As undercurrents surged throughout Sunset Glow Town, Jiang Beiran's group had already traveled far away. They now stood on a plain, looking around in every direction.
"Eh... I clearly followed the map. Why is it wrong again?" Liu Zijin held a map, studying it this way and that, yet she simply could not find the right route.
"Let me try." Fang Qiuyue took the map from her. She looked at it upright, then upside down, and when she grew anxious, she even tilted it sideways. Still, she could not make head or tail of it, and her pretty face flushed bright red from holding it in.
"Don't look at us... We can't understand it either."
Seeing Fang Qiuyue turn her gaze toward them, the Yu Family Three Sisters waved their hands in perfect unison.
With a helpless sigh, Fang Qiuyue looked toward Jiang Shixiong, who was sitting on a large rock in the distance and drinking water.
Not long after they had left Sunset Glow Town that morning, Senior Brother had told them that they would have to find the rest of the way themselves. After all, when traveling outside, "reading maps and recognizing roads" was an essential skill. Otherwise, if they got lost in the deep mountains and old forests the moment they stepped outside, what could anyone expect them to do?
At first, Liu Zijin had barely been able to identify the route on the map, but after walking for two hours, she became increasingly unsure of where exactly she was on it.
"Why don't... we go ask Senior Brother?" Fang Qiuyue put down the map and looked at the others.
The Yu Family Three Sisters nodded and said in turn.
"I agree."
"But who should go?"
"Senior Brother will definitely scold us again."
They had actually asked Jiang Shixiong about the map several times already. At first, he had patiently answered them, but whenever they asked something they had asked before, he would "teach them a lesson." As a result, they were all a little afraid to speak up now.
Fang Qiuyue glanced at Jiang Beiran, then at the map. Just as she was about to grit her teeth and say, "I'll go,"
Liu Zijin took the map from her hand and said, "Then I should go."
"No, Sister Zi Jin. How can we let you take Senior Brother's scolding every time?"
Liu Zijin shook her head and smiled. "It's fine. Aren't we on the Mountain Descent Trial to learn new things? What did a few scoldings matter?"
"But..."
"Say no more. Just wait here for me." With that, Liu Zijin took the map and walked toward Jiang Beiran.
Watching Liu Zijin's back, the Yu Family Three Sisters said in unison, touched, "Sister Zi Jin really is such a good person."
With a somewhat expectant... no, uneasy heart, Liu Zijin came before Jiang Beiran, bowed, and called out, "Jiang Shixiong."
"Can't recognize the road again?" Jiang Beiran asked as he tucked his water gourd into his Universe Ring.
"Yes... Without official roads, it's truly difficult to tell where we are."
"Didn't I teach you before to pay attention to the nearby beacons? Did you forget again?"
On the Profound Dragon Continent, which had no navigation systems, the common people naturally had their own ways of recognizing roads. For instance, they would erect an earthen mound every five li, calling it a beacon.
Some main roads even had Beacon Guardians specifically responsible for managing and maintaining them.
Hearing Jiang Beiran's question, Liu Zijin lowered her head. "Zi Jin is foolish. Please punish me, Senior Brother."
Here we go again...
Jiang Beiran did not know whether Liu Zijin was simply too competitive by nature, but whenever she could not answer one of his questions during a conversation, she would ask him to punish her.
Did they really think I was that cruel?
Shaking his head, Jiang Beiran jumped down from the boulder and took the map from Liu Zijin's hand.
Still, the maps uniformly issued by the sect were indeed drawn terribly. Taking mountains and rivers as their basis, the center of the map depicted Stream Splendor City, the largest city within this territory. Around it were the approximate locations of the various famous mountains and scenic sites in the jurisdiction, with the names of villages and towns finally written beside their corresponding mountains or rivers.
This method of mapmaking sounded quite clear, but in practice, the map was nothing but mountain after mountain after mountain, a complete mess.
Rolling up the map, Jiang Beiran said, "Actually, the fastest way to learn how to read maps is to learn how to draw them."
"Draw maps?" Liu Zijin asked doubtfully.
"That's right. Once you understand how this map was drawn, you'll naturally understand how to follow its method of drawing to travel."
"So that was it. As expected, Senior Brother has a way." Liu Zijin's eyes shone brightly after hearing this.
"Here, take this book and study it carefully. It should be of help to you." As he spoke, Jiang Beiran took a copy of Mapmaking Compendium from his Universe Ring and handed it to Liu Zijin.
"Thank you, Senior Brother." Liu Zijin bowed to Jiang Beiran, then accepted Mapmaking Compendium with both hands and began reading.
Watching Liu Zijin study so earnestly, Jiang Beiran began considering the arrangements ahead.
The reason he had suddenly made the five of them fend for themselves was that, as an Iron Seal, besides protecting new disciples, teaching them some common knowledge was also within Jiang Beiran's duties.
Especially since that Chief Enforcer had entrusted his most beloved disciples to him. If he returned to the sect and discovered that they had learned nothing, he would inevitably come looking to make trouble for Jiang Beiran again.
So Jiang Beiran decided that he should still train them in such a fundamental skill as reading maps and recognizing roads.
Half an hour later, Liu Zijin closed the book and said to Jiang Beiran, "Senior Brother, I think I understand a little now."
Jiang Beiran nodded after hearing this. "Mm. Then go find the road again."
The facts proved that Liu Zijin was indeed very clever. Once she grasped the trick to recognizing roads, she quickly found the official road again.
"The village ahead should be Gather Wealth Village." After passing through a fork in the road, Liu Zijin pointed ahead and said.
"Wow! Sister Zi Jin, you're amazing!" Fang Qiuyue could not help clapping her hands.
"It was the book Senior Brother showed me that was amazing. Everything written inside is easy to understand and very helpful for recognizing roads."
"A book? What book?" Fang Qiuyue asked.
"This one." Liu Zijin showed Mapmaking Compendium to Fang Qiuyue.
"Let us see too." Hearing this, the Yu Family Three Sisters curiously crowded over as well.
"Map... making... compendium." Softly reading the three large characters on the cover, Yu Guizhui said, "I'll remember it. I'll buy a copy to read when we return."
Liu Zijin merely smiled and said nothing. Though she was not completely certain, she felt that Senior Brother had probably written this book himself. The writing was far too different from that of those great masters who published books, carrying an especially casual air between the lines.
Putting Mapmaking Compendium away again, Liu Zijin led the other Junior Sisters before Jiang Beiran and asked, "Senior Brother, what should we do next?"
Jiang Beiran swept his gaze over them and said, "Tell me your thoughts."
After thinking for a while, Fang Qiuyue answered first.
"We should first go into the village and ask how those children disappeared, then clarify the times and locations?"
The other Junior Sisters all expressed their agreement as well.
But Jiang Beiran shook his head. "Doing that will only alert the snake in the grass."
Looking at their five bewildered faces, Jiang Beiran explained, "When we received this mission, we already knew that children had frequently gone missing from Gather Wealth Village. That means the culprit may still be committing crimes, perhaps even lurking within the village. Once you start asking around, you will inevitably expose your identities as Returning Heart Sect disciples. If the culprit hears of it, they will naturally become far more cautious, perhaps even stop committing crimes altogether."
Liu Zijin and the others nodded repeatedly after hearing this. "What Senior Brother says makes so much sense. But if we do not ask around, how should we investigate?"
Jiang Beiran smiled faintly and answered, "There is no need to investigate. We only need to quietly wait for their next crime."
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