Chapter 198 - 197: Wherever It Leads
Chapter 198: Chapter 197: Wherever It Leads
Outside Cangwu City.
Atop a tall horse.
Wu Chen swayed lazily, letting his horse wander without any specific destination in mind.
After all, never mind the vast mountain forests surrounding Cangwu City; there were at least a thousand towns and villages of various sizes. It would be quite easy for a spy from the Barbarian Race to hide without being found by the Demon Suppression Bureau.
Seeing Wu Chen dozing on horseback, Zhou Hu, riding beside him, grew restless. He couldn’t help but urge his horse forward and call out:
"Lord Wu, where exactly are we headed?"
By comparison, he was far more diligent and responsible.
Although he was only a temporary guard and had a somewhat arrogant personality, he was also afraid of being used as cannon fodder by these young masters from influential families.
But since he had been chosen to hunt for the barbarian, there was no reason to be timid.
Moreover, when it came to dealing with the Alien Race, there was national enmity and personal hatred involved. He still had the bloodlust for a fight.
As for his conflicted expression throughout the journey, it was merely indignation at being treated like cannon fodder.
"Wherever the horse takes us."
Wu Chen replied without even opening his eyes, still resting.
Logically, this answer should have been good news for Zhou Hu. Instead, he just shook his head, sighing internally at how unreliable Wu Chen was.
’Regardless of whether we find anything on this trip, we should at least plan a general search area.’
’We should also communicate with the other Captains already on the mission, so we can all search the areas around Cangwu City one by one.’
’Only then would we have a good chance of finding this Barbarian.’
’Then, at the location where the barbarian appears, we could team up with nearby Captains and Demon Suppression Guards. We’d surely be able to capture this barbarian who’s been in hiding for so long.’
’Although doing so would mean the mission’s merits would be split and the reward would be smaller, it’s still better than getting nothing at all.’
But he never would have imagined that not only did Wu Chen have no plan whatsoever, he was even letting his horse wander aimlessly with his eyes closed.
’This isn’t a hunt for a barbarian, this is a scenic tour!’
Though he was thoroughly annoyed, Zhou Hu could only swallow his frustration and patiently follow behind Wu Chen on his swaying horse.
「By the time the sun was high in the sky.」
The crimson horse came to a halt at the foot of a forested mountain, and only then did Wu Chen slowly open his eyes.
"You set up a tent here. Don’t wander off, and watch the horses."
Glancing at the dense forest before them, Wu Chen dismounted and instructed Zhou Hu, "I’m going to take a walk in the mountains to see if there are any traces of the culprit."
"Lord Wu, I, Zhou Hu, am no coward who fears death! I am willing to enter the mountains with you to search for the Barbarian Race scum together."
Zhou Hu grew anxious upon hearing this. ’How can he just leave me here at the foot of the mountain by myself?’
’Besides, if you die in these mountains, won’t I be a dead man when I get back to the Demon Suppression Bureau?’
’Even if I don’t die, would your family behind you let me off?’
"That won’t be necessary."
However, Wu Chen gave him no chance to argue. After that one faint remark, his figure flickered, and he leaped into the forest.
His speed was like an afterimage.
Zhou Hu gritted his teeth and forced himself to follow, but in the blink of an eye, there was no longer any sign of him in the woods.
"This..."
Staring at the empty surroundings, Zhou Hu’s eyes went wide. In the end, he could only turn back resentfully to tend to the horses.
「...」
In front of the dilapidated hall of the Celestial Star Sect.
A white light flashed, and Wu Chen’s figure appeared before the hall’s entrance.
He gripped the Token, its light now much dimmer. A momentary confusion appeared in his eyes before he came to his senses, realizing he had been transported to another world.
"Master, your good disciple has brought you Soul-Storage Pearls!"
Without any formal ceremony, Wu Chen casually stepped over the collapsed entrance of the hall, walked up to the bronze statue inside, and called out loudly.
From their brief interaction last time, he knew his master disliked such formalities. He figured the old man must have been a decisive, no-nonsense figure in his past life, without much patience for pleasantries.
"Hmm? How long has it been? I’m... still not dead?"
Upon hearing Wu Chen’s voice, a spectral shadow as faint as white mist flew out from between the eyebrows of the tall, rust-covered, humanoid bronze statue.
Unlike his imposing appearance last time, the old man’s figure was now flickering and unstable. He seemed to have difficulty controlling his movements, bobbing up and down as he flew.
It was just as he had said last time: if he held on for another month or so, he would dissipate completely.
Wu Chen quickly reached out to support the remnant soul. Looking at him up close, he noticed that his master’s facial features were so blurry they were almost unrecognizable, and the outline of his form was nearly transparent.
Not daring to delay any longer, he quickly took out the five Soul-Storage Pearls he had obtained from Qingfeng Manor from his storage pouch.
"Master, you should stabilize your form first. We can talk later."
He opened his palm, presenting the five round pearls to his master, and urged him on.
"Hiss! These Soul-Storage Pearls... they’re not only close to being graded, but there are five of them?!"
The old man could tell at a glance that the quality of these Soul-Storage Pearls was leagues above the one Wu Chen had brought last time, and he couldn’t help but be astonished.
"You rascal, you must have gone off fighting and competing with others for these! Foolish!"
His heart ached for his own disciple. The old man could only imagine what kind of thrilling and perilous ordeal Wu Chen must have gone through to obtain these five Soul-Storage Pearls.
He feared it must have involved life-and-death struggles and a desperate escape.
It was even possible that he was currently trapped and had been forced to teleport here.
Using it as a way to escape certain death.
He couldn’t help but scold him, "Foolish! You brat! What in this world is more precious than your own life? This old man is just a remnant soul. I’m not worth you risking your life like this!"
"This old man has already died once, so you listen to me!"
"No matter what, your own life comes first!"
"Only by staying alive does anything else matter!"
Hearing this, Wu Chen didn’t bother explaining much, just chuckling as he said, "Master, why don’t you refine these five Soul-Storage Pearls first? We can talk slowly after that."
Seeing his calm and collected demeanor, the old man was at a loss for words.
But considering that his disciple had a point, he waved his sleeve, and the five Soul-Storage Pearls in Wu Chen’s hand vanished.
Then, the old man’s swaying figure flew back into the bronze statue and disappeared within.
With that, there wasn’t much for Wu Chen to do, especially since he was alone.
If Hong Ling had come with him, he would definitely be training her right now.
Of course, he meant honing her Martial Arts skills.
But he didn’t stay idle. First, he went to the cold pond not far from the hall, caught a few foot-long, yellow-scaled fish, and picked some precious herbs.
Then, with practiced movements, he started a bonfire.
Before long, the aroma of cooked fish filled the air in front of the hall’s entrance.
As Wu Chen savored the fish, he mused to himself. ’Last time, it took Master ten days to refine one Soul Pearl. I estimate that to completely refine these five, it’ll take at least half a month.’
’Looks like I’ll have to stay here for at least half a month, then.’
He planned to wait until his master finished the refinement, ask him if he had any new Martial Arts, and then leave after acquiring them.
This was also a matter of necessity. The Celestial Star Sect jade Token had lost half of its light after teleporting him here.
If he used it to teleport back, it would lose all its power.
Wu Chen really couldn’t guarantee when he would be able to come back next time.
As for spiritual substances that could recharge the jade token, like the ’earth milk’ from the Spirit Pool, he had only ever seen them inside this hall. He had no idea where to find such things in the outside world.
Therefore, once he left, Wu Chen estimated it would be at least two or three months before he could hope to return.
’As for disappearing for half a month... Zhou Hu...’
Wu Chen felt the man would certainly have no complaints. He might even think Wu Chen was being very responsible, seriously combing the mountain and carefully searching for the barbarian’s trail.
With these thoughts in mind, two days passed.
Wu Chen was stunned to see his master floating before him with a stern, angry glare. "So fast?"
"The grade of the Soul-Storage Pearls you found this time is better than the last. The previous one had too many impurities, and refining it required a meticulous process, which is why it was slow."
After this brief explanation, the corners of the old man’s mustache twitched as he began to scold him:
"You little brat, now it’s your turn to tell me how you got these five Soul-Storage Pearls!"
"Were you forced into a corner? Were you being hunted by a Dragon Transformation Realm expert, forcing you to teleport here to escape disaster?"