Blackwind Ravine Expedition

"Silver Crow Handwraps?"

"Woven from fine silver thread and black silkworm silk, they're supple and fit the hands closely without hindering your strength. Swords and blades can hardly damage them."

Fan Sheng said, "The rental fee is high—three mace of silver a day.

"The deposit is twenty taels. If they're damaged, the deposit won't be refunded."

Deng Qing calculated for a few breaths. "Staying alive is what matters. I'll rent them the day before we set out. I'll have to trouble you to make the introduction, Senior Brother."

Fan Sheng waved a hand. "No need for such formalities with me. Oh, there's something else you need to be prepared for.

"The situation outside is getting worse and worse, and Celebration Hall's resources are tight as well. The allowance originally given to newly registered disciples may be cut.

"In the future, even meat and meals may no longer be as reliably available as they are now."

Deng Qing frowned slightly.

His cultivation could advance now only because several lifelines were supporting it.

The meals from Celebration Hall, the meat from Wu Yun's side, the silver earned from North Warehouse, and the medicinal bath that would soon be his.

But if Celebration Hall cut its allowance while meat and medicine outside grew scarcer, his cultivation speed would inevitably be affected.

Fan Sheng gave him one final piece of news. "Li Cheng broke through to Skin Refining Second Layer the day before yesterday."

Deng Qing's heart sank.

Li Cheng's family had abundant resources, so it was hardly strange that he had broken through faster than Deng Qing.

But understanding was one thing. When Deng Qing truly heard the news, a sense of urgency still rose within him.

Fan Sheng said, "In troubled times, the lower you are, the more dangerous it is.

"The assignments a Skin Tempering First Layer cultivator can take are mostly guarding warehouses, patrolling streets, escorting goods, and scouting roads.

"To put it bluntly, they're bitter jobs—hard, exhausting work.

"Only at Skin Refining Second Layer do you have a little room to choose.

"If you want to remain in Celebration Hall, you need to break through as soon as possible."

Deng Qing cupped his hands. "Thank you for your guidance, Senior Brother."

He understood it perfectly. The more chaotic the times, the more tightly he had to cling to Celebration Hall, this great tree.

No matter how chaotic the county town became, the county office and Celebration Hall were still holding it down.

Without Celebration Hall's shelter, there would be refugees, mountain bandits, evil cults, famine, and war outside.

And to hold tightly to Celebration Hall, he had to hurry and break through.

Over the following days, he continued practicing without pause. Aside from going to Celebration Hall and Wu Yun's place for meals, he scarcely left home.

Not until the day before departure did Fan Sheng come to Deng Qing's house. He handed him a set of leather armor and a wooden case, told him to gather at the hour of the Rabbit tomorrow, then turned and left.

Deng Qing bolted the courtyard gate and examined the leather armor.

The armor had seen some years. Its edges were worn, and several scratches marked the shoulders.

Deng Qing reached out and touched it. Though the leather was old, it remained thick and sturdy.

The chest, abdomen, shoulders, and back in particular had each been reinforced with an extra layer of hard leather.

He tried it on at once. Once the armor was over his body, it restrained his shoulders and back somewhat.

Deng Qing immediately spread into the stance of Tiger-Subduing Fist and began practicing. His movements were not as smooth as usual, but it did not affect his ability to exert force.

After testing the leather armor, Deng Qing opened the wooden case. Inside lay a pair of handguards.

The handguards were very thin and dark in color. Only upon close inspection could one see dense silver threads wrapped with black silk, like a layer of fine scales hidden beneath the cloth's weave.

Deng Qing put them on. As his knuckles slipped in one by one, a faint chill spread across his palms.

He tried clenching his fists. The Silver Crow Handwraps clung tightly to his palms and fingers, yet did not hinder his knuckles from bending in the slightest.

Deng Qing sank his shoulders and dropped his elbows. The instant his five fingers curled together, the fine silver threads across the backs of his hands and knuckles tightened softly, as though his hands had been wrapped in a layer of flexible iron hide.

Deng Qing felt greatly reassured. With these Silver Crow Handwraps, if he truly encountered someone wielding a weapon, he would have a few more odds of winning.

After testing the leather armor and Silver Crow Handwraps, Deng Qing entered the house and sat cross-legged. With a thought, a clear radiance appeared before his eyes.

[Heaven helps those who help themselves; effort is never wasted]

[Realm: Skin Tempering First Layer]

[Tiger-Subduing Fist: 71% (Great Mastery)]

[Violet Palace Method: 19% (Beginner)]

Early the next morning, before dawn had broken, Deng Qing got up. He put on an inner layer, fastened his leather armor, pulled a white robe over it, and tucked the Silver Crow Handwraps into his chest before striding toward Celebration Hall.

Not long after he arrived, the disciples participating in the mission to retrieve medicine from Blackwind Ravine gradually gathered.

Twenty or thirty people stood in the courtyard, along with several horse-drawn carts.

Deng Qing spotted Wang Wei among the crowd and moved over. Wang Wei nodded at him but said nothing.

Before long, Fan Sheng, dressed in black, emerged from the main gate alongside a young man in black robes.

The young man stood tall and straight, his aura calm and steady.

Wang Wei whispered to Deng Qing, "That's Senior Brother Zhang Yan. He's only one step away from the Bone-Forging Realm. He's formidable."

Deng Qing said, "The stronger Senior Brother Zhang is, the more confidence we'll have in this mission. From the looks of it, Senior Brother Fan is coming too?"

Wang Wei said, "Senior Brother Fan is considered poor among the beginner disciples. Since there's an opportunity to make money, of course he'll take part."

As the two spoke, Zhang Yan's sharp gaze swept over them, and they hastily fell silent.

Then Zhang Yan said, "Blackwind Ravine lies at the border of two counties. The mountain roads are dangerous, and the situation is unclear. This trip is solely to retrieve medicinal herbs. No one is to stir up unnecessary trouble. Follow orders."

After everyone answered in unison, Zhang Yan began counting heads.

Once he had finished, Fan Sheng asked quietly, "Senior Brother Zhang, Junior Brother Ma still hasn't returned to the hall?"

Zhang Yan said, "Junior Brother Ma sent word a few days ago that he would return from outside within the next couple of days.

"He has been carrying out missions outside for years and has seen the world. I left him a letter. If he can catch up, this trip will be more secure."

Fan Sheng nodded.

Zhang Yan raised his head to look at the sky, then shouted coldly, "Move out!"

The main force immediately headed west. Upon reaching East Street, they encountered Tianshun Apothecary's convoy. The two groups merged into one and headed out of the city.

Half an hour later, they left the county town. Everywhere they looked was bleak and desolate.

Burned village houses stood by the roadside. Whenever the wind blew, black ash sifted down from their cracks.

Farther ahead, they could see black pots and ash heaps left behind by camps of rioters. Beside the ash heaps lay several sections of human bone burned white. It was impossible to tell whether wild dogs had dragged them there or whether people had been boiled in the pots.

Not far away, several ragged refugees stood at a distance.

When they saw Celebration Hall's group approaching, they immediately retreated to the roadside. They did not dare come close, nor did they dare beg for food.

Their eye sockets were sunken deep, their limbs thin as dead branches. Their gazes remained fixed on the bundles and bags of dry rations in the convoy.

Deng Qing silently warned himself that he had to cling to Celebration Hall, this great tree, with all his might.

The wheels rattled onward. Along the way, all they saw was barrenness, decay, and death, leaving everyone in a heavy mood.

The convoy advanced in grim silence. Half a day later, they finally reached Blackwind Ravine.

The mountain walls on both sides of Blackwind Ravine were steep, with a deep gorge running between them. The gorge floor was filled with jagged rocks and rushing currents.

Wind blew upward from below, carrying damp, frigid mist. When it struck their faces, it was like knives scraping flesh.

Shopkeeper Zhang of Tianshun Apothecary took the lead toward the ravine's edge. Upon reaching it, he braced himself against an old pine and leaned out to look down.

Before long, Zhang Yan came to his side and lowered his head to peer below as well.

Shopkeeper Zhang explained, "Two days ago, a medicine cart passed through Blackwind Ravine. For some reason, the horses were startled, and the cart and its cargo tumbled down the mountain road.

"Fortunately, the cart frame got wedged between broken trees and jagged rocks halfway down, so it didn't fall into the ravine.

"But if we delay any longer, then once it rains, the rainwater will wash over it, and all the medicine will be ruined."