The Predecessor Is All Over The Martial Arts World Chapter 19

Wuming was especially afraid of being caught by Hou Danxue again. She used her movement technique to travel far, far away, ensuring she was nowhere near the Hou Manor.

Then she began to consider the problem of survival.

Was she going to hide in the deep mountains and old forests and become a wild person?

Well… to put it nicely, an anchorite.

This was undoubtedly her safest choice.

But Wuming looked at the bustling crowd on the street, and she hesitated.

She had been locked up by Hou Danxue for so long; it had been ages since she had seen so many people.

She craved the feeling of being surrounded by a crowd…

This feeling allowed her to clearly perceive that she was still alive, that she was not parasitized by the Gu worms, and that she was living so vividly.

But… what if Hou Danxue’s people were nearby? Hou Danxue would quickly discover her, and she couldn’t be captured and taken back.

Crowds… also meant danger.

Unless… she could disguise herself.

Wuming suddenly thought of the disguise technique from Luomu Valley. Should she go to Luomu Valley to seek it out?

Luomu Valley was a dangerous place, and she would definitely get a satisfying fight! Moreover, once she learned the disguise technique, she wouldn’t have to worry about being caught by Hou Danxue while hiding in a crowd!

Wuming was just about to inquire about Luomu Valley when a hand pressed down on her shoulder, startling her body into stiffness.

She had been locked up for so long that her reaction time was much worse than before; she hadn’t even noticed someone approaching her so casually!

Could she, in this state, truly venture into Luomu Valley?

The palm resting on her shoulder was rough yet warm. Wuming inexplicably developed a slight fondness for the owner of this hand, so she didn’t attack the person but gently turned around to face them.

Sure enough, the owner of the hand was a gentle woman.

“Miss, I see you have an extraordinary appearance. Are you willing to—”

Before she could finish, Wuming shook her head repeatedly, her scalp tingling.

Extraordinary appearance… so what kind of job was she going to introduce her to?

Wuming neither believed her appearance matched the mainstream aesthetics of this era nor did she plan to rely on her looks to make a living.

“Oh, you girl! Let me finish! You look like someone who is especially good at chopping firewood. Follow me, Big Sister! I am an honest person! I guarantee you won’t suffer any losses!”

Chopping firewood? Chopping firewood?!

Wuming was completely stunned by the phrase.

She was the number one under heaven! Even if she was down on her luck, she couldn’t possibly become a wood chopper, could she?

“I, Big Sister, am the head of the kitchen in the City Lord’s Mansion! If you follow me, the daily wage I offer you can reach this amount!”

Wuming heard “City Lord’s Mansion” and, ignoring whatever number the woman was gesturing with her fingers, immediately grabbed the woman’s hand and said, “I’m willing!”

Aside from the deep mountains, the safest place here was probably the City Lord’s Mansion!

Hou Danxue’s existence was a challenge to the City Lord’s authority, so the City Lord must dislike Hou Danxue. Therefore, the City Lord’s Mansion was a place where Hou Danxue’s influence was less likely to intrude.

“Good, good, good child, I’ll take you back right now.”

Teng Ruzhi brought Wuming back to the City Lord’s Mansion. Outside the kitchen, a wall of firewood was piled up. Wuming extended her palm and split the logs faster than the last, making Teng Ruzhi’s eyes light up.

Oh my, she really found a talent!

“By the way, good child, what is your name? So I can settle you in.”

Name?

“I… have no parents… and no name.”

Teng Ruzhi examined Wuming closely. Wuming was well-nourished and didn’t look like someone who had been wandering outside, but… if not for financial hardship, who would be willing to take up the job of chopping firewood?

She was just a poor girl with a bit of brute strength.

“Alas… good child, since we are so fated, why don’t you recognize me as your foster mother!”

Huh?

Wuming was dumbfounded and quickly waved her hands, but Teng Ruzhi only took it as shyness.

“I knew you were a shy child the moment I met you, no need to be embarrassed! In the City Lord’s Mansion, your foster mother will look out for you!”

She hadn’t even agreed! How could she forcibly acknowledge this matter!

“Foster Mother, no! Big Sister, I… I won’t be staying too long. I… I’m just staying here to save up some travel money.”

“Is that so… alas… then our fate is not long enough, and we can only be mother and daughter for this period. Don’t worry, your mother will treat you well.”

“Ah?”

“Mother knows that a capable child like you won’t stay in the City Lord’s Mansion until death like me. Mother supports you!”

Wuming listened blankly as Teng Ruzhi chattered beside her, and she was still in a daze as she watched Teng Ruzhi’s retreating figure.

How could someone be so talkative! So familiar!

They were complete strangers, so how did they become mother and daughter!

Wuming really wanted to run away, right now!

But the image of Teng Ruzhi’s crestfallen expression if she couldn’t find her flashed in her mind, and she couldn’t bear it.

Big Sister was just being kind… anyway, she would still leave… so… she would stay temporarily.

Stay…

But this was still so difficult!!

Wuming’s heart was screaming frantically, but her restless spirit quieted down when she saw a small, purple figure.

A… strange child.

Most importantly… she fulfilled her yearning for the martial world!

People of the martial world should dress so unrestrainedly! With unique style!

Perhaps out of a subtle sense of revenge—she had been harmed by an overly enthusiastic Big Sister, and she wanted others to suffer the harm of her enthusiasm too.

This was called the transmission of love!

Wuming enthusiastically placed her hand on the child’s shoulder. Since the child was too short, she kindly squatted down.

The child turned her face. The child didn’t speak. The child’s eyes glowed with fierce purple light.

This flavor… was perfect!

Especially the facial markings that could startle anyone when she turned her face!

Coincidentally, a vendor outside the gate was shouting: “Candied hawthorns—delicious candied hawthorns—”

“Child, do you want to eat candied hawthorns?”

Wait, wouldn’t talking to her like this seem strange? Like kidnapping a child…

But when Teng Ruzhi talked to her, it was also strange, like kidnapping a woman…

This excessive enthusiasm was inherently strange.

“I… child… candied hawthorns?”

The child’s voice was surprisingly mature, clear, and sweet, completely inconsistent with her young appearance.

“Ah, I’m not a bad person. I just think you look cute.”

Wuming was afraid of being misunderstood; being forcibly recognized as a daughter today was already embarrassing enough.

“Cute…”

Wuming watched the child’s short fingers touch the facial markings on her own face.

With such distinctive markings, did she dislike them?

“Uh… pretty? The facial markings on your face are truly eye-catching!”

They had such a martial world flair, giving her a feeling of finding family in a vast crowd…

“You are the first person to say they look good.”

Her lips curved into a strange arc, and her purple-glowing pupils stared straight at Wuming.

Such a unique person… making her want to treasure her…

Unfortunately, Wuming’s perception had greatly deteriorated, and she didn’t sense the intense threat emanating from the other party at all.

She thought she had become familiar with the child and immediately tucked her under her arm, jumping outside the gate while holding her.

Realizing she was truly being treated like a child, Hou Linghua’s face darkened.

To be carried like this—this would be a black mark on her history that she could never erase!

“I want the best candied hawthorn!”

Teng Ruzhi had given Wuming a money pouch before leaving, so Wuming was spending generously now.

“Coming right up!”

Hou Linghua was stuffed with candied hawthorns by Wuming. She subconsciously bit down on the thing in her mouth, then tasted a sweetness that shot straight to her crown.

Pure sweetness!

Even though it had been a long time since she had eaten candied hawthorns, she remembered that the inside of a hawthorn was sour! Why was the one in her mouth purely sweet! Sweet to a bizarre degree!

The child frowned deeply. Wuming thought she was being affected by the sourness.

Oh, right, not all children liked candied hawthorns.

It was just that candied hawthorns had always been a suitable food for children, so she subconsciously bought one for this child.

When she was little, she had also envied her peers who held candied hawthorns.

Those people… were much happier than her.

“I’m sorry, do you not like this? Hmm… it is a bit too sour…”

“It’s not sour at all! This is the most expensive kind I sell. I picked these sweet fruits on the mountain; they don’t have a hint of sourness! They are absolutely worth the price! Customer, you cannot slander my reputation!”

How embarrassing…

Wuming quickly picked up the child and walked away again.

Wuming only breathed a sigh of relief when they jumped to a corner where no one could see them.

“If it’s sweet, why did you frown?” Didn’t all children like sweet things?

“Because normal candied hawthorns are sour inside, and this one is abnormal!”

“Abnormal isn’t necessarily wrong. It’s a new variety the vendor carefully thought up, and its status in the vendor’s heart is much higher than ordinary hawthorn candied hawthorns.”

She even argued with her over a simple comment about sourness… too terrifying…

“An abnormal existence isn’t wrong… Thank you for the candied hawthorn.”

“Haha, I encountered a happy event, so I’m letting you share in the joy.”

Being recognized as a foster daughter for free counted as a happy event, right… even though her heart was still resisting the matter…

“What a coincidence, I’m also in a good mood.”

“Oh?”

“When the person I hate is unhappy, my mood becomes very good.”

“Haha—”

Children were truly innocent!

“Actually, I planned to play a trick on her, but unfortunately… she ran away, and I couldn’t trick her. Luckily, I got to appreciate her distressed appearance for love, so I didn’t lose out!”

“Love? Uh… are you… starting to talk about romance at such a young age?”

Young? Her child-like physique was merely convenient for movement.

She was not a child!

But wasn’t this kind of thing supposed to be a secret to her? Why tell this big idiot in front of her?

Hou Linghua just smiled mysteriously.

But she noticed Wuming’s attitude cooling down. Her smile was very stiff, making her subtly uncomfortable.

Anything that made her uncomfortable had to be destroyed!

However… Hou Linghua had a premonition that destroying her would make her even more uncomfortable.

What a strange feeling!

How could her emotions be swayed by someone who was practically a stranger?

Hou Linghua fiercely bit the candied hawthorn, finishing it quickly.

The taste was strange. She actually disliked this cloyingly sweet flavor; she even hated it.

But the feeling this taste brought her overlapped with the feeling the person in front of her brought. Swallowing this sweet fruit was like swallowing the person in front of her.

She… stimulated her appetite.

It was a pity that eating her would make her uncomfortable, so she wouldn’t eat her for now.

Moreover, she would play the role of a good child that she liked.

“Big Sister, I am a good child. I am very obedient and will definitely not go bad!”

I am very obedient… so… please love me, okay…