The Journey of Immortal Cultivation
Chapter 64 - 61 Travelers at the Ends of Heaven_2

Chapter 64: Chapter 61 Travelers at the Ends of Heaven_2

The hour of the Rabbit had just passed, and Liu Yimian had already prepared breakfast. He picked up the iron ladle and gave the big pot a few emphatic knocks, letting out an extremely authentic gong sound that echoed through the camp—this was the signal for mealtime. Today’s breakfast, like usual, was hard to identify by its ingredients, and even with Ning Xiaoxian’s sharp eyesight, she could barely make out the presence of pumpkin and eggplant, although both had turned into a mushy paste. The other oddly shaped items were beyond recognition no matter how hard one tried.

It was not that no one had ever complained about his cooking being terrible, but everyone only dared to grumble in private. After all, it wasn’t wise to offend the cook, especially since he was in charge of your meals throughout the journey.

The first person to come for breakfast had bloodshot eyes and had just jumped down from the highest tree nearby. He was the merchant team’s sentry, who had to keep his eyes wide open through the chilling winds and cold mist of the night, vigilant to any activity around the merchants. Naturally, his mental state was not at its best. Having finally made it to dawn, he could eat breakfast and then retreat to his cart for a well-deserved sleep, as others would take over his watch tonight.

Besides Ning Xiaoxian, there were five other guests traveling with the merchant team. Among them, two middle-aged men had already gotten up and come over to scoop up a bowl of rice, gulping down their food indifferently to its taste. In the early morning, within the deep mountain forest, it was still quite cool, and Liu Yimian’s unappetizing-looking soup was at least enough to fill one’s belly and keep warm.

Both men dressed like traveling merchants, seemingly small-time traders seeking protection from larger merchant teams for their travels between states and counties. Compared to the large merchandise of the merchant team, the items they sold were much lighter and more valuable, so choosing the right merchant team to travel with was crucial. According to the pair, this wasn’t their first time cooperating with Deng Hao’s merchant team, and they had always worked well together.

The remaining three individuals seemed far more eccentric to her.

The first was a teacher, who appeared to be in his early thirties, surnamed Yan; no one knew his given name, so they all called him Mr. Yan.

Mr. Yan’s facial features weren’t distinctive, the kind that would blend into a crowd without a second glance. Yet, he was extremely affable, always carrying a smile in his gentle eyes. Plus, being a teacher, whenever someone in the merchant team needed to write letters or prepare contracts, they would go to him. Mr. Yan never refused, sometimes even volunteering to help Zheng, the clerk, with the team’s accounts, making him one of the most well-liked people in the caravan.

But Ning Xiaoxian thought there was more to him than met the eye because from the first time she saw him, Changtian, who was meditating in the God Demon Prison, suddenly said, "This man is no ordinary person, but he’s worth interacting with." As for why, he didn’t elaborate, but receiving his assessment of "no ordinary person" was quite impressive, let alone his suggestion that Ning Xiaoxian could benefit from further interaction? Of course, this ’interaction’ wasn’t the ’seeking a relationship’ flooding the online world in another dimension but meant making acquaintances, conversing.

In the following days, the more she communicated with Mr. Yan, the more she felt that Changtian was correct. Mr. Yan never refused to answer her questions, responding whenever asked. The problem was, Mr. Yan knew too much; no matter what question she posed, he had an answer. Setting aside the accuracy of these answers, just the fact that he could respond fluently to her outlandish line of questioning was incredibly strange in itself.

Mr. Yan was not picky about food either. Even when Liu Yimian came up with food that defied imagination, he could eat it without a hint of displeasure, and his smile never faded. Ning Xiaoxian especially admired this about him.

The last two guests were a married couple. This morning, the husband stepped out of the carriage with his hair and robes as tidy as always, meticulously groomed and a picture of neatness. He hurriedly grabbed some food, offered an embarrassed smile to those around him, and quickly returned to his carriage, slamming the door shut with a bang.

This man had handsome features, with peach-blossom eyes and fair skin, though slightly slender in build, which only accentuated his delicate appearance; with lips seemingly brushed with rouge, he exuded a romantic charm with every glance, prompting Ning Xiaoxian to think of a phrase: a willow swaying in the breeze. This description was usually reserved for women’s gracefulness, but she felt it was quite fitting for him. Before she was transported to this world, the media was fascinated with cross-dressers, and she maliciously thought that if this man were to dress as a woman, he could most certainly put many females to shame with his looks.

In short, he was the type that many seventeen or eighteen-year-old girls would fancy. Zheng, the clerk who thought he had become good friends with Ning Xiaoxian, whispered in her ear one day, "Doesn’t he make your heart flutter?"

This comment caused Changtian, inside the God Demon Prison, to frown until Ning Xiaoxian nonchalantly replied, "He’s not my type!" which made Changtian close his eyes again.

The man was named Zhang Sheng. The first time Ning Xiaoxian heard this name, she was stunned, thinking she had not crossed into a Fantasy Immortal Country but into ’The Romance of the Western Chamber.’ She teased Zhang Sheng, "Your wife wouldn’t happen to be called Cui Yingying, would she?"

"You! How did you know?" Zhang Sheng’s face changed dramatically, as if he had been struck by some memory, his smooth skin turning even paler, and it took him a while to say, "My wife’s name is Cui Yingying."

"..." Author, you’re filthy! (You’ve gone too far) There’s a limit to parody.

However, nobody in the merchant team had ever seen this Miss Cui Yingying’s true face; even Deng Hao, who was closing the deal, had only caught a glance of her veiled silhouette. She stayed shut in her own cart, never venturing out, and even her meals were brought back to her by Zhang Sheng. As for his explanation, he said his wife suffered from an ailment of the eyes and couldn’t be exposed to light, so had to be kept in the cart. But the shrewd people in the caravan were not convinced; the most generous conjecture was that his wife might be a great beauty that even Zhang Sheng didn’t want to show to the world.

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