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「Chapter 38 - Travels」

On their way to the village, Tyler had remained silent about recognizing someone inside the village, knowing full well the difficulty in explaining his awareness of someone's presence within the inn.

After entrusting their striders to a local mortal in exchange for a few coppers, they approached the inn's welcoming entrance.

The inn itself was a sturdy two-story structure of timber and stone with a thatched roof that overhung the walls, providing shelter from the elements.

A warm glow spilled from its windows, casting a welcoming beacon to weary travelers. The heavy wooden door, bound with iron and worn from countless greetings and farewells, opened with a creak that spoke of its age and constant use.

Inside, the air was thick with the smell of roasting meat and wood smoke. The common room was alive with the low murmur of patrons—a tapestry of local farmers, travelers, and the occasional merchant.

They huddled around rough-hewn tables lit by the flickering light of tallow candles, their conversations punctuated by the clinking of pewter mugs and the occasional boisterous laugh.

The innkeeper, a robust man with a ruddy complexion and a ready smile, manned the bar while rocking an early Qi Transformation cultivation. Behind him, shelves lined with bottles and kegs promised relief from the road's dust and the night's chill.

A large hearth dominated one wall, its fire crackling merrily and providing a hearthstone for the inn’s guests, who spread around its warmth with contented sighs.

The floor was strewn with sweet-smelling straw, freshly laid to cushion the soles and collect the spills.

The walls were adorned with an assortment of weapons and farming tools, crossed and mounted as if to symbolize the dual nature of life here—at once pastoral and perilous.

As Tyler and Luo Pang made their way through the throng, the atmosphere was one of rustic charm and robust livelihood, a perfect encapsulation of mortal's lives where every traveler could find a moment's respite and a measure of camaraderie amid this crazy world.

In the corner of the inn, a single late Qi Gathering cultivator's hair stood up as he recognized the new arrivals. This was definitely the cultivator who had made him apologize to a mortal and humiliate him by doing so!

Tyler kept a close eye on Shin Seok and noticed that the moment the man noticed him, he left a few coins on the table and disappeared through one of the side doors.

Tyler's divine sense tracked the man to the stables where they'd left their mounts. He paused in the middle of the inn, entering a focused state to tune out the noise and smells around him, causing a few customers to throw weird glances his way.

He listened to Shin Seok's exchange with the stablemaster. "Young master, are you sure you want to leave right now? I heard there were howls last night. A pack of wolves might be prowling around." Said the mortal stablemaster.

Shrugging off the stablemaster's concern, Shin Seok paid his fee and mounted his strider.

After watching Shin Seok activate a communication crystal and say he was heading to the next outpost, Tyler returned his attention to the present, where Luo Pang was giving him a strange look.

"Anything wrong?" the man asked.

"Hm. Nothing to worry about for now." Replied Tyler before asking a follow-up question. "Say if a member of the Sword Sect were to attempt to murder another sect member, what's the procedure for that?"

Finding the question odd and slightly out of the blue, Luo Pang answered regardless. "That's easy. Compile any and all proof and contact a member of the Disciplinary branch. However, if you don't have any proof, contact any elder and voice your concerns."

Tyler nodded and asked a follow-up question once more. "What would be the punishment if one such thing were to be found to be true?"

"Execution at worst, imprisonment at best." Replied Luo Pang in a severe tone.

Tyler pondered the matter for a few seconds and nodded to Luo Pang before sitting at the table Shin Seok had just been at and signaling the innkeeper over.

"Were we to theoretically meet such people, would we be held liable for executing those sect members ourselves?" He asked.

Confused by this line of questioning, Luo Pang considered the question and asked flatly. "Is there something you're not telling me? Because if you suspect those who targeted us last night to be from the Sword Sect, you better let me know right away."

Tyler shook his head, "No, I'm almost 100% positive the cultivators who I sensed last night were not from the Sword Sect. But you can never be too careful, I guess."

As Luo Pang was poised to speak, the innkeeper approached. "Ah, more esteemed Sword Sect cultivators gracing my simple establishment? Fortunate indeed! Now, what can I get you?"

Hearing this, Luo Pang furrowed his brow as Tyler's questions and the innkeeper mentioning other cultivators from the Sword Sect gave him pause.

Tyler, who was starving, answered the innkeeper. "I'll have whatever your best meat dish is and a couple of beers like these good folks over there; it smells delicious." With that, he turned to Luo Pang, "Want anything?"

Luo Pang was brought out of his thoughts and nodded. "Same thing for me, but if you have wine instead of beer, that'd be great."

"Coming right up," the innkeeper said. "Two hearty buffalo stews, a couple of my special brews, tier 1 ale, and one Mystic Ambrosia wine."

Tyler's interest was piqued. "You brew the ale yourself?"

The innkeeper's smile widened as he nodded. "Yep. I've pursued the cooking arts since I was a child, and brewing ale has always been my favorite. I have a few batches of tier 2 that I was finally able to brew this month if you want to give it a try."

"I'd like that," Tyler said. "One pint of tier 1 and another of tier 2."

As the innkeeper was about to leave, he hesitated, "I mean no offense, but..." However, before he could finish, Tyler placed a few silver coins on the table, anticipating the man's concern.

"This should be enough, right?" asked Tyler, genuinely unaware of the price of such ale in a local mortal inn like this.

The innkeeper eagerly nodded, reaching for the coins, but Tyler's next question held him. "And how much for rooms for the night?"

"With these coins," the innkeeper replied, "your meals, ales, and rooms are all paid for, and I'll owe you change."

Tyler waved the man away. "Don't worry about the change. Just make sure we're not disturbed during the night."

The innkeeper swiftly snatched the three silver coins. "Thank you, young masters. Your drinks and food will be brought over shortly, and my two best rooms will be made available to you." With that, the innkeeper turned around and left them alone once more.

Now left alone, Luo Pang asked the question that lingered on his mind. "Alright, be honest with me. Are there people from the sect targeting us?"

Tyler sighed. "Well, I'm not sure. Like I said, I'm 100% certain those people yesterday were not from the sect. But just now, an outer sect disciple I had disagreements with not too long ago was in this very seat we are in now. To be clear, the moment he saw us, he bolted, and from what I can tell, he also left town heading southward."

Luo Pang's eyebrows shot up. "And you can tell all that from the breeze?"

Tyler smiled and nodded. "The winds do be talkative."

"Fine, keep your secrets. However, I want the truth: what happened between you and that cultivator?" asked Luo Pang.

Tyler recounted the beach incident to Pang, describing how he had compelled the man to apologize to the mortals. He expressed his suspicion, finding it more than a coincidence that he encountered the man right after surviving an ambush that could have been fatal to most cultivators.

While Pang was skeptical that the information was actionable, he brought it up with an elder as a precaution. Unfortunately, without the man's name, they had little to report.

The evening wound down without further incident.

Tyler enjoyed his beers, savoring the taste he'd missed since arriving in this new world. The tier 2 ale was a revelation, clarifying his mind rather than muddying it as alcohol usually did.

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The drink was also rich with Qi, which Tyler happily absorbed, feeling it augment the reserves within his inner world.

Impressed by the quality and taste, Tyler arranged to purchase an entire keg of the tier 2 ale for 60 silvers—a fair price for such a potent brew, Pang confirmed.

Luo Pang took the initiative to communicate their predicament and Tyler's suspicions to an elder within the inner sect. As he had anticipated, his concerns were hand-waved away. The elder showed a keener interest in the enigmatic assailants capable of wielding a tier 3 beast, but he had no clues.

Having finished his meal and wine, Luo Pang stepped outside, surveying the surroundings of the inn and the village with a watchful eye. Tyler found a touch of humor in the situation, knowing his divine sense could effortlessly envelop the entire village if he chose to extend it through meditation or by exerting his power briefly beyond its normal constraints.

Upon his return, Luo Pang engaged the innkeeper in conversation, inquiring about recent events. Nothing extraordinary came up besides whispers of a wolf pack in the vicinity. Yet, when the topic shifted to the frequency of Sword Sect members visiting the inn, Luo Pang seemed worried.

The innkeeper disclosed that an unusual number of Sword Sect cultivators had passed through the village in the past few days. Given that normally only a couple would be seen each month, seeing seven in the span of a few days was indeed an anomaly.

With this new information, Luo Pang relayed his findings to the inner sect elder. This time, the elder acknowledged the gravity of the situation, agreeing that the coincidence was too striking to ignore. He promised that he'd send a probe to the disciplinary division.

Afterward, Pang entered his room and turned in for the night. Tyler promptly fell asleep as he hadn't really rested the night before. Meditation was great, but it wasn't sleep, and restoring his qi was more critical at the time.

Luo Pang, however, was a bit more stressed and set up a few formation disks.

While the mission details Tyler had received mentioned that he was in charge of most things, a lot was expected of Luo Pang from the sect that remained hidden from the outer sect disciples.

The next morning, Tyler woke up and found that Luo Pang had already left his room. Extending his divine sense, he found the man conversing with the stable master.

He proceeded outside and told Luo Pang that he'd be cultivating for a few hours away from the village to not disturb any mortals before they departed. After this, he located a nearby abandoned cave and executed the movements of the Thundering Winds and Sword Clouds method.

Hours passed, and the duo eventually returned to the road.

Shortly after getting on the road, Tyler consulted his map again and scouted the surrounding terrain. Remembering Shin Seok's comments, he swiftly located the village they had just left and the nearest outpost a couple days away.

A few mountains were labeled as danger grounds in the surrounding region, and Tyler inquired with Luo Pang about those.

He learned that some of these mountains housed predators that never ventured outside their territories. Some of these were kept alive on purpose as they could eventually evolve into tier 5 beasts, and when they did so, they'd make for excellent materials for the Sword King if hunted.

Alongside the beast, those mountains were often home to various potent tier 3 and rarely tier 4 fruits, so they were pretty good. Unfortunately, visiting those before the Sea Formation or the Aperture Strengthening stage was a death sentence.

There were also some other places deep in the forest where they didn't really know what was happening, but people always inexplicably disappeared, so those were marked as danger zones.

The vast stretches of the land they traversed were, for the most part, peaceful. Danger was an exception rather than the rule. On these safer roads, they encountered several caravans of merchants making their way toward Sword King Mountain.

Initially, the merchant guards were tense, their eyes sharp and hands ready at the hint of any threat on the road.

However, as they caught sight of the distinctive emblem of the Sword Sect adorning Luo Pang's attire, their postures softened, and a collective sigh of relief seemed to pass through their ranks. Respect replaced wariness, and they greeted the duo with nods of acknowledgment and deep bows.

Tyler and Luo Pang exchanged pleasantries with these traveling merchants, the former observing the interactions quietly. He noted the subtle shift in dynamics, how the presence of a Sword Sect disciple could sway the atmosphere from one of caution to camaraderie.

The merchants, in turn, were eager to share news and supplies, offering bits of information about the road ahead or tales of the cities behind them. They spoke of markets bursting with exotic goods and the ever-changing tapestry of commerce that they wove through their travels.

Luo Pang engaged with the guards, exchanging news of recent events and the safety of the paths they'd each tread. The merchants, keen on maintaining good relations with the powerful Sword Sect, were more than willing to provide updates on regional happenings or potential threats.

As they parted ways with each group of merchants, Tyler reflected on the intricate web of mutual benefit and respect that held together the different facets of this world, from the might of the Sword Sect to the perseverance of those who journeyed across the land in pursuit of livelihood. It was a delicate balance where power ensured safety and safety allowed for the flourishing of trade and travel.

As dusk draped its curtain over the landscape, Tyler proposed they spend the night perched in the trees as he had done previously in the forest. Luo Pang, perhaps inspired by the simplicity and safety of such a resting place, readily agreed.

Their evening meal was a feast of sorts, featuring the grilled remains of a tier 2 Lunar Wolf. The rich, savory flavors from the gamey meat were refreshing to both men, and they savored each bite under the canopy of stars.

As Tyler continued to dine on the high-quality sustenance over the past months, he noticed its nuanced benefits. Each time he consumed these enriched foods, they greatly aided his cultivation.

For instance, while Silver Condensates were effective in replenishing his Qi, they were a direct resource used in his cultivation exercises, particularly in the tempering of his organs.

However, high-grade food offers a more passive benefit. As he ate, he could feel his organs being fortified gradually and naturally, without the intense focus that cultivation typically demanded. This passive cultivation was convenient and turned out to be quite economical in the long run, considering the expenses involved in purchasing the derivatives.

Yet, there were caveats to this process that Tyler was well aware of. Consuming an excess of Qi-rich food could lead to wastage, as his body would expel any surplus before he could fully assimilate it. Unfortunately, the benefits would eventually dissipate without supplementing this dietary Qi with active cultivation.

It was almost like the food provided a temporary buff, just like video games. After the buff faded, he'd lose that energy and the progress it could provide.

For someone without the robust foundation of the Sea Formation stage, attempting to consume tier 3 foods would be reckless, to say the least. The sheer intensity of the true essence within such foods could prove fatal to a mortal or an unprepared cultivator, unleashing an energy backlash beyond their capacity to contain, and they'd burn up from the insides.

This served as a sobering reminder to Tyler that while the path of cultivation could be augmented by such foods, it was not a shortcut to power. One could not simply feast their way to the pinnacle of strength.

Post-dinner, they took stock of the bounty Tyler's divine sense had helped them accumulate. Luo Pang was at a loss for words, marveling at their finds' sheer volume and quality. It felt unreal, like the stuff of legends. Effortlessly gathering so many riches from the land was something he had never experienced before.

Their foraging had been bountiful, unearthing several tier 2 and tier 1 herbs that Luo Pang swiftly secured within his storage ring. They had stumbled upon three fruit-bearing trees, their branches heavy with Horned Apples—a tier 2 fruit rarity in the wild.

With considerate restraint, Tyler harvested only a third of the apples from each tree, consciously leaving the majority untouched to ensure the trees' continued growth and the balance of the ecosystem. The surrounding animals also fed on these, after all.

As they settled into their treetop berths, the tranquility of the natural world around them provided a comforting backdrop.

The night was peaceful, filled with the gentle rustling of leaves and the distant calls of nocturnal creatures. In the quietude, both men lay in thoughtful silence, pondering the day's fortune and the mysterious ways of the world that had led them to such abundance.

Choosing to retake the first watch, Tyler found his spot and eased into a meditative stance. His divine sense expanded outwards, a vigilant guardian while the rest of the world succumbed to the night's embrace.

Trusting in Tyler's reconnaissance capabilities, Luo Pang was at ease going to sleep. Being cautious regardless, he set up additional formations around their resting area, creating a layered defense more robust than the one from their previous night spent in the wilds.

Tyler's watch unfolded in a hush, the natural cadence of the nocturnal world providing soothing sounds to aid his meditation. The night's stillness allowed him to delve into a depth of tranquility that had been barely out of reach since his ascent to the Qi Transformation stage.

The serenity he encountered wasn't an indication that the internal maelstroms had turned into calm seas; rather, Tyler had become adept at navigating them. His consciousness had attuned to the ebb and flow of his inner world, much like a mariner who, through instinct and experience, learns to ride the crests and troughs of an unpredictable sea.

He was synchronizing with the movements within, each internal wave an echo of his heartbeat, each surge a breath. This alignment transformed the once wild maelstroms into a rhythmic dance he could anticipate and move with. It was a state of being where he no longer fought against the powerful currents but used them to enhance his inner strength and stability.

In this harmonious state, Tyler found a deeper connection to his cultivation. The waves of Qi within him were no longer forced to be subdued but partners in a ballet of spiritual and physical refinement. With every internal motion, he was learning, growing, and becoming more attuned to the subtle nuances of his own power. It was a dance of will and energy, an intimate understanding between the cultivator and the cultivated.

The passage of time seemed to accelerate as Tyler maintained his vigilant yet meditative state. The night's watch felt like mere moments, a testament to the harmony he'd achieved within himself. After several hours, the subtle shift in the air and the faint rustle of Luo Pang's awakening signaled the end of his duty.

They exchanged nods, a wordless communication perfected by shared understanding. Tyler relinquished his watchful post, allowing the steady rhythm of his meditation to wind down as he nestled into the sturdy cradle of the tree's branches.

The natural contour of the boughs provided a snug and secure rest, and soon, Tyler was enveloped in the restful arms of sleep, the tree a silent sentinel in Luo Pang's now vigilant presence.

With Tyler seemingly deep in slumber, Luo Pang descended the tree with quiet grace and stealthily made his way to what he believed was a secure distance on the ground. His experiences with Tyler had led him to estimate the reach of his companion's sensory abilities to a maximum of 600 meters.

Once he felt assured of privacy, Luo Pang produced a communication crystal from his storage ring. With a cautious glance around, he whispered an update to his father, detailing their journey and his observations of Tyler's extraordinary capabilities.

However, Luo Pang had underestimated Tyler's abilities. His divine sense, which remained vigilant even during the cultivator's restful state, had registered Luo Pang's departure and roused Tyler from sleep. Curious, he eavesdropped on the entire transmission.

The revelation was like a silent alarm to Tyler, a reminder that caution must extend to those closest to him in this world of cultivators and hidden agendas. It appeared that going forward, Tyler would need to keep a watchful eye on more than just the apparent threats lurking in the wilds—they also came from the companion by his side.