One person: Starting with the Snow Drinking Blade

Chapter 302 Lingyu Descends the Mountain

Zhang Lingyu was completely dumbfounded. Go down the mountain? Follow Nie Lingfeng? And even go find that supposedly glib, scheming senior brother Zhang Chulan, who's been causing chaos on Longhu Mountain, for "training"? This…this is completely different from his planned adventure down the mountain! (⊙ˍ⊙)

But he couldn't disobey his master's orders. So, with a touch of tragic grandeur (exaggerated) like "the wind is howling and the Yi River is cold," he followed behind this peculiar "family of three" and began his journey into the world.

However, this first lesson in "entering the world" seems to be a bit too "stimulating".

"Brother Lingyu!" Xiaoyun's clear voice rang out, interrupting Zhang Lingyu's thoughts. She turned around (startling Nie Lingfeng, who quickly steadied her), and held out a small hand to Zhang Lingyu, in her palm a dark, muddy, root-like object. "Look! Yunyun dug it up! Ginseng! To nourish brother's body!"

Zhang Lingyu stared intently, his lips twitching involuntarily. It was clearly a piece of tree root that looked somewhat like ginseng, dug up from somewhere, still covered in fresh soil and a few blades of grass. He tried his best to maintain a gentle smile and spoke in a tactful tone, "Xiaoyun, this thing... is not ginseng. And it's covered in soil, it's unclean. You should... throw it away."

"It's ginseng!" Xiaoyun protested, pouting. "Yunyun has heard of it in stories! It's white and has a beard! This one is black, but it looks like it! Brother, you don't understand!" With a "you don't know its value" expression, she carefully put the "ginseng" into her small cloth bag, placing it with her "treasures" such as "rainbow mud balls" and "abstract painting stone pieces."

Zhang Lingyu: "..." (；一_一) He suddenly felt that the "tempering" his master mentioned might not only refer to the complexity of people's hearts, but also to dealing with this kind of "childlike innocence" that cannot be fathomed by common sense.

Nie Lingfeng glanced at Zhang Lingyu with a smug look, feeling much better. It seemed he wasn't the only one tormented by this little devil's "whimsical ideas." Having someone to "suffer" with made it feel much better! (￣▽￣*)ゞ

"There's a stream ahead, let's take a break," Nie Lingfeng suggested. He wasn't tired, but his neck and ears were really getting tired, so he needed to let Xiaoyun get down to "get some fresh air" and also let his ears and mind catch their breath.

The stream was clear, flowing gently over the smooth pebbles. As soon as Xiaoyun landed, she immediately ran to the stream like a little colt (with boundless energy), squatted down and started playing in the water, trying to catch the small fish and shrimp swimming fast in the water with her little hands.

Chen Duo put down her bundle, walked to the stream, filled her water bag with water, took a sip herself, and handed it to Nie Lingfeng. Then, she took out a clean cloth from her bundle, walked over to Xiao Yun who was playing happily, and without saying a word, took her wet little hand and carefully wiped it clean.

"It's cold, you'll get sick," Chen Duo said succinctly.

"Oh..." Xiaoyun obediently let Chen Duo wipe her hands, but her eyes were still fixed on the little fish in the water, eager to try.

Zhang Lingyu stood a short distance away, watching this scene, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes. He had been adopted by his master at a young age and grew up on Longhu Mountain, surrounded only by his master, a few senior teachers, and his dutiful fellow disciples. He had never witnessed such…ordinary yet warm interaction. His father (Nie Lingfeng), though seemingly troubled, couldn't hide the indulgence and concern in his eyes; his sister (Chen Duo), though aloof, clearly showed meticulous care and protectiveness in her actions. This seemed different from the "family" he knew, yet it inexplicably touched him…

"Master Lingyu, have some water." Nie Lingfeng handed the water pouch to Zhang Lingyu.

"Thank you, Brother Nie." Zhang Lingyu accepted the drink, expressed his gratitude, and took a sip. The stream water was sweet and refreshing, with the unique coolness of a mountain spring.

"Stop calling me Brother Nie all the time, it sounds weird." Nie Lingfeng waved his hand, found a large rock by the stream to sit on, and rubbed his ears. "We're on the same path now, so just call me Old Nie like Wang Ye did. Or... just call me by my name."

"This... is against etiquette." Zhang Lingyu hesitated. From a young age, he was taught to use appropriate titles and etiquette towards elders, strong individuals, and outstanding peers. Calling someone by their first name, especially someone as powerful as Nie Lingfeng who was on equal footing with his master, was, in his view, extremely impolite.

"What's there to be incompatible about?" Nie Lingfeng rolled his eyes. "We're down the mountain, not holding a Dharma assembly on your Longhu Mountain. Relax, Lingyu. Your master sent you down the mountain to 'train' you, isn't it so you won't always be so rigid about those rules?"

Zhang Lingyu fell silent. Nie Lingfeng's words seemed to make some sense. His master had indeed told him to "avoid using the rules of the mountain to judge the people down below."

"Well... Brother Nie." Zhang Lingyu compromised, still adding the word "brother," but his tone was noticeably more natural. "What are our plans for going to North China? Master only said that I should go with you to find Senior Brother Chu Lan, but didn't specify the details."

"Arrangements?" Nie Lingfeng scratched his head. "First, report to the North China branch, meet up with Xu San and Xu Si, and see if Chairman Zhao has any new instructions. My month-and-a-half vacation is almost over, and I expect there will be new tasks waiting for me. As for that kid Zhang Chulan..." A strange smile appeared on his face, "He's a 'rising star' in your company right now, a temporary worker (prospective) in the North China region, very busy. You'll definitely get some 'training' working with him."

Thinking of Zhang Chulan's slippery, talkative nature, and then looking at the steady, gentle Zhang Lingyu before him... Nie Lingfeng suddenly felt a surge of anticipation for the future (the anticipation of watching a show). The thought of these two together was hilarious! (￣▽￣)~*

Zhang Lingyu's heart tightened. He had heard of Senior Brother Chu Lan's "reputation" on the mountain. This trip would probably... truly be a "trial." He took a deep breath, silently adjusting his mindset, preparing to face this unknown "challenge."

……

A few days later, in a city in North China, at the North China regional headquarters of NaDuTong Express Company.

From the outside, it looks like an ordinary, somewhat old six-story office building with a sign that reads "Na Du Tong Express" hanging at the entrance. Occasionally, deliverymen in uniforms come and go. Everything seems so normal and inconspicuous.

But Nie Lingfeng knew that hidden within this was the core of one of the most powerful and violent organizations in the country that dealt with matters related to "superhumans." The Xu brothers, Xu San and Xu Si, were also well-known in the company as both "capable" and "troublemakers."

"This is it." Nie Lingfeng looked up at the slightly worn sign and said to Chen Duo and Zhang Lingyu beside him. Xiao Yun was riding on his shoulders again, curiously observing the delivery trucks coming and going.

"A courier... company?" A hint of doubt flashed in Zhang Lingyu's eyes. He knew that "company" was just a front, but seeing it in person still felt somewhat... off. Especially when he thought about his supposedly very "active" senior brother Chu Lan "working" here, the sense of unease became even stronger.

"Let's go in." Nie Lingfeng pushed open the glass door as if he knew the way well and went inside.

The first floor was a normal express delivery hall, with short queues in front of several windows. Nie Lingfeng didn't stop, but went straight to an old-fashioned elevator on the side and pressed the button to go downstairs.

The elevator slowly descended, finally stopping on the second basement level. The doors opened, revealing a spacious, bright corridor lined with closed metal doors on either side, each labeled with a different number and department name. The air was thick with the faint smell of disinfectant and electronic equipment, a stark contrast to the bustling atmosphere upstairs.

"Hey! What a rare guest! Old Nie! Did you cultivate to immortality on Mount Longhu and finally decide to descend to the mortal realm?" A voice with a strong Beijing accent and a playful tone came from ahead.

A young man in a wrinkled Brazilian suit, with disheveled hair, an unlit cigarette dangling from his lips, and a nonchalant smile on his face, leaned against a door at the end of the corridor, waving at them. He was Xu Si**, one of the heads of the North China division.

Beside him stood a young man in a well-tailored suit, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, with a serious expression and an air of sophistication—his older brother, Xu San, another head of the North China division. Xu San nodded slightly to Nie Lingfeng, his gaze sweeping over Chen Duo and Xiao Yun, especially when he saw Zhang Lingyu, a clear hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

"Fourth Brother, Third Brother, long time no see." Nie Lingfeng walked over and greeted them with a smile. Although he wasn't particularly close to Xu San and Xu Si, they were both temporary workers at the company (he was seconded from South China), and had worked together a few times before, so their relationship was fairly good.

"It's been a long time since I last saw you. I heard that you were studying with the Heavenly Master at Longhu Mountain? That's okay!" Xu Si looked at Nie Lingfeng up and down and said, "Look at his energy, it is indeed different. He has received a lot of beatings, right?" **

Nie Lingfeng's lips twitched. This Xu Si, his mouth was still so sharp. "Not bad, quite a haul." He changed the subject. "This is Chen Duo, you know her. This is Xiaoyun, my...daughter." He still felt a little awkward saying the word "daughter."

"Wow!" Xu Si's eyes lit up, and he leaned closer to Xiao Yun, examining her closely. Xiao Yun wasn't shy at all; she rode on Nie Lingfeng's shoulders, lowered her head, and blinked her big, golden-red eyes, curiously looking at this uncle with messy hair.

"Wow, Lao Nie! You've grown up so fast without making a sound? And she's mixed race? Those eyes and hair, tsk tsk, is your wife a foreigner?" Xu Si asked bluntly.

"Get lost!" Nie Lingfeng glared at him angrily. "I picked her up!" This was the story he and Chen Duo had agreed on, since Xiaoyun's origins were hard to explain anyway.

"Found her?" Xu Si looked incredulous. "These days, you can just pick up a silver-haired, red-eyed little girl like that? Where did you find her? Tell me, I want to pick one up too!"

"That's enough!" Xu San finally couldn't stand it anymore. He pushed up his glasses, interrupted his brother's nonsense, and turned his gaze to Zhang Lingyu, who had been standing quietly to the side. "What does this mean?"