The First Venerable of the Prosperous Age

Lu Xiaosan woke up from a swaying sensation and the first thing he saw was Chang'an's sleeping face. He was lying in Chang'an's arms on the carriage heading to Qiantang.

He gently sat up, then carefully laid Chang'an down. Seeing Chang'an smack his lips and fall asleep again, he breathed a sigh of relief.

He heard the thunderous sound of horses' hooves outside, as if there were thousands of troops. He lifted the curtain and saw a dark mass of iron cavalry all around, all of them the iron-faced imperial guards escorting the carriage.

A long-lost smile appeared on Lu Xiaosan's face. "The hardships we've endured these past few days haven't been in vain. It seems we'll arrive safely in Qiantang soon..."

He turned back to look at Chang'an's sleeping face, a warmth rising in his heart. "This journey has truly been difficult. I must pull myself together quickly so I can protect him. I absolutely cannot lose him again..."

The carriage, whipped up by gusts of autumn wind, traveled for about an hour before Chang'an finally awoke from his sleep.

He rubbed his eyes and saw Lu Xiaosan's familiar smile.

"Big brother!" Chang'an's confused eyes suddenly lit up. After all, this person in front of him was the only one who could make him show his fanboy attitude.

"Well, I've done what I promised you, haven't I?" Lu Xiaosan looked smug, quite satisfied with his plan.

Chang'an nodded and said, "But we should be even more careful after we get to Qiantang."

“You’re right, luckily I had already planned ahead.” After saying that, Lu Xiaosan took out the three palace tokens given to him by Wen Ying from his pocket.

He stared at the token, lost in thought, a sudden pang of sadness welling up in his heart as a flood of memories washed over him.

"What's wrong, brother?" Chang'an asked, noticing his strange expression.

Upon hearing this, Lu Xiaosan snapped out of his daze. He forced a smile and handed the token to Chang'an, saying solemnly, "Once you have this, Ning Konglou will protect you unconditionally, and it will also greatly benefit you in your future travels in the martial world..."

Chang'an hurriedly shook his head, "No! If I take it, what will happen to you, brother?"

Lu Xiaosan slapped Chang'an's thigh and laughed heartily, "Don't worry, the Shadow Monster's primary target won't be me. It's definitely better for you to have it than for me to have it."

“But…” Chang’an was about to speak again when Lu Xiaosan grabbed her shoulder. The latter suddenly became serious and said, word by word, “This… token is very important to me. You must keep it safe…”

Looking into his unwavering gaze, Chang'an nodded blankly and accepted this treasure.

Lu Xiaosan opened his eyes wide and instructed him: "Remember, on the field, you must prioritize your own life. To do this, you just need to follow He Lai's steps. If you find yourself becoming a burden to him, be sure to find a brick and hit yourself until you are eliminated, understand?"

Chang'an nodded blankly, then immediately shook his head, "Wait... what does it mean to eliminate yourself?"

Lu Xiaosan patiently explained all the rules of the Kaiyuan Martial Arts Tournament, as well as his own experiences, to him.

When the topic of the Kaiyuan Martial Arts Tournament came up, the two of them, without realizing it, started talking about He Lai Hero with a smile, and finally recounted his trip to Jiangcheng, which they had embellished.

But happy times are always short-lived, and this casual chat ended up being dusk.

Lu Xiaosan leaned back in his seat and let out a long sigh of relief. The weight that had been hanging over him was finally lifted. He had done everything he needed to instruct; now it was just a matter of his own business…

He took out the white pills from his pocket that could alleviate his condition; there were only a few left, enough to barely last until he reached Qiantang.

"It seems that once I get to Qiantang, I'll have to find a pharmacy to make medicine as soon as possible..." Lu Xiaosan thought to himself as he took the medicine for tonight.

He reclined in his chair, stretched comfortably, and said, "Make sure you keep the Blue Fluorescent Pearl and the token safe. Be Ning Konglou's lackey if you can! Never be alone, understand?"

“I understand!” Chang’an replied solemnly.

Lu Xiaosan nodded in satisfaction. Seeing this, Chang'an asked sadly, "Does my brother mean that he won't travel with us when we reach Qiantang?"

"Yes, like I said before, I have some things to take care of..." Lu Xiaosan replied lazily with his eyes closed.

"Oh…"

Hearing the displeasure in his tone, Lu Xiaosan immediately opened her eyes and said confidently, "Don't worry, I'll come back to you after I've dealt with those things and help you find the truth about your father and Lan Yingzhu, okay?"

"it is good!"

Seeing the smile return to Chang'an's face, Lu Xiaosan closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep peacefully.

That night, the two stayed at the royal post station arranged by the court. They were protected by heavy guards and Helai and others, so nothing unexpected happened.

After traveling for about seven or eight days, the air gradually became fresh and sweet. The green mountains and clear waters all around, and the bustling and prosperous cultural scene of Luoyang, were replaced by a peaceful and serene atmosphere, just like the women born here, who are delicate and graceful.

As the saying goes, "Above is heaven, below are Suzhou and Hangzhou." Upon arriving at this earthly paradise, the two brothers unconsciously felt refreshed and invigorated, experiencing a sense of tranquility far removed from the hustle and bustle.

Lu Xiaosan couldn't help but exclaim, "This is truly a delightful place. It would be a blessing to grow up here."

Chang'an nodded in agreement, "That may be true, but I think a real man should go to a dragon pool like Luocheng, where he can broaden his horizons, grow himself, and after he makes a name for himself and achieves success, he can come to this paradise on earth to spend his remaining years in peace."

If one could achieve fame and fortune in Longchi, how many would be willing to return to this humble abode and become an unappreciated fish? So-called homesickness is insignificant in the face of true ambition. Only when one truly can't stand Longchi anymore, when one is genuinely weary of it, will one remember that they once had such a beautiful, green haven…

Lu Xiaosan gave a bitter smile, "But I have a deep feeling that this trip to Qiantang is far more dangerous than our time in Luocheng. This is definitely not a place where we can spend the rest of our lives in peace..."

As the carriage entered the city, the group, having come to compete for the championship, expected the city's inhabitants to treat them as enemies. However, to their surprise, the entire city, from local officials to ordinary citizens, stood on both sides of the city gate, offering an extremely warm welcome.

Compared to his miserable experience in Los Angeles, Lu Xiaosan found it even more unbelievable. "This...this, the people here are too simple and honest. Don't they know we're here to compete with them for the championship?"

Chang'an shrugged. "Perhaps he's only doing these things against his will because of pressure from local officials and the imperial court."

Lu Xiaosan lifted the carriage curtain and saw that these city dwellers were dressed simply, the men were straightforward and strong, and the women were gentle and elegant. Their smiles were genuine and sunny, and they were definitely not the kind of people who were forced to do things.

Looking ahead, He Lai was inside the carriage, smiling and waving to everyone.

"Although He Lai is famous, it's not like everyone in the city likes him. What are the local contestants supposed to think?" Lu Xiaosan couldn't figure it out no matter how hard he tried.

As the carriage traveled further, the roads gradually narrowed, and waterways and wooden boats began to dominate the city's transportation network, with small bridges, flowing water, and houses...

Young men and women strolled along the shimmering lake, chatting and laughing. Their pace was slow and leisurely, and they would occasionally stop to admire the pure white lotus blossoms in the lake.

The waterborne vendors come and go in an endless stream, rowing their boats and calling out as they sell fresh fruits and vegetables. Whenever a customer calls, they stop on the shore and wait with smiles.

The entire water town exudes a sense of tranquility and leisure. The pace of life here is slow, and people are not forced to rush around for a living. They only need to do their daily work well, and that is a successful life. Now, Lu Xiaosan and his group appear out of place here.