Chapter Seven: Departure and Arrival

It was the eighth day of the eighth lunar month in the twenty-first year of Yuán Fēng of Great Xia. The sky was high and the air was crisp. The wild roadside still boasted lush green grass, occasionally dotted with vibrant flowers, and the rich natural scent was invigorating.

Duàn Yì, clad in simple cloth clothes patched with numerous mendings, his bulging small bundle slung over his shoulder, stood a few hundred meters outside Yuxi Village, bidding farewell to Yuè Jiāo Nú.

"Sister Yuè, you must remember my words. Absolutely do not deliberately target the Moon Worship Palace or the Golden Cauldron Sect, nor should you trouble Yuè Bì Nǔ or Qū Dōng Liú. Your sole mission is to gather intelligence on the whereabouts of the Blood Head Monk. This directly relates to whether we can achieve revenge."

Seeing Yuè Jiāo Nú nod solemnly in promise, Duàn Yì breathed a sigh of relief and continued, "Also, we'll set a period of three years. Three years from today, no matter where you are or whether you've found the Blood Head Monk, you must return to Yuxi Village."

The reason he added this command for a timed reunion was that Duàn Yì feared Yuè Jiāo Nú's straightforward nature might lead her to treat finding the monk as a lifelong endeavor, thus delaying herself and causing him unease.

"Yes, I understand. Actually, I'm not worried about myself. It's just that the Golden Cauldron Sect is Qū Dōng Liú's territory. Young Master, you must be extremely careful there. If things become impossible, Young Master, you don't need to take risks. We can make long-term plans. As long as we are still breathing, there will eventually be a day when we achieve revenge."

Yuè Jiāo Nú seemed much more cheerful than when Duàn Yì first met her, having changed into a pink dress that made her look radiant. Although she still spoke of revenge, she had begun to concern herself with Duàn Yì's safety.

"Haha, good. Don't worry, we'll meet again in the Jianghu."

Waving goodbye to Yuè Jiāo Nú one last time, Duàn Yì turned without hesitation and strode forward.

Yuè Jiāo Nú remained standing in place, watching Duàn Yì until the Young Master's figure disappeared. Only then did she clench her fist tightly, a glint flashing in her pupils, her face filled with determination. For the Old Palace Master, for the Young Master, she was determined to find the Blood Head Monk's whereabouts. Absolutely.

Wei Prefecture was the administrative seat of Hebei Province in Great Xia. It governed fourteen counties. Duàn Yì's hometown, Lin'an County, was located in the northern part of Wei Prefecture. The Daming County, where the Golden Cauldron Sect was located, was in the center of Wei Prefecture, about two hundred li away, not too far.

In this world, there were no cars, airplanes, or high-speed trains. There were horse-drawn carriages and horses for transportation, but they were expensive, a cost Duàn Yì couldn't afford.

Walking the entire two hundred li on foot, which took four full days, Duàn Yì finally arrived at Daming County in Wei Prefecture.

The sun was shining brightly, and the streets were bustling with people. Along the wide, straight avenues stood various shops and businesses, their buildings tall and grand. Although both were counties under Wei Prefecture, compared to the poverty and backwardness of Lin'an County, Daming County was a different scene altogether, with a large population, a prosperous economy, and residents who lived with wealth and confidence.

Composing himself, Duàn Yì ignored the curious stares of the passersby, who seemed to be looking at him as if he were a country bumpkin entering the city, and began searching for a place to stay. He planned to rest for one night and then head out of the city to the Golden Cauldron Sect the next day.

"Good heavens, is the cost of living this high everywhere? Just for one night, and in the most ordinary small room, it's thirty wen! This must be a rip-off."

After a casual stroll, Duàn Yì found a moderately sized but clean inn to check into. However, upon inquiring, he learned that just for lodging, without meals, it would cost thirty wen, which made his already tight finances ache. His own family was penniless, and it wasn't until Yuè Jiāo Nú arrived that he had a few decent meals. The travel expenses for this journey were also earned by Yuè Jiāo Nú trading hunted game, and they were far from abundant.

"Oh well, I don't have much money left anyway. Staying one night should be manageable."

Duàn Yì pondered for a moment. Having traveled such a long distance, if he successfully reached the mountain tomorrow and found Bái Xī Wén, he wouldn't starve. If Bái Xī Wén didn't accept him, with his meager funds, returning home would be impossible, and he'd have to find another way. So, he decided to splurge. He was also extremely tired from the continuous travel and wanted a good night's rest.

"Give me a standard room, and bring me a basin of hot water. I need to clean myself up."

Duàn Yì fumbled in his bundle and handed thirty wen to the innkeeper at the counter. He noticed that the innkeeper, who had previously looked at him with disdain and impatience, suddenly became much more amiable. His greasy jowls shone as he smiled and beckoned a waiter to lead Duàn Yì inside.

The room was reasonably tidy, with no unusual odors, indicating it was frequently cleaned and ventilated. There was a bed with bedding that was about seventy percent new, a matching table and chair, and a pot of clean water with two inverted porcelain bowls. However, there was no window, which would be quite unbearable in the August heat. Fortunately, this humble room was not on an upper floor but was a separate structure built in the inn's backyard, so opening the door allowed for ventilation and some coolness.

After putting his bundle away, Duàn Yì used the hot water brought by the waiter to clean himself up. Seeing that it was still early and not yet mealtime, he sat on the bed, contemplating the matter of going up the mountain tomorrow.

According to Yuè Jiāo Nú, Bái Xī Wén held a rather high position in the Golden Cauldron Sect. Besides the Sect Leader Qū Dōng Liú, he was on the same level as the two Deputy Sect Leaders and the other six great elders. Furthermore, in terms of reputation, Bái Xī Wén was known as the top expert of the Golden Cauldron Sect, making him a significant figure to rely on. There were even rumors that the former Sect Leader of the Golden Cauldron Sect had intended for Bái Xī Wén to succeed him, but due to unforeseen circumstances, the sect's core experts unanimously decided that the more senior and strategically capable Qū Dōng Liú would take over as Sect Leader. Therefore, as long as Bái Xī Wén was willing to take him in, others in the Golden Cauldron Sect should not be able to interfere with the final outcome, and his plan would be more than half successful.

"Sister Yuè, Sister Yuè, I'm counting on you entirely. I hope your estimation is correct. If not, I'll have to resort to the second plan."

Indeed, although Duàn Yì had been a shut-in in his previous life with no great abilities, he was meticulous and always thought ahead, never placing all his hopes on a single person. Bái Xī Wén was a good option, but until things were settled, there were always variables. He had already considered that if all else failed, he could seek apprenticeship at the Shaolin Temple.

There was indeed a Shaolin Temple in this world, the foremost Buddhist power. Its founder, Bodhidharma, was on par with Zhang Sanfeng of Wudang as an unparalleled grandmaster, a figure even older than the establishment of Great Xia. It was said that he had already achieved Buddhahood and departed to a realm of freedom. Consequently, Shaolin held immense influence in Great Xia, being one of the foundational sects that protected the nation. Compared to regional powers like the Golden Cauldron Sect, they were on entirely different levels, completely outclassing them.

Shaolin was divided into northern and southern schools. The northern school was the origin, the ancestral court of Chan Buddhism. The southern school was founded by disciples of the northern school, claiming to accept all disciples regardless of background. Its lay disciples were spread throughout the land, with many experts emerging. This was also one of the sects Yuè Jiāo Nú believed was most likely to accept Duàn Yì as a disciple. Although they would be lay disciples and practice ordinary martial arts, they could still learn martial arts, couldn't they? Most importantly, it was rumored that once recognized by a high monk of Southern Shaolin, lay disciples also had the opportunity to study at Northern Shaolin. If one were willing to shave their head, advanced martial arts like the Seventy-Two Peerless Skills would not be a dream.

The thought of martial arts made Duàn Yì's hands and feet itch, feeling as if a day without practice was like three autumns. In the cramped room, he assumed a stance, circulated his energy, and practiced the Minor Capturing Hand twice more, familiarizing himself with the movements to avoid becoming rusty. Although he had been rushing to travel these past few days, he hadn't been idle. Whenever he had a moment to rest, he entered the Tower of Hidden Martial Arts within the Longevity Lock to cultivate. Even though it was just the Minor Capturing Hand, with the buff of his supreme comprehension, his progress was still not slow. Duàn Yì wasn't sure if he had reached the level of complete mastery, but compared to initially just following the routines step-by-step, he could now practice the movements separately. Moreover, his physical hand-eye coordination had significantly improved in reality, showing considerable progress.

The only pity, perhaps, was that Duàn Yì hadn't yet experienced a true battle.

Yuè Jiāo Nú sparring with him didn't count.

Traveling along the way, Duan Yi adhered to the principle of "better to have one less thing than one more," maintaining a low profile and smoothly arriving at Daming County without any complications. Yes, it was entirely uneventful, completely defying the trope of traversers inherently attracting misfortune.

With no opponents, his martial arts naturally had no place to be used.

"Life is truly as lonely as snow."

He let out a soft sigh. Duàn Yì finished his practice and retracted his hands. Although he lacked a method for internal energy circulation, he still let out a long, deep breath, as if all his worries and frustrations were expelled with it.