Bab 23: A Chance - Teach Me!
"Haaaah~" A long sigh echoed along a dirt path long since tread with many feet, the small figure carrying a bow and quiver dressed in a cloak walked with a distinct lack of energy, steadily plodding along with no rush.
'No matter what I try, I don't seem to be getting anywhere.' Shu He was in deep thought as he walked towards his home, every day he had been going out to 'train' with his Qi Perception, along with honing his skills with the bow and various other forms of exercise, ever since 'that' day he had restricted what he would try lest he put himself in a bad situation and not be lucky enough to be saved once more, so any ideas to do with physical enhancement were off the table, but on the other hand, witnessing the terrifyingly awe inspiring events that day ignited his spirit, he wanted to learn more about cultivation and everything to do with it, so he was doing everything he could without putting himself at risk.
Unfortunately he was basically a child waving a stick at the darkness and hoping he'd catch something, without guidance he feels that he won't be able to get any further.
'I need a teacher… but where can I find one? In this village I certainly won't, Bo Lin that gave me that recipe hasn't shown his face since then and I have yet to find anyone else in the market with much information other than rumours..'
"Why's it so hard to find a cultivator?" He complained under his breath.
'It may be because this place is so rural… there's quite some distance between here and Rockfell City so there's not much in the way of activity' He concluded, other than Rockfell there wasn't really any other major city near here, basically just smaller villages, he had heard about some other major cities, 'Capitals' of each region, but he hadn't managed to learn too much about them, rather he hasn't ever been to even Rockfell.
"…" He walked in silence for a long time, he couldn't help it since there was a thought scratching at the back of his head, one he didn't want to consider but it was looking more likely that it will be his only way forward as a cultivator.
'Will I have to leave this village?' It was something he didn't want, while he definitely has a deep interest in cultivation, he loves his family too much to leave right now, let alone the fact that he was still just 8 years of age.
'Would they move if I asked them?' He thought, but shook his head immediately after.
'I have a feeling they don't want to leave, other than that I have no idea about pricing to move to a city like Rockfell, would my medicine sales cover it? No, a large city like that will definitely have proper shops for that stuff there, I wouldn't cut it.'
His shoulders dropped as he realised it probably wasn't possible.
'In the end, I'll just have to keep trying my best to figure stuff out, at least with his Apothecary work he can obtain and study new things from the travelling market so he can progress there'
It would be a long road ahead of him, but he decided this would be the best situation.
…
"… Say that again?" Shu He couldn't believe his ears, he had just returned home in the afternoon when his father had dropped a metaphorical bomb on him.
"I said, there's a cultivator visiting the village today, over at the Cang mansion" He listened to every syllable his father said clearly like it was a lifesaving gift.
"I know how you feel, it was a surprise to me too; He wasn't entirely what I expected, but I think-" His father continued talking but before he could finish.
*Dash*
"Shu He?!" His soon had bolted out the door like a hare in a race.
'Are you kidding me?!?!' Shu He exclaimed in his mind, yet his face was filled with a great smile as his legs pushed him as fast as he could go pushing up the dirt path and leaving a dust cloud in his wake.
'Is this 'that', what's the saying, "A meat pie falling from the sky"? That kind of thing?' His heartbeat faster than ever before as his mind was trying to keep itself from scrambling as he rushed forward.
'Cang mansion was it? Not too far from here' He twisted and turned along the roads as the dirt path turned in to pathed roads, the Cang family house, or mansion was situated at the centre of the village so it was in the most well developed part, he ignored the pain from his small feet slamming the hard stone road as eventually he arrived in front of the large 'house'.
He breathed heavily as his eyes darted around looking for someone, as much as he wanted to he couldn't just burst in to their home; Eventually he spotted a servant out front tending to the large garden surrounding the house and walked up to him.
"Hey!" He shouted to them.
"Huh? Who're you, you shouldn't be here" The man frowned as he gripped the gardening tool in his hand.
"A cultivator, there was a cultivator here right? Where is he?!" Shu He, rushed, shouted out his question.
"Why should I tell you?" His frown deepened. 'Who is this kid coming out of nowhere and ordering me around?'
"Look-" Shu He reached in to his pockets, in to the small bound pouch and pulled out a silver coin.
"Tell me and you get this" The pure shine from the metal glittered in the servants eyes as he smirked.
"Sure! The cultivator? I guess that would be the guest the lord had today… they left just a few minutes ago" He answered the question and went to grab the coin but found air instead, Shu He had pulled it back slightly.
"Left? Where did they go?!" He held the coin up, as if telling the man that this was the important question.
"Where? Uh, let's see…" The man scratched his head for a second trying to recall his memories "Ah, it was to the north of the village, I think they had a carriage prepared at the border there, at least that's what I think I overheard them saying" he said.
Before he could react, Shu He had shot off once more, sending the coin flying to the man who caught it gleefully.
Meanwhile Shu He had continued his mad man like charge towards the north of the village.
'I CAN'T miss this, it's a chance I probably won't get again for ages!'
To Shu He, it didn't matter who it was or what they wanted from him, he had to at least try to learn something about Cultivation, if he let this slip through his fingers he felt he would surely regret it.
Steadily but surely he approached the edge of the village, there was a road leading north to other villages and the direction of Rockfell so he assumed if it was anywhere, they would be heading there, and he was right.
He managed to sight a carriage in the distance, he could make out that it was an expensive looking one, unlike the ones the average trader uses, it had a symbol on the side which he could barely make out read 'Earth' and an almost gold colour to the decorations.
''That's it!' He picked up the page even more, as he got closer he could make out a small group of people, but he quickly locked on to a single one, a man in a white robe and a daopao adorning his head.
'That's gotta be him' It was an unfamiliar figure with clothes higher than the norm you would see around here, so that was the cultivator, Shu He concluded.
Meanwhile, at the carriage, Cao Meili was saying her goodbyes to Cao Yang.
"You have to take care, okay? Don't push yourself…" The old man stroked her head as he spoke as if to get some last moments of contact.
"I'll be fine grandpa, I'll make sure to stay in contact like I said!" She brushed the hand off feeling embarrassed.
"Hm" A noise came from Dong Jie as he turned around, away from the carriage, he opened his fan covering half his face.
"Is something wrong?" Cao Yang asked, confused as to the sudden movement.
"It's seems we have a visitor" He explained, his eyes like an eagles, honed in on a figure heading towards them.
"A visitor?" He looked towards the two children, Cao Meili and Huo Da who shook their heads, none of them were expecting someone.
They all looked towards the approaching figure, unable to fully make it out due to the distance at first, but as it got closer their reactions changed a little.
"Is that… that kid? Shu Li's?" Cao Yang didn't understand why he was here.
""Shu He?"" The other two's differed, while they weren't exactly super close with Shu He, they could be called friends at least having grown up together, though in the recent years he has became more distant with them, they knew he was working as a apothecary but didn't know much else.
Which was even more confusing to them as to why he was here.
"Did he come to say goodbye?" Cao Meili asked Huo Da as if he'd know.
"…No" The boy looked at the approaching figure, he could tell one thing, Shu He's goal was not them.
"Little Da is right, he's coming for me" Dong Jie spoke, one could tell that behind the fan there was definitely a smile.
Right on que, Shu He reached them and didn't waste a single moment, still in motion he dived on to his knees, head down in a bow and yelled.
"Please teach me how to cultivate!"
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone