The sky was black and oppressive, as though the entire cloudbank could be reached with an outstretched hand. Rain slanted down amid the raging wind, pouring in a roaring rush like a waterfall. Blinding flashes of lightning kept splitting the sky, followed by thunder that seemed to explode less than ten meters above the ground.
Shi Xuan carried his bundle as he trudged slowly through darkness so deep he could not see his hand before his face. Though he had cast the Rain Evasion Art and Dark Night Vision Spell on himself, and his profound Internal Energy had made his Lightness Skill swifter and more enduring, the vile conditions still made every step difficult.
After departing Xia'an Prefecture, Shi Xuan had first traveled south to the banks of the great river, then headed upstream, intending to visit Tongxuan Mountain in the nearest Chuzhou first. Along the way, he had maintained a leisurely frame of mind, much as he had when traveling in his previous life. Especially when he stood alone by the riverbank and watched the surging Yangtze River sweep mightily from the west, he felt as though heaven and earth were vast while he alone roamed free. It was not that Shi Xuan had never seen the Yangtze River in his previous life, but this river was at least twice as wide, magnificent and majestic enough to set one's heart racing.
For Shi Xuan, cultivating the Dao meant seeking immortality and freedom. Since he had to travel far and wide in search of the immortal path anyway, and no matter how urgently he hurried, he could not save more than a few days, why not let himself live a little more freely and easily along the way? Cultivating the Dao did not mean turning oneself into a stone.
Shi Xuan had originally planned to take a boat to Chuzhou—standing at the prow in the river breeze and eating river fish aboard the vessel, what an enjoyment that would have been. Yet as he traveled, sightseeing and asking around for legends of immortals, it was already June by the time he reached Linshui Prefecture by the river. There, he encountered the year's first torrential rainstorm. The river had risen considerably, and the boats on the river scarcely dared travel upstream. Left with no choice, Shi Xuan had waited in the city. After several days, the heavy rain fell and stopped by turns, while the water level never dropped. Shi Xuan had grown sick of watching the rain and did not wish to wait any longer. When the weather cleared slightly for one day, he shouldered his bundle and set out overland for Chuzhou.
Although Shi Xuan had taken the land route, he had still been following the river upstream, intending to switch to a boat whenever the torrential rains ceased entirely. Who would have thought that there had only been a gentle breeze and no rain when he set out today? By evening, with no inn ahead or behind, he had prepared to spend another night in the wilderness as he had several times before. Then the wind howled and rain came pouring down. Shi Xuan had no desire to sleep outdoors like this. Though he had Daoist arts to protect him, it would still be unpleasant. Thus, he continued onward through the rain. Yet after walking for a long while without seeing a single household, Shi Xuan began to wonder whether he had taken the wrong road. Such was the miserable fate of having no maps to buy; in an era like this, maps were highly classified items.
As Shi Xuan walked through the darkness, his Daoist arts allowed him to see every puddle and mud pit ahead with perfect clarity, and he easily skirted around them. Had anyone been watching nearby, they would surely have been astonished by his ghostly movement technique and his ease in treating night as bright as day. Shi Xuan continued on for another half hour before finally spotting flickering firelight far ahead. He could not help but breathe a sigh of relief.
With a destination in sight, Shi Xuan naturally sped toward the firelight. Only upon drawing near did he discover that it was a ruined temple. The light within showed that other travelers caught in the rain had already taken shelter there. Well, fellow rain-soaked wanderers at the ends of the earth.
Yet a ruined temple made Shi Xuan think of countless martial arts and ghost stories. Would there be a peerless martial arts master inside waiting for him to take as a disciple, or a little sister Nie Xiaoqian waiting for him to rescue her? Amid his wild thoughts, Shi Xuan had already stepped onto the stairs and pushed open the half-closed door.
There were two groups inside the ruined temple, clearly distinguishable by the distance between their respective fires. Only two people sat around the fire farther from the broken Buddha statue: a handsome young gentleman dressed in blue-green robes, and beside him, a youth in a dark bluish-green robe who looked like a page. Beneath the Buddha statue were three fires set close together, around which nearly twenty people sat crowded together. They all wore neat gray martial outfits. Several banners leaned against the statue, bearing the words "Our martial might spreads far and wide" and "Yangwei Escort Agency." This group appeared to be escort guards.
The moment Shi Xuan entered, everyone from the escort agency cast wary gazes his way. Seeing that he was merely a very young daoist priest, they relaxed slightly, though they still sized him up for a long time before withdrawing their eyes. Yet from Shi Xuan's senses, they had not lowered their guard in the slightest. That was perfectly normal. Escort guards being more vigilant was a good thing. As for the blue-robed young gentleman on the other side, he paid Shi Xuan no attention whatsoever. He merely watched his page roast dried provisions, making it unclear whether he had heard Shi Xuan's footsteps approaching the ruined temple long ago, or whether he was simply arrogant and disdainful of others.
Still, since others had arrived first, Shi Xuan intended to show some goodwill. Cupping his fists, he said, "Everyone, this humble Daoist encountered a torrential storm and had no choice but to stop here. I truly apologize for disturbing you."
A middle-aged man rose from the central fire of the escort agency. He had rugged features, and his voice boomed like a great bell. "No matter. When one is away from home, it is only right to offer convenience where one can. I am He Dahai of the Yangwei Escort Agency. Young Daoist, there is no need for such courtesy." Having spoken, he sat back down, seemingly with no intention of inviting Shi Xuan over to share the warmth of the fire.
Only then did Shi Xuan notice that beside the middle-aged man at the central fire sat a young woman. She was quite beautiful, though her brows and eyes held a distinct air of pride. She too wore the gray attire of an escort guard.
The blue-robed young gentleman on the other side remained indifferent, as though someone like Shi Xuan was beneath his notice. Seeing this, Shi Xuan said nothing further. He found some rotten wood and dry grass elsewhere in the ruined temple, then turned his back to both groups and softly recited an incantation, creating a fire. Shi Xuan had not brought any flint or the like with him.
Once it was done, he sat cross-legged beside the fire. This environment was unsuitable for visualization and circulating qi, so Shi Xuan could only close his eyes and rest. Still, his keen senses blanketed the entire ruined temple.
Though there were nearly twenty people on the escort agency's side, only four sat around the central fire. One vicious-looking escort captain said quietly, "Chief escort captain, I think that little Daoist has a serious problem. He came through such heavy rain, yet he is only slightly wet."
Another ordinary-looking escort captain smiled. "What is it, Xu Ying? Do you think he is an Innate Realm master? Even a grandmaster of the Subtle Realm could not run several miles through the rain without getting wet."
Xu Ying said angrily, "I never said that. I suspect that little Daoist had been hiding somewhere nearby before this."
The ordinary-looking escort chief continued with a smile, "Not necessarily. He is a Daoist, after all. Perhaps he possesses some immortal techniques. Or perhaps he is a ghost or monster in human form."
"Enough, Xiangshan. Stop bickering with Ah Ying. How could such a young youth possibly be an Innate Realm master? When I was his age, I had only trained up a body full of external martial arts." Seeing this, He Dahai hurriedly cut in.
"Dad, that little Daoist does not look particularly formidable. We only need to keep an eye on him," the proud beauty added.
"I know, I know. I am merely worried that he might have companions. This escort shipment is not worth much in itself. The reason I brought your Uncle Xu and Uncle He along was mainly so you could broaden your horizons. Yuqing, you do not necessarily have to insist on becoming an escort guard and inheriting this agency. Wouldn't it be better to marry well, assist your husband, and teach your children? Ah, I should never have let you practice martial arts in the first place."
"I do not want to marry men like those. Either they are so weak they cannot even truss a chicken, and cannot beat me with one hand, or they are unbearably vulgar and utterly disgusting." As He Yuqing spoke, she secretly glanced at the blue-robed young gentleman. If he could not truss a chicken but looked like that gentleman, this young lady could accept it. Yet the men she had met were all crooked melons and cracked dates.
"Eh, Yuqing, you noticed that the blue-robed young gentleman has a problem too?" Xu Ying was delighted to see He Yuqing secretly looking in that direction. "Your skills of observation have improved."
"Huh?" He Yuqing was utterly bewildered.
Seeing this, He Dahai explained to her, "Although the rain was too loud for us to hear whether he used Lightness Skill when he arrived, I observed his steps and movements when he entered. He is definitely a practiced martial artist."
"Then that young gentleman may be an expert?" He Yuqing asked with some delight.
"Ah, I am only worried that he is in league with that little Daoist. I have seen this sort of tactic before, deliberately not greeting one another and the like," He Dahai said.
"No, no. That gentleman has a dignified appearance. One look tells you he is a good person. That little Daoist has shifty eyes and a thievish look. He even secretly looked at me just now; I nearly wanted to drive a sword straight into him," He Yuqing argued.
"Heh, Yuqing, having a dignified appearance has nothing to do with being a good person. I have seen flower-plucking bandits who looked righteous and awe-inspiring," He Xiangshan said with a smile.
"Uncle He, that is different!"
The blue-robed young gentleman on the other side seemed to have arrived not long ago as well. At least, unlike the escort guards whose clothes had dried, his blue robes were still dripping water. Yet just as the escort guards were discussing him, he shifted slightly closer to his fire, then sat cross-legged. Before long, white vapor began rising from his body.
Seeing this, escort leader He Xiangshan immediately sat upright and said solemnly, "Chief, I think that gentleman's Internal Energy is even deeper than yours."
He Dahai also wore a grave expression. "Though I had some fortunate encounters and opened the Eight Extraordinary Meridians when I reached forty, making me a first-rate expert in the Jianghu, I fear I still could not do what that gentleman has done. He must have opened several minor meridians at the very least. As for whether he has reached an even higher level, I cannot say."
"What? Could he have begun practicing martial arts while still in his mother's womb?" Xu Ying asked in astonishment.
"Ah, those great sects and powerful lineages have countless medicinal ingredients prepared according to secret formulas for talented children from a young age, not to mention profound manuals. They truly have it far better than people like us," He Dahai sighed.
He Yuqing said nothing from the side, her eyes shimmering with fascination as she looked over there.
Before long, the blue-robed young gentleman's clothes had dried completely. Only then did he rise and stroll calmly toward the escort agency's side.
Before you continue