Volume 2: Riding the Wind Chapter 34: A Word of Advice The car soon reached the highway service area. Chu Tianyu got out with the others to rest. The two stylish girls who had boarded halfway also went into the lounge. Instead of dealing with the sports car left behind, they ordered two bottles of chilled drinks and waited while chatting. After a short rest, the passengers got back in the car to continue their journey. Clearly, the silence that had existed with those two girls present was gone, and the atmosphere became much livelier. Some curious people gathered to speculate about the appearance and identity of the two girls. Chu Tianyu didn’t join in. He returned to his seat, gazing out the window and once again immersed himself in the scenery rushing by. When the car reached the entrance of the Tai’an toll station, Chu Tianyu didn’t continue riding. Instead, he got off. He had set out early for his studies in the north, choosing not to be picked up by his family to avoid drawing attention. He opted for a car instead of a plane or train so as to have easier access in and out. He planned to explore any interesting places or areas his second master hadn’t visited. Although Chu Tianyu had been traveling since he was twelve, it was his first time acting independently—going wherever he wanted and stopping whenever he wished. At first, even his mother opposed his decision, but his grandfather said, “What’s wrong with that? Birds must fly when they grow up, and men must venture out when they grow up!” This silenced the opposition from his family, allowing him to enjoy his freedom. Traveling in this way, stopping and exploring along the way, was quite enjoyable. He chose to get off in Tai’an mainly because of its geographical location—it was connected to Jinan, the provincial capital, to Qufu, the hometown of Confucius, to Zibo, the porcelain capital, and bordered the Yellow River to the west. It was also located at the southern foot of the world-famous Mount Tai, forming a scenic mountain city with beautiful landscapes and a long history as a cultural and tourist destination. During the day, Chu Tianyu relied mainly on walking, never daring to use his cultivation skills to speed up his journey, fearing that it might be noticed by others. His two identities were quite prominent in the cultivation world, and his masters had warned him not to be careless and reveal any signs of his abilities, which could lead to unnecessary trouble. So, after checking into a hotel, Chu Tianyu would use light martial arts skills occasionally when setting out early in the morning, but he would never dare to use air control to fly.
Everything went smoothly, aside from occasional scams by small shops along the road, where they would overcharge by twenty or thirty yuan. Chu Tianyu didn’t bother to argue about it. Otherwise, he hardly encountered any roadblocks or robberies; it was quite peaceful.
That day, on a secondary road leading to Jinan, Chu Tianyu was walking on the road after a heavy rain. The road was full of potholes and puddles. Summer storms came quickly and left just as fast, and the air after the rain brought no relief from the heat—instead, it became even more humid and stifling, making it uncomfortable.
Chu Tianyu didn’t use his internal energy to cope; his sweat kept coming and going, his shirt sticking tightly to his skin, which was quite unpleasant. Though he wasn’t using his powers, he remained calm, maintaining a steady pace. This minor hardship was far easier than when he was with his second master, when he had to carry heavy weights no matter the weather.
After the rain, there were more vehicles on the road, but few pedestrians. Aside from him walking by the roadside, not a single person was in sight. Unlike highways, there were occasional small shops along the road, and unsupervised flocks of sheep wandered about. Trees, grass, and small ponds appeared from time to time, creating a simple and unique scenery that helped Chu Tianyu forget the heat and humidity, allowing him to enjoy the surroundings.
Suddenly, a loud engine noise approached from behind. Chu Tianyu quickly activated his energy. Despite the uneven road, the speed of the vehicle seemed extremely high. He turned around and saw a latest model H100 speeding towards him. Even though the car was on the road, it splashed mud and water everywhere. Seeing this, Chu Tianyu quickly stepped back to avoid it, but before he could move far, the car roared past, spraying mud and water right beside him…
Faced with this sudden change and the impending dirty water, Chu Tianyu’s body moved as if by itself, forming a soft barrier that skillfully deflected the water, causing it to seem to pause in midair before slowly dripping down and disappearing.
Watching the car vanish into the distance, Chu Tianyu shook his head with a wry smile. Truly, people of all kinds existed. Though annoyed, he wasn’t angry—this trivial incident was nothing compared to what he had experienced before. His third master had also warned him that practitioners should avoid acting impulsively over small matters. Fortunately, it was him who encountered this today; if it had been someone else, they would have been covered in mud and water by now.
Just treating it as a small incident, Chu Tianyu didn’t pay much attention and continued his hike. Unexpectedly, after just a few steps, a dull engine sound came from ahead again. Glancing over, it was that “arrogant” Haval H100, driving backward back towards him.
With a “screech,” it stopped not far in front of him. As Chu Tianyu approached, a beautiful, flower-like smile appeared in the window of the Haval, accompanied by a clear, bell-like voice: “Hehe, isn’t it…”
Before she could finish the last word, she exclaimed in surprise almost at the same time as him: “It’s you!”
The girl who had leaned out of the window to apologize to him turned out to be the mischievous one among the two girls who had given up their seats on the bus a few days ago.
“Who is it?” asked the other girl sitting in the driver’s seat, leaning forward as well. Hearing that uniquely magnetic voice, it was obvious without guessing who he had met again!
“How is it you!” she exclaimed again, clearly recognizing Chu Tianyu as well. At this point, Chu Tianyu also frowned deeply, not expecting to run into those two “fun girls” again under such circumstances!
The bell-like laughter rang out again, and the first girl spoke up: “Hehe, cousin, the world is really small. The unlucky guy who got splashed by us is actually the silly guy who gave up his seat for us last time. Hehe…”
Hearing such carefree words, not only was Chu Tianyu drenched in sweat, but even his cousin felt a bit embarrassed. She gently scolded her niece, “How can you speak like that?” The niece playfully stuck out her tongue, but from her expression, it was clear she wasn’t serious at all.
After talking about her niece, she turned to Chu Tianyu and said, “Hehe, I’m sorry. My niece is a bit mischievous, but she doesn’t mean any harm. We still haven’t thanked you for giving up your seat last time. We didn’t expect to splash you again this time…”
Before she could finish, she noticed that he was still completely clean, with no trace of mud or water on him, and she froze momentarily.
“Huh? With our Haval’s speed and weight, the mud and water we created just now were so heavy—how come you weren’t splashed at all?” asked the niece, who was only “mischievous,” in surprise. Her expression suggested she expected him to be covered in mud and looking miserable, matching the power of their Haval’s water-splashing speed.
His cousin also said, “It’s good that you weren’t splashed. Where are you going? We can give you a ride as a way to thank you for giving up your seat last time…”
Chu Tianyu now had absolutely no goodwill toward them. From their two encounters, they gave him the impression of being wealthy, beautiful, and fashionable on the surface, but their ostentatious personalities, willful temper, and constant arrogance really annoyed him—especially after hearing those two words, which only increased his disgust. So he said coldly, “It’s nothing. I’m just good at dodging. There’s no need for a ride. But I’d advise you to drive more slowly. This isn’t a highway. When racing, think about the other road users too…” After saying that, Chu Tianyu didn’t even glance at them again. He tightened the bag on his back and continued walking forward. The two sisters were left staring at each other, having never heard of such a cold rejection before.