Chapter 12: The Final Journey

Just as Er Mao was thinking about how to refuse, the young woman spoke again. "Xuanyun Sect is located in Xiang County, Liangzhou. It will take you at least two months to get there. When I return, I'll have my father write a letter to Grandmaster Guangping. When you arrive, just mention your name, and you'll be able to enter the sect."

Before Er Mao could respond, the crippled man spoke up, "May I ask the young lady's surname?"

"My name is Mi Wenjun," the young woman replied casually.

"Oh, so you're Miss Mi," the crippled man said, giving a respectful bow to Mi Wenjun. He then turned and looked at Er Mao. "What are you standing there for? Hurry up and thank Miss Mi."

Seeing Er Mao hesitate, the crippled man slapped him on the back of the head. "Hurry up."

Er Mao, still confused, didn't know what was going on in the crippled man's mind. At his urging, he put down his bowl and awkwardly bowed to Mi Wenjun.

"There's no need for such formalities. I'm only helping you by giving you a recommendation. What happens in the future depends on your own fortune," Mi Wenjun said.

After saying this, Mi Wenjun stepped closer to the crippled man. "Old sir, may I take your pulse?"

"No need, no need. I can't trouble you, young lady," the crippled man said, shaking his head repeatedly. He then cupped his hands in gratitude. "Thank you, thank you."

Mi Wenjun smiled, "You might not know this, but my father is a close friend of Medicine King Li Baicao. I learned medicine from him for several years..."

Before Mi Wenjun could finish, the crippled man interrupted, "I appreciate your kindness, but it's really not necessary. Your companion has returned, and you should be on your way."

Hearing the crippled man's words, Mi Wenjun turned to the east and looked out, but saw no sign of anyone approaching.

Although she was suspicious, Mi Wenjun did not act on her hunch. Instead, she walked toward her horse.

Seeing that Mi Wenjun was leaving, Er Mao and the crippled man hurried to see her off. Mi Wenjun casually gave a few reminders, and when her companion arrived, she immediately mounted her horse and rode west with the group.

After watching them disappear into the distance, the two returned to their spot under the tree.

The whole situation had happened so suddenly that Er Mao had still not quite processed it. "Her father seems like a very powerful figure."

"Her surname is Mi. Her father should be Mi Tiangang, the leader of the Nine States Alliance," the crippled man said casually.

Er Mao was not unfamiliar with the name Mi Tiangang. People in the martial world often mentioned him. He was the leader of the Guiyuan Sect, renowned for his exceptional martial skills. He was also highly respected for his fairness and virtue, which led the major sects of the Nine States to elect him as their leader.

"What do they want with this dragon horn?" Er Mao asked, still puzzled.

"It's certainly something against the court," the crippled man replied. "Otherwise, they wouldn't be worried about being delayed by the coastal authorities."

Er Mao nodded. These martial sects did not answer to the imperial court, and the officials were often wary of them due to their vast numbers and martial prowess. Although the authorities did not dare provoke them lightly, they had little love for these sects.

Er Mao had barely finished his bowl of rice porridge, and there was still half left. In a hurry to finish and rest, he ate faster. The sound of the bowl clattering again earned a reprimand from the crippled man. "Don't make noise while eating."

The crippled man was very particular about these little things, and Er Mao had grown accustomed to it. Without arguing, he cleaned up the bowls and chopsticks and spread out his bedding to rest.

Noticing that the crippled man had not moved after he lay down, Er Mao casually asked, "Are we really going to Liangzhou?"

"Of course. Why wouldn't we?" the crippled man replied.

"If I go to learn magic, I won't be able to stay with you anymore," Er Mao said.

"Stay with me? It's been me staying with you all these years," the crippled man scoffed.

Er Mao laughed awkwardly. "So, you mean I've been holding you back?"

"You think you haven't been holding me back?" the crippled man retorted. "If it wasn't to train you, I wouldn't be doing this hard work."

"Then if I wasn't holding you back, what would you be doing?" Er Mao asked with a laugh.

"The world is so big, where couldn't I go?" the crippled man said.

Er Mao laughed out loud.

"Stop laughing," the crippled man scolded. "Do you really think I'm just a blacksmith?"

"No, no, you're a concealed expert," Er Mao teased. "You've been boasting about this for ten years. Why don't you show me a trick?"

"The time isn't right," the crippled man said with a mysterious expression.

Er Mao joked, "Don't be so proud. If you were really an expert, we wouldn't have been robbed so many times over the years. And that time in Jizhou, when we were knocked down and crawling around, you didn't even fight back."

"I've already said, the time isn't right," the crippled man insisted.

"When will the time be right?" Er Mao teased.

The crippled man didn't answer, instead criticizing Er Mao. "You're still too careless. You have to remember, all the answers are hidden in the details. Being careless is never acceptable."

"What details did I overlook?" Er Mao asked casually.

"You'll know later. Go to sleep now," the crippled man said.

Neither of them had slept well the previous night, and Er Mao was quickly overcome by sleepiness.

The next morning, the two set off on their journey.

By noon, they reached the town where they had previously stopped. The crippled man never let Er Mao eat in inns or taverns, always buying food to take away and eating in quiet places.

After buying food, the crippled man came out to find Er Mao inspecting a donkey, while the owner nearby boasted and introduced it.

Seeing the crippled man approach, Er Mao hurriedly pushed the wheelbarrow over.

The crippled man knew that Er Mao had always wanted to buy a donkey, so he casually said, "You have all yesterday's money on you. If you want to buy it, just buy it."

"No, it's better not to. We don't want to attract the attention of bandits," Er Mao said.

"It's fine," the crippled man said. "Buy it. It'll make the journey faster."

"No," Er Mao shook his head.

The crippled man didn't argue. He walked up to the donkey owner, asked the price, and bought the donkey.

Now that they had a donkey, Er Mao no longer had to push the heavy wheelbarrow, but as they continued on their way, he still felt uneasy. The crippled man was acting strangely. Usually, he was so stingy, but just now, he didn't even bargain when buying the donkey.

However, with the donkey, their progress was much quicker. Previously, with the wheelbarrow, they could only travel about twenty miles a day. Now, they could cover forty or fifty miles a day.

The crippled man clearly wanted to get Er Mao to Liangzhou's Xuanyun Sect as soon as possible. Along the way, he didn't stop to work or take any detours, only focusing on the journey.

The further west they went, the more uneasy Er Mao felt. Before, the crippled man would only occasionally teach him to recognize characters, but now, every night, he insisted that Er Mao practice writing with a branch on the ground.

A few days later, Er Mao couldn't hold back anymore and asked, "You're not going to just send me off and leave me, are you?"

"Just sending you there is a great achievement for me. What else could I do?" the crippled man replied casually.

"What do you mean?" Er Mao was confused.

"I have my own things to do. I can't stay with you forever," the crippled man explained. "I brought you back to Qingzhou to help you get your household registration and paperwork so you can live a better life. But it looks like you're lucky, and now you've got yourself into a good position. I'm more at ease now. Once I get you to your destination, I'll be off to do my own things."

"What are you going to do?" Er Mao asked.

"Why ask so much? I'm leaving," the crippled man grumbled.

Er Mao, stung by his words, lowered his head in frustration and didn't ask further.

Seeing Er Mao looking down in silence, the crippled man felt a bit guilty. His tone softened. "Let's go. I've been with you for thirteen years. Let me see you off for the last time…"