It has been ten days since we set out from Guga to the volcano.
One thing that has changed from the previous journey to Sichuan is that I can no longer rest with peace of mind.
"Master, is there anything uncomfortable?"
"No, nothing. You don't need to worry."
The biggest problem is that the carriage driver right in front of me is one of the Three Respected Ones of the world, the Sword Sage.
Why, out of all the carriages, did I have to be in the one he's driving?
Thanks to this, the past ten days have been unbearably stressful and awkward.
If I had not known he was the Sword Sage, it would have been much easier.
Damn it...
"Mu Yan, how much longer do we have to go?"
I called out to Mu Yan outside the window.
It was a rather meaningless question.
Mu Yan gave a slightly stiff smile and said to me,
"Master...you've asked this about thirty times today."
"...Really? I thought I had asked quite a few times."
"Also, we still have several times that distance to go."
"...It's depressing every time I hear it, isn't it?"
This damn vast land...
I sighed deeply, and beside me, Wei Xueya started chattering.
"Master, Master."
"What is it?"
"Master, what kind of dumpling do you like the most?"
"What kind of food, and what kind of dumpling? That's a weird question."
"But, Master, you only eat dumplings."
"..."
It's not a wrong statement, so I had nothing to say.
What kind of dumpling do I like? It seems I've reached the point where I can't avoid this question.
"Dumplings are just dumplings, and they're the best."
"Why?"
"They're cheap and filling."
It's a very simple reason. They're cheap and filling.
And they're delicious.
There might be dozens of types of dumplings, but I don't really care about the type.
As long as they're reasonably cheap and filling, and taste better than Biqiu Dan, that's enough.
I've eaten things worse than this, so as long as it's edible, I won't refuse it.
Wei Xueya tilted her head at my answer.
"That's strange, the sisters said Master is picky about food."
"Not anymore."
Maybe it was different back then.
When I was young, I used to think the ingredients had to be expensive, and the quality and appearance had to be perfect.
I found meaning in meaningless things.
But in the end, I realized that all of it was truly meaningless when I reached the brink of life.
"Just eat it."
"Shit, how can you eat this? Do you eat insect tails as food?"
"Do you think it's food? I eat it to survive, you idiot."
"I won't eat it."
"If you won't eat it, give it to me. I'd rather eat a bit more than waste time on your pride."
To be honest, insect tails were not as bad as I thought.
To be precise, they were the most edible thing I ate there.
I had to drink animal blood instead of water and eat things that were poisonous to fill my stomach.
It's a really terrible memory.
"...My stomach feels queasy."
Just thinking about that time makes me feel like I'm going to throw up.
It was sticky and disgusting.
Wei Xueya looked at my face and quickly took something out of her bosom.
It was a sweet.
...Why is she taking out a sweet so urgently when it's not even medicine?
Then, with a trembling voice, she hesitated and said,
"Master, would you like to have a bite...?"
"...Not a whole one, but a bite? What a cheap way to put it."
"But...there's only one left."
I leaned forward slightly and took a bite of the sweet, actually swallowing the whole thing.
"A, a, noooooo!"
Wei Xueya's sobs echoed mournfully in the carriage.
The past ten days have been like today.
It was a waste of time.
At night, we inevitably set up camp.
The horses pulling the carriage needed rest, and it was important to reduce physical fatigue for the long journey.
We quickly made a fire, and the guards surrounded it, on high alert.
It was an early watch.
That night, both Wei Xueya and the Sword Sage had left the carriage, so I was the only one inside.
I sat cross-legged and slowly circulated the Nine Yang Wheel Technique.
The energy that started from the dantian slowly spread throughout my body.
I could feel my body strengthening with a "crack."
The breath I exhaled was mixed with heat and a red aura.
It meant I was almost at the fourth level.
It's been easy so far.
But when I circulate the energy beyond a certain point, it starts to flow in an unintended direction.
I could feel it becoming awkward and rough.
This is the limit of the third level.
If I force the energy to circulate further, it will damage my meridians.
Once it's broken through, it will open smoothly, but my body can't handle it right now.
Indeed, it's a problem of the body.
I keep trying out of impatience, but I keep getting stuck here.
'Too rushed, both in mind and situation.'
I calmly withdrew the energy back to the dantian. There's a limit to greed.
Understanding the growth of a cultivation technique is crucial.
Crossing the line or not is a critical distinction between madness and growth.
The reason I put so much effort into the technique is not only to reach the fourth level but also to steadily train it.
Gradually, I build a solid foundation and exclude impurities.
This refined internal energy will help me gain more as I grow in the future.
'...Sigh.'
Suddenly, I found it ridiculous to think this way.
'I thought I had left behind the greed for cultivation.'
I had decided to become just strong enough to survive, and it had been months.
A bit of good luck, and I immediately become greedy.
As if I'm still a martial artist.
As the heat subsided, the quiet of the night became noticeable.
The chirping of night insects echoed in my ears.
I relaxed in my chair, leaning back.
I was exhausted from just finishing my practice.
In this state of emptiness, thoughts of what I need to do and past sins come to mind, making me feel annoyed and complicated.
But lately, I haven't had such thoughts.
It's because of the plum fragrance filling the carriage.
The fragrance in the carriage made me feel a bit dizzy as soon as I withdrew the energy.
If you suddenly ask where the plum fragrance came from, it's because of the stone on my chest.
"...Really, at the most unexpected times."
The fragrant smell made me laugh helplessly.
The precious item I received from Elder Li was emitting a fragrance from my chest.
At first, it had no effect because it was wrapped in cloth, but a few days ago, it started emitting fragrance even without unwrapping it.
Although I thought it was normal for a precious item, today it was particularly strong.
"How did such a thing come to be?"
I carefully took the silk pouch from my bosom.
Precious items are still mysterious, even in the future.
This stone with a plum blossom, of course, and the sword containing Nangong's brain energy, or the Buddha statue that holds the light of Shaolin, are examples.
These unknown items that seem to defy the laws of nature.
They are called precious items, but the mystery of their existence is still a difficult topic to think about.
They just exist.
I examined the stone, about the size of two finger joints, and then put it back in my bosom.
If I play with it and break it, I'll have to disappear somewhere far away, let alone go to the volcano.
Even after putting the stone back, the carriage was still filled with the fragrance of plum blossoms.
It's a season when plum blossoms rarely bloom, except in the volcano...
It's absurd to feel the fragrance of plum blossoms in the carriage.
The fragrance was so strong that I even had the illusion of petals floating.
'Maybe I'm sleepy...'
I rubbed my eyes, but the petals were still there.
I must be very tired, I thought, and slightly adjusted my position.
The attendants must have set up a bed outside, so it would be more comfortable to sleep there.
But today, I was strangely sleepy.
Just close my eyes for a moment.
I'll rest a bit and then go out to finish my physical training.
With that light-hearted thought, I relaxed my body.
As I slowly fell asleep, I faintly heard a voice in the drowsiness.
"What is this guy...?"
Where is it coming from? It's an old man's voice I've never heard before.
"Doesn't seem to be from the volcano?"
Is this a dream?
Another nightmare?
"How can he be cultivating energy if he's not from the volcano?"
The old man sounded quite angry, as if something was bothering him.
"...Damn, I've never seen such a ridiculous thing... What kind of lineage does he have to cultivate so recklessly? He'll get into trouble, you fool!"
It felt like something was tapping my cheek, as if urging me to wake up.
But my body, drenched in sleep, couldn't move easily.
"...Damn it...!"
After cursing for a while, the voice disappeared, as if giving up.
And when I woke up,
"What is this...?"
To my surprise, the Nine Yang Wheel Technique had suddenly reached the fourth level.
******************
Whoosh!
The energy wrapped around my fingertips flickered roughly.
Until yesterday, it could only emit a faint mist, but now it had changed.
This was clear evidence that the technique had reached the fourth level.
I stared at the flame with a bewildered expression, but nothing changed. This was reality.
"What is this? What is this...?"
Yesterday, I didn't even think about advancing from the third level, but this morning, it had suddenly reached the fourth level.
It was so absurd that I couldn't even speak properly.
Of course, I was happy to have advanced, but it was frustrating not to know why.
It wasn't as if my body had suddenly strengthened overnight.
My body was the same, but the energy was strangely calm.
The energy flowing through my body was smooth and gentle, not rough. It had passed through my meridians without damaging them, heading in the direction I wanted.
Goodness, smooth... No matter how I think about it, it's a word that doesn't fit the Nine Yang Wheel Technique at all.
If I had to compare the current energy, it was similar to the energy of Daoism.
The energy of a cultivation technique known for its wild, beast-like nature being similar to Daoism? What a ridiculous statement.
Moreover, the biggest problem was that the energy, which should have been a burning red, now looked strangely pale.
...It's hard to describe, but it felt like energy I had seen before.
At this point, I had a bad feeling.
With a subtly trembling hand, I took out the stone from my bosom and unwrapped it.
Please, no... Oh, God, please.
'Please...'
Perhaps my desperate wish was answered.
Fortunately, there was nothing wrong with the Plum Blossom Jade.
Recently, every time I touched a strange stone or bead, it had absorbed everything, so I always felt anxious when something like this happened.
If this crazy martial technique had absorbed the energy of the precious item, I might have to live hidden away, let alone go to the volcano.
In that sense, it was incredibly fortunate that there was nothing wrong with the stone.
I sighed in relief, but looking at the stone, I felt a slight sense of unfamiliarity.
'...It seems the light has dimmed a bit.'
The plum light that used to illuminate the surroundings when unwrapped now seemed to have dimmed.
No, it must be an illusion... It has to be an illusion.
"Just in case... I shouldn't carry it around and should put it somewhere else."
Losing the precious item is better than destroying it...
No, both seem like terrible outcomes...
Shit, how did I end up with this...!
I was extremely resentful of Elder Li for entrusting me with this.
"...It's fine. I'll pretend I don't know and return it after achieving my goal."
The goal was not to return the precious item but to bring my sister back.
As long as I don't get entangled in anything unexpected, it should be fine.