8 Determination

One day and night had passed. All this time Wei Gaoyuan had been carefully watching the entrance of the cave in case any beasts around disturb her meditation.

Perhaps because of the Land Taoist in the cave, there were no beasts and no danger throughout the night.

At noon on the second day, the girl in dark blue slowly opened her eyes from her meditation. A bit of shining light appeared in her eyes.

Seeing Wei Gaoyuan not far away, the girl asked, "Are you the people living in this mountain?"

Wei Gaoyuan turned around and saw her well recovery. He still dared not face her but just lowered his head and replied, "I am not the resident in this mountain, just entering for food but losing my way in the forest."

"Hehehe..." the girl gave a sweet chuckle, "I used to lose my way when I was a little girl, but now I won't... I'll take you out."

It had been the sweetest voice for Wei Gaoyuan these days, he could finally leave the hell kind of forest. But considering her injury, he felt it was good for her to rest a few more days.

Before his response, the girl raised her hand and a silver light flashed out, then a long sword was seen floating in the air. She grabbed Wei Gaoyuan's arm and took him to jump onto the body of the sword.

Suddenly getting so close to a Land Taoist for the first time, Wei Gaoyuan's mind turn blank thoroughly.

And next second the wind just whistling in the ear, he couldn't stop himself glancing around, and just such a glance made him barely control his bladder — this moment, he was standing on her long sword, the white clouds around him and the faint scenes under were flying back past him as fast as lightning. If without an invisible force that had been wrapping him to stick to the body of the sword, he must have got scared to fall from the high sky.

It was a pity that the dream-like flying did not last long. With speed of the sword slowing down, they fell slowly to the ground…

Half a kilometer ahead was a tall city wall. The girl jumped down with Wei Gaoyuan, who just felt his legs was too soft to support his body but sat down on the ground.

"Are you alright?" asked the girl.

"I...I... okay…" his teeth trembling, Wei Gaoyuan pinched his thigh, and the pain from it told him what just happened was not a dream.

Who could believe it! He'd met one beautiful girl of the legendary Land Taoists, and saved her, and been with her for a whole day, and even been flying on the sword with her in the sky for the first time in his life! Oh, just don't mention that stupid bladder…

"Follow me into the city," the girl put her sword back in its sheath.

"Got it!" Wei Gaoyuan nodded and followed her walking into the city.

...

The East Mountain Sword Club, located in the north district of Qizhou City, was a martial arts school; the Sword House of East Mountain, just located next to the club, was a store selling finished swords. And the club and the house were both under the control of the East Mountain Sword Clan.

The girl in dark blue led Wei Gaoyuan to the front hall of the Sword House of East Mountain, and were received by a young man, who said with a bow, "What can I do for you?"

"I want to talk to the chief officer of your house," the girl got to the point directly.

"Sorry, our chief officer is not ..." the young man intended to refuse, but his last words were just swallowed back since he were shocked by a small wooden token the girl showed.

The young man immediately bowed deeper and cautiously said, " Please hold on a second, the Supreme. I'm informing the chief officer right now."

(the Supreme: "ShangRen" in Chinese, one of the honorific titles in Taoism system to address those who have supreme power.)

"Everyone worships the Land Taoist..." Wei Gaoyuan was thinking secretly. He took a peek at the wooden token in her hand — an character of "East" was clearly engraved at the front of it, and a pattern of a sword on the back.

Just in a short while, a debonair and graceful middle-aged man walked out from the back hall. After a surprise on his face disappearing in a second while saw the girl in dark blue, he immediately held his fist in the other hand, "So happy to meet you, your ladyship!"

(hold his fist in the other hand: "Baoquan" in Chinese, a common polite gesture of greeting each other in ancient china)

"Hppy to see you, too, Wu Bai!" the girl greeted with a smile.

Standing beside the girl, Wei Gaoyuan was a little nervous as Wu Bai who was like the deepest forest in the huge mountain gave him a unique and undesirable feeling. Anyway, without the girl standing by his side, he would never dare to approach this middle-aged man.

When all the three came to the back hall, Wu Bai asked first, "And this boy is..."

"Wei Gaoyuan, a friend I met nearby. He's helped me a lot these days," the girl replied.

"Glad to meet you! Brother Wei!" Wu Bai politely greeted Wei Gaoyuan.

Being flattered, Wei Gaoyuan immediately greeted him with a bow," Glad to meet you! Elder Wei!"

Wu Bai smiled and nodded slightly, then said to the girl, "Just the day before, I got a message from the East Mountain Sword Clan saying that your ladyship had left the clan alone, and ordering us to pay close attention to the exact whereabouts of your ladyship. And today, I would be very happy to report your safety to the clan. "

"Don't worry to report, I'd like to stay in this city for a few days," the girl said.

"It's my honor, I will arrange it soon." Wu Bai replied then left.

The girl turned to Wei Gaoyuan, "You've saved me but never mentioned the reward. Today, just don't refuse my thanks again."

After her words, Wei Gaoyuan thought for a moment, looked up at her and said carefully, "I wonder… if I could make a request..."

This time, he had got a really close look at the face of this Land Taoist, a girl who got a delicate face features— an oval face, bright eyes, small mouth like a cherry, seemed a little older than himself. And now she was smiling at him, a spring-flower smile which made him quickly lowered his head and voice.

The girl seemed not to notice Wei Gaoyuan's embarrassment, "Sure!"

Wei Gaoyuan restrained his tension and said with courage,"Could you...please...teach me something?"

"Oh?" the girl showed an unexpected surprise, "you want to learn something, like Taoism Arts?"

"Yes!" Wei Gaoyuan nodded firmly, "I wonder if the Supreme would like to give some guidance to me…"

He did not dare to ask her to be his master because of so high distance between their status, and he would be very grateful even if he could get some of her guidance

"Well, you don't need to call me the Supreme," the girl said, "My name is Mu Yunyi, next time, you can call me sister Yun."

In a silent shock, Wei Gaoyuan felt been flattered for the third time today. A Land Taoist sister! He'd never thought about that even in his dream! How could he a humble boy at the bottom of society deserve such a blessing from God…

Mu Yunyi did not read Wei Gaoyuan's current thought. She just assumed that the boy was too shy and embarrassed to call her sister, " it's okay, I'm just a little older than you."

Then she proceeded, "Not everyone can be qualified to learn Taoism Arts. First of all, you have to own the spiritual root to feel the Spiritual Qi in heaven and earth. I've got no testing tools now. Later we'll go to the East Mountain Sword club, just next door, to test it for you."

(Spiritual Qi: in Taoism thought, it's an invisible substance like the air, which permeates between heaven and earth and is one of the fundamental resources for Taoists to strengthen their power.)

Wei Gaoyuan asked, "Can the spiritual root be seen?"

"I can't, anyway," Mu Yunyi said with a shrug, "but I am convinced that someone can see it…hmm… someone at the level of my dad."

Hearing her reply, Wei Gaoyuan's heart sank. Not long ago, outside of the White Plain Town, that woman in white had once affirmed that he would never get access to her world if without miracles. It might be true that he had no spiritual root.

Great disappointment was written on Wei Gaoyuan's face.

"You don't have to worry, " Mu Yunyi comforted him, "even if you have no conditions for learn Taoism Arts, I will arrange for you to study in the martial arts school and help you to become a great warrior as soon as possible."

"Thanks, sister Yun!" Wei Gaoyuan barely showed a smile.

For the average person, to become a great warrior might be an amazing opportunity which meant a huge change in social status and destiny.

For Wei Gaoyuan however, it meant nothing! He must be a Land Taoist! He must knock at the door to that world! The world where his sister was awaiting him!