Chapter 17: Eastcalm

Vishnu became surprised to see Chen Jiaxin there. He had told her that he'd be going into seclusion but here she is glaring at him. From that glare, Vishnu understood that the plan to fool her has gone to waste. He turned to look toward Winston and seeing him smile he frowned. Winston was the only other person who knew that he'd be leaving.

It is not that he trusted Winston that much but because he needed some Alchemical product for his trip. Even though he could concoct it himself, he'd have to waste time and his concocting speed is not as fast as Winston's. And it probably would never be that fast as Winston has an Alchemy core whereas he doesn't. Even though he is much more talented he didn't want to birth an alchemy core just to lose his fighting power.

"Why?" Vishnu asked Winston. He had strictly said to Winston to not mention to anyone that he'd be leaving as those who want to kill him would be able to know about it that way.

"Well, Little princess didn't trust you fully and came to ask me but I couldn't just lie to her for your sake you know." Winston still had that warm smile.

Vishnu felt irritated but he couldn't do anything now. He looked at Chen Jiaxin who is still glaring at him. "Why are you here?" Vishnu asked again. Even though Chen Jiaxin knows there should be no reason for her to be here.

'Did she just want to say bye?' Vishnu thought. But soon discarded that idea.

Chen Jiaxin hearing Vishnu's question again became awkward. In truth, she felt that Vishnu is probably lying to her about seclusion so she came to Winston to ask about it and after learning that he is secretly leaving without even telling her she became angry and stayed there and waited for him to come. 'But why am I even here?' She asked herself. She has no reason to wait for an hour for Vishnu to come. She doesn't even have a reason to be angry with Vishnu. But deep down she knew the answer. She has been pestering Vishnu for the past 4 years and even when Vishnu tries to ignore her she'd still act clingy.

"I am going with you." Chen Jiaxin blurted out.

"Whattt?" Both Winston and Vishnu looked at her shocked. Where did this come from? And why would she go with Vishnu?

"No No No, What are you even talking about?" Vishnu asked. He didn't want extra baggage on his trip.

"I said, I am going with you. It has been a long time since I went on any adventure so I'd just go with you." Chen Jiaxin just said whatever came to her mouth quickly.

"No No, I'm not going on an adventure. It is for training and what would you tell your brother? That you're coming with me? He'd just flip out and chase after me. I don't want troubles."

"I'd just tell him that I'm also going into seclusion. And I could also train while on an adventure." She gave a smug smile to Vishnu.

Vishnu got a headache now. Even though he didn't want to take this woman but he knows that she'd just follow along.

"Okay fine, But you'll have to listen to whatever I say." Vishnu conceded.

"Whatever huh!" Chen Jiaxin had that lewd smile that Vishnu ignored.

Winston looked at their interaction with a knowing smile.

"Well. Take this ring. It contains everything you asked for and I've added some more for our little princess too." Winston said as he gave a ring to Vishnu. Vishu took the ring and checked its contents. Seeing everything there he smiled with satisfaction.

"What is in there?" Chen Jiaxin asked. She completely ignored how someone just passed a storage ring to another without thinking much and that person also received it without much thought.

Storage rings are a treasure that only the wealthiest people on the continent have. The price to create one is astronomical and even then not everyone could have one. But for a Rank-3 alchemist like Winston, it was nothing. And for Vishnu who has an almost infinite space inside his storage ring where Arthur resides, it was nothing.

"Here is an appearance altering paste as well as aura suppressing pills which would make us unrecognizable," Vishnu explained.

"Do you also want something that'd boost your 'Stamina'?" Winston asked with a smile but it looked evil to both Vishnu and Chen Jiaxin.

"Wh.. What are you talking old man? Why would I need those things." Vishnu became flustered.

"oh! So you mean even without that pill you have enough 'Stamina'?"

"Just shut up. I'm going now that I'm done with my things." Vishnu said as he started running.

Winston smiled at the flustered Vishnu. He has never seen him so flustered so it felt refreshing. Chen Jiaxin also became surprised at how flustered Vishnu became. She looked at Winston and bowed a little "I'm also leaving" She said but just as she reached the door Winston spoke, " Do you need something little princess, Something that could arouse someone?" Winston still had that evil smile.

"Wh What? You've gone senile old man." She shouted as she also started running off.

Winston just shook his head 'Too much youthful energy' he sighed as he went to his chamber to rest.

'Oh! I forgot to inform that there is a Qi Vehicle in the ring, I better send the message quickly.' Vishnu then pulls out his talisman and sends the message.

…

Vishnu looked outside the window and saw people passing by. He still felt amazed at how they are currently traveling. They are currently in a vehicle of sort which Winston has given Vishnu inside the ring.

It has been more than an hour since they left the sect. After sneaking out of the sect they changed their clothes and altered their faces using Appearance altering paste and suppressed their aura with an aura suppressing pill.

Then they started walking north. Their goal is to enter the Blood hill Mountain range but from a different direction. If they entered the forest somewhere near the sect then they would meet their sect members and could be recognized easily. Even though Vishnu's power isn't that well but the Titan wolf and Chen Jiaxin are pretty famous. And Fenrir has changed its size. Vishnu didn't know at first, that any beast who has reached rank-2 could change their size but it constantly requires energy to maintain that size so it isn't that helpful during a battle. Fenrir has turned into the size of a hamster and even Vishnu couldn't recognize it at first glance. With aura suppressing pill everybody will think of it as a cute little rank-0 beast.

Vishnu looked inside the vehicle and looked towards Chen Jiaxin who is sitting next to him with Fenrir on her shoulder. During these 4 years as Fenrir grew, Chen Jiaxin would come to his place just to play with Fenrir. Even though at first Fenrir was aggressive but with Vishnu calming him down and with some delicious meat Fenrir didn't resist too much. Vishnu looked around and marveled at the technology. It'd have taken them around 7 hours and they had to run to their first destination but with this vehicle, it'd take only 5 hours. Their first stop is Eastcalm city Which is around 600 km from the sect.

Vishnu recalled as they were walking he got a message from Winston on his talisman saying that a vehicle is also there in the ring. When Vishnu asked Chen Jiaxin what this vehicle is she said it is a type box that could run on its own and we just have to feed it Qi stones. It was the simplest she described but Vishnu understood. She said she also has her own but it will easily be recognizable that is why she didn't take it out.

At this point, Vishnu knows almost everything about her already. Even though he didn't want to but she'll come to his place and start blabbering all her life stories. He knows about the internal struggles in the Chen clan, Why she acts like a strict person in public just to maintain the image of her clan, and the reason she is hungry for power. They didn't go deep into that topic but it related to some childhood trauma or something and Vishnu also didn't want to act nosy.

The time passed swiftly and finally, they could see the city on the horizon. They came out of the vehicle and Vishnu stored it inside his ring. It was Chen Jiaxin who suggested that they shouldn't enter the city in a vehicle as only those extra rich could afford such things and it'd draw attention to them. As they drew close Vishnu saw massive walls. The entire city was protected with walls from all sides. As the City is near the Mountain Range beast tide could happen so all the cities are built with that in mind. Vishnu and Chen Jiaxin stood in a long line to enter the city.