The Azure Profound Sect

The sun was already high when Er Wazi woke up.

He had been far too excited last night. Only when dawn was near had Ye Han finally drifted off to sleep...

He had even had a wonderful dream in which he became an immortal himself, clad in golden armor, treading on the stars, soaring through the heavens and burrowing through the earth. He had killed that huge monster with a single jab of his finger. What a magnificent sight he had been.

"If only the dream were real," Er Wazi muttered, still savoring it.

Suddenly, he sat bolt upright and dug through the dry grass beneath him. Seeing that the silver and the other things were all still there, he breathed a sigh of relief.

He tucked the silver into his pocket and picked up the bronze token.

It felt heavy in his hand and was covered with beautiful patterns. One side bore a strange dragon design, while the other had two ancient characters inscribed on it: Qing Xuan.

Er Wazi had studied ancient characters with Teacher Lan Qing, and he recognized both of them.

"I wonder what this is for." Er Wazi toyed with the token for a moment, then put it away.

Next, he picked up the book. Its cover was actually made of leather, with no title on it. He opened it and took a look. The words inside were also written in ancient characters: Azure Mystic Art.

Er Wazi looked over its contents, but he could not understand a thing. Meridians, breath, the dantian-everything was utterly unfamiliar to him.

After reading a passage, Er Wazi felt as though his brain had turned to paste, and his head spun...

When Teacher Lan Qing taught him, he understood after a single explanation. Yet he could not make any sense of this Azure Mystic Art, and even reading it made him dizzy.

Finally, he picked up the Small Cauldron that had become like stone and examined it closely. There was no mud left on its surface. It looked just like a stone, and its little lid would not open at all.

Although he felt that the silver was probably the least valuable of these things, he could not figure out what any of the others were.

The silver was the most useful thing to him.

"That monster killed all Wang Laocai's cattle. I can't stay in Green Ox Village anymore," Er Wazi muttered with a frown.

Before, he had feared starving to death if he went to the city. Now that he had silver, he no longer had to worry.

All right, I'll go try my luck in the city.

Having made up his mind, Er Wazi stood up and was about to leave.

This cloth seems rather unusual.

He had suddenly touched the cloth that had wrapped these things. Despite being buried underground for so long, it was still as good as new, without the slightest trace of dirt or decay. He ran his hand over it. It was smooth and soft...

This is good stuff.

Er Wazi was certain of it.

He took everything out again, wrapped it in the cloth, and headed down the mountain...

After walking for more than two hours, Er Wazi finally emerged from the mountain forest and reached the slope behind Green Ox Village.

Er Wazi looked at the village, thought for a moment, then headed toward Wang Laocai's house.

Something was strange, though. The village was completely silent. Not even a dog barked.

What's going on? Where has everyone gone?

Er Wazi's expression grew wary. He had not seen a single person.

Did something happen?

At that thought, he could not help growing worried. After all, he had just experienced something extraordinary yesterday.

When he reached Wang Laocai's house, he faintly heard voices. Wang Laocai and his wife were talking.

His heart lurched. The monster had killed all Wang Laocai's cattle. How could he dare face Wang Laocai?

He crouched down and pressed himself against the foot of the wall.

Wang Laocai's wife said, "That little brat Er Wazi hasn't come back all night, and the cattle are missing too. Aren't you going to look for them?"

"I want to, but that immortal from the Azure Profound Sect said our whole village was forbidden to leave our homes for three days as punishment."

"So we're just giving up on our cattle? And we don't even know whether Er Wazi is alive or dead."

"Tsk! That child lost his parents when he was little, and now no one knows where he is. It's enough to worry a person to death."

"Never mind the cattle, as long as he comes back alive."

"Do you think he might have gone into the mountains?"

"If he did, that's trouble. After these three days are up, I'll ask some people to go into the mountains with me and look for him."

"Without the cattle, we're going to have a hard time from now on."

"Yes...!"

Hiding at the foot of the wall, Er Wazi listened in bewilderment. He had not expected Wang Laocai to have a bit of a conscience and actually worry about him...

"Oh, fine." Er Wazi took a silver ingot out of his bundle, his face full of reluctance.

Although everyone in the village said Wang Laocai was rich, he was really only a little better off than the other villagers. He was still a farmer who tilled the fields and raised cattle. Losing five head of cattle was practically a death sentence for his family...

Erwazi was all alone in the world, and he owed them for taking him in. Although he never had enough to eat, most people in the village did not either. Sharing even a mouthful with him was kindness enough.

When Wang Laocai and his wife mentioned an immortal forbidding them from leaving home for three days, he immediately thought of that female immortal.

He did not dare show himself either. Gritting his teeth, he put the silver in the cooking pot in their kitchen and used a piece of charcoal to write a few words on the lid.

The cattle were eaten by a wild beast. This is compensation for you. I have already left Green Ox Village.

Er Wazi.

He had not wanted to leave his name, but Wang Laocai had said he would go into the mountains to look for him. He did not know whether the female immortal had killed that huge monster. Going in would be far too dangerous.

It was better to let them know where he had gone so they would not search blindly.

The silver ingot weighed ten taels. These days, that was enough to buy five head of cattle. It was also his way of thanking them for taking care of him.

After leaving the silver at Wang Laocai's house, he thought for a moment, then headed toward Teacher Lan Qing's place.

Teacher Lan Qing was the only person in the village who treated him well. Besides, he wanted to ask him a few things.

What should he do once he reached the city, and what exactly was the Azure Mystic Art in that book? Teacher Lan Qing had read more books than anyone else in the village. He might know.

However, when he reached Teacher Lan Qing's place, the gate was tightly shut.

"Teacher Lan Qing!" Er Wazi called softly. There was no sound from inside. He climbed over the wall and looked through the window, but Teacher Lan Qing was not there.

"Where did Teacher Lan Qing go?" Er Wazi wondered.

After looking around, he discovered that many things had been taken away. It seemed Teacher Lan Qing had actually moved out.

Although he regretted not being able to see Teacher Lan Qing again, one look at the sky told him that if he did not set off now, he would not reach the city before nightfall.

Er Wazi stood before the huge crooked tree at the village entrance and gazed at Green Ox Village.

After a long while, without a trace of lingering attachment, Er Wazi said, "Goodbye, Green Ox Village. Only when I leave this place will anyone call me Ye Han!"

With that, Er Wazi shouldered his bundle and left Green Ox Village...

Toward evening, a travel-worn Ye Han arrived at Wutong City. Its walls towered more than a hundred feet high, and crowds streamed in and out.

Following the crowd, Ye Han entered the city. Inside were vendors everywhere, with all kinds of snacks and strange, curious things that dazzled his eyes...

I'll become a city dweller and make something of myself here, Ye Han vowed as he gazed at the bustling city...

He had no idea how to become a city dweller. For now, he would simply find a way to stay.

But he had been walking all day and was already hungry. He needed to find something to eat.

Although he had ten taels of silver on him, he did not dare take it out to spend. He had been watching for quite a while, and everyone used copper coins to buy things. Even in the city, ten taels of silver was no small sum.

Suddenly.

"Huh? Isn't that Teacher Lan Qing?" As he walked, Ye Han suddenly spotted a familiar figure.

The man wore a square scholar's kerchief and blue-green robes. Ye Han could recognize him from his back alone. That was definitely Teacher Lan Qing.

Delighted, he hurried after him. Teacher Lan Qing was knowledgeable and well-read, so he was sure to know a great deal. Ye Han had not found him in the village, only to run into him here.

Teacher Lan Qing was walking quickly. Ye Han chased him for over a hundred feet and saw him enter a huge three-story building. A few words were written above it: Happy Red Courtyard.

At the entrance stood a bevy of chattering women in revealing clothes...

What is this place for? Ye Han wondered, following him inside.

"Stop!" A burly man blocked Ye Han and shooed him away. "What's a little kid doing here? Go on, get out! This isn't a place for children!"