Mystical Journey

"The blistering midsummer period has arrived. Do you have any plans to beat the heat, Xiao Ying?"

Within the three southern provinces under the jurisdiction of the Ling Army, inside Great West City, one of the provincial capitals of the south.

Inside a large square courtyard on the outskirts of the provincial capital, numerous maids in white skirts accompanied Xiao Ying while she changed into a Western school girl’s uniform of a white shirt and black skirt. She walked with an effeminate boy slowly, strolling through the little flower garden in the courtyard.

The weather was scorchingly hot, forcing the people in the garden to constantly spray themselves with water mist from the sprinkles to cool down slightly.

Xiao Ying suppressed the pain from the wound on her back and pretended to casually observe the flower pots in the corner of the courtyard instead.

"Beat the heat? Father said that he has already ordered some ice blocks from the Zhao family’s shop. Once we put them inside the house to distribute cold air, we won’t have to suffer blistering hot days anymore."

"Ice blocks, huh? That’s not a bad idea," said the young man with a smile. "But I heard that the Zhao family’s shop is going to move soon. Do you know the whole story?"

"I’m unsure..."

"Rumor has it that the tracks of Demon Warriors have been discovered nearby recently. These individuals won’t shy away from any form of evil; they live to kill and burn. Not just the Zhao family, but many other merchants plan to move further away as well."

"Does Moon Star Gate not have any way to help?" asked Xiao Ying in a slightly surprised tone.

"Of course we have our ways. However, our plans were leaked last time, allowing the Demon Warriors to escape. Therefore, before we find the source of their information, we will not act rashly," whispered the Moon Star Gate Young Master.

He gazed at Xiao Ying’s side profile longingly.

"The world has been troubled with chaos recently. Xiao Ying, uncle, and aunty should move into the courtyard beside my house temporarily. It would be good to be taken care of."

"Won’t this... be very troublesome for Lord Gate Master?"

"Of course not!" laughed Moon Star Gate Young Master. "After the information was leaked previously, I’m afraid that the Demon Warriors may find out the relationship between Xiao Ying and myself. If you don’t move over, I’m worried that you may be in danger sooner or later..."

He implied something by lowering his voice for an extended period of time.

Danger?

Xiao Ying felt a chill creep down her spine and realized that he was threatening her.

Dangerous Demon Warriors? Afraid that if she didn’t move in, the experts at Moon Star Gate would not hesitate to invite the Demon Warriors over for a bit?

"I will discuss this with Father for a while." Xiao Ying combed through her long hair, allowing it to curl around her fingers.

"Xiao Ying." Young Gate Master reached his hand out and attempted to raise the girl’s chin, but failed to do so when she dodged slightly. "You know my true intentions."

"Young Gate Master, please behave!" Xiao Ying took a small step back while her face turned red in embarrassment.

"Hahaha..." laughed Young Gate Master loudly as he turned around and left with his subordinates.

The noise could be heard across the courtyard gates for a while, before disappearing into the noisy murmurs of the faraway street.

Xiao Ying stood on her original spot and inhaled deeply. Only one maid, Xiao Yu, remained at her side. Currently, this little girl who was a year younger than herself was currently looking on at her mistress worriedly.

"He’s suspicious of me..." said Xiao Ying softly.

"That can’t be... Wasn’t he prepared to protect milady?" asked Xiao Yu quietly in a surprised tone while she glanced at their surroundings immediately.

She was actually a disciple of Southern Holy Fist Gate and had trained there ever since she was young. After meeting Xiao Ying at Southern Gate, her life was taken over, and she had been with her ever since to take care of her daily life.

"This person seems gentle and courteous on the surface, as well as humble on all fronts. However, he must have been a secretly ruthless and cunning individual in order to receive Young Divine Master Jessian’s admiration. Since the information was leaked, they will definitely investigate everyone individually, and I’m certain that I have been listed as one of the suspects," analyzed Xiao Ying calmly.

"Then... Then what do we do??!" Xiao Yu turned pale immediately.

"Moon Star Gate Young Master is viciously cruel to the bone. He is only doubtful now but has yet to confirm anything. If this was not the case, he would not waste time speaking but would have captured me immediately instead." Xiao Ying paused. "There’s no need to panic now. Go and arrange for some manpower immediately and prepare a way out for Father and Mother. We don’t have much time to think this over."

"Alright! I will contact them at once."

"Be careful not to be found out."

"Understood."

As she watched her maid Xiao Yu leave, Xiao Ying twirled a few strands of her own hair gently while standing in front of a pot of three-petaled white flowers, looking on pensively.

That fellow definitely had his doubts. As Moon Star Gate always carried out their tasks seriously, their Gate Masters would comprise of two Elders and three Grandmasters of Combat. Meanwhile, my wounds would make it impossible for me handle them and even if I healed completely, I would not be on equal footing with these senior experts. In my current condition, not only would I be unable to fight the Grandmasters of Combat, successfully defeating that perverted Young Gate Master would be an uncertainty as well.

She would need to think of a surefire plan...

Suddenly, the sound of many people’s footsteps echoed faintly from outside the courtyard.

Bang!

The courtyard gates were swung open at once before the maid Xiao Yu’s half-naked body crashed inside. She used both of her arms to shield her pale, trembling chest but remained as an erotic sight nonetheless.

Xiao Yu sobbed helplessly.

"Milady!"

"Just a little maid. I was wondering who leaked our secret movements. I never expected that it would be her..." said Moon Star Gate Young Master in a gentle voice as he walked into the courtyard slowly with Xiao Yu’s white undergarment in his hand.

"Xiao Yu!!" Xiao Ying’s face was deathly pale as she rushed towards Xiao Yu and held her. "Yannen! What are you doing?!!" She raised her head and looked at Young Gate Master angrily while using her own body to shield Xiao Yu as best as she could.

"I’m clearly rebelling against you..." Young Gate Master Yannen smiled gently. "This girl is a spy that the Demon Warriors hid beside you. Since she leaked my Gate’s secrets, she might have plotted against you as well, Xiao Ying. I’m just here to help you."

"Demon?? I don’t know of any Demons! She is only my maid and my closest sister!" Glistening teardrops appeared in Xiao Ying’s eyes faintly. Half of it was fake, but the other half was real.

"I only have your best interests at heart, please don’t blame me..." Yannen’s expression remained unchanged, but the corners of his lips curled upwards slightly.

Whoosh!

He opened a white paper fan in his hand.

Suddenly, two young women ran through the gates and forcibly carried Xiao Yu out.

"You! Put her down!" Xiao Ying merely thought of striking them, before a sharp pain pierced through the pit of her stomach at once.

The injuries that she had sustained from the previous trip were not limited to the surface wound on her back. Instead, her heart and internal organs had suffered the heaviest injuries from the internal shock of the force. Her opponent was a refined Grandmaster of Combat who was an expert in palm destroying moves. Therefore, ten of those moves were enough for him to strike her back with his palm.

"Don’t blame me, Xiao Ying. Matters that involve Demon Warriors will not be handled by me." Yannen sighed under his breath.

"Milady!!" Xiao Yu was a fourteen-year-old maid who used to be an orphan that was trained by Southern Gate ever since she was young. However, she had yet to display any hidden talents even until now. "I’m sorry! I hid the truth from milady..."

"Take her away."

The courtyard gates were closed with a ‘bang’ again before Yannen allowed someone to drape a coat around Xiao Yu to protect her modesty.

"Send her to my room tonight after you’ve tied her up."

"Yes," replied both of the female guards quietly and obediently.

Xiao Yu closed her eyes in despair as she already knew what fate had in store for her.

Yannen seemed refined and gentle on the surface. Moreover, his appearance, talents, and fighting skills were all first class. However, his true nature revealed a deranged pervert. During troubled times like these, it was rumored that he had once used two thirteen-year-old maids as playthings and killed them during the night, and although the incident was covered up, his bad reputation continued to spread around.

The Gate Master of Moon Star Gate was also a perverted devil who liked bathing in the fresh blood of young people in a vain attempt to rejuvenate himself and retain his youth. Once she entered this place, her future days would be...

Her heart sank as she bit the inside of her mouth suddenly.

Inside the courtyard.

Xiao Ying covered her abdomen in agony while supporting herself against the wall. Her body seemed unable to move and her vision darkened slowly while the stabbing pain in her stomach felt like a saw that was slicing through her determinedly.

*******************

Within a bleak and desolate black wasteland.

Two White Dew Gate Elders escorted a white horse carriage as it traveled forth quickly. The carriage was surrounded by two groups of lightly armed knights who wore white leather gloves. They were all dressed in white clothes with the symbol of White Dew Gate on their backs in large white letters.

They were the White Dew Gate squad that was escorting Garen on his quest to find the Young Divine Master. Their current moods were now different from when they were at the headquarters. Currently, the older guys from White Dew Gate were respectful while both of the Elders had calm expressions on their faces as well, as if they were not dissatisfied with anything.

Garen’s casual pointers during these past few days had helped many of their disciples upgrade themselves while two of their expert-level Grandmasters of Combat received benefits as well. The feeling of almost breaking through a bottleneck situation and Garen’s continuously courteous attitude that was not only present when they entered the mountain gate had a positive effect on everyone’s demeanor, allowing both parties to respect and admire each other more.

Inside the carriage.

Garen sat in repose with his eyes closed while both of his hands were subconsciously pressed into a triangle in front of him. Shrouds of dull blue auras rotated around his hands slowly like little blue airholes.

A good while passed before Garen opened his eyes suddenly while the auras in his hands dispersed slowly and disappeared into the air.

"White Dew Gate’s Airhole Tactic makes some sense now. It seems like it has somewhat gotten close to the Living Secret Technique already..." pondered Garen in slight satisfaction. Hundreds of years had passed but no one in White Dew Gate had learned this Airhole Tactic successfully. As Garen had promised to help the Gate amend and perfect their Secret Techniques, Gate Master Yue Qingdi had also agreed to open up his entire depository to Garen in exchange, allowing him to examine it as he pleased.

The numerous remaining Secret Technique exercises and battle skills increased Garen’s reading and memorizing abilities. However, he was most concerned about the Secret Technique that no one had been able to learn in hundreds of years: Airhole Tactic.

This Secret Technique had neither attack effects nor defense abilities. Moreover, it was not a powerful internal energy Secret Method that would be able to increase one’s state and potential temporarily.

Its only use was to condense one’s own physical strength and blood qi to form a purer aura that would burst forth.

Garen was very interested in this because his Living Secret Techniques had already condensed themselves into the most compact Soul Seed, which was deeply rooted in the most distant corner of his soul. The revolving Airhole Tactic would condense the Soul Seed further, and although the effect was slow, he could truly feel that the Soul Seed was being condensed right now.

The difficulty of this Secret Technique lay in the extremely accurate control of that alternated one’s aura, blood qi, and physical force. All of these came naturally to Garen, but to the other Secret Technique Users of this world, it was more difficult than touching the sky.

"I never thought that I would be able to reap these unexpected rewards just by flipping some random pages..." Garen moved his palms away. "Stop the carriage."

The carriage began to stop gradually at once, and although the coachman had yet to signal the horses to halt, he could see that the two white horses had already stopped in their tracks on their own.