In the twenty-first year of Yuanfeng of Great Xia, on the eighth day of the eighth month in late autumn, the sky was high and the air crisp. The grass by the wilderness road remained lush, dotted now and then with vivid flowers, and the rich scent of nature lifted the spirits.
Clad in plain patched clothes and carrying a bulging bundle on his back, Duàn Yì stood on a small path several hundred meters outside Yuxi Village, bidding Yuè Jiāo Nú a final farewell.
"Big Sister Yue, you must remember what I told you. Never deliberately target the Moon Worship Palace or the Golden Cauldron Sect, and do not cause trouble for Yuè Bì Nǔ or Qū Dōng Liú. Your only task is to discover the Blood Head Monk's whereabouts. This directly concerns whether we can avenge ourselves."
Seeing Yuè Jiāo Nú solemnly agree, Duàn Yì let out a breath and continued,
"Also, we will set three years as our deadline. On this day three years from now, no matter where you are or whether you have found the Blood Head Monk, you must return to Yuxi Village."
The reason he added this scheduled meeting order was because Duàn Yì feared that Yuè Jiāo Nú was too single-minded and would truly turn finding the man into her life's work. If that delayed her life, he would feel guilty as well.
"Yes, I understand. I am not worried about myself. It is just that the Golden Cauldron Sect is Qū Dōng Liú's territory. Young Master, once you get there, you must be careful in all things.
"If things truly cannot be done, Young Master need not take risks. We can make plans over the long term. So long as we still draw breath, there will come a day when our vengeance succeeds."
Yuè Jiāo Nú was far more cheerful than when she had first met Duàn Yì. Having changed into a pink dress, she looked exceptionally lovely. Though revenge still filled her every sentence, she had begun to care about Duàn Yì's safety.
"Haha, good. Then rest assured. We shall meet again in the martial world."
After waving to Yuè Jiāo Nú one last time, Duàn Yì turned without hesitation and strode forward.
Yuè Jiāo Nú remained where she was, watching Duàn Yì until the Young Master's figure vanished from sight. Only then did she clench her fist fiercely, a sharp glint flashing through her eyes as determination filled her face.
For the Old Palace Master, for the Young Master, she would definitely find the Blood Head Monk's whereabouts. Definitely.
Wei Prefecture was the administrative seat of Hebei Province in Great Xia, governing fourteen county towns. Duàn Yì's hometown, Lin'an County, lay in the northern reaches of Wei Prefecture, while Daming County, where the Golden Cauldron Sect was located, lay at its center. They were roughly two hundred li apart, not particularly far.
This world had no cars, airplanes, or high-speed rail. There were carriages, horses, and other means of travel, but they were expensive and beyond Duàn Yì's means.
Relying solely on his own two legs to travel two hundred li, Duàn Yì spent a full four days before finally arriving at Daming County in Wei Prefecture.
The sun shone brightly, and the streets buzzed with voices. On both sides of the broad, straight avenues stood shops of every kind, their buildings tall, grand, and varied.
Though both were county towns under Wei Prefecture, Daming County was utterly different from impoverished, backward Lin'an County. It had a large population, thriving commerce, and people whose lives were prosperous and confident.
After steadying himself, Duàn Yì ignored the strange looks from pedestrians, as though they were watching a country bumpkin enter the city. He began searching for a place to stay, intending to rest for the night before leaving the city tomorrow for the Golden Cauldron Sect.
"Good heavens, is the cost of living here really this high? I'm only staying one night, in the most ordinary little room, and it costs thirty copper coins? This damned place must be a black shop."
After casually strolling around the city, Duàn Yì found a small but fairly clean inn and prepared to stay there. Yet when he asked, he learned that lodging alone, without meals, cost thirty copper coins. With his purse nearly empty, his heart ached at the thought.
His original household had been so poor that it possessed nothing at all. Only after Yuè Jiāo Nú arrived had Duàn Yì been able to enjoy a few good meals.
The travel money for this journey had also come from Yuè Jiāo Nú selling the game she hunted in the mountains. It was far from plentiful.
"Forget it. There isn't much money left anyway. It's only one night. I can still bear it."
After thinking it over, Duàn Yì reasoned that he had come from far away. If he successfully went up the mountain tomorrow, then with Bái Xī Wén around, he would not be allowed to starve no matter what. If Bái Xī Wén refused to take him in, then with these paltry coins, returning home would be impossible anyway. He would have to find another way, so he might as well indulge himself once.
Besides, he had been too exhausted from traveling day after day and truly wanted to rest properly for one night.
"Give me an ordinary room, and bring me a basin of hot water. I need to wash up."
Duàn Yì stingily took out thirty copper coins from his bundle and handed them to the innkeeper at the counter. The dead fat man, who had been disdainful and impatient, immediately improved his attitude. His greasy fat gleamed as he smiled broadly and called for a waiter to lead Duàn Yì inside.
The room was fairly neat and had no strange odor. It was clearly cleaned and aired regularly.
There was one bed, its bedding about seventy percent new, along with a matching table and chairs. A pot of water and two upside-down porcelain bowls sat on the table. There was no window, however, and in the heat of the eighth month, it was truly hard to endure.
Fortunately, this shabby room was not upstairs but had been built in the inn's rear courtyard. Opening the door allowed air to flow through, making it somewhat cooler.
After putting away his bundle, Duàn Yì used the hot water delivered by the waiter to briefly clean himself. Seeing that it was still early and not yet time for dinner, he sat on the bed and considered tomorrow's trip up the mountain.
According to Yuè Jiāo Nú, Bái Xī Wén held a very high position in the Golden Cauldron Sect. Apart from Sect Master Qū Dōng Liú, the two deputy sect masters, and the other six great elders, he was on the same level as no one else.
Moreover, in terms of reputation, Bái Xī Wén was known as the Golden Cauldron Sect's foremost expert. He was a thick thigh one could cling to without question.
There were even rumors that the previous sect master of the Golden Cauldron Sect had originally intended for Bái Xī Wén to inherit the sect. But an unexpected change occurred, and the sect's core experts unanimously decided that the older Qū Dōng Liú, who possessed the bearing of a great general, should succeed as sect master.
Therefore, so long as Bái Xī Wén was willing to accept him, the others in the Golden Cauldron Sect should not be able to interfere with the final outcome. More than half of his plan would then be complete.
"Big Sister Yue, Big Sister Yue, I'm counting entirely on you. I hope your assessment was not wrong. If it fails, I can only take the second route."
That was right. Although Duàn Yì had been a shut-in with little ability in his previous life, his mind had been meticulous. He took one step while looking two steps ahead, never placing all his hopes upon one person.
Bái Xī Wén was a good choice, but until the matter was set in stone, variables remained.
He had already decided that, if all else failed, he could go to Shaolin Temple and seek a master.
This world truly had a Shaolin Temple. It was the greatest force of the Buddhist sects. Its founding patriarch, Bodhidharma, stood alongside Zhang Sanfeng as a peerless grandmaster, a figure even older than the founding of Great Xia. It was said that he had long since attained Buddhahood and drifted away in carefree freedom.
Thus, Shaolin's influence in Great Xia was immense. It was one of the great sects that upheld the nation, not even in the same league as a local power like the Golden Cauldron Sect. It could crush it completely.
Shaolin was further divided into northern and southern branches. The Northern Shaolin was the source, the ancestral court of Chan Buddhism, while Southern Shaolin had been founded by disciples of the Northern Shaolin. It proclaimed that it taught without discrimination, with lay disciples spread throughout the land and no shortage of experts among them.
This was also one of the sects Yuè Jiāo Nú considered most likely to take Duàn Yì in as a disciple. Though he would be a lay disciple and learn only ordinary martial arts, he would still be able to learn martial arts, would he not?
Most importantly, rumor had it that once a lay disciple gained the approval of a Southern Shaolin eminent monk, he would have the chance to study further at Northern Shaolin. If he were willing to cast away the three thousand troublesome strands atop his head, then supreme martial arts such as the Seventy-Two Peerless Skills would be no dream at all.
The moment he thought of martial arts, Duàn Yì's hands and feet itched again. It felt as though a day without practice was like three autumns apart.
He assumed a stance in the cramped room, gathered his strength and exerted force, then practiced the Minor Capturing Hand twice more, familiarizing himself with its forms so his hands would not grow rusty.
Though he had been rushing along these past few days, Duàn Yì had not been idle. Whenever he had time to rest, he entered the Tower of Hidden Martial Arts within the Longevity Lock to cultivate. He had only one set of Minor Capturing Hand techniques, but under the enhancement of his top-tier comprehension buff, his progress remained swift.
Duàn Yì did not know whether he had already reached the level of Sudden Enlightenment, but compared with the beginning, when he could only execute the moves step by step according to the forms, he could now break them apart for practice. The coordination between his hands and eyes in the real world had also improved markedly. His progress was considerable.
The only regret was probably that Duàn Yì had yet to experience a true battle against an enemy.
Yuè Jiāo Nú feeding him moves did not count.
During his journey, Duàn Yì followed the principle that less trouble was better than more. He kept a low profile and arrived at Daming County smoothly, without the slightest mishap. Yes, there had been no ripples, no waves—completely contrary to the rule that transmigrators came with their own taunt aura.
Without even an opponent, his martial arts naturally had no place to be used.
"Life truly is lonely as snow."
With a soft sigh, Duàn Yì finished his routine and withdrew his stance. Though he had no internal breathing method, he still let out a long breath, as if all his worries and irritation had been expelled with it.
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