Chapter 78

As the evening sun illuminated the sky and the fishermen sang their evening songs, the people who had gone out fishing returned one after another, rowing their boats and carrying their nets. This section of the Yan River, which flowed through the 800-mile-long Yunmeng Mountains, was not entirely uninhabited or devoid of human presence.

On the banks of the Yan River, where the water flowed steadily and slowly, there were docks every one or two hundred miles, providing a place for ships traveling between the north and south to dock and rest.

Even in the primitive forests of the Yunmeng Mountains, many people lived along the riverbanks and at the docks. To ensure that this 800-mile waterway remained unobstructed, the Yan Kingdom had established post stations at each dock, with soldiers stationed inside.

Despite these measures, in remote areas, there were still many incidents of bandits robbing merchant ships. Some desperate outlaws constantly kept an eye on this vital waterway connecting the north and south.

Three large ships of the Huatian Merchant Group were docked at the pier. Flags fluttered on the ships, and as evening fell, many people on board left their cabins, stepped onto the pier, and entered the small village to buy food or daily necessities.

At this moment, Gu Fei followed the maid Xiaoyue to the deck at the bow of the ship.

There were more than ten ships of various sizes docked at the pier, but without a doubt, the large ships of the Huatian Merchant Group were the most conspicuous.

"Hehe! Brother Gu, how is your injury? I've been busy with various tasks these past few days and haven't had the chance to visit you. I hope you don't take it to heart." Ling Luoyan, dressed as a man, immediately stood up from her seat when she saw Gu Fei come out of the cabin.

"Thanks to Brother Ling's care, my injury is no longer serious. I should be fully recovered in a few more days." Guided by Xiaoyue, Gu Fei came to a carved purple sandalwood table on the deck and sat down.

Upon hearing this, a hint of surprise flashed in Ling Luoyan's eyes. She also noticed that the wooden splints used to immobilize Gu Fei's broken bones were no longer there, indicating that his broken bones had not only been set but were also functional.

How could his injury recover so quickly in just a few days? Although Ling Luoyan was shocked, she maintained her composure and sat down with a faint smile.

"Brother Gu, your recovery is truly astonishing!" Ling Luoyan said with a smile. She was very curious—had Gu Fei taken some kind of elixir? It would take a normal person several months for broken bones to heal!

Ling Luoyan no longer doubted Gu Fei's identity. In fact, over the past three days, she had not been busy with ship affairs but had used the Ling family's extensive intelligence network to investigate Gu Fei's background.

Although they were on a ship sailing through the Yunmeng Mountains, Ling Luoyan had ways to communicate with the outside world. With the power of the Huatian Merchant Group, information about the Tai Xuan Sect and Gu Fei quickly reached her.

"My cultivation method is somewhat unique, so I recover quickly when injured," Gu Fei said truthfully, not intending to hide anything.

Gu Fei was so calm because he already knew that there were no particularly powerful experts on the three large ships of the Huatian Merchant Group.

While the young man in front of him, Ling Yan, had considerable cultivation and was not an ordinary young master, he was far inferior to Gu Fei.

Even if Ling Yan were to plot against him, Gu Fei was not worried. He had overwhelming strength, and no tricks could match his fists.

"Oh?" Ling Luoyan seemed to understand and then said, "Brother Gu, you come from the Tai Xuan Sect, but if I'm not mistaken, you don't seem to be a cultivator!"

Gu Fei couldn't help but smile. This Ling Yan was interesting. How could he see through his true nature with his cultivation? It must have been the old man, Zhong Bo, who told him!

In the past, his master had said that in the secular world, the so-called martial arts were just flashy and useless. Those who truly understood the essence of martial arts were as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns. However, from the aura emitted by Zhong Bo, it was clear that he was also a martial artist who had cultivated his qi and blood, but his cultivation seemed to have stopped at this level. Had he only learned the surface of martial arts and not the true essence?

After descending the mountain, Gu Fei immediately encountered a martial artist with considerable cultivation, which made him curious. He had a vague feeling that the secular world was not as simple as he thought, and there were many hidden talents.

"I am not a cultivator, and not everyone in the Daoist sect is a cultivator," Gu Fei replied. Although he was straightforward, he knew what he could and could not say.

"Oh?" Ling Luoyan smiled ambiguously. She seemed to have no intention of discussing this further and changed the topic, "Brother Gu, would you like to go ashore with me?"

"Go ashore?" Gu Fei was a bit surprised. Judging by this person's demeanor, he came from a wealthy family. What could he possibly need on shore? Was he going to sightsee?

"I've never been to a small village at a dock before. I just want to take a look and invite Brother Gu to go ashore with me." In fact, this young man, the thirteenth daughter of the Ling family, had been on the ship for several days and was already bored.

Hearing this, Gu Fei knew that if he refused, it would be impolite. Moreover, this young man, Ling Yan, had saved him from the river, and Gu Fei did not want to owe anyone any favors.

In the world, the most binding thing was human relationships. As the saying goes, owing someone a favor is worse than owing them money. Too many ties could affect one's state of mind and, in turn, one's cultivation.

In Daoism, this is called cause and effect. To achieve enlightenment and become an immortal, one must sever all ties and be detached from the world.

"Alright, since Brother Ling has invited me, I can't refuse," Gu Fei said. After three days of cultivation to heal his injuries, the cracks in his ribs had already healed, and his forearm bones had reconnected. As long as he avoided intense collisions, there would be no problems.

However, Gu Fei's injuries were still fresh, and his arms could not yet exert strong force. The newly formed bones could not yet withstand significant qi energy impact.

"Let's go then!" Ling Luoyan's face lit up with a radiant smile, like a hundred flowers blooming, dazzling to the eye.

"This..." Gu Fei felt a sudden brightness in his eyes. Her smile... seemed... like when his junior sister Zhao Zirou smiled happily. But this Ling Yan was clearly a man!

Gu Fei had grown up on the Ling Cui Peak of Tai Xuan Mountain, practicing ancient body cultivation techniques. There were few female disciples in the sect, and the women he had seen were mostly Zhao Zirou or a few senior female disciples. He had no way of knowing that the Ling Yan in front of him was actually a woman in disguise.

In fact, if someone with more worldly experience had been there, they would have easily recognized Ling Luoyan as a young woman with a beauty that could make fish dive and birds hide.

"Master, do you need me to accompany you?" Just as Ling Luoyan and Gu Fei were about to go ashore, the old man Zhong Bo, dressed in a blue robe and hunched over, appeared behind them like a ghost.

"Ah! You scared me to death!" Ling Luoyan's body trembled, and she almost fell off the ship from the sudden voice behind her.

"Zhong Bo, you always appear like a ghost! You'll scare people to death!" Ling Luoyan clutched her chest, looking like a frightened girl.

But in fact, she was a girl, and only Gu Fei, who was naive, couldn't tell.

"Scaring Master, I deserve to die, but I didn't mean to." Zhong Bo explained, though he called himself a servant, he was clearly not an ordinary servant.

In fact, Gu Fei had already noticed that Zhong Bo had been secretly observing him and Ling Yan. It was ridiculous to think that he was some ferocious beast who would eat Ling Yan. The feeling of being watched made Gu Fei very uncomfortable, so when Zhong Bo appeared from the shadows, his face showed a hint of displeasure.

"Alright, you stay on the ship. I'm a bit uneasy without you watching over it," Ling Luoyan said. She didn't want anyone to come between her and Gu Fei.

"Yes, Master!" Zhong Bo glanced at Gu Fei and then retreated.

The two leaped onto the pier, ignoring the surprised looks of the people around them. Jumping from a ship several zhang high onto the pier would be suicide for an ordinary person.

As the sun set, the sky was bathed in a fiery red, as if a fire were burning in the clouds.

The two walked on the blue stone slabs, which had been worn smooth by the passage of carriages and horses over the years, indicating that the pier had a long history.

Next to the pier was a post station. At the entrance, several soldiers in armor were gathered around a table, shouting with red faces. On the table was an inverted white porcelain bowl.

"What are they doing?" Gu Fei stopped and asked curiously. The soldiers didn't seem to be arguing.

"Are you serious?" Ling Luoyan looked at Gu Fei as if he were a monster. "You don't know?"

"I don't know. Should I?" Gu Fei smiled awkwardly, speaking seriously and not pretending.

"Open! Four, five, six, fifteen points! Ha ha... I win! Pay up, pay up!" A bearded man who looked like an officer lifted the inverted porcelain bowl and shouted loudly.

"They are playing a game. There are three square objects in the bowl, each with six faces, numbered from one to six. These are called dice. They are betting on the total, and if they guess correctly, they win; if not, they lose," Ling Luoyan explained with a smile.

Upon hearing this, the surprise on Gu Fei's face disappeared. He continued walking, thinking that it was no wonder so few people in the world could transcend the cycle of rebirth, as many were distracted by trivial matters and lost their way.

The small village by the pier had nothing particularly interesting to see. After a quick tour, the two came to a quiet forest outside the village.

"Brother Ling, is your ship heading south? What is your destination?" Gu Fei suddenly asked as they walked along the forest path. He already knew that the Huatian Merchant Group's ships were heading south.

Ling Luoyan thought for a moment and then said, "The ship's destination is Qing Shi Town, which is outside the Yunmeng Mountains, but our caravan is heading to Long Huang City in the Southern Wasteland."

"Long Huang City in the Southern Wasteland?" Gu Fei's heart stirred. What a coincidence! His destination was also Long Huang City in the Southern Wasteland!