Shi Lang left the cloud pavilion and then checked out from the inn. He carried the small black cat on his shoulder and called Hei Lie back from the Inheritance Palace. The horse passed him a death gaze, and then the young man sighed and said, "What is it with you people? You go to the inheritance palace, and when you return, you have these pompous etiquettes."
The spirit horse snorted, and the terran jumped on the back of the beast. The two of them were headed straight to the Yanduo Provinces. It will take him three days to reach the province, and he must locate the person in question. However, there was a big doubt that Shi Lang might come up with nothing because the enemy was not a fool. What if he already knew that someone was onto him?
This thought worried Shi Lang a bit too much. He was sitting on the bank of a river and eating grilled fish. The young man took a deep breath and said, "You all have been hiding in the dark for quite a while. Come out and eat your fill. It is not like I will kill you, or you will kill me for it."
As he let out a heavy breath, a few people emerged from behind the trees. It was a group of teenagers, and these people looked injured. Shi Lang sighed and asked, "You guys do not have any medicine left?"
One sighed and replied, "Brother, can you give us a few medicinal pills? You can collect the money from the Seven Bird Sect."
Shi Lang raised his brows and did a retake at these people. He took out a bottle of pills and tossed it to the people. He asked, "These are all I can spare. I have to keep some for my spirit beasts and myself, too. The way to Yandou Province is not easy, or so I have heard."
The person caught the jade bottle and was surprised. He said, "You could have made it to the nearest city if you were to run for it."
Shi Lang nodded and said, "I could have made it, but I am unsure if I will find what I seek."
The young man took a pill and chuckled, "Brother, you seem to have some misconception. Yandou Province is called the merchant city for a reason. As long as you have money, you can find anything there."
Shi Lang nodded while chowing down on the grilled fish. After he finished dealing with his meal, he said, "Let me introduce myself, "I am Shi Lang, a traveling cultivator."
The young man replied, "Forgive us for the delay. I am Jo Skylark, and these are my junior brothers and sisters. We belong to the Seven Birds sect."
Shi Lang waved his hand and said, "Do not worry. Take care of your injuries first."
Jo nodded and tied a few bandages on the wounds of a young man. After a few minutes, when they were done. Jo Skylark turned to the terran and asked, "Brother, if you do not mind me asking, can you tell me why you are heading to the Yandou?"
Shi Lang replied, "This time, I came here looking for someone to help cure damaged meridians."
As he spoke, he shook his head with helplessness in his eyes. Surprised, the young man exclaimed, "Meridian injuries are hard to heal."
Shi Lang nodded and said melancholic, "It is my master. He took me in and nurtured me all my life. Yet, he triggered a secret technique and suffered such injuries to save me from a demonic cultivator. I do not wish for him to suffer like this."
The young man and his team of teenagers exchanged glances. They did not know what to say. Shi Lang had spoken with such conviction and compassion that they could not help but feel sad for him. They would have puked up blood if they knew the terran was spouting nonsense.
Jo sighed and said, "You might be able to find the only person capable of curing such an injury in the southern reaches. However, his exact location is unknown. Many people have tried to locate this man, but no use. Though occasionally, someone might turn up with the news that they have met this person and been cured of their ailments."
Shi Lang sighed and asked, "What other option is left for me?"
Jo shook his head when suddenly a young girl sitting behind him said, "Senior Brother, there might be a way."
Everyone looked at her, and Jo asked, "Junior sister Luan, please go ahead."
The young lady nodded and said, "There is a natural treasure that can bring you back from the brink of death."
Shi Lang thought about it and asked, "Are you perhaps talking about the Nine-leave Lily?"
The young lady shook her head and said, "No, how can normal people dream of snatching the Nine-leaves lily from the grasp of the legendary beasts? They have been guarding that place with great vigilance. Even the weakest of the guards is an Immortal Emperor."
Shi Lang narrowed his gaze and said, "I see, fellow Daoist. Can you tell me which treasure you are talking about?"
The Young Lady nodded and said, "You can go to the mountains north of the province and look for a natural treasure called the rejuvenating ghost tulip. When it blooms, this herb looks like a wilted tulip, and you can find a huge amount of yin energy in the surroundings."
Shi Lang was surprised and asked, "Why have I not heard of this natural treasure before?"
The young lady smiled and said, "It is said that ghosts will forever haunt the person who harvests this herb. It is considered a demonic herb. Righteous path cultivators do not like it."
Shi Lang scoffed and said, "These blind fools. They always claim to be righteous while their children go out and kill people over the slightest of mistakes. They are not very short of being called demonic in my eyes. Forget it, fellow Daoist. Can you tell me how I can get to that place?"
The girl nodded and told Shi Lang about the so-called Valley of the Lost. This was located on the mountain range near the northern parts of the Yandou Provinces. Shi Lang was ready to go ahead and discover this place. There was a high chance that the person he was looking for would appear there.
Shi Lang thanked her, then he exclaimed, "Oh, I just noticed you all have a bird tattoo on your arms. Where can I get one of these?"
Jo and the rest of the people were stunned for a second before they chuckled and said, "These are lineage tattoos. We get them in the sect when we join a peak."
Shi Lang nodded and said, "Oh, I apologize. I did not know that. But this sure is cool."
Jo and the rest chuckled at his response and began talking about tattoos. Shi Lang openly described the ideas he had in mind and said, "I would like to have a swallow tattooed on my neck, and it shall be surrounded with lightning bolts."
The people nodded, and suddenly, one guy said, "Huh, Swallow on the neck? Does that not feel like the Lost Bird sect's Yan Mingfu?"
The terran asked keenly, "Oh, what is this place? Tell me more about it."
Jo Skylark said, "Lost Bird Sect is also a sect from the Yandou Province, but they stay in recluse near the Valley Of the Lost. They all have a tattoo of a swallow on their neck. Also, they all live a dejected life. It is said that swallows always return home. However, these people do not have any home, and thus, the sect takes them in."
Shi Lang nodded and said, "The person who founded such a place must be a saint. In today's world, where even brothers can turn at each other, this place is sure of heaven."
The people nodded at his words. The terran continued to ask about the Valley of the Lost. He did not display any interest in the Lost Bird Sect. It was confirmed that the target was located in this very organization. Yet, he would not reveal any information to anyone because he did not trust them.
The night passed quickly, and Shi Lang better understood the place and the people in the Yandou Provinces. It turns out this task of his was filled with many tricks and traps. Shi Lang stood up from the ground in the morning and let out a long whistle.
The people from the seven bird sect woke up from his voice, surprised to see a black shadow rushing over quickly. Shi Lang had let the horse and the leopard go and spend the night in the forest to hunt.
Jo Skylark woke up and asked, "Brother Shi, are you leaving already?"
The terran nodded and said, "Yes, my master is serious; he does not have much time, and I am not at the luxury to rest. If fate permits, lets meet again someday."
That said, he jumped on the back of the horse and after a gentle shout the beast rushed away.
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