145 Freedom (1/2)
Hei Gou was used to Xue Wei leading the way for the two of them, but this time things were different. Xue Wei was utterly obsessed with making his body get used to passively using the Azure Dragon Scripture's Qi flows. The group had left the Vermilion Forest and were walking on the roads that ran through the Vermilion Forest Kingdom.
”Have you never wondered why Primordial Beasts are so strong?” Tianyi asked. Xue Wei wondered for a bit before he understood the crux of the problem.
Primordial Beasts were stronger than humans of the same age. Even Hei Gou, who was considered a very average beast, had strength equivalent to a Sky Warrior after only five years of cultivation. This alone was a shocking feat, but for Primordial Beasts, it was indeed nothing.
”They can cultivate constantly. After their core is created, they will be able to cultivate at any moment in time – even in their sleep, their bodies cultivate without conscious input.”
”It is also possible for humans to imitate this, but it requires diligent practice. That is your goal!”
Tianyi was placed in a very plain leather scabbard by Xue Wei's waist. It looked very ordinary and even a bit shabby, but Tianyi's voice continued to echo in Xue Wei's head.
The priestess and Hei Gou were chatting with one another, though they were unsure of what exactly they should talk about, so their conversation was about simple things such as the weather or the dusty road. Even a discussion about a capital neither had seen before was brought up to avoid uncomfortable silence.
Xue Wei was completely ignorant of the discomfort his two companions were feeling. He was getting better and better at making his body refine the Qi on its own, but he still needed some more time to fully internalize it.
As they walked down the dusty road, they were the targets of quite a few bandit groups, but none of them could truly pose any threat to the trio.
The priestess had never before cultivated, as she had not been allowed to cultivate by the villagers out of fear for her getting too strong, so she was no help and spent most of her time on the sidelines providing either aid or compliment every time they were done with a fight
The group stopped in a few villages along the way, and stayed in a few inns to cleanse themselves and get a proper night of rest every once in a while. Although they did not have much money, they could get by with what they salvaged after every encounter with a group of bandits.
Although they were far from being considered wealthy, they had enough money to stay a few nights at the inns, and even more so buy a few simple meals.
The priestess had not taken anything with her from the temple in the Thousand Mist Village. Although she had many gold and silver coins she had forgotten them in the rush to leave. She also owned ornaments that were made from gold, jade, and gemstones, but it would be far too unhandy to bring those with her since she did not have a storage ring or spatial treasure of some kind. In the end it would be troublesome to return to the village for the coins and thus she was incredibly poor.
It had also been impossible for Xue Wei and Hei Gou to take any of the weapons and items from the villagers they had killed, and since the villagers did not use coins to sustain their village, they had not found any valuables either. All they had to live off were the coins they had taken from bandits that they had encountered on the way to the Vermilion Forest.
While they weren't wealthy enough to purchase medicinal plants or pills to aid them in cultivation, they could at least afford to live comfortably
Day after day went by on the road. They would set out during the morning and look for a place to rest during the night. Sometimes, they would stay in an inn, in a town, or a village if they came across one, but many a time they had to camp overnight under the moonlight in the Vermilion Forest.
As they traveled, Xue Wei became increasingly proficient at his new cultivation method. In fact, it came almost naturally to him, and even Tianyi praised him for that.
”When I was trying to learn it, it took me a full five years to reach the point you are at now! You are a natural at this!” the sword praised him. ”You're almost as good as a Primordial Beast at it already. I don't know how you did it, but it is indeed a feat you can be proud about!”
As Xue Wei got better and better, he started to notice the tense and awkward atmosphere between Hei Gou and Jiang Fengmian.
”So, miss Jiang, what are your plans when you reach the capital?” Xue Wei asked in an attempt to elevate the mood.
”I intend to join a temple,” she said with certainty in her voice. ”I wish to become a real priestess and take care of those in need. I know that I am now too old to begin cultivating, so my worth on the battlefield is useless.”
”But there should be temples in the capital, considering the size of the faction backing up the diviners, priests, and monks across the entire continent. They ought to have branches in every kingdom. So if I join them, I might be able to do something good.”
”My entire life has been about harming others. I killed my mother, and I destroyed the future of many men in the village. It is time that I atone for these sins.”
Her voice was low but filled with a determination so unwavering that it surprised Xue Wei.
He knew that she had decided to end the curse on the villagers. Although she had been hated by these villagers day in and day out, she still felt guilty for their deaths and wished to repent.
It was true that it was partly her fault for allowing Xue Wei and Hei Gou to escape, but truthfully, the only other option was to have her become a cold corpse in the forest somewhere alongside the villagers.
”A priestess, huh?” Hei Gou was the first one to speak. He nodded his head. ”You will make a good priestess. You do care about others enough.”