Chapter 41: Departure

Lu Yang once again approached the stall selling baked sesame cakes.

The vendor was a senior martial sister, whose mastery in leavening, proofing, kneading, and slapping the dough into shape spoke of countless hours of practice.

She tore the dough into small portions and threw her entire body—hands, wrists, arms, and torso—into the movement to press them into round cakes.

Her motions carry a subtle rhythm, suggesting that this was not merely a simple act of kneading, but a form of training for physical coordination.

Placing the raw dough upon a forging anvil, the senior sister swung a massive iron hammer with ferocious intensity, producing a series of thunderous clangs as brilliant sparks showered the ground, burning tiny holes into the earth.

The dough was then quenched, causing the cold water to boil instantly in a flurry of bubbles, and in moments, a fresh baked cake was complete.

Lu Yang found himself deeply impressed, realizing that the Peak of a Hundred Refinements was truly ingenious for so seamlessly marrying the culinary arts with weapon-smithing.

"I will take one baked cake."

The fare at the cafeteria was indeed remarkably cheap, and Lu Yang spotted many wondrous items that caught his eye; had his contribution points not been so scarce, he would have gladly purchased everything.

...

The following morning, Lu Yang met the other two at the mountain gate of the Dao Seeking Sect, just as they had agreed.

"We were only waiting for you," Meng Jingzhou called out with a wave upon seeing Lu Yang. Behind him stood a carriage—the very same one that had brought them to the Dao Seeking Sect in the beginning, drawn by the exact same old horse.

The only difference was that the third traveler was Mangu, instead of their eldest senior sister, Yun Zhi.

Mangu was studying diligently, using even this brief wait to read; his broad Confucian robes draped over his muscular frame, making him look remarkably like a hulking scholar.

"Are we not taking a flying vessel?" Lu Yang asked, having fully prepared himself for such a journey. Though his technique of shrinking the earth was convenient, it was ultimately nowhere near as swift as a flying vessel.

He had temporarily set aside mastering the complete art, focusing instead on studying its component steps of shrinking and extending.

Meng Jingzhou patted the carriage and declared proudly, "This carriage of mine is a rare treasure inscribed with spatial formations. Though it feels slow to us sitting inside, to outsiders we are moving as fast as a flying vessel."

It made sense upon reflection. The Meng family resided far away in the Imperial City, and it would have been impossible for Meng Jingzhou to travel all that distance to the Dao Seeking Sect by relying on the ordinary pace of an old horse; such a journey would have taken over a year.

The carriage utilized its formations to fly at extreme speeds during the journey, disabling them only upon approaching the Dao Seeking Sect to slow down out of respect.

The carriage Lu Yang had seen before was one that had already decelerated.

The three climbed inside, finding the interior as spacious as ever; only now did Lu Yang truly understand the immense value of this carriage.

"Speaking of which, where exactly are we heading? What is the mission?"

"Oh? Did I never tell you? We are bound for a place called Qinghuai County. I will let Brother Mangu explain the details, since he was the one who found the task."

Mangu placed a bookmark between the pages, closed his volume, and began to speak in a deliberate manner.

"I heard of this matter from a passenger aboard a flying vessel while I was away on a previous mission. He was the leader of a merchant caravan who knew of things hidden from ordinary mortals, and he shared a tale that circulates among his peers, which carries a fair measure of credibility."

"Between Qinghuai County and Yanjiang County lies a vast stretch of rolling mountains. Any merchant wishing to cross this region must be guided by the local hunters."

"However, a terrifying entity has manifested within the mountain forests, forcing the hunters to flee the wilderness upon which their livelihoods depend..."

...

As night descended, the chaotic growth of tree branches blotted out the moonlight. Thunder boomed and a torrential downpour turned the ground into a treacherous quagmire, offering no solid foothold.

Seven or eight men walked with ropes tied around their waists, linking them together to prevent anyone from slipping down the mountainside and being lost.

The air was filled with the roaring din of the heavy rain; even if someone were to fall and cry out, the sound would likely be swallowed by the storm.

Clad in straw raincoats and leaning on walking staffs, they carried baskets on their backs, taking each step with extreme caution for fear of plunging into a hidden pit.

The freezing rain left them disheveled and filthy. Looking up, the dense curtain of water obscured their vision, leaving them with no choice but to follow the old hunter at the front.

"Watch your step! The mountain paths are treacherous in the rain!"

"Do not stop even if you are weary! Press on, we are almost there! If you halt now, you will never find the strength to move again!"

"I... I truly cannot go on... Help me! I am falling!"

Someone lost his footing on the slick ground, and with nothing to hold onto, slid toward the precipice at the edge of the path.

The merchants felt the sudden tension at the end of the rope and realized someone had fallen behind. They halted instantly, scrambling in confusion to pull him back.

"A-Yue, hold fast to the rope! Everyone, pull together!"

"I have no strength left," A-Yue gasped, dangling over the cliffside, saved from the drop only by the coarse hemp rope around his waist.

Exhausted and starving, he could muster no strength at all, making it impossible for him to climb up the rope on his own.

The old hunter, drawing upon his vast experience, calmly directed the men while lending his own strength to the line.

"A few of you anchor yourselves against that large tree, lest the seven of us get dragged down as well!"

"The rest of you, wrap the rope around your wrists! On my count of three, everyone pull with all your might!"

"One, two, three, pull!"

"One, two, three, pull!"

Exerting every ounce of their strength, the group finally hauled A-Yue back to safety. The already exhausted men were now trembling too violently to even stand straight.

The old hunter did not lower his guard, anxiously checking A-Yue's condition. "A-Yue, how did you slip? Did it feel as though someone pushed you?"

A-Yue shook his head blankly, unable to comprehend the old hunter's question. He had clearly slipped on his own; who could possibly be out to harm him here?

"Old Sun, what do you mean by that?" asked Qi Wu, the leader of the merchants, who detected something ominous in the hunter's inquiry.

The old hunter shook his head and pointed toward a ruined structure ahead. "Let us keep moving. We will speak of it once we reach the Mountain God Temple."

The driving rain was no place for a discussion. Qi Wu nodded and offered a few words of encouragement, urging everyone to hurry to the sanctuary to escape the storm.

Upon entering the Mountain God Temple, the men cast aside all dignity, stripping off their straw coats and collapsing onto the floor to gasp for air. They immediately checked the contents of their baskets to see if their goods had been ruined by the water; if so, their journey would be a total loss.

"How fortunate, it was wrapped in waterproof cloth beforehand. Brother Qi truly had the foresight."

The temple was far from grand, but it was spacious. Three ancient, dust-covered statues of the Mountain God sat at the center, surrounded by dirt and animal droppings. The tablets bearing the deity's name were long gone, the offerings had been devoured by wild beasts ages ago, both main doors were missing, and the shattered windows allowed the bitter wind to howl inside.

The men minded little; to them, any place that kept out the rain was a sanctuary.

Qi Wu retrieved some goods from his basket to serve as an offering, presenting them to the three deities to express gratitude for the shelter.

The three statues were molded from clay, crafted with rudimentary skill, yet distinct differences remained. The central figure held a scholar's sword and exuded an aura of righteousness. To his sides stood two lesser deities—one literary and one martial; the literary figure wore Confucian robes and held a book, while the martial figure radiated a fierce, pure energy. The hierarchy was clear and orderly.

"May the Mountain God grant us a safe journey."

Qi Wu could not shake the feeling that the three statues possessed a strange vitality, as though they were alive.