Chapter 449: Chapter 444: Easily Avoiding Cold and Heat, Jinyun City
Lan State.
It was perfectly normal for borderlands to be harsh and cold.
The new year had just passed, and though the weather back in Qing State was still quite cold, it had yet to fully recover. As they neared Lan State, however, they learned the true meaning of bitter, freezing cold.
The ice and snow had not melted. The closer they got to Lan State, the greater the chill in the air became.
Ordinary people shivered uncontrollably, and even those accomplished in their Martial Arts Cultivation put on winter clothes for protection. Being constantly surrounded by the frigid air, while not enough to cause illness, would consume a great deal of their body’s Qi and Blood.
High consumption of Qi and Blood required a lot of food for replenishment. Aside from not carrying enough provisions, constantly stopping to eat would slow their journey down even more.
The various major Sects proceeded at a normal pace, and no one had any objections. But if anyone were to deliberately delay, they would likely be asking for trouble.
Especially since the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty’s Martial Saint Ancestor had personally come to join the battle on the front lines, everyone had to follow the rules, giving him no opportunity to find fault or make an example of them.
This was the outcome the major Sects had agreed upon.
Yang Chan sat in the carriage, having already changed into heavy winter clothes. The Cyan Yuan Sect had prepared for this before they left for Lan State, making sure winter clothing was available.
In truth, with Yang Chan’s current cultivation, he would have been fine without winter clothes. Just as the extreme heat of the Earth Fire Institute had little effect on him, he was similarly unaffected by the icy weather. His body’s regenerative abilities had long since made him impervious to both heat and cold.
’It’s just that I prefer to follow the crowd,’ Yang Chan thought. ’Only by blending in can I seem more ordinary.’
’Otherwise, if I were the only one in a single layer of clothing while everyone else was bundled in heavy winter coats, wouldn’t I be deliberately showing off how different I am?’
’The assassins hiding at the border would surely take out the most conspicuous targets first. It would be like painting a target on my back for them.’
Yang Chan, naturally, was not so high-profile. He stuck with the crowd. ’Besides, wearing winter clothes makes my cultivation seem weaker. After all, if I’m afraid of the cold, my Martial Arts Cultivation can’t be all that impressive.’
To a certain extent, it was another layer of camouflage.
’As long as any assassins are deceived by it, this little act will be well worth it. It’ll also save the Inner Refining Elder who’s secretly protecting me a lot of trouble.’
’I’m just that considerate of others, always trying not to cause them too much trouble.’
’Truly, so thoughtful!’
’A rare quality in this world!’
"A thousand leagues sealed in ice, ten thousand leagues of swirling snow."
Yang Chan extended his hand, and snowflakes drifted into his palm. Though it was only a light flurry, the snow was relentless, meaning the cold would persist for even longer.
It would take a long time for this vast expanse of white to melt away. And when it finally did, the air would probably feel even colder.
"HAAAH!"
Yang Chan exhaled, and the white plume of his breath was starkly visible. It quickly crystallized into fine frost before his eyes, then scattered to the ground.
Seeing this, a thought popped into Yang Chan’s mind: ’I wonder what happens when you need to relieve yourself in this cold.’
’You could probably draw a rainbow ice sculpture.’
He glanced at the silver, snow-covered landscape around him and felt the possibility wasn’t exactly small.
Despite the bitter cold, the road was filled with travelers, all pouring toward the city ahead.
And this was the destination for Yang Chan and his group: Jinyun City. It was the city closest to the border. Despite the fierce war between the two nations, it had remained firmly in the hands of the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty, never once falling.
It was like a natural barrier for the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty, capable of holding back the enemy’s massive armies, a bulwark that guarded the entire empire.
However, from what he had heard, the city was not safe. A Pharmacist who had come to support the front lines before him had been assassinated right inside the city walls.
Although the assassin was ultimately killed, this was an unacceptable outcome for the major Sects. After all, Pharmacists were extremely difficult to cultivate.
Training a Pharmacist took a very long time, required numerous fortuitous opportunities, and depended heavily on individual talent.
Even becoming a Pharmacist’s Assistant was no small feat, let alone advancing to the rank of Basic Level Pharmacist.
As for nurturing an Intermediate Pharmacist, the time required was even longer, taking anywhere from a decade to several decades. Some people never had the chance to advance in their entire lives.
There were differences even among Intermediate Pharmacists. Those with the best prospects for advancement were the ones with stronger skills in alchemy. For those who specialized in other areas, the path forward had all but disappeared.
Initially, the advancement path for Pharmacists wasn’t so narrow. But later, as Martial Arts rose to supremacy, Pharmacists became assistants to Martial Arts Cultivation. Their method of advancement was naturally influenced by the world of Martial Arts, slowly evolving into the alchemy-focused path it was today.
This path was the most favored by Martial Arts Experts and was better suited to the current environment, so it naturally developed further and further, eventually leading to the present situation.
Sitting in the carriage, Yang Chan could still feel the pervading chill. Though it had no effect on him, his perception was so keen he could detect even the most subtle changes.
"Pharmacist Yang, we’re arriving at Jinyun City," Fang Yun called out from the front of the carriage.
The task of driving the carriage had been left to Fang Yun for the entire journey.
In addition to helping with dispensing medicine, treating injuries, and assisting with alchemy, a Pharmacist’s Assistant was also responsible for handling all the daily chores during travel.
Yang Chan was attended by both Fang Yun and Liu Qing. When they stopped on the road, tasks like making fires and cooking were handled by Liu Qing; the two had a clear division of labor.
Of course, for the two of them, following Yang Chan was far better than being one of the Official Disciples fighting on the front lines. At the very least, the danger was significantly lower.
"Alright!"
Yang Chan poked his head out and saw the city gate at the front of the queue. Carved above it were the two large words "Jinyun City." The script was weathered, bearing deep traces of history.
It had endured not only the frosts of winter, but also the sandstorms of autumn and the scorching heat of summer. Only spring was kind, and it was so fleeting that it was over before you could even register its arrival.
This was the source of the border region’s harsh and bitter climate. It wasn’t a place well-suited for living, and it was particularly inhospitable to outsiders.
Along the way, some people had already fallen ill from the change in climate or had trouble acclimatizing. However, this was easily resolved. Medicine was boiled in a large pot and given to everyone to drink every few days. As a result, no one died on the road from such causes.
At most, their Qi and Blood were left somewhat weak and unstable.
The journey wasn’t rushed, which gave these people time to recover. In a way, the arrangement agreed upon by the major Sects was good news for the conscripted commoners.
They were given time to recover and provided with medicinal soup. In the eyes of these commoners, this was a tremendous kindness, but for the major Sects, it was a trivial matter.
The medicine only required common herbs. Furthermore, the Sect disciples themselves needed to drink it as a precaution. The leftovers were simply re-boiled and given to the commoners. It was an easy way to earn a good reputation, so why wouldn’t they do it?
Comments