“Thank you,” Wu Ying finally answered, agreeing to it.
“No, thank you, benefactor!”
The merchant waved to a servant, sending him to pick up Wu Ying’s bag, while the others helped Wu Ying to the wagon. Servants sent off, the merchant collected the coin purses and weapons of the bandits, a small dagger making an appearance in his hand as he finished off the injured. In short order, the group was ready to travel with Wu Ying seated on the wagon back, cross-legged and his chest bare. The servant applied a poultice and wrapped a bandage around Wu Ying’s chest.
“I will be cultivating to recuperate. Inform me if there’s an issue,” Wu Ying said softly.
At the merchant’s quick nod, Wu Ying closed his eyes, his attention turning back to his dantian. In the churning sea of chi, he slowly exhaled and focused. Best to start.
Chapter 13
Power. Enlightenment. Skill. All of that was required for a cultivator to progress. At that moment, Wu Ying was finding that he had, inadvertently over his journey, accumulated a little enlightenment. Through the struggles with the demon beasts, through his grasp of the bandit’s demeanor, through watching the world as he ran, his world view had widened. And in so doing, his ability to draw more chi expanded as the heavens itself approved.
Chi flowed into his body in growing torrents, entering his dantian and swirling in the growing pool. Even as he leaked some of this chi from his body and exhaled even more, it accumulated. Chi swirled, circulating through his body, and raged through his open meridians. Afraid that if he did not act, his meridians would break under the new stress, Wu Ying pushed against his sixth meridian. Already mostly cleansed, the impurities within gushed out as black blood from his open wound.
“What is that?”
“Is something wrong?”
“Should we do something for him?”
“Don’t disturb our benefactor while he is cultivating. Don’t you know any better!”
Words swirled just outside Wu Ying’s conscious thoughts. But none of it had any killing intent, no bodies moved toward him, so he sat, undisturbed, as Wu Ying felt the sixth meridian break open. Another push, and the chi within his body gushed through the newly opened meridian, bringing a moment of ecstasy and release for Wu Ying as the pressure within his dantian lessened. Even his aura trembled, his newly achieved level straining the seal on it.
Wu Ying had no time to focus on that as the chi, rushing through his dantian, continued to build up. He groaned slightly as his wound throbbed and impurities were pushed out even as his muscle and skin knit under the influx of new energy. In the meantime, Wu Ying did the best that he could to corral the energy within his dantian, sending it spinning in circles as it flooded in and returned from his meridians. Rather than attempting another breakthrough immediately, it was better to allow the raging water of his chi to balance itself. In either case, the newly increased flow would cleanse his other meridians anyway, helping him ready himself for the next step.
Hours later, Wu Ying finally opened his eyes to note that the wagon had long ago come to a stop. Now, they were no longer on the road but in the stables of a rest stop. Tilting his head, the cultivator squinted in the wane light of the lanterns that hung in the stables, spotting a dozing servant a short distance away.
“Where are we?” Wu Ying called as he stood, stretching tired muscles. A slight pain in his side informed Wu Ying that the injury still existed, though a quick internal check showed it was significantly less dangerous.
“We are at the Fuxi rest stop. We passed the other one mid-day, but because you were still cultivating, my master pushed on to this one,” the servant said, scrambling to his feet and bowing. “Congratulations to benefactor for breaking through.”
Recalling the matter, Wu Ying quietly reached out toward his aura, sensing the difference. He mentally groaned, realizing that he was once again “leaking” chi. As Wu Ying attempted to seal the leaks, his stomach rumbled, reminding the cultivator that he had not eaten since this morning.
“My master has paid for your room and board, benefactor. If you’ll follow me, I’ll show you within,” the servant said, bowing once again.
“Thank you,” Wu Ying replied and followed.
Thankfully, dinner was quickly served and the patrons within the rest stop were willing to allow Wu Ying to eat his dinner in peace. Even so, the young man spotted the inquisitive looks and whispered conversations directed at his presence as he ate. Perhaps his actions against the bandits had been a little impetuous. But what else could a cultivator do when faced with such a situation?
“Sir cultivator, do you mind me joining you? I have some great wine here,” an older merchant said, smiling as he placed a wine jar on Wu Ying’s table.
“Certainly. Though I’m not sure I will be able to appreciate your wine to its fullest,” Wu Ying said. After all, it was not as if they indulged in expensive wines at home.
“There is no better time to begin learning than now. Let me introduce myself. I am Dong Yi Ru, a small-time merchant of no real name,” Yi Ru said.
“Long Wu Ying, cultivator.” Normally he would add his sect, but Wu Ying decided to leave it out at this time. While he was out on official sect business, he also was too weak to properly carry the sect’s name. If he were to be defeated or otherwise caught in a shameful situation, if Wu Ying survived, he would bring even more trouble for himself in the future.
“A pleasure, Cultivator Long. Come, let us drink.” Immediately, Yi Ru opened the wine jar and poured a drink. As he was about to hand a glass to Wu Ying, a hand came down hard on the table, surprising the group.
“What is this? Why are you bothering my benefactor?” the merchant from this afternoon snarled, leaning over to glare at Yi Ru.
“Your benefactor? Have you even asked his name? Or given yours? How ill-mannered,” Yi Ru said with a sneer.
“There was no time!” the merchant protested. But having been reminded of the matter, he turned and bowed to Wu Ying. “Benefactor, this one is Ou Xi Rang.”
“Long Wu Ying,” Wu Ying replied. When Xi Rang gestured toward a seat, Wu Ying nodded, dismissing Yi Ru’s slight tightening of lips. This was Wu Ying’s table after all. “Thank you for bringing me here.”
“It was the least I could do,” Xi Rang said. “But I wanted to ask, what are your plans after tonight?”
“I’ll be continuing my journey.” When the pair looked at him inquisitively, he sighed and added, “To Yi County.”
“Really? How coincidental. So am I,” Yi Ru said.
“As am I,” Xi Rang added. “Would benefactor be willing to journey with us?”
“For free. Of course a cheap, unscrupulous merchant like you who cannot even afford guards would suggest that,” Yi Ru said with a sniff. “Cultivator Long, I would be honored if you will allow me to hire you.”
“Hire?” Wu Ying said, tilting his head curiously. Not that he would take them up on it. He still needed to make it to the city in time.
“Yes. How about five taels for the journey?” Yi Ru said.
“Five! You call me cheap and offer my benefactor only five tael. I never mentioned money because such a hero would not lower himself to such a thing. But, benefactor, I once came across this pill. Perhaps it could be of use for you,” Xi Rang said, pulling forth a small pill bottle. He pushed it toward Wu Ying, who automatically took hold of it but stopped himself from opening it.