A crimson sun hung on the horizon, its sunset glow staining the skyline red.
By the time Mu Yang and Xis quickened their pace and entered the only nearby town with a train station, an entire day had passed.
The town was called Chongshan Town, named for the overlapping mountain ranges and the bottomless Primeval Mountains below. It was the only route connecting the nearby villages to the outside world. Compared with the villages at the foot of the Da Qingshan Mountains, it was clearly far more prosperous. The presence of the railway station had played a crucial role in Chongshan Town's development.
As they walked down the streets, all kinds of shops lined both sides. Merchants stood at their doorways calling out to sell their wares. The town had already begun to feel modern, giving him the impression of returning to the early twentieth century.
Before the sun set, Mu Yang and Xis carried their luggage toward the train station and queued to buy tickets. Before long, Xis had purchased them and handed one to Mu Yang.
Long-distance trains bound for the south only ran once every two days, while trains passing through their destination only came once every half month. The nearest one would depart tomorrow evening, so Mu Yang and Xis had to remain in town for a day.
"There's still some time before the train leaves. Let's find somewhere to stay first." Xis often traveled far from home, so he led Mu Yang to an inn beside the station.
Afterward, he calmly arranged everything. "We'll be on this journey for half a month. Since you have time tomorrow, buy some daily necessities."
"Alright, I understand."
Mu Yang followed behind Xis. Having grown accustomed to the rustic countryside, this little town finally gave him a faint sense of his previous life. It was understated, yet felt like a lifetime ago. It was not unfamiliar, but it was certainly fresh.
That night, Mu Yang entered the Acceleration Space to train once again. It had become a habit.
The night passed without incident.
The next day, Mu Yang walked alone through the town streets. Since he would be spending half a month on the train, he bought some simple daily necessities.
This was Mu Yang's first time leaving the Da Qingshan Mountains and coming to a town so far away since arriving in the Dragon Ball world. Although the sights before him differed from his impression of skies filled with flying ships, the power of technology had still brought earthshaking changes to the town, filling him with curiosity.
After buying everything, Mu Yang walked through Chongshan Town carrying packages of all sizes. At that moment, he could not help marveling that Briefs, the inventor of Hoi-Poi Capsules technology, was truly a super genius. No wonder the Hoi-Poi Capsules Company could become the largest company in the world. Hoi-Poi Capsules were simply too convenient for travelers; they had practically driven an entire era forward.
But for now, Hoi-Poi Capsules were out of the question. Perhaps even Dr. Briefs himself had only recently been born.
His clean white martial arts uniform fluttered in the wind as Mu Yang walked down the street, drawing frequent glances from those around him.
In this era, martial artists were highly respected. Yet due to poor transportation, few people had ever actually seen one. Even apprentices drew considerable attention, so Mu Yang's martial arts uniform earned him an exceptionally high number of double takes as he walked down the street.
After returning to the inn and packing up, Mu Yang and Xis headed to the train station ahead of time when the hour drew near. The other travelers around them also carried large bags of luggage, hurrying along as though afraid of missing their trains.
Beside the platform, the steam locomotive vented scalding steam, filling the entire platform with swirling smoke.
After their tickets were checked, they boarded the train and found their compartment. Mu Yang stuffed their luggage onto the rack, then sat by the bed and watched the scenery outside the window.
Mu Yang and Xis were in a large compartment that could accommodate six people. Besides them, there were two passengers who looked like merchants. After exchanging smiles and greetings with them, Mu Yang began meditating.
"Woo—wooo—"
As the steam locomotive sounded its mournful whistle, the heavy train began to rumble forward.
The clatter of wheels grinding over rails echoed endlessly by his ears, while the scenery on both sides steadily receded behind them. To be honest, the steam locomotive was not particularly fast. At seventy or eighty kilometers per hour, Mu Yang could outrun it if he went all out, though he could not keep going day and night like a train.
Maple Leaf Island lay in the sea beyond the southern region, so after the train arrived at its terminal, they would still need to take a ferry to reach it.
Clickety-clack, the steam train crossed mountains and valleys, traveling from the plains into rolling hills, then from the hills into the mountains.
The sky gradually darkened, and starlight began to shine through the clouds. After stopping at several stations along the route, the train continued onward, and ten days passed in the blink of an eye.
By then, the passengers in the bunks opposite Mu Yang had changed. The two merchant-like travelers had already disembarked, replaced by a young, well-dressed married couple with two daughters. The girls were about five years old, adorable as dolls, and their clothing made it clear that their family was quite well-off.
One time, while Mu Yang was meditating and practicing, he suddenly felt something cool against his cheek. Opening his eyes, he saw a brown-haired little girl staring at him with her sparkling, watery eyes.
"April, don't disturb this big brother while he's practicing." The speaker was the little girl's mother. The young woman had excellent manners. She gave Mu Yang an apologetic glance and picked up her daughter.
"Apologize to big brother!" Then the young mother said to Mu Yang, "I'm sorry. This child disturbed you."
"It's alright." Mu Yang smiled and shook his head.
"Sorry, big brother." The brown-haired little girl glanced at her mother and apologized with pursed lips. Reaching into her arms, she took out a candy jar and pulled out several pieces of candy. "Big brother, these candies are for you. They're really sweet."
Seeing how reluctant the little girl was to part with them, Mu Yang chuckled and shook his head without accepting them.
"It's alright. Keep the candy for yourself."
"Mhm, April likes candy the most." Little April immediately beamed. Joy shone in her azure eyes as she carefully unwrapped a piece of candy and put it into her mouth.
"Big sister... I want some too." April's younger sister, a little blonde girl, spoke in a soft, childish voice.
"Here."
"What a thoughtful little girl..." Mu Yang chuckled as he watched April personally unwrap a piece of candy and give it to her younger sister.
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