Chapter 750: Night Crow Harbor (2)

BOOM!

A clap of thunder ripped through the air.

A curtain of rain shrouded the gray Celestial Vault, and the dense drizzle stabbed into the muddy road like silver needles.

Black wheels sank deep in the brown mud, emitting muffled groans.

Twelve carriages laden with oak formed a winding line, slithering along the mountain road like a dying giant snake.

The drivers huddled in their soaked wool cloaks, water dripping incessantly from the brims of their hats.

At the head of the train, Old Butte squinted his rain-blurred eyes. Through the reins, his rough fingers could feel the horse’s anxious tremors.

This was terrible weather for travel.

Fortunately, having traveled the route between Oak Town and Night Crow Harbor for years, he knew of a nearby cave where they could take shelter.

With this in mind, he glanced back at the caravan. He checked to make sure the canvas tarps were still securely fastened on each wagon before breathing a small sigh of relief.

If the rain seeped in, the oak would absorb the water and become even heavier.

That would make moving the wagons even more difficult.

At this thought, he shouted.

“Men, pick up the pace! There’s shelter from the rain just ahead.”

After he spoke, a figure on horseback rode up beside him.

He glanced at Old Butte.

He didn’t say anything.

But they had been friends for more than a decade.

So Old Butte knew exactly what he was thinking.

He glanced back toward the rear of the train.

A red-haired man on horseback followed leisurely behind the caravan.

He seemed completely oblivious to the rain falling on him.

Just then, the man seemed to sense Old Butte’s gaze.

Through the curtain of rain, Hu Qi, who had been staring downward, turned his head and looked their way.

At the sight, a chill ran down Old Butte’s spine, and he impassively averted his gaze.

‘This guy is definitely no ordinary man…’

「Three days had passed since they left Oak Town.」

Along the way, Old Butte had been carefully observing the man who had joined their party.

He had even tried, both subtly and overtly, to dig up information on him.

Unfortunately, he hadn’t learned much.

There were two main reasons for his caution.

First, as the caravan leader, it was only prudent to be wary of a stranger who joined them mid-journey.

Second, the man was far too free with his money.

He had paid with several Silver Lions.

That wasn’t something an ordinary person could afford.

In this world, nothing stirred a man’s heart like coin.

If he could, he wouldn’t mind arranging an “accident” for the man.

But now, Old Butte forced himself to suppress the thought.

After observing him for days, he knew the man before him exuded a dangerous aura.

Even if they succeeded, he feared they would lose a few of his men in the process.

As their leader, he had to weigh the pros and cons.

“Stand down.”

Old Butte shot a look to his side. His fleshy-faced companion saw the glance and reluctantly put away his Dagger.

In this caravan, Old Butte’s word was law. No one dared to defy him.

Soon, the group found a cave and took shelter from the rain.

A downpour like this usually didn’t last long.

And sure enough…

Before long, the rain tapered off, but the sky only grew darker.

As dusk settled, they had no choice but to stop and wait for daylight before continuing their journey.

A bonfire was soon lit in the center of the cave, its flickering flames crackling in the damp air.

Old Butte warmly invited Hu Qi to join them, but Hu Qi politely declined.

Hu Qi sat alone in a corner, eating the provisions he’d brought from a tavern: ale, bread, and dried beef.

He keenly sensed the strange looks from Old Butte and his men. Their probing, calculating stares were especially sharp in the firelight.

A smirk touched his lips, but a glint of coldness flashed in his eyes.

‘If these people were really looking to die, he wouldn’t mind obliging them.’

As the night deepened, the cave grew quiet.

Having eaten and drunk their fill, the men each found a corner to rest, though their eyes would occasionally drift toward a certain spot.

Hu Qi seemed oblivious to their stares.

He was currently holding a strange posture.

He supported his entire body off the ground with a single hand.

His trapezius and deltoid muscles bulged under the strain. The sharp lines of his scapulae defined his back, and veins were faintly visible beneath his skin.

The triceps of his supporting arm tensed, power channeling from his spine to his fingertips. The muscular contraction revealed astonishing explosive power.

Sweat trickled down his chest, glinting on his taut abs as they rose and fell with the rhythm of his breath.

His obliques and taut back muscles formed a stable core, keeping his body perfectly still in the one-armed hold.

As he lifted his head, his trapezius and neck muscles worked in concert.

The veins on his neck coiled like furious dragons, and his jawline and clavicle formed a sharp, triangular space.

This was no human posture of rest; it was the taut stillness of a predator, coiled to strike.

In this position, the Qi and Blood within Hu Qi’s body surged, strengthening his physique.

At the same time, he circulated the Heaven-Seizing Technique, absorbing the ambient Spiritual Particles into his body.

This replenished the energy consumed by the circulation of his Qi and Blood.

On the Extraordinary path of a Professional, breaking through a major Realm in a Sequence required consuming a Magic Potion, satisfying the conditions of a Meditation Method, and completing a specific Professional ritual.

However, advancing through the minor Realms within a Sequence could be achieved by continuously absorbing Spirituality to build up one’s reserves.

However, this process was generally very slow.

Furthermore, while absorbing it did strengthen the body, this was merely a passive side effect; the process could not be actively directed.