Chapter 91

In Taizhou Prefecture, at the Black Cloud Inn.

In the inn, in a small, detached building near the corner.

Wei He, Jiang Su, Wei Ying, and Zhang Qi were gathered around a newly purchased, crude map.

After hearing Wei He's account of his experience at Wushizong, the three of them remained silent.

"We... have come so far, and Linlin even passed away along the way, and this is the result?" Wei Ying said softly, her voice filled with sorrow.

At first, they all harbored hopes for Wushizong and rushed on their journey.

But it turned out...

"Wushizong is a large sect with strong influence. They only care about geniuses, only about those who truly have value. It's very normal for them to not care about people from small towns like us," Jiang Su said calmly.

After so many trials, although her face was still cold, just like when she was at Huishan Boxing Academy,

inside, she was much more resilient than before, no longer the girl who would be lost and helpless after a slight setback.

She looked up at Wei He.

"Wei He, what do you plan to do?" She knew that Wei He, though quiet, was very decisive and must have a plan in mind.

"I..." Wei He took a deep breath and lightly placed his hand on the map in front of him.

"Taizhou Prefecture, rather than being a city, is actually a vast area. It is a territory formed by the convergence of numerous fortresses, small towns, and county towns.

It is centered around the main city, with multiple satellite cities and a large number of county towns surrounding it. The territory is very large, far surpassing Feiyecheng, at least ten times its size."

"What are you trying to say?" Jiang Su had a vague idea.

"I mean, although Wushizong is the strongest here, it is not without rivals," Wei He said solemnly.

"I asked around. In Taizhou, Wushizong is the first, followed by the five major forces. These five major forces were once glorious, but now the tide has turned, and Wushizong has the upper hand. So..."

"But what about our main cultivation techniques?" Jiang Su hit the nail on the head.

Their main cultivation technique, Huishan Fist, is actually called Wushizong Huishan Decision, and only Wushizong has the complete set.

Moreover, the subsequent techniques and corresponding exotic beast meat are best suited for Wushizong. This is the key to Wushizong's confidence.

The cultivation techniques and the supply of corresponding exotic beast meat make Wushizong the most suitable place for practicing Wushizong Huishan Decision.

Even if someone wants to leave the sect, it is very difficult to obtain similar exotic beast meat to make up for this.

With their enormous wealth and influence, they have already monopolized all the exotic beasts suitable for Wushizong Huishan Decision, either by incorporating them or driving them away, and they do not allow outsiders to interfere.

Wei He had investigated this point, and with gold notes, this semi-public information was easy to obtain.

In fact, not just Wushizong, but all the major forces are the same. Their main cultivation techniques must have several corresponding exotic beast meats, and these sects will monopolize these exotic beasts to prevent the outflow of their foundation.

When the cultivation techniques are at a low level, the properties of the food for nourishing qi and blood do not need to be considered.

But when the level is high, this must be considered. Because more suitable exotic beast meat, when consumed over time, can speed up the perfection of one's strength, increase the chances of breaking through barriers, and improve one's physical constitution to better suit the cultivation technique.

"So, we actually have no choice," Jiang Su said calmly.

"What are you trying to say?" Wei He seemed to have a premonition and looked up.

"I just don't want to be so weak anymore," Jiang Su stood up and smoothed her hair.

She walked to the window and looked into the distance.

Outside, under the sunset, everything was bathed in a deep red, and merchants, passersby, cart drivers, and commoners flowed by like a stream below the building.

Everyone's face had something that was absent in Feiyecheng: hope, life, stability, and perhaps more.

Here, there was a more prosperous commerce than in Feiyecheng, a more stable livelihood and system, which was perfect for her to pursue her ambitions.

After all, Feiyecheng was in turmoil, and the other side of the Jiang family had already lost. Now, she was not just one person but also carried the expectations of her family.

She wanted to achieve something and return to Feiyecheng to bring back her family.

"Leaving Wushizong means starting all over again, Wei He, I don't have that much time."

Jiang Su turned around and said seriously.

"I have been practicing Huishan Fist for nearly ten years. How many decades does a person have? I can't afford to take another risk."

"..." Wei He also stood up and looked at the others.

Wei Ying seemed to have a premonition, her head down, her white hands tightly gripping the hem of her clothes, silent.

Zhang Qi, however, was different. He raised his head and faced Wei He directly.

"Brother Wei, I think the same as Sister Jiang Su. I don't want to leave."

"..." What do you mean?" Wei He asked calmly.

For Zhang Qi, he had more of a responsibility because he had promised Zhang Lu to take care of his safety.

Now that they had arrived in Taizhou Prefecture, it was already safe. Zhang Qi could freely choose the life he wanted.

But as a junior he had brought along, Wei He still had to ask.

"My brother died in Feiyecheng because he was too weak. The Seven Family Alliance was destroyed because they were too weak."

Zhang Qi said seriously.

"So, in this chaotic world, being weak is a sin. Weakness is like an ant!"

He looked firmly into Wei He's eyes.

"Brother Wei, I want to become strong, the strongest! Stronger than anyone! Only then will I not die... I don't want to rely on others, on you, on Sister Jiang Su.

I just want to rely on myself."

"..." Wei He was speechless.

He couldn't count how many times he had been speechless.

Jiang Su and Zhang Qi each had their own reasons that left him speechless.

Zhang Qi didn't stop. He stood up and continued, "Among the places I can reach, Wushizong is the strongest. If I want to become the strongest, I can only go there. That's the fastest way!"

"You..." Wei He wanted to say something more.

But at this point, there was nothing more to say.

They had not experienced the journey to Wushizong like Wei He had. Moreover, the three of them were only temporary companions, and he had no obligation or right to interfere with their decisions.

Now that both of them had made their decisions, it was normal.

At this point, Wei He knew that they would inevitably part ways.

Jiang Su and Zhang Qi each had their own thoughts and goals.

They were not his followers but wanted to live their own lives in this chaotic world.

"Zhang Qi and I will go to Wushizong. We are not as good as you, being three-blood, so we will sign up from the bottom and participate in the selection. If we really can't pass, we will consider other options later," Jiang Su said frankly.

"I understand," Wei He nodded.

This was a choice.

Everyone has their own life, and he could not interfere.

He walked to the rough map, his fingers lightly tracing the rough, textured paper, the sensation transmitted through his fingertips to his heart.

"Do you have enough money?" he asked.

"Enough," Jiang Su nodded.

"My brother left me a lot, enough," Zhang Qi also nodded.

"When are you going?" Wei He withdrew his hand and asked softly.

"Better not to delay, we'll go tomorrow," Jiang Su replied.

She had always been decisive, and this journey from Yunzhou to Taizhou had only strengthened her no-nonsense style.

Independent, self-reliant, capable of taking charge.

These qualities were evident from the fact that she could take over night watch for Wei He without any issues, showing that she was never a weak woman.

It was just that Wei He's presence overshadowed her.

"I am now old and find it difficult to break through to three-blood. But Wushizong is deep and vast, and there might be other opportunities for breakthrough and improvement! This is Taizhou Prefecture, not Feiyecheng. I will definitely find a way!" Jiang Su said firmly.

Wei He nodded.

At this point, there was no point in saying more.

The three of them fell silent.

After a while, Jiang Su and Zhang Qi bid farewell and returned to their rooms to pack for the next day's registration.

Only Wei Ying remained, sitting at the table, looking at the room that had just been lively, now left with only the two of them.

She knew the parting was imminent, but after nearly a year of close companionship, she had grown accustomed to having them around.

The sudden change left Wei Ying with a sense of indescribable reluctance.

"Don't worry. I will arrange everything," Wei He said calmly.

He, too, felt this way but suppressed it with his firm will.

No gathering lasts forever.

They and Jiang Su and Zhang Qi would eventually part ways, but no one expected it to come so soon.

"I, I'll go back to my room and rest for a while," Wei Ying stood up, her mood low.

"Sure, don't worry, they are just going to Wushizong. We might see them again in the future," Wei He comforted her.

"I know..." Wei Ying nodded, her head down, and she walked out of the room, gently closing the door.

Only Wei He was left in the room, standing in front of the map, silent.

The sunset outside the window grew more slanted, and the light on the ground became longer and finer.

After a long time,

He used a charcoal pencil to lightly circle five circles on the map.

These five circles represented the five major forces in Taizhou, apart from Wushizong.

Lishan Sect, Danyang Gate, Tianyin Gate, Jian Ge Temple, and the Taizhou Prefecture Army.

Sizzle.

Not far away, the sound of a wok being used to cook came from somewhere, jolting Wei He out of his thoughts.

The strong aroma of spicy and sour shredded pork wafted in from outside the window.

Outside the window, below, a few rich young men on horseback, dressed in fine clothes, slowly passed by, discussing in the Taizhou dialect the taste of a girl named Yeshui'an.

Wei He watched as the group swayed away, then he put away the map and turned to leave the room.

He had paid in gold notes to rent the entire small building, which was quite valuable to ordinary people.

Renting the small building for ten days cost only five taels of gold.

The advantage of the small building was its quiet and secluded location, making it less likely to be disturbed. The disadvantage was its isolation, making it difficult to exchange information.

Wei He left the small building and went to the main hall of the Black Cloud Inn.

The main hall was bustling with waiters running around, with many tables and chairs, and also served as a restaurant.

Without much ado, Wei He directly found the innkeeper.

"May I ask, in Taizhou, apart from Wushizong, are there any other places suitable for apprenticeship? To be honest, I was just rejected by Wushizong."

Wei He spoke frankly and placed a few gold beans on the table.

The innkeeper was just an ordinary person, and these gold beans were a nice extra income for them.

After all, he was not a martial artist. The huge consumption of qi and blood by martial artists made their expenses much higher than those of ordinary people.