Chapter 447 - Jueming Gorge (1/2)
It was the twenty-fourth of the seventh month, three days later. The sky was bright and clear overhead when Xiao Chen arrived at a town called the Shishi Town—the Town of the Stone Lion, a little settlement at the edges of the Eastern Continent. He came here before when he was heading to the Middle Continent with Murong Xian’er.
In a stroke of luck and coincidence, he passed before the same Humen Armed Escort Agency and a man came forward to accost him, grinning broadly. “You three looking for some security on your journey to Xianyong City? The Humen Armed… Wait a minute! You!” He gasped with surprise when he recognized Xiao Chen.
“It’s been quite a long time, Thunderbolt,” Xiao Chen greeted.
It was Thunderbolt, an armed escort of this agency. It was also he who had chaperoned Xiao Chen and Murong Xian’er before when they were heading for Xianyong City, although Xiao Chen’s easy and short work of the hitmen from Ling Family left him in awe.
Still reeling with joy and surprise, Thunderbolt suddenly realized Xiao Chen’s white hair. “My friend… your hair…”
“It’s fine,” Xiao Chen waved him off gently, smiling. He turned to Qingluan and her sister. “Let’s journey on with the convoy.”
Thunderbolt beamed, “Very well! But this time, I’ll collect no payment from you!”
They arranged to travel with the armed convoy and hopped on to one of their horse-drawn carriages and that allowed them to make good headway. This time, Thunderbolt was friendlier and more amicable than before, “Have you heard about this year’s Wind and Cloud Meeting on August 15th, my friend?”
“Can’t say I haven’t.” Xiao Chen nodded.
“The previous Meetings are nothing but the annual banality. But this year it’s different!” Thunderbolt revealed enthusiastically. “There are rumors that two powerful contestants are taking part. One of them the Great Devil Gu Feng, who was riling up a storm just not long ago. And the other, I’m sure must be another legendary figure emerging after being dormant for ages… Heh heh heh heh…”
Thunderbolt’s face brightened with admiration as he went on, “In the past, it had always been members of the Orthodox Sect who lead the show. But this time, I’m sure it would be different. Imagine this, heroes from all corners of the world coming to Mount Wuyue. It boils my blood only to think about the number of hermits and mages who had been living in hiding, emerging now to show the world what they are capable of!”
Thunderbolt chuckled delightedly. “The Great Devil Gu Feng. What a figure! They say he is at least a thousand years old! Somebody like him with powers that reign supreme over the lands! Makes you wonder if there’s really anyone who can pit toe-to-toe against him! Whoever is that stranger challenging him, he must also be a powerful fighter himself from the ancients!”
“Mister Bolt of Fire here got that right somehow.” Ziyun’er sniggered at the last sentence.
“It’s Thunderbolt.” the armed escort corrected her, slightly annoyed.
“All right, Mister Thunderbolt,” Ziyun’er giggled and said, “This stranger you’re talking about is indeed a powerful figure from thousands of years ago. In fact, he’s like a brother to my young lord here.”
Thunderbolt stared at her silently for seconds before he guffawed. “That’s a funny joke, little girl.” He turned to Xiao Chen and said, “So, my friend, would you be going to Mount Wuyue for this year’s Meeting?”
Unlike a vivacious and spirited Ziyun’er, Qingluan said nothing. She merely looked on, keeping a careful watch. Xiao Chen nodded. “I believe I would.” Thunderbolt rubbed his hands anxiously with brimming rhapsody. “You must. Powerful mages such as you should be there.”
Xiao Chen merely smiled and said nothing, his serene outlook belying the jitters of distress now assailing him. The ambiance in the carriage cabin darkened suddenly. But the sky was still clear and bright outside just not long ago but dark nimbuses loomed ominously overhead now. They have arrived at the Changyin Mountain Range.
No fingers of sunlight ever slid up the slopes of the Changyin Mountain Range and the inhabitants in these parts were no stranger to the dismal sight of the gloomy summits of the Mountain Range that towered over the nearby terrain. Within four hours, the convoy arrived at Xianyong City, where wide streets were customarily crammed with endless scores of people and never-ending strings of wagons and caravans of merchants and traders. Buildings stood proudly on either sides of the streets, overlooking the hustle and bustle at their feet while many a great number of floating isles bobbed lazily skyward and the entire city looked very much the rich and lively illustration of how cities in the Middle Continent looked like, unlike their more tranquil and venerable counterparts in the Eastern Continent.
Xiao Chen clambered off the carriage to behold the sight of the busy street panning out before him, remembering how worried he was about money when he first came here with Murong Xian’er because of how busy and wealthy this city was. It was a surrealistic deja vu being back here again.
“Please, my lady… I will not accept any payment from you, at least not this time…”
Xiao Chen turned around. He was engrossed in his reminiscences until the voice interrupted him and saw Ziyun’er saying, “It’s fine, Mister Bolts of Fire. It’s just payment for your services escorting us.” And she shoved an ingot of silver into Thunderbolt’s hand.
“It’s Thunderbolt…” the armed escort muttered under his breath.
“Oh, oh! Heh heh heh… I keep on mistaking your name.”
Xiao Chen strode over to join them. With a chuckle at their banter, he said to Thunderbolt, “Farewell, my friend. I wish you good fortune in your endeavors to come.”
Thunderbolt bade him farewell with a salute, saying, “Well, I’m just a brute with hardly learned in courtesy in manners. Still, I wish you fortune too. May you fare triumphantly in the upcoming Meeting, defeat all odds and rise to the top!”
After exchanging their goodbyes, Xiao Chen and his companions roamed the busy streets until dark fell. Feeling concern for Xiao Chen’s health, especially after so many days of journey, Ziyun’er said, “We should look for an inn or a tavern, my Lord. You need to rest before pressing on tomorrow.”
With his deteriorating health, Xiao Chen could not endure the thin air at high altitudes and he could only travel in carriages. He looked up into the clusters of red-yellowish scaly plumes hanging up high in the dusk sky and took a deep breath. Countless powerful mages are rising up from everywhere and yet, his powers were waning. Clan Mo would never stop coming for him to exact their vengeance, even though Mo Yu alone seemed hardly an adequate reason for their relentless attempts on his life…
They looked for an inn and ordered a table full of food; all of them were favorites of Xiao Chen. Qingluan had specifically requested that kitchen to use more salt although it hardly helped. With Xiao Chen’s present condition, he had lost all sense of taste. Everything he ate tasted like wax to him. After just a few disinterested nibbles, he withdrew back to his room.
Pale shafts of moonlight winnowed through the window into the room as the gentle whispers of the night breeze could be heard outside. But the tranquility of the evening hardly helped Xiao Chen to sleep. He got up and went outside to sit alone in the darkened courtyard, hearing only the shrill beckons of nocturnal bugs and accompanied by shadows of trees portending the growing hours of the night.