Chapter 144
Chapter 144: Tossing a Horse with One Hand
When the people nearby saw this, they immediately stepped back several paces, as if they were avoiding venomous snakes. No one stepped forward to check the condition of the man in cyan, let alone offer him any help.
At that very moment, a tiny figure suddenly slipped out from the crowd at the riverbank and trotted up to the man in cyan.
The man’s face was pale as snow. He lay sprawled across the stone pillar, severely weakened from both the wound on his back and the constant use of his lightness skill. He no longer had the strength to treat his injuries, and if things continued like this, he might soon die from blood loss.
The small figure squatted beside him. With great effort, the man in cyan opened his heavy eyelids to look at who had approached.
Before him stood a little girl, perhaps six or seven years old, dressed in a pink gown. Her hair was styled into two adorable buns, her delicate face rosy, lips red, and teeth white—a truly lovable appearance.
The man in cyan, Jin Zheng Jie, slightly opened his mouth as if wanting to speak, yet no sound came forth.
Just as he opened his mouth, the little girl swiftly reached out, stuffing something quickly into his mouth.
Without saying a single word, she immediately turned and darted back the way she had come.
Clop, clop, clop!
The sound of horse hooves echoed from behind the crowd. As people turned their heads, they saw an elder leading a pack mule slowly approaching the riverside.
Whenever the elder passed, those around him felt themselves being gently pushed aside by an invisible Qi, clearing a path just wide enough for him and his mule.
“Grandfather!”
The pink-clad girl ran up to the elder and called out sweetly.
The hemp-robed elder, whose forehead was deeply lined and whose drooping lips resembled a ruined eave, looked lovingly at the little girl. With a rough, aged hand, he affectionately patted her head and grinned, saying, “Don’t run around too much.”
As he spoke, he raised his eyes and glanced toward the stone pillar by the riverbank.
Surprisingly, Jin Zheng Jie, who had previously been unable to move, was now sitting upright in meditation, eyes closed as he circulated his inner energy to stop the bleeding and heal his wounds.
Seeing this, the spectators glanced curiously at the elder and the little girl, guessing that the girl had given Jin Zheng Jie some kind of powerful healing medicine.
At the same time, Hu Rui An’s eyes fell upon the hemp-robed elder, and he nodded slowly, “Indeed, he is an expert.”
Li Mu Sheng stroked his chin thoughtfully, remarking, “That old man really knows how to put on a good show!”
Nearby, Millenary Commander Wu Shang and Cheng Zhong frowned slightly as they gazed toward the opposite shore. Wu Shang said, “Although we are already over thirty, none of us have yet married. Those men across the river might not let us pass.”
Hearing this, Hu Rui An withdrew his gaze from the elder and glanced casually at the opposite shore, seemingly unconcerned. He simply said, “I noticed the bridge over Giant Deer River seems deliberately damaged. Those men on the opposite bank have made such peculiar demands—I suspect there’s more going on here.”
He gave Wu Shang and Cheng Zhong a quick glance before adding, “Later, follow behind me to cross the river. They won’t dare trouble you. As for what happens after we cross… we’ll decide then.”
Clearly, Hu Rui An preferred avoiding unnecessary trouble. Since they were still within Deer Slaying Manor’s territory, he did not wish to stir up unnecessary conflict.
Just then, a cry of pain sounded from the stone pillar.
Jin Zheng Jie clenched his teeth and pulled out the arrow from his back. He then took a bottle of trauma medicine from his robe, enduring the agony as he treated his wound.
Seeing this, some martial artists who had earlier planned to cross the river like Jin Zheng Jie glanced fearfully at the people opposite, losing any desire to attempt crossing.
However, at that moment, everyone suddenly noticed the hemp-robed elder pulling his mule loaded with a bundle, slowly moving toward the stone pillar.
Upon reaching it, the elder bent down and gently lifted the pink-clad girl onto the mule’s back, instructing softly, “Hold on tight.”
The girl obediently nodded and hugged the mule’s neck tightly.
Those around watched, bewildered, unable to understand the elder’s intention.
But in the very next moment, their eyes widened dramatically.
Without any visible effort, the elder astonished everyone by casually lifting the mule—easily weighing over six hundred pounds—with just one hand, placing it at shoulder height.
The mule trembled visibly, sensing something unusual was about to happen. Yet, the girl atop merely blinked her dark eyes calmly, showing no fear.
Before anyone could recover from their astonishment, the elder suddenly hurled the mule into the air!
All eyes followed the mule as it soared across the wide river, completely capturing everyone’s attention.
They watched, stunned, as the mule flew over the hundred-zhang expanse of water toward the opposite bank, utterly amazed.
Only then did someone realize that the hemp-robed elder, whom they’d momentarily forgotten, had disappeared at some point. Incredibly, he had reached the opposite shore even before the mule. Calmly and effortlessly, he caught the animal mid-air and gently set it down.
Everyone on this side of the river stood utterly speechless, gaping in shock. The black-clad man on the opposite shore, who had previously attacked Jin Zheng Jie, never once made another move. Whether this was because the elder, the girl, and the mule fell outside his stated restrictions or because he was awed into stillness by the elder’s remarkable feat, none could say for sure.
“Well done, well done, well done!” Li Mu Sheng suddenly clapped his hands, exclaiming.
Hu Rui An, Wu Shang, and the others glanced over, assuming Li Mu Sheng was impressed by the elder’s incredible strength.
In truth, Li Mu Sheng was simply admiring how convincingly the old man had just shown off.
At that moment, Hu Rui An looked at Li Mu Sheng and narrowed his eyes slightly, saying, “Young master, there’s no need to envy. Actually, I can do something similar.”
Without warning, Hu Rui An raised his hand and swiftly struck the ground below him with a palm.
Instantly, the carriage beneath him soared into the air.
Cao Gao Shan, sitting at the front, had barely registered what was happening before he felt a surge of invisible Qi envelop him. Suddenly, the carriage he was driving flew across the river, swiftly clearing the hundred-zhang distance and landing smoothly on the other side.
Everything happened so quickly. The martial artists at the riverside, still reeling from the elder’s astonishing feat of throwing a mule across the river, now stared in disbelief as a carriage also flew overhead.
By the time they realized what had happened, the carriage had already safely reached the opposite shore.