"I detest those swindlers and charlatans most in my life." It seemed Ajiao held little affection for fortune tellers, turning her face away with palpable annoyance.

Ye Xiu himself had studied the Zhou Yi, and though he harbored a dislike for divination, he couldn't entirely dismiss the mysteries it purported to hold. Given that they had nowhere else to go, he might as well let this old man cast a reading for him.

Chapter One Hundred and Forty-Five Chapter One Hundred and Forty-Five

Ye Xiu motioned for Ajiao to remain silent, stepping forward instead to pay his respects to the elder. "This junior is Ye Xiu, paying respects to Mr. Zhou Yanzi."

Upon hearing this, the old man slowly straightened up, his canvas awning swaying, and chuckled, "Young brother, you know this old man?"

"I do not."

"Then how do you know my name?"

Ye Xiu pointed toward his ear. "Did not Senior Zhou name himself in his doggerel verse? The poem stated, 'Where you pass, seek Zhou Yanzi.'"

"Heh, indeed, indeed." Zhou Yanzi stroked his beard, laughing candidly. "I observe, young brother, that your forehead is full and your jawline square; I presume..."

"Ahem..." Ye Xiu quickly feigned a cough, interrupting Zhou Yanzi. He could not abide these cultured, well-mannered fortune-telling elders. "Meeting Senior Zhou, I naturally have a request. However, I am not seeking a reading; I merely wish to ask for directions."

"The path lies beneath your feet; why ask so many questions?" Zhou Yanzi spoke with a cool, measured tone, neither fast nor slow. "There are dangers on the path ahead; the return journey may be indefinitely postponed, young brother. You walked your way out; do you still know how to walk back?"

Ye Xiu paid no mind to Zhou Yanzi's riddles, reaching directly for his sword. "I wish to go to Myriad Sword City. Surely, Senior, having traversed the martial world for decades, there is no road you do not know."

Zhou Yanzi looked intently at Ye Xiu, his eyes occasionally flashing with light, then lowering as he sighed, seeming to deliberately ignore Ye Xiu’s words.

"Senior Zhou..." Seeing the old man act this way, Ye Xiu grew restless. "I truly have pressing matters requiring me to reach Myriad Sword City quickly. I am troubled because I do not know the route, and thus, I am immobilized."

"I observe, young brother, that your forehead is full and your jawline square; you will surely achieve great things in the future. Why not let this old man examine your palm again?" To Ye Xiu's utter bewilderment, Zhou Yanzi had remained silent only to continue studying his facial features.

"I only want directions. If you can tell me, please do. As for fortune-telling, I genuinely have no money to give you. My wife and I need to continue our journey." Ye Xiu was truly impatient now, pulling Ajiao over and adopting a stance as if preparing to leave.

"Who is your wife, hey?" Although Ajiao was scolding Ye Xiu, a smile played on her lips. It was perhaps the first time a man had referred to her as such, and she was secretly pleased. "The husband I seek could never be like you..."

"Like me, what? Like me—handsome and dashing, overwhelmingly attractive, highly skilled in martial arts, and resourceful," Ye Xiu blocked Ajiao's retort with a string of self-praising adjectives, then turned back to glance at Zhou Yanzi. "Never mind, Senior. If you are unwilling to tell us, we will find the way ourselves."

"Hmph! We will certainly find it ourselves," Ajiao chimed in, walking ahead with her head held high.

"Hahahaha, young brother, if you won't have your fortune read, so be it. Myriad Sword City is the center of the Three Swords Realm. You are currently at Cangshan Sea in the south; to reach Myriad Sword City, just keep heading north," Zhou Yanzi did not wish to trouble Ye Xiu further. He dropped this piece of advice earnestly, then lifted his canvas awning, shook his bell, and walked off in another direction. "There may be no peace within the Three Swords Realm."

"This..." Ye Xiu hesitated, bowed his thanks, and pulled Ajiao along to begin their journey. Unexpectedly, Ajiao shook off his hand. "Who allowed you to take my hand?"

"Hoo..." Ye Xiu sighed, muttering, "Who cares about holding your hand? I was only worried that you, with your spoiled, young lady temper, would wander off and get us lost. By the way, do you have any silver on you?"

"What is silver?" Ajiao pouted, looking utterly blank.

"Damn it!" Ye Xiu exclaimed loudly. Then, he considered that this place was likely not the Central Plains, where they might not recognize the common currency called silver. He quickly explained, "It’s what you use when you’re hungry and need to eat, when you have to buy things from others."

"Oh, you mean Myriad Coin," Ajiao suddenly realized. "Why buy food if we need to eat? We can just find it ourselves. Besides, I never carry money. Someone always prepares it for me."

"You..." Ye Xiu stood gaping at Ajiao, mouth wide open. "My esteemed lady, you don't know the way, you don't carry money, and I don't have any money either. Aren't you afraid of starving if you follow me? What if we run into bandits and I can't protect you?"

"I can't worry about all that," Ajiao snapped, sensing Ye Xiu’s slight disdain. Now she was genuinely upset; she rushed forward and grabbed the sleeve of Ye Xiu’s robe. "I'm bored most of the time anyway. I’ll come along to Myriad Sword City to see the sights this time. Besides, I'm strong in martial arts; I can protect you if we meet any robbers or villains."

"Fine, you win," Ye Xiu replied, hanging his head heavily and starting to walk listlessly. Ajiao, however, was the complete opposite of Ye Xiu's mood. She held Ye Xiu's hand tightly, swinging it back and forth as they walked, much like schoolchildren heading home from school.

As the saying goes, working together makes the labor lighter for a couple, but Ye Xiu finally understood how misleading that saying was. For instance, when walking as a pair, Ajiao behaved like an overgrown child, constantly needing to swing his hand as they proceeded. Furthermore, the cute little pendants on her clothes would jingle incessantly with every swing, ensuring Ye Xiu’s mind was never at peace during their journey. Nevertheless, bringing Ajiao along wasn't entirely without benefit. At least, traveling north from Cangshan Sea, they followed the coastline. When hungry, they ate fish, thanks to Ajiao’s divine skills in fishing and roasting. When tired, they rested on the beach with Ajiao entertaining him with chatter and laughter. Such a simple life was truly enjoyable.

One day, the pair traveled happily to a stretch of forest, finally leaving behind the great rivers and lakes. Ye Xiu knew his destination was near, as he could already see the hustle and bustle of some structures beyond the mountains.

"Hand over all your money." Six or seven burly, rough-looking men suddenly burst from the woods. They wore coarse clothing, using only scraps of cloth to cover their lower halves, but the large, frightening broadswords in their hands gleamed menacingly. "Boy, we only seek wealth, not to harm anyone. Hand over your money obediently, and we'll let you two, husband and wife, pass."

"Did you hear that, wife?" Ye Xiu smirked and looked toward Ajiao beside him. "This time, I'm not taking advantage of you; others are saying it for us."

"Insolent!" Ajiao flared up instantly, drawing her trident from her waist and positioning it in front of Ye Xiu. "Listen, you petty thieves! I am not his wife, and neither of us has any money. If you have any, hand it over to me, and I might let you pass."

"My heavens," Ye Xiu quickly covered his face. Although they were only petty thugs, he felt it was rather embarrassing to be seen with Ajiao. This girl spoke without thinking, and he couldn't tell if she was being too savage or too simple.

"It seems you refuse the toast and prefer the penalty. Brothers, charge!" The leader raised his blade and commanded the others to rush toward Ajiao. However, as those ruffians charged, they held their swords in their mouths and crawled on the ground, supporting themselves with their hands, looking exactly like a pack of lions.

"So, you are the scum of the Beast Race," Ajiao rebuked furiously, spinning her trident, her killing intent already dense.