Chapter 136: Meeting an Old Friend in a Strange Land

As if to disperse the melancholy of parting, the two boys, still possessing childlike hearts, suddenly decided to have a game of competition.

"Let's set one Yuan as the limit."

"Agreed."

One Yuan is the energy that a Rune Formula can utilize. It is also the driving force of a Rune Formula. A most basic Heavy Art Tool wooden sword is one Yuan.

The two each displayed their abilities, without interfering with one another. Before long, Jiang Shenyi was a step faster than Tang Zhao; he finished practicing his Rune Formula and got on his donkey, saying, "Don't be anxious, Junior Brother. As your Senior Brother, I shall take the lead. I will wait for you up ahead—" As he spoke, the donkey's shadow flickered, and it galloped away at a speed ten times faster than before.

Tang Zhao, busy with his work, looked up and called out, "Senior Brother, do you know that sharpening the knife does not delay the wood-chopping?"

From afar, Jiang Shenyi called back, "I know what it means to be a dead duck with a stiff beak!"

Tang Zhao smiled. Jiang Shenyi had used an acceleration talisman, a mid-level Rune Formula variant of a primary Rune Formula, which relied on being quick and simple. He would never use such a common Rune Formula. He immediately finished practicing his two sets of Rune Formulas, stood up, and led his donkey onto the main road. The donkey lifted a hoof lightly, and rosy clouds actually began to entwine beneath its feet! The donkey's hoof stepped forward weightlessly, as if treading on clouds; in an instant, it covered a hundred feet, leaving no trace upon landing.

Rune Formula—Raising Rosy Clouds!

This was a sword technique of his Yanggu Sword, and also his unique Rune Formula. His Glasses could convert all sword techniques in the Sword Manual into Rune Formulas, allowing him to learn them directly. Although he could only flip through four swords, he had mastered dozens of unique Rune Formulas because of this. His accumulation was not as rich as his senior brothers and sisters, but the unique Rune Formulas in his hands were extremely numerous. As his learning deepened, he could also master sword techniques and sword momentum.

Raising Rosy Clouds to ascend, Earth Shrinking to cover distance, appearing like immortal arts—powerful and dazzling; such were the Rune Formulas he needed.

Before long, the donkey, with its feet treading on rosy clouds, floated leisurely to a position in front of Jiang Shenyi. Tang Zhao smiled and said, "Senior Brother, do you know that the latecomer can surpass the forerunner?"

Before Jiang Shenyi could retort, Tang Zhao had already magnificently taken the lead.

Having overtaken Jiang Shenyi, Tang Zhao found it inconvenient to be so ostentatious on the main road, so he used an Art Tool he had prepared earlier, the "Refraction Mirror," to cast a layer of bent light around him, isolating him from the eyes of ordinary people.

This was a Rune Formula similar to a blindfold, not a unique Rune Formula, and it was also a type of mid-level Rune Formula recorded in books. It was useful, but not particularly clever. It could block the eyes and ears of ordinary folk, but any Loose Practitioner who had practiced Mysterious Technique and had a high Spirit could detect it, not to mention Heavy Swordsmen with strong Inspiration. Even an ordinary person could see through it at a glance if they possessed an Art Tool for dispelling illusions. But Tang Zhao was only trying to hide from the unconcerned anyway; as for experts, if they passed by without knowing each other, it didn't matter.

Under the protection of the refraction, Tang Zhao rode his donkey alone, treading on clouds. Seeing no seniors in front and no fellow students behind, he felt proud, and his "middle-school" heart surged. He thought: With a temperament like mine, how can I ride a donkey like this?

He immediately turned around on the donkey and rode it backward.

This felt right!

Just as he was feeling smug, he heard someone by the roadside say, "What Rune Formula is that kid riding the donkey backward using?"

Another person replied, "The outside is refraction, but I can't tell what's inside..."

Before the words were finished, the green donkey had already gone far away, and the voices could no longer be heard.

Tang Zhao looked back and saw only a man and a woman standing by the road. Because of the speed, he didn't see their faces clearly, but he vaguely felt they were not very old.

Ah, he had been seen through by peers.

To be able to recognize and correctly name the refraction Rune Formula at a glance, they were naturally Talisman Sword Masters as well.

At this time of year, at this age, could they also be going to the Spring Talisman Assembly?

Since they were in Yunzhou, could they be people from Huagu Tower?

Yunzhou was located in a remote area with very few Sword Masters, and the forces that could be named were only two. Zhuoyu Villa to the east and Huagu Tower to the west. Their strength was said to be on par, but the two places were located exactly in the northeast and southwest of Yunzhou, far apart, and had never had much interaction.

But if Huagu Tower were going to Jianzhou, they should have gone directly south to Yuzhou. Taking this route couldn't be called a detour; it was simply going in the opposite direction.

Could it not be Huagu Tower?

Were there other Sword Smith forces in Yunzhou?

Could they be just passing through?

Those who could pass through Yunzhou were probably only from Liangzhou further north...

Did that barren land also have Sword Smith forces?

Yunzhou was already considered a frontier of the Great Jin, and whether Liangzhou could even be counted as part of the Shenzhou land was debatable; beyond that was the completely savage land of Guifang. A geographical frontier was not necessarily a military frontier, but it was generally a cultural frontier. A profession as profound and refined as a Sword Smith was, of course, a part of culture, and the essence of it at that. The essence of literature and talent naturally disdained remote and vulgar places.

At least in the list of Sword Smith forces in various regions that Tang Zhao had memorized, Liangzhou had no Sword Smith forces. However, that data was from four years ago.

Sword Smith forces were rarely large sects or clans; they mostly followed the Sword Smith themselves. If a Sword Smith succeeded, they could create a force alone; if a Sword Smith passed away, this force might vanish into thin air.

Liangzhou indeed had no Sword Smith forces four years ago, but who knew if one had risen in these four years? Perhaps some Sword Smith from the Central Plains had gone north alone and established their own base?

According to the rules of the Talisman Assembly, forces without official Sword Smiths could send at most two young Disciples to attend. The man and woman by the road were also two people; they should be Disciples of a small force.

Just like their Zhuoyu Villa.

If it were a new force, they shouldn't be Master's creditors, right?

Thinking this, the road ahead forked; one side led to Xun City, and the other bypassed the city to the south.

There was no need to ask which road led to Xun City; in the middle of the road stood a red prohibition sign, with a sword mark carved into the ground and a sword stuck into it.

This was the mark of the Land Inspection Division sealing the road, known as the "Road to the Underworld."

There were no government officials guarding behind the prohibition sign, but anyone with a little experience would not step inside. Once entered, whether you went to the world of the living or the world of the dead was no longer up to you.

Tang Zhao had intended to take the other road, but suddenly his eyes flashed, and he saw someone walking on the road to Xun City. It vaguely looked like an acquaintance, so he tentatively called out, "Mai Jie?"

The person heard the sound and turned back. It was a woman with a heroic and graceful appearance and a tall figure. She first looked at Tang Zhao's face, probably finding it familiar, and then moved closer to identify him before saying, "Azhao?"

It was indeed Thousand-Household Mai, one of his comrades-in-arms when he first entered the Demon Cave, and a former subordinate of Xing Ji. They hadn't been very close at the time, but seeing her again after several years, he only felt a sense of familiarity and nostalgia, as if she were an old friend of many years.

This must be meeting an old friend in a strange land, one of the four great joys in life.

Thousand-Household Mai walked to the front of the Road to the Underworld but did not cross it. She smiled and said, "It really is Azhao. You've grown so tall. If it weren't for your unforgettable appearance, I wouldn't have dared to recognize you. How have you been?"

Tang Zhao smiled and replied, dismounting from the donkey, and saluted with the etiquette of the Land Inspection Division: "This subordinate greets the Thousand-Household."

Thousand-Household Mai was startled. Her attitude was clearly different, and she smiled even more happily, saying, "I forgot, you are one of our own brothers. Come, come, come, come in."

Tang Zhao had the intention, so he naturally didn't refuse. He crossed the prohibition line naturally and said, "Mai Jie is a Sword Guest now, right? Have you been promoted?"

Back in the Demon Cave, Thousand-Household Mai was a Sword Student who had already obtained her own sword but hadn't yet realized her Sword Heart. After several years of separation, her sword was already hanging at her waist; naturally, she had become a Sword Guest.

A Sword Guest would certainly not be content with the position of a Thousand-Household; at the very least, she would be...

Thousand-Household Mai laughed heartily: "If we're talking about official positions, I am now the Deputy Envoy of the Xun City Land Inspection Division. But don't call me that; you are not my subordinate. Call me Mai Jie."

A Deputy Envoy was the deputy to the Town Guardian and the second-in-command of a city's Land Inspection Division, the position Peng Yiming had held originally.

Tang Zhao saluted first, then called out "Mai Jie" affectionately, and asked curiously, "Mai Jie, why do you look so much better than you did back then?"

This was not his glib flattery; he truly felt this way. When he first saw Deputy Envoy Mai, her appearance was not exactly ugly, but it wasn't particularly outstanding either. Seeing her again after a few years, although her features hadn't changed much, she seemed as graceful and beautiful as a peach blossom in full bloom, far surpassing her former self.

Deputy Envoy Mai smiled slightly and said, "It might have to do with Sword Intent. Becoming a Sword Guest brings some changes, more or less." There was some pride in her tone. Meeting an old friend in a strange land, while she herself had increased in strength, risen in rank, and become more beautiful—this scene was equivalent to returning home in glory.

She asked again: "I remember you went to Zhuoyu Villa. Are you still there? Have you become a Talisman Sword Master?"

Tang Zhao nodded and said, "You could say that." He briefly introduced his current status and the purpose of his trip, also mentioning that he held the rank of an eighth-grade supernumerary official at the Land Inspection Bureau.

Deputy Envoy Mai praised, "Not bad, Azhao. Being a Talisman Sword Master is already difficult, and you haven't fallen behind in promotions either. To have an eighth-grade rank at your age, even those elites from the Training Camp can't compare. Back then, Xiaosi was so highly regarded, yet at your age, he had only just started his job."

Mentioning Si Liyu, Tang Zhao hurriedly asked about his recent situation. Deputy Envoy Mai said, "I don't know either. A year ago, right when I was transferred, Xiaosi was recalled to the Yunzhou headquarters. It is said he obtained the qualification to select a sword; if he is lucky, he should have become a Sword Student by now."

Hearing that Si Liyu had also embarked on the path of a Sword Guest, Tang Zhao felt happy in his heart and chatted about other comrades from back then. A new Town Guardian had been parachuted into Heiyang, and Old Peng was still a Deputy Envoy. There was no helping it; in this day and age, strength was paramount. Even if one's merits were sufficient, at most one's benefits would be raised, but without the necessary ability, one could not reach that position.

As for Xing Ji, Deputy Envoy Mai had not seen him for three years and was less familiar with him than Tang Zhao. Tang Zhao told her that Xing Ji held the title of Inspection Envoy, but he seemed to have been busy with other matters and had never taken up his post, his whereabouts always uncertain. Every time he entrusted someone to send a letter, it would take many days to be forwarded, and he would only receive a reply months later. The letters rarely mentioned Xing Ji's own situation, only revealing that he was doing something very important.

Deputy Envoy Mai was also filled with emotion and said, "The former Town Guardian had a maverick personality, and everyone was a bit unaccustomed to it, but thinking back on it now, he was an outstanding Town Guardian. He was much stronger than the average Town Guardian. People who do things earnestly are not easy to come by."

She sighed softly when she said this. Tang Zhao sensed that she did not seem to get along well with the current Town Guardian, but it was not his place to say much about matters within official circles.

Tang Zhao was wondering how to ask about the time of the Demon Cave's descent when he heard Deputy Envoy Mai say, "When will you be back from that grand assembly? Can you make it back in forty days?"