Liang Wei appeared before them the following morning. He seemed wary of upsetting Mei Xilan again and spoke with stiff politeness as though he was walking on eggshells. It was clear to Wu Jian this young man was somewhat smitten with her, though it was unknown to him whether that was because of her beauty or their shared past. Whatever the case was, it wasn’t his business, so he put it out of his mind.
They were escorted back to see Rén Xuě that morning; Wu Jian and the others stood politely behind Mei Xilan like retainers as the woman presented herself to the man with a respectful martial bow. That he did not bow back was just proof that he was not a true cultivator. He stood there with his arms crossed and a gruff look of contempt on his face.
“I see you’ve returned. Does that mean you have come to your senses and realized your mistakes?”
Wu Jian kept a careful eye on Mei Xilan. They had spoken about what they should do at length and decided that getting in Rén Xuě’s good graces was currently the only way to accomplish their goals, which had grown since they’d arrived. Now one of their goals was to locate the missing women. Wu Jian had presented his theory last night, but without concrete evidence, a theory was all it was.
Keep it together, Xilan…
Mei Xilan could not get upset over this man’s words--not if they wanted to accomplish their goals. He glanced at the voluminous sleeves of the robes she wore that day. They prevented him from seeing her hands, but he was sure she was clenching them.
“I have,” Mei Xilan said without inflection. “Our goals coincide. We both want to see the Undying Sun Sect deposed, and we stand a better chance accomplishing that together than we do apart.”
“Wise words. In that case, I’ll allow you to help me.”
Allow, he said, as though he was doing Mei Xilan a favor by letting her join instead of him receiving the favor of her aid. This man’s arrogance knew no bounds. Wu Jian was impressed that someone with only a Human Limit Realm cultivation could possess such arrogance when faced with someone much stronger.
Despite his impudence, Mei Xilan did not respond with anger, and instead calmly discussed her conditions for working with the man.
“While you may hate my family, I would request that you not speak ill of them in my presence. In exchange, I will help you fight the Undying Sun Sect.”
“Do you feel you are in a position to demand anything from me?”
“I do. You’re not powerful enough to take on Qiang Bao and his sect, much less the power hidden behind it.”
She was, of course, referring to Soul Eclipse. While the average citizen knew nothing of their existence, a man who fought against the Undying Sun Sect would have surely gained information on the dark sect that used them as a shield.
Rén Xuě grimaced, his expression finally cracking.
“Very well,” he said at last. “I’ll withhold insulting your family while I am in your presence.”
Not “withhold insulting your family” but withholding it only when he was in Mei Xilan’s presence. It was his way of saying he would still insult her family when she wasn’t around, and it wasn’t even that subtle. Mei Xilan’s lips were set in a tight line. She couldn’t be pleased by this man’s treatment of her, but she held her tongue, knowing that she needed to. As always, she had impressive emotional control.
“It seems we have an agreement then,” Mei Xilan said with another martial bow. Wu Jian and the others followed suit. “My companions and I shall be at your disposal.”
While the man did not like Mei Xilan, and that was clear from his attitude, he was obviously pleased to have so many strong cultivators at his disposal. Wu Jian could practically see the wheels spinning in Rén Xuě’s head. This man could not sense their cultivation at all because they were so much stronger than him, and he understood that. Adding them to his forces opened up a lot of avenues for attack that he had been unable to even attempt.
Of course, if I’m right, then he won’t try to truly attack the Undying Sun Sect until he’s reached out level…
They spoke some more, and it was decided that they would be heading out tomorrow. It was about time for him to change locations anyway. Rén Xuě was constantly on the move, and he often acted separately from his main forces to prevent anyone from finding him. Now that he had them under his command, he planned to return to his forces.
“I also have these. I recommend distributing them to your voices since it will increase our chances of success.”
“These are… alchemy pills?”
What Mei Xilan had summoned from her storage ring was several boxes containing a large number of alchemy pills, all of which had been made alchemy master Yun Chi. Rén Xuě was so ecstatic when he heard what they were and what they did that even he could not keep his expression blank. The greedy look in his eyes said it all.
They were dismissed shortly after. Rén Xuě probably wanted to try out some of those alchemy pills himself. Most of them were healing pills, but a few were meant to help cultivators grow stronger.
Wu Jian spent the rest of his time in the village lounging around the house with Hou Jingshu, Zhou Lihua, and Youmei. He didn’t know where Shuchang and Mei Xilan were. Since they would be busy after this, he thought it best to relax as much as possible.
If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.
“He said we’ll be leaving tomorrow, but he didn’t tell us where we’ll be traveling,” Hou Jingshu murmured.
“He’s a cautious man,” said Zhou Lihua.
“And he doesn’t trust us. That much is clear,” Wu Jian added.
Wu Jian laid on the ground with his head on Hou Jingshu’s lap. Her meaty thighs were both soft and firm, and the way she ran her fingers through his hair was quite pleasant. Zhou Lihua looked put out as she watched them, but Zhou Wen was in the room.
Youmei huffed. “Youmei doesn’t like that man. He smells funny.”
“Funny how?”
“Hmmmm.” Youmei crossed both her arms and legs, tilted her head, and pondered for a moment. “He smells like… like a lot of people…”
“Smells like a lot of people, huh,” Wu Jian murmured. If what he suspected was true, then his strange scent would only make sense. Well, they wouldn’t know if it was true or not until they had a chance to do some research.
***
It was early the next morning, as the sun was just beginning to rise, that their group headed out. Aside from Wu Jian and his companions, only Liang Wei, Rén Xuě, and two other young men were journeying with them.
Zhang Zhei and Zhang Chen were brothers. Zheng Zhei was the older of the two. They both shared many physical traits, from their dark hair, dark eyes, and the shape of their faces. Zheng Chen was a little taller than Zheng Zhei and had a higher cultivation level. He was half a step into the Human Limit Realm while Zheng Zhei was at the eighth subrealm of the Asura Realm.
Like their faces, the clothing they wore was unremarkable. A simple tunic and trousers adorned their frames, which were neither big nor small. Their clothing was made of simple brown cotton. The only thing about them Wu Jian knew he would remember was the lustful look in their eyes as they gazed at his companions. He would have caved their faces in with his fist if it wouldn’t get him into trouble.
They spoke crassly too.
Commoners like them came from a less privileged background and often grew up in an environment where coarse language and behavior was more accepted, so he didn’t blame them for their poor communication skills. That didn’t mean the way they spoke to his companions was acceptable. While he couldn’t engage in violence and beat them to a pulp, Wu Jian did at least make sure to stake his claim on both Zhou Lihua and Hou Jingshu by holding them around the waist as they traveled.
Their method of transportation was a covered wagon, the kind you could find anywhere. The wood was sturdy enough, though the wagon did creak as it tread across the uneven road. A tarp covered the wagon to protect them from the elements. Wu Jian, Hou Jingshu, and Zhou Lihua sat huddled together. Shuchang sat on the opposite side with the two men, while Zhou Wen and Mei Xilan took up a place near the back.
The Sui Kingdom was a fertile land with a system of rivers that spread across the entire kingdom. These rivers played a crucial role in the kingdom’s economy, for they were used as a source of irrigation, transportation, and trade. Usage of them was heavily regulated now. The Undying Sun Sect did not want anyone they had not authorized to use the rivers. That was also why they were riding in a wagon instead of a boat. All of the Sui Kingdom was crisscrossed by these meandering rivers and winding streams, which flowed from the mountains to nourish the land with nutrient-rich waters.
Aside from the rivers, the landscape was filled with lush forests and dense jungles, which thrived in the moist climate and covered the lower elevations and river valleys. These woodlands teemed with diverse flora and fauna that Wu Jian had never seen before. He guessed it was because of how isolated this country was. All of these plants and animals remained native to this country alone. The forests and jungles also provided plenty of resources for the Sui Kingdom like timber, medicinal plants, and wild game, though of course, they had to also be careful of magical beasts.
Of course, the vast majority of the kingdom was farmlands. Rice paddies were big here. Most of the farming villages they passed had more rice paddies than anything else. The wet conditions were ideal for growing it, so that had become this kingdom’s staple grain. They also produced wheat and barley, maize, and soybeans.
It took five days to reach their destination, a rocky region with several large hills and a small mining village. The village was nothing special. Wooden hovels with thatched roofs made up all the houses. No building was larger than one story.
This was not their final destination, which was a small opening carved into the side of a hill. Reinforced with wooden beams to prevent its collapse, Wu Jian could see nothing inside the tunnel except darkness. Rén Xuě had Zhang Zhei and Zheng Chen produce a pair of torches, which they drenched in alcohol and lit before entering.
The mineshaft extended horizontally into the earth, following what used to be a mineral deposit, though it was clear this mine had been all used up. Several sections of the tunnel were were narrow or had a low-ceiling that forced them to crawl through. It took many hours of silent travel, but at some point, the tunnel opened up, and Wu Jian blinked several times.
“It’s like a labyrinth,” he muttered.
The walls of the mineshaft had been fortified with sturdy timber supports, meticulously installed to reinforce the structure provide stability to the entire complex. Dimly lit lanterns and torches cast flickering shadows across the rough-hewn walls. It created an eerie ambience.
There were several people moving about this mineshaft, including a pair of guards who saluted the moment they saw Rén Xuě.
“Zhǐhuīguān Rén Xuě, welcome back. We received your message. Your lieutenants are waiting for you.”
“Good.” Rén Xuě glanced at Mei Xilan and jerked his head. “Follow me.”
They walked along in silence, bypassing people who would stop to stare at them like they were oddities. There weren’t any women within this group, at least none that he could see, so maybe they were a strange group.
The interior of the base was divided into a labyrinthine network of chambers and corridors, each serving a specific purpose in Rén Xuě clandestine operations. Crude wooden platforms and makeshift walkways traversed the subterranean expanse, leading to hidden alcoves and concealed chambers.
They soon reached the heart of the base, a central chamber illuminated by the warm glow of braziers and hearths burning with crackling flames. Several people were already gathered. While none were as strong as Rén Xuě, all of them were at least peak Asura Realm cultivators and there was even two Human Limit Realm. Maps, charts, and scrolls adorned the walls, detailing the layout of the Sui Kingdom. A few areas were marked. Wu Jian didn’t know what the marks meant, though he could take a few educated guesses.
Everyone stopped what they were doing when they entered, and while many of them offered martial bows to Rén Xuě, quite a few stared at Wu Jian and his companions.
“Zhǐhuīguān Rén Xuě,” one of the cultivators stepped forward. He gave a martial bow. “Welcome back.”
Rén Xuě grunted. “I have brought aid. Allow me to introduce them. This is Sui Mei Xilan and her companions. They have agreed to help us overthrow the Undying Sun Sect.”