As the young woman busied herself gathering firewood, Zhou Huan stepped in to lend a hand, asking as he worked, "You live here all by yourself?" "Yes, I grew up here, so this is home to me!" "Oh? Then who else is in your family?" Zhou Huan asked casually. The girl smiled.

"I have a grandmother, and an older brother!" "Really? Then why isn't your brother out here helping with the firewood? Why is it up to a little girl to do the work!" Zhou Huan certainly knew how to speak to a young woman.

The girl chuckled. "Brother went to the Capital the day before yesterday. He won't be back for a few months, so until then, it falls to me to look after Grandma." "Aren't you afraid of mountain bandits or someone doing you harm?" Zhou Huan’s casual inquiry, however, immediately provoked the young woman's displeasure.

Her expression instantly turned stern. "What do you mean by that? Hmph.

If anyone dares to cause trouble for our family, I'll make sure they regret it!" As she spoke, she pointed toward the waterway in the river. Without Zhou Huan seeing her produce anything, she flicked her finger, and instantly, the river water churned up a high spray. The girl's flick truly astonished Zhou Huan; it was clearly some kind of martial art akin to the legendary Finger-Flicking Divine Skill.

The girl proudly puffed out her firm, delicate chest. "See that? I'm telling you, don't get any wicked ideas about this young lady, or you'll be sorry!" Zhou Huan felt slightly aggrieved by her tone, but overall, he found this young woman rather interesting, admitting to himself that he quite liked her—to say otherwise would be a lie.

Seeing that Zhou Huan hadn't returned for a long time, Tian Lang followed to see what was keeping him. This entire scene was caught in Tian Lang's view. "Brother, what are you doing?" Tian Lang saw that the girl had used her technique, meaning a conversation was underway, but knowing the girl was about to leave, he stepped forward to call out to Zhou Huan.

Zhou Huan didn't react strongly; it wasn't that he was smitten with the girl, but he was intensely curious about the technique she employed. However, there was nothing he could do; he couldn't shamelessly beg to see it again. So, he offered a polite greeting, then turned and headed back to their encampment.

The girl watched Zhou Huan leave, yet she remained quite interested in him. She sensed his grounded steadiness, which was critically important to a young woman; without a man possessing stability and a sense of responsibility, they lacked a significant degree of security. "Big Brother, do you know what this place is called?" Zhou Huan was still preoccupied with the girl's earlier display, merely seeking information.

Tian Lang shook his head. "I only know this area is called Great Black Mountain. If there are homesteads here, I really don't know the village name.

I have no clue about the origins of this family, either. Should I accompany you to look around?" "This..." Zhou Huan hesitated. Going to find the house was possible, but if he found the girl, what would he say?

Could he directly ask about her martial arts? That was clearly too abrupt. After some thought, Zhou Huan decided, "How about this: Big Brother, help me gather much more firewood.

We'll follow the route the young lady took. Consider the firewood a gift for them; I have something I need to ask them about!" Tian Lang broke into a sly, knowing grin as he gathered wood. "Brother, have you taken a liking to the young lady?" "Not at all!

I just want to see what kind of martial art that was—it was truly captivating. If we could learn some of those methods, it would certainly be beneficial for us," Zhou Huan stated plainly. Yet, Tian Lang believed Zhou Huan wasn't telling the whole truth.

In his eyes, Zhou Huan was certainly interested in the girl. But since they had sworn brotherhood, Tian Lang was willing to help Zhou Huan out and do him a favor. In no time, the two had gathered three or four bundles of firewood.

After securing them on their backs, they followed the path the young woman had taken. The path was overgrown with weeds, clearly not frequently traveled, yet it was recognizable as a route. They ascended a small slope, leading to a small grove of trees.

In a clearing within the grove sat a remarkably quaint courtyard. "There don't seem to be any other houses here; this must be it. Let's go see, hoping to achieve my goal," Zhou Huan murmured, but Tian Lang interjected.

"I hope my wish can be granted, too." Tian Lang’s comment made Zhou Huan pause sharply. He was there to learn skills; what was Tian Lang there for? Could it be that he had taken a liking to the girl?

The two brothers carried their respective burdens of firewood, each harboring different thoughts, walking up to the courtyard. Zhou Huan raised his hand to knock, then called out, "Is anyone home?" "Who is it?" Zhou Huan could clearly recognize the girl’s bright, sweet voice, as not much time had passed. The girl skipped out, showing no fear of strangers.

Upon seeing Zhou Huan, she immediately bristled her delicate eyebrows and chewed her lip. "What is your deal? Not only did you act like a hooligan, but now you've followed me home!

Didn't you see my technique just now? Be careful, or I’ll send you packing!" Hearing this, Zhou Huan plastered a wide smile on his face. "Miss, you misunderstand.

I was bathing when you saw me earlier. This time, I've brought four bundles of firewood for your family. I figured since your brother is away, caring for your grandmother must be difficult..." "Haha, stop with the unsolicited kindness.

However, you can leave the firewood. As for you, if you have nothing else to do, leave quickly. I have guests inside and shouldn't keep them waiting." The young woman took the two bundles from Zhou Huan’s back and tossed them into the courtyard.

Tian Lang followed suit, dropping his two bundles inside. He remained silent the whole time. But Tian Lang thought to himself: since the girl accepted the firewood, it meant she was open to accepting Zhou Huan.

Therefore, Tian Lang addressed the girl. "Little Miss, I heard you demonstrated something called Finger-Flicking Divine Skill just now?" "That's not Finger-Flicking Divine Skill; that's called Qi-Flicking. It relies on the intensity of air currents to strike a target," the girl replied effortlessly.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Huan immediately sensed the magic in this technique, finding it curiously similar to his own method of Talisman Striking—she struck with compressed air, while he struck with talismans. The young girl looked between Zhou Huan and Tian Lang, propping her chin on one hand, pondering deeply before a look of sudden understanding washed over her face. "Oh, so you've come here to inquire about the Fang family's Qi-Flicking technique?" "Hehe, we just wanted to witness it, maybe see you demonstrate it again for us." "Hmph.

Our family's skills are not for public sharing. I think you two should leave, or I will have to ask you to depart!" "Ahem!" A coughing sound came from inside the house, and an elder stepped out. Before even reaching the doorway, his voice boomed with authority.

"Fang Fang, do not be rude. Anyone who manages to find their way here is destined to meet us. Don't be so quick to chase people away." As the elder revealed himself, Zhou Huan and Tian Lang recognized him instantly: he was the same elderly man who had saved them on the mountain earlier.

How could he be here? "Grandpa Yun, they brought us firewood with bad intentions; they want to learn our Qi-Flicking magic!" the young girl complained, but the elder simply smiled. Upon seeing the elder, Zhou Huan and Tian Lang immediately bowed low.

"Old Benefactor, how can you be here?" "Oh, so it's you two. I thought it was someone else," the elder stroked his beard. "I see you both possess some degree of skill, so why would you seek out our humble methods?

Why come here to ask for instruction?" Hearing this, Zhou Huan moved closer to the young girl. "Didn't you say it was just you and your grandmother here? Who is this man, and how did he end up here?" Zhou Huan knew the question was perhaps superfluous—other people's affairs weren't his concern—but he felt compelled to ask.

He wanted to ascertain the full background of these people. This was rugged, remote territory, and one never knew the full story. Understanding more was always advantageous; caution could steer a thousand-year voyage.