Tian Kun was still a child. Since his birth, he had never spoken to outsiders, and his thoughts were simple. After contemplating it for a moment, he realized Zhao You Heavenly Pond was neither an island nor a courtyard, so he honestly replied, "Neither."
The ship owner was stunned, and the enthusiasm in his expression instantly cooled. Waving his sleeve, he said, "There are a few empty spots in the lower cabin. Go sit over there." Thıs content belongs to novel※fire.net
Mrs. Chen entered this Dragon Abyss Marsh and was surrounded everywhere by celestial scenery, truly magnificent beyond measure.
Though Zhao You Heavenly Pond’s Daoist Field was vast, it happened not to be located within the Mountain Gate. Therefore, she couldn’t ascertain Zhang Yan’s standing within the sect or whether he had offended someone.
Born into an official family, she had seen plenty of intrigue and scheming since childhood. Now, as a newcomer, she remained wary and did not dare to casually mention Zhang Yan’s name. She feared that if there were any Immortal in the sect who harbored ill will toward Zhang Yan, misfortune might befall her. She didn’t mind suffering herself, but if her son came to harm, the price was too great.
Thus, she and Tian Kun obeyed and moved to the lower cabin. Although it was dark and damp, it was still a place they could stay.
Their journey proceeded relatively smoothly. They had boarded the ship at noon and, by early evening, arrived at Mystic Turtle Land.
According to Luo Xiao’s earlier instructions, they needed to first head to the tallest building in town—Anhe Hall—to register their information, after which they could settle down properly.
However, upon hurrying there, they found that the Manager had already left. When they inquired with others, they were told someone would come only tomorrow morning. After deliberating, the mother and son had no choice but to find an inn for the night.
They had been on the boat for half a day without consuming any food or drink. Tian Kun was unaffected and seemed entirely unfazed, but Mrs. Chen felt a bit thirsty. Seeing a street vendor selling plums, her mouth watered as she said, "My son, go buy some plums for your mother."
"Alright, Mom, wait here."
Tian Kun agreed immediately. He stood on tiptoes to take a look and saw many people crowding around the plum vendor, so he squeezed through alone.
He had just gone a few steps when a sudden commotion arose in the crowd, followed by startled cries and chaos.
From the other end of the long street came a red-maned Dragon Horse rushing forward. The horse stood a full ten feet tall, with smoke and clouds swirling beneath its hooves half a foot above the ground—a majestic creature indeed. On its back sat a young woman with skin like snow and stunningly beautiful features.
Her expression was filled with panic as she desperately pulled at the reins, trying to stop the galloping horse. However, the steed refused to heed her commands, charging ahead recklessly, forcing the people in the street to scatter in alarm.
The horse was running wildly, picking up speed as it went, heedless of its surroundings. Mrs. Chen stood among the crowd, and when the people suddenly dispersed, she saw the charging horse only then. Her body, fatigued, was slow to react; by the time she tried to dodge, it was already too late. Her face turned pale.
Tian Kun glanced back and, in his urgency, acted without hesitation. With a sudden leap, he placed himself directly in front of the horse’s head, delivering a fierce kick to its knee joint. A loud "crack" was heard, and the horse’s leg broke.
The Dragon Horse let out a wail and staggered forward, collapsing to the ground. The young woman riding it gave a startled cry but, fortunately, she was agile and managed to flip forward, landing steadily on her feet. Instead of checking on the horse, she immediately turned to Tian Kun and ran over, speaking with concern: "Young boy, are you alright?"
Tian Kun snorted and turned away, supporting Mrs. Chen as he asked, "Mom, are you alright?"
Mrs. Chen was startled but grabbed his arm, inspecting him up and down as she asked, "Kun’er, are you hurt?"
Tian Kun shook his head and said, "I’m fine."
The young woman, hearing his reply, also breathed a sigh of relief.
In Nine Cities, some people were born with strong physical constitutions, while others had received guidance from Immortal Masters in the sect. Thus, his ability to kick down the Dragon Horse was not entirely surprising.
However, the young woman gazed at the injured horse with great regret. Biting her lower lip, she felt anxious and muttered quietly to herself, "Tomorrow is the day I’m supposed to seek apprenticeship. This Dragon Horse was meant to be a gift for my master, but now it’s injured here. What a disaster, what a disaster..."
While she fretted and fretted, the sound of approaching hoofbeats resumed from the other end of the street. A tall man in white rode up on horseback, dismounted briskly, and walked coldly to her. His face stern, he reprimanded, "Hmph, if you can’t ride, then don’t. Yet you insist on showing off! Do you know how much effort I put into finding this treasure furnace Dragon Horse for you as your apprenticeship gift? And now you’ve ruined it! With a reckless temperament like yours, if you were to join Zhang Immortal Master’s sect, you’d be expelled sooner or later. Then our Wang Family would lose all face!"
The young woman puffed her cheeks and retorted, "Hmph, what’s so special about that? Second Brother, you weren’t chosen by Master Yang either, so what’s the point of scolding me for this?"
The man in white flared with anger and roared, "You’ve gone too far! How dare you talk back to me! Since you’re so careless, you’re clearly unfit to join Zhang Immortal Master’s sect."
The young woman turned her head away and muttered in a low voice, "If I can’t join, then I won’t. Maybe you should go instead."
The man in white was trembling with fury, stomping the ground as he exclaimed, "Go back home immediately! You’re not allowed to eat tonight, and for the next few days, you’re forbidden from going out! Stop embarrassing yourself outside!"
Seeing his sister’s indifferent attitude, he spoke with heartfelt frustration: "If you continue and accidentally offend Zhang Immortal Master, it won’t just harm you; it’ll ruin our entire family!"
Just as he was about to continue his chastisement, something caught his eye—he noticed Tian Kun helping Mrs. Chen as they prepared to leave. His face darkened, and he shouted coldly, "Stop right there! Wounded my Wang Family’s horse and think you can just walk away?"
Meanwhile, Zhang Yan was traversing the air swiftly, transforming into clouds and smoke as he headed westward toward Dragon Abyss Marsh. Passing briefly over Jiangben Island, he cast a glance but immediately withdrew his gaze, accelerating his tunneling speed. Not long after, he arrived at the gates of Shouming Palace in Little Haohai. From afar, a female cultivator riding an immortal crane approached, bowing respectfully and asking, "Which senior brother has come here?"
Zhang Yan returned the bow with a smile and replied, "I am Zhang Yan of Zhao You Heavenly Pond, here to pay my respects to True Master Peng."
...(To be continued. If you enjoyed this work, feel free to visit Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation votes and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)