Chapter 4: Journey
Wuzhi's journey upon leaving his Teacher's manor was wholly unremarkable.
He joined a merchant caravan that was coincidentally leaving Oakwood Town at a similar time to his departure and travelled amongst them until they reached a nearby mining town. There, he found another caravan whose group he joined once more to travel to another destination.
In a similar fashion, hopping from one merchant caravan or travel company to another, Wuzhi made his way to Iron Cross City. Whilst most groups were hesitant with regards to a stranger joining them, Wuzhi's eloquent tongue and good-natured character quickly won him the appreciation of his travel partners. Not to mention, his wide berth of scholarly knowledge, especially in regard to economics, found him forging friendships with every merchant that he came across.
One thing that occurred, which was worthy of note, was a Wild Beast attack which occurred when Wuzhi was a hundred-seventy kilometres from Iron Cross City.
Fortunately, the attack was mounted by a stray pack and was not the work of a Wild Beat Horde. The hired group of cultivators, one Rank 2 and three Rank 1 practitioners, made quick work of the stray group, securing both life and goods without any loss.
The rest of the journey was without any incident and Wuzhi quickly found himself outside the airstrip near Iron Cross City. After purchasing a ticket to North Aislu Continent and registering his luggage, he made his way to the waiting room.
Ever the conversationalist, Wuzhi immediately started chatting up the stranger sitting next to him in the waiting room.
"Oh? You're from Oakwood Town, huh? I, myself, hail from Timberlog Town."
"Timberlog town… it is to the east, right?" asked Wuzhi.
The stranger enthusiastically nodded his head. "Right, right! East of the Iron Cross City, just before the Barren Plains. Did you know? Timberlog Town is the final inhabited town before you enter the Barren Plains Forbidden Zone. There's nothing but heat, risk, and death for the following two thousand six-hundred kilometres of land."
"Must be an unpopular town then," remarked Wuzhi.
As if expecting his reply, the stranger grinned. "I don't blame you for thinking that. In fact, most people who either do not hail from that region or aren't cultivators would think the same as you. However, reality is the opposite of your thoughts. It is, in fact, a very popular town!"
"Why?" asked Wuzhi, genuinely confounded.
"Hohoho!" The stranger laughed with pride. Twirling his moustache, he kindly explained, "While the Barren Plains is classified as a Forbidden Zone, it is a land teeming with earth's jewels and heaven's treasures. Exotic plants and fantastic ores are found abound. It is practically a paradise of rare resources for all cultivators!"
"I see. No wonder it is rife with danger." Wuzhi keenly understood the concept of 'with great rewards comes even greater risks.' For such a top-class blessed land to exist, the ecosystem sustaining and governing the blessed land must also be equally top-class.
"Indeed. That's why I called it a land filled with nothing but heat, risk, and death. What is the point for such treasures to exist if no humans can ever reach them?" He then lowered his voice and leaned near Wuzhi. With a quiet voice, he whispered. "There are rumours of a Wild Best Society existing within the Barren Plains area. No sane person would want to go in and poke that nest of hornets!"
"And yet, even with all these risks and dangers, the town is still popular."
"That's right!" The stranger grinned. "Cultivators are an odd bunch. Even with so much certain danger they still dive into that death zone for some uncertain treasures."
"Birds die for food while men die for treasures." Wuzhi quoted. He then shot a curious look at the stranger and asked, "If you don't mind me asking, where are you headed?"
"Oh, I'm headed for the Holy Spirit Empire!" He then tapped at the satchel by his waist and explained, "I have a deed for a plot of land within Timberlog Town. Family property. If Providence shines upon me, I am seeking to secure an investment from a sect or company within the Holy Spirit Empire in order to open a business back in the town. If my eyes are correct, Timberlog Town has the potential to become the central hub of the Isilda Continent and I intend to cash in on that!"
Wuzhi simply smiled at his passionate declaration. "So even with all your words of warning to me, you still seek to turn a profit from the danger, huh?"
The stranger heartily laughed at Wuzhi's words. "Us merchants are just as mad as those cultivators! Some of us are even more! Hahaha!"
"How about you? Where are you going, if you don't mind me asking that is?"
"I am headed to the North Aislu Continent," replied Wuzhi. A full smile occupied his shadow-covered face as he continued. "I am visiting a set of 'distant' relatives."
Wuzhi's words were strangely resounding.
---
All things that meet must part. And so did Wuzhi and the stranger.
With his knowledgeable talking partner gone, Wuzhi quietly sat within the sparsely populated waiting room and waited. He still had an hour or so left before it was time for him to board the airship leaving for the North Aislu Continent.
Time passed and soon, the call for boarding arrived. Grabbing his suitcase and urn, Wuzhi pressed his hat and followed the directions to arrive at the departure station. After walking through a few long corridors and passing a few other waiting rooms, he came face-to-face with the large airship that would serve as his mode of transport.
The tall, oblong-shaped vessel stretched 180m in length. Rigid, interlaced steel arches extended along the sides of its body outlining the vessel's massive shape and providing structural support to the vehicle. Very far at the back, Wuzhi spotted four large propellers that would serve as the airship's main show of movement allowing it to travel just under a 100km/hr.
Seeing it for the first time in all its steel-covered glory, Wuzhi had to admit; the vehicle was indeed worthy of its title as the 'engineering marvel of the century!'
It represented the current pinnacle of the [Engineering Path]!
Having spent a few minutes admiring the vessel, Wuzhi hurriedly ran to join the queue waiting to board the vessel. After confirming that all his articles were on his person, he prepared himself by having his ticket and other relevant documents on hand.
A dozen or so minutes waiting later, Wuzhi's turn to board the vessel arrived.
"Ticket and ID?" asked the Ticketmaster. Wuzhi immediately handed him the items.
After scanning the items, he turned to scrutinize Wuzhi. After gazing over him from head-to-toe, his eyes landed on the two items carried by Wuzhi.
"What are those?" asked the Ticketmaster, pointing at his suitcase and urn.
Lifting the suitcase, Wuzhi explained, "This is my suitcase containing clothes, notes, and other essentials." He then raised the urn held in his hand and continued, "This is an urn containing my mother's ashes."
The Ticketmaster shot an odd glance at Wuzhi. The latter responded with a pleasant smile.
After alternating his gaze between the urn and the youth, the Ticketmaster heaved a sigh and said, "Just don't go opening it during the middle of the flight."
Stamping his seal of verification on the ticket, the Ticketmaster returned the documents to Wuzhi and wished, "Have a pleasant journey."
"Thank you," Wuzhi replied and received his documents.
Entering another corridor, Wuzhi began boarding the airship. He quickly arrived at the first landing where an attendant greeted him and showed him towards his assigned cabin. Following the instructions, Wuzhi arrived at the cabin titled '07' and entered it.
A finely decorated interior containing a desk, a single bed, a bedside table, a recliner, and a door leading to a small bathroom appeared before his eyes. The walls themselves were clad in fine plush to block off sounds while the floors were draped in cream-coloured carpets.
On the wall opposite the entryway door, hung a small circular window through which the view outside could be seen.
After flicking the switch on the wall beside him to turn on the electric lamps littered inside the room, Wuzhi entered the cabin and closed the door. After placing his suitcase on the bed and the urn on the bedside table, he took a seat on the recliner and blankly stared into space.
Absentmindedly rubbing the armrest of the recliner, Wuzhi muttered. "This feels nice."
Every moment that he spent since taking a step outside of Oakwood Town was a brand-new experience for Wuzhi. Every breath that he took was air that he had never breathed. Every step that he took was on ground that he had never trodden. Every stranger that he met was someone whom he had never seen or spoken with. Every second that Wuzhi spent awake during his journey was one filled with endless discovery.
After twenty long years of confinement, Wuzhi finally got to experience the world.