The purple carriage moved slowly along the highway near Xizhou.
The carriage had no driver. The old horse pulling it walked with faltering steps, its coat dull and its body little more than skin and bones, looking as though it might collapse at any moment.
Yet no matter what twists and turns the carriage rolled over, it retained that half-dead appearance.
No matter what kind of road it encountered, the old horse maintained the same steady pace, pressing onward.
Inside the carriage.
A fair-skinned woman with shoulder-length black hair, almond eyes, and sword-like brows sat cross-legged on the seat, holding a pale yellow bamboo scroll.
On the back of the bamboo scroll were carved the words: Intent, Clarity, Remnant, Image.
Four large characters.
The handwriting was ancient script from the previous dynasty, impossible for ordinary people to recognize. Yet in the woman's hands, it posed no obstacle at all as her fingers casually turned page after page.
"Buddha Lord. The ship sent by the Xuanmiao Sect has left. Shouldn't we make our move as well?"
Outside the carriage, beside the desolate highway, a fierce gust of wind suddenly swept up.
When the wind died down, a brawny monk over three meters tall had appeared by the roadside.
Facing the slowly moving carriage, the monk lowered his head respectfully.
"Yuan Du Zi's departure means the Xuanmiao Sect has withdrawn and will no longer concern itself with affairs on land. So do whatever needs to be done. There is no need for restraint." The almond-eyed woman set down the bamboo scroll and spoke softly.
"Has Zhou Lan been found?" she suddenly asked again.
"We found her, but her remains were too severely corroded by True Force. Her human form was completely unrecognizable. We could only identify her from the tiny fragments of