The Morning dawned early with Yi and Cao at the edge of the Village. Yi Stood a little to the side with the Cultivator who had still yet to name himself as Hong Caos Family made a teary goodbye.
They left together in a cart pulled by a sleepy-eyed ox. The Cultivator drove and did not speak to them accept to say their destination was the last village on his list.
Hours passed, Yi and Cao switched between silence and idle chatter, she cried a few times, but Yi just held her hand and didn't speak. For him this was practically bound to happen, no Protagonist lived quietly in a village forever. But for the fifteen-year-old girl this was sudden, and life changing.
Eventually night fell, the cultivator pulled off the road and set up some kind of weird circle with spikes around their camp. Afterward he began to set up their camp. Sleeping rolls were pulled out, one for Yi and one for Cao. A fire ring was quickly erected, the Cultivator pulling loose stones from the forest and tossing them into a pile around twigs and branches.
He worked remarkably fast, Yi tried to help but almost spent more time in the way than doing anything, so he decided to work on something else. The Ox was untethered, staked to a grassy area and watered. He found a brush in a small bag and quickly worked the beast over. The beast was friendly and well trained, and the cultivator seemed pleased, so it was a win win in Yi's mind. Cao helped him but stayed quiet throughout the task.
The Cultivator than did the first distinctly Cultivator like thing Yi had seen and lit the campfire with a burst of reddish orange Qi. The Fire blazed into life, a welcome addition as the summer turned to fall and the nights were a little crisp.
He pulled a pot with a pack of dried vegies, noodles, and meat and tossed it all together with some water to heat over the flame. When done it was by far the blandest Ramen noodles Yi could remember eating but it was warm and filling.
Throughout the day the only time they spoke to the man was to ask about using the Restroom. Now that they had eaten and made camp it seemed like a good time to ask questions.
"Honored Cultivator" Yi bowed at the man "It would please this lowly Yi greatly if you would tell him how to address you" Laying it on thick? Maybe, but the last thing Yi wanted was the guy to murder them in the middle of nowhere for being impolite. The Cultivator Smiled slightly.
"You sure know how to talk boy. My name is Luo Chin, you can just call me Senior Luo."
"Gratitude Senior Luo" Yi Bowed and then nudged Cao who was giving him a weird look. She got the message and bowed as well.
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That night the two slept side by side while Senior Luo Meditated at the edge of the camp. Yi Held the older girl's hand as she once again cried but soon, she fell asleep and so could he.
Two days of travel passed in a similar fashion. When they stopped for the night Yi probe Senior Luo with a few light questions. He learned that the Raging Wild Moutain Sect was the largest of three sects in the province. And that it was a Martial Sect that focused on bare handed fighting techniques.
A few Probing questions about the Art of Tea Making were met with amused confusion so Yi left that out for now. He did learn that bonded Spirit Beasts weren't that abnormal and decided he would find a way to make having Bao'er seem natural at some point.
Yi also learned that Constitutions were very rare, even Mortal Grade ones. They were more commonly referred to as Bloodlines and Cultivator families that had them were very protective of their inheritance.
Hong Cao was abnormally quiet throughout those days. Yi would often times hold her hand in the cart or as they went to sleep, but slowly she seemed to be adapting. However, she was still rather wary around the Senior Luo, speaking only when spoken too. She did listen carefully though, especially when Yi asked about their Spiritual Roots.
"Different Roots have different Attributes." Senior Luo was explaining on the second night, he too having loosened up slightly after getting to know them.
"Most only have one, some have two and even more are possible. Sect Elder Zhou has four, which is the most in the sect. However, more is not always better, you need all those energies around you to cultivate so it slows you down. Additionally, Qi Techniques with more than two Qi types are rare." He nodded to Hong Cao.
"Still, we look out and especially recruit those with Dual or more Spiritual Roots. Versatility in battle is worth the extra Cultivations time, and few ever succeed in rushing to the Heavens."
Eventually they arrived at their destination, a village almost Identical to Dong, called Peng. Yi watched with a distinct sense of Deja vu, as the Peng Villages head bowed and groveled and ran off to collect a pack of children.
This time Yi and Cao stood by while the test took place in front of them. None of the children had a Spiritual Root and all three were soon on the road again despite the Village Heads offer to host them.
Senior Luo told the two after that he hadn't expected to find anyone at all. He and five other Inner Disciples were sent to Five villages each and most would be lucky to find one. Apparently, he would obtain a bonus of Sect Points for getting not only two, but one with a Dual Root.
Also, if either of us had above a Mortal Grade root, he would be massively rewarded. However, he said that was not likely to happen since only one person in the whole sect had an Earth Grade Root, and nobody in the whole province had a Heavenly Grade one.
It was four more days on the road before we got close to our destination. By that time Senior Luo had loosened up considerably and even Hong Cao seemed a little excited instead of worried.
Rising over the crest of a long hill, they caught their first glimpse of the Raging Wild Moutain Sect. In the Distance mist and snow capped a broad mountain range. Sprawled out across it were thousands of temples and houses in pristine condition.
A town larger than Three Dong Villages sat bellow the Mountain, wagons trailed in and out like ants. It was breathtaking. Senior Luo saw them both starring and smiled.
"Welcome to the Raging Wild Moutain Sect Juniors. Welcome Home."