Chapter 197: A Scarred Neck
Three months had passed, each day seeming to drag on longer than the last as autumn fully settled in. The vibrant green trees that once lined the path at the start of the journey had long since shed their leaves, leaving behind bare branches that swayed mournfully in the wind. The golden remnants of their former glory now lay scattered across the muddy ground, slowly sinking into the soft earth.
I sat atop Speedy's back as he trudged through the untamed forest. Throughout this journey, I advanced to a three-star Qi Gathering Cultivator. A one-star increase was a pleasant surprise, happening faster than anticipated.
Although I had a general sense of where we were, I hadn't followed the conventional roads or paths. I sought the strange and the unknown, which tended to lurk in the wilderness. The last three villages we passed still recognized cultivators and knew of nearby sects, but I hadn't seen a village in almost a month. I was wondering if we'd come across any human settlements anytime soon. Still, there was a silver lining: the chances of anyone tracking me were slim to none. Even Speedy's tracks—he had only started walking about a month and a half into our journey—were easily lost in the constant autumn rains that turned the ground to mud.
If someone could somehow follow our trail through all that mud, they certainly wouldn't be using flying swords, as no shortcuts existed. They'd genuinely deserve to find me if they traced me through over a month's messy trails mixed with those of countless others.
As my mind wandered, the midday sun hung ideally above, an ideal reading light. I was just about to pull out a book when I spotted something through the tree canopy: a wooden roof atop a mud-brick cottage.
"Well, would you look at that? Signs of civilization again? I could've sworn we were walking through untouched lands," I said.
Speedy grunted, withdrawing his head into his shell before popping back out to bite one of the trees.
"Frustrated, big guy?" I smiled, patting his head softly. "I get it. Maybe you wanted to roam a little longer on your own. I was hoping we'd stumble across some ancient ruins myself, but wishes don't always come true."
As we moved closer, the forest canopy opened up, revealing muddy roads that led to a village. Children played in knee-deep water near a stream, trying to catch river crabs.