Chapter 66: You are in charge.
Yao Jun and Guo Luo both got themselves a good night's rest before they both sat down inside the inn and ordered some food. The sun had yet to rise, so even if they spent around half a day heading to the valley, they would still have enough time to walk around in the valley before the night set.
“Alright Luo'er, once we have finished eating I will put you in charge of everything. While it is good that you are slowly getting better at being more assertive, you also need to be able to make the correct decisions, no matter the situation.”
Yao Jun and Guo Luo sat at the same table as they had the night before, eating a light breakfast. Yao Jun looked over at Guo Luo as he spoke. The sooner she learned to make the correct decisions, the smaller the chance of her making a mistake during crisis was.
“Me? No, I can't! I don't know anything about giving orders!”
Guo Luo hurriedly spoke out, slightly panicking at the thought of being in charge of making the decisions. She was worried that she would make a decision that would lead the both of them to their deaths.
“It doesn't matter, you will have to learn it eventually. Don't worry, if things go horribly wrong, I will make sure that nothing happens.”
Yao Jun put on a comforting smile as he placed his hand on her head and gave it a gentle stroke. If things did end up going horribly wrong, he would obviously take control again and make sure that the both of them got out safe.
“In that case... we should first go out and buy some different clothes. The ones we are wearing now are too noticeable in the dark forest.”
Seeing his expression, Guo Luo had no choice but to nod her head and start thinking about what they would need once they entered the forest. Since he said that he was putting her in charge of everything, it was obviously her job to make sure that they had everything they needed before they entered Zhenya valley.
After the two of them finished eating, Guo Luo grabbed Yao Jun's hand and dragged him into the town. The town was made out of small stone buildings, giving the entire city a clustered and oppressive atmosphere, but that didn't stop Guo Luo from enjoying herself.
When she lived in the Guo clan, she was forced to work as a maid, not even allowed to leave the area controlled by the Guo clan. After she was finally taken away by Yao Jun and they entered a city, they ended up killing several people before quickly leaving.
What followed that was a few days of flying on Little Gray before they finally found another city. In that city they spent most of their time in the library, reading up on the three continents. While it was not as hectic, it was still not very fun.
After they entered Xieren city, they only stayed for a few days, spending most of their time checking out different bookstores and other places that sold information. They had traveled around a lot, but there was very little time for them to enjoy themselves a little.
Now that she had been put in charge of everything, while she still made buying supplies the main priority, she would not forget to walk around and let them enjoy themselves a little. Yao Jun did not say anything to stop her when he saw this, letting her grab his hand and drag her along wherever she wanted to go.
He was not made out of stone, even he was tired after spending so much time traveling and looking through books. This was a nice change of pace that also allowed him to cleanse his mind a little. It had been a little too filled with thoughts about how bad the things he had seen were.
“Do you have these robes in a darker shade of brown?”
Guo Luo and Yao Jun stood inside a clothing store specialized in durable clothing. Yao Jun was currently wearing a loose robe that was a light brown in color, with Guo Luo standing at the side and frowning as she looked him up and down. After looking at him for a short while, she called out for the man in charge of the store.
“Certainly, if you would please wait a short moment.”
The old man in charge of the store gave a smile before leaving the room they were in. After waiting for around a minute, the old man came back. He was carrying a dark brown, almost black, robe in his hand. The robe was made out of the hide from some sort of Demonic beast, so while it was still rather loose, it was also very durable.
Guo Luo dragged Yao Jun into a room where he could change into the new robes. After he changed into the new robes and she examined him, she gave a satisfied nod and went to find some robes for herself, saying that the clothes they were wearing were too bright for blending into the forest inside the valley. Of course, Yao Jun would not ruin her fun by explaining to her that most Demonic beasts tracked people using the Qi that they released, not by sight.
After Guo Luo found a robe that matched Yao Jun's, she paid for both and dragged Yao Jun with her out into the city again. This time she started looking for different types of herbs that could cure poisons. Yao Jun wholeheartedly supported this choice. There was no telling what they would encounter inside the valley, having antidotes and things that could prevent poisons and infections was always a good idea.
After buying several herbs that treated different types of poisons, and even buying some poisonous herbs that could be used in an emergency, Guo Luo and Yao Jun went around the city buying different types of dried food as well as a large amount of fresh water. Yao Jun had a large garden inside his Demon God's Gate that could hold the plants and herbs, but he did not have any lakes or other bodies of water that they could use to have access to fresh water.
While they were walking around buying provisions and water, Guo Luo also made sure that they both tried out as many of the food stands as possible. She managed to find a stand that sold frozen fruit juice that she thoroughly enjoyed. She especially enjoyed it when they mixed in milk during the freezing process, giving the food a softer and more mellow texture and taste. She made sure to drag Yao Jun back to that stand several times.
In the end, they did not get to enter Zhenya valley that day, as Guo Luo only noticed how late it had gotten when it was too late to set out. She apologized profusely, but Yao Jun just gave her a comforting pat on the head as he laughed it off, after all, he too had enjoyed himself a lot.
The next morning, Guo Luo and Yao Jun went over everything that they had bought the day before, sorting them by type. Half the herbs and half the food and water were stored in Yao Jun's Demon God's Gate, while the other half was stored in Guo Luo's interspatial ring.
Guo Luo's Illusion God's Gate differed slightly from Yao Jun's Demon God's Gate. While Yao Jun could bring in food, herbs, and even other people, Guo Luo was the only one who could enter her Illusion God's Gate. Another difference was that while Yao Jun's gate was filled with Qi, Guo Luo's was filled with mental energy that she could use to cultivate. After making sure that they had everything, they set out, heading towards Zhenya valley.
The area between the city and the actual valley was a rocky plain. Each of the rocks that stuck out from the ground were taller than a normal man, and each ended in a pointed tip. Not even the oldest man in Mountains Gate City remembered just how these rocks got here, only that they had appeared not long after the city was constructed.
The rocky plain extended from the exit of the city all the way to the area just before the trees in the valley. Standing at the edge of the valley was like standing at the border of two different worlds. On one side was the rocky plain, where the sun shone down strongly, bringing with it a temperate heat. On the other side was Zhenya valley, shrouded in the shadow of two mountains, the forest damp and slightly chilly from being stuck in the shadows.
“Everything is ready?”
Guo Luo looked over at Yao Jun as they stood at the edge of the valley. Her eyes still looked nervous, but Yao Jun could also see a budding sense of confidence grow within her eyes. It was tiny, almost unnoticeable, but Yao Jun could almost not wait for the day it managed to burst through that layer of nervousness.
“Yup, everything is stored away and ready to be taken out at a moment's notice.”
Yao Jun nodded his head and sent a smile at Guo Luo. Even if it was only slowly, she was changing, slowly becoming more confident and assertive. He was certain that she would become a great person some day.
“Then we can set off.”
Guo Luo also nodded her head as she spoke, taking the first step into Zhenya valley. She had not said anything, but she found that the feeling of being in control was very enjoyable, she had also enjoyed dragging Yao Jun around the entire town, just spending an entire day shopping, just the two of them.