Volume One: Dragons Rise from the Wilderness Chapter One Hundred Twenty-Six: Reading People Like Reading Rivers

After the sailing vessel set out once more, it continued to drift south with the wind.

In the blink of an eye, half a month passed. During this time, Yu Ye had been busy cultivating. He was not working on the "Tiangang Scripture," the Seven-Kill Sword Qi, or the "Heavenly Prohibition Technique," but rather the "Divine Dragon Evasion Technique," which originated from the "Nine Escapes of Heaven and Earth." This was the lifeblood of Jiao Ying’s efforts and a supernatural ability he had long anticipated.

Without his armor-piercing talismans, the four remaining Earth-Escape talismans were his only means of preserving his life. Thus, he pinned his hopes on the "Divine Dragon Evasion Technique," yearning for a skill that would not only save his life but also help him defeat his enemies.

While the true power of the "Divine Dragon Evasion Technique" remained unknown, the difficulty of its cultivation exceeded all expectations. After more than ten days of continuous practice, he had made no progress. When he consulted Jiao Ying, even she could not pinpoint the cause. He could only blame his own dullness and resolve to apply himself with diligent and unremitting effort.

Every day, after his cultivation sessions, he continued to help Gui Yuanzi with the washing and scrubbing of pots and bowls. All signs indicated that Gui Yuanzi was a master of great ability. Being a servant to such a master was not an entirely bad arrangement, and besides, the Yu Village had a tradition of respecting the elderly and caring for the young.

However, that master always carried himself with the air of a scoundrel.

"Bang, bang—"

There was a knock at the door. Yu Ye opened his eyes with a sigh of resignation.

"Lad, open up—"

Fear what you will, and it shall come to pass. The voice outside was brazen, demanding, and utterly shameless.

Yu Ye waved his hand, dispelling the restrictive barrier. The wooden door swung open with a clatter, and Gui Yuanzi strode in, looking around and muttering, "This place is quite good, quite good indeed..."

"What is it?"

"I was thinking of my servant and decided to pay a visit. Is that not allowed?"

Yu Ye ignored him. Ever since he had moved to the upper deck cabins, Gui Yuanzi would drop by every few days, and once there, he would refuse to leave. He claimed to be checking on his servant, but in reality, he had other motives.

"Oh, my, I have graced you with my presence, surely you should show some appreciation, boy!" Gui Yuanzi sat down on a stool, his face filled with expectation.

Yu Ye acted as if he had heard nothing, remaining unmoved. Gui Yuanzi persisted, reminding him, "For instance... you could bring out some fine wine to entertain me. That is what this old man loves most!"

Yu Ye couldn't help but retort, "Even if I had an entire wine cellar hidden on me, it wouldn't be enough to satisfy your demands."

"Oh, don't be so stingy, boy. A jar of wine—this old man only wants one jar, how about it?"

"No!"

Rebuffed once again, Gui Yuanzi became anxious. He slammed his hand on the table and roared, "I have lowered myself to beg you like this; what else do you want from me?"

Every day, Yu Ye would go to the hold to clean the pots, leaving as soon as he finished without speaking to Gui Yuanzi or probing into his background. Gui Yuanzi had grown quite disappointed by this, so he had taken to following him around to pester him. Of course, what he was after was not Yu Ye, but the fine wine Yu Ye carried.

"Old priest, are you begging me, or threatening me?" Yu Ye, unwilling to back down, rolled his eyes and said, "You might as well try to take it by force; you never know, you might get what you want."

"Hey, you little brat..." Gui Yuanzi huffed and puffed, ready to fly into a rage, but then he waved a hand, acting magnanimous. "Fine, fine. I, this old man, shall answer any question you have today to satisfy your curiosity. The old price: one question for one jar of wine. Come on—"

Yu Ye shook his head. "I have no questions."

Gui Yuanzi’s face stiffened in surprise. "How can you have no questions? Go ahead and ask me; I know everything from astronomy and geography to the arts of ghosts and gods. You are in luck today, heh heh!"

Yu Ye seemed momentarily tempted. After a brief hesitation, he flipped his hand and produced a jar of wine.

Gui Yuanzi hurriedly stood up, snatched the jar, and said cheerfully, "So, what did you want to ask..."

"Please leave!"

"Oh?"

"I take pity on you as an old man, so I am giving you this last jar of wine. Next time, even if you lie on the ground and throw a tantrum, don't expect to get anything!"

"Heh, we'll talk about next time when the time comes!" Gui Yuanzi paid no heed to Yu Ye's warning and walked out, clutching the wine jar.

"Old scoundrel!" Yu Ye muttered. He had already been swindled out of more than ten jars of wine by Gui Yuanzi, yet he had learned nothing in return. The old man had fully grasped his temperament and always managed to get his way.

Yu Ye stepped off the bed and put on his boots. Since there was no progress in his cultivation and his mind had been unsettled by Gui Yuanzi, he decided to go to the deck to catch some fresh air.

Stepping out of the cabin, there were only a few members of the Chen family on deck. There was no sign of Tao Feng, Yu Xin, or the others; perhaps after killing Gan Xing and Qiu Yuan and splitting the spirit stones, they were all busy cultivating.

Judging by the sky, it was past noon. Yu Ye strolled to the bow and looked into the distance. Across the boundless sea, patches of white clouds drifted by. The ship, riding the wind and waves, seemed to travel through the clouds, clearing his mind and bringing a sense of tranquility...

"Yu Ye!"

Someone walked over in a hurry. It was A-Hu, still carrying himself with an easy-going air, though his face was weathered and his eyes held a hint of fatigue.

Yu Ye bowed his hands in greeting. "Young Master!"

A-Hu shook his head repeatedly, complaining, "Oh, I don't treat you like a master, so why must you be so formal with me?"

"How may I be of service?"

"Service is too strong a word. Please, look—" A-Hu held a piece of animal hide depicting seawater, islands, and incomprehensible diagrams. He explained, "This is the Chen family's ancestral sea chart. According to this, the ship has strayed far from the original route. Although we have adjusted our course, we are still thousands of miles off track. This route is completely unfamiliar, and we cannot guarantee that no accidents will occur. Only by working together can we safely reach Qizhou!"

"Understood."

Yu Ye did not like making promises or bold declarations. He gave a slight nod, accepting A-Hu's request.

A-Hu breathed a sigh of relief and added, "Please, convey this to the other masters as well. I would be most grateful!" With that, he bowed and turned away, walking off with long strides. Previously, when trouble arose at sea, he had consulted Tao Feng and the others; now, simply out of worry, he had sought Yu Ye's help. This change in the young master might signal further unforeseen developments.

Yu Ye did not agree to the final request, merely smiling in silence. The disciples of the Daoist sects were all proud and arrogant, and now that they had fallen out with each other, they would certainly not listen to his relaying of messages.

After pacing the bow for a moment, Yu Ye headed back. It had been late in the seventh month when they set sail. Now, more than two months since leaving the Great Swamp, it was the end of autumn. The weather had turned cold, and the sea breeze carried a biting chill.

Two men greeted Yu Ye, and he replied with a smile and a wave. To the Chen family members, this "master," despite his extraordinary skills and profound abilities, was still just a young man who spent his days washing pots and bickering with Gui Yuanzi, no different from any other youth. Compared to the other Daoist disciples, they preferred dealing with him.

After circling the deck, Yu Ye walked toward the cabin building. Just as he was about to return to his quarters, a woman emerged from the neighboring cabin and said softly, "Come over and sit for a while—"

It was Meng Qingqing.

To run into her just by stepping out for a breath of air was too much of a coincidence!

Yu Ye shook his head immediately. "No, thank you!"

Meng Qingqing added, "I have something to say."

"Oh..." Yu Ye hesitated, then stepped toward her.

Meng Qingqing’s cabin was on the right side of the building. Its layout was identical to his, yet it was spotlessly clean and filled with a faint floral fragrance.

"Sit," Meng Qingqing gestured.

Yu Ye sat on a stool, but seeing Meng Qingqing sitting on the bed, mere inches away, facing him, he couldn't help but look away, feeling constrained. "Please, speak."

"Sigh—" Meng Qingqing let out a sigh. "I know you don't trust me. I only want to ask, once we reach Qizhou, what are your plans?"

Yu Ye replied, "Find a sect to settle in."

Meng Qingqing’s eyes flashed with anticipation. "That is exactly what I intended!"

"And... what about your fellow Daoists?"

"People are like rivers, hard to fathom. Truth be told, they aren't bad people..."

"If you have nothing else, I shall take my leave." Yu Ye didn't wait for her to finish and rose to leave.

Meng Qingqing did not stop him, whispering to herself, "Who would have thought that the life of a Daoist is full of storms, far less peaceful than the two acres of farmland back home. It has been over ten years since I last went home..."

In her hand was a grasshopper woven from blades of grass, now withered and yellow.

Yu Ye did not look back and hurried out. Returning to his room, he slammed the door shut. He kicked off his boots, climbed onto the bed, sat cross-legged, steadied his mind, and slowly closed his eyes.

He did not want to get involved in Meng Qingqing’s personal affairs, nor did he want to be overly entangled with the other Daoist disciples. In the days to come, he would focus solely on cultivating the "Divine Dragon Evasion Technique"...

Unknowingly, another twenty days passed. The men on the ship had changed into thick autumn clothes. The sea breeze became even more bitter, and even inside the cabin, one could feel the chill of early winter.

"Bang, bang—"

As the knock came, a voice called out: "Lad, open the door!"

Yu Ye opened his eyes but ignored the commotion outside, sitting still with a frustrated expression.

Even now, the "Divine Dragon Evasion Technique" had made no progress. According to Jiao Ying's speculation, the "Nine Escapes of Heaven and Earth" she had improved was a cultivation method for Golden Core practitioners. For him, with only the cultivation of the third level of Qi Refining, practicing such a powerful technique was a daunting task. Yet, the technique could not be simplified just to accommodate him, or it would not be worthy of the name "Divine Dragon Evasion Technique."

The root cause was simply that his cultivation was too weak!

"Bang, bang—"

The knocking sounded again, and Gui Yuanzi’s voice grew more urgent. "Lad, open the door—"

Yu Ye waved his hand to dispel the barrier.

The wooden door opened, and a figure rushed in with the whistling cold wind—it was Gui Yuanzi. He was wrapped in a thick robe, rubbing his hands together and complaining, "Taking so long to open the door, do you want to freeze this old man to death!"

"Humph!" Yu Ye couldn't help but snort. "At this time of year, you won't freeze to death!"

Gui Yuanzi widened his eyes and said with feigned seriousness, "If I freeze to death, will you pay with your life?"

"You..." Unable to argue, Yu Ye said irritably, "Old man, don't even think about tricking me out of my wine today!"

"Hey, when have I ever tricked you out of your wine?" Gui Yuanzi acted as if he had been deeply insulted.

Yu Ye, exasperated and helpless, simply turned his head away.

He heard him say again, "I have brought a treasure to trade for wine today. Take a look—"

Yu Ye still ignored him.

Gui Yuanzi leaned in close and whispered mysteriously, "Listen, boy. Your sword qi, prohibition techniques, and body-protection arts are decent, but they won't help you against a true master. But with my treasure, no one will be able to kill you. A rare opportunity! Just ten jars of wine... five jars... three jars... two jars of wine. Whether the deal is made or not, at least take a look, boy!"

Yu Ye glanced back slowly.

In Gui Yuanzi's hand was a crumpled piece of rag, on which hundreds of characters were scribbled crookedly. Among them, three large characters were particularly striking: "Incarnation Technique."

Yu Ye reached out and snatched the rag, ready to throw it away, when he suddenly heard Jiao Ying’s voice in his sea of consciousness—

"Wait..."