Ji Yuan had no intention of specially informing anyone. For one, he had already mentioned the possibility of leaving Great Zhen during conversations with Wei Wuwei and others, though the exact timing was undecided. For another, his unpredictable whereabouts were more advantageous than disadvantageous. Moreover, it would seem rather sentimental to go to several places just to announce his departure on a long journey.
Nevertheless, a trip home was necessary.
In the afternoon of the second day of the Lunar New Year, Ji Yuan was already home, currently writing at his desk in his room.
Although he didn't intend to specifically notify anyone, he at least left a note at Ju'an Small Pavilion.
After writing, Ji Yuan set down his brush, picked up the paper, and gave it a shake. The ink dried at a visibly rapid pace.
"Excellent, this will do!"
The note contained a decree, consisting of dozens of words. If relevant individuals were to seek him, the decree would automatically react. Upon seeing the note, they likely wouldn't easily pinpoint his exact whereabouts, but they would know he was generally heading north, which would give them a rough idea.
After reviewing it, Ji Yuan ultimately decided not to infuse it with any deeper meaning, simply placing the decree on the desk, held down by a paperweight.
Having completed these tasks, Ji Yuan gathered several old brass locks from inside the house, exited his room, and then locked the main residence with a distinct click.
"Rustle... rustle..."
The branches and leaves of the jujube tree in the courtyard swayed without a breeze. Ji Yuan looked at the tree and chuckled.
"You cannot move, and it's immensely difficult for a plant spirit to shed its true form. I'll trouble you to watch over the house."
After saying this, Ji Yuan went to the courtyard gate, locked it, and then deliberately walked out of the small alley of Tianniu Fang, carrying an umbrella and a bag.
Although Ji Yuan's presence in Ning'an County has been low in recent years, his standing remains considerable among many who know him. Therefore, unless he was in a great hurry, Ji Yuan would typically take this route whenever he embarked on a long journey, ensuring that the villagers he encountered knew he was departing.
When neighbors in Tianniu Fang encountered Ji Yuan, they would greet him. Seeing him with an umbrella and a bundle, they would invariably ask about his destination, and naturally receive the reply that he was embarking on another long journey.
Outside Tianniu Fang, Sun's Noodle Stall on the opposite street remained open. The Sun family was industrious, not even taking a full day off on the second day of the Lunar New Year.
However, as Ji Yuan approached, Sun Shusheng was already packing up items from the stall and arranging tables and chairs to hang them at the front of his cart, clearly preparing to close for the day.
Sun Shusheng, Old Sun's youngest son, had taken over the noodle stall when his father could no longer manage it. Although his familiarity with Ji Yuan wasn't as deep as his father's, he still recognized him and greeted him warmly upon seeing him approach.
"Mr. Ji, Happy New Year! Are you here for noodles?"
The Sun family knew that Mr. Ji lived alone and often didn't cook at home, preferring to eat at the noodle stall.
Although he had visited much less frequently in recent years, Old Sun's standing instruction was to always set aside a portion of offal and braised noodles at Sun's Noodle Stall, just in case Mr. Ji came by.
"Happy New Year, Happy New Year! You're already closing early; do you still have any noodles left?"
Ji Yuan completed his polite greetings with clasped hands and then casually asked.
Sun Shusheng set down the small table he was preparing to move, wiped his hands with a cloth slung over his shoulder, and chuckled amiably.
"Yes! There's still one portion each of lamb offal and noodles, and the charcoal stove hasn't gone out. If Mr. Ji wishes to eat, I'll prepare it for you right away!"
Appearing to have just noticed the umbrella Ji Yuan was carrying and the bundle on his back, Sun Shusheng then asked.
"Sir, are you embarking on another distant journey?"
"Yes, this journey might take me even further. I won't have noodles; please extend my regards to Old Sun."
"Certainly, I'll pass it on. Have a safe journey."
"Mhm."
After acknowledging, Ji Yuan walked towards the city gate. This time, he didn't employ his levitation technique. Instead, he maintained a rapid pace as if shortening distances, walking even outside the city without flying. He intended to travel directly north along the ground, passing through Qi Prefecture, which lies north of Ji Prefecture, and then exit the territory of Great Zhen.
This journey lasted for a considerable time.
Approximately three months later, Ji Yuan, clad in a grey shirt, was walking alone through a wilderness along a forest path.
Since leaving the territory of Great Zhen from Qi Prefecture over a month ago, Ji Yuan's pace had been relatively slower.
Directly to its north, Great Zhen bordered two nations: the Tingliang Kingdom, which occupied half of Mount Tingqiu, and the Zuyue Kingdom, where he currently was. Zuyue shared many direct borders with Great Zhen, and occasional skirmishes occurred between the two.
However, Ji Yuan noticed that after passing several important border towns, a long stretch of the Zuyue Kingdom appeared quite desolate. It had been a considerable time since he last saw any human habitation after leaving the previous town.
Ji Yuan continued walking along the wilderness path. Although many sections of the road were almost overgrown with wild grass, its width suggested it was once a main thoroughfare, though it was now sparsely traveled.
At one point, Ji Yuan suddenly stopped. He turned his head towards a particularly overgrown spot at the side of the road, paused in thought, and then took two steps closer.
Ji Yuan reached out and swept aside the tall grass, revealing two skeletons behind it, still clinging to remnants of cloth.
"It's fortunate that I don't require much food or water; otherwise, ordinary travelers attempting this path without sufficient provisions would likely struggle to make it across."
Regardless of whether their souls were taken by the Underworld or if they became wandering spirits, there was no lingering spiritual essence on these two skeletons. With no way of knowing how they perished, Ji Yuan could only sigh and continue on his way.
Another half-day passed, and vague shapes that might be buildings finally appeared in Ji Yuan's blurry vision. His pace instinctively quickened, but the closer he got, the more his brow furrowed.
Before him lay a village that was not small, yet it showed little sign of human activity. He initially attributed this to the distance, but even when closer, he could barely detect any human presence by scent.
'It appears to be abandoned.'
Ji Yuan entered the village, observing his surroundings. Many of the houses appeared dilapidated, wild grass grew unchecked throughout, and there was no sound of chickens or dogs in the alleys, let alone any sign of people.
After walking deeper into the village for a while without encountering anyone, Ji Yuan decided not to proceed further. Instead, he returned to a large house at the village entrance that lacked a courtyard.
In front of this house stood a well. Ji Yuan inspected it, noting that it contained water, and both the well rope and wooden bucket were present. The house itself was relatively intact, offering shelter from the elements.
"Creak... creak... creak..."
As he turned the handle, Ji Yuan drew up a bucket of well water. He lifted it out, examined it, and sniffed it. The water was remarkably clear and completely free of any unpleasant odor.
Ji Yuan cupped his hands, scooped up some well water, and gulped it down, finding it crisp and refreshing.
"Ah... this place..."
Exhaling, Ji Yuan gazed at a low, dilapidated small temple about dozens of meters away at the village entrance. It was the village's Earth God temple, yet no divine aura lingered there, nor did he attempt to summon the Earth God using divine confinement.
In desolate areas, twilight seemed to descend with remarkable speed. Ji Yuan had only rested for a short while, and the surroundings had already grown dim.
Having gathered some firewood from a nearby dilapidated house, Ji Yuan decided to rest here for the night. At least the dwelling offered a roof, and with tomorrow being the "Awakening of Insects" solar term, the sky suggested rain was highly probable that evening.
Many easily portable furnishings were missing from this large house, both in the front and back; even the cooking pot from the kitchen stove was gone. Traces of a campfire remained in the main hall, likely left by other travelers.
Since the kitchen roof had a large hole, Ji Yuan simply piled up firewood and lit it in the main hall of the house. Although the paper covering the windows of the main door was torn, the door itself could still be closed.
Ji Yuan found a surviving stool and sat by the fire. He skewered a dry biscuit with a piece of kindling, propping one end in a hole in the stool leg and positioning the other end near the fire to warm.
While waiting for the biscuit to warm and soften, Ji Yuan took out a book to alleviate boredom. It was *Tales of Heresy*, a book he hadn't read in a long time. Although he had already perused every chapter within it, he had been solely focused on cultivation during his recent periods of rest. Rereading this book today would serve as a form of relaxation.
"Rumble..."
Spring thunder rumbled. Ji Yuan, holding his book, looked up towards the door, as lightning twisted and cleaved the night sky.
"Perhaps this is the first thunder of the year?"
"Rumble..."
The thunder outside seemed to respond to Ji Yuan's murmur.
However, Ji Yuan's attention was immediately drawn elsewhere. Besides the thunder and wind, he faintly heard footsteps and hooves, accompanied by some spoken Mandarin, drawing closer.
Ji Yuan suddenly found it somewhat amusing. It seemed as though several times already, he had spent a rainy night in a desolate place only to encounter other people. Still, this wasn't bad; at least it meant there was a semblance of human presence.
"Hm?"
Just as he was thinking this, Ji Yuan suddenly caught a strange scent. He checked the biscuit in front of the fire; it certainly wasn't burnt.
Outside the abandoned, desolate village, seven or eight people leading two horses were slowly approaching, their faces etched with weariness.
One horse carried a rider, while the other's back was laden with goods. The rider on the front horse was an eight or nine-year-old girl. Before they even reached the village's approach road, the girl began to call out.
"Second Master, Second Master, there are people in the village! I saw firelight; this village has people!"
The others brightened at her words. They peered ahead and indeed could faintly discern firelight. The sky hadn't completely darkened yet, and some ruined houses had previously obstructed their view, but now that they saw it, their steps involuntarily quickened.
"Finally, it's not a deserted village!" "It's good that there are people; we can get something light to eat."
"Hopefully there's wine!" "Hehehe..."
"Enough chatter, let's go."
However, as the group entered the village and observed the numerous dilapidated houses, their initial sense of anticipation gradually waned. Nevertheless, they continued towards the direction of the firelight.
When they reached the exterior of a relatively intact large residence, they saw only a fire burning in its main hall, and a person seated on a stool, looking outwards.
[46 seconds ago] Chapter 1460: Creation God
[4 minutes ago] Chapter 614: Mist Drops (Part 2)
[5 minutes ago] Chapter 497: Killing Through the Highway
13277 · 0 · 27
16852 · 0 · 45