Chapter 52: Passing Through the Official Road (Part 3)
Apart from shock, Jiang Ji was simply bewildered. Who exactly was Yan Yi? From the moment she saw him in the main hall of the Treasure Pavilion, she had been curious about this question. Her gaze drifted once again to the unusual sword hanging at his waist. Everything in her experience told her that this man’s background was anything but ordinary.
But ultimately, this situation suited Jiang Ji just fine. She didn’t care who ended up with the magical device—her only concern was reaching the Southern Region as soon as possible. If it came down to it, killing ten out of the thirteen people here, leaving only herself and three others, wasn’t entirely out of the question.
Since a decision had already been made, there was no reason to waste time. She had initially planned to compete for the device, but after reconsidering, she simply smiled and nodded. “Alright.”
Lifting the hem of her robe, she stepped into the carriage. Inside, Yan Yi had already seated Bai Chunsheng to the left of the entrance.
The carriage was rectangular, with six seats along each side and three spacious seats at the front. The four corners were inlaid with spirit stones carved with vermilion inscriptions, giving it an elegant and refined appearance. The compartment, made of paulownia wood, carried a faint, soothing scent of grass and trees.
Yan Yi placed Bai Chunsheng at his right, where Bai Chunsheng lazily sprawled. Completely unbothered, he rested his head against Yan Yi’s shoulder. When he saw Jiang Ji enter, he barely lifted his eyelids, sparing her only the briefest glance before pretending not to care and nuzzling back into his spot.
Jiang Ji noticed this little white duck’s antics. She chuckled and sat down beside Bai Chunsheng.
Outside the carriage, the remaining twelve people exchanged uneasy glances.
Jiang Ji remained silent, and the three disciples of Tianqing Sect naturally had no objections. They pushed open the carriage’s wooden door, made of paulownia, and quietly entered, finding seats beside Jiang Ji. The left side quickly filled up.
The rest of the group, though somewhat reluctant, still boarded the carriage and found their own seats. Once everyone was settled, the puppet sitting at the front of the carriage raised the whip high. The six-legged, silver-plated, one-horned mechanical horse responded to the puppet’s movement, first trotting a few steps before gradually following the forest path outside the city. Whether it was the puppet or the mechanical horse, both appeared just as natural as a real coachman and horse.
Among the fourteen passengers, a lone wandering cultivator seemed to have only recently ascended from a small world. Sitting by the window on the right, he opened it, leaned against the sill, and couldn’t help but exclaim in awe.
The carriage rode steadily, and soon, the border town disappeared from sight. As night approached, the crimson sunset bathed the entire mountain forest in red. The winding path through the dense woods stretched endlessly. The wandering cultivator, seemingly captivated by the scenery, remained glued to the window, half his body leaning outside.
No one spoke; the carriage was quiet. Bai Chunsheng soon grew bored. Leaning against Yan Yi’s head, he gradually and imperceptibly slid down, eventually curling up and resting on Yan Yi’s lap. Only his two pale yellow feet barely remained in his original seat.
Jiang Ji chuckled at the sight and said to Yan Yi, “He’s really clingy.”
Jiang Ji then asked, “If he wakes up and doesn’t see you, will he be afraid?”
Yan Yi thought for a moment before answering confidently and decisively, “Yes.”
He affectionately stroked Bai Chunsheng’s back, his tone carrying a hint of amusement. “He might even start crying.”
“That’s why I never dare to let him lose sight of me.”
Half-asleep, Bai Chunsheng suddenly jolted awake. “……” Was he having a nightmare, or was Yan Jingqiu still half-asleep?
“Quack!”
Since he was uncertain about the true cultivation level of the four Tianqing Sect disciples and given their close proximity, Bai Chunsheng didn’t dare to communicate telepathically. Instead, he let out a sharp, aggressive bird call—a subtle yet clear warning to Yan Yi to stop being overly sentimental.
Yan Yi, oblivious, simply assumed Bai Chunsheng had cried out in distress. He reached out to stroke Bai Chunsheng’s small head again. “Alright, alright, go back to sleep. I won’t disturb you.”
Bai Chunsheng: “……”
Jiang Ji, having listened to Yan Yi’s words, seemed a little melancholic. “Before I embarked on the path of cultivation, I once raised a spirit fish no longer than my pinky finger.”
“It accompanied me on my journey for a long time, but unfortunately…”
This immediately piqued Yan Yi’s interest. He unconsciously reached for a pouch of roasted peanuts and broad beans in his storage bag—snacks he had asked the restaurant’s kitchen to prepare for Bai Chunsheng before heading to the Treasure Pavilion. At this moment, however, Bai Chunsheng had no time to fuss over Yan Yi’s actions. He straightened up, flapped his wings, and sat up properly. His beady green eyes shone brightly as he stared at Jiang Ji.
Yan Yi assumed Bai Chunsheng was hungry and fed him two peanuts. “And then?”
Jiang Ji spoke softly, “Unfortunately, it lacked the necessary talent for cultivation and never showed any progress. I’ve long since lost track of the years… I don’t even know if it’s still alive.”
Yan Yi frowned. “Why do you say that?”
“Because I foresaw a flaw in its fate and secretly placed it within a mystical realm.”
Jiang Ji reminisced. “I prayed that if a benefactor ever needed it, they would grant it a chance. Its potential was limited, and this was its only opportunity to reach the Nascent Soul stage.”
“Though the path was fraught with peril, it was still better than living a mundane life until the end of its natural lifespan. As long as it remained true to itself and did not lose its way in an illusory life, it should have been able to return to the Middle Realm…” Jiang Ji’s expression turned contemplative. “I once consulted a cultivator proficient in karma. He told me that if it reached the Nascent Soul stage, one day, it would be able to help me with something important. That’s why I was willing to take the risk and give it a sliver of hope.”
Jiang Ji recalled, “For this reason, I used the opportunity of a winter banquet to place it in a lake according to the guidance of fate. But when I lifted my head, I saw him—he was seated amidst the misty mountain forest before an unfinished chessboard. In front of him was an empty golden cage.”
“He picked up a chess piece and placed it on the board. Then, as if he had anticipated everything, he smiled at me.”
“When I came to my senses, I was already back at the banquet, drenched in cold sweat. Everything felt like a terrifying nightmare.”
“To this day, I still don’t know whether that chess piece represented it, me, or both of us.”
Author’s note:
The little duck innocently tucks its hands together
Chirp chirp chirp!
Huge shoutout to @_nyanmaru_ on Discord for commissioning this! The chapter will be posted regularly, show your support for Ciacia at Kofi.
