Chapter 81: Madness

In the silent night, two carriages slowly left the city of Shelley, one after the other.

Shelley was the nearest city of the Merchant Alliance to the Dead Silence Swamp. Between Shelley and the Dead Silence Swamp, there was only a forest with not very tall trees. There was a path in the forest for merchants and mercenary warriors to travel between the two places.

In the front carriage, Chu Ping had a wooden expression, lazily waving the whip, neither too fast nor too slow.

Inside the carriage, Zuo Shi and Wu Yunlian occasionally laughed softly. These two women seemed very relaxed throughout the journey, always laughing and chatting.

In the rear carriage, Han Feng and Ku Long sat at the front, occasionally exchanging a few words.

Most of the time, the two were vigilantly watching their surroundings, as if they had never relaxed.

Inside the carriage, Shi Yan was completely silent.

For over ten days, Shi Yan, apart from eating, drinking, and using the restroom, had almost never left the carriage.

Every time he came out to eat, he looked haggard, deeply frowning, as if troubled by something.

Late at night.

The two carriages stopped by a small river in the forest. Zuo Shi and Wu Yunlian gracefully got off the carriage and went to the river to wash their faces and fetch water.

Not long after, Zuo Shi and Wu Yunlian returned with clean faces and water, but they found that the Shi family's carriage was eerily silent, with no sign of movement.

"What is that guy doing?"

Wu Yunlian stared at the Shi family's carriage, her charming face full of confusion. "I haven't seen him come out much during the journey. Except for when he comes out to eat, he seems to always stay in the carriage. Every time he comes out, he looks dazed, as if thinking about something... He's really a strange kid."

"He's always been a weird person," Zuo Shi agreed, nodding. "People who study ancient relics and texts are all peculiar. Who knows what's in their heads."

Wu Yunlian chuckled, her charm captivating. "Xiao Shi, don't say it, but this guy is really different. Young men who usually walk with you are always like flies buzzing around you, impossible to drive away! But this one, for over ten days, hasn't even glanced at you properly, and he doesn't even bother to get out of the carriage. It's really rare."

"Leave him alone, he is indeed very strange," Zuo Shi was taken aback. Wu Yunlian's words made her realize that Shi Yan had indeed never looked at her properly during the journey.

Although Zuo Shi wasn't narcissistic, she knew she was beautiful, which was evident from the attitudes of other young men.

And Shi Yan, being young and passionate, should not be an exception. Why was he so strange?

No matter what kind of woman, they would care about such things, and Zuo Shi was no exception. She felt a bit indignant and puzzled.

"Give me some water," a indifferent voice suddenly came from the Shi family's carriage.

Ku Long was taken aback, looking at Han Feng. "Madman, do you have any water?"

Han Feng shook his head, pointing to Wu Yunlian and Zuo Shi who were slowly walking over. "These two have been fetching water for the past few days."

Ku Long leaned out, smiling at Wu Yunlian. "Sister, some water, our young master is thirsty."

"Let him come down and get it himself," Zuo Shi pouted, muttering, "Staying in the carriage all day, he's not afraid of stinking. What a weird person."

Ku Long smiled awkwardly, leaning towards the carriage. "Young Master Yan, Miss Zuo asked you to come down for water."

"Okay."

Shi Yan responded indifferently, slowly pushing aside the curtain and stepping out of the carriage, looking haggard. His expression was wooden, his eyes deeply puzzled, as if still trying to solve a problem.

Without much thought, he slowly walked to Zuo Shi's side, grabbed the water bag from her hand, and drank it greedily.

After drinking, Shi Yan casually handed the water bag to Zuo Shi, whose face was full of anger, and turned to walk back to the Shi family's carriage, muttering, "This water has a strange fragrance, how odd..."

"Shi Yan!"

Zuo Shi's face turned red, and she angrily said, "The water bag you took is mine! Not the Shi family's!"

Shi Yan was startled by her scream, immediately waking from his deep concentration on the ancient life and death seal technique. He looked at her strangely and said, "What's the difference?"

"This water bag, Xiao Shi just drank from it, so it naturally has a fragrance," Wu Yunlian smiled, adding, "Maybe the water you drank even has a bit of Xiao Shi's saliva."

"Aunt Lian!" Zuo Shi's face turned bright red, and she stomped her foot. "What are you talking about!"

Ku Long and Chu Ping were taken aback, their expressions becoming strange. Even Han Feng quietly raised his head to look over.

But soon, the three of them pretended to know nothing, each busy with their own affairs, as if they hadn't heard Wu Yunlian's words or seen Zuo Shi's blushing face.

Shi Yan immediately understood but pretended to be confused, grinning. "It's fine, I don't mind. I don't care about your saliva."

With that, Shi Yan turned and casually returned to the carriage, not showing his face again.

"Hehe! Hehehehe!"

Wu Yunlian laughed, her chest heaving. She suddenly found Shi Yan not so boring; his occasional words were quite amusing.

Zuo Shi stood there, wide-eyed, and after a moment, she angrily said, "Shi Yan! You're a jerk!"

"Uncle Han, we can go," a calm voice came from the carriage.

"Okay," Han Feng's lips curled into a strange smile, urging Ku Long, "Let's go."

The Shi family's carriage slowly moved, for the first time passing the Zuo family's carriage, heading forward.

Zuo Shi stood there, her face flushed with embarrassment, looking at Wu Yunlian and the silent Chu Ping, and angrily said, "Laugh! What's so funny! It's not funny at all! You're so boring!"

With that, Zuo Shi rushed into the carriage, throwing a tantrum. "Uncle Ping, drive faster! Hit the Shi family's carriage, I want to teach that jerk a lesson!"

Chu Ping was taken aback, looking pitifully at Wu Yunlian.

Wu Yunlian smiled, shaking her head, and got into the carriage, comforting her, "Xiao Shi, he didn't mean it. Don't take it to heart."

"That's too much! Saying I... I..." Zuo Shi huffed, but couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence.

...

Shi Yan didn't care about this little incident.

In the carriage, he frowned, leaning against the wall, with strange runes flashing in his eyes.

The ancient life and death seal technique's incantations were rapidly revolving in his mind.

During this period, Shi Yan had almost devoted all his energy to understanding the ancient life and death seal technique.

Even while eating, his mind didn't rest, always trying to comprehend the cultivation method of the life and death seal, as if possessed.

That's the kind of person he was.

Once he decided to do something, he would be completely focused, devoting all his energy to it, almost to the point of obsession, without being swayed by external factors.

Years of extreme sports had taught him a lesson—only by being obsessed could one truly excel in something!

Life and Death Seal! Life and Death Seal!

Now, his mind was filled with only one thought—to understand the cultivation method of the life and death seal as quickly as possible.

Ideally, he would master the cultivation technique of the life and death seal before entering the Dead Silence Swamp.

Only then would he have more strength to protect himself in the Dead Silence Swamp and more opportunities to obtain things beneficial to him.

Shi Yan closed his eyes, relaxed his body, and slowly organized his recent insights.

After a long time.

His mind stirred, and his essence energy slowly flowed, rising from his lower abdomen and gradually flowing into his right arm.

The speed of the essence energy flow in his body was not fast, but it continuously gathered and condensed in his right arm.

As the essence energy gathered in his arm, his right arm became crystal clear, with the bones and blood vessels clearly visible, as if his flesh was transparent.

Shi Yan was unaware of the abnormality in his arm.

With his eyes closed, he followed the cultivation method he had recently understood, trying to control the essence energy that had been condensed multiple times in his arm.

When his right arm slowly swelled, Shi Yan gritted his teeth, and the essence energy in his arm suddenly surged into his palm!

"Zzz!"

Strands of crystal-clear essence energy, like lightning, suddenly emerged from his fingers.

The five strands of essence energy seemed to have a life of their own, stretching and retracting at the tips of his fingers, but never breaking free to fly away.

"It's still not working."

Shi Yan opened his eyes, looking at the crystal-clear essence energy at the tips of his fingers, a hint of helplessness flashing across his face. He frowned and muttered, "There must be something wrong somewhere. This isn't the sign of successful cultivation of the life seal. Where is the problem?"

His muttering grew softer, and the essence energy at the tips of his fingers slowly retreated into his palm.

Shi Yan fell back into deep thought, obsessed with finding the true essence of the life and death seal cultivation.