Chapter 371 - Familiar Companions and a Road to the South

Chapter 371: Chapter 371 - Familiar Companions and a Road to the South

Lu Canghai returned while Su Bai was putting away the last of the things he had brought out.

His master stopped beside the table, checked that nothing troublesome had been left brewing, and gave him the news.

"Your companions are waiting at the gate. The same ones who entered Fallen-Star Sanctuary with you."

Su Bai looked up with relief. He knew how Ji Ruyue, Han Yuelin, and Qin Baoshan worked under pressure.

Having them beside him would spare the time it took to learn whether someone could follow a plan when something went wrong.

There was still one concern he wanted settled before leaving.

"Master, what if we encounter a Void-Shattering cultivator?"

Lu Canghai stroked his beard.

"Your body seems to benefit from a beating. Perhaps you could ask him to be thorough."

Su Bai stared at him.

He had returned from one journey, delivered information that made the elders lose sleep, and somehow received advice that sounded as though his master intended to test an enemy’s patience using his disciple’s face.

Lu Canghai laughed at his expression.

"I am joking. The demonic factions have just lost several experts, and Old Li is asking the other factions to move as well. Anyone strong enough to attract that kind of attention will have more to worry about than chasing you around a mortal kingdom."

"That sounds better."

"Besides, your father and I both killed Void-Shattering cultivators for fun while we were at Nascent Soul. Your foundation is hardly worse than ours was."

Su Bai’s relief stopped developing.

"How reassuring, Master."

Lu Canghai’s smile remained, but he set a hand on Su Bai’s shoulder before continuing.

"That does not mean you should challenge the first one you see. Judge the situation. You are going there to help your junior sister and find out what those people are doing. If you cannot handle someone, leave and send word."

Su Bai nodded. That was advice he could make use of without first being struck by anything.

His master withdrew his hand.

"Nanhe Kingdom lies in the Southern Region. Ruyue knows the route. There is also an old monastery within reach of it, if I remember correctly."

Su Bai paused.

He remembered Yao Ding explaining that several southern monasteries maintained trees whose dew could nourish weakened Artifact Spirits.

"Master means I could ask about Bodhi Spirit Dew?"

Lu Canghai nodded.

"You have enough treasures to offer an exchange now. Whether they have any to spare is something you will have to find out."

Su Bai remembered the broken spearhead and the faint spirituality that had survived within it.

Huo Yan had warned that reforging the weapon before strengthening that remnant could destroy what remained. Bodhi Spirit Dew might improve its chances, and he now possessed enough unusual treasures to offer something beyond Spirit Stones.

Lu Canghai saw the interest on his face.

"Deal with the kingdom’s trouble first. If an opportunity comes afterward, you can make inquiries."

"I will remember."

"And mind your manners. Some of those bald fellows can nurse a grievance longer than a weapon spirit."

Su Bai almost laughed. He suspected there was a story behind the warning, though his master had already turned toward the courtyard entrance. Asking about it now would probably delay them both.

He checked his storage once more, put on the Glacier-Lung Bone Mask, and took out his flying sword.

Lu Canghai watched him rise above the courtyard, then waved him toward the outer mountains.

The others were waiting near the permitted exit.

Han Yuelin spotted him first and raised an arm.

"Junior Brother Su! There you are."

Qin Baoshan cupped his hands in greeting, while Ji Ruyue gave him a quiet nod.

Their weapons and belongings were already prepared, and none looked as though they needed further time before setting out.

"Thank you for coming," Su Bai said.

"We would hardly let Junior Sister Meng have all the excitement," Han Yuelin replied. "Sister Ji knows the way. We were waiting for you."

Ji Ruyue looked toward the south and explained their route.

At their present speed, they should reach Nanhe Kingdom in roughly two days.

Liu Meng had taken an auction-house transport carriage with several members of the Liu family’s staff. It was one of the vehicles used to carry goods between cities, and traveling with people and supplies would slow it considerably compared with four cultivators on flying swords.

They had a chance of catching her before she reached the kingdom.

Once Su Bai confirmed that he was ready, Ji Ruyue led them out. The sect’s mountains gradually fell behind, and the four settled into a pace they could maintain without frequent stops.

Han Yuelin waited until their course was steady before drawing closer.

"I saw the walls before we left. I still find it difficult to believe you brought them back."

"I saw you and Junior Brother Qin Baoshan practicing there last night."

"You should have joined us."

Su Bai glanced toward Qin Baoshan, who looked quite content that he had not been required to defend against another person.

Han Yuelin grinned.

"I have made progress since we returned. The walls helped me understand things I had been struggling with for months. I had hoped to try some of it against you."

"You still can."

"After seeing what happened during your breakthrough, I think I should practice a little more first."

Su Bai laughed.

Han Yuelin spoke without resentment, and before long he was describing one of the difficulties he had finally worked through.

Su Bai listened while keeping an eye on their surroundings. They had spent enough time traveling together that the conversation settled easily between the demands of flight.

Ji Ruyue occasionally looked back to check their distance. When the wind changed over a range of hills, she adjusted the course so they could remain together without continually correcting their swords.

Su Bai noticed the small consideration and followed her turn.

Below them, roads wound between towns and cultivated land.

Qin Baoshan watched the scenery with an interest that suggested he was enjoying a journey in which nothing had yet tried to break his defenses.

They continued through the day and into the night.

At several points, they passed ground bearing signs of recent fighting. Broken trees surrounded one stretch of road, while farther south a slope had been torn open close to the route a carriage would use.

They checked from above but found no travelers in immediate danger and no battle still in progress.

The sight made them less inclined to stop.

By the following morning, Su Bai had begun paying closer attention to his companions’ circulation.

Their pace remained steady, and they were handling the long flight with less strain than he remembered. The denser reserves of Qi were subtle, but he recognized the work that supported them.

"You have begun practicing the Nine-Fold Sea-Forging Art?" He asked.

Han Yuelin glanced over.

"The elders allowed us to start with the reinforcement and the first fold. We were told very clearly not to force the next stage."

Qin Baoshan nodded in agreement.

Su Bai observed the circulation a little longer.

Their progress was still early, and he would leave the proper examinations to the people monitoring them at the sect.

Even so, seeing the method help them maintain the journey gave him a satisfaction that his own Infinite Dantian could never have supplied.

They pressed on through another half day.

The sun had begun moving west when Ji Ruyue raised a hand and slowed.

Ahead, a wide transport carriage stood beside the road. The beasts harnessed to it had been drawn away from the center of a disturbance, and several people waited close to its enclosed body.

Su Bai recognized the Liu Family Auction House insignia.

That’s when he saw a dark shape rising above the road.

The four stopped in the air just as a cauldron expanded over a group of cultivators below.

For an instant, Su Bai prepared to descend at full speed.

The cauldron dropped.

The impact reached them through their feet despite the distance. Dust burst across the road, and the people beside the carriage raised an excited shout.

When the cloud began clearing, Su Bai saw Liu Meng standing with one hand extended and a rather fierce look of concentration on her face.

Han Yuelin stared down at the hollow in the ground.

"I think we found out what happened to the road earlier."