Shen Yuan shook his head lightly as he finally smiled and replied, “No need to annoy me. I’m not feeling down, just a bit sad at the separation. But we will soon meet again, so no need to worry so much.”
He looked towards the horizon, feeling the gentle breeze blowing on his white robes.
“Time to look for someone to ask for directions.” He spoke as the map wasn’t detailed and only big terrains were marked on it.”
…
Shen Yuan ran for some time on the grassy plains until he found a road.
“Fuck! I need something for traveling, I can’t be walking on my feet throughout my journey,” he spoke as he realized how much he had run on the plains.
“I have been running for a few hours now and the distance I have covered should be in the thousands of km” He slowed down as he walked on the road.
“I should be able to find someone traveling on the road, right?” He thought aloud as he continued walking.
As Shen Yuan walked on the road, the light heat of the sun and the chilly breeze made for a comfortable journey.
He heard something from his back as he looked behind him in the distance and saw a plume of dust begin to rise, and soon enough, he could make out the outline of a caravel approaching.
“Finally,” he muttered to himself, “Seems like I got myself some company at last.”
He stood aside as he waited for the caravan to come closer.
The caravan came closer, revealing a group of merchants, guards, and travelers on what seemed like horses and carts.
The leader of the caravan, a middle-aged man with a healthy body, noticed Shen Yuan and told the caravan to stop.
After all, it wasn’t every day that they got to see such a handsome young man traveling the world.
The caravan leader thought, ‘Seems like he is an heir of some prestigious clan. I should build up a connection with him.’
He was also in the business for long enough to spot every opportunity that came his way, he stepped down from the carriage and arrived in front of Shen Yuan.
“Good day, Young Man! Why is such a fine young man like yourself traveling alone on this road?” His voice was friendly but held a hint of curiosity.
Shen Yuan smiled politely, “I’m just passing through this area, heading towards the next city. Mind if I tag along for a bit?”
The merchant’s eyes lit up as he chuckled slightly and nodded, “Of course, young man. It’s not safe to travel alone on these roads, there are far too many bandits lurking around. We are heading towards Green Mountain City, about a day’s ride from here.”
Shen Yuan’s eyes lit up, “Green Mountain City, huh. How far away is it from here exactly?”
“A good day’s journey by the caravan from here, and if the weather is worse then the time will increase.” The merchant replied.
“The city is famous for its massive Green Mountain which it is built on, because of that attraction it’s a good place for trade as well. The most famous thing about that city is the various herbs and medicines you can find there.” He introduced the city a bit.
He then glanced toward Shen Yuan’s robe, noticing its fine quality, “If I may ask, are you a rogue cultivator?”
Shen Yuan nodded, “Something like that, I’m looking to explore the cultivation world to gain experience.”
The merchant nodded in understanding, “Ah, a wise decision indeed young man. It’s important to explore the world on your own to know how cruel it is. It’s due to this reason a lot of prestigious clan members are snotty brats who don’t know the immensity of heaven and earth.”
The merchant showed his contempt for the unreliable clan members, “They only know how to ruin their clan’s name.”
Shen Yuan chuckled, “Seems like you’ve got some history with a big clan member.” He noticed the merchant’s unusual disdain for useless members of the clans as he tried to probe for more information.
The merchant realized he had spoken too much in the heat of the moment as he shook his head, “Never mind that young man. Do you want to travel with us for a bit? We can share some knowledge about the world with you as well.”
He finally went to his first point, even though Shen Yuan denied being a member of a prestigious clan. He could tell from his demeanor that he was absolutely from a high-ranking clan.
So he didn’t leave the chance as even if he turned out to be wrong, there was no problem in forging connections with such a promising young man.
Shen Yuan smiled lightly, “I already accepted your invitation, looks like you are quite forgetful even with a cultivation base in the Inner Sea realm.”
The merchant’s eyes widened slightly before he laughed aloud, “Good, good, I underestimated you, lad. Looks like you are stronger than you look.”
He walked back towards his carriage and sat down on it, “Come, let’s go.” He invited Shen Yuan to sit with him so they could talk more.
The caravan started to travel again with a new additional member amidst them.
He talked with the merchant and he revealed his surname to be Luo, so Shen Yuan started calling him Old Luo.
He talked about the surrounding cities and the power structure, the notable locations, etc.
He also heard the random discussion among the guards, some talked about returning soon and returning to their village to marry their childhood sweethearts.
While other more ambitious individuals expressed their desire to join a sect to further their cultivation.
Most of the guards were in the Foundation Establishment realm, and even though they were nothing more than ants in front of him, their hotbloodedness still affected him as he felt his own ambitions soar.
As time passed, they traveled through one village after another, stopping briefly to trade with the locals. Shen Yuan also left the caravan to explore the villages at each stop.
But he didn’t find anything interesting except the peaceful life of the villagers. He smiled lightly looking at the pure environment.
“So, what should I expect in Green Mountain City?” He asked one of the guards who seemed experienced and familiar with the area.
The guard, a tall man with a scar on the right side of his face, nodded, “Green Mountain is a good place for Alchemists and Pharmacists. They have got several small-scale sects with Alchemy and medicine as the focus. There is even a branch of Alchemy Association in the Green Mountain City.”
He paused, “But if you want more cultivation-related resources then you should head towards the north from Green Mountain City, towards Heavens Gate City. It’s one of the major cities of this Empire. The Heaven’s Gate City is famous for its elite cultivation academies, so if you are interested, It might be worth a visit.”
Shen Yuan thought about it but Heaven’s Gate City was not in his route towards the destination so he dropped the idea and talked more with the guard about other locations around the Green Mountain City.
