After leaving Maple Forest Town, the mountain road became narrower and narrower. The trees on both sides changed from sparse shrubs to dense forests, with branches and leaves intertwining overhead, blocking out most of the sky. Although the sun was still high in the sky, walking in the forest felt like dusk.
Bai Lingyu walked at the front, flipping through the map in her hand several times. Each time, she would stop and gesture to the surrounding mountains for a long time before continuing forward.
Jiang Lin followed behind, his pace neither hurried nor slow. Three children walked ahead of him.
A Shan walked in the lead, taking large, steady steps; Yi Chen followed behind him, at a leisurely pace; Xiao Man brought up the rear, occasionally glancing back at the road ahead before quickly jogging a few steps to catch up.
After walking for a while, Bai Lingyu stopped, folded the map and put it in her pocket, then turned around and said, "The road ahead isn't on the map, but if we follow this stream downstream, we should be able to reach a ferry crossing."
"The ferry crossing?" A Shan asked.
"Yes, it's called Pine Creek Ferry," Bai Lingyu said. "It's marked on the map. It's not big, but people live there. We'll rest there tonight."
Jiang Lin nodded, said nothing, and continued walking.
Xiao Man followed behind for a while, as if she had thought about it for a long time before mustering up her courage. She jogged a few steps to Jiang Lin's side, looked up at him, then lowered her head again, and said in a soft voice:
"Teacher... I heard Brother A Shan say that he took a pill that improved his physique and increased his Soul Power. So... can I do that too...?"
Jiang Lin continued walking, his voice returning at a moderate volume. " A Shan is taking Origin-Nourishing Pill, a basic product from the Pill Pavilion, used to improve physical constitution. Don't worry—you'll all get some later. Once you're settled, we'll treat you all together."
Xiao Man paused for a moment, her steps slowed slightly, then she quickly caught up and whispered, "Really?"
"Real."
Xiao Man didn't ask any more questions, but his steps were a bit more steady than before. A Shan didn't turn around, but his ears twitched and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly.
Yi Chen walked quietly in the middle, her gaze fixed on the road ahead. She said nothing, but her steps became lighter.
After walking for most of the day, the forest gradually thinned out, and light began to appear ahead. The sound of water came from afar, growing clearer and clearer.
We've arrived at Pine Creek Ferry.
Although it's called a ferry crossing, it's actually just a small settlement nestled along the water. A dozen or so households are scattered along both banks of the stream, with a narrow stone path leading to the water's edge. An old wooden boat is moored on the water, its bow tied to a wooden stake on the bank. The stream isn't wide, but the current is steady, and the opposite bank has a similar village.
Bai Lingyu stood on the stone path, looked around, and frowned slightly. "... Why is it so quiet?"
Jiang Lin noticed it too. The ferry crossing didn't look lively. At this hour, people should be washing clothes, fetching water, and cleaning their catch on the shore, but there wasn't a soul in sight. There was no smoke coming from the chimneys of the houses, as if everyone was staying indoors.
Xiao Man shrank her neck and moved closer to A Shan.
A Shan wasn't scared. He looked around and whispered, "It looks a bit like the villages we saw before."
Jiang Lin didn't rush forward. He stood still, his gaze sweeping over every house at the ferry crossing, finally settling on an old wooden boat by the water—a person was squatting at the stern.
It was a child. He was squatting at the stern of the boat with his back to them, holding a twig in his hand and splashing water idly. He was wearing a faded coarse cloth shirt, and one of his straw sandals was torn, revealing a section of his thin ankle.
He heard footsteps on the stone path, but he didn't turn around; he only paused holding the branch in his hand.
Bai Lingyu glanced at Jiang Lin and gestured with her chin towards the child. Jiang Lin didn't go over immediately; he stood there and looked at the child's back—the child was very thin, with slightly tense shoulders, as if ready to run at any moment.
"I'll go take a look," Jiang Lin said.
He walked alone along the stone path towards the water, his steps slow and deliberate. When he was about seven or eight steps away from the child, he stopped, squatted down, and positioned himself so that his line of sight was roughly level with the child's.
"Little friend, what's your name?"
The child didn't turn around; his voice was muffled, as if squeezed out from his throat. "... Who are you?"
"Just passing by," Jiang Lin said. "Looking for a place to rest. Are you from this ferry crossing?"
The child finally turned his head. He had a thin face, long eyebrows and narrow eyes, his lips were pressed into a line, and his eyes held something indescribable—not like fear, but more like he didn't want to talk to anyone.
He was about six or seven years old, with tanned skin, and looked a little older than Xiao Man but a little younger than Yi Chen.
He looked Jiang Lin up and down, then turned back to continue splashing water with the twig, "Hmm."
Why is the ferry crossing so quiet today? Where has everyone gone?
"... At home," the child said, "I'm too scared to come out."
"Afraid to come out? Why?"
The child paused, holding the branch in his hand, before speaking after a moment, his voice still muffled. "Some people say there's something wrong with my legs. They say I'm haunted by evil spirits, and touching me will bring bad luck. So they won't come out anymore."
Jiang Lin's gaze fell on his bare calves. At first glance, his legs looked no different from those of an ordinary child, but upon closer inspection, one could see...
The calf muscles are more defined than those of children of the same age, and there is a faint silver sheen under the skin, as if something is hidden under the flesh.
In Jiang Lin's eyes, the Spirit Eyes silently appeared, a layer of extremely faint light covering the pupil. He looked at it for two breaths, then withdrew his gaze.
Have you ever Martial Soul Awakening?
The child didn't answer, but his hand, which was waving water, stopped.
"I did awaken it," he said after a long pause. "When I was six, the Soul Master from the Spirit Hall said my Innate Soul Power was only level two, too ordinary, and they left."
"Then do you know that your leg isn't an illness, but a manifestation of your Martial Soul?"
The child remained silent for a long time. The branches traced ripples on the water's surface, spreading out and then closing again.
"... I don't know," he said. "They say it's evil spirits. I don't believe it, but I can't explain what it is either."
Jiang Lin didn't rush to say anything. He squatted there for a while, then stood up, turned around, and walked back towards Bai Lingyu's direction.
Bai Lingyu stood on the stone path with her arms crossed. "How is it?"
" Your Body Martial Soul," Jiang Lin said. "Your legs can be developed towards agility and attack. Your Innate Soul Power is level two."
After the Spirit Hall determined his talent to be 'ordinary,' they gave up on him. The villagers considered him an evil spirit, and no one dared to approach him.
Bai Lingyu clicked her tongue. "It's always like this."
Jiang Lin glanced back at the child by the water. He was still squatting at the stern of the boat, the branch in his hand still resting on the water, but he was tilting his ear slightly, as if listening to them talk.
"What's his name?" Bai Lingyu asked.
"I haven't asked yet," Jiang Lin said, "But his surname should be Lin; most families at this ferry crossing have the surname Lin."
He paused for a moment, then said, "Stay here tonight."
Bai Lingyu glanced at him, didn't ask any further questions, and turned to find a place to stay.
Jiang Lin didn't immediately return to the water's edge. He stood on the stone path, watching the child's back for a while, then slowly walked over and squatted down again a few steps away.
"May I have your name?"
The child was silent for a moment, then finally spoke, his voice slightly louder than before. "... Lin Du. But everyone calls me A Du."
" Lin Du." Jiang Lin repeated the name and nodded. "My name is Jiang Lin. I'm staying here tonight. If you're free tomorrow, you can come and talk to me."
Lin Du stopped holding the branch. He turned his head and glanced at Jiang Lin. For the first time, a different emotion appeared in his slender eyes—as if he was judging whether this person was lying.
He neither said it was good nor bad.
Jiang Lin stood up, turned around, and left. He didn't look back.
Lin Du squatted at the stern of the boat, watching the person's figure disappear around the corner of the stone path. He slowly drew a circle on the water with the branch in his hand, then let go and let the branch drift away with the current.
That night, Jiang Lin and Bai Lingyu stayed in an empty old house at the ferry crossing. A Shan, along with Yi Chen and Xiao Man, built a fire in the yard and roasted the dry rations that Bai Lingyu had taken out of his Mustard Seed Storage.
Jiang Lin sat on the threshold, looking at the three children in the yard, without saying a word.
He was thinking about what he had said to Lin Du during the day. He knew the child wouldn't come immediately—but he also knew the child would definitely appear by the water tomorrow.