Chapter 46: Second One

In Ning'an County, besides Shuixian Town, the closest places to Mount Niukui are the villages nestled at its foot.

This time, Ji Yuan specifically took Yin Qing and the fox along a small path, heading towards Mount Niukui from the direction of the mountain villages.

After a simple lunch with Ji Yuan, Yin Qing, who had gone home to change out of his student attire, eagerly skipped out of the city with Ji Yuan.

The red fox had remained hidden in Ji Yuan's arms until they left the city, only then was it let out to walk by his side.

The direct distance from Ning'an County to the nearest foot of Mount Niukui was about ten li. At Ji Yuan's current pace, he could cover it in less than fifteen minutes even without exerting himself fully, but with the fox and Yin Qing, it became a leisurely outing.

Children in this era, especially scholarly ones like Yin Qing, rarely had the chance to travel far during their childhood. Even though the mountain villages were still within Ning'an County, the scenery was particularly enchanting to Yin Qing.

When children play, their energy seems bottomless; no matter how tired they get, a short rest makes them lively again. This was especially true for Yin Qing, whose constitution was somewhat unique.

One moment he would exclaim and laugh at a water wheel, the next he would leap into the fields to catch frogs and insects to curry favor with the fox. At times, he wanted to jump into the river to bathe like the village children, and he constantly let out loud shouts towards the vast fields and forests.

Ji Yuan was also generous with the pastries and shortbread he had prepared, allowing the strictly-disciplined young Yin Qing to thoroughly enjoy what it meant to have a carefree outing.

There was food, drink, and even a dog—er, a fox!

Walking and playing, after about an hour and a half, the two people and one fox arrived at the foot of Mount Niukui. They followed a mountain path carved out by travelers and spent about half an hour climbing a relatively low hill.

Once on the hill, Ji Yuan stopped Yin Qing from running around freely, as a bite from a poisonous insect or snake would be difficult to explain to Yin Zhaoxian.

The wind on the hill felt cooler than below. Although the hill was not high, tall trees and strangely shaped rocks stood densely around.

Ji Yuan looked at the already excited red fox and pointed towards the deeper parts of the forest.

"Go on," he said, "I hope you are not just a transient visitor in my life, Ji Yuan. May we meet again if fate allows!"

"And me, and me! Little fox, don't forget me! Please don't forget me!"

Yin Qing had been holding back, and his voice was tinged with tears as he cried out.

"Yes, and little Yin Qing."

Ji Yuan smiled, a mix of emotions in his heart. Yin Qing's appearance reminded him of the three turtles, two rabbits, and one parrot he had as a child in his previous life, all of which had died under his care.

The red fox whimpered twice, walked away from Ji Yuan, and hopped onto a rock. It then turned to look at the large and small figures in front of it, its eyes showing a human-like reluctance to part.

Ji Yuan and Yin Qing stood there, gazing at the fox for a while, but the fox showed no sign of leaving.

"Mr. Ji, the little fox doesn't want to leave!"

"Perhaps it wants to watch us leave."

With that, Ji Yuan offered no further explanation. He took Yin Qing's hand, who kept looking back every few steps, and turned to descend the hill.

After walking only about a dozen steps, Ji Yuan looked back and saw that the red fox was indeed still perched on the strange rock, watching them.

"Since we've met, allow me to give you one more gift..."

Ji Yuan glanced at the clouds in the sky and then spoke to the red fox.

"Since you're embarking on the path of cultivation, you are no longer an ignorant beast. You can lack anything, but not a name. If you don't mind, from now on, you shall be called Hu Yun!"

Upon hearing Ji Yuan's words, the red fox's eyes lit up. Forgetting Ji Yuan's previous warnings, it bowed repeatedly with its paws clasped, right in front of Yin Qing!

"Ah! Mr. Ji, the little fox really bows to people! Ahhh!"

Yin Qing, who had been pondering the strange aspects of Mr. Ji's earlier words, was instantly startled and cried out loudly upon seeing the red fox bowing.

"Haha, let's go home!"

Ji Yuan patted young Yin Qing's back and led the child, whose sadness was now overshadowed by excitement, down the hill.

Ji Yuan was also very happy, far more than his visible smile suggested. Although still a bit confused, he had just felt an electrical sensation in his sleeve, and the illusory image of a chess piece had flashed across his fingertips.

...

Perhaps exhausted, young Yin Qing fell asleep on Ji Yuan's back on the way home.

This directly resulted in their return journey being many times faster than their outbound one. Ji Yuan used his spiritual energy to enhance his movement technique and quickly made it back to Ning'an County.

When he dropped Yin Qing off at the Yin family residence, it was still before dinner time, proving it was indeed a half-day round trip.

However, after returning home, Ji Yuan immediately went out again. He had changed out of his usual blue robe into a coarse outfit with tightened sleeves, and used a band to tie his naturally free-flowing long hair back.

After quickly completing these preparations, Ji Yuan used his qinggong to leap, springing off a jujube tree branch to exit Juyan Pavilion. He then frequently used rooftops for leverage, leaving the city in an instant.

Ji Yuan only knew two simple illusion techniques: one called "Disappearing Form" and the other "A Leaf Obscures the Eye." Their definitions were somewhat vague and general, but they did have specific applications.

Illusion techniques, or "obstructing sight methods," are merely ways to obscure or divert others' vision to prevent them from seeing the truth. Simply put, they shouldn't be overly relied upon. At least, Ji Yuan didn't believe his Disappearing Form truly made him invisible, even to ordinary people. "A Leaf Obscures the Eye" was more practical.

The "leaf" in "A Leaf Obscures the Eye" is merely a concept, representing something small. The technique implies that a minor obstruction prevents one from seeing the whole picture or the truth.

Ji Yuan used a few strands of his bangs to cast the spell, causing those who looked at his face to see him indistinctly or as something else. Because the bangs, acting as the "leaf," were physically real, this minor spell was considerably more reliable.

Ji Yuan rushed out at this moment because, on the way back, he had seen a carriage moving along the official road from a distance. The two men riding alongside it were the same robustly dressed individuals he had seen at the county yamen entrance at noon. Ji Yuan wouldn't mistake their voices from their conversation, so it was clear who was inside the carriage.

Of course, Ji Yuan wasn't petty enough to seek revenge just because others talked about him behind his back, especially since they weren't speaking ill of him. The main reason was that at noon, upon hearing the conversation between the county magistrate and the slightly plump man, he had unconsciously glanced at them. It was that glance that allowed Ji Yuan to notice a faint spiritual glow around the plump man's collar.

That glow was definitely not due to the man himself; he must have been carrying something extraordinary.

At this stage, Ji Yuan was in a state of hunger for knowledge about cultivation, though his rationality prevented him from seeking immortals or asking about the Dao everywhere. He wouldn't let this opportunity pass. At the very least, he had to personally confirm what it was and determine its origin.

Yet, he had clearly heard at noon that the master and his two servants would only depart the next day, but now they were already on the official road in a carriage.

The wind constantly swept across his face. While he had been restrained within the city, once outside, Ji Yuan fully unleashed his movement technique, chasing with all his might in the direction he remembered. After about thirty minutes, the carriage, nearly out of Ning'an County's territory, finally appeared in his distant sight.

The sky was gradually darkening. Ji Yuan silently trailed far behind, pondering how to achieve his objective.

'Should I directly pursue them for a friendly chat? Or devise another method? Or perhaps subdue them, search for the item, and then question them? Should I act a bit fierce?'

Ji Yuan grimaced nervously, rehearsing a ferocious expression; he believed he had some acting talent.

However, before Ji Yuan could ponder further, a new variable emerged. From the forest on the left side, ahead of the official road, several figures clad in dark, coarse hemp clothes suddenly darted out, wielding weapons and attacking towards the carriage.

"Oh no! Bandits!"

Two guards slapped their horses' backs, leaping up to engage the attackers.

The robust man in yellow faced an attacker, vaulting off his horse while planting a foot on its back for leverage. His fist audibly clenched, and he powerfully struck at one of the bandits.

"Die!"

"Clang~!"

His powerful punch was surprisingly blocked by the flat of the opponent's blade. In an instant, the bandit withdrew his saber, parrying the fist, then twisted the blade to cleave diagonally upwards at his foe, the blade's movements seemingly splitting into three.

"Swoosh, swoosh, thud..."

Three slashes disrupted the guard's momentum, with one particularly causing blood to spurt from his shoulder.

"Three Wild Goose Feathers! You're Xiang Feng, one of the Thirteen Bandits of Yan!"

The guard in yellow leaped back to evade two other approaching bandits, shouting in dismay.

In his peripheral vision, his companion, now fighting four assailants, was also in dire straits, already suffering several injuries.

With a dull thud of flesh, the other guard took a heavy kick, hitting the side of the still-moving carriage with a crash.

"Stop the carriage, now!"

One bandit roared fiercely.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa..."

The carriage driver quickly pulled the reins, trembling as he squatted down, too scared to move. The people inside the carriage were too terrified to utter a sound.

Xiang Feng ignored the two guards, who were facing overwhelming odds, and smiled, knife in hand, looking at the carriage.

"Wei Wuwei, rumor has it that the Wei family possesses a blue jade, passed down through generations, which protects against evil spirits. You must be carrying it, aren't you?"