They were round and grayish, just like the moon. Eating one felt as though he had bitten a normal cake infused with the essence from the moon. It was how it felt when he absorbed it in the past two weeks.
A look of curiosity filled his face without his knowledge. One which brought Liuyue a merry smile along with tears.
The hole in her soul that she had felt in the last two years could finally be filled by just looking at her master. The sense of loneliness, even though she had been surrounded by her family, was gone.
It had consumed a lot of money in the past two years to look for him since he had only said she'd find him in a mountain full of beasts without being precise about what kind of beasts or the name of the mountain. But seeing her master make these expressions made the money feel nothing compared to finding him.
"They're sweet."
Liuyue smiled seated opposite him in a light blue hanfu. Half her black hair was held up by a wooden hairpin with strings of dangling gold beads.
"Master likes sweet things. I cooked those as soon as I arrived in the village. The moon there looked so big."
Ren eyed her.
"Why can I not feel your cultivation level?"
Liuyue's face suddenly lit up. "Master does not know it yet. You taught me how to use a technique called the void, but I only learned the first level, which is to hide my cultivation," she explained with sheer excitement printed all over her face. "Your skill is so unique that none of the other disciples could learn as much as I did even though their levels were higher than mine."
"Other disciples? About that..." He set the box next to him on the padded bench he sat on. "Do you remember their faces or their names?"
She shook her head.
"Master, do you want to find them? But how will we find them?"
He tapped his wrist while looking at hers. "They all bear that rune. I'm not too sure about it, but we can start by searching for anyone with those markings."
"Master!" Liuyue squealed electrified, her eyes glimmering.
Ren could feel that whatever she was about to say would cause some kind of trouble.
"What is it?"
"I can spread the word around through my servants. We can say that those who bear the rune will die in the next two years if they do not find a cure. One that only you, Master, can offer."
"Threatening people with their lives, hmm. I see now why you were my favorite," Ren mumbled to himself looking at Liuyue's adrenalized face. He wondered if his future self had impacted her nature to be this mischievous or if she was naturally a troublemaker.
"Okay then... Now, tell me everything about Xiayang City."
#############
Since their journey would take them at least a week, they decided to make stops at inns rather than spend the night in the cold wilderness.
Now that money wasn't a problem for Ren, he could sigh and sleep in peace.
On their third night, Ren chose not to meditate in his room and went out to explore the lively market he had seen in the evening that had been bustling with life. He didn't bother telling Liuyue or the caravan she had hired for them to blend in seamlessly.
The days of meditation were paying off. From his ginseng memory, the years he had spent under the array had made him unconsciously learn it. Without the need for a s tutor, he could now set up a level one array which was enough to protect Han since he couldn't carry it with him to the market.
To his surprise, the place was livelier at night than daytime.
The lanterns hanging from the wooden stands lined along the wide street gave the atmosphere serene and brought a touch as if welcoming him to come and spend all of his money.
But he noticed that most, if not all, of the people selling and buying wore masks. A suspicious scene, one that he didn't bother about. He simply decided to purchase one for himself to blend in with them.
"This one!" He pointed at a red mask seated out of reach.
"This is called the red devil. It will protect you from demons because of its appearance."
Ren took it from the seller who was also hiding behind a white cat mask. His voice would have placed him at around twenty years old.
While observing the odd mask that he had chosen just because the other colors were too girlish, Ren noticed that the seller's left wrist was bandaged.
"How much will this cost?"
"Only two coins, young lord."
'I had a hefty meal for only a single coin. Why does it have to be that expensive?'
"So expensive."
The seller laughed nervously looking around. He then leaned forward to whisper, "This mask is honestly special. You look like a young master. Two coins can't be a problem, right?"
Ren looked down at himself and realized that he was out of place. He must have appeared in clean and new clothes. The red and black hanfu Liuyue had bought suited his tastes quite nicely. Since he couldn't wear pants and t-shirts from his world, he could only submit to fate and wear what the rest would not find odd. The last thing he wanted was to stand out in a world where trouble seemed to lurk at every corner.
"I'm poor. Very poor. So please lower the price."
"Tsk! If you're poor, then I'm below wild pig... Please go away if you cannot afford it. Someone else will buy it for the right price."
Ren's face became gloomy as the seller snatched the mask from his hand. In the process, the edge of the devil mask hooked on the edge of the bandage and slid down momentarily before the seller quickly adjusted it.
But that millisecond had been enough for Ren's sharp gaze to see the edge of a sword. Undoubtedly similar to the one of Liuyue.
He laughed in his heart, thanking his luck.
"Hit me."
"What? Why should I hit you?"
"Because I'm about to destroy your business."
Confusion lurked behind the mask as he looked at Ren, wondering if he was a madman wearing expensive clothes to look normal.
"Please move on to the-"
In one swoop, Ren pushed off half the masks on the stand, scattering them on the ground. One met its end when a passerby accidentally stepped on it. Shattering it due to its porcelain nature.
"Are you going to hit me n-"
The other male sent his fist straight for Ren's nose and Ren was busy thinking, 'If he's not my disciple, the worst I'll get is a broken nose and lose a few coins. No big deal.'
Just as the firm fist was about to hit him, intense pain ruptured within the seller, and he crumbled over his stand, writhing and groaning in pain. "Ggh! Why? It hurts-ngh!"
Ren smiled leaning to pat the seller's face. "Welcome to Dragon Sword, disciple. From today, I'm your Master and you're my disciple. No need to kneel."
The slightest touch drained away the pain in half a breath, leaving him panting and sweating a bucket.
Their fight had attracted the attention of the people nearby, yet none had bothered to intervene. This taught Ren that this world was a little harsher than Earth if they could just stand there and watch as someone groaned like he was about to die and do absolutely...nothing.
Ren grasped the seller's wrist and pushed down the bandage, revealing the rune that was pulsating a weak golden color.
"Look. I'm sure this has never happened before. If you want to know why, come find us at dawn at Sky Inn. If you're late, you may never find the answers behind this mark."
With that, Ren reached out his right hand and picked up the red mask. "Thank you for this, disciple."
#############
Moving from stand to stand, Ren purchased whatever caught his eye, from pills to scrolls to talismans, preparing himself for the disciples he'd receive. He had learned from Liuyue that it was common for a master to prepare gifts for his disciples.
"What is this?" He asked leaning down to the small cages imprisoning creatures strange to him.
"An azure serpent."
"It looks dead."
The seller scoffed, picking up the cage. The one-foot blue snake was resting, its body still as a rock. "That's because it's in hibernation."
Doubting the seller's words, Ren stuck his finger in to try and feel its breath. "It's faint. Are you sure it's not dying?"
"But or scram! Stop wasting my time."
"Sellers in this world have no etiquette at all. Aren't you supposed to coax me into buying it?"
The seller scoffed again, crossing his arms on his wide chest, his glaring eyes hidden by the dragon mask on his face. "The night market doesn't last long. Why should I waste my time trying to-"
"How much are you seeking it for?"
His finger had caressed the little snake's head, and it reminded him of Han and his nieces and nephews who he couldn't save.