Mount Dazhou

A few days later, in mid-March, the martial academy welcomed its rest day.

“Pingsheng, I'm heading back first. See you next time.”

“Sure, be careful on the road.”

“Mhm.”

With a soft click, the door closed.

Zhuang Xun, having seen off Li Zigeng, turned back to look at the empty dormitory. Shaking his head, he lamented, “Like an old man in an empty nest.”

He paced back and forth.

He wandered aimlessly around the dormitory for a bit, then packed his things, preparing to leave.

In the blink of an eye, Zhuang Xun had been at the academy for half a month, welcoming his first rest day.

At the same time, he also faced his greatest crisis since entering the academy.

—He had run out of money.

The Principal had given Bai Yujing plenty of cultivation resources, but not a single copper of money.

Although the Principal had said he could ask for anything he lacked, Zhuang Xun was too embarrassed to bring it up.

Since Bai Yujing lacked for nothing in terms of food and drink, he had no immediate need for money, and thus no excuse to ask for any.

He couldn't exactly use Bai Yujing's mouth to tell the Principal that he needed money to support Yan Pingsheng.

“I'll make a trip to Mount Dazhou today to earn enough money for the second half of the month. Once I get through this month and my monthly allowance is distributed, I won't have to worry about money ever again,” Zhuang Xun thought to himself as he folded his clothes.

Unlike Outer Court disciples, Inner Court disciples not only didn't have to pay tuition, but they also received a stipend.

According to what Zhuang Xun had gathered from An Dafu, a true disciple's monthly allowance was fifty taels of silver, fifteen meals of precious meat, and a hundred taels' worth of resource allowance.

As the Chief Disciple, Bai Yujing was one level higher than a true disciple, so his monthly allowance would likely be even greater.

However, for now, Bai Yujing was still an Outer Court disciple in name. He would have to wait until the apprenticeship ceremony at the beginning of next month concluded and he officially became the Chief Disciple to receive his monthly allowance.

So, before next month arrived, Zhuang Xun had to go out and earn Yan Pingsheng's living expenses himself.

Leaving Bai Yujing to practice martial arts in the academy, Zhuang Xun controlled Yan Pingsheng, picked up a bundle, and headed out.

Once outside the Wanxing Market, he walked over thirty li along the official road. Just before noon, he finally spotted the continuous city walls hidden behind the mist.

—It was the largest city in the Mount Dazhou region, Zechuan City.

Zhuang Xun quickened his pace, lined up at the city gate, and successfully entered after showing his travel permit to the guards.

“Flatbread for sale! Large flatbreads, three copper coins each!”

“Candied hawthorns for sale!”

On both sides of the street, which was wide enough for four horses to ride abreast, vendors hawked their wares with high spirits, and pedestrians bustled about in an endless stream.

Unable to resist the temptation, Zhuang Xun bought three flatbreads and a stick of candied hawthorns for lunch, eating as he walked down South Avenue.

“So dry, and no meat,” he muttered, patting his flat purse. Smelling the fragrance wafting from a braised meat shop, he could only tear himself away in pain, wrapping the remaining candied hawthorns inside a flatbread and taking a large bite.

It was salty and sweet, and tasted surprisingly good.

Before long, Zhuang Xun stopped in front of a small, single-entry courtyard.

This was a property he had purchased long ago under the identity of Yan Pingsheng's father. Thinking it would serve as a safe haven if anything unexpected happened, he had never sold it.

Zhuang Xun pulled a key from his breast, stepped over the dusty threshold, and opened the door.

He headed straight for the main hall, took down the bow and arrows hanging on the wall along with a basket for herb-gathering tools, and then rushed toward the north city gate without a moment's pause.

The north city gate bordered the northern peak of Mount Dazhou.

That area was rich in resources, sustaining countless hunters and herb gatherers.

Zhuang Xun had been one of them. By hunting, gathering herbs, and doing a bit of stealing from other thieves, he had managed to accumulate enough to create Bai Yujing over two years.

Leaving the city, Zhuang Xun walked toward a narrow path trodden into the dirt slope on the right.

After walking about a few li, the surrounding greenery gave way to buildings, and the faint sounds of shouting vendors could be heard once more.

It was the Mount Dazhou Market.

Hunters and herb gatherers going up the mountain would sell whatever they harvested here.

The Mount Dazhou Market was backed by the Zhou family, one of the seven great families of Zechuan City. Almost no one dared to cause trouble there, making transactions highly secure.

“Hey, Dad, look over there. Isn't that Uncle Yan's son?”

“Oh? Let me see... Oh! It really is Qingshan's son. Pingsheng!”

Just as Zhuang Xun was planning to pass through the market to enter the mountain, he heard someone calling him from behind. Turning around, he saw two men dressed as hunters and immediately realized who they were.

—They were acquaintances of his former long-term clone, Yan Qingshan.

Yan Qingshan's character profile was set as Yan Pingsheng's father.

However, because he later had too many clones to manage, Zhuang Xun had declared him dead to the public and converted him back into panel points.

Zhuang Xun walked over and greeted them with feigned surprise, “Uncle Wang, Brother Wang.”

The younger man happily circled Yan Pingsheng, patting his shoulder. “Pingsheng! I haven't seen you in ages. Look how sturdy you've grown!”

The sturdy-looking old man beside him also looked at Yan Pingsheng with joy. Noticing the bow and basket on his back, he asked:

“Pingsheng, you're preparing to head up the mountain?”

Zhuang Xun nodded. “Yes, now that spring is here, I'm going up to see if there's any game to hunt.”

The old man frowned and said, “Don't go. Take my advice, don't go up the mountain.”

“If you absolutely must go, just stick to the outskirts. Don't go too deep. Recently, that band of bandits from the southern peak has migrated to the northern peak. Several people who went up have been captured, and there's been no word of them since.”

“Ah? Then I won't go. Thank you for the warning, Uncle.”

Seeing that Yan Pingsheng listened to advice, the old man was very pleased. “Good. Once things quiet down on the mountain, come find me. Your brother and I will take you up with us.”

“If your father hadn't saved my life back then, I wouldn't be alive today.”

The young man winked at Yan Pingsheng. “When the time comes, I'll show you a trick or two. Last time, from a hundred meters away, I shot a wild pheasant right in the head with a single arrow!”

“It was about this big,” he gestured with his hands.

“That's incredible,” Zhuang Xun played along.

He chatted with them for a bit, and when he felt it was about time, he said, “Well, Uncle Wang, Brother Wang, I'll head back first.”

“Alright. Remember to come find me if you want to go up the mountain.”

Watching Yan Pingsheng's departing back, the young man sighed to the old man, “Dad, Pingsheng really is cast from the same mold as Uncle Yan. They look exactly the same.”

“I wonder if he inherited Uncle Yan's immense strength. I still haven't forgotten the sight of Uncle Yan slamming that black bear to the ground back then.”

The old man chuckled and said, “A tiger father does not breed canine sons. Qingshan was a famous expert back then, so how could Pingsheng be lacking? It's a pity...”

He sighed again. “Qingshan passed away too early. Pingsheng is truly a child of misfortune. He lost his mother at a young age, and then his father when he was a bit older. At such a tender age, he had to make a living on the mountain by himself. Truly... sigh~”

The young man sighed along with him. “Sigh~”

...

Zhuang Xun, whose tragic past had been entirely fabricated in their minds, walked back to the city alone.

He had already abandoned the idea of going up the mountain.

Going up when knowing there was danger was either pure recklessness or having the legendary strength of Wu Song.

Yan Pingsheng's body was too weak. Even if Zhuang Xun believed he had excellent skills and control, if he ran into bandits, he still wouldn't escape the fate of being captured to work in the mines.

Zhuang Xun had been captured before, so he knew exactly what those bandits wanted with prisoners.

“Damn bandits. Now that I can't go up the mountain, what should I do? Catch precious fish? I don't really want to get in the water...”