Chapter 69: Yize Interlude (1)

Chapter 69: Yize Interlude (1)

Yize sat comfortably on the driver's bench and gave the reins a snap. He did it more to make himself feel like he was doing something than for any real purpose. Huichen ignored him and continued trundling along, the mule pulling the cart through the forest at the same rate he'd been walking at ever since they'd left home.

It was enough to make him feel a bit superfluous. If Huichen could count money, he could practically handle the whole trip by himself.

No, that wasn't entirely true. Yize straightened up and took his bow in hand. There was a paw print leading off to the side of the road, straight towards a break in the undergrowth. He wasn't going to stop the cart to examine it in detailthat would be a good way to invite the trouble he wanted to avoidbut Yize knew the sign of a predator when he saw one, even from a distance.

In a way, it was comforting. With every mile he had traveled north on the way to Jiaoqu Town, the forest had felt just a little bit stranger. By the time he'd reached the place, the hair on the back of his neck had been standing straight up. Before leaving, Yize had considered trying to sneak in a hunt in order to earn some extra cash, but once he saw the Northern Waste with his own eyes he abandoned that idea without hesitation.

At least he'd learned from the experience. The wilderness had changed around him on the way north because the ordinary forest gradually gave way to whatever brand of hell had created the Northern Wastes. Now that he was on his way back south, everything began to look a bit more familiar with every step Huichen took. Familiar enough that he could recognize the signs of danger.

Yize drew an arrow from the quiver on his back. He touched it to his bowstring just firmly enough to feel the string slide in place. No point putting any extra strain on himself and his bow before he had a target to aim at.

The thick trees and thicker undergrowth made it almost impossible for Yize to spot any predators that might be lurking in ambush. He closed his eyes and focused his attention on his surroundings.

He could hear the steady sound of Huichen's hooves, the old mule not bothering to break stride even if it did sense its drivers' nerves. A few branches overhead rustled in the breeze. Other than that, there was no sound. The chirping and chattering of birds and small furry animals that had accompanied Yize throughout his journey had gone silent. Nobody wanted to draw the attention of whatever was waiting out there in the woods.

Yize took in a deep breath. It was enough to confirm that he and Huichen could both use a thorough wash soon, but he couldn't pick up any other scents.

Yize had spent enough time in the woods to trust his intuition. If he ventured into the woods to take on whatever was waiting for him, he'd be signing up for a quick bout of life and death combat. With all the work he'd been doing training to fight, there was a chance he might even win. He liked his odds better if he stuck to the cart with his bow ready and waited for his opponent to come to him.

Yize might be on a long journey through the woods, but he wasn't on a hunt. He didn't have to bring back valuable skins in order to make ends meet. All that he needed to do was to make sure that he finished driving the cart to and from Li Village. His sect leader wouldn't thank him for risking his cargo in the pursuit of a valuable pelt. If he got himself killed trying to do something foolish, he'd probably end up docking his pay.

He did his best to look on the bright side. He'd be arriving at Jiulu City soon enough, giving him another chance to move his wares. He hadn't had much success on the outgoing leg of the trip or on either leg of his previous trip, but logically speaking he should be getting better at making sales with every attempt.

He stopped in the forest just outside the settled area surrounding the city. It was late in the afternoon, not nearly enough sunlight left in the day to reach the commercial district and set up his stall. Instead, he decided to save on the inn fee and spend another night out under the stars.

He hopped off of the cart and froze for a moment in indecision. If he started making camp right now, then it would be too dark to move around freely by the time he was done. He'd have a perfectly good excuse to skip his exercises, go straight into his evening meditation, enjoy his meal, and go to sleep.

Was it a perfectly good excuse, though? Yize thought back to the grin on Xinyi's face the last time she'd put him through "remedial training."

He sighed, giving his bedroll an affectionate pat where it lay in the back of the cart before abandoning it to walk over to the center of the clearing. He held both hands in front of him, crouched into a solid horse stance, and began to count.

Setting up camp in the dark was a pain. It wasn't made any easier by the full-body soreness that set in almost immediately after he had finished his exercises. Still, Yize was in a good mood.

Soreness was a sign that you had been working hard. And he needed to work hard if he was ever going to catch up with Zihan, let alone measure up to Xinyi's standards.

He was still only at five open meridians, though the next one wasn't too far away. He'd gotten a little complacent before at the gap in cultivation between himself and his sister. Zihan's addition to the sect had shown the price of slacking off, as he had suddenly found himself far from the top of their little group of elders.

Once he had a fire going, he lowered himself into a meditative pose with a relieved hiss. As much as he tried to convince himself that soreness was a badge of honor, it was still a relief to be off his feet. He waited a moment for his mood to settle before he began to cultivate.

He took a deep breath, hunting for the spiritual energy in the air. As usual, he went through a brief moment of fear as nothing happened, but on the third breath he could feel the warmth of the spiritual energy entering his body and flowing through his meridians. He had already enjoyed tremendous physical benefits from his improvement in cultivationthere was a time when he would have thought of a solo trip to the Northern Wastes as suicidal rather than just a little dangerousand he was eager to reach the foundation building stage and get a taste of real cultivation.

He felt his heartbeat pick up and took a deliberate breath. Spiritual energy was a tricky prey. Not dangerous, at least not so far, but wary. He had found through practice that it was best to relax and let it come to him, but in the heat of the moment it could be hard to hold fast to his plans.

Any eagerness, any attempt at outright pursuit would only drive away his quarry. Yize remained still and breathed once more. The energy flowed into him, strong and steady. He allowed himself a smile. Progress was only a matter of time.