Two more years passed quickly in the quiet village,and beside a little drought that happened the second year everything was quiet. The village felt like an isolated small world inside a bigger one, but moving at it's own pace. This quiet was welcomed by most of the villagers who lived simple lives, but two young men didn't really appreciate it.

*Tack tack...tack*

"Haaaaht.....

The sound of wood hitting wood was heard clearly as Nie frantically swung his one handed wooden sword towards Jinhai, but each strike was meat with the laters wooden sword head on. This continued for a couple of more seconds until they both retreated, but they didn't stop and were still in a stance to attack quickly.

"Nie, you have improved greatly, I'm jealous" smiled Jinhai as he looked at Nie who had changed in the last two years. His hair had grown past his neck since he had cut it and were now tied by a simple cord, his face more rough and mature , but the most obvious thing was his physique which had been greatly enhanced. Jinhai also had just became taller and bulkier, but he had remained mostly unaffected by the passing of years besides an obvious wound on his left eyebrow.

"Hmph, Jinhai, it's a little two obvious for it to be one of your tricks. You might want to change strategy for this one...

"Oh, maybe I should, but I really meant what I said. Even though you have had much little time to cultivate, your progress has become tremendous. Even though I'm already at the end of the Muscle Tempering stage and at the beginning of the Organ Purification stage, you're not far away." said Jinhai with a sigh. He looked somewhat lost at the moment and even though he cold be considered a cultivator by mortal standards, he was only considered stronger and more resilient that normal. Still, that didn't sit well with Jinhai who wanted more from this world.

"Nie..... I've decided to come with you." suddenly said Jinhai as he immediately rushed Nie and with a lightning quick stab to the shoulder Nie retreated back with a wince. For a second Nie couldn't believe what had happened as Jinhai's stab had been faster than he could even register, but he snapped out of it quickly.

"That was a good one, it's my defeat." acknowledged Nie as both lowered their wooden swords. " Still , that last stab was something unexpected, so fast that I didn't even have time to react to it. Did you cheat in some way?" suspiciously said Nie as he frowned hard and Jinhai tried to remain calm.He knew that look in Nie's face meant that he would spend the next half hour to analyze the 'why' , but Jinhai didn't have time for that.

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"Okay okay, can we stop the scrutiny for a moment and focus on the point of the matter? I said I agree to come along with you to the city, so..... what do you say?"

"Ah.... yeah that, I already knew you would agree sooner or later. For a guy who thinks a lot, you sure go with the flow of others to often."

Jinhai's eye twitched as he was irritated at Nie's jab, but he didn't mind that much. He knew himself better than anyone else so he couldn't really complain, but he also couldn't completely let it slide "Oh, is that so? Then forgive me , o great Nie" said Jinhai as he ruffled Nie's hair in his petty revenge. He was satisfied as he looked at the annoyed look on his face.

"So then, boss Nie, when are we leaving for the city? As soon as possible I hope?"

"I'll tell you in at most three days time." answered Nie as he fixed his hair " You just have to get ready and tell your parents that you've decided to leave ."

"I will.... but I don't think it'll he that easy. "

"True....

...........

Three hard and stressful days passed away as Jinhai tried to convince his parents to let him leave with their consent. Consent wasn't really needed as they couldn't really stop him, but getting the blessings of his parents was considered a must, and they of course didn't want for Jinhai to leave.

Jinhai of course knew that they wouldn't consent, so he made a compromise with them. He promised them 5 silver coins each month and of course as any knowledgeable parent of this village, they agreed.

And so Jinhai tagged along with Nie as the travelled by a carriage that came to pick them up, and in five days they went to Half Moon city. During the journey Jinhai talked with Nie about previously secret things, but now that he had agreed to be Nie's right hand man, he was permitted to know. In fact Nie and Nie's father Mo Xiaoli were part of the Mo family, one of the middle rank families of Half Moon city. They were considered a medicine family and possessed numerous knowledge about medicine and the human body, but as in every big family, conflict arose.

For one reason or another Mo Xiaoli was exiled from the family together with Nie, but as the Patriarch of the Mo family passed away not long ago and left word of Xiaoli being forgiven and the revocation of the exile, they were now returning.

.........

*Clop clop clop.....

Their carriage that was being drawn by two robust horses slowly approached a small mountain almost bare of any vegetation and started to slow down as several other carriages and people were going towards it. They followed the flow, and in less than five minutes they could clearly see why the city was called Half Moon city. Tall defensive walls were built all around the city connecting with the mountains edges and unintentionally ending in a half moon shape.

"So this is Half Moon city huh....