Chapter 88: Departure
Chapter 88: Departure
The next morning, Zuo Zhicheng and Xiao Lan went to the martial arts school together, and Zuo Zhicheng asked Jiang Tianzheng for leave.
“You want to… work on a ship?”
“Yes.” Zuo Zhicheng said with a serious face. “Master, I can practice martial arts outside the school, so I want to go out and earn some money. After all, without money, you can’t do many things.”
Jiang Tianzheng looked at Zuo Zhicheng. He had indeed taught him almost everything he could, and now it was just a matter of continuous hard practice.
He nodded. “Alright, then you should go out and make your way alone. Also, don’t forget to practice every day.” Then he glanced at the training ground and said, “How long do you plan to be away?”
Zuo Zhicheng thought about having Spiritual Energy Food and practicing Dao Arts. He basically wouldn’t have time to practice at the martial arts school anymore, so he said, “I plan to work on a ship transporting goods. I might not be back for a long time.”
In fact, after exploring the ruins, he would return to Xinlu, but there were more important things to do, so he wouldn’t have time for the martial arts school.
“Alright, in life, one should indeed pursue the career they want. Just come back to visit us when you have time.” He paused, then added, “Aren’t you going to say goodbye to Qing’er and Xiao Lan? Why not leave after the New Year?”
“That’s too troublesome.” Zuo Zhicheng scratched the back of his head. “I’d rather not say goodbye to them. I’m afraid if I do, I won’t want to leave. It’ll also save us from all the crying and such.”
“Besides, the ship’s schedule is urgent. I have to leave before the New Year.”
Jiang Tianzheng smiled. “Then they will be very angry. When you come back next time, you’d better bring enough gifts.”
“Mm.” Zuo Zhicheng looked at Jiang Tianzheng and said, “Master, thank you for taking care of me all this time.” As he said this, Zuo Zhicheng bowed deeply to Jiang Tianzheng.
“It’s nothing. By the way, wait here for a moment. I have something for you.”
Five minutes later, Jiang Tianzheng took out a money pouch and stuffed it into Zuo Zhicheng’s hand. “When you’re away from home, you can’t be without money. Take it. You can return it to me when you come back.”
Zuo Zhicheng did not refuse. He squeezed the money pouch, stuffed it into his chest, and said quietly, “Master, I’m leaving now.”
Jiang Tianzheng patted his shoulder. “If you get tired, come back and visit.”
…
That night, Zuo Zhicheng had already returned to the base. He put on his coat, wore his mask, and began organizing the equipment he would need for this expedition.
His coat had over ten small square pockets sewn onto it, each containing equipment or Dao Arts materials.
He wasn’t used to using the two long swords, Severing Mundane Ties, so he left them at the base. He slid the black dagger he made into his boot. There were also various potions, compounds, and Dao Arts materials that Zuo Zhicheng had prepared himself, all placed in the pockets.
After finishing these preparations, Zuo Zhicheng locked the iron door at the base entrance and stepped back into the night, heading in the agreed direction.
At the West City Post Station late at night, several carriages were ready to go. Qingyue Qiu and the members of the Shadow Corps were waiting by the carriages.
The woman under Lin Ganghao, who had a graceful figure, said from the side, “Boss, do you think Ghost Fist will come?”
“He should come.” Lin Ganghao analyzed. “Based on our deductions, Ghost Fist’s methods show a military style. With his incredibly high martial arts skills, stealth, interrogation, and intelligence abilities, he likely belonged to some secret unit of the Imperial Court in the past. He must know, and may even have consumed, Spiritual Energy Food. He understands the significance of Spiritual Energy Food.”
“But Xianghui, on this mission, you must be careful to protect the young lady’s safety. Although Ghost Fist holds no hostility towards us and is even on our side because of the Dìyù Gate matter, wealth can tempt people. Who knows what’s inside the ruins?”
“Got it.” The graceful woman named Tang Xianghui said, “The young lady’s Shadow Guard team is very capable. Plus, with us guarding her, it should be no problem. And look at the people Ghost Fist killed—they were all acts of heroism. I think he’s probably not a bad person.”
“Ah, I’m still a bit worried. Was the young lady too hasty in contacting Ghost Fist so quickly this time? It’s a pity I can’t go this time.”
As they were talking, Qingyue Qiu, standing at the very front, suddenly turned her head and looked towards the pitch-black city direction.
“The young lady has Spiritual Energy Vision…”
“Ghost Fist is coming?”
Just as they spoke, Qingyue Qiu tilted her head again and looked behind the carriages. From the shadows, Zuo Zhicheng, wearing his mask, slowly walked out.
Lin Ganghao, Tang Xianghui, and the surrounding Shadow Corps members all looked at Zuo Zhicheng in astonishment. They couldn’t figure out how Ghost Fist had appeared here.
Faced with his stealth ability, their defense work seemed as laughable as child’s play.
Cold sweat broke out on Lin Ganghao’s forehead. Previously, they had only been observers of Ghost Fist’s actions and already thought his martial arts and infiltration skills were unbelievably strong. But only when truly facing him did they realize just how powerful that ability was.
He had seen masters whose martial arts were even above the Grand Completion of Qi Training, and even those at the Spirit Refining level who had achieved Grand Completion of Dharma Aspect. But Ghost Fist was the first who could infiltrate so unnoticed.
‘If he had ambushed us just now…’ Thinking of this, Lin Ganghao didn’t dare to continue the thought. But his gaze at Zuo Zhicheng was now extremely wary and also filled with utmost admiration.
Lin Ganghao looked at Tang Xianghui and the others around him; their eyes held the same astonishment.
Zuo Zhicheng said calmly, his voice still hoarse and cold, “When do we leave?”
“You’re the last one. Since you’re here, let’s go.”
The group spent the rest of the night heading towards Dog Head Mountain. This mountain was located in the mountain range west of Xinlu Port. Because it was too desolate, it was a place even hunters usually didn’t dare to go too deep into.
After midnight, the group’s five carriages gradually deviated from the main road. The path on the ground became less and less clear. When trees were everywhere and the ground was covered with rotting leaves over half a meter deep, the carriages could no longer advance.
In the mountain forest, Zuo Zhicheng and the others had to get off the carriages and carry their equipment on foot.
For this mission, the leaders were naturally Qingyue Qiu and Zuo Zhicheng. Besides them, there were eight Shadow Corps warriors, including Tang Xianghui, and one scholar responsible for investigating various clues inside the ruins.
Zuo Zhicheng actually knew this scholar; it was Liu Changding, who had previously helped him compile ancient character materials. He hadn’t expected him to be quite knowledgeable about the ancient civilizations and history of the New Continent.
However, he was already old, and his physical condition was clearly not comparable to warriors like Zuo Zhicheng. Even though he wasn’t carrying any equipment or food, walking in the mountain forest was still very difficult for him. He often had to gasp for breath heavily and needed a warrior to support him as they moved forward.
As for the Shadow Corps members, apart from Qingyue Qiu who could perform Dao Arts but had no Innate Primordial Breath inside her, each of the others possessed varying amounts of Innate Primordial Breath. The strongest were Tang Xianghui and a round-faced man called Tang Yuan, both with Purple Innate Qi levels around 18%.
However, moving through the forest at night greatly reduced their speed. But to keep the existence of Spiritual Energy Food a secret, this operation had to be conducted covertly, which was why Qingyue Qiu chose to depart at night.
The dark forest, the silvery moon, the flickering shadows among the trees, and the occasional eerie cries formed a somewhat frightening scene.
But everyone in the group, including Qingyue Qiu, were experienced warriors who had been through life-and-death battles, so they naturally weren’t too scared by this deep mountain scenery. Only Liu Changding was an ordinary person. In such a deep, remote mountain area with no trace of people, he seemed rather timid, especially after hearing a strange cawing sound, which made him break out in a cold sweat.
“What was that?”
The warrior next to him was called A Wei. Seeing Liu Changding’s frightened appearance, he laughed and said, “It might be a night owl or a monkey or something.”
“Mr. Liu, you don’t need to be afraid. With us here, any animals in the mountains that come close are just another dish on the menu.”
No sooner had he spoken than a shrill, miserable scream came from deep within the mountain range. The sound was filled with extreme pain, as if suffering some terrible torture. Just hearing it sent an indescribable chill through their hearts, like the screams of evil ghosts from the Underworld.