My Martial Arts Level Never Drops

Chapter 428: Chapter 199: Setting Out Again

After returning, he had contacted Qian Ruhai via the Token. Qian Ruhai had even come into the Sect to meet him.

His house in the Inner City was now entirely managed by Qian Ruhai... and of course, everything was kept in perfect order.

Qian Ruhai was too restless to sit idle and was even planning to start a small business.

”Worldly wealth is useless within the Sect, but you’ll eventually have to travel the outside world, Sir... Out there, this money will be quite useful.”

That sounded reasonable enough, so Qin Fang agreed.

...But Qin Fang had no real interest in business, so he left it entirely in Qian Ruhai’s hands.

He couldn’t be bothered to ask about the specifics.

...He trusted Qian Ruhai’s judgment.

Qin Fang decided to stay in the Inner City for a day...

He brought Xile with him. The enormous creature was as large as the nearby houses even when lying down, which scared the Maids and servants of the estate half to death.

...Afterward, they went about their duties with even greater caution.

In their eyes, their master was a figure akin to an immortal...

He could control Demons!

The next day, when Qin Fang rode Xile out the gate, he found Black Armored Soldiers already waiting for him.

They were needed to clear the way.

Xile’s reappearance on the streets of the Inner City after a month-long absence caused a commotion, just as expected... though it was noticeably less intense than the first time.

The commotion grew when they reached the Outer City.

But thanks to that first incident, many shop owners had since figured out who the great dog’s master was.

This time, when newcomers to the city saw Xile, their faces went pale and their bodies trembled in fear. The nearby shopkeepers and their assistants, however, saw the terrified newcomers—who looked as though they were seeing a monster—and couldn’t help but give them a look one reserves for a country bumpkin. There was even a hint of smugness in their expressions.

”Hahaha, no need to be afraid! That’s a Spirit Beast raised by a True Inheritance of our Heavenly Gang Upper Sect... It’s basically what you’d call a Demon. But don’t worry, it won’t hurt anyone.”

This left many of the first-time observers dumbfounded.

”Heavenly Gang... Upper Sect?”

”A pet... Demon?”

”A Demon... c-can you even keep one as a pet?”

The newcomers were utterly stunned, feeling as if their entire worldview had been shattered.

”The Heavenly Gang Upper Sect... How can I explain it? ... It’s sort of like the most powerful martial arts dojo in your county town, I guess? Except the Heavenly Gang Upper Sect is way, way more powerful. Even the Government Office has to tread carefully around them. This Spirit Beast belongs to a major figure from the Heavenly Gang Upper Sect... Look, he’s right there on its back.”

They spoke with feigned nonchalance, but when they saw Qin Fang on Xile’s back, their eyes lit up with excitement.

”And... and that gentleman is?”

”Heh, now that you ask, he’s the most famous figure to appear in our Lanyang City in recent years...”

At this, the shop assistant was wide awake, launching into an animated explanation...

...something about being the top rank in the Martial Arts Examination, and so on...

While you couldn’t say Qin Fang was a household name in Lanyang City just yet, a great many people had certainly heard of him.

Many had even seen him in person.

...After all, he had been the center of attention on the day of the Martial Arts Examination.

Under the weight of all those stares, Qin Fang rode directly out of the city.

He rode Xile straight onto the Great Cloud Marsh. As Xile ran across the water’s surface, it drew cries of amazement from the nearby Painted Boats.

Finally, as everyone watched, he galloped deep into the Great Cloud Marsh and vanished from sight...

This time, Qin Fang didn’t head toward Qingmu City.

...He didn’t want his movements to be tracked.

In any case, Xile was fast enough, and its stamina was formidable. It could keep up this pace for days on end without rest or sleep.

What was a small detour?

It was a perfect opportunity for Qin Fang to take in the scenery around the Great Cloud Marsh...

The Great Cloud Marsh was immense, its waters glittering. Gazing toward the horizon, one saw only the water and sky merging into a single, boundless expanse.

Near the shore, islets and shoals were scattered like stars, thick with reeds from which white egrets would sometimes take flight in alarm.

The farther in he went, the wider the waters became. A vast expanse of mist and waves unfolded, the low-hanging haze like a veil of gauze, smudging the distant water and sky into a blurry shade of grayish-cyan.

Lone hillocks occasionally broke the surface, resembling the spines of colossal beasts. Atop them grew ancient, gnarled trees, standing silently in the swirling mist...

The waterways within the marsh crisscrossed in an unpredictable, ever-changing maze.

One moment, he would be on an open lake; the next, after rounding a dense patch of cattails, he would find himself in a narrow channel winding like an alley. The water on either side was a bottomless, murky dark, while overhead, the branches of ancient trees intertwined, dangling with aerial roots and vines as if he had stepped into another, more tranquil world...

The water’s color was not uniform. In the shallows, one could see swaying weeds and colorful pebbles on the bottom. In the depths, however, the water was a somber, inky green or a mysterious blue, where the occasional shadow of a massive fish would glide by, stirring silent undercurrents...

The air was rich with the primordial qi of water, mingled with the scents of earth, humus, and the uniquely fresh, faintly sweet aroma of countless aquatic plants.

Qin Fang urged his companion onward. Beneath him, Xile ran across the water as if on solid ground, kicking up a spray of fine, silvery light.

Immersed in this vast marsh—a place that seemed to have existed since time immemorial, nourishing all life.

He felt the vastness of the world, and his spirit soared...

...This world was full of profound and exquisite wonders that made one’s heart yearn.

「Six days later.」

Qin Fang, riding Xile, returned to Old Ox Back.

Then, he began his cultivation in seclusion.

The primary reason for his seclusion at Old Ox Back was, of course, the Profound Nether True Water Scripture.

Having learned his lesson from the first time, Qin Fang didn’t dare venture deep into the Cold Cave. Instead, he decided to test things out right at the entrance.

To his surprise, he discovered... that the Ultimate Yin Primordial Power permeating the air was astonishingly scarce.