didn't ask Gu Qianbei what he was doing because she felt she wasn't qualified to ask.

But hearing that Gu Qianbei was going to be gone for so long, he couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.

"I can watch the shop for you, but you don't need to pay me."

"How can I do that? As a friend, I can't take advantage of you. Besides, this is going to take quite a while."

If Uncle Ge and Aunt Ge ask, I won't be able to explain myself. They might think I'm taking advantage of their kindness.

If I pay you wages, I can tell them you've come to work for me.

If you don't want wages, I'll have to find someone else.

"Well... alright then, I'll help you. But two ounces a month is too much."

"Not much, not much. Old Bai's monthly wage is two taels of silver, but he provides food and lodging. I don't provide anything, so two taels of silver is very reasonable."

With this money, you could ease some of the burden on Uncle Ge and Aunt Ge, wouldn't you?

Gu Qianbei laughed.

Xiao Zhao felt a warmth in her heart, knowing that Gu Qianbei was thinking of her, and she stopped being coy.

"Alright, thank you then, young master."

"We're already so familiar, why are you being so polite? I'm going to get angry."

Gu Qianbei feigned anger, and Xiao Zhao couldn't help but chuckle at the sight.

For a moment, the distance between the two seemed to shrink.

As the sun set, the two finally arrived at Black Wind Ridge.

"Young master, there are mountain huts left by hunters in Black Wind Ridge. We can rest there tonight and then go to the cliff edge tomorrow to collect thousand-year-old pine knots."

"Okay. I'll do as you say."

Led by Xiao Zhao, the two found the mountain hut before dark.

Although it was the height of summer, the nights at Black Wind Ridge were still chilly.

Gu Qianbei was protected by internal energy, so it wasn't a big deal for him, but Xiao Zhao was frail and couldn't help but tighten her robes.

Seeing this, Gu Qianbei found some dry branches nearby, lit them, and the room immediately became much warmer.

"Come on, have some wine to warm yourself up."

Gu Qianbei handed the gourd containing the Dragon Tiger Wine to Xiao Zhao. Xiao Zhao didn't stand on ceremony and took a sip of the Dragon Tiger Wine. She immediately felt much warmer and even her fatigue was greatly relieved.

"This wine is exceptionally well-brewed. Given time, you will surely become a renowned winemaking master."

Xiao Zhao exclaimed from the bottom of her heart.

"Just trying to make a living."

Gu Qianbei said with a smile, then picked up a slightly straight dry branch with his left hand, and with his right hand, he condensed a golden blade and polished the branch. Then he skewered the branch with sesame cakes and large pieces of braised meat and placed it next to the fire to heat it.

After mastering the Golden Light Mantra, these operations became as simple as eating and sleeping for him.

This scene filled Xiao Zhao with astonishment.

"The martial art you displayed, young master, is truly amazing; it can even transform matter with internal energy?"

"This Golden Light Mantra is indeed very effective."

"Golden Light Mantra? Young master, are you a disciple of the Daoist sect?"

Xiao Zhao asked curiously.

"I wouldn't say that. I only obtained this Golden Light Mantra by chance. I came into this world all alone, with no parents and no sect."

Fortunately, fate was kind to me, and I even had a lucky encounter.

Gu Qianbei smiled faintly, took a sip of wine, and looked quite carefree.

However, in Xiao Zhao's eyes, this carefree attitude was tinged with a hint of sorrow.

She was fostered by her biological mother to live with an ordinary family from a young age, and she often felt miserable.

Uncle Ge and Aunt Ge treated her very well, so she shouldn't have these feelings.

But they weren't her biological parents, so how could she not miss her own mother?

She knew that her biological mother had sent her to live with the Ge family for her own safety.

But the pain of being separated from her loved ones was deeply ingrained in her at such a young age.

Moreover, she often worried that her mother might encounter danger in the martial arts world, or that she might never come back to find her again.

What saddened her most was that a few years ago, her mother brought a girl of similar age to her. The girl was her mother's apprentice, who followed her mother on her adventures and took care of her daily needs.

Xiao Zhao was extremely envious, and even a little jealous.

She longed to tell her mother that she was not afraid of danger or hardship, and that she could be like that girl, always by her side, even if it meant death.

But she also knew that her mother would not agree.

Because every time they met, she would make this request, but every time she was refused.

Gradually, Xiao Zhao also began to doubt whether she was not good enough, which was why she could not gain her mother's approval and why her mother had always left her at the Ge family's house.

She dared not ask, afraid of getting an answer, and also afraid of not getting an answer.

These emotions flashed through Xiao Zhao's mind, and finally she looked at Gu Qianbei with determination.

"Young master, you are no longer alone. You have friends in the inn, and you also have me... this friend."

Friends can also be family.

Just like everyone at Tongfu Inn.

Gu Qianbei was taken aback, wondering why Xiao Zhao was suddenly so serious.

A moment later, Gu Qianbei smiled.

"You're right. Now that we're friends, can you drop that facade and let me see your true colors?"