Camaraderie

Two months later. Qin Sang was absorbed in refining his demonic banners. His expression shifted slightly, and he slowly opened his eyes to look outside the cave dwelling. His gaze flickered, and he stood up and walked out, only to find Yuan Zhu standing there. No external injuries were visible on Yuan Zhu's body any longer, though it remained uncertain whether he had completely suppressed the blood fire. "It seems Fellow Daoist Yuan has fully recovered from his injuries. Truly a cause for celebration," Qin Sang remarked with a smile. Yuan Zhu sighed softly, seeming to harbor some undisclosed trouble. Cupping his hands toward Qin Sang, he said, "I have yet to properly thank you for lending a helping hand. I apologize for making you wait so long. My strength has partially recovered, so I can fulfill my promise and escort you out of the storm belt." A look of delight crossed Qin Sang's face. He had indeed been eager to leave for some time; after all, he still had many matters to attend to. "Please wait a moment, Fellow Daoist Yuan..." Qin Sang turned and went back into the cave dwelling. Bai had also been alerted and came out. Over the past two months, both had remained in secluded cultivation without disturbing each other, making this their first meeting since then. "Have you read through the jade slip? Any discoveries?" Qin Sang asked with an expectant look. There was little joy on Bai's face. He hesitated before replying, "I did recall a few fragments, but they are very faint and hard to piece together into the truth. They all feel like inconsequential matters that cannot help me recover my identity. I fear I will have to travel around with you and see the world with my own eyes before coming to any conclusions. That reminds me..." With that, Bai handed the jade slip back to Qin Sang. "I selected several spirit herbs to try and stabilize the vitality within me, preventing the corpse qi from eroding it any further. If I succeed, my cultivation will stabilize, and even without undoing the Heavenly Corpse Talisman, there will be a slim chance of me advancing to a corpse king. However, in my current state, it is unwise for me to show my face in public, so I hope you can assist me in gathering these spirit herbs. Naturally, I will not ask you to help for nothing. Once I weather this crisis, I shall repay your kindness." Hearing this, Qin Sang was overjoyed. If Bai had a chance to advance to a corpse king, it would be an immense boon to him as well. Until the Heavenly Corpse Talisman was unraveled, Bai could not possibly leave him. Even so, Qin Sang did not rush to agree. Sweeping his divine sense across the jade slip, he found a list of spirit herbs appended to the end. Some were exceptionally rare, while others were merely uncommon and well within his power to obtain; however, the sheer quantity was considerable. After some thought, Qin Sang nodded. "So many spirit herbs! Fortunately, I still have spirit stones on hand and can purchase a portion first. But if you need them urgently, we will have to rely on a merchant guild to gather them quickly. Coincidentally, I have another matter to attend to. Once we leave the storm belt, let us head to the Qiongyu Guild first." "The sooner, the better..." Bai brightened upon hearing this. He expressed his thanks and slipped into the corpse puppet bag. Packing all his belongings into the Qianjun Ring, Qin Sang stepped out of the cave dwelling. Yuan Zhu opened the ancient restriction, and the two slipped through the rift. In the next instant, they were standing amidst the tempest. Qin Sang observed in secret. With the storm raging violently, he could not be certain whether this was the same location through which they had entered. He suspected it most likely was not. Even if he returned here on his own, he would never find the cave dwelling—which was precisely what had given Yuan Zhu the confidence to bring him along in the first place. Yuan Zhu surveyed his surroundings before flying off in one direction, and Qin Sang quickly followed. Along the way, the two made use of their remaining time to converse. "Once we leave the storm belt, how far will we be from Dongmen Island?" Qin Sang asked. "If you follow the direction I indicated, you should emerge north of Dongmen Island and northeast of Tianxing Island..." Yuan Zhu had Qin Sang produce a geographical chart and pointed out the directions to him. Then, looking somewhat hesitant, Yuan Zhu took out a scale and handed it over. This scale was similar to the previous one, only with a deeper luster, and a restriction seemed to be sealed within it. "What does this mean, Fellow Daoist?" Qin Sang asked in mild surprise, turning the scale over in his hands. "I have been betrayed by friends and kin alike and am now all alone. Though we can hardly be called friends, having joined hands to escape King Nine Phoenix's clutches, we have built up a bit of camaraderie. If you do not mind the difference between our bloodlines, keep this scale. If you ever come looking for me in the future, simply activate the restriction inside while nearby, and I will come out to meet you." Yuan Zhu's expression was forlorn, his tone tinged with sorrow. Qin Sang fell silent for a moment before stowing the scale away. After some thought, he shared a bit of insight. "Why must you remain fixated on bloodlines? In my view, the key to breaking through your predicament might not lie with the demon race at all, but rather in human or Witch Clan secret arts." "Thank you for the advice, Fellow Daoist!" Yuan Zhu's eyes lit up, rekindling a glimmer of hope. His spirits lifted, and he began talking incessantly again, asking Qin Sang for a token of his own and agreeing to meet again if fate permitted. After flying for a long time, they finally reached the edge of the storm belt. "Fellow Daoist Yuan, until we meet again!" Qin Sang cupped his hands to Yuan Zhu, turned, and flew out through the barrier. Yuan Zhu watched him go, then retreated into the storm, his silhouette fading from view. Having emerged from the storm belt, Qin Sang retrieved the chart to pinpoint his location. "Not being near Dongmen Island isn't such a bad thing. At least I won't get swept up in any troubles there," he murmured to himself. He intended to head to the Tiandao Sect first to meet the sword cultivator surnamed Ning. Locating the ancient teleportation formation remained his top priority. The Tiandao Sect was the foremost righteous sect of the human race, possessing an imposing grandeur. However, its mountain gate was rather remote, situated in the northwestern waters of the Canglang Ocean, so traveling there would not require passing through Tianxing Island. Qin Sang located an island called Dayuzhou, which hosted a moderately sized branch of the Qiongyu Guild. With his route decided, Qin Sang immediately rode his sword into flight. Dayuzhou spanned a vast territory and hosted a cultivator market, serving as the core island of the surrounding waters. A streak of sword light flew in from the distance. While still some way from Dayuzhou, the light dissipated to reveal a young man—none other than Qin Sang. He cast a glance at the distant island, then donned a cloak and suppressed his aura, transforming himself into an ordinary cultivator. The city was situated on a plain right in the middle of the island. After flying for a short while, Qin Sang caught sight of its outline. By then, the sun was already setting in the west. Taking advantage of the dusk, Qin Sang entered the city, made his way into the market, asked for the location of the Qiongyu Guild's branch, and headed straight there. The guild branch's shop was quite grand, built along the river. It dealt in every manner of cultivator trade, enjoyed an excellent reputation, and was well known throughout the vicinity. People bustled about inside, keeping the maidservants scurrying back and forth. On the second floor, an elderly man sat on a reclining chair, leisurely sipping tea while overseeing the shop; he only attended personally to distinguished guests. At that moment, a figure clad in a black cloak walked in. Having just taken a sip of spirit tea, the old man sensed the profound and dense aura on the cloaked figure. His eyes narrowed sharply, and setting down his teacup at once, he hurried downstairs. "Senior..." A maidservant came forward with a warm smile. Just as she was about to speak, the old man's voice cut in, "Step aside. I will personally receive this honored guest." "This servant obeys!" The maidservant hurriedly bowed to the newcomer and withdrew. Secretly astonished, she knew that anyone receiving personal hospitality from their master had to be at least a False Core expert. The cloaked newcomer kept a low profile, yet his cultivation was remarkably high. "Are you the steward of the Qiongyu Guild, Fellow Daoist?" Qin Sang scrutinized the old man. Though this person was a Core Formation cultivator, he carried an air of twilight about him, evidently intending to spend his remaining years here in peace.