As the days of travel wove into one continuous stretch, the changing scenery outside the carriage offered little relief from the unvaried routine inside.
The landscape morphed constantly, but the rhythm of their journey remained steadfast and unchanging, as steady as the march of the armored buffalos.
Each dawn began with the pale light of morning, breaking their fast with the provisions prepared by the caravan workers. These were subtly enhanced by the fresh fruit she discreetly retrieved from her storage space.
During the brief moments it took to eat, the laborers, with practiced efficiency, harnessed the armored buffalos to the carriages and dismantled their temporary camp, readying themselves for the next leg of the journey.
Despite the repetitiveness of the days, it gradually fostered a sense of camaraderie among the passengers in her carriage. With little to distract them but the endless road, conversations became a welcome escape from the monotony.
Her son, however, showed little interest in engaging with the other travellers, preferring the solace of silence over idle chatter.
Anticipating his preference, she had given him a puzzle cube—a gift from one of her uncles when she was young—to keep his mind and hands occupied.
The cube, a plaything from her youth, was a gift from one of her uncles—a cunning man whose devious nature she only came to fully understand later in life.
Whether he had crafted the puzzle himself or acquired it from one of his equally sly acquaintances remained shed did not know.
But she remembered that his visits were always marked by endless teasing, especially when he discovered that she had still not solved what he mockingly referred to as an "easy puzzle."
The sting of his mocking voice and his relentless jabs lingered even now, fueling her determination back then to solve it, though it took her months to learn how to unravel it.
In her eyes, it shaped her opinion of her uncle and from then on, she always categorised him as the embodiment of a devious snake.
The cube was no mere toy for entertainment. The intricate formations inscribed upon it were a puzzle that required both insight and patience to decipher. She had been older when she first received it, and even then, it had challenged her deeply. It would be no easier for him, but his stubborn determination would not allow him to give up.
Just as she had once struggled with its complexities, he too would face failure, till he will figure out the correct way to solve it.
Until then, the cube would serve as the perfect distraction from the tedium of travel, sparing him from the mind-numbing hours of staring at the unchanging scenery. Rather than succumbing to restlessness, his attention would be fully consumed by the challenge before him, keeping his mind engaged.
While her son was preoccupied, the other passengers of the carriage engaged in quiet conversations.
Through these exchanges, they learned that the woman Xie Yueling and her husband, Xie Nian, had known each other for decades. Raised within the same clan, their lives had been intertwined since childhood.
Though they have known each other a lifetime, they had only been married for thirty-two years. Their current journey to the city of Qingshan was to visit Xie Yueling's paternal cousin and offer their blessings for the birth of the family's newest addition.
They first learned of it one morning, when a young woman named Mu Rong spoke up, her voice cutting through the soft rumble of the carriages as they trundled along the narrow, winding path beside a river.
"Madam Xie, how many children does your cousin have now?"
Xie Yueling, ever composed with a gentle smile that never seemed to fade, chuckled softly. "Three now. The newest addition to the family is barely a month old. We're bringing gifts to celebrate the birth."
Her smile deepened as she glanced at her husband, Xie Nian, who gave a small nod of agreement. "My husband insists we make the journey in person, despite the distance."
Xie Nian, ever the man of tradition, folded his arms across his chest. "Family is family. It is only right to show respect and appreciation in person. A long journey is a small price to pay for such an occasion." His tone easy going, it held an unspoken pride in fulfilling family duties.
Xie Yueling placed a gentle hand on her husband's arm, her eyes softening as she gazed at him. "He always believes in showing ones appreciation in person."
She had quietly observed the couple, sensing the subtle shifts in their cultivation. Xie Yueling's aura indicated she had progressed to the middle layer of the Body Tempering Stage—stable yet unremarkable. By comparison, Xie Nian's cultivation was more impressive, having reached the initial stage of Foundation Establishment, his presence noticeably stronger and more refined.
The other passenger had various reason to travel to Qingshan.
The burly man with the axe, was a martial artist from one of the northern tribes in the Qi Territories, went by the name Guo Wei. He remained tight-lipped about his destination and purpose of travel.
Though he possessing a storage bag, which she had observed him using, he kept his heavy axe in his line of sight at all times, as if distrustful of even the briefest separation from it.
It was not a spirit weapon, which would typically require careful handling, so she could not fathom his reluctance to store it away all the more peculiar. Maybe he felt unsafe without it by his side.
He was at the peak of the Body Tempering Stage, how competent he was as warrior she did not know, but she noted the many scars marring his face and arms which spoke of the many battles he must have fought.
The other two woman sitting in the carriage were Liu Ping and Mu Rong. They were cousins journeying to Qingshan to purchase something.
Liu Ping's eyes glittered with anticipation as she revealed their intent, "We're seeking something truly exceptional in the city."
Xie Yueling's curiosity was piqued, prompting her to inquire, "What is it you're looking for?"
Mu Rong's laughter danced in the air, light and mischievous. "Oh, something both extravagant and aesthetically pleasing. Father will be quite cross when he discovers we've ventured out without his knowledge and spent so much money when we go back" she said, her voice tinged with playful tone.
Her eyes sparkled with mischief, and she glanced at Liu Ping with a conspiratorial grin, as if relishing the thought of the inevitable scolding that awaited her and would surely follow their audacious escapade.