Chapter 246: Bound to the Childbirth System, Becoming a Winner in Life Chapter 247: Cultivators Must Be Self-Reliant (17)

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Main Character:

Shen Yao

At this time, Ren Chengzhou and the others were on the road heading south.

The taming of the demonic horses brought them a new experience; the most straightforward result was that a journey originally requiring three days could now be easily completed in just one.

The servants who initially refused the demonic horses without exception praised the demonic horses' abilities.

Imagining that one day demonic horses might become widespread in Jiang Guo, wouldn't their daily travels save even more time?

"The idea is good, but demonic horses are rare; to produce them in large, stable quantities would take many years."

At the very least, this isn't something that can be done overnight, but we can first treat demonic horses as a sect specialty and raise them in captivity when establishing the sect.

Expanding on the description slightly, Shen Yao received several pairs of bright, sparkling eyes, clearly very happy inside.

"We can give this group of horses a name first," Ren Chengzhou tapped his wrist; they had been calling them demonic horses, which wouldn't foster a close bond, after all, the demonic horses' intelligence was several times higher than ordinary horses.

"Let's call them Treading Cloud Horses," though Treading Cloud Foal would actually be more fitting.

However, Treading Cloud Foals possess a pair of feathered wings that can fly through the heavens and tread on air, easily covering a hundred li in a day; for Treading Cloud Horses to catch up to the quality of Treading Cloud Foals, there is still a very long way to go.

"Treading Cloud Horses? It suits them," such travel speed befits the words 'Treading Cloud'.

From then on, the demonic horses were officially named Treading Cloud Horses; with their reliable speed and absolute quality, Treading Cloud Horses spread outward continuously, winning many fine reputations.

However, those are all later matters; right now they have not yet returned to Jingcheng, the sect matter was only briefly mentioned in letters to Jingcheng, wanting to achieve fame under heaven — that can only be dreamed of.

……

It was the seventh month, the sky like a furnace.

Outside Qingyang City, an official relay station was buzzing with voices, lively beyond measure.

Busy station assistants were adding tea and pouring water for the passing merchants and travelers.

Right now the heat was bizarre; since entering the sixth month not a drop of rain had fallen, not to mention the vast crops dried to death outside the city, even the clear water in the wells was about to hit bottom.

"Little Two, trouble you for another pot of cooling tea," the pot just brought up didn't quench thirst at all.

Someone called out, and others followed suit asking Little Two to bring tea.

The assistant was helpless, pointing to the well water in the back courtyard explaining they had no way, conditions didn't permit.

"Ugh, this damn weather, who knows when we'll finally get a proper rain."

"Stop talking, Qingyang City's Prefect is losing sleep over this, heard he's even going to sacrifice to the River God."

"River God? Isn't that—" The topic reaching this point, some people dared not continue.

Strange and eerie matters — the Imperial Court doesn't issue clear prohibitions, but they also cannot be discussed openly and aboveboard.

However, because in recent years certain things have spread in an exceptionally supernatural way, plus the Former Emperor once sought immortals and inquired about the Dao, this allowed the civilian sphere to relax a little.

But only limited to relaxing; if officials really took the lead in promoting feudal superstition, that would also be unacceptable.

So sacrificing to the River God and such can only be spontaneously organized by the people; a Prefect taking the lead to stir things up is clearly dreaming.

Clatter—

Noise came from outside the door, along with horses neighing and traces of people walking back and forth.

The assistant busy in the hall picked up the handkerchief draped over his shoulder, wiped his forehead, put on a smiling face, and went out the door.

Before long, the assistant ushered a group of people in through the door and upstairs with a fawning smile.

The originally lively main hall grew much quieter; everyone's gazes fell on those going upstairs.

Hiss—

Judging by their dress, they were either rich or noble.

Those with good sense buried their heads in eating; at a time like this, why make noise? Careful not to offend a noble and bring trouble on yourself.

The group entering was naturally Shen Yao and company; they had traveled south all the way, finally arriving outside Qingyang City.

Unexpectedly, Qingyang City's jurisdiction was this difficult; they had heard rumors on the road, but hearing paled compared to seeing with their own eyes.

Sitting in the room resting inside, Shen Yao frowned, pondering Qingyang City's jurisdictional problem.

Ren Chengzhou's cultivation now had some minor achievements; he possessed a Water Spiritual Root, sensitive to water vapor in the air.

Originally normal and abundant water vapor vanished without a trace upon entering Qingyang City's jurisdiction.

"Is someone secretly manipulating things? Given Qingyang City's terrain and layout, this shouldn't be the case."

Even if Qingyang City lacked rainwater, it wouldn't be so scarce as to not even have enough water for people to use.

"Still need to enter the city to investigate," Shen Yao suspected a Secret Treasure might be born somewhere.

Like treasures biased toward Metal, Earth, or Fire attributes, they have a natural repulsion to water vapor, which might unconsciously produce the situation before them.

"No time to delay, stay one night, enter the city tomorrow."

This relay station was thirty li from Qingyang City; for an ordinary caravan it might take a whole day, but for Treading Cloud Horses, they would definitely arrive tomorrow.

The two expressed concern over this drought; their group wasn't short of water, but they couldn't bear the sheer number of commoners inside and outside Qingyang City.

"Overthinking helps nothing, rest first," Ren Chengzhou patted Shen Yao's shoulder, and had the assistant send over some dishes.

Rushing hard and slow all the way, resting in a carriage could never compare to a proper room.

It was only because their cultivation had advanced greatly, giving them little mental energy to spare for other aspects, otherwise their hearts would have long been crying bitter and tired.

After enjoying life in Jingcheng for many years, how could that be changed in a single morning or evening? This wasn't them deliberately being delicate, but their bodies making the natural choice.

After a simple meal, Ren Yangyao's three children came to Shen Yao's place to rest.

A family of five sat in a row, each closing eyes and raising hands to cultivate technique and heart formula.

The Jade Slips obtained from the Illusion Spirit Land had already been organized into several copies by Ren Chengzhou. The content recorded on the Jade Slips was simple, but to them it could quench thirst and promote saliva.

Shen Yao's criteria for selecting jade slips back then were all fairly basic and comprehensive, especially some of the recorded techniques, which in the cultivation world were dime-a-dozen existences.

But placed in a world that had only just begun to show promise, her jade slips were the most suitable.

Forming hand seals with both hands, a bright flame appeared out of thin air, but it scattered into the air in just an instant.

Hu—

Exhaled a breath

Shen Yao stood up, didn't go disturb Ren Chengzhou and his son, and opened the room door herself.

Two guards stood at the doorway; seeing Shen Yao come out, they respectfully called out "Madam."

"During this period, has anyone come to inquire about anything?" Shen Yao cast her gaze toward the distant long corridor, her ears listening to the movements around her.

"Reporting to Madam, this subordinate has not seen any outsiders, but the shop assistant has been pacing back and forth in the stairwell."

One also cannot say the shop assistant has any suspicion; although this place belongs to an official residence, it was long ago leased out for civilian operation, paying tax silver to the government on time every month, not doing anything illegal or disorderly, so the government basically doesn't interfere to manage it.

Therefore, the service attitude at this kind of residence is tied to the silver money spent; if you want a good lodging experience, then pay up.

Shen Yao nodded, having one person guard the doorway, and one follow her downstairs to investigate.

When she went upstairs earlier she saw quite a few people in the main hall; perhaps she could find out something.

Tap tap tap—

The footsteps in the stairwell grew increasingly dense, and also made the scattered groups in the main hall quiet down.

Wu Yong was drinking turbid wine, raised his head and saw a woman, and blankly blinked his eyes.

It was that group of people who went upstairs earlier; judging by their clothing and appearance, they would actually come to Qingyang City's territory to suffer, when the master lords in the city are all fleeing with their families in tow.

Shaking his head and swaying, he swallowed the unpalatable turbid wine into his belly; Wu Yong picked up a soybean and put it in his mouth to chew.

Sighing that this drought with no rain would likely affect the autumn grain due to reduced harvest, Wu Yong continued to tilt his head back and gulp a mouthful of turbid wine to quench his thirst.

"Brother, I want to ask you about something..."

Wu Yong raised his eyes, his expression changed as he put on a smiling face; it was the person following that woman, someone he couldn't afford to offend.

Shen Yao directly inquired the shop assistant for information, and conveniently ordered late-night snacks.

Seeing a guest arrive, the shop assistant brought out his good professional quality, basically answering whatever Shen Yao asked.

Satisfied, Shen Yao nodded, took out some broken silver and had him help feed the few Treading Cloud Horses in the back courtyard, then turned and returned to her room.

Ren Chengzhou and his son, the four of them, had already finished cultivation, and were moving their bodies in the room.

Hearing the room door sound, seeing it was Shen Yao, Ren Chengzhou hurriedly passed a cup of water over.

Shen Yao reached out to receive it, and mentioned the partial information she had inquired.

Just as she finished speaking, the room door was knocked; it was the guard who had gone downstairs with her earlier, who had also pried out information.

"So you're saying, there really is a River God in Qingyang Lake?"

After hearing so much information, the one point Ren Chengzhou summarized was that they all inevitably circled around that Qingyang Lake outside Qingyang City.

"Don't know if there's a River God, but Qingyang Lake definitely has a problem."

Qingyang Lake once experienced three cutoffs in the sixth month, but recovered to normal in a single night; however, Qingyang Lake's water volume is visibly decreasing.

Pinching her wrist, Shen Yao felt that as long as she searched through Qingyang Lake thoroughly, perhaps the drought matter in Qingyang City's territory could be readily resolved.

Search through it thoroughly?!

"Host, you plan to sneak off and try?" So dangerous.

The System wanted to speak but stopped, wanting to persuade its own host, but afraid its loose tongue would again get involved with the World Consciousness.

That Dragon Pattern Treasure Tree before was a lesson; the System no longer dares to speak carelessly.

But the System doesn't dare, Shen Yao however feels it's nothing; she flipped through the long box she had buried, and after searching through it once, confirmed there really was a technique for underwater breathing.

However the technique has some flaws; once a person enters the water they can only maintain it for a quarter-hour, unless they cast the technique again after a quarter-hour, otherwise they can only return to the riverbank.

Resting a night at the residence, early the next morning, before the sun had fully risen, a group of people set off grandly toward Qingyang City.

The Treading Cloud Horses' speed was impeccable to begin with; Shen Yao also secretly fed them a few spirit grasses; so they ran even more swiftly like the wind, and in half a morning's time the group smoothly arrived inside Qingyang City.

Arriving relatively early, they tidied up at an inn, ate a meal, and simply went to Qingyang Lake in the afternoon.

Still riding Treading Cloud Horses, by the time they reached Qingyang Lake the sun was already slanting west.

Leaving the guards and three children to watch by the carriage, Shen Yao and Ren Chengzhou took a step ahead to probe the bottom.

"The mud on the lakeshore has already dried up; the common folk say during the rainy season Qingyang Lake covers the entire mountain forest, yet now only yellow mud soup remains on the outside; one must walk several hundred meters inside to see slightly clear lake water."

Qingyang Lake's water supplies the entire Qingyang City; even though the hour is not early, there are still people queuing to draw water.

Shen Yao and Ren Chengzhou followed the trampled small path all the way forward, until they saw human figures ahead again.

Exchanging a glance, both formed hand seals, and accompanied by the transparent shields on their bodies, plunged headfirst into the Qingyang Lake before them.

"Host, this is too dangerous."

The System popped out, feeling it necessary to have a talk with its own host; if the lake bottom hides some big boss, wouldn't they die before achieving anything?

Shen Yao:...

"Shenfu can be used to probe; moreover, although my body is ruined, my abilities remain." She had checked thoroughly before entering the water, otherwise how would she dare jump in.

Besides, Ren Chengzhou and them also made a whole set of protections, bringing all the tools that could be equipped on their bodies, to guarantee both parties' safety to the maximum extent.

While bickering with the System, the two people accelerated toward the lake bottom.

Qingyang Lake truly lives up to being a lake that can feed Qingyang City; dozens of meters downstream and the bottom still can't be probed.

The water color has gradually shifted from clear shallow to deep green; the deeper it goes the darker the color, making one uncomfortable.

Taking out a Night Pearl that can illuminate from her hand, it's a treasure visible on the market, specially supplied by the Jiang Guo Imperial Family.

Ren Chengzhou lightly bumped Shen Yao's wrist, pointing lightly at the fish school swimming upstream.

Their volume was far larger than normal fish schools; the leader, the largest, was approximately one person in length.

The two people tacitly avoided the fish school, then activated the Hidden Talismans on their bodies, and swam straight toward an even darker, more enclosed space.

Whoosh—

When the faint barrier around them solidified once more, the two finally reached the lakebed.

The lakebed was uneven, full of everything, even sunken ships from years past.

"Go to the front."

Shen Yao said three words silently, and the two moved slowly, one ahead of the other.

Outside, night had fallen, those who had come to draw water had already left, and Ren Yangyao and the three children couldn't help but pace back and forth beside the carriage.

"Eldest Young Master, Father and Mother haven't returned yet, should we go take a look?"

"Eldest Young Master, Father and Mother may be delayed by matters, let's go help."

Ren Yangzuo and Ren Yangjue, having no idea at all, edged forward, not feeling at all that if Shen Yao and Ren Chengzhou couldn't handle it, the two of them going over would be nothing more than delivering food.

Ren Yangyao was reliable; he reached out and patted the two younger brothers' little heads, "Father and Mother won't have any trouble, let's wait patiently a bit longer."

In his mind he weighed that if something really happened, he would take the two younger brothers and leave back to Jingcheng.

Father always said one must have the courage to act decisively when the time comes; this lake looked not simple, the brothers couldn't handle it, and they couldn't go up to die for nothing.

Ren Yangyao couldn't help but start thinking randomly, and unable to sit still, he began to find things to do.

They must not disturb the guards protecting them, as it would distract them and affect their judgment.

Ren Yangyao stroked the already gentle Tengfeng Horse and began to chat with the horse.

The longer the time passed, the more the people in the team could not restrain their tempers.

When Ren Yangzuo and Ren Yangjue called Ren Yangyao's name in succession, Ren Yangyao proposed the arrangement to return to Qingyang City first.

This was a matter Shen Yao and Ren Chengzhou had arranged before leaving; they couldn't let three small children wait idly in the suburbs for an entire evening.

"Eldest Young Master, but Father and Mother haven't returned yet," Ren Yangzuo did not want to leave.

"Father and Mother will return; we are only returning to Qingyang City first."

Ren Yangyao insisted on leaving, and the others naturally obeyed Ren Yangyao's command.

The stationary carriage began to move forward, and after taking only a few steps, a sudden explosion sounded from behind.