Chapter 43 : The Journey (2)

Embra P.O.V

The next morning, I wake up before sunrise and see that no one attacked the village. Humu. That was a little anti-climatic. But, well, it is good that no one is killed.

It seems other villagers are also up, especially the old people. I change my clothes to peddlers' clothes and wash for a bit. Walking around the village, I greet them friendly and teleport to the furthest mark from the village as soon as no eye is upon me. This is the place I found yesterday night and I think, this would be a good place for me to meditate. So, for the next hour, I meditate there without any disturbance.

This is a habit I happened to pick up when I visited the Tibet temples in my late thirties. I am no believer but, the meditation gives me so many benefits that I still make time to meditate an hour a day even when I am busy. More importantly, mediating before sunrise and breathing some fresh air at the start of the day always put me in a good mood.

I stop mediating after Eve informs me of an hour passing. So, I return to the village after stretching for a bit. When I returned, most of the villagers are already working and children are helping their parents. An era without electricity... I think I might want to sightsee around China for a bit, especially the big cities of China like Beijing or Shanghai.

This is not a bad idea but, I think, I will do that after I learn a breath style. For now, my priority is to reach Japan. So, after eating breakfast in the inn, I pay a copper coin to the inn owner and continue my journey. Now that I think, about it, I am now left with an only coin which is worth 0.1 tael, here in China.

Sh*t. I should have sold a tea set or two in the village... Well, whatever. For now, I sincerely pray that I meet a group of robbers, my dear income... *Smile*

When the sun reaches the highest, I stop by near a stream and have lunch. *sigh* How good would it be if I can use GPS right now... I am getting tired to constantly ask about the next city or village whenever I meet a person on the road. When asking them for direction, I also try to ask about the news of robbers but, they said there is no cases of a robbery around these parts.

I am disheartened a little bit but, one of the women I met on the road told me that there is a city not far from the stream I am resting now. So, for now, I will be going there and sell my tea sets. Of course, I have already changed the tea sets to four medium-quality tea sets with one high-quality tea set. I think I will be selling door to door, to avoid prying eyes.

I cannot move around too much in daylight and let my secret out but, at night, I will be hunting down those who want a piece of me. *Nihihi* More coins for me.

Anyway, I finish my lunch quickly and head towards the nearby city. The woman said, it is half a day travel from the stream but, I reach the city around 2 or 3 p.m. The entrance is also not that strict seeing that I am just a young dirty peddler. Humu. Now, my last coin is gone because of the entrance fee.

Time to make some money!

The city is bustling with activities and there are many peddlers selling things on the road. I blend in with the crowd and walk around the city while carrying the bamboo basket with a wooden box covered by a cloth. The reason for the blending is to search for someone with a deep pocket and someone who has an interest in arts.

I have to walk around the city for half an hour to hear words from afar about how a woman is about to get married and they are going to buy some furniture. Hm... Tea sets are not included in the Furniture but, let's try selling them.

I head towards the direction where I hear the words about marriage, to see some finely-dressed women grouped together to discuss how they should decorate the wedding hall. I approach them after cleaning my face with a wet cloth from the inventory. I call out to them politely and started my selling.

"Oh...! Beautiful madams over there... Might I have a little bit of your time?" (Embra)

First thing first, I praise their elegant 'beauty' even though they are just so-so. Second, I mention their further beauty if they were to drink tea from my tea sets. Third, I exaggerate about how married life would become perfect if they were to use my high-quality tea set in their marriage.

Finally, after persuading with sweet words for nearly an hour, they agree to buy my tea sets. To my surprise, they bought them all. Are my words that persuasive?

Well, because of that, I get 2.4 tael worths of coins from them. Now, that I get money, I try to find out about the demons, robbers, and foreign travel to Japan and Korea from the women without being too obvious. As a result, I got to hear many things out of them and get even invited to the wedding. What the F*?

During the conversation, they often ask about my long hair that looks 'beautiful' in their eyes. Well, I cannot answer that I use shampoo and other modern hair wash. So, I gave them hair maintaining ways using 'rice water' which they eagerly listened to and even gave me some money for the advice.

After some time, I am finally released from their nonstop questions and I head towards the shop that one of the women mentioned about selling maps.

What, you think I am a simp? Nope. In this unknown world where there are demons, I do not want to stick out like a sore thumb. There is no 'do-ever' in this world. I know I am strong but, I am not yet strong enough to face super-strong demons like the upper moon or face an army from the human side. That's why I am staying low and try to gather as much information as I can. I want to grow strong without anyone knowing, if possible.

I bought a map from the shop and try to gather more information from the owner by giving him booze that I bought on the way to shop. I was correct because the man continues to talk on and on about everything I want to know as soon as alcohol enters his system. And, thanks to that man who makes me accompany him till the sunset, I have gathered enough information. That night, I look around the city once in search of the 'bad guys' but, well, I did not find them. So, I get out of that city using stealth and continue my journey.

There is a reason why I am traveling at night. It is because of the news I heard from the shop owner, which is new about another village being destroyed by demons last night. It seems the village is not that far away from where I am. So, I am heading there in the depths of the night in hopes of finding traces of demons.

Of course, my priority is not to fight them as soon as I saw them. My priority is to gouge the strength of the demons and to confirm the existence of demon slayers in China. This is my hunch but, if there are demons here in China, I think, there should be demon slayers too.

That's why I am heading there. In anticipation of a battle, I have already changed my clothes to black clothes with my sword on my hips. Of course, my face is also covered in black clothes with the exception of my eyes. My hair is tied in a ponytail and with the clothes, I stuffed in my chest, I look more feminine. It is my disguise in case I have to fight.

There is no need to mention that I will kill all the demons using sunlight but, in case there are some people with the demons, they may have seen me. That's why I am disguising as a female so that my peddler disguise is not blown up and associated with my 'Black clothed female' disguise.

*Scream*

Soon, I heard a scream to my left. A scream of a woman. *smile* A dismal in distress, huh? Sate, Sate, Sate... how will you dance, I wonder?