Fang Hao moved with the wind, his hair dancing in its current as he rapidly descended to the mountain's base. With a purposeful demeanor, he accessed his map, pinpointing the general direction he needed to head in.
"Kingdom of Everglen, the closest one to the sect. I have to travel west, and it'll likely take about a week," he mused, mentally calculating the distance. Once satisfied, he stored the map in his spatial ring and retrieved the medallion his father had given him from within it.
"I wonder what this so-called Mortal Kingdom is like," he wondered aloud, his anticipation evident. Equipped with the medallion, he set off to the west at an accelerated pace.
As he moved, he noticed some cultivators flying overhead, heading in the opposite direction. He nodded in acknowledgement to them, but their response was a snort, seemingly tinged with anger as if they had been offended by something.
"I should just keep my head down," Fang Hao muttered to himself as he continued his journey across the fields. After a day of travel, he came across a merchant whose wagon had overturned.
"Excuse me, young man, can you help me?" The middle-aged merchant called out, his voice laden with desperation. He was joined by three of his servants, all struggling to lift the wagon back onto its wheels.
Fang Hao halted a short distance away, wariness in his gaze. "How do you know I can help you lift the wagon?" he questioned, his senses on alert, wary of a potential ambush or ulterior motive.
"Of course, you have the sect robes. Anyone for miles around knows about you cultivators from Sword Hall," the middle-aged man replied, a smile crossing his face.
Upon closer inspection, Fang Hao noticed that their cultivation levels were all at the peak of the Shell realm. It was evident that they were not cultivators due to a lack of talent or some other reason. He made a mental note to change the robes before he thought about it.
Seeing that they posed no threat, Fang Hao nodded slightly and proceeded to help them lift the overturned wagon back to its upright position.
As they worked together, the merchant struck up a conversation, "You're planning to go to Everglen, aren't you?"
Fang Hao gave a noncommittal reply, "Maybe."
The merchant offered a suggestion, gesturing in a different direction, "I suggest you head that way. There's a strong monster located to the west."
This advice seemed to be offered out of goodwill, prompting Fang Hao to consider a slight change in his intended direction.
"Here, take this as a thank you." The merchant tossed Fang Hao a small sack of gold. "I know you might not think much of it, but a reward is in order." With a wave and a command to the horses, the merchant got back on the wagon and continued forward.
Fang Hao watched them until they were out of sight, then muttered softly to himself, "No ambush?Really?" He remained cautious, trying to detect any potential hidden enemies.
"I know you're here, fellow Daoist. Why don't you come out?" Fang Hao spoke calmly, placing his hand behind his back as he waited.
As he watched the merchant's wagon disappear from his sight, Fang Hao scratched his head and dropped the act he had put on.
He stored the sack of gold in his spatial ring and pondered over what the merchant had said. "Maybe I am being paranoid," he thought to himself.
"Monster? Should I take the risk and face it, or should I heed his warning?" Fang Hao contemplated, mulling over his options.
"If he had wanted to ambush me, he could have done it earlier, right?" Ultimately, he decided to follow the merchant's advice and slightly adjusted his direction accordingly.
---
The merchant swiftly retrieved a communication talisman from his pocket, activating it to establish a connection with someone located beyond Fang Hao's view.
''Elder, I've identified a disciple in the indicated direction and have passed him the tracing bag. You should be able to track his location now.''
''What realm is he?'' A deep voice inquired as the elder attempted to track Fang Hao.
''Early Muscle Realm,'' the man replied, his tone casual. The response took the elder by surprise. ''Are you certain? Our new recruits from the sect have only just arrived. It seems too early for someone to be out already.''
''Is it an older disciple?'' the elder asked, a frown evident in his voice.
''No, he's young. I could feel the aura, and he's around 16,'' the merchant replied confidently.
''Alright, wait,'' the elder activated the tracing formation, expecting results, but to his bewilderment, nothing happened.
''You sure you gave the bag with coins?!'' the elder's voice tinged with a hint of frustration, and the merchant hurriedly replied, ''100%, what happened?''
The merchant stood up, causing the wagon to come to a halt. His servants exchanged worried glances, uncertain if they had somehow messed up the simple task.
''I can't trace him. Did he destroy it? No, that's impossible at his early realm,'' the elder muttered to himself, his confusion evident in his tone.
''What direction did you suggest to him?'' the elder's voice carried a mixture of frustration and curiosity as he inquired about the details of their conversation.
The merchant proceeded to recount the entire conversation, explaining the advice he had given to Fang Hao.
''I see,'' the elder's tone conveyed annoyance as he abruptly closed the communication talisman. The merchant's face flushed with embarrassment, realizing that they might not receive payment for their services for a year.
The inner elder swiftly brainstormed potential scenarios and reasons, sending out a warning to the outer elders in the vicinity of Everglen. He alerted them about the possible arrival of a disciple, placing the matter on the back of his mind for the moment.
Meanwhile, Fang Hao changed into simpler clothes from his ring before resuming his journey. He pressed on, the hours passing and the daylight slowly fading as night approached. Undeterred, he was determined to make progress. By the late evening of the following day, he reached the outskirts of the first human settlement.