Three days later.
Before dawn, while the sky was still dark, the back gate of Qing Family Manor silently opened.
Five figures filed out and disappeared into the night beyond the gate.
Qing Zhengyue walked at the front. The old man had changed into a dark gray fitted outfit, his white hair tied up, with the narrow-bladed saber that had accompanied him for decades hanging at his waist.
His steps were light, making almost no sound on the bluestone pavement.
Liu Yunlan followed close behind, dressed in a deep green short outfit, her silver hair coiled into a bun, her cuffs tightly bound.
There was one more cloth pouch at the old lady's waist than last time. The faint clinking inside was muffled by the fabric and could only be heard from nearby.
Qing Hongyuan walked in the middle, dressed in black fitted clothing with a sword at his waist, his expression calm and steady.
His aura was far more substantial than it had been three months ago. The realm of a Soul King made his steps even more composed.
Shen Wanqing held Qing Mufeng's hand as she walked beside her husband. Her jade-green gown had been replaced with a practical brown short outfit, and her hair was tied into a long braid that hung down her back.
Her martial soul was the Jade Orchid. As an auxiliary-type soul master, she was not skilled at direct combat, but her support abilities were indispensable to the team.
Qing Mufeng walked at the rear, his steps brisk and his breathing steady.
Though he was only six years old and had been dragged out of bed before dawn, he did not utter a single complaint.
The entire family of five had set out together.
Outside the manor, an inconspicuous carriage waited by the roadside.
The carriage was the plain color of paulownia wood, without carvings or decorations. Even its curtains were made of the most ordinary indigo coarse cloth.
The horse pulling it, however, was an excellent one. Its entire body was black, its four legs long and slender. It was clearly a fine steed chosen from among a hundred.
The coachman was a middle-aged man in his fifties, dark-skinned and rough-handed, dressed in a faded brown short outfit. He squatted on the carriage shaft, smoking a pipe.
When he saw Qing Zhengyue emerge, he immediately pinched out the pipe, jumped down from the shaft, and respectfully bowed without saying a word.
He was the Qing Clan's most loyal coachman. His surname was Zhao, and he had worked for the Qing Clan for thirty years.
He only knew that the main family made several trips each year. He never asked where they were going or what they were doing, and after they returned, he never spoke out of turn.
Qing Zhengyue nodded to him and boarded the carriage first.
Liu Yunlan, Qing Hongyuan, and Shen Wanqing boarded in turn. Qing Mufeng was the last to climb in, sitting between his grandmother and mother.
The carriage door closed, and the curtain fell.
Zhao the Coachman jumped onto the carriage shaft and flicked the reins. The black horse set off, and the carriage silently disappeared into the darkness before dawn.
The carriage was not large, but it was more than spacious enough for five people.
Qing Zhengyue sat deepest inside, leaning against the carriage wall with his eyes closed in rest.
Liu Yunlan took out an oil-paper package from her cloth pouch and opened it. Inside were several scallion pancakes, still warm.
"Feng'er, have one. We'll be traveling all day," the old lady said, handing a pancake to her grandson.
Qing Mufeng accepted it and ate in small bites.
Qing Hongyuan and Shen Wanqing each took one as well. Only Qing Zhengyue waved his hand, indicating that he was not hungry.
The carriage sped along the official road, its wheels rolling over the ground with a steady rumble.
Zhao the Coachman was highly skilled. The carriage moved swiftly and smoothly, and those inside could barely feel any bumps.
After finishing his pancake, Qing Mufeng leaned against his grandmother and closed his eyes, but he did not sleep.
He was thinking about their target this time.
"Grandfather," he said softly.
Qing Zhengyue opened his eyes. "Yes?"
"Has the target for my third soul ring been decided?"
Qing Zhengyue glanced at him, took out a folded sheet of paper from his robes, and unfolded it. A soul beast was drawn upon it.
The soul beast in the drawing had a long, slender body, powerful limbs, and an elongated neck. Its head resembled a lizard's somewhat, but two short horns protruded from its forehead.
Its body was covered in blue-green scales, a row of fine spikes ran along its back, and its tail was long and powerful.
"A Wind Wood Dragon," Qing Zhengyue said. "It cultivates both wood and wind attributes. It is agile, excels at long-range wind attacks, and uses its claws, fangs, and tail in close combat. Its scales are hard enough that ordinary Soul Ancestors would struggle to break through its defense."
Qing Mufeng studied the illustration carefully, committing the Wind Wood Dragon's features to memory.
"What age?"
"Between five thousand and eight thousand years. There are quite a few Wind Wood Dragons within that range in the Hurricane Wood Mountain Range."
Qing Zhengyue folded the drawing and put it back into his robes. "Your body can withstand a soul ring of around five thousand years. I intend to find you one between five thousand five hundred and six thousand years old."
Qing Hongyuan added from the side, "The Wind Wood Dragon's wood attribute is extremely pure. Though it is a draconic subspecies rather than a pure-blooded dragon, the richness of its wood attribute is no weaker than that of some pure-blooded dragons."
"Why choose a draconic subspecies instead of a pure-blooded one?" Qing Mufeng asked.
"Pure-blooded dragons are too difficult to find," Qing Zhengyue said. "Although there are dragons in Star Dou Forest, most pure-blooded dragons reside in the core region. Those places are too dangerous. Besides, pure-blooded dragons are often more than ten thousand years old, making them unsuitable for you to absorb right now."
The old man paused before continuing, "Another advantage of the Wind Wood Dragon is its wind attribute. One of your future Innate Divine Abilities is Azure Dragon Wind Control. A wind-attribute soul ring from a Wind Wood Dragon will help you awaken that ability."
Qing Mufeng nodded and asked no further questions.
The carriage traveled for an entire day.
From morning to noon, from noon to dusk, they only stopped once at a roadside tea stall. The horse drank some water and ate some feed, while the five of them got out to stretch their limbs.
Zhao the Coachman never got down. He sat on the carriage shaft, gnawing on a dry pancake and taking a few sips of water, his eyes fixed on the horse's condition the entire time.
At dusk, the carriage entered a region of rolling hills.
In the distance, an unbroken mountain range outlined itself against the horizon in black. A thin veil of mist hung above it, glimmering with a dark golden light beneath the setting sun.
They had arrived at Star Dou Forest.
The carriage stopped before an inn on the outskirts of the forest.
The inn was small and built of wood and earth. A faded wine banner hung from the flagpole outside, bearing the three words "Forest Post."
This was the most common resting place for soul hunters entering and leaving Star Dou Forest. People from every walk of life gathered here.
Zhao the Coachman drove the carriage to the stable behind the inn, fed the horse fodder and water, then returned to the front courtyard. He squatted in a corner, lit his pipe, and chatted idly with several other coachmen crouching against the wall.
His accent had changed. It was no longer the accent of Nuoding City, but the local dialect of this area.
His manner had changed as well. He was no longer Uncle Zhao of the Qing Clan, the quiet man of few words, but an ordinary coachman no different from those around him.
No one paid him any attention, which was exactly what he wanted.
The five members of the Qing Clan rented two rooms at the inn. After resting briefly for a quarter of an hour, they left through the back door while the sky had not yet fully darkened and vanished into the forest's edge.
Before entering Star Dou Forest, Qing Zhengyue stopped and turned to look at everyone.
"Once we enter the forest, Hongyuan will lead, Wanqing will stay in the middle, Yunlan will cover the rear, and Mufeng will stay close to your grandmother."
The old man's voice was low and clear. "I'll be on watch. If we encounter a soul beast, do not act rashly. Observe first."
The four of them nodded.
Qing Zhengyue gave his grandson's face one final look.
"After obtaining your third soul ring, we still need to hunt a thirty-thousand-year soul beast for your father."
His voice deepened. "So this operation must not only be fast, but steady. Do not get hurt, do not linger in battle, and do not attract unnecessary trouble."
"Understood," Qing Hongyuan replied.
Qing Zhengyue drew his saber, its blade flashing with cold light in the twilight.
"Go."
Five figures disappeared into the forest's shadows.
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