SWNOVELXO Chapter 157: There Hid His Dreams
Chen Xia lived in a medium-sized guest room on the ferry.
Originally, Cao Gao wanted to offer the top-notch guest room to Chen Xia, but in order not to attract too much attention, Chen Xia declined and just checked into this medium-sized one.
"Da da."
There was a clear knock on the door. It only rang once and then there was no more sound.
Cao Gao waited outside the guest room, not daring to knock again. With his head lowered, he just waited quietly.
"Come in."
A calm voice came from inside the guest room.
Only then did Cao Gao gently push open the door, slowly step in, and then close the door. He didn't dare to look at Chen Xia and could only lower his head and clasp his fists.
"Is the environment of the guest room satisfactory to you, senior? If there's anything you're not satisfied with, I'll change it for you immediately. I mustn't neglect you, senior."
"Everything's fine. I don't care about these things." Chen Xia replied casually.
"That's good." Cao Gao quickly nodded and then explained to Chen Xia, "Senior, our journey this time will probably take about ten years. The distance isn't too far, but there are some twists and turns that are not so good for people, so there might be some bumps along the way. Please forgive us, senior."
"It's okay. I quite like the rocking feeling." Chen Xia nodded.
In his opinion, a means of transportation should rock. Otherwise, how could it be called a means of transportation?
"That's good, that's good." Cao Gao quickly nodded again and then introduced the specific itinerary to Chen Xia.
Chen Xia more or less understood. This journey was indeed rather roundabout. Specifically, it was to go from the southeast to the west of the Azure Sky Sword Sea. They couldn't go straight but had to take a big detour.
The reason was quite simple, as Cao Gao explained.
"Other ferries are not allowed to sail within the jurisdiction of the Azure Sky Sword Sea, and no one dares to sail in it either. So we have to take a detour. I'm really sorry to trouble you, senior."
"It's okay." Chen Xia shook his head. Actually, he didn't want to enter the jurisdiction of the Azure Sky Sword Sea either. Cao Gao's detour was just what he wanted. Besides, ten years wasn't a long time. He could just go into seclusion for a while and it would pass quickly.
"Your name is Cao Gao, right?" Chen Xia asked again.
"Senior, you can just call me Cao Shorty. In front of you, senior, I don't dare to mention the 'Gao' character." Cao Gao quickly replied, his tone full of fear.
"Weird. Your name is clearly Cao Gao, yet you insist on calling yourself short." Chen Xia shook his head, pulled a bench over, sat on it, and asked with a bit of curiosity.
"Why is that?"
Cao Gao rubbed his hands, kept his head lowered all the time, and didn't dare to look directly at Chen Xia. He smiled and replied in a respectful tone.
"People in our line of work travel all over the place. What we fear the most isn't natural disasters but standing out."
"To put it one-sidedly, actually, people can't bear to see others doing well. And I've met the most people in my life."
"At the beginning, I suffered a lot and was once unruly. But even wolves in the mountains can be trained into dogs, let alone me. After being beaten up thoroughly by others, having my head stepped on and spat on, and being on the verge of death several times..."
Cao Gao paused here, with a hint of melancholy in his tone and a gloomy expression. Then he said softly.
"I learned how to behave."
"Is that being human?" Chen Xia suddenly asked.
Cao Gao slowly nodded. "Yes. The world is so big. There are always some people who have to play the role of dogs."
"True." Chen Xia nodded, propping his head up and didn't say much more.
Cao Gao let out another breath and then quickly shook his head. There was still a respectful smile on his face. "I've said some rambling words. Please don't mind them."
"It's okay." Chen Xia nodded and smiled again. "It seems that it's not always the realm that decides everything in this world. You're only at the Mountain Moving Realm and still have so many troubles."
Cao Gao gave a bitter smile. "I've always kept in mind the truth that there's always someone better. I'm only at the middle stage of the Mountain Moving Realm. Although it's not low, it's definitely not high in the star region either."
"I suffered losses when I was young and impetuous. When I got older, I became cautious. I guess only someone as powerful as you can be truly free from troubles."
"I have them too." Chen Xia shook his head slightly.
His current trouble was how to get rid of the Old Fisherman and truly escape from the Azure Sky Sword Sea.
Waiting online. It's urgent.
"Even a person like you has troubles, let alone us." Cao Gao shook his head even more, with only a bitter smile on his face.
"Yeah." Chen Xia just nodded and then turned to look out of the window at the Milky Way.
It was dotted with stars.
Cao Gao didn't say anything more either. He respectfully took his leave, gently closed the door without attracting any attention, and didn't dare to attract attention either.
The ferry swayed as it sailed through the starry sky.
Occasionally, there would be crises like turbulent flows in the starry river or meteor showers, but fortunately, they were just minor troubles and Cao Gao could handle them all by himself.
Most of the people on the ferry were the young masters and disciples of some sects, and the rest were loose cultivators.
Most of these loose cultivators were desperadoes who had committed crimes and couldn't stay in their original places anymore, so they took the ferry to flee elsewhere.
Cao Gao didn't care about these. As long as they paid the money, it was okay.
"The next ferry terminal is Yutai Mountain, right? It's also a major sect. I heard that it can even have a say with the Azure Sky Sword Sea."
The one who spoke was a young master dressed in gorgeous clothes, and his tone was full of admiration.
"At first, my father intended to let me join Yutai Mountain. However, the quota for inner disciples was full, and I didn't want to be an outer disciple, so it just didn't work out."
Another young master continued and added.
"Now my father is trying to get me a quota for the Azure Sky Sword Sea. If there's hope, when I reach the Mahayana Realm, I'll have a chance to join the Azure Sky Sword Sea!"
When he said this, he couldn't restrain his excitement in his tone.
However, the other young masters shook their heads and sneered.
"Why do you want to go to the Azure Sky Sword Sea? To get beaten up by those ancient species?"
"Nonsense. I... I can also make friends with those ancient species."
This young master stammered for a long time and finally came up with this explanation.
"So, other prodigies go to the Azure Sky Sword Sea to cultivate, but you go there to make friends, haha!"
The sneers of the several young masters grew louder.
"Don't talk nonsense. Don't slander me!"
This young master blushed and argued.
On the balcony, Cao Gao listened intentionally or unintentionally, shook his head slightly, and thought that this young master was quite similar to him when he was young.
They both had rather lofty ideals and always thought about what they wanted to do and achieve things that ordinary people couldn't.
But after going around in circles and back and forth, they would understand a truth.
It turned out that they were just ordinary people.
Just like what Cao Gao had said before, in this world, most people have to play the role of dogs, and only a few can be real people.
There has never been equality among people, and there will never be.
The huge individual differences will lead to more extreme exploitation, including the lives of the weak.
"Young and impetuous." Cao Gao said softly.
Chen Xia was standing beside him, leaning against the railing, and suddenly asked.
"Is it a feeling from the heart?"
"Sorry to make you laugh." Cao Gao lowered his head and gave a bitter smile, without denying it.
Suddenly, Chen Xia raised his hand and patted Cao Gao on the shoulder, smiling.
"You saw yourself in him."
Cao Gao was flattered and calmed down his thoughts before answering.
"Indeed, just like when I was young."
He suddenly asked again, "What about you?"
"Me?" Chen Xia smiled and touched the tip of his nose, then continued.
"I'm very lucky."
Cao Gao didn't say anything more. He stared blankly ahead.
There were the brilliant Milky Way, the mottled stars, and the shining streamers.
When he built the ferry for the first time.
That was where his dreams had once been hidden.