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"Shichen is getting late, I have seen your home; how about leading us out now?"
The rat spirit nodded,
"Alright, alright, my lord, please follow me!"
Thus, the rat spirit took the lead and burrowed into one of the numerous entrances, with Gu Shi Yi following close behind. Turning left and right along the way, Shi Yi estimated she had walked for about half a Shichen before emerging from an entrance within a forest near the riverbank. Only within the forest did Gu Shi Yi undo the Prohibition on her nose, only to be nearly choked by an overwhelming stench,
"Cough, cough, cough..."
She clutched her chest, coughing for a long time. When she looked up, she saw the rat spirit pushing aside a pile of fallen leaves in the forest,
"My lord, how do you find this carriage?"
The rat spirit pointed to a carriage beneath the leaves. Gu Shi Yi walked over and examined it closely, her face filled with surprise,
"This is sandalwood!"
The entire carriage was made of sandalwood, which was a trivial matter for the Great Cultivation Sect, but in the secular world, only the most wealthy and powerful families could afford such luxury. Gu Shi Yi leaned in to smell the wood and detected a faint fragrance; she became even more certain of the extraordinary status of the carriage's owner,
"This kind of fragrance comes from the oil of a large fish in the sea, applied to the wood to make it fire-resistant, moisture-proof, insect-repellent and to give off a faint scent. Not to mention the value of the carriage alone, just this oil would sell for one hundred taels of Silver per jin outside. With such a large carriage fully coated, it would require at least three to five jin, right?"
The rat spirit saw how pleased Gu Shi Yi was and joined in with pride,
"My lord, I was not wrong, was I? This carriage is of no use to me in the mountains, but otherwise, if it were matched with a few exquisite steeds, one would look enormously stylish sitting inside..."
Gu Shi Yi chuckled softly but inwardly groaned,
"I thought it was just a sturdy, ordinary carriage, but with such a carriage, if I were to travel outside, wouldn't I stand out conspicuously?"
A carriage like this would definitely belong to a family with power and influence, and they might be in the process of searching for those Mountain Bandits who commit murder for loot. To be caught outside with it would certainly land her in deep trouble.
However, it would be a pity to let such a fine carriage decay in the wilderness. The rat spirit opened the rear door of the carriage and invited her to look inside. She saw that the interior was surprisingly well-preserved: thick brocade mats, a small furnace made of magnet, even a tea kettle; underneath a seat, two quilts soft as clouds were stowed away, and the seat could be unfolded into a simple bed. Gu Shi Yi realized that the light-looking quilt was actually stuffed with a type of snowy beast fur: lightweight, warm, and easy to clean and carry. This small carriage, when moving through the wilderness, would be as comfortable as the cars in Yanyan's realm once the doors were shut and the small quilt spread. It was truly the dream carriage of every traveler!
Gu Shi Yi's eyes sparkled as she saw this, no longer caring if it drew attention, she thought to herself,
"Worst comes to worst, I'll just change the lavish curtains on the outside to old cloth covers. After all, it's for my own use; as long as I'm comfortable, that's all that matters!"
Gu Shi Yi happily accepted the carriage. The rat spirit was also pleased to see her satisfaction. Watching Gu Shi Yi harness the horses and take a couple of rounds in the forest with the carriage, confirming the wheels functioned well, she decided it was time to say farewell to the rat spirit. Before leaving, she pondered for a moment and then said to the rat spirit,
"If you wish to comprehend the Great Dao, seducing the Human Race to copulate and absorb their Essence is an inferior path that won't last!"
The rat spirit was astute and, recognizing the guidance in Gu Shi Yi's words, was overjoyed and bowed in gratitude,
"Please, my lord, teach me!"
Gu Shi Yi asked,
"Have you learned some of the Human Race's etiquette from your actions and words?"
The rat spirit replied,
"After finding some books in an ancient tomb, I sought out a village teacher once I could shape-shift, learning a few characters... and... I also sneakily watched the village operas quite a lot..."
No wonder—it carried a ledger claiming it was the Four Books and Five Classics, and every step it took was a dramatic sway!
Gu Shi Yi nodded her head,
"Among the mountain spirits and wild monsters, it's rare for any to be willing to learn to read, you are an exception..."
Thinking for a moment, she continued,
"Since you admire the culture of the Human Race, I can direct you to a place..."
The rat spirit eagerly bowed,
"Thank you for your guidance, my lord..."
Gu Shi Yi said,
"Don't be too quick to thank me. I'm merely pointing you toward a path; whether you can succeed is still uncertain..."
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