nyslfriends Chapter 15 Re-entering the Star Dou Great Forest!
Chapter 15 Re-entering the Star Dou Great Forest!
Three days later.
In the early hours of the morning, before dawn, the back gate of the Qing family manor opened silently.
Five figures filed out and disappeared into the night outside the door.
Leading the way was Qing Zhengyue. The old man had changed into a dark gray outfit, his white hair was tied up, and the narrow-bladed longsword that had been with him for decades hung at his waist.
His footsteps were very light, making almost no sound on the bluestone slabs.
Liu Yunlan followed closely behind, wearing a dark blue short jacket, a silver bun hairstyle, and tightly bound cuffs.
The old lady had an extra cloth bag around her waist compared to last time. The jingling sounds inside were muffled by the cloth and could only be heard when you were very close.
Qing Hongyuan walked in the middle, dressed in a black outfit with a sword at his waist, his face calm and composed.
His aura was much stronger than it had been three months ago, and his Soul King realm made his steps more composed.
Shen Wanqing walked beside her husband, Qing Mufeng, holding his hand. She had changed her jade-colored long dress into a neat short brown dress, and her hair was tied into a long braid that hung down her back.
Her martial soul is the Jade Orchid, making her a support-type soul master. She is not good at direct combat, but her support abilities are indispensable to the team.
Qing Mufeng walked at the back, his steps light and his breathing steady.
The six-year-old child was woken up from bed in the early hours of the morning without uttering a single complaint.
All five members of the family were mobilized.
Outside the manor, an inconspicuous carriage was parked by the roadside.
The car body was a plain paulownia wood color, without any carvings or decorations, and even the curtains were made of the most ordinary indigo coarse cloth.
The horses pulling the cart were fine horses, entirely black with long legs, clearly top-quality steeds.
The driver was a middle-aged man in his fifties, with dark skin, rough hands, and wearing a faded brown suit. He squatted on the shaft of the cart, smoking a pipe.
Upon seeing Qing Zhengyue emerge, he immediately stubbed out his cigarette, jumped off the carriage, bowed respectfully, and remained silent.
This is the Qing family's most loyal coachman, surnamed Zhao, who has worked for the Qing family for thirty years.
He only knew that his master would go out several times a year, but he never asked where he went or what he did, and he never said much after he came back.
Qing Zhengyue nodded and got into the carriage first.
Liu Yunlan, Qing Hongyuan, and Shen Wanqing boarded the car in turn, while Qing Mufeng was the last to get on, sitting between his grandmother and mother.
The car door closed and the curtains fell.
Zhao, the coachman, jumped onto the carriage shaft, flicked the reins, and the black horse set off, the carriage silently driving into the darkness before dawn.
.....
The carriage wasn't very spacious, but it could easily seat five people.
Qing Zhengyue sat at the very back, leaning against the car wall, resting with his eyes closed.
Liu Yunlan took out an oil paper package from her cloth bag, opened it, and inside were several scallion pancakes, still warm.
"Feng'er, have one. You'll be on the road all day." The old lady handed the pancake to her grandson.
Qing Mufeng took the cake and ate it in small bites.
Qing Hongyuan and Shen Wanqing each took one, while Qing Zhengyue waved his hand, indicating that he was not hungry.
The carriage sped along the official road, its wheels making a rhythmic rumbling sound as they rolled over the surface.
Zhao, the coachman, was an excellent driver. The carriage ran fast and steadily, and the people inside could hardly feel any bumps.
After finishing his pancake, Qing Mufeng leaned against his grandmother, closed his eyes, but didn't fall asleep.
He was thinking about his goal this time.
"Grandpa," he said, his voice not loud.
Qing Zhengyue opened his eyes: "Hmm?"
"Have you decided on a target for your third spirit ring?"
Qing Zhengyue glanced at him, took out a folded piece of paper from his pocket, unfolded it, and drew a picture of a soul beast on it.
The spirit beast in the painting has a slender body, thick limbs, a long and thin neck, and a head that looks a bit like a lizard, but with two short horns on its forehead.
Its entire body is covered with bluish-green scales, with a row of fine thorns on its back, and a long and powerful tail.
"Windwood Dragon," Qing Zhengyue said. "It cultivates both wood and wind attributes, is agile, excels in wind-based ranged attacks, and uses its claws and tail in close combat. Its scales are hard, making it difficult for ordinary Soul Masters to penetrate its defenses."
Qing Mufeng carefully examined the picture and memorized the physical characteristics of the Wind Wood Dragon.
"What about the year?"
"Between five thousand and eight thousand years, there are quite a few Windwood Dragons in the Hurricanewood Mountains."
Qing Zhengyue folded the blueprint and put it back in his pocket: "Your physique can withstand a soul ring of about five thousand years. I plan to find you one that is five thousand five hundred to six thousand years old."
Qing Hongyuan added from the side: "The wood attribute of the Windwood Dragon is very pure. Although it is a sub-dragon species and not a pure-blooded dragon, the intensity of its wood attribute is no less than that of some pure-blooded dragons."
"Why choose a sub-dragon species instead of a pureblood?" Qing Mufeng asked.
"Pure-blooded dragons are too hard to find," Qing Zhengyue said. "Although there are dragons in the Star Dou Great Forest, most pure-blooded dragons are in the core area, which is too dangerous. Moreover, pure-blooded dragons are often over ten thousand years old, which is not suitable for you to absorb now."
The old man paused for a moment, then continued, "Another advantage of the Wind-Wood Dragon is its wind attribute. Your future innate divine ability includes the Azure Dragon Riding the Wind, and the wind attribute soul ring of the Wind-Wood Dragon will help you awaken that divine ability."
Qing Mufeng nodded and didn't ask any more questions.
......
The carriage traveled for a whole day.
From dawn to noon, and from noon to dusk, they only stopped once at a roadside tea stall to let the horses drink some water and eat some hay, and the five of them also got out of the carriage to stretch their muscles.
Zhao, the coachman, did not get off the carriage. He sat on the carriage shaft, ate a dry biscuit, drank some water, and kept his eyes on the horses' condition.
As dusk fell, the carriage entered a hilly area.
In the distance, a continuous mountain range outlined a dark silhouette on the horizon, shrouded in a thin layer of mist that gleamed with a dark golden light under the setting sun.
We've arrived at the Starry Sky Forest.
The carriage stopped in front of an inn on the outskirts of the forest.
The inn was small, made of earth and wood, and a faded wine flag hung on the flagpole in front of the door, with the words "Forest Inn" written on it.
This is the most common place for Soul Hunters entering and leaving the Star Dou Great Forest; all sorts of people come here.
Zhao, the coachman, drove the carriage to the stable in the backyard of the inn, fed the horses hay and water, then returned to the front yard, squatted in a corner, took out his pipe, lit it, and chatted idly with a few other coachmen who were also squatting by the wall.
His accent had changed; it was no longer the Nottingham accent, but a local accent.
His demeanor had changed; he was no longer the taciturn Uncle Zhao from the Qing family, but an ordinary cart driver, just like the other cart drivers around him.
No one noticed him, which was exactly what he wanted.
.....
The five members of the Qing family booked two rooms at the inn, rested for a quarter of an hour, and before it got completely dark, they left through the back door of the inn and disappeared at the edge of the forest.
Before entering the Star Dou Great Forest, Qing Zhengyue stopped and turned to look at everyone.
"Once we enter the woods, Hongyuan will lead the way, Wanqing will stay in the middle, Yunlan will bring up the rear, and Mufeng will follow closely behind your grandmother."
The old man's voice was deep and clear, "I'll be in charge of guarding. If you spot a soul beast, don't act rashly. Observe it first."
The four nodded.
Qing Zhengyue took one last look at his grandson's face.
"After we get the third spirit ring, we will also help your father hunt a 30,000-year spirit beast."
His voice deepened, "Therefore, this operation must be not only swift but also steady. Avoid injuries, avoid prolonged engagements, and avoid attracting unnecessary trouble."
"Understood," Qing Hongyuan replied.
Qing Zhengyue drew his long sword, the blade flashing a cold light in the twilight.
"Walk."
Five figures disappeared into the shadows of the forest.
.....