While it was dragged by the black horse, the carriage moved along the dirt road that crossed the forest.
The forest was humid, full of trees and plants that became more exuberant, while the sun's rays could barely penetrate the concealment of the trees.
And the dirt road, with the passage of time, became a road more deteriorated and covered with mud due to the cold humidity of the environment.
No doubt this proved the little use that this dirt road had, it gave the clear feeling that no carriage had passed this road for a long time.
Bao Zhang who was in charge of the driving until they will manage to leave the forest. He had to get off several times and help the horse cross the bowls of water and mud.
"Shit ... How long is this road not used?," Bao Zhang cursed, somewhat moody. while he turned his eyes and looked at the road with little visibility and humidity, even some frogs could be heard jumping between puddles of water.
Guiding the horse with the leash, Bao Zhang had to walk on foot for about an hour, while trying to avoid the carriage getting stuck in the ditches.
Hearing soft conversations from inside the carriage, Bao Zhang muttered;
"It seems they are getting along"
While he went ahead.
After an hour, finally, the road became less humid and he was able to climb back into the driver's position. Bao Zhang gave a quick whipping and the black horse pushed forward again.
The more the carriage was advancing, the trees and plants slowly began to diminish.
It seemed that they were about to reach the end of the forest.
The trees became smaller and less showy.
While more ahead, the earth began to become more dry and hardened.
Until the wind began to blow, and in front of Bao Zhang could only be seen a desert and sandy horizon.
Bao Zhang poked his head in the side, and looked back, managing to see a large and ample forest that was mysteriously in the middle of the desert.
'Because the Sect is hidden here, it's no wonder that no one ever comes to visit,' Bao Zhang murmured.
Now he understood why this region, far from the rest of the world, where the Sect of the Golden Sword was located along with the Zung Kingdom, was called or named on the maps that he remembered seeing as the ruined region.
This entire region consisted of nothing more than a sandy desert lost and abandoned with nothing else in sight.
While observing the great forest far away, Bao Zhang managed to glimpse a species of pillars several meters long and completely black that grew in the surroundings of the abundant forest, as if they were surrounding it in a great circle.
Bao Zhang, seeing those pillars, had the feeling that those black pillars were familiar to him, but he could not remember what they were.
Undoubtedly, that feeling of familiarity he felt from those pillars came from his memories of when he was an ancient god.
"Whatever it is, it must be some kind of Xuan formation, and it is surely what keeps and prevents this forest from deteriorating." Bao Zhang murmured, convinced that those black pillars that seemed to surround the forest were the reason that the forest could exist in such a contradictory environment as a sandy desert, without life.
For although he with his under cultivation could not discern what kind of Xuan formation was, he could guess that it would have to do with the maintenance and protection of the forest, as well as of the Sect.
After keeping the black horse's trajectory in the forward direction, Bao Zhang managed to release a slightly exhausted sigh.
While he leaned back, leaning his back against the driver's chair and looked inside the carriage.
There he saw his mother, who with a slight smile she tried to talk to a girl who was slightly silent.
Bao Zhang had already anticipated a little that his mother Qiuyue would probably want to accompany him on his trip, so it could be said that he was ready for her to come with him on his trip.
Although it could also be said, that Bao Zhang was somewhat excited at the idea of his mother accompanying him, since that way he could ...
A slight and slightly evil smile rose up between Bao Zhang's lips, but as he looked at the girl who was sitting next to his mother, that smile faded and became somewhat clumsy.
Watching the intellectual girl who had a fair complexion, almond eyes, straight eyebrows, and wore glasses for the sight while she had her long hair tied in a ponytail and carried a thick book hugged in her breast. Bao Zhang could not help but remember the name of the girl he always saw working as a librarian in the Sect library.
Undoubtedly, she was someone to whom Bao Zhang never imagined that, suddenly, at the last moment, when he was about to leave, she would join him on his trip to the Zung kingdom ...
She was the librarian Honoka.
...
Pov: In another side:
In the internal section, within the Sect,
"Waaah!"
The cry of a girl grumbling and crying was heard.
Another girl whose eyebrows were furrowed with discomfort, watched as the little maid rolled on the bed of her Darling;
"* Sigh * Xiao you want to calm down at once, Darling said he would go visit his family for a few weeks, he did not say he would leave forever"
Little Miu said with annoyance to see the maid Xiao grumbling and wallowing like a capricious girl in Bao Zhang's bed.
"But!? But because the Master does not take me with him!? And if the master does not need me anymore, then, I... * I cry * * I cry *... What will I do if the Master puts me aside?."
Frowning, Little Miu felt increasingly annoyed to see the capricious Xiao.
Pulling a letter from her pocket, she spoke loudly;
"Come on, calm down once! You have not seen that Darling left us a letter where he said he was only going away for a short time and that he did not take us because outside it can be dangerous for us!"
Seeing the letter, Xiao sobs as she wipes the tears from her eyes, and then becomes angry towards Little Miu;
"Anyway! Why did the Master leave in charge to you!? I should be in charge!"
Little Miu showed a triumphant smile;
"It's not obvious, it's that I'm Darling's wife and you're the maid hehe"
"Ahh now truthful!" Xiao pounced like a cat against Little Miu and they both started fighting again like two kittens, on Bao Zhang's bed.
* As always, if there are errors, you can let me know in the comments.