By the campfire, a guard was tending to Nate Moore's wounds, while Lynn Ning nervously studied Song Yan.
She knew this big brother had cured her blindness and was deeply grateful, but now that she realized he was clearly an important figure, she felt a little afraid.
As for Song Yan, he was curiously eyeing the black longsword lying beside Nate.
The sword radiated a chilling aura; even from a meter away, Song Yan could feel its intense cold.
He couldn’t help but marvel at the protagonist’s luck.
He’d thought that after losing the Stone Divine Ring, Nate would just live an ordinary life.
But unexpectedly, after losing the ring, he gained another fortuitous encounter.
Cultivation requires following the proper steps: first Body-Refining, then Qi-Refining.
Yet for Nate to reach Qi-Refining tier five so quickly, it’s obvious he must have taken some kind of special Spirit Medicine to strengthen his body and meridians.
Otherwise, there’s no way he could have reached Qi-Refining tier five in such a short time.
What’s more, he managed to survive being chased for so long by three Qi-Refining tier six experts while protecting a ‘burden,’ which means he must have learned some powerful martial arts.
“What are your plans for the future?”
Song Yan shifted his gaze to Nate’s determined face.
Nate shook his head, looking a bit lost. “I don’t know.”
“Why not come with me to the Pristine Way Sect’s entrance trials? As long as you join, the Wu Clan won’t dare hunt you anymore!”
Having been in this world nearly three months, Song Yan had spent time not just cultivating, but also gathering information about the major human powers.
The Wu Clan of Snowsun City was a moderate-sized force, with two grandmaster-level martial artists in the family.
Nate silently looked at his sister Lynn.
Song Yan understood his worry, so he added, “If you pass the assessment, your sister can also stay at the Pristine Way Sect as your attendant.”
“Thank you.”
Nate gave Song Yan a grateful look.
"Little Wu, set up two tents for them to stay in!" Song Yan instructed with a smile.
"Yes, young master."
"Thank you!" Nate said again.
Song Yan waved it off. "Come on, we’re all from Kaiyuan City—it’s only right to look out for each other. Get some rest, we’ve got a long road tomorrow!"
"Gurgle—"
Suddenly, a strange sound rang out—it was Lynn’s stomach.
"Little Tiger, bring some food!" Song Yan ordered again.
Lynn blushed, "Thank you, big brother."
The next morning, everyone set out again. Since Song Yan preferred to ride, the carriage was empty, so he let Lynn, the little girl, use it.
"Why are you helping me?"
Nate, a bit awkward, rode up beside Song Yan.
"What kind of reason do you want?" Song Yan asked with a smile.
Nate: "..."
After a moment of silence, Nate continued, "Don’t worry, I’ll repay your kindness someday!"
"Is that so? I’ll be waiting!"
Song Yan just smiled, not taking it seriously. But inside, he thought to himself, ‘The protagonist really is something else—such pride. If I keep him close, maybe I can benefit from his luck too.’
That evening—
The group from Kaiyuan City arrived at a small city at the foot of Pristine Way Mountain.
But the city was especially lively now. Little Tiger and Little Wu spent over an hour searching before they found an inn, and the price was sky-high—ten taels of silver for a single room.
Because of this, Little Tiger nagged Song Yan for a full fifteen minutes.
Song Yan just smiled without saying anything. If his guess was right, most of the inns in this city were probably run or secretly owned by Pristine Way Sect disciples.
Cultivation isn’t just about techniques—you need medicine, too.
Martial artists in this world cultivate a rather violent true qi. Without medicinal support, it’s easy to suffer hidden injuries, and buying medicine costs money.
Where does the money come from?
If you’re from a rich family, your clan provides it. If not, you have to earn it yourself.
So, the Pristine Way Sect’s triennial disciple recruitment is a great chance for some disciples to make money.
After checking in, Song Yan took a hot bath, then had Little Wu go notify Nate and Lynn to join him for dinner.
These days, inns and restaurants are combined. The first floor of this inn was a restaurant; the second and third were for lodging.
Song Yan’s group had over fifty people, so they took up most of the restaurant.
"Bring out the best food and wine!"
Song Yan called over a waiter and gave the order.
"Sir, our place has a rule: you pay before you eat!" the waiter said with an apologetic smile.
"What kind of dumb rule is that? Who pays before eating?" Little Tiger grumbled.
"Sir, our inn is under the protection of Senior Brother Lin, an inner disciple of the Pristine Way Sect. He set the rule, so if you have a problem, go talk to him—assuming you’re qualified to meet him!"
By the end, the waiter’s face had turned mocking.
"You—!" Little Tiger fumed, rolling up his sleeves to teach the waiter a lesson. Song Yan’s voice came just in time: "Sit down!"
Little Tiger could only glare at the waiter and sit down angrily.
Seeing this, the waiter said smugly, "At least this young master understands how things work..."
"You shut up too!" Song Yan shot the waiter a cold look. "Who do you think you are, showing off in front of me?"
Instantly, the waiter’s face flushed red and pale by turns.
"Don’t get cocky!" Song Yan continued, then pulled out a silver note worth a hundred thousand taels and slapped it on the table, sneering. "If I killed you and paid Senior Brother Lin a hundred thousand taels as compensation, do you think he’d blame me?"
Clang! A guard suddenly drew his long blade, pressing its cold edge against the waiter’s neck.
The waiter’s face turned deathly pale. Trembling, he stammered, "S-sir, it’s all my fault. Please, don’t hold it against me!"
"Put it away."
Song Yan gave the guard an approving look.
This chapter isn’t over yet ^.^, please click next page to continue reading!
"Thank you, young master!" the waiter said quickly.
"What are you standing around for? Hurry up and bring the food!" Song Yan snapped.
"Y-yes, sir! I’ll go tell the kitchen right away!" The waiter scurried off.
"Young master, you really are amazing!" Little Tiger said cheerfully.
"Of course I am. If I weren’t, would I be the young master and you the servant?" Song Yan joked.
Just then, a group of people walked into the inn.
Leading them was a young man in green. At the sight of him, Nate and Lynn’s faces changed dramatically.
At the same time, the green-clad young man strode over with his group, casting a shadowy glance at the Ning siblings. He barked, "Seize that thief!"
"Who dares touch my people?" Song Yan said sharply.
Clang! Clang!
The sound of weapons being drawn filled the air. In an instant, Song Yan’s people surrounded the green-clad youth and his seven or eight men.
The green-clad youth’s face changed slightly. He looked coldly at Song Yan. "I’m with the Wu family of Snowsun City. That man stole my sword. If you stay out of this, we can be friends. Otherwise..."
By the end, his tone was openly threatening.
"Be friends with you? Ha, you think I’m so desperate?" Song Yan said coolly, glancing at the green-clad youth.
Wu Yu’s face grew even angrier. "Are you really going to make an enemy of the Wu family? I suggest you think carefully!"
"Think about your sister! Get lost, and don’t ruin my mood!" Song Yan replied lazily, unfazed.
Hearing this, Wu Yu was furious. He shouted, "Men, seize that thief! If anyone tries to stop you, kill them!"
"Yes, sir!"
Wu Yu’s men were about to rush forward when, in a flash, Chopin appeared before them. His ninth-level Qi Refining aura exploded out, and the men froze in their tracks.
"Anyone who takes one step forward dies!"