Lucky Encounter [P1]

Jiang Ying looked towards Rong Xiaoman with growing suspicion. [Where did big brother get that story from?] She thought with an absent mind.

Rong Xiaoman shook her head. [How careless of me.]

An awkward silence had descended on the two since they continued towards the black orchids, as they walked they came across a bench.

Laying on the bench was an old man, jugs of empty alcohol littered the ground beneath him. His eyes were closed as if he was asleep, wrinkles covered his face and his clothes were those of a beggar. They were dirty, stained with sweat and filled with holes and tears.

Jiang Ying covered her button nose in disgust, she could smell a foul odor coming from the old man.

As the two quickly walked passed the old man, his eyes snapped open as a wide smile covered his face. His teeth were missing with the exception of three which were wobbly and could come out at any time.

"Hey you two, come over here!" The old man said with a croaky voice.

Both Jiang Ying and Rong Xiaoman stopped looked back.

"Yes you two, come over here. I have something good to offer." The old man beckoned with his skinny arm.

Rong Xiaoman looked towards the old man with a frown. "I don't think you have anything that we would like. Come along little Ying." She turned around and Jiang Ying followed.

"Ahh.. looks like I'll have to sell my peerless martial techniques to someone else then." The old man sighed and lamented dramatically.

Jiang Ying's ears twitched as a budding curiosity grew in her mind.

"It really is too bad, they were some really amazing techniques!" The old man continued with a knowing smile on his face.

Jiang Ying stopped and began to hesitate.

Rong Xiaoman looked back and whispered softly. "Don't listen little Ying, he's clearly a swindler."

"Let's just take a look big brother, it couldn't hurt right? Remember I saw the rainbow sparrow, this could be my lucky encounter!" Jiang Ying replied with increasing enthusiasm.

Rong Xiaoman sighed. "Okay then, we'll see what this smelly man has."

Jiang Ying giggled as she skipped towards the old man with Rong Xiaoman in tow.

Stopping just far away enough not to be bothered by the smell, Jiang Ying fluttered her pretty eyelashes curiously as she asked. "What techniques do you have mister?"

"Why aren't you two a pair." The old man chuckled as he inspected the children before him. He took a deep breath and replied. "I have two amazing, heavenly, godly, peerless, unbeatable, insane, beautiful, sexy-" The old man continued to boast endlessly about his techniques which caused Jiang Ying's eyes to shine brighter and brighter.

"Nonsense." Rong Xiaoman thought inwardly.

"-curvy.. large chest.. willowy waist.. round bottom-" The old man seemed to be in a daze as he drooled with dirty thoughts clouding his mind, his voice had become slow with dirty tone.

"Humph!" Rong Xiaoman snorted as she grabbed Jiang Ying who had long covered her ears in embarrassment. "Let's leave this lecher to his disgusting thoughts.. "

As the two began to leave, the old man snapped out of his dirty fantasy. With a shameless smile, he quickly said. "Wait, for just two imperial coins; you'll receive the two powerful techniques!"

"Imperial coin?" Rong Xiaoman frowned.

Imperial coins were the top currency for mortals, just below the spirit coin in worth which is the main currency for cultivators in the ancestral continent. It was worth a hundred normal gold coins and was quite expensive even for a middle class family which Jiang Ying belonged to.

Jiang Ying bit her lip, her hand hovered around her purse. Inside was a single imperial coin which was her entire allowance for the year.

Rong Xiaoman saw the indecision in little Ying's eyes. She rustled the little girl's hair as she threw two imperial coins towards the old man.

Jiang Ying saw this and she looked towards Rong Xiaoman with a grateful look and a bright smile. "Big brother.. thank you."

"It's nothing." Rong Xiaoman grinned.

The old man caught the coins and laughed as he took out two scrolls from his ragged clothes and handed them to Rong Xiaoman and Jiang Ying.

"Off you two go, I need to get my beauty sleep." The old man laid back down on the bench.

"Thanks smelly mister!" Jiang Ying giggled.

The old man chuckled before quickly falling asleep with a loud snore coming from his throat.

The two children left the old beggar and continued walking down the winding path.

Rong Xiaoman inspected the scroll in her hand which had a rather stinky smell reminiscent of the old man. It was yellowed and worn, there were a tears and crinkles on the paper.

"Peerless technique? Hah! I don't believe it." She unraveled the scroll and what she saw made her eyes pop out!

"H-how could this be!?" Rong Xiaoman muttered in disbelief as she stopped in her tracks.

The scroll detailed an unfathomable technique called Rising Dragon that was 5 steps below her own cultivation technique Star Blossom! It was a technique suited to this male incarnation she inhabited since her own Star Blossom was only suited for females.

"How lucky.. " Rong Xiaoman looked back and gasped, the old man and the bench had disappeared as if it had never existed. "A strange old man....could he be from the upper realms? Heh, he must be one of those weird eccentric hobos who go visit the lower realms handing out techniques to everyone and their grandmas."

She caught up with Jiang Ying and quickly gestured with her hand. "Little Ying, let me have a look at your technique."

Jiang Ying was gleefully looking at her new technique when she heard Rong Xiaoman. Nodding her head, she handed over the scroll. "Okay big brother, be careful with it."

Rong Xiaoman inspected the scroll and just as she thought, it too was another peerless technique called Moon Fairy. Handing the scroll back towards Jiang Ying, she thought with a baffled expression. "Rainbow sparrow huh?"

Jiang Ying noticed Rong Xiaoman's baffled expression, a smug smile rose on her pout lips as she giggled. "I told you so big brother! I knew that old man was my lucky encounter."

"Yes, yes. I shouldn't have doubted you little Ying." Rong Xiaoman laughed with a smile.