Just before they headed out, Wu Jinliang seemed to remember something. He ran back to his room and brought out two large gourds, handing one to Shi Chun. "Here, I got one ready for you too. Carry it on your back when we go out."
Shi Chun took it with a helpless chuckle. Fine, he would gladly accept it.
As for strapping it on whenever he went out, he thought he would pass. He was trying to look cultured and carry himself with grace; constantly lugging such a huge gourd on his back would look dreadful.
To Wu Jinliang, who was used to carrying a broadsword over his shoulder, it was nothing. If he could carry a blade that big, what was a little gourd like this?
In the district where they lived, a carriage came with a single call, though they still had to pay the fare.
Duan Xiangmei wanted to come along and have a look. Wu Jinliang glanced at Shi Chun for his opinion. When Shi Chun said nothing, he understood that it would be inconvenient and immediately refused her. "Stay home and focus on cultivating."
Duan Xiangmei also realized that Shi Chun did not want her along, so she tactfully withdrew.
The two boarded the carriage. Only after it had rattled away and Wu Jinliang had used a spell to inspect its interior did he speak. "Why did you suddenly think of getting them out?"
Shi Chun did not answer that. Instead, he told Wu Jinliang about the Demonic Path asking him to take part in the Divine Fire Pact.
Wu Jinliang was a little startled. "You agreed?"
Shi Chun said, "They threatened me. If I refused, they would kill me to keep me quiet. What do you think I should have done?"
Wu Jinliang said,