Volume One: The Dragon Rises from the Wilds, Chapter 131: The Road is Long and Obstructed

Yu Ye walked slowly to the table, picked up the folded, tattered piece of cloth, yet closed his eyes and let out a deep, steadying breath.

He composed himself slightly, sat on the mat, and unfolded the rag.

On the cloth, two paragraphs were written in charcoal:

The first read: "Heaven has lost its divine artifacts: the first is the Purple Star, the second is the Star Arrow, and the third is the Star Sea. When the Sage descends and the three stars reunite, the Southern Dipper shall reverse, and the gates of the Underworld shall open."

The second read: "This is the prophecy from the stone wall. The price is ten jars of fine wine. You brat, don't you dare renege on the debt. If fate permits, we shall meet again in the next life."

The handwriting in both paragraphs was sloppy, clearly written by Gui Yuanzi. Was he the last one to disembark at Qimen Island simply to leave this cloth and his final words behind?

The prophecy concerning the cave wall had been written in an archaic script. Gui Yuanzi had promised to decipher it later; it seemed he had not forgotten that commitment.

The mention of meeting in the next life in his final words indicated that he had known his death was inevitable. His previous feigned drunkenness and erratic behavior had merely been a ruse to deceive others.

Could he truly have been frightened to death? And who could have frightened him so?

Yu Ye felt a weariness of the spirit and closed his eyes once more.

"Jia Ying..."

"I'm here!"

Jia Ying responded promptly, her soft voice tinged with concern.

Although she had imparted cultivation techniques and helped Yu Ye step onto the path of cultivation, she could not share the dangers of the journey, nor could she offer help in moments of crisis. She could only care in silence and accompany him quietly.

"Did you see the woman in red?"

"No!"

"Ah... she wore red robes, carried a red umbrella, and even her headscarf was red..."

"At the mouth of the cave on Qimen Island, I did see that woman with you, but she did not speak, and I paid her no mind."

"No, it was before the graveyard on the hillside. She appeared while I was drunk and said that Gui Yuanzi died of fright..."

"You were raving drunk at the time and burned Gui Yuanzi. I assumed you did it intentionally just to expose his feigned death, but no one else was nearby."

"How could that be..."

Jia Ying had not seen the woman in red either. Had he truly become muddled from his drunken state?

Yu Ye opened his eyes and signaled, "Take a look—"

"This is..."

"Do you remember the stone carving Gui Yuanzi discovered in the cave? I asked him about it then, and he played coy, refusing to reveal a word, yet before he died, he left me that prophecy."

"Heaven has lost its divine artifacts: the first is the Nine Stars, the second is the Star Arrow, the third is the Star Sea...?"

Jia Ying pondered, "Does this mean Heaven lost three divine artifacts, the Nine Stars, the Star Arrow, and the Star Sea?"

"Oh, could the three divine artifacts lost by Heaven be the treasures that the Qizhou cultivators are searching for?"

"The Sage descends, the three stars reunite, the Southern Dipper reverses, the Underworld opens... The meaning is that once the Sage finds the three divine artifacts, the stars will shift and the Underworld will be opened..."

"What is a Sage, what is the Underworld, and what is the shifting of the stars?"

"A Sage is a title. One who possesses complete wisdom and virtue is called a Sage. According to ancient texts, the Underworld is the boundary of life and death, the realm of yin and yang, and a place of wandering souls. If a cultivator can transcend life and death, pass through yin and yang, and remain unconfused by wandering souls, they may reach the legendary Immortal Realm. As for the stars in the sky, the Northern Dipper governs death, and the Southern Dipper governs life; when the stars shift, it is said one may open the Immortal Underworld. This so-called Immortal Realm should be the Pure Land of the Heavenly Dao, which every cultivator yearns for and seeks throughout their life..."

The merchant ship set sail once more.

Yu Ye remained in his cabin.

No one knocked on his door, and no one called for him to wash the pots and dishes anymore. He hid in his cabin to practice breathing exercises, yet his mind remained restless.

One can recover depleted cultivation, but the dead are gone forever. The confusion and bewilderment in his heart remained difficult to cast aside.

When he opened his eyes again, six days had passed.

Having consumed two spirit stones, his cultivation had been restored to its original state.

Yu Ye exhaled a breath of stale air, brushed the debris of the spirit stones from his hands, and resting his chin in his hand, he fell into deep thought once more.

The tattered cloth left by Gui Yuanzi still lay on the mat. Beside it were a piece of white cloth, a jade token, a broken sword, a fragmented jade slip, and a purple gemstone.

He did not know what these "divine artifacts lost by Heaven" were. He had no way of knowing what the Nine Stars, Star Arrow, or Star Sea were, or if they were related to the treasures the Yun Chuan Immortal Sect was seeking.

However, the items he kept on his person also mentioned the "Southern Dipper" and the "Underworld."

A jade slip from the scripture cave of Beiqi Mountain contained the phrase: "When the shooting star enters the Southern Dipper, the Nine Purples shall open the Underworld."

Was there a connection between these?

And Qiu Bo was undoubtedly an overseas cultivator; the purple gemstone he left behind possessed an unfathomable power that made one hesitate to touch it. Did it have any connection to the treasures or divine artifacts the Yun Chuan Sect was seeking?

Qiu Bo had also left a final message: "South of the colorful clouds, the Vermilion Bird flies north, the Golden Toad emerges from the water, and the Heavenly Secret can be found. Fate brings us together, Yu Ye; without fate, it is the will of Heaven."

Then there were the characters "Heavenly Secret" on the hilt of the broken sword, as well as the characters "Heavenly Secret" and "Harmony" on the jade token.

These items, coming from the scripture cave of Beiqi Mountain, the belongings of Feng Laoqi, and the legacy of Qiu Bo, combined with the prophecy left by Gui Yuanzi, seemed unrelated at first glance, yet they constantly invited wild conjecture.

"Brother Yu, the ship is about to dock—"

At that moment, Yu Xin’s call came from outside the door.

The ship docking meant they had arrived in Qizhou.

Yu Ye took out a storage ring and tucked away the belongings of Qiu Bo, Feng Laoqi, and Gui Yuanzi, along with the jade slip from the Beiqi Mountain scripture cave.

There were too many mysteries; they would have to be revealed in due time.

Yu Ye stepped off the mat, grabbed his bamboo hat, lifted the restriction, and opened the wooden door.

Outside stood four disciples of the Daoist sect.

Yu Xin and Luo Chen had recovered from their injuries. They, along with He Qingnian and An Yunsheng, had all changed into new clothes and looked refreshed, though their faces bore the marks of hardship.

Yu Ye remained in his original attire, covered in dirt and grime, clutching his bamboo hat under his arm, looking every bit the rustic village boy.

"We did not wish to disturb you during your meditation, Brother Yu. Now that we have arrived in Qizhou, it is time to hand this over to you!"

Yu Xin handed him a storage ring.

He Qingnian, An Yunsheng, and Luo Chen nodded in agreement.

"This is..."

"What we obtained from the battle at Qimen Island."

"There is no need!"

Yu Ye waved his hand in refusal.

In the past, he would never have failed to loot a storage ring after a kill. But in the battle at Qimen Island, he had not picked up a single one.

Ahu walked down from the ship's deck with Chen Biao, sighing, "It is not uncommon for Daoist disciples to take our Chen family’s merchant ship, but it is unique for them to encounter strong enemies, emerge victorious, and arrive in Qizhou!"

Yu Xin and the others raised their hands in salute.

The Chen family had lost five men in this endeavor, and the bond forged through their shared trials was beyond words.

Yu Ye followed them to the bow of the ship.

The sun was setting, casting its evening glow over the harbor ahead. Ships of all sizes were docked in the bay, and a market town sat on the nearby hillside.

"This is Qihai Town, under the jurisdiction of the Qi State. Though it is not our original port, it will not hinder the sale of our herbs. Follow me to an inn to settle down and rest for a few days before we make further plans!"

Ahu was well-versed in the customs of the Qizhou coast and knew the situation in the Qi State like the back of his hand.

"Qizhou is different from Daze; it is a land where five nations coexist: Zhongshan, Xuanfeng, Qi, Wei, and Yun. Each has a sovereign governing its territory. There are many immortal sects in each nation, large and small. The largest in the Qi State is likely the Canghai Sect, though where exactly it is located, I do not know. You must not offend the disciples of the immortal sects, the local city lords, or town mayors, lest you invite trouble upon yourselves..."

"Thank you for your guidance, Young Master!"

"Think nothing of it!"

As they spoke, the ship entered the bay.

Moments later, the sails were lowered, the anchor was dropped, and the ship docked as a gangplank was laid down. Receptionists were waiting on the pier, and Chen Biao stepped forward to handle the arrangements. The others packed their belongings and filed off the ship.

Four months had passed, and they had finally arrived in Qizhou, yet there was no cheering, no laughter, and not a single smiling face to be seen. The group walked onto the pier in silence and, led by Ahu, trudged quietly toward Qihai Town.

Yu Ye walked side-by-side with Ahu.

"Ahu, can you tell me about the Zhongshan State?"

"Are you planning to go to the Zhongshan State?"

"Yes!"

"The Zhongshan State is located in the heart of Qizhou, tens of thousands of miles from here. Because it is so far, I do not know much about it."

"Daoist disciples from Daze usually take the Chen family’s merchant ships to reach Qizhou. Do you remember anyone by the name of Chen Qi or Bai Zhi?"

"I have never heard of these two..."

Leaving the pier, they arrived at Qihai Town, located within the bay.

The sky had darkened, and the evening lights were being lit.

Pedestrians hurried through the streets, appearing no different from those in Daze, though their clothing was slightly varied and their accents were different.

A young man approached them, likely a clerk from the local trading post. After exchanging a few words with Ahu, he led them to an inn called "Haifeng Inn," where they were greeted by the proprietor and staff.

The inn consisted of a two-story wooden building and a spacious courtyard.

Yu Ye and the others were assigned rooms on the second floor. After a short rest, he fetched a basin of water to wash up when Ahu suddenly appeared at his door.

"It’s a coincidence; the local trading post has two wagons heading to Qiong City tonight. It is said that Qiong City is not far from Zhongshan, so it happens to be on your way. I begged the caravan leader, and he is willing to take you along. What do you think?"

"When do they depart?"

"They are leaving right now!"

"Thank you!"

Yu Ye quickly washed his face, put on his bamboo hat, and followed Ahu to the courtyard. A young man was waiting in front of the inn; he bowed to Ahu and prepared to lead Yu Ye away.

"Brother Yu—"

Yu Xin, He Qingnian, An Yunsheng, Luo Chen, and several of the Chen family men came chasing after them.

"Brother Yu, why are you in such a hurry?"

"You should stay in the Qi State; why must you leave alone?"

"I heard you are going to the Zhongshan State. Are you not afraid of the Yun Chuan Sect causing you trouble?"

"Stay with us; we can look out for one another. Why must you go to such an unpredictable place alone..."

Their pleas were sincere; they clearly did not want him to leave.

"Every effect has a cause, and every disaster has its consequence. If I do not go to the Yun Chuan Sect, how can I save our Daze from the fire!"

Yu Ye explained, then bowed deeply, "Ahu, brothers of the Chen family, fellow Daoists, take care of yourselves!"

With that, he turned and walked out of the inn.

Unable to hold him back, the others could only follow to see him off.

Under the cold night sky, on the unfamiliar street, Yu Ye did not look back and hurried away alone.

"Yu Ye, do not forget Ahu of Huazhou!"

"The road is long and difficult; travel steadily and go far. Brother Yu, take care—"

—End of Volume—