Chapter 12: West City Gate (2/2)
The landscape was much like the barren land Xu Min encountered the first time he had left the forest in which he lived for two years. Looking closely, Xu Min noticed the top of a forest far off in the distance. Although he could see the forest, it was clearly quite a distance away. Finding his destination, the young man started walking towards the forest, following the road upon which everyone else also traveled.
It was early morning when he departed from Honghe City. He knew that at this time, Wang Li was currently busy at the docks. He could feel how his body was bursting with unused energy, his body almost screaming with the urge to move.
Grinning broadly, Xu Min could no longer hold back, and with an explosive step, he started running towards the distant forest.
As soon as he started running, a comfortable humming sound spread throughout his body as every muscle was being used. He rushed down the paved road, overtaking one group after another. The explosive speed with which he was running was enough to make the overtaken groups and caravans stop and look up. They were surprised to see a lone figure moving as swiftly as the wind down the road, showing no signs of slowing down.
Xu Min spent five years running around the docks. At first, he carried one crate at a time, but as time went on, he carried two, then three crates. During the last year, he moved up to four crates at once, each weighing around fifty kilograms.
Now that he was running down the paved road and not lifting anything, his movements were filled with strength. His speed was unprecedented amongst his peers. He was as swift as the wind, and his movements were fluid. No sound could be heard, and the majority of the warriors who saw him were incapable of seeing how he moved. All they saw was a blur rushing past them.
Feeling his legs growing tired, Xu Min forced himself to keep running at the same speed as before, squeezing every single drop of energy from his body to his legs to keep his pace up. In the end, he managed to run straight ahead at the same pace he had started at for thirteen hours. By the time he stopped, the sun was setting far off in the distance, setting behind the forest that was much closer now.
Looking around, Xu Min noticed that the further he walked along the road, the more deserted it became. Looking around his surroundings, he saw that some caravans had set up camp a few kilometers away from the road in the barren landscape. Seeing this, Xu Min decided to follow suit and kept walking until he found a suitable location to camp.
What he was looking for was a location with some vegetation. However, the land was barren. Small bushes were seen here and there. He ultimately picked out a location in one of the weatherbeaten bushes.
Getting closer, Xu Min could not help but celebrate as he saw that the bush was bigger than he had expected. He quickly climbed under the branches until he entered the inside of the bush, where he slowly but gently moved the branches away until a small cave was created.
If one were to look at the bush from the outside, it would be impossible to tell that someone was camping inside. Although he had the aura of a one star Warrior, Xu Min knew that someone had to be close to him to feel his aura.
Seated in the bush, Xu Min was satisfied with his shelter. He quickly crossed his legs and closed his eyes. Although he was alone and on his way to the wilderness, he still knew how important cultivation was. Within moments, golden specks of light appeared in the air. Some of the specks were absorbed by the young man who was breathing heavily while others were expelled every time he took a new breath.
The night went by quickly, and no one noticed the young man who was hiding in the bush. As the sun rose in the sky, his closed eyes instantly opened, and Xu Min left the safety of his bush as he returned to the road. He started running once more as swiftly as he could, running quickly towards the forest.
Although Xu Min was running fast, he ended up having to camp in the bushes two more times before he finally reached the outskirts of the forest. Looking around, the young man was deeply taken aback because nothing was how he had imagined it.
This forest was known for its demon beasts, and many families used it as a training ground for their young masters and guards, while mercenaries used it as a way to make money. Xu Min was shocked when he saw that right in front of the forest, there was a small town that seemed to be flourishing with business.
The town had more than one inn, and there were merchants selling everything from food and drinks to weapons and armors.
Apart from merchants and inns, there were smithies, pharmacies, and even a shop that rented out carriages. Looking at all these things, Xu Min could not help but feel slightly numb. The sight was anything but what he expected to see.
Although there was civilization right in front of him, Xu Min quickly decided to move the other way. Even though there was some appeal to the town, the only things that the young man brought with him was his sword that he had in a sheath on his back and a small bag bound around his waist. In the bag were food and drinks; the young man had brought no money with him.
Even back when he worked at the docks, Wang Li never once paid him a salary. The young man never once asked for it. The two of them found a great balance where Wang Li bought everything he needed and Xu Min did all the chores and followed the orders he was given in return.
Seeing a town that required money for him to purchase goods, Xu Min could do nothing but sigh as he turned around and walked in the opposite direction. He preferred to enter the outskirts of the forest somewhere without too many people watching. When everything was said and done, Xu Min was still only a Warrior, and based on his previous experiences, he knew very well that animals were not the only thing to be feared in a forest.