The Storm Ends, Departure for the Four Symbols Sect

By dawn, the Zhou, Sun, and Li family residences had all been sealed.

News also came from Blackwind Ridge: Pang Hu had been slain by Gu Changfeng's sword while breaking through the encirclement.

The bandits in the stronghold were either dead or surrendered. Thirty li north of Anping County, there were no more bandits left.

Ye An was summoned to the county government office that afternoon.

Back hall of the county government office.

Gu Changfeng sat in a grand armchair. A map was spread across the table, and the paper ash in the copper basin had yet to be emptied.

When he saw Ye An enter, he did not rise. He merely lifted his chin toward the chair opposite him.

"Sit."

Ye An sat down.

Gu Changfeng's gaze moved from his face to his waist, paused on Shuanghong Sword for a moment, then shifted away.

"That sword is decent," he said evenly. "Spirit Grade mid-tier, but compared with my Changfeng Sword, it's still lacking."

Ye An did not respond.

Gu Changfeng took a folded sheet of paper from the drawer and pushed it over.

"You're going to the Four Symbols Sect next, right? This is a travel permit for Cangwu Prefecture. There are many checkpoints along the way. It'll be more convenient with this."

Ye An tucked the permit into his clothes. "Thank you, Guard Gu."

Gu Changfeng leaned back against the chair and tapped the armrest twice with his fingers.

"Have you heard of the Demon Suppressing Guard?"

Ye An nodded.

"The imperial court's official power," Gu Changfeng said. "Its foundation is thicker than that of any of the Three Upper Sects. I'm currently serving in the Demon Suppressing Guard. Sects within the Dayu Dynasty are also considered official powers, and their disciples can hold positions in the Demon Suppressing Guard."

Ye An looked at him without speaking.

"Interested?" Gu Changfeng asked.

Ye An pondered for a moment. "I still have to study at the Four Symbols Sect."

There was no other reason. His current strength was still low, so he had to become stronger before considering the matter.

For now, breaking through Meridian Opening was the most important thing.

"It doesn't conflict." Gu Changfeng lifted his teacup and took a sip. "There are plenty of sect disciples holding positions in the Demon Suppressing Guard. But there's no rush. You've only reached Third Body Tempering. Once you arrive in Cangwu Prefecture, get your footing first. If you figure things out later, we can talk then."

Ye An cupped his fists. "Thank you, Guard Gu."

Gu Changfeng waved his hand. "That's enough. Go. Once you're settled in Cangwu Prefecture, write a letter back. Don't die."

Ye An rose and turned to leave. When he reached the door, Gu Changfeng spoke again behind him.

"Be careful on the way. Cangwu Prefecture is no little place like Anping County. The waters there run deeper."

Ye An paused but did not turn around. He pushed open the door and left.

After leaving the county government office, Ye An did not return home directly. Instead, he turned into South Street.

The gate of Green Bamboo Martial Arts Hall stood open. In the practice yard, several new junior disciples were holding horse stances, their faces flushed bright red.

Ye An crossed the practice yard and entered the rear courtyard.

The leaves had yet to grow on the old locust tree. Its branches were bare, and its shadow fell over the ground in fine, scattered fragments.

Su Yuanshan sat in a bamboo chair with a teacup in hand.

"You're here?"

"Mm."

Su Yuanshan glanced at him, set down his teacup, and drew a letter from his sleeve.

The envelope was pale yellow, sealed with wax. There were no words written on it.

"A recommendation letter for the Four Symbols Sect." Su Yuanshan's voice was soft, as if he were discussing something utterly ordinary. "Take this letter to Cangwu Prefecture. You'll become an Outer Sect Disciple of the Four Symbols Sect without an examination."

Ye An accepted the letter and clenched it in his palm.

"Thank you, Hall Master."

Su Yuanshan waved his hand, lifted his teacup, and lowered his head to drink.

Ye An stood there for a while, but Su Yuanshan said nothing more.

There was barely any master-and-disciple relationship between them. If he had to put it one way, they were simply teacher and student.

Ye An turned to leave. Su Yuanshan called out from behind him.

"Be extra careful once you get there."

Ye An paused. "This disciple will remember."

As he walked out of the martial hall, Zhao Tieshan withdrew his fist and glanced at him without speaking.

Su Qing set down the bandages she had rolled, stood up, and patted her clothes. She, too, said nothing.

Ye An walked past them without stopping.

When Ye An returned to Willow Alley, food had already been laid out on the table in the main room.

Ye Shouzhuo sat in the seat of honor with his bowl in hand, but had not touched his chopsticks.

Ye Ping was arranging the bowls and chopsticks. Ye Ning came out of the inner room, and there was no longer anything unusual about the way he walked.

"You're leaving tomorrow?" Ye Ning asked.

"Mm."

Ye Shouzhuo set down his bowl and glanced at his youngest son. His lips moved slightly.

Only after a long while did he force out two words. "Be careful."

Ye An nodded.

Ye Ping placed a piece of sparerib in Ye An's bowl. "Write a letter back once you get there."

Ye Ning said nothing.

He lifted his wine cup and clinked it against Ye An's. He drained it in one gulp, set the cup down, then turned and returned to his room.

Ye An watched his second brother's back without calling after him. Some words weighed more when left unsaid.

That night, Ye An sorted through his belongings. The Qi-Nourishing Formula was already useless. This Mortal Grade internal cultivation technique could only increase a Body Tempering Martial Artist's battle prowess; it did little for cultivation.

Only Meridian Opening Martial Artists needed Spirit Grade internal cultivation techniques. There was no point keeping it at home.

Not everyone was like Ye An, breaking through at a glance. Having his second brother Ye Ning practice it would be a complete waste of time. He might as well wait until breaking through Meridian Opening before cultivating a Spirit Grade technique.

Once Ye An obtained more resources at the Four Symbols Sect, many problems would become minor matters.

Early the next morning, Ye An carried his luggage and hung Shuanghong Sword at his waist. However, he had wrapped the sword tightly. He knew well the principle that possessing a treasure invited disaster.

He then put on the Iron Sand Gloves and left Willow Alley.

After passing through the southern gate, the courier station stood beside the official road.

A horse-drawn carriage with blue curtains was parked there, and the driver was tying luggage to its roof.

"Going to Cangwu Prefecture?" the driver asked.

"Mm."

"Get on. There are two seats left."

Ye An lifted the carriage curtain and climbed inside. Two people were already seated in the carriage.

On the left sat a boy of fifteen or sixteen. He wore a long green robe with a silver sash around his waist. His face was fair and clean, and the corners of his mouth curved slightly upward, giving him a naturally approachable air.

When he saw Ye An climb in, he shifted aside and made room.

On the right sat a girl of about the same age. She wore a plain white dress, her hair coiled with a jade hairpin. Leaning against the carriage wall, she held a book and gazed out the window.

When Ye An entered, she turned her head and glanced at him. Her gaze lingered for an instant before she looked away and continued reading as if nothing had happened.

"You're going to Cangwu Prefecture too?" the boy asked, taking the initiative.

"Mm."

Seeing that the boy, who seemed about his age, had spoken to him, Ye An nodded in reply.

"I'm from neighboring Linjiang County. My surname is Lu—Lu Xingzhou." The boy smiled, then pointed at the girl beside him. "This is Shen Qing. She's from the same place as me."

The girl gave a slight nod in greeting but did not speak.

"Third Body Tempering. I'm going to Cangwu Prefecture for one thing only: to enter the Four Symbols Sect and become a true martial artist. What about you?"

"Ye An, from Anping County. Third Body Tempering."

Lu Xingzhou looked Ye An up and down, his eyes pausing briefly on the Iron Sand Gloves and the sword at his waist. "Anping County? I know it. It isn't far from Linjiang County."

"What grade is your Bone Structure?" Lu Xingzhou asked.

"High-Grade C."

Lu Xingzhou showed neither surprise nor disdain. He merely nodded. "Bone Structure doesn't explain everything. I've seen people with Grade B Bone Structures who remained stuck at Second Body Tempering after practicing for a year. I've also seen people with Grade C Bone Structures accomplish quite a lot."

He smiled. "Your family pushed you from High-Grade C to Third Body Tempering. Just that investment alone puts you ahead of many people. But once you reach the Four Symbols Sect, relying on your family alone won't be enough."

Lu Xingzhou did not realize that those words might provoke some people, but Ye An did not care.

Ye An glanced at him without explaining.

Ye An understood that Lu Xingzhou was the carefree, long-winded type. He did not say anything more.

The girl beside them remained silent.

When she heard the words "High-Grade C," the finger turning her page paused.

Her gaze settled on Ye An for several seconds before moving away.

There was no contempt or disdain. It was the coldness of someone who had scrutinized him and swiftly reached a conclusion.

His family had some money and pushed him to Third Body Tempering. But someone forcibly propped up like that would only have the fate of an Outer Sect Disciple at the Four Symbols Sect. Third Body Tempering would be his limit.

She withdrew her gaze and continued her seemingly aimless activities, her manner even colder than before.

Ye An glanced at her. She sensed it, turned her head, and gave him a polite, slight nod.

"Shen Qing."

After saying that, she turned back to look out the window.

Lu Xingzhou glanced at her, then at Ye An. He smiled and said nothing more.

The carriage left Anping County's borders. The fields beside the official road gave way to rolling hills. After the carriage fell silent for a while, Lu Xingzhou spoke again.

"Have you heard? The Four Symbols Sect has reduced this year's Outer Sect Disciple quota by twenty percent compared with previous years."

"Why?" Ye An asked.

"I don't know. Some say the sect is shrinking its operations. Some say it's because there aren't enough resources. Others say it's to improve the quality of its disciples." Lu Xingzhou shrugged. "Whatever the reason, the competition will definitely be fiercer than in previous years."

The girl said nothing, but her finger paused over the page again.

When the carriage reached a valley, a commotion arose ahead. The driver pulled on the reins. The horse neighed and stopped.

"What happened?" Lu Xingzhou lifted the curtain and poked his head out.

Several rocks lay across the official road, and several figures emerged from the woods beside it.

The leader was a burly man with a face full of coarse flesh. He carried a cleaver.

"Merchants! Leave the valuables behind, and the people can go."

The merchant caravan's guards drew their blades and blocked the way.

The lead guard was a veteran at Second Body Tempering. His voice was deep. "This is a merchant caravan transporting materials to Cangwu Prefecture. Are you sure you want to attack it?"

The man laughed and waved behind him. Seven or eight more men emerged from the woods, each carrying a blade.

Lu Xingzhou lowered the curtain and turned around. "Stay seated. I'll go take a look."

He lifted the curtain and jumped down.

Shen Qing remained seated inside, not even shifting her gaze from outside. Her page-turning remained steady.

The guards and bandits faced off for a moment. One bandit took advantage of the confusion to rush to the carriage and reached out to lift the curtain.

Lu Xingzhou flashed over from the side and jabbed a finger into the man's wrist. The cleaver fell from his hand, and the bandit clutched his arm and staggered back several steps.

The guards surged forward as one. Seeing that the tide had turned against them, the bandits spun around and fled into the woods.

Lu Xingzhou shook his fingers, turned, and climbed back into the carriage. He returned to his original seat and patted the dust from his clothes. "It's fine now."

Shen Qing turned a page without looking up.

Ye An took in the entire scene.

"You've practiced finger techniques?"

"It's a family technique." Lu Xingzhou smiled. "My main purpose in going to the Four Symbols Sect is that I've heard the Vermilion Bird Hall's finger techniques are superb. I want to study them."

"What about you, Brother Ye? Which branch of the Four Symbols Sect interests you most?"

Ye An thought for a moment and answered honestly.

"I'll consider it after breaking through Meridian Opening. The Four Halls of the Four Symbols Sect are still too far away."

Lu Xingzhou nodded, agreeing with Ye An's words.

The girl remained silent throughout.

At dusk, the carriage stopped outside an inn in a small town.

The driver said they would stay there for the night and leave again early the next morning.

Ye An climbed down from the carriage and entered the inn with his luggage.

Lu Xingzhou followed behind him, while the girl came last, still holding that book.

"Three rooms." Ye An looked at the two people behind him, consulted them, and then booked three rooms.

The innkeeper looked at the three of them but asked no questions. He handed over three keys.

Ye An took the key and went upstairs.

Lu Xingzhou's room was beside his, while the girl's was opposite.

That night, Ye An sat on the bed, removed the Iron Sand Gloves, and placed them beside his pillow.

Shuanghong Sword leaned against the headboard, the silver threads on its scabbard glimmering in the candlelight.

He closed his eyes. Internal Energy circulated through his meridians, neither hurried nor slow.

Several days later, they arrived at Cangwu Prefecture.

When the carriage entered the city gate, Ye An lifted the curtain and looked outside.

The walls of the prefectural city were more than twice as high as those of Anping County. Dark green moss marked the blue-gray bricks. The gateway was three zhang wide, and carriages, horses, and pedestrians passed beneath it like water flowing through a sluice.

The stone roads were more than twice as wide as those in Anping County, and the proportion of martial artists among the pedestrians was astonishingly high.

Ye An swept his gaze over them. At least three out of every ten were Body Tempering Realm martial artists.

Lu Xingzhou also lifted the carriage curtain and looked outside, his eyes shining. "We're here. We're finally here."

Shen Qing closed the book in her hands and swept her gaze over the shops lining the street.

She showed neither Lu Xingzhou's excitement nor Ye An's scrutiny. She simply looked, as if confirming information she had known all along.

The carriage stopped at the city gate. The driver turned around and said, "The Four Symbols Sect isn't in the city. It's on Cangwu Mountain outside the city. You'll have to go there yourselves. My carriage can't enter the mountain gate."

Ye An climbed out with his pack on his back. Lu Xingzhou and Shen Qing got out as well.

The three of them stood at the city gate and exchanged glances.

Lu Xingzhou cupped his hands. "Brother Ye, I don't know whether we'll meet again after this journey. There are over a thousand Outer Sect Disciples in the Four Symbols Sect, so the odds of us being assigned to the same courtyard aren't high."

"My colleague and I still have relatives and friends to visit, so we'll be taking our leave here. Take care."

Ye An nodded. "Take care."

Lu Xingzhou smiled, turned around, and left, with Shen Qing following behind him.

Ye An paid them no attention and instead headed toward Cangwu Mountain.

Cangwu Mountain lay twenty li north of Cangwu Prefectural City.

The mountain gate was even more imposing than the city gate. Two enormous stone pillars stood on either side of the steps, carved with the Four Symbols—Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise.

A stone beast crouched atop each pillar. Their features had been blurred by wind and rain, but their majestic presence remained.

The steps stretched from the mountain gate all the way to the mountainside, disappearing into the distance.

Ye An climbed the steps, but after only a few paces, someone stopped him.

The gatekeeping disciple wore a uniform gray robe, with the words "Four Symbols" embroidered across his chest.

His gaze swept over Ye An and paused for a moment on the sword wrapped in cloth.

Ye An pulled out the letter Su Yuanshan had given him and handed it over.

The gatekeeping disciple accepted the letter and glanced at the blank envelope, frowning.

He immediately tore open the seal and pulled out the letter inside. After scanning it, his expression changed.

He folded the letter, slipped it back into the envelope, and returned it to Ye An. His manner was much more courteous than before.

"Outer Sect Disciple, exempt from the examination. Junior Brother, follow this road upward. When you reach the plaza halfway up the mountain, report to the Outer Sect steward. He'll arrange lodging for you."

Ye An put the letter away. "Thank you."

A prefecture as large as Cangwu Prefecture had countless counties and cities under its jurisdiction.

Every year, people like Ye An arrived bearing recommendation letters for admission as examination-exempt Outer Sect Disciples.

But they were only recommendation letters for Outer Sect Disciples, and carried little weight in the eyes of the Four Symbols Sect.