Chapter 44 – Heading to Huangzhou

“Hyah!”

A horse-drawn carriage raced down the main road and entered the principal city of Huangzhou.

Huangzhou — yet another underestimated place. Remote and far from the center of power, it had always been overlooked. But from the moment she stepped into Huangzhou’s territory, she felt her mind become remarkably clearer, and her perception of the heavenly and earthly elemental forces grew increasingly sharp.

It was more suited to cultivation than most places.

“Your Highness, shall we find an inn to stay at first?”

Gu Laozhang had told her to use the Arrow Token to enter the Heavenward Path on the fifteenth of the eighth month. With over a month still remaining before that date, staying at an inn the entire time would be inconvenient.

Zhan Changfeng told the driver to look for a small courtyard to rent when he had the chance.

But for tonight, they would certainly be staying at an inn.

The driver went around asking at several inns, then returned to report: “Your Highness, how strange — every inn in town is full today.”

“Never mind, let’s continue west toward Xiling. There should be a town nearby where we can rest.”

The driver glanced at the sky. “Alright, I’ll drive quickly and try to reach the relay station before dark.”

Once they left the city, the dirt road grew bumpy. Late-returning villagers pulled ox carts and donkey carts, or carried shoulder poles, all crowding onto the road together, and the carriage could only follow along at a slow, swaying pace.

After traveling for about half an incense stick’s time, the crowd finally thinned, leaving only a handful of people. The driver cracked his whip. “Hyah!”

“Ptooey, ptooey — got a mouthful of dust.” A clear-featured young man waved his sleeve in disgust.

Beside him, a delicately lovely little girl also imitated him with two “ptooey ptooeys,” making the young man laugh.

“What are you spitting for? I blocked all the dust for you.”

“Senior Brother, have some water.” The little girl puffed her cheeks and swayed as she held out a water flask.

“Hey, careful.” The young man’s heart melted at once, and he quickly supported her arm and took the flask from her.

The linen-robed elder walking slowly behind them stroked his beard with a smile, only to be met with a glare from the young man.

“Master, how much longer do we have to walk? Never mind whether it’ll be dark or not — little Junior Sister can’t hold on much longer.”

“Fair enough, my fault.”

The hemp-clothed elder lifted the little girl onto one shoulder with one hand and grabbed the young man with the other. “Come, come — Master will carry you both.”

With each step the elder covered ten meters, the mountain scenery along the way retreating in rapid succession, filling the young man’s eyes with astonishment. “Master, when will I be able to learn this?”

“When the time comes, you’ll naturally learn it.” The elder laughed heartily.

The little girl, blissfully unaware, wrapped her arms around the elder’s head, and somehow suddenly slapped him on the head in a milky little voice, crying out, “Hyah!”

The elder’s laughter came to an abrupt halt. The young man shook his shoulders, desperately suppressing his laughter.

“You little…” After fuming in shame and indignation for a moment, he threatened, “If you do that again, Master won’t give you any candy beans.”

“Meanie.”

Hmph, one little threat and he was already the bad guy.

“You’re the little troublemaker, you are.”

The elder laughed despite himself. Suddenly, he let out a soft sound of surprise, his divine sense sweeping past the carriage ahead — though without lingering — and in a few strides they arrived at the relay station.

The driver reined in the horse, his hawk-like eyes fixed on the figures blocking the road.

“This stretch of road is under our brothers’ control. Want to pass through? Leave behind the toll!”

A dozen or so burly men, armed with weapons, stood blocking the middle of the road, demanding money in a fierce and aggressive tone.

“Get the people out of the carriage now — men kneel down with your hands on your heads, and the women…” Several of the bandits exchanged glances, leering expressions crossing their faces.

The taciturn driver’s eyes sharpened. He pulled a long blade from beneath the seat cushion and leaped off the carriage.

From Hengzhou to Huangzhou, they had been traveling for nearly half a month, and the bandits and outlaws they had encountered could be counted in the hundreds. Being stopped on the road at this point was hardly surprising.

Zhan Changfeng paid little attention to the commotion outside, but worth noting was that she seemed to have been observed for a brief moment just now.

The Heavenward Path was in Xiling, so there was no guarantee there weren’t cultivators in the vicinity. She would have to be careful.

She suppressed her Pure Yin Bones and tried to conceal her aura as much as possible.

Outside, the noise quickly died down. The driver returned to his seat atop the carriage and urged the horse forward at a gallop.

As the sky grew darker, a sudden torrential downpour descended.

The relay station attendant was lulled drowsy by the sound of the rain and was dozing against the counter. At this hour, the guests had all finished dinner and gone upstairs to rest; the main hall was empty, so there was no need for him to keep watch.

“Bang bang!”

“Hey, coming!”

The attendant jolted awake and trotted over to open the door. “How many guests — please come in first…”

The group outside were all mounted on fine horses, draped in rain capes, with swords and blades hanging at their waists. The attendant was so startled he nearly mistook them for bandits, and stammered before continuing: “Will you be dining or just stopping for a rest?”

The leader shot him a glare. “What a stupid question!”

“Go stable the horses — and make sure they’re fed.”

“Right away.” The attendant craned his neck and called into the back, “Innkeeper, guests have arrived!”

“The few of you, please go inside to register. Tell the innkeeper whatever you’d like to eat, and I’ll go take care of the horses.”

“Go on then, hurry.”

The attendant braved the rain, going back and forth to lead more than ten horses to the rear stable and feed them hay.

Once he had finally finished, he heard another whinny.

He wiped the rain from his brow and squinted into the distance — a horse carriage was racing toward him.

“Are there any rooms left!”

The driver’s shout alone made the attendant flinch.

The attendant pinched himself — those burly men just now hadn’t scared him, so how had a mere driver managed to startle him? Even as he thought this, he hurried forward to reply, “There are vacancies, there are vacancies — how many of you?”

The driver’s sharp gaze swept over him. He vaulted down from the carriage, pulled out the step stool and set it on the ground, then opened an oiled paper umbrella. “Young master, let’s rest here for the night.”

The attendant thought to himself: by the look of it, a wealthy young lord has arrived — the kitchen is going to be busy again.

The carriage curtain was lifted and the young master’s face came into view. The attendant’s first thought was that this young master was remarkably handsome — but the moment he met the young master’s cold and icy eyes, every thought instantly vanished, replaced by a chill that sent a cold sweat down his back.

The driver held the umbrella and escorted Zhan Changfeng into the relay station, then turned and tossed the attendant a piece of broken silver. “Go take care of the carriage.”

“Yes, right away — I’ll handle it properly for you.” The attendant felt the broken silver in his hand and brightened up, casting all other thoughts aside as he eagerly led the carriage away.

The tables and chairs in the main hall were occupied by a dozen or so burly men, and the atmosphere was quiet and oppressive. When Zhan Changfeng and her driver entered, all eyes turned toward them, only to be stared back down by the driver.

One man muttered in a low voice, “Looks like a trained fighter.”

“He’s just a servant escorting a young master,” said the one who appeared to be the leader, taking a sip of wine. “Pay no mind.”

“How many rooms for you two? Will you be needing food… and hot water?”

“Two rooms. Prepare food and hot water and send them up to the rooms.”

“Alright, here are the keys. Let me show you both upstairs.”

Once the innkeeper left, the driver said: “Young master, the people downstairs…”

“Stay alert through the night.”

“Understood.”

Shortly after the driver withdrew, the attendant brought up hot water and food. “Young master, please enjoy your meal at your leisure. It’s cold tonight — do remember to keep the doors and windows shut.”

“Thank you for your trouble.”

The attendant bowed and backed out, and before closing the door, stole a glance at the black-clad young lad — he found this person both cold and composed, unlike someone from an ordinary household.

Zhan Changfeng did not touch the food. During this period, she had been cultivating the Pure Yin Bones too intensely; her physical body was subtly unable to bear the power of the Pure Yin Bones, and it ached without cease at every moment, leaving her truly without appetite.

(End of Chapter)