Jian had been right: Shan was more than ready to hit the road and test his newly improved cultivation in real combat. Jian was a little worried that his eagerness for battle would see Shan's cultivation journey cut short someday, but that was a worry for the future.
It only took a few more days before they had settled all their affairs and were on their way. The Wang patriarch was generous to them on their way out, just as he had been for their whole stay. Jian and Shan were smuggled out in one of the many carts traveling to and from the estate every day. They were taken to the inner courtyard of a small inn owned by the Wang family, where Dusty and their own cart were waiting for them. From there, Jian made sure to keep his disguise on at all times in public as they slowly worked their way south and west.
They avoided the big cities and major pilgrimage sites along the way. They often traveled along secondary roads, always staying at simple traveler's inns as they tried to stay beneath the notice of the Heavenly Sword Sect. Despite their best efforts, though, they ran into more and more large crowds of travelers as they drew closer to the Verdant Doom. Jian finally had Shan start poking around to find out what was going on.
The news itself probably shouldn't have been a surprise: word had gotten around that the Heavenly Sword Sect would be leading regular expeditions into the Verdant Doom to beat back the creeping horrors of the jungle. Since the riches held within the jungle were only slightly less famous than the dangers of the treasure's guardians, those seeking wealth were drawn like moths to the flame.
Jian didn't like their chances. The Heavenly Sword Sect might not scoop up every copper they walked past, but they also weren't in the business of making scavengers rich. The large crowds did turn out to be a blessing for him and Shan. While it was annoying to navigate the crowds, it meant that when they arrived at their destination they could simply blend in with the masses, something that would have been impossible if they were the only strangers in Baolei Town.
The crowds also represented a more direct opportunity. The products that Jian had developed in the Devil's Teeth hadn't found a ready market in the capital, a place of civilization and luxury. He expected that among people trying to hack a fortune out of a jungle, he'd find more fertile ground. It was difficult to get much done while the cart was moving, but every evening once they had their room at the end Jian would clear out an area as a temporary workshop and start putting firestarters and hot plates together.
They managed to sell a steady trickle of the firestarters while they were still on the road. Jian couldn't feel too proud after seeing just what his wealth amounted to in relation to the fortunes of the capital, but it was always better to have more money than less.
He also continued to cultivate diligently. While he didn't experience any major breakthroughs, he could tell that his tendons were becoming stronger and more flexible every day. He had to be mindful not to look too spry and belie his appearance as an old man.
Having Shan handle all of their transactions worked out better than Jian had expected. He'd tried speaking in a hoarse whisper in order to mask his youthful voice, but it had drawn more attention than remaining silent. After a few tries, Jian was content to hold his tongue and just silently order Shan around.
After almost a month of travel they finally arrived at the gates of Baolei Town. Compared to Linshi Town, it was a citadel. This town stood on territory that was nearly as dangerous as the northern wildlands, but it wasn't meant to be torn down and rebuilt every few decades. No, Baolei Town had been in place for centuries as the Empire's bulwark against the creeping menace of the Verdant Doom, and there was every reason to believe that it would be there for centuries more.
The Verdant Doom wasn't separated from the Empire by a clearly marked border, as the Devil's Teeth had been. It simply wasn't practical. Trying to build a wall deep within the jungle would see it subsumed in a matter of months, while building a wall in more manageable terrain would wall off vast tracts of valuable land.
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Instead, Baolei Town had been built as a fortress against the horrors of the jungle. People lived west of the citadel, but all knew that by doing so they were taking their lives into their own hands. They could still scratch out a living or even great riches if they were lucky, even if they weren't truly safe.
Baolei Town was surrounded by a massive wall, several stories tall and broad enough for an army to march on. Towers sat at regular intervals, giving clear firing lanes for archers or for more esoteric cultivators. Once they passed inspection and found their way inside, Jian could see that the buildings were all made out of stone, in what he would have considered an excessively sturdy style of construction if he hadn't read the history of the region.
All of the hotels and inns had long since been filled. While Jian and Shan were making their way to Baolei Town by mule cart, the fortune seekers had gotten ahead of them. That didn't mean that they would be forced to stay out in the wilderness and trust their luck: the city lord at least had enough compassion to extend some measure of protection to the masses of new visitors.
One of the major city plazas had been designated as a sleeping place for guests. They were on their own in terms of establishing creature comforts. Shan and Jian still had fresh memories of camping out in the Devil's Teeth, so they didn't find things too onerous. It was still quite the change. From the luxury of the Wang estate to the simple but comfortable lodgings of wayside inns to sleeping on or below their mule cart.
A few nights of sleeping on rough bedding didn't trouble Jian overmuch. What did weigh on his mind was just how he was going to make his approach to Meirong. It was all well and good for her grandfather to pretend that they were an ordinary engaged couple, but Jian had to deal with the facts on the ground. Her fellow sect member had tried to end his life less than two months ago. He didn't think that Meirong had sanctioned such behavior, but it made him leery of approaching her openly.
Even if she did feel constrained by propriety or by her grandfather to treat her kindly, there was no guarantee that the other members of the Heavenly Sword Sect who had traveled out to Baolei Town would be so cordial. Jian felt it was a safe bet that anybody chosen to venture into the Verdant Doom was somebody who was far more than he or Shan could handle in a fight.
So, for the first couple days in Baolei Town, Jian simply went about his business and kept his ears open for news of the Heavenly Sword Sect. As was to be expected any time that Meirong appeared in public, the rumor mill was abuzz with tales of her beauty. Jian was even unfortunate enough to hear himself mentioned a few times, always in a derogatory fashion. He would have thought people would have tired of the story by now, but it seemed that the urge to enjoy reveling in somebody else's misfortune never really went out of style.
He did learn some more pertinent information. The Heavenly Sword Sect's delegation was staying in a side wing of the city lord's compound as honored guests. The compound was a fortress within the fortress that was Baolei Town. He was leery to approach Meirong openly, and he had no hope of sneaking into the compound. It was a dilemma.
He did do a brisk business in firestarters, at least. The hot plate proved too expensive for most of the people hoping to pick up the scraps the sect left behind, but the convenience of the fire starter and its reasonable price made it a popular item. Jian did keep tinkering around with the cooling formation, as he thought it would be a big seller in the sweltering jungle heat, but it proved more difficult than he had thought to build from scratch. It didn't help that his work bench was the driver's seat of a mule cart.
He was just finished packing up for the night when he was startled by the sound of someone clearing their throat behind him. Mindful of his appearance, he finished tucking his tools away and turned around as slowly as his hypothetically old bones would demand.
He found himself facing somebody who was hiding their face under the cowl of a black robe, which was loose enough to obscure their entire body. The intimidating nature of their clothing was undercut somewhat by the fact that they were half a head shorter than him. Jian simply raised an eyebrow and waited for the other person to speak.
"You," she said-Jian experienced a brief moment of real panic before he realized that the female voice was not Meirong's-she pointed at him, as though he could possibly misunderstand, "come with me."
Jian just stared at her. With a bit of effort, he raised his eyebrow further.
She huffed in irritation, and reached under her robe. Jian braced himself, but she withdrew not a weapon but an identification token, marking her as a member of the Heavenly Sword Sect.
"Well?" she asked.
Jian sighed. The token didn't give him any reason to trust her, but if she was willing to accost him out in the open like this, she probably didn't mean to kill him. He might as well see what she wanted.