The mountain ridges in Jiangnan were winding like coiled snakes, especially the Dragon Tail Slope in Huainan. It was three hundred li away from the strategic town of Iron Hut, and there were many traveling merchants passing through. However, a rare heavy snow had blocked the mountain roads, making it difficult to travel on the mountain roads. Most merchants would rather take a detour and switch to a relay station. On the Dragon Tail Slope, there was a group of travelers who were struggling to travel north. A simple and crude carriage was slowly moving forward. The inferior horse's hooves were in the snow, and it was even more strenuous. The black horse with a dark mane snorted and puffed out clouds of fog. The coachman was a skinny old servant who was reluctant to use his whip to drive the horse. It was said that a fast horse could be whipped, but even the cleverest housewife could not cook without rice. An old horse that had been eliminated from the army, after being whipped too many times, had a rogue temper. Eight or nine out of ten times, it was unwilling to move. Fortunately, the owner of the carriage was considerate, and from time to time, he would speak a few words of comfort to the coachman, telling him not to be in too much of a hurry. The old man in the carriage had a thin face, wrapped in a tattered fur coat that was probably even older than the old horse. His expression was serene as he held a book and silently read. Outside the carriage, the mountain forest was wrapped in silver. Suddenly, like a spring breeze, thousands of pear trees bloomed. The old man lifted the curtain and looked into the distance. His originally gloomy state of mind also became a bit more relaxed.
They were also on the Dragon Tail Slope, less than half a li behind the carriage, there were five riders closely following behind. Most of them were dressed in black, and there were three men and two women. The rider in the lead was a slightly chubby middle-aged man with a pair of round earlobes like a Buddha statue. He should be a person of good fortune. He was covered in an eye-catching white fox fur cloak, giving people a good impression and making it easy for people to feel close to him. Behind him was a young and handsome man with a jade-like face. He carried a golden spear. Even in this cold weather, his breathing was slow, and he was indeed worthy of being described as graceful as a god. Among the two women, the older one was like water. In the eyes of the world, she was full of romantic charm, and it was rare that she was charming but not seductive. She had the dignified demeanor of a lady from a respectable family. The young girl riding beside her was overshadowed. She only had the appearance of a middle-aged woman, and she was just like a girl from a humble family who had just grown up. The last rider was a boorish looking young man. He was dressed shabbily and his horsemanship was poor. Every now and then, he would secretly rub his buttocks, and was caught red-handed by the girl from a humble family in front of him several times. He could not help but roll his eyes, which made the young man's face turn red. He wished he could dig a hole and bury himself in the snow. When the girl who had been fighting with him all the way turned her head and changed her face, she laughed and chatted happily with him. The young man who could not hide his poor and cold aura would secretly look at the graceful back of the older woman.
His name was Li Huai 'er, a native of Iron Lu City. His parents had passed away early, and his eldest uncle was a teacher. His name was also given by his eldest uncle. He believed that this was the only decent name he had in his entire life. Li Huai' er loved martial arts since he was a child, and there was never a lack of Jianghu rumors in the streets and alleys. For example, a busybody ranked the top ten masters in Iron Lu City. Peng He, who was at the bottom, could lift a horse and throw it several feet away with one hand. The sixth, General Ding Ce, could even shoot a millstone with one arrow. Regarding these, Li Huai 'er, who had always wanted to become famous one day, would rather believe them. Even if he was beaten black and blue every time he got into a street fight, it would not affect his passion for Jianghu. This time, he was able to ride a horse with the four people in front of him because he had accidentally stumbled upon a bloody secret in the city two days ago. Half a mile away, an old man surnamed Huang, who was said to be a high-ranking official, was on his way to the capital. For some reason, he was assassinated by a group of black-clothed men armed with sabers and crossbows. The old man staggered into a dark and narrow alley and bumped into Li Huai 'er. A rain of sabers and arrows, the crossbows buzzed and nailed into the wall. Li Huai' er, who had suffered an unexpected calamity, was also hot-blooded. Mainly because he did not have time to be afraid, he pulled the old man and fled like a rat. Later on, the four riders in front of him appeared out of nowhere and met each other on a narrow road. Li Huai 'er saw with his own eyes that the handsome man wielding a stick could almost make a long hole in the alley wall with a strike of his stick. He also saw the woman in front of him moving her sword gracefully in the snow. Coincidentally, Li Huai' er saw that cold and beautiful face when she killed people. Li Huai 'er knew then that as long as he could make a name for himself, he would marry no one but her.
Although Li Huai 'er was simple, he was not stupid. It was said that the experts in the world could comprehend swordsmanship by observing the tides. However, there was a river outside Iron Hut City. Whenever Li Huai' er was free, he would go to the riverside and stare at the surging river with wide eyes. He looked at it when there was no wind or waves, he looked at it when there was a storm or a flood. He also looked at it when there was a heavy snowfall a few days ago, but he did not see anything. Unintentionally, he heard that the unworldly experts all lived in seclusion in the mountains and forests, so he went back and forth to the mountains and ridges around Iron Hut several times. Other than taking a dump and peeing, he did not see anything. It was said that Lord Leopard, who was invincible in the nearby streets, had obtained two or three pages from a peerless secret manual. That was how he became so skilled in martial arts. However, although Li Huai 'er had an uncle who was a teacher, his temperament was similar to that of his father, who had spent his entire life dealing with crops. He did not like to read and could not read many words. He knew that even if he obtained a secret manual, he would not be able to understand it.
Li Huai 'er looked at the men and women in front of him and felt a little discouraged. That immortal sister had said that after Lord Huang was sent to the capital, she would give him some money to return home. At that time, no one in Iron Hut would find trouble with him and he could continue to live a peaceful life.
At that time, Li Huai 'er mumbled and did not say anything. He did not dare to say what he was thinking. "I just want to roam Jianghu with you."
There was an inn at the top of the Dragon's Tail Slope. For some reason, it did not have a name. In any case, it had been open for many years and its business was lukewarm. It was just a place to make ends meet. Scholars who were truly willing to spend a fortune were not willing to go there.
The snow on the mountaintop had just cleared and the chill was somewhat dispelled. The five riders rode to the inn and saw the old man standing beside the carriage to welcome them with a smile. There were two other carriages parked nearby. They seemed to be fellow travelers. The stout middle-aged man wearing a crane cloak rubbed his mink hat helplessly. He dismounted his horse and walked forward quickly. In a low voice, he said, "Lord Huang, we all have food on us to fill our stomachs. Let's not stop to rest, shall we?"
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