Chapter 34: Heading North

From the Yunluo Empire to the O'Brien Empire, a normal journey takes a month.

Aikesi was not in a hurry.

After leaving the Didu, he kept his speed very low, traveling only four or five hours each day, using the rest of the time to either find a town to rest or camp directly in the wild. Anyway, with his current strength, ordinary Magical Beasts and bandits posed no threat, so there was nothing to worry about regarding camping. This book is first published at Tiantian Reading, ttks. tw, extremely reliable, providing you with error-free chapters and non-misordered chapters reading experience.

Traveling like this, stopping and starting, actually allowed him to see quite a few things.

The first day passed through the agricultural region in the north of the Yunluo Empire. Vast fields stretched into the distance; the wheat had just been harvested, leaving only neat stubble in the fields. Farmers were busy in the fields, some turning the soil, others driving ox-carts to transport fertilizer. Villages could be seen from time to time by the roadside, with curling cooking smoke and the sounds of chickens and dogs. Aikesi rode past a village; a few barefoot children chased the horse for a stretch before being called back by adults. He glanced back and continued on his way.

Such scenes reminded him of his childhood in his past life; back then he had also run on such ridges, but those memories were already as vague as things from a previous life. Oh, they actually were things from a previous life.

On the second night, he camped by a patch of woods. He built a fire, roasted a piece of dried food, and was just eating when he suddenly heard movement in the woods. Looking up, he saw a wild rabbit poke its head out from the grass, ears upright, sizing him up. Aikesi didn't move; after watching for a while, the rabbit shrank back into the grass and ran off.

On the third day, he entered the hilly terrain. Farmland became scarce, replaced by patches of woods and grasslands. Occasionally, he would encounter caravans driving horse-drawn carts loaded with goods, with the flags of chambers of commerce flying from the carts. Some caravans, seeing him traveling alone, would grip their weapons warily; he didn't mind, simply giving them a wide berth. However, the leader of the guards for one caravan gave him a few extra looks, probably sensing something, but didn't approach to speak.

On the fourth day at dusk, he stopped by a small river. While the horse drank, he squatted by the river to wash his face. The water was cool and clear enough to see the bottom; he could see fish swimming among the water plants. He stared at the water for a while, then suddenly reached out; the Fallen Heart Flame transformed into an invisible heat flow that drilled into the water, instantly scalding a fish half a foot long into unconsciousness. The fish floated up with its white belly exposed; he scooped it up, scraped off the scales and removed the innards, skewered it on a branch, and roasted it over the fire.

The fish was roasted until the outside was crisp and the inside tender; sprinkled with the salt he carried, it tasted quite good.

On the fifth day, he passed through a small town and stopped to stay for one night.

The inn in the town was not large; the owner was a middle-aged man in his forties, talkative and fond of chatting. The dishes served at dinner were average in taste, but the portions were generous. While Aikesi ate, he listened to the owner ramble on about town matters—who had a baby, whose elder had died, which merchant had been cheated, which young man had been jailed for a fight. As he spoke, the owner suddenly lowered his voice: "Things are not peaceful lately; I heard bandits are appearing in the north. Guest, you are traveling alone, so be careful."

Aikesi nodded: "Thank you for the reminder."

"If I were you, I'd say you should stay here for a couple more days and wait for a caravan to pass, then travel with them; it's safer." The owner was actually quite enthusiastic.

"No need; I travel slowly, so I won't run into bandits." Aikesi smiled.

The owner wanted to persuade him further, but seeing his firm attitude, he said no more.

Listening to these domestic trifles, he suddenly thought of the time at the Ernst Institute; that guy Qiaozhi loved talking about such things. Every time he returned from outside, he would always drag them in to talk for hours about his experiences—which noble lady was beautiful, which young master of a chamber of commerce had been cheated out of money, which Mercenary group had suffered losses in the Magical Beast Mountain Range. Back then it felt annoying, but now hearing it felt somewhat familiar.

I wonder what Qiaozhi is doing now. He should still be in the institute; with his personality, he's probably pestering some classmate to chat.

Early the next morning, he continued on his way.

On the seventh day, he encountered bandits for the first time.

Five men, riding horses and holding swords and knives, charged out from the woods by the roadside. The leader, with a face full of coarse flesh, shouted for him to hand over anything valuable.

Aikesi said nothing; he raised his hand and unleashed a stream of flame.

The flame burned a blackened scar on the ground before them, thick as an arm and over ten meters long. The scorched earth emitted green smoke, and the air was filled with a smell of burning. Five horses stopped in unison, rearing up their front hooves, nearly throwing the riders off. One horse, startled, neighed and backed away; the rider on its back pulled the reins tightly, his face turning pale.

The leader's coarse face froze for an instant; his eyes widened roundly as he stared at the blackened scar on the ground for two seconds, then without another word, he turned his horse and ran. The other four ran even faster than him; one didn't even dare to pick up his dropped sword.

Aikesi withdrew his hand and continued on his way.

On the twelfth day, he entered a wasteland.

The wind here was strong, blowing so hard people could barely open their eyes. The grass on the ground was short and hard, making a rustling sound underfoot. Occasionally, a few wild beasts could be seen wandering in the distance; upon seeing him from afar, they turned and ran. There were, however, a few vultures circling overhead, probably mistaking him for some dying prey.

At dusk, he found an abandoned shepherd's hut and planned to spend the night there.

The hut was very dilapidated, with several holes in the roof, but it could at least block the wind. The walls were built of stacked stones; some parts had already collapsed halfway, but the remaining sections were still sturdy. He tied the horse outside; the horse snorted loudly and lowered its head to chew on the withered grass on the ground. Aikesi entered the hut, built a fire, and sat leaning against the wall.

Outside, the wind howled; inside, the firelight flickered.

He took out the map from his chest and looked at it by the firelight. The map had been bought in the Didu before departure and was marked in great detail; mountains, rivers, towns, and villages were all clearly marked. At his current speed, in another ten days or so, he would enter the territory of the O'Brien Empire. Once across the border, a short distance further lay the Northwest Province.

The Northwest Province, provincial capital Bazier.

He put away the map and added a few withered branches to the fire. The dry branches crackled, sending sparks flying.

The firelight illuminated his face, shifting between light and shadow.

He closed his eyes and began to cultivate. The Fallen Heart Flame circulated slowly within his body, tempering his meridians bit by bit. This cultivation was slow, but it was safe; with accumulation over time, progress would inevitably be made.

The next day, he continued on his way.

On the thirteenth day, the wasteland gradually gained some greenery, and sparse bushes began to appear. Occasionally, shepherds could be seen driving flocks of sheep past; those sheep were fat and sturdy, with shiny wool. When shepherds saw him from afar, they would wave to greet him, and he would wave back in response.

On the fourteenth day, signs of human habitation finally appeared. A small village sat at the foot of a mountain, with over a dozen households, growing vegetables in front of and behind their houses. As he passed by the village, he saw several women washing clothes by the stream, chatting and laughing. An old man sat at his doorway sunbathing, squinting to size him up; when Aikesi drew near, the old man suddenly spoke: "Young man, traveling alone?"

Aikesi reined in his horse: "Yes."

"Where are you going?"

"To the O'Brien Empire."

The old man nodded: "That's quite far. Be careful on the road; things are not peaceful in this area lately."

Aikesi felt a chill in his heart but kept his expression unchanged: "Thank you, elder, for the reminder."

The old man waved his hand and continued sunbathing.

On the fifteenth day, he finally entered the territory of the O'Brien Empire.

There was a checkpoint on the border line, with several soldiers on duty. The checkpoint was built of thick round logs, simple but sturdy; next to it stood a watchtower with an Archer stationed on top. Aikesi showed his Yunluo Empire identification; the soldiers checked it and let him pass. One young soldier curiously gave him a few looks, probably thinking it was quite rare for a young man traveling alone to venture so far.

"Hey," the young soldier suddenly called out to him, "you're alone?"

Aikesi nodded.

"You've got guts," the young soldier grinned. "Be careful on the road."

"Thank you." Aikesi spurred his horse and continued forward.

After passing the checkpoint, the scenery by the roadside was obviously different from that in the Yunluo Empire.

The Yunluo Empire had flat terrain, vast farmlands, and dense villages. On the O'Brien Empire side, the terrain was more undulating, with many mountains and dense forests, and the distance between towns was also greater. There were more caravans encountered on the road, but fewer pedestrians; most were groups of Mercenaries or merchants, so someone traveling alone like him was uncommon.

On the sixteenth day, he encountered a Magical Beast in a forest.

It was an Iron-Backed Wolf, one size larger than an ordinary wolf, with bluish-gray fur and a distinct patch of black, stiff hair along its spine. It emerged from the woods, blocking the road, its green eyes staring at him, emitting a low growl from its mouth.

Aikesi glanced at it; the Fallen Heart Flame turned slightly within his body.

The Iron-Backed Wolf seemed to sense something; its growl stopped abruptly, its ears flattened back, and it tucked its tail, diving into the woods and running until it disappeared.

On the seventeenth day, he passed through a small city. He rested there for one night, replenishing some dried food and water. When he left the city the next day, he encountered a caravan under attack by bandits.

There were over twenty bandits, while the caravan had only seven or eight guards, more than half of whom were already dead or injured. Four or five corpses lay on the ground, some of bandits, some of guards. The remaining guards formed a circle, protecting the several carts in the middle, struggling desperately. The flags on the carts had been pierced with several holes, but it was still clear they were flags of the Dawson Chamber of Commerce—a dark blue background with a golden bear embroidered on it.

Aikesi sighed and took action.

The Fallen Heart Flame transformed into over a dozen flame arrows, instantly killing the bandits charging at the front. The flame arrows pierced through their bodies; before they could even scream, the men fell from their horses. The remaining bandits froze for a moment, then scattered in a panic, running faster than rabbits.

The caravan leader was a middle-aged man, covered in blood, with a deep knife wound on his left arm, though the injury was not severe. He ran over to thank him and asked Aikesi's name. Aikesi did not answer, only pointed at that flag and said, "The young master of your merchant guild is my friend."

The leader paused for a moment, then bowed repeatedly: "So he is the young master's friend! Thank you, benefactor, for saving my life! What is your honorable surname? I will certainly report this to the young master upon my return!"

"No need." Aikesi waved his hand, preparing to leave.

The leader grew anxious, insisting on shoving a bag of gold coins into his hands. Aikesi refused, mounted his horse, and rode away. Long after he had gone, he could still hear the leader shouting behind him: "Benefactor! At least leave your name!"

He did not look back.

On the twenty-third day, they entered the territory of the Northwest Province.

The terrain here was even more rugged, mountains connected to mountains, the road winding through the valleys. Both sides were steep slopes covered in shrubs and wild grass; occasionally, sheer cliffs appeared, with bare rocks exposed. Fewer caravans were met on the road; instead, there were more mercenaries and adventurers hurrying along, each fully armed and alert.

On the twenty-eighth day, they arrived at a small town.

The town was not large, with only one main street, where a few shops stood sparsely on either side—a blacksmith's shop, a general store, an inn, and a small food stall. Few people were on the street; several children were chasing each other in play, an old man was carrying a yoke and shouting to sell his goods, and a few dogs lay in the corners of walls basking in the sun.

When Aikesi rode into the town, it was already nearly dark; he planned to stay here for the night and continue his journey tomorrow.

He found an inn, handed his horse to an attendant, and went inside to request a room.

The inn was not large; the first floor was for dining, the second floor for guest rooms. The owner was a plump middle-aged woman with a loud voice, but she was quite enthusiastic. After taking the money, she led him upstairs to inspect the room. The room was small, but clean, and the bed was soft.

Dinner was eaten downstairs, sitting in a corner. He ordered a pot of wine and two dishes—a plate of soy-braised beef and a plate of stir-fried greens. The wine was ordinary barley beer, light in taste but quenching. The beef was cut thick and flavorful; the greens were stir-fried crisp, the heat just right.

Few people were in the shop; besides him, there were only a few tables of guests. One table held several men dressed as mercenaries, speaking loudly. They wore leather armor, with weapons beside them; one could tell at a glance they were people who had spent years licking blood from the edge of a blade.

"... Did you hear? Something happened on that road outside the city." said a bearded mercenary.

"What happened?" asked another, younger one.

"Yesterday afternoon, people fought in the valley over there; the commotion was so loud it could be heard several li away. Some say they saw a dragon, others say they saw a monster; in any case, the rumors are quite wild."

"Tch, just another blind rumor," the third mercenary dismissed, "these days, there are rumors about everything."

"Believe it or not, but I certainly won't take that road today; I'll take the long way around if I must." The big-bearded mercenary took a swig of wine. "I heard from a fellow who saw it with his own eyes that the commotion was indeed great; half the sky turned red, and there was a huge roar, unlike that of an ordinary magical beast."

"What was that?"

"Who knows? Anyway, caution never hurts."

Aikesi held his wine cup, listening silently.

Half the sky turned red... a huge roar...

He set down his wine cup, paid the bill, and went upstairs to rest.

Lying in bed, he thought about the words of those mercenaries. If there truly were high-level magical beasts or powerful experts roaming nearby, caution was indeed necessary. However, with his current strength, as long as he did not encounter an entity of the Saint Domain level, self-preservation should be no problem.

At midnight, he suddenly opened his eyes.

Energy fluctuations came from the distance, very intense; even from so far away, they could be felt.

He sat up and sensed for a moment.

Aikesi put on his outer coat, pushed open the window, and leaped out.

In the night, he sped toward the direction from which the fluctuations came.