"It's already noon, old man! When will we reach Wind City?" Lin Ming called out from the carriage, feeling the sun's warmth on his skin as he addressed the driver ahead.
"Young man, almost there, almost there. Just two more hours!" the old man driving the carriage turned back with a smile and replied.
"Oh!" This was the carriage Lin Ming had hired that morning in Azure Spirit City. Pulled by a single horse, its wooden open-top compartment felt pleasantly breezy.
What? You wonder why he didn’t get faster transport? You just don’t get it—nothing beats a horse carriage: quiet, relaxed, and cheap. This one cost only 5 Gold Coins. Don’t scoff; 5 Gold Coins lets an ordinary person eat and drink well for a whole month. Of course, just an ordinary person.
"The Alliance’s missions are damn frustrating! Not a single clue," Lin Ming muttered helplessly, half-reclining on the back seat.
The Crescent Moon Alliance ruled the Eastern Continent, locked in enmity with the Empire of the Western Continent. But due to Dark Cultivators and Ghost Cultivators, they’d maintained a ceasefire for years.
Now, they mostly issued missions like hunting Magic Beasts. Since Azure Spirit Academy lay within Alliance territory, it couldn’t easily refuse these tasks.
However, because the Headmaster disliked the Alliance and was headstrong, the assigned missions were all traps. His strength was too great—they couldn’t discipline him without solid reason.
"Old man, let’s stop for a meal before moving on! I brought dried rations," Lin Ming said, judging the time right. He signaled the old man to halt the carriage, then pulled a bag of flatbreads from his Storage Ring and handed one over.
"Young man, my apologies," the old man said, steering the horse to the roadside. Seeing the flatbread offered, he thanked Lin Ming and accepted it.
"Old man, how long have you been in this line of work?" Lin Ming asked, munching on his flatbread.
The old man paused at the question, then replied, "About a dozen years or so."
"By the way, young man—you’re a student at Azure Spirit Academy, right?" the old man suddenly asked, studying Lin Ming.
"Yes, why? Is there a problem?" Lin Ming responded, puzzled.
The old man examined him carefully. "Aren’t all Azure Spirit Academy students rich? Why take my humble carriage?"
"Cough! Cough!" Lin Ming choked on his rations. He pulled a water pouch from his Storage Ring, drank to swallow it down, and said, "Old man, who told you that? Azure Spirit Academy has poor students too, you know."
"Oh... I see!" The old man gave Lin Ming a thoughtful look and nodded slowly.
Lin Ming instantly felt awkward. That gaze clearly meant, *So you’re the poor one!*
"Old man, let’s get going again."
………………
Inside a luxurious hotel room, a silver-haired girl as ethereal as an elf rested her chin on her hand, gazing out the window. She faced away from an elderly man behind her—suited, with a knife at his waist—and asked, "Grandpa Luo, when are we leaving?"
"Miss, we can go once the Azure Spirit Academy people arrive," Grandpa Luo replied gently, watching his young mistress.
The girl turned, revealing a delicate face. She puffed her cheeks slightly, looking utterly adorable. "They’re so slow! When can we finally leave?"
"Miss, Wind City’s unstable lately. Better to be cautious," Grandpa Luo said helplessly.
"Hmph! Your strength is more than enough, Grandpa Luo. We don’t need help!" the girl retorted indignantly.
Grandpa Luo sighed. "I may be strong, but I’m old, with many hidden injuries. I fear for your safety, Miss."
"Fine! We’ll wait for that Azure Spirit Academy person," the girl replied, turning back to the window.
*Once we reach Azure Spirit Academy,* she thought hopefully, *I must get Grandpa treated by the Divine Physician at Prosperous Scenery Hall.*
Grandpa Luo watched the girl, radiant in the sunlight, and sighed inwardly. *Yuhan! At Azure Spirit Academy, you’ll be protected. You can live peacefully, free from that Clan’s harassment.*
"Miss, stay indoors until the Academy people arrive. Then we’ll see," he instructed Yuhan.
"I know!"
"I shall take my leave now!" Grandpa Luo bowed slightly, closed the door, and left.
*Lately, I’ve felt watched. Is it just my imagination?* Standing at the door, he shot the hotel corridor a sharp glance.
Outside the hotel, opposite Yuhan He’s room, a raven perched, its eyes fixed on the window.
In a pitch-dark room, a shadowy figure observed through the raven. "That old man’s strong—he sensed a trace of my presence. But age dulls you; you only caught a vague hint."
*What are they truly waiting for?* the figure wondered.
"Never mind. As long as they stay in the city, it’s fine. They’re part of the master’s plan anyway."
………………
Lin Ming sat cross-legged at the carriage’s rear, slowly absorbing Spirit Energy from heaven and earth. It trickled into the unsealed portion of his dry Spirit Sea—but showed no sign of revival.
He didn’t speed up absorption because it’d be counterproductive. Heaven-and-earth Spirit Energy was abundant yet impure.
Gulping large amounts wouldn’t restore much and might trigger the seal’s rebound. If his last usable Spirit Energy got sealed again from haste—that’d be damn frustrating!
To break the seal, he needed ample pure Spirit Energy to replenish his Spirit Sea. Only then could he withstand the rebound and shatter the first seal layer at once. Without it, he could only recover slowly, bit by bit, fearing the seal’s backlash.
The old man glanced back at Lin Ming, who’d been cultivating since lunch. "This young man’s truly diligent—over an hour like this."
*If only my son worked half as hard,* he sighed, thinking of his boy.
Ahead, a city suddenly appeared. The old man stopped the carriage and called, "Young man, Wind City’s here! Hear me?"
"Heard you, old man," Lin Ming replied. Sensing the halt, he’d already ceased cultivation.
"We’re here!" Lin Ming said, eyeing the nearby city gates.
"Alright, young man—destination reached. I’m heading back. Next time you travel, call for me!" the old man bid farewell, readying the reins.
"Here, old man—5 Gold Coins," Lin Ming said, handing over coins from his Storage Ring.
"Got it! Farewell, young man! Giddy-up!" The old man took the coins and drove off.
"Time to enter the city!" Lin Ming muttered, watching the carriage fade before striding toward Wind City’s gates.
