Chapter 6

The idea of going to Quang Tri Province to find you just flashed through his mind, but it was too cold, and Niu Youdao had no interest in considering it, nor did he plan to look for the other party; he had no interest in these soldiers.

Watching the people leave with longing, Niu Youdao confirmed they were indeed gone. His teeth chattered as he struggled to climb onto the bamboo raft.

It was fine while he was in the water, but once he emerged and the cold wind blew, it was bone-chillingly cold. His whole body trembled, his teeth chattered, and he was both cold and hungry. He really wanted to jump back into the water, which might have been warmer, but he knew that would be no different from a frog being boiled in warm water. Once he realized something was wrong, he probably wouldn't be able to get out of the water again.

He tried to light a fire with a flint, but it was soaked through and useless.

Seeing the half-eaten roasted fish on the bamboo raft, he quickly grabbed it, holding it with his stiff fingers and shivering as he bit into it, trying to replenish his energy. His body heat seemed to have been completely drained, and he felt the cold seeping into his bones, almost freezing him solid. Clearly, he was in a remote area with no signs of human habitation to seek help.

He realized he couldn't fall asleep; it would be a form of self-numbing, and once he fell asleep, he might never wake up.

His gaze turned to the riverbank, wanting to land, but his body was already frozen stiff, and he couldn't control himself. His consciousness gradually sank.

Just as he was about to drift into a deep sleep, he felt as if he was leaning against a stove, his back burning, and he suddenly woke up.

He sat up, stunned, and noticed that his wet cotton clothes were steaming. He wasn't cold anymore, and a part of his back was burning hot. A warm current was flowing through his body, dispelling all the cold.

He had been frozen stiff before, but now he was gradually feeling hot and uncomfortable.

He was only slightly surprised by this, then thought about it. The heat source on his back was the acupoint where Dongguo Haoran had implanted the amulet. This made sense, and he found it incredible that Dongguo Haoran's internal strength was so powerful. This further fueled his desire to visit Shangqing Sect, a desire that could be described as a quest for immortality.

Feeling too hot, he wanted to regulate his breathing to guide the warm current, but his body lacked the necessary foundation. Without any internal energy to guide, he couldn't circulate it, and imagining it wouldn't help.

He also didn't know if his body was suitable for cultivation. In the language of cultivators, this was called "root and bone." Not everyone was suitable for cultivating qi; in fact, most people were not. The reason was that everyone's physical condition was different, and cultivating qi required a high standard of meridian distribution. Meridians were like the branches inside the body, and while the main branches were similar, the side branches could differ, just like trees of the same species could grow in different shapes.

Some people might not even have the same main branches, and there were even cases where the heart was on the other side of the chest.

People with poor root and bone, or poor physical conditions, could still cultivate some simple qi techniques, such as breathing exercises for longevity, but they couldn't practice the more advanced techniques that required complex meridian conditions.

Finally, feeling too hot, Niu Youdao splashed cold water on his face and even unbuttoned his shirt to let the cold wind blow, but his ragged cotton coat still steamed, and his skin turned red.

While clearing the arrows from the bamboo raft, Niu Youdao noticed the plaque the female general had shot. It was small, dark red, and circular, with a phoenix spreading its wings carved on one side and the character "male" on the other.

"Small seal script..." he muttered, his eyes showing confusion.

The people here used small seal script? Given his past experience, he was familiar with small seal script and could easily read it.

What puzzled him was that the people here spoke Mandarin but used small seal script, which seemed chaotic compared to the world he knew. But from the perspective of this world, his familiar world might seem chaotic. He didn't know which side was the chaotic one, feeling lost and confused.

The bamboo raft had already entered a rapid, and the speed of the drift increased, causing it to rock and roll.

Regaining his senses, Niu Youdao quickly collected the fishing traps at the back of the raft. The journey was long, and they might be useful later. He couldn't let them be destroyed by the complex waterways. With the bamboo pole in hand, he maneuvered through the turbulent canyon river, his shirt open, facing the cold wind and battling the waves, his movements skilled, showing his experience in handling such situations, remaining calm in the face of danger, the scene both grand and thrilling.

After the rapids, the water calmed down again. Niu Youdao, exhausted, grabbed a dead fish from the raft and ate it raw, with a full moon hanging over the mountains.

The scene was reminiscent of the lines "The gibbons on both banks cease not to cry, while the light boat has passed ten thousand mountains." The bamboo raft flowed out of the mountains, and the sun rose, casting golden rays. He found a place to land.

The warmth in his body gradually dissipated, and the cold returned. He found a suitable spot, dug a pit, gathered dry wood, and dragged a dead tree to start a fire. He lay in the warm fire pit and fell asleep.

He woke up and set off again.

The cold wind carried the bright sun, and the moon shone over the river at night, the sun and moon accompanying him.

In the rapid sections, he used the bamboo pole, and in the seemingly calm but still dangerous sections, he used a simple wooden paddle.

Despite the hardships, he found joy in it, his life experience sufficient to cope with the harshness of nature.

A few days later, the river seemed calm, but the current was very fast. Niu Youdao knew there must be a waterfall or a cliff ahead. Soon, he heard the distant sound of a waterfall, and he guessed he had reached the place Dongguo Haoran mentioned.

Looking around, he saw a majestic mountain forest in the distance. Dongguo Haoran's instructions were simple but clear, and he knew this must be the place of natural beauty. He immediately started paddling hard, struggling to reach the shore. With great effort, he dragged Dongguo Haoran's body onto the shore, then watched the bamboo raft quickly drift away, carrying a pile of dry wood and disappearing.

He pulled out the hatchet from his waist, cut some trees and vines, and made a simple stretcher. He placed Dongguo Haoran's body on it, tied the vine ropes to his shoulders, and dragged it, pulling and pushing, moving forward with great difficulty.

After a long and arduous journey into the deep mountains, he reached a steep area where the stretcher was too heavy to drag. He threw it to the ground, collapsed under a tree, and drank water from a bamboo tube. Suddenly, he shouted, "Is anyone from Shangqing Sect here?"

He shouted several times, but there was no response from the forest. Just as he was about to rest and then search alone, he heard a sharp sound, and something hit his face, causing pain. He immediately grabbed the hatchet and looked around.

Another sharp sound hit his face, and he looked up to see a young man in gray clothes standing on a tree branch, holding a long sword, looking down at him coldly. The young man shouted, "Who are you, shouting here?"

Niu Youdao's eyes lit up, and he asked hopefully, "Are you from Shangqing Sect?"

The young man replied, "How do you know about Shangqing Sect?"

Niu Youdao understood he was in the right place. He tucked the hatchet into his waist and quickly pulled back the dirty cloth covering the stretcher, revealing Dongguo Haoran's face. He pointed and said, "Do you recognize him? Dongguo Haoran. He told me to find you."

The young man glanced at him, was shocked, and quickly landed to check. He then pulled out a signal arrow, aimed it at the sky, and fired. A ball of smoke shot up and exploded in the air.

Soon, more than a dozen people came from the treetops, leaping down. Niu Youdao blinked, impressed by their lightness of movement.

They all confirmed Dongguo Haoran's identity, and one of them shouted, "Go report to the sect!"

Someone immediately disappeared into the forest, while the others surrounded Niu Youdao, staring at him with a menacing look but not asking any questions.

After a short while, more people arrived, including Luo Yuangong, Su Po, Tang Susu, Tang Yi, and Wei Duo. Dozens more arrived, and most of the inner disciples of Shangqing Sect were present.

After confirming Dongguo Haoran's body, they looked at each other, their expressions grave.

While observing their reactions, Niu Youdao noticed Tang Yi, who stood out in the crowd, looking very beautiful, almost like a fairy. However, he only admired her beauty and had no other thoughts. From their reactions, he could tell that Dongguo Haoran held a high position in Shangqing Sect.

After examining Dongguo Haoran's injuries, Luo Yuangong stood up and looked at Niu Youdao, asking, "Young man, did you bring him here?"

Niu Youdao nodded, "Yes."

Luo Yuangong nodded, "Thank you. Can you tell us what happened in detail?"

"I am from a small temple village three hundred miles away. The village was raided by bandits, and I hid in a small temple in the mountains..." Niu Youdao recounted the events, following Dongguo Haoran's instructions not to mention the ancient bronze mirror until he knew who Tang Mu was.

When he mentioned that Dongguo Haoran had taken him as a disciple, the faces of many inner disciples changed, and Tang Susu's eyes flashed with anger. She interrupted sharply, "Would Dongguo Haoran casually take a village boy as a disciple? You're lying! I'll kill you!"

She didn't just say it; she swung her palm, a powerful force rushing out, the wind howling.

"Little sister!" Luo Yuangong and Su Po shouted in alarm, but it was too late to stop her. They didn't expect Tang Susu to attack suddenly, and her move was a killing blow.

Niu Youdao was shocked. He wasn't completely clueless; he had been a cultivator before. The power of this palm was terrifying, and the force was already squeezing him, making it hard to breathe. If he were hit, he would likely die instantly.

At such close range, with such a violent attack, he couldn't dodge, even with his former strength. He cursed the old woman's ancestors, never expecting that he would come to Shangqing Sect to die, after all the hardships he had endured to bring Dongguo Haoran's body as a sign of good faith.

In fact, Dongguo Haoran hadn't asked him to bring the body. Once he found Shangqing Sect, they would naturally send people to retrieve it. Niu Youdao had endured the hardship to show his sincerity.