Chapter 58: Tianshui City

Wang Lin took a deep breath. Over these past four years, by the second year, he had already reached the Great Perfection of the fifteenth level of Qi Condensation. The following two years were spent entirely on attempting to break through to Foundation Establishment, but unfortunately, he had never succeeded.

However, because of his repeated attempts to break through to Foundation Establishment, his body, which had previously been out of sync with his dream-state cultivation, had gradually changed. Now, he no longer looked like he was at the third level of Qi Condensation, but rather the eighth.

"Foundation Establishment…" Wang Lin muttered to himself. His eyes flashed as he made up his mind. He slapped his Storage Pouch, and instantly, an extremely luxurious, massive Flying Sword flew out. The Flying Sword seemed to have a spirit of its own; it circled Wang Lin once before stopping in front of him.

Wang Lin stepped onto the Flying Sword. His body moved instantly, transforming into a long rainbow that streaked across the sky, vanishing in an instant.

The beasts crouching on the ground now revealed expressions of relief, and one by one, they hurriedly scattered.

Circling around Hengyue Peak, Wang Lin stood on his Flying Sword, flying at high speed against the fierce wind. The mountains, forests, and villages on the ground became tiny, flashing past rapidly beneath his feet.

In the blink of an eye, the mountain village of his hometown appeared in his view. Wang Lin paused slightly, took a glance, and then immediately flew past without looking back.

The location of Hengyue Peak was at the northernmost corner of the State of Zhao. It was a remote area, mostly consisting of villages. Wang Lin's destination was Tianshui City, the largest city in the northern part of the entire State of Zhao, located over ten thousand miles away.

Wang Lin had only heard of this Tianshui City from his schoolteacher. It was said to be immensely vast, housing hundreds of thousands of troops from the State of Zhao. Since he was young, Wang Lin had yearned for Tianshui City, dreaming of visiting it.

Before he had stepped into the Cultivation World, Wang Lin's greatest ambition had been to stand out in the county exams, go to the capital to become a high-ranking official, and bring his parents along with him.

With these thoughts from years ago echoing in his mind, a smile played on Wang Lin's lips. He didn't slow down, flying rapidly toward the southwest.

Ten days later, Wang Lin was a bit confused. He stood on a main road with a furrowed brow, and the mocking voice of Situ Nan reached his ears.

"I watched you fly for several days and thought you knew the way. Turns out, you have no idea."

Wang Lin let out a soft huff and said, "If it weren't for you telling me to turn left and right every time you saw a forest along the way, I would have definitely found Tianshui City."

Situ Nan laughed, "There are so many forests along this route; who knows, they might contain some wood-attribute plants. I'm doing this for your own good."

Wang Lin was about to speak but suddenly stopped. He looked into the distance of the main road and saw a long line of horse-drawn carriages slowly appearing in his view.

Liu San was the Head Escort of the Weiwu Escort Agency in Tianshui City. His build wasn't particularly burly, but he was full of strength. He had refined his Mountain-Opening Palm to Perfection. Even in Tianshui City, he was a rare expert; even the owner of the escort agency treated him with great courtesy and wouldn't easily send him out on escort missions.

But this time, the "red goods" being transported were truly troublesome, and the distance was too great, which was why the owner had requested him to take the job.

Liu San was a forthright and generous man who loved making friends from all walks of life. Any escort mission he led was generally given some face by the men of the greenwood. He was currently riding on his horse, squinting his eyes, feeling quite proud in his heart. This batch of red goods had been delivered. Although they had encountered some ignorant petty thieves along the way, everything had been handled without danger. The most critical moment was when they met friends from the Ten Alliances of the Greenwood; they had originally set up a grand formation, but upon seeing him, they had no choice but to stand down. This made him feel quite proud.

He closed his eyes slightly, feeling a slight sense of relief in his heart. They were almost back to Tianshui City now, and the task entrusted to him by the owner could be considered successfully completed.

"Head Escort, now that we've safely delivered that batch of goods, how much of a cut do you think the boss will give us when we get back?" On a horse next to Liu San sat a sturdy young man, who asked with a grin.

"Head Escort, this batch of goods is so valuable, surely he must give us at least a one-percent cut." A dark-skinned man next to Yang Sen also leaned over and said with a smile.

Liu San glared and said, "When has the boss ever shortchanged us? Why worry about these things? Just wait."

The young man wasn't afraid. He patted the horse he was sitting on and laughed, "Alright, with those words from the Head Escort, I, Yang Sen, can rest easy."

The dark-skinned man laughed, and just as he was about to speak, his expression suddenly changed. He said in a deep voice, "Head Escort, look over there, is that someone standing there?"

Liu San stared into the distance and saw a figure standing in the middle of the main road. His expression darkened, and he said, "Yang Sen, go up and ask what's going on. If he's short on travel expenses, give him some. When traveling, everyone has their difficult moments."

Yang Sen curled his lips, acknowledged the order, and squeezed his legs. His horse immediately neighed and galloped forward. Not long after, seeing that he was not far from the person, Yang Sen not only didn't slow down but instead squeezed even harder, causing the horse to gallop even faster.

Seeing this, Liu San frowned, thinking to himself that Yang Sen was good at everything, but he had an impulsive streak in his actions, always wanting to intimidate others without asking any questions.

The dark-skinned man chuckled and said, "This Yang Sen, he isn't afraid of scaring the other person. But the kid's horsemanship is truly superb; he's got real skill."

The person standing on the main road was none other than the lost Wang Lin. He saw a rider charge out from the escort team, moving at an extremely fast speed, and reach him in an instant.

Yang Sen could already see the person's face. Upon closer inspection, he discovered that this person was quite young, yet his expression was calm. He showed not the slightest panic at Yang Sen charging towards him at high speed, which made Yang Sen inwardly admire him. He pulled on the reins, and his mount immediately let out a long neigh, its front hooves leaping to the side, brushing past Wang Lin's body as it slid by from the side.

After moving a few more steps, Yang Sen cupped his fists and said loudly, "I am Yang Sen of the Weiwu Escort Agency in Tianshui City. Friend, is there anything you need help with?"

Wang Lin glanced at him, smiled, and cupped his fists, "I would like to ask for the direction to Tianshui City. Please forgive me if I have caused any disturbance."

Yang Sen was taken aback. He sized Wang Lin up a few times, paying particular attention to his hands and temples, then laughed casually, "That's easy to say. Tianshui City isn't far now. May I ask what business you have in Tianshui City, brother?"

Yang Sen looked at Wang Lin a few more times. At this moment, the escort team had arrived. Liu San shouted, "Yang Sen, what's going on?"

Yang Sen turned his horse and said loudly, "Head Escort, it's just a kid who doesn't know martial arts, asking for the direction to Tianshui City."

Liu San pulled on his reins and approached quickly. A sharp glint flashed in his eyes as he stared at Wang Lin, saying in a deep voice, "Friend, may I ask your name?"

Wang Lin cupped his fists and said, "This Escort, I am Wang Lin. This is my first time leaving home, and I am currently lost and do not know which way leads to Tianshui City. I hope you can enlighten me."