Upon hearing this, Huang Rong quickly bowed and said: “Elder brother, I will turn eighteen at the end of this month.”
Guo Jing blinked and then returned the gesture, saying to both of them:“Elder brother, little brother, I am also eighteen, but my birthday was just at the beginning of the year.”
Huang Rong pursed her lips, feeling a bit disgruntled.
“Fine! Since Guo is just 18, he will be the younger brother; and Huang, being the youngest, will be the little brother. As for me, I am a few years older, so I will be the eldest brother!”
Fang Yichen said with a smile, establishing their roles. However, his gaze shifted to Huang Rong, filled with playful amusement.
In truth, Huang Rong was only sixteen this year.
She deliberately claimed to be two years older, simply because she didn’t want to call Guo Jing the younger brother. However, she didn’t expect that she would still be younger by over a month. At this moment, she felt a tinge of regret for speaking out first.
After the swearing of brotherhood, Fang Yichen reached into his bosom, which retrieved three uniformly orange-yellow fruits from the spatial and handed one to each of Guo Jing and Huang Rong and said:
“Brothers, we sharing bliss. These fruits are something I stumbled upon accidentally. They are very beneficial for the body. Please go ahead and eat them now!”
The two didn’t hesitate. After thanking their big brother, they reached out and accepted the fruits. The aroma was irresistible and prompted them to eat them on the spot.
After consuming the fruits, their bodies immediately reacted. They felt a surge of inner energy coursing through them. Without daring to be careless, they sat down and began to cross one’s legs to meditate.
Observing this, Fang Yichen smiled slightly and knew that something good was happening. After they finished eating, he stood guard beside them.
Fortunately, this stretch of the official road was rarely traveled and there was no one passing by at the moment.
Half an hour later, the two stopped their meditation and stood up, feeling amazed. Their inner energy had increased by a full thirty to forty percent. They were now brimming with energy and vitality.
Unable to contain her curiosity, Huang Rong asked:
“Elder brother, what kind of fruit is this? How does it have such a miraculous effect on increasing internal strength?”
Guo Jing also nodded in agreement and was curious to hear Fang Yichen’s explanation.
Fang Yichen chuckled and replied:
“It seems that both of you are martial artists with internal strength and skills.”
“This fruit was something I accidentally owned. I don’t know its name, but I felt a surge of energy and vitality after eating it !”
Guo Jing and Huang Rong exchanged glances, somewhat skeptical because they could tell that their elder brother’s movements were not like those of an ordinary person.
However, they didn’t inquire further at that moment. Everyone has their secrets, so they simply thanked their elder brother with a bow.
Little did they know that Fang Yichen had no internal energy at that time. His body only became incredibly powerful after undergoing the purification of spatial energy.
Fang Yichen’s eyes sparkled as he noticed that neither Guo Jing nor Huang Rong had the foul-smelling black dirt on their bodies, which put his mind at ease.
But at the same time, he found it strange. Why didn’t they have this reaction? After all, when he consumed the fruit he ended up covered in black dirt.
In reality, Guo Jing and Huang Rong had only consumed one fruit each, and the purification effect of the spirit fruit had yet to fully activate.
Additionally, due to their years of martial arts training, their bodies contained fewer impurities, so it was normal that they didn’t have any foul-smelling black dirt on their skin.
Fang Yichen waved his hand pretending to be displeased, and said:
“We have become sworn brothers, and thanking for one fruit is an unnecessary formality. We shouldn’t do this in the future!”
Huang Rong and Guo Jing smiled and nodded in agreement.
This fruit, which could increase strength by thirty to forty percent, was unheard of even for Huang Rong, the daughter of Peach Blossom Island’s master. Guo Jing, naturally, had never encountered anything like it either.
However, both of them had even more admiration for their sworn elder brother at that moment.
The three of them continued on horseback, not rushing along the way. They laughed and played, taking their time. Two days later, they arrived in the capital city of Zhongdu of the Jin Dynasty.
Zhongdu was known as the most prosperous and beautiful place in the world, surpassing even the former Song Dynasty capital, Bianjing, and the new capital, Lin’an.
Although the weather in the capital was cold, with occasional snowfall, the streets were still bustling with people and vehicles.
Guo Jing who grew up in the vast desert had never seen such prosperity and was amazed by everything around him.
Only to see crimson buildings along the street, painted pavilions, embroidered curtains, and pearl screens; elaborately carved carriages vying for space on the skyward road, and spirited horses racing along the imperial avenue.
Amidst the willow-lined paths and flowery streets, one hears the sounds of novelty and sees the artful smiles; within tea houses and taverns, one witnesses the mastery of instruments and the control of strings. Truly, flowers adorn every path, while flutes and drums fill the air; gold and jade shimmer in the sunlight, and silken fabrics waft their fragrance.
All of this overwhelmed Guo Jing, a young man who had never seen such grandeur before.
Huang Rong who grew up on Peach Blossom Island usually enjoyed peace there, so she was also very interested in the hustle and bustle of the capital.
She had a playful nature and was always eager to look and touch anything novel that caught her eye.
At this moment, Fang Yichen would promptly take out money without hesitation to help her make the purchase. Huang Rong would be delighted like a child, holding his hand and weaving through the crowd, looking around everywhere.
Unfortunately, it was tough for Guo Jing who had to handle three horses by himself. Fortunately, the items Fang Yichen bought were placed in bags and loaded onto the horses' backs, otherwise it would have been even more difficult for him.
Luckily, Guo Jing had a simple and easygoing nature, so he didn’t mind too much. He just led the horses and followed behind the two of them on the crowded streets.
Fang Yichen didn’t pay much attention to the prosperity of the capital city. The level of prosperity in Blue Star Metropolitan City was already several times higher than here.
However, he had grown tired of the high-rise buildings in the modern city and found a sense of freshness in the ancient architecture of the capital.
He also bought some small souvenirs and intended to give them to his younger sister, Fang Yixue, when he returned home to bring her some novelty.
Walking and observing this ancient street of architectural wonders, one would find it much more authentic than the Hengdian Film and Television City. Here, everything is genuinely preserved in Song Dynasty architecture not mere imitations from later periods.
Seeing these ancient and quaint buildings from the Song Dynasty, Fang Yichen couldn’t help but take out his phone and capture the scenery with photos and videos.
Huang Rong had never seen a mobile phone before and was very curious and asked:
“Elder brother, what is this thing? How does it have pictures that can move?”
Fang Yichen didn’t find Huang Rong’s curiosity surprising. If people from the Song Dynasty weren't curious about a mobile phone, then that would be strange. He smiled and explained:
“Third brother, this is a mobile phone. The pictures inside are taken by the phone's camera, and they look exactly like the real scenery. The moving images are videos.”
“Come on! Let me teach you how to take photos!”
After saying that, he handed the phone to Huang Rong and patiently taught her how to open the camera function, frame the shot, take photos, and record videos. He even taught her how to take selfies.
The intimate contact caused a blush to spread across Huang Rong’s charming face. Her face had already been cleaned, but now it blushed, revealing a rosy hue on her originally fair complexion, making her look absolutely beautiful!
Seeing her charming appearance, Fang Yichen was also quite moved, but he didn’t show it on his face to avoid making things awkward for Huang Rong.
However, at this moment, Huang Rong became even more curious about the mobile phone...