The world of martial arts, the immortal swordsman in the mortal realm.

Chapter 2.02, Huang Rong's Promise to Lu Chen!
"Master Lu..."

"Just call me Lu Chen."

"Immortal Master is a person from the Immortal Realm, how can I address you by your honorable name? Besides, although you look young, you are actually several hundred years old, aren't you? How about Rong'er calls you Grandpa Lu?"

"...I'm only eighteen."

Even including his past life, he's only in his early forties. Calling him grandpa is too much!

"Haha, I was just joking... Um, Brother Lu, how could you possibly take me to the Immortal Realm to see what it's like?"

Although Huang Rong's bright eyes and expectant look were quite adorable, Lu Chen still shook his head apologetically.

“Miss Huang pulled me out of the sea, and I should repay this kindness, but I have very important business to attend to here, so I cannot go back for the time being.”

"Something important?" Huang Rong's eyes lit up. "What is it? I'll help you!"

"I need to learn some swordsmanship..."

"Swordsmanship?" Huang Rong asked in surprise, "Does the immortal realm also need the swordsmanship of mortals?"

"It's mainly for my personal needs," Lu Chen said frankly. "Miss Huang, I don't deny that my background is somewhat special, but I've always said that I'm just an ordinary person. I'm not kidding you."

Huang Rong nodded with a smile:

"I know, I know, you're an ordinary person, an ordinary person from the Celestial Realm."

Tsk, this girl has completely formed a preconceived notion and is absolutely convinced of it.

Lu Chen was powerless to explain, and could only emphasize his own needs:
"In short, I need to learn swordsmanship; it's very important to me."

Although she didn't quite understand why someone from the immortal realm would need to learn swordsmanship, Huang Rong felt that she could definitely help with this.

If it weren't for the rules of Peach Blossom Island, she could have even taught him the Peach Blossom Island sword technique herself.

However, even without her father's permission, Huang Rong was not allowed to teach Peach Blossom Island sword techniques to outsiders without authorization, but she had other ways.

"Brother Lu, do you have any requirements regarding swordsmanship?"

"There are no requirements. Even common sword techniques from the martial arts world are fine. The only requirement is that you must be able to cultivate internal energy from the outside in."

The "main world" where Lu Chen is in this life also has ancient sword techniques, but they are just ordinary weapon techniques, just like the sword techniques on Earth in his previous life. No matter how you try, you can't cultivate internal energy.

As for his cheat system as a transmigrator, the part related to his personal strength requires swordsmanship that at least allows him to cultivate internal energy to unlock.

That's why he absolutely had to find a world with extraordinary martial arts.

Huang Rong crossed her left arm over her chest, and with her right index finger and thumb forming an "8," she rested her chin on her hand and pondered for a moment:
"Is any swordsmanship that can cultivate internal energy from the outside in acceptable? Are there no requirements regarding the profundity or sophistication of the swordsmanship, or the purity, refinement, or power of the cultivated internal energy?"

Lu Chen nodded: "That's right. As long as you can develop internal energy, there are no other requirements."

In any case, swordsmanship is just the "key" to unlock things. As long as it can open the "treasure trove," the material of the key itself is not important.

"That's simple then."

Huang Rong snapped her fingers and said confidently:
“In the Wu and Yue region, there is a sword technique called ‘Yue Maiden Sword Technique’. Although this sword technique is ordinary and the internal strength it produces is also mediocre, its power is average, but it is widely spread and anyone can learn it by spending money.”

So you weren't planning on teaching me the Peach Blossom Island sword technique?

Isn't that easier?
Lu Chen was a little puzzled, but he quickly thought of the rules of the martial arts sects and Huang Yaoshi's teaching methods.

Forget it, Peach Blossom Island's martial arts come with a built-in disability buff, so let's just go with the Yue Nu Sword.

Anyway, once he unlocks the first stage of the cheat, all he needs to do is master one extraordinary sword technique—any technique that can generate internal energy, no matter how ordinary or mediocre the internal energy is, can still be considered an "extraordinary sword technique," right?
Lu Chen nodded immediately:

“Alright, I’ll learn the Yue Maiden Swordplay. But…”

He looked very embarrassed.
"I have no money..."

Huang Rong patted her chest with her small hand, displaying the bold and generous spirit of a rich and beautiful woman:
"Don't worry, I have it!"

Lu Chen grinned, revealing his teeth.
"Then thank you very much, Miss Huang."

Huang Rong stared intently at him:
"After it's done?"

"I will definitely take Miss Huang on a trip to the Immortal Realm!"

"High-five!"

Huang Rong stretched out her small hand, her snow-white palm facing Lu Chen.

Seeing Huang Rong's solemn expression, Lu Chen suddenly had a sudden realization:
This is her way of formally placing her trust in him; after the oath, she will do her utmost to fulfill her promise to him.

People of this era, especially those in the martial arts world, valued keeping their promises highly, and the Seven Freaks of Jiangnan were typical examples of this.

And Lu Chen...

In the previous Earth, those who liked to swear oaths were mostly liars, and ordinary people wouldn't believe in any oaths.

In this "main world," vows made orally and high-fives have no real power.

Lu Chen himself did not trust this kind of oath-taking.

However, Huang Rong first saved him from drowning, which can be said to have saved his chance to travel through time in the human body. Then she wanted to help him learn swordsmanship. How could he break his promise after such kindness?
So Lu Chen also became serious and solemn, raised his palm, and solemnly tapped her soft little hand three times.

Snapped!Snapped!Snapped!
After three high-fives and making a vow, the two looked at each other and smiled, both feeling much closer to each other.

"Miss Huang, where do we go next?"

“Let’s go to Shaoxing Prefecture. My father said there are quite a few Yue Nu Sword styles there, we can choose whichever we like.” “Alright, we’ll do as Miss Huang arranges.”

Huang Rong was given the opportunity to visit the "celestial realm" and was full of energy. After identifying the direction, she quickly adjusted the sails, changed course, and steered the small boat towards the mouth of the Qiantang River.

Although she ran away from home alone this time, she had studied astronomy and geography with Huang Yaoshi, so she not only knew how to navigate at sea, but was also well-versed in land transportation. She could easily travel to the north by herself.

Therefore, she knew that the most convenient way to get to Shaoxing Prefecture was by boat. She didn't even need to disembark; she could go directly into the Qiantang River, then go upstream to the confluence of the Qiantang River and the Cao'e River, where she could then turn into the Cao'e River and reach Shaoxing Prefecture.

Seeing a young girl of about fifteen or sixteen years old bustling around all by herself, adjusting the sails and steering the ship, Lu Chen felt a little guilty and asked:
"Is there anything I can do?"

Can you sail a boat?

"will not."

"Then I dare not ask you for help. Um, tell me more about the Immortal Realm."

"What would you like to hear, Miss Huang?"

"I want to hear about large ships. You mean those steel ships that can carry hundreds of millions of kilograms of cargo."

"Cargo ships are boring, let me tell you about cruise ships. Our biggest cruise ship can carry nearly 10,000 people, including passengers and crew..."

"It can carry nearly 10,000 people? Wouldn't that ship be as huge as a mountain?"

"Yes. That huge cruise ship can indeed be considered a floating city at sea, a small mountain of steel. It even has a movie theater, a theatrical theater, and an amusement park..."

"Wait, what's a movie theater?"

"The theater is..."

As Lu Chen described the scene on the large cruise ship, more and more novel and unheard-of things came out of his mouth, leaving Huang Rong unsure of which to ask about first. She could only listen in a daze, her imagination running wild, and she murmured with longing:
"There are so many fun things... After I get to the Immortal Realm, I want to ride on one of those big ships that float on the sea and see the things in the Immortal Realm with my own eyes."

"Well……"

Lu Chen thought that if he could master swordsmanship this time and unlock the first stage of the cheat, he should be able to earn a considerable income in the "main world".

Furthermore, upon returning, one could carry one percent of their own body weight in supplies, thus acquiring some gold to bring back. Funding for Huang Rong's cruise trip shouldn't be a problem. He smiled and said:
"No problem. I'll take you sightseeing on a big ship then."

"Mmm." Huang Rong nodded repeatedly, her eyes full of anticipation.

Lu Chen and Huang Rong met near dusk.

After Huang Rong rescued Lu Chen and got him aboard the boat, the two chatted for a while. Then the small boat changed direction again, and the wind was not favorable, so they did not reach the mouth of the Qiantang River until dusk.

Fortunately, the small boat was already not far from the shore and was sailing close to the coast. As it got dark, Huang Rong simply found a shallow bay with less wind and waves and anchored for the night.

After mooring the small boat, she looked at Lu Chen and said:

"We'll rest here for the night and set off again early tomorrow morning."

Lu Chen was unfamiliar with the place and people, so he naturally listened to her arrangements and nodded in agreement.

Huang Rong asked again, "Do you want to eat fish? There are plenty of sea fish here; I can get some fresh fish for you to eat."

Lu Chen said with a smile, "Fish, shrimp, crab, shellfish, all are welcome."

Huang Rong smiled sweetly: "Then I'll see if I can get you a big shrimp."

As she spoke, she lit a lantern and hung it on the side of the boat. Then she took a small bucket from the cabin, grabbed some bait and scattered it into the sea. After that, she picked up a fishing spear, pursed her pink lips, and stared intently at the sea.

Lu Chen wanted to go over and take a look, but he was afraid of scaring the fish away, so he could only sit there and watch with his breath in his hand.

Soon, Huang Rong's eyes narrowed, and she suddenly swung her hand and threw out the fishing spear. The spear pierced into the water with a whoosh, and the hemp rope tied to the end of the spear tightened instantly.

Huang Rong grabbed the hemp rope, and with a shout, she shook and pulled, and the fishing spear suddenly leaped out of the sea, with a large fish more than two feet long stuck in the spearhead.

"Pretty!"

Lu Chen's eyes lit up, and he clapped and cheered.

Huang Rong turned around and gave him a triumphant smile. She grabbed the rope and pulled back, dragging the fishing spear and the big fish back onto the boat.

Although the big fish was pierced through the body by the harpoon, it did not die. After being put on the boat, it was still struggling desperately, shaking its head and wagging its tail. Its powerful tail slapped against the boat planks with a loud thud.

Huang Rong wasn't going to let it get away with it. She slipped an Emei thorn from her sleeve and stabbed it into the fish's head with a soft thud. The fish struggled for a moment, then fell silent.

This fish is big enough for two people.

However, Huang Rong was a young girl by nature and had no playmates of the same age since childhood. Seeing that Lu Chen, who was only two years older than her, admired her fishing skills, she couldn't help but feel proud. She wanted to show off her skills in front of him. In addition, she had said before that she would try to catch a big shrimp for Lu Chen, so she continued to fish while staring at the sea.

Then, one after another, different kinds of fish were speared onto the bow of the boat, and in the blink of an eye, the catch on the bow had piled up into a small mountain.

At first, Lu Chen clapped and cheered, but seeing that she was getting more and more excited, he quickly shouted:

"That's enough! There are so many fish, the two of us can't possibly finish them all!"

"Hmm, I'll catch another big shrimp... Got it!"

As she spoke, Huang Rong's eyes lit up, and she threw the fishing spear again. When she grabbed the rope at the end of the spear and pulled it out of the water, there was a large lobster more than a foot long on the spearhead.

"Look, here are the prawns you ordered!"

Huang Rong held the shrimp in both hands, turned to look at Lu Chen, and gave him a big smile.

Seeing her happy and smug appearance, Lu Chen couldn't help but smile and laugh heartily.

I heeded the readers' advice and came back to writing about the heavens.
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(End of this chapter)