After returning from the Chen Clan's ancestral land, Chen Mu was completely resolved to leave and pursue his studies.
This time, Chen Mu planned to take A Huo and Duoduo with him.
Their aptitude was no worse than his, and they should be able to enter the Heaven-Questioning Pavilion together. That way, they could also look after one another in the future.
Chen Mu entrusted Landuo with all the equipment in the talisman-making room, as well as the Mechanism Fortress's array plate.
The Mechanism Fortress was now fully complete. Even without Chen Mu, Landuo could bring out its full power, so there was little need to worry about Chen Village's safety.
Next, Chen Mu went to the marketplace and introduced Chen Zihu to Hou Sailei.
Because Landuo's Soul Power was limited, production of ten thousand talisman printers had essentially reached his limit. Chen Mu therefore stopped increasing the volume of his trade with Hou Sailei and left Chen Zihu to maintain it from then on.
With the help of Qi Gathering Pills, Chen Zihu had broken through to the Qi Nourishing Realm the previous month. Combined with the equipment Chen Mu had provided him, that should be enough to ensure the safety of their transactions.
Before leaving the marketplace, he also made a special trip to the Myriad Treasures Pavilion to buy two ten-thousand-li communication jade tokens, so he could keep in touch with the people of Chen Village in the future.
Once everything was arranged, Chen Mu finally set out on his ten-thousand-li journey to pursue his studies.
At the beginning of winter, a biting wind blew.
Chen Mu, Duoduo, and A Huo rode their respective mounts along the mountain road, dusty and travel-worn.
Duoduo rode the Azure Moon Wolf, Chen Mu rode the Dragon-Horned Horse, and A Huo now had a mount of his own: a black panther, a third-tier demonic beast known as a Nether Leopard.
Of the three demonic beasts, the Azure Moon Wolf was the weakest. Although Chen Mu had spent some resources to raise it to the late second tier, it still ran considerably slower than the other two.
Chen Mu had no choice but to use Windwalking Talismans along the way to help the Azure Moon Wolf keep up.
Fortunately, Chen Mu was now powerful enough that a single Windwalking Talisman could last the Azure Moon Wolf several days, so it did not pain him too much.
Traveling in winter was both arduous and dangerous for ordinary people, but for a martial cultivator like Chen Mu, it was somewhat more convenient than traveling in other seasons.
Many demonic beasts hibernated in winter and rarely ventured outside, so they encountered fewer demonic beasts on the road and could travel much faster.
However, the demonic beasts that did venture out in winter were often stronger, so Chen Mu and his companions did not dare let their guard down and remained vigilant along the way.
"A Mu, someone seems to be following us!"
As they passed through a narrow mountain trail, A Huo keenly sensed that something was amiss.
Chen Mu was not surprised and maintained his pace.
"I noticed too! But that person has followed us for so long without ever getting close. They don't seem hostile."
After entering the Earth Talisman Master realm, his Divine Soul had grown stronger, and he had become more sensitive to changes in his surroundings. He had long since noticed that someone was following him.
"Brother, should we drive them away?"
Chen Duo, who was bringing up the rear, was eager to give it a try.
"No need. If they want to follow us, let them! We just need to be careful."
Chen Mu sensed no danger, so he did not want to stir up trouble.
"Oh...!"
Chen Duo acknowledged him, sounding a little disappointed.
The three continued onward. They had been traveling for three days and had covered three to four hundred li, and the journey had gone fairly smoothly.
Toward evening, the three crossed a mountain range and were delighted to see a tribe in the distance.
Although they did not mind sleeping in the wilderness, who would turn down the chance to lie comfortably in a bed and eat carefully prepared dishes?
The three rushed toward the tribe without stopping, but just as they were about to arrive, more than a dozen tribespeople stopped them outside.
"My lords, may I ask what brings you to our Weng Mountain Tribe?"
The leader of the group blocking Chen Mu was a dark-skinned man with an honest-looking face. He could tell that the demonic beasts the three rode were no ordinary creatures, so naturally he did not dare treat them lightly.
"I have no intention of disturbing you. We are merely passing through and would like to ask for lodging for the night, if that would be convenient?"
Chen Mu cupped his hands and spoke politely.
The dark-skinned man visibly breathed a sigh of relief. He had also noticed that the three looked quite young and did not seem to be from a hostile tribe.
"This way, my lords. I'll prepare rooms for you at once."
The dark-skinned man led the three into the tribe, then whispered a few words to someone beside him. That person left, apparently to notify the tribal chief.
Although travelers seeking lodging were very rare among the tribes of the Wilderness, they did appear occasionally, so most tribes generally built a few houses to receive guests.
The Weng Mountain Tribe's grounds were slightly smaller than Chen Village. Agriculture appeared to be well developed, with plenty of farmland all around.
The dark-skinned man arranged a small courtyard for Chen Mu and his companions. It was near the tribe's training ground and far from the residential area; safety had evidently been considered when it was built.
"Guests, please rest here for now. I'll arrange for someone to bring you food."
"All right! Thank you for the trouble!"
After speaking, Chen Mu deftly took out a first-grade Spirit Stone and handed it to the dark-skinned man.
The dark-skinned man's eyes widened at the sight of the Spirit Stone, and he was stunned for a moment.
An ordinary low-tier tribe earned only a dozen or so first-grade Spirit Stones in a year. He had not expected Chen Mu to hand one over so readily, so it was no wonder he was shocked.
"Take it. Bring me the best dishes your tribe has."
Chen Mu winced inwardly, but the Wilderness Coins used in the Wilderness did not circulate in the Central Land. He had brought only Spirit Stones on this trip, and the smallest denomination he had was a first-grade Spirit Stone, so he had no choice but to be generous.
"Yes! Thank you, my lord."
The dark-skinned man came to his senses, quickly accepted the Spirit Stone, and left with a simple grin.
Chen Mu and the others entered the courtyard and each found a room to rest in.
Half an hour later, the dark-skinned man returned to see Chen Mu.
"My lord, our tribe just finished its annual sacrificial ceremony today, and we'll be holding a bonfire feast tonight. Would you and your companions be interested in joining us?
"Of course, if you're not interested, I'll have the food brought to you."
The dark-skinned man gave Chen Mu the invitation warmly.
Chen Mu was just about to answer when Chen Duo rushed out of her room.
"Haha, there's a bonfire feast? I'm going, I'm going!"
Chen Duo was delighted. She immediately turned and went to knock on A Huo's door.
"Brother Huo, come out! Let's go to the bonfire feast together!"
After a while, A Huo opened the door. He said nothing, but his expression was helpless.
"Let's go!"
As though she had not noticed A Huo's reluctance, Chen Duo took him by the hand and walked over to Chen Mu.
"Brother, will you come too?"
Chen Mu glanced at A Huo, then at Chen Duo, and silently pursed his lips.
"All right! I'll go have a look too."