Chapter 42: Xingdao Leaves the Residence
After leaving Kuiwen Hall, Zhang Yu went with the two Profound Residence disciples who had come to meet him. As they walked, they chatted, and he learned their names.
One was Wen Guo, the other Wen De. They were cousins. Though both cultivated at the Profound Residence, neither had entered by way of Taiyang Academy.
Every year, the Profound Residence took in a large number of orphans and began teaching them Celestial Xia's language and writing from a young age. These children grew up living at the Profound Residence or one of its outposts, so they generally found it easier to earn the trust of the Profound Residence's upper ranks than disciples who had entered from the Academy.
Once they came of age, those who could sense the Seal of the Great Dao would be selected to join the residence and become someone's disciple. Those who could not sense it were usually assigned as assistants at the Profound Residence or at one of its outposts around Ruiguang.
The Wen brothers could be considered Xu Ying's disciples. And by name, Zhang Yu and Xu Ying were martial brothers, so although the brothers had been studying the Seal of the Great Dao for more than twenty years, in terms of seniority they could only be considered Zhang Yu's juniors. They were therefore exceptionally respectful and courteous toward him.
There was one thing, though: despite receiving the Profound Residence's training from childhood, these disciples' potential in cultivation was far inferior to that of students who had entered through Taiyang Academy's admissions.
After all, anyone who could study at Taiyang Academy had already stood out from a hundred others. Their ability to think and learn was beyond that of ordinary people; every one of them could be called an outstanding talent.
Sixty years ago, aside from those who had come from Celestial Xia itself, most of the Profound Residence's top fighters had originally been students who had joined Taiyang Academy.
Xu Ying often complained that the Academy produced no talent, but in truth, over the past several decades, figures capable of influencing the balance of power had emerged. Quite a few, however, had ultimately failed to remain at the Profound Residence and instead ended up standing against it.
Since Zhang Yu had known few people at the Profound Residence before, he had never heard these secrets. He had wanted to ask more, but unfortunately, the Wen brothers knew only so much. Beyond what they had just told him, they could say little else.
Halfway there, he noticed they were near his lodgings. Thinking that the Profound Residence might be sending him beyond its walls this time, he said, "You two, I'll stop by my lodgings to change clothes and pick up a few things."
Wen Guo replied courteously, "Please do, Lord Zhang. But try to be quick; don't keep us waiting too long. The supervisor is still expecting us."
Zhang Yu nodded and turned back to his lodgings. He pushed the door open and went inside, while the Wen brothers waited outside.
He had prepared for a departure from the residence long ago, so he moved quickly. First, he changed into a Profound Residence robe, then pulled his hooded cloak over it. He slipped on the pair of vermilion gloves and finally took up the Xia Sword.
After giving Li Qinghe a few words of instruction, he came back out and set off with the Wen brothers again. The three picked up their pace and reached the Profound Residence in less than half a Xia Hour.
He first went to the Affairs Hall to pay his respects to Xiang Chun. The latter explained that the Profound Residence dispatched some of its disciples to handle outside affairs from time to time. This time, a Profound Cultivator surnamed Cai had been assigned to maintain order in the region, so Zhang Yu would accompany him and gain some experience.
Xiang Chun also took special care to tell him to be cautious, and to put his own safety first if trouble arose. After a few final words of encouragement, he sent Zhang Yu on his way.
The Wen brothers had been waiting downstairs. When they saw him come out, Wen Guo stepped forward and cupped his hands. "Lord Zhang, Martial Uncle Cai is waiting at Bamboo Garden. Let's head over."
Zhang Yu nodded and followed them. This time they did not go toward the main hall. Instead, they entered a bamboo grove along the side corridor and came to a refined, two-story bamboo building.
A lean man in a dark blue Daoist robe was already waiting there.
He looked to be around forty and wore a pair of thin mustaches. His expression was kind as he studied people. When the three approached, he raised a hand and saluted Zhang Yu first. "Junior Brother Zhang, my name is Cai Weng. Just call me Senior Brother Cai. I've actually seen you before, but you were painting outside the Profound Residence's gates, so I didn't come over to disturb you."
Zhang Yu brought his hands together and bowed. "So you're Senior Brother Cai. I was discourteous."
"Not at all, not at all."
After exchanging greetings with Zhang Yu, Cai Weng greeted the Wen brothers as well, then ushered all three of them into the bamboo building. A rough map of the Protectorate Office was spread across the wooden table in the middle of the room, with several locations marked in red.
Cai Weng led them to the table and pointed to the red mark farthest away. "We're pressed for time, so I'll keep this brief. We're heading to Lingxuan Town, which borders the middle reaches of the Dawn River. It has long suffered raids by Strange Monsters and native barbarians. Since the Divine Commandery Army withdrew, the local judicial officials have struggled to cope. We're going to help stabilize the situation there."
He then traced a broad curve inland from Ruiguang with his finger. "Junior Brother Zhang, this is our route. We'll have to cross this plain and the Ancient Woodlands before we reach our destination."
Zhang Yu found this puzzling and asked, "Senior Brother Cai, if the situation is urgent, why not take a boat along the inland waterways? Why go all the way around?"
Cai Weng sighed. "There's no other choice. There are several Protectorate Office garrisons along the way, and they're often attacked by Strange Monsters and forest barbarians. The Profound Residence is short-staffed lately, so those places are part of our mission too. I've also received word that a group of Other God Cult followers who fled from near Ruiguang may be hiding there. If we run into them, we'll have to clear them out as well."
He looked up at Zhang Yu and smiled. "Before joining the residence, Junior Brother Zhang had already slain a Yao Salamander. I've heard you also traveled east of Peace Mountain. It seems we'll be relying on your help quite a bit this time."
Zhang Yu knew this was just a polite remark. "You flatter me, Senior Brother Cai. I'll do my best."
"Oh, right," Senior Brother Cai added with a smile. "I know Junior Brother Zhang may be concerned about the Divine Commandery Army, since you badly wounded one of their men. But don't worry. Recently, the army has recalled all its personnel. A few may still be outside, but unless they're officers of Captain rank or higher, they pose no threat to us."
Wen De asked in confusion, "Martial Uncle Cai, how can you be sure? What if the Divine Commandery Army is only trying to throw us off the scent?"
Cai Weng replied with certainty, "After the Scholars' Deliberation this time, the Protectorate Office reclaimed the authority to issue orders to the Divine Commandery Army. In other words, if the army wants to move anyone of Captain rank or higher, it has to report to the Protectorate Office. They can't hide any movements from us."
Wen De sounded doubtful. "Would the Divine Commandery Army really obey?"
After all, the Divine Commandery Army had once been arrogant and overbearing, looking down on everyone. Would they really follow the rules this time? He didn't believe it.
Cai Weng smiled. "You can rest easy this time."
Zhang Yu turned the matter over in his mind. There had to be some other reason Cai Weng was so certain, but from the look of it, he wasn't ready to tell them.
Cai Weng looked at the three of them. "It's getting late. If Junior Brother Zhang and you two nephews are ready, we should set out now."
Zhang Yu had been prepared for some time and said he was ready. The Wen brothers had no objections either. Seeing this, Cai Weng wasted no more time. He led the three out of the bamboo building and toward the denser part of the grove.
After they had walked for a while, Zhang Yu noticed they were not heading for the Profound Residence's southern exit. They were going north instead.
Wen De quietly explained, "Lord Zhang, our Profound Residence lies against Mount Qi. I've heard there's a passage through the mountain that leads straight out of Ruiguang City. We've never used it before, either."
Zhang Yu nodded to himself. He had vaguely heard of this before. And given the Profound Residence's location, with Mount Qi at the northern edge of Ruiguang City, it made sense that the residence would open a passage there, whether for convenient travel or as a precaution against trouble.
The four crossed a shaded path and entered a tunnel carved into the mountainside. Beyond it, a smooth, level stone road led onward.
The road through the cavern was long, but it was not dim, and the air flowed freely. After about half a ke, a deep rumbling sound reached them from ahead.
Before long, the four came upon a long rope bridge, and the sound grew clearer. Water seeping through cracks in the rocks had gathered into a broad, towering waterfall. Together with the blue-green vines hanging around it in the open space, it formed a singular sight deep within the mountain.
Cai Weng said, "We're almost there. The exit is just beyond this."
Past the rope bridge stood a large stone gate. Cai Weng stepped forward and pushed it open with one hand, the gate rumbling as it swung outward. He gestured for the others to go first.
After Zhang Yu stepped through the gate, his view suddenly opened wide. Before him stretched a vast plain, and in the distance the Peace Mountains rose high above the horizon, extending all the way to the edge of sight.
His heart opened with the view, and the words slipped from his lips: "Here, a thousand valleys flatten; heaven and earth shine clear as one. The vaulted heights send echoes far—who has heard them through the ages?"
After Cai Weng emerged, he led them down the mountain path. He noticed that seven or eight assistants were already waiting at the foot of the mountain with horses. They were all fine Qianlu Horses: thirty in total, six packhorses and the rest riding horses.
At the foot of the mountain, Cai Weng swung into the saddle first. "Our first stop is the Xiaoshan Town garrison. We'd better hurry and reach it tonight."
The others stepped forward to choose their mounts, then swung into the saddles.
Zhang Yu swept his gaze over them and chose a black horse with a sleek, gleaming coat like flowing water. He took the reins calmly and mounted. Just then, he sensed something and glanced in a certain direction, but saw nothing.
He heard Cai Weng call to him from afar. His thoughts shifted, and he turned back, urging his horse onward. As the hoofbeats rose, the group galloped across the sweeping plain.
On a raised mound not far from Mount Qi, a tall, sword-bearing Daoist stood watching their figures recede into the distance.
In the next instant, a gust of wind seemed to pass. The mound stood empty and solitary; the figure was gone.
In the previous chapter, some readers wondered why Zhang Yu's joining the Profound Residence was unknown to the Academy's upper ranks. Here's the explanation: the people in the Learning Affairs Hall knew he had joined the Profound Residence, since that was the kind of matter they handled. But they had neither the authority nor the obligation to spread the word, and the Academy's upper ranks had no interest in looking into it. Only someone who went to check his records would know.
I mentioned this explicitly earlier, in the chapter where Zhang Yu looked through the files at the Cultural Proclamation Hall. Only the true upper ranks of the Academy were entitled to examine the records of people with academic appointments. So unless Zhang Yu went out of his way to bring it up, most people wouldn't know.
Besides, even if someone had found out, Zhang Yu had been with the Profound Residence for only two months at most. How much could he have learned in two months? Under normal circumstances, no one would think he was particularly important to the Profound Residence.
That's all for today's little bit of inside information. Bye, everyone~ o(*￣▽￣*)ブ
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