Chapter Thirty-Seven: Renjia Town

Three days later, at dawn.

Five carriages stood in neat formation at the main gate of Ping’an County.

“Immortal, even a thousand-mile farewell must end in parting. It has been my great fortune to meet you; such luck might come once in three lifetimes. My duties are pressing, so forgive me for not seeing you farther. I hope that one day, when peace returns to the land, we may talk again as we do now.”

A line of officers stood at attention before the city gate, the entire squad silent as crows at dusk. General Zhou stood at the front, his face filled with reluctance.

“There will be another chance. If that day comes, I shall not forget your invitation. As a parting gift, though I have little to offer, please accept this Blood-Refining Pill I have personally crafted. Take one each day—it may offer some small benefit.”

Since that day in the parlor when he declined General Zhou’s invitation, the matter had never been raised again. Each day, Zhou and Li Yang conversed freely, enjoying themselves immensely.

During this time, Li Yang made use of the general’s influence to gather cultivation resources and medicinal herbs for refining pills. He scoured the entire county for whatever he could use, sparing no expense. Yet, he felt no regret; with this cache of resources, his recovery drew nearer.

He watched as Li Yang’s caravan vanished into the distance, only then ordering his men back into the city.

County Chronicle: On the day of Frost’s Descent, winter of the Year of Bingzi, at midnight, a demoness raised a hound demon and unleashed havoc in the county, killing and robbing, terrifying the people. At that time, a phoenix descended from the heavens, bearing an immortal on its back. Commanding a divine centipede, the immortal subdued the hound demon outside the city and executed the demoness. The people rejoiced. The general and his soldiers welcomed the immortal, who dwelled at the marshal’s residence for three days. Upon parting, the immortal bestowed an elixir and journeyed eastward.

...

A world of ice and snow, with heavy flakes falling.

In the wilderness, five carriages struggled forward, leaving deep ruts in the snowy ground.

Suddenly, the lead horse stumbled, its footing lost. After a few faltering steps, it let out a pained cry and the carriage behind lurched.

“Madam, Sister Jinling, are you both all right?” Li Yang gripped the reins tightly and called back toward the carriage.

“We’re fine. With this heavy snow and freezing cold, the road’s so slippery. We should find a place to rest soon,” came a gentle voice as the carriage curtain was drawn aside to reveal a bright, beautiful face, full of concern for Li Yang.

She glanced around at the endless expanse of snow, not a soul in sight. “There’s nothing but wilderness here, not a sign of life. With the snow falling so thick, what are we to do? Don’t let yourself freeze out here.” She reached out to brush the snow from Li Yang’s collar, her face anxious.

“No need to worry, Madam. Though the snow and ice have made the road treacherous, if we go slowly, we’ll eventually find shelter. It’s cold outside, so you’d best return to the carriage and rest.” Li Yang smiled reassuringly, then drew from his sleeve an energy replenishing pill meant for spirit beasts. Patting the horse, he muttered, “You’re in luck, beast.” With that, he pried open the horse’s mouth and slipped the pill inside.

Since leaving Ping’an County, Li Yang’s party had headed east, crossing Hengyang, over Mount Heng, passing through Hunan and Shaoguan, and spending more than two months on the road before finally reaching the lands of Guangzhou.

For those two months, they mostly ate and slept in the open, unhurried on their journey, taking time to enjoy the scenery along the way.

With Li Yang’s protection, neither wandering spirits nor bandits troubled them in the slightest.

They had thought that upon entering Guangdong, there would be no more snow, but luck was not on their side—they encountered a blizzard the likes of which came only once in a century.

Guangdong, lying by the sea with its moist, temperate climate, was known for mild winters and little rainfall, let alone such heavy snow.

Many locals had never seen snow in their entire lives. Li Yang’s party was simply unlucky.

As the saying goes, misfortune turns to fortune.

After trudging through the blizzard for two hours, they finally caught sight of a small town in the distance.

“What a blessed place!” Li Yang exclaimed. “Nestled by mountains and water, winding like a coiled dragon. The surrounding peaks bow low, auspicious energy rising from the earth, clear air covering the sky—a land free from evil and war, surely protected by some great master. This is a perfect retreat for those seeking peace and seclusion.”

His eyes lit up as he gazed at the town ahead, marveling aloud. Though not a master of geomancy, generations of his family had gathered ancient texts, and from his youth he had read countless works on medicine, divination, and astrology.

“What’s all the shouting about?” Jinling threw open the carriage curtain, frowning with annoyance.

“Sister Jinling, Madam, we’ve found the perfect place to settle,” Li Yang replied.

“Really?” Madam’s face lit up with joy as she poked her head out. The journey, which had lasted nearly half a year, had exhausted her, though she never complained. Now, hearing Li Yang’s words, she could not help but feel invigorated.

“Is that so? You wouldn’t settle anywhere else along the way—this place had too much baleful energy, that one was prone to war, another lacked vital energy and was doomed to disaster. And now you pick such a remote little town. I want to see what’s so special about it that you, Young Master Li, hold it in such esteem.” Jinling pouted, glaring at Li Yang and frowning at the distant town.

“Heh… Sister Jinling, you don’t understand. You’re not a cultivator; your senses are closed to the energy of heaven and earth. This is a wondrous place: the earth is rich, the climate is like spring all year, the land is coiled with dragon and tiger, and it’s far from any trouble of war—a truly peaceful and auspicious spot.” Li Yang smiled awkwardly, aware that his earlier refusals had annoyed the girl.

“Of course, you’re the great immortal here and we’re all mere mortals who can’t appreciate it. To me, it’s just a shabby little place. It’s only Madam who indulges you, letting you have your way. I, Jinling, won’t serve you any longer,” she huffed, retreating into the carriage.

“Jinling… Li Yang has his reasons for this choice. Stop interfering,” Madam chided, shooting Jinling a glance and nodding at Li Yang to drive the carriage into town.

“Madam, you’re so biased. You never used to be like this, but ever since this troublesome Li Yang appeared, you’ve changed,” Jinling pouted, clinging to Madam’s hand in mock grievance.

“You silly girl! Keep talking like that and I’ll tear that mouth of yours,” Madam threatened, her face flushing ever so slightly, her tone forced into mock severity.

Unaware of the conversation within the carriage, Li Yang focused on guiding the horses nearer to the town.

“Excuse me, sir. What is the name of this town?” he asked as an elderly man approached, wearing a bamboo hat and carrying a shoulder pole, his coarse linen clothes dusted with snow.

“You’re not from around here, are you, young man? This is Ren Family Town. Are you here on business, or visiting relatives?” The old man eyed Li Yang curiously, glancing at the carriages behind.

“We’re from the south, just passing through,” Li Yang replied with a polite smile, offering only a few casual words before driving the carriage into the town.