Insect Plague

Ji Yuan shook the accumulated snow from his body, reached out to pinch the tiny strange worm, and held it before his eyes. The little bug appeared fairly clear in Ji Yuan's sight. It seemed to be unconscious, and waves of nauseating stench wafted from its body.

Ji Yuan shifted his gaze from the worm to the Little Paper Crane beside him.

"Where did you catch it?"

The Little Paper Crane flew up and landed on Ji Yuan's shoulder, pointing one wing toward the distant county town.

"Nandao County Town?"

"Chirp..."

Ji Yuan frowned. He immediately performed a calculation with his fingers, then slowly stood up. At the same moment, Jin Jia beneath the great boulder also rose.

"This is simply utterly devoid of conscience!"

After muttering a curse, Ji Yuan looked at the Little Paper Crane on his shoulder again.

"In the future, don't casually eat things of unknown origin."

Having said that, Ji Yuan gave the ground a light step and drifted far away. With another tap upon the ground, he sped toward Nandao County Town. Jin Jia followed close behind. The scenery around them shifted as though space itself had been moved and exchanged. In only a few moments, Ji Yuan, with the Little Paper Crane perched on his shoulder, and red-faced Jin Jia stood atop the Gate Tower above Nandao County Town's southern gate.

The light snow that had drifted down for half the night had already stopped. Some of the overcast clouds had scattered as well, revealing a bright moon that greatly improved visibility within the town.

Ji Yuan opened his Dharma Eyes. With merely a sweep of his gaze through the town, he and Jin Jia transformed into flickering Smoke Wisps and directly landed on a street at the northern edge of the town.