Page 6: Two Groups
Yue has been feeling uneasy for almost a week now. While lounging on the bed, she was thinking of scourging the entire city to look for Ah Mu and Ling Tian who was supposed to return to their respective rooms hut haven't seen them since the last meeting. Normally, the two would still return during the evening but after checking for more than three nights, she only received a silent reply. The rooms were definitely empty for a few days already. As her agitation grew stronger, she didn't have a choice but to approach Long Bai who's at the next room.
The day after she learned about some useful information about the city and this continent they are in, she enthusiastically shared the information with Long Bai as soon as she met him. She was expecting a huge reaction from Long Bai but she had her hopes too high. It seemed that Long Bai did have some similar information also that he was similar to what she learned.
Knock! Knock!
"Brother Bai, it is me, your pretty sister."
Long Bai opened the door and let her in. He studied Yue's face and came up with only one conclusion, she must have been feeling anxious. He noticed that this girl had been frequenting the other rooms for the past days which lead him to conclude that she's in such state.
"Are you worried about them?"
"Yes. They should have been back at least once but they never did. What if something happened to them?"
"Don't worry too much. They can handle themselves specially that there's Brother Ling Tian. If they'll not return tomorrow, we will go and search for them. We all are supposed to meet tomorrow anyway."
"You're right. I just hope they did not encounter those high ranking officials."
The two of them waited at the rental house for another day. While waiting, Long Bai gave Yue some converted fire crystals from the extra loot he had as to supplement their slowed cultivation pace. With the extra time, Long Bai drew a converting inscription that Yue can practice on to convert fire stones into white essence. Since one just needs to inject essence into it and regulate it, the process won't be too difficult specially that Long Bai tweaked it a bit to make it more efficient.
"Brother Bai, it's time. The others have already gathered in my room."
"I'll be there in a second."
After wearing proper clothes, Long Bai went straight towards the designated room for meeting. When he entered, he saw the elder, Chen Weimin, Mo Lan, Zhang Li and Tan Zhong but there was no Ah Mu and Ling Tian. With a poker face, he walked towards the end and waited for Yue to talk.
"Let us start our discussion. After staying in this place for at least a week, you might have already made your plans. We are a team but we are cultivators with aspirations. This day must be the time for us to go on our own ways. We expected this and this is understandable. Who wants to go first and speak their minds?"
The silence didn't take long as Chen Weimin stepped forward and voiced out his plans. With his expression, It seemed that everyone from that side laid out their game plan.
"I won't make it long and just say it directly. We decided to travel to the other nation, the vast country of Magvel. After gathering information about it, we learned that the place is more amiable with cultivators no matter where they came from. Unlike here, the opportunities for like us are too limited. If this country boasts their resources and strict rules, the other side boasts their commerce and numbers. Sects were also established in that place where we can join and learn their secrer arts. Isn't that way better than this place? We are planning to follow this map I have in my hands to reach the closest city of Magvel. The only problem is for us to breach this border."
Chen Weimin laid the map on the table. The map he showed was a political map showing boundaries of the two great lands and their respective countries. If the islands are to be compared to the content of the map, union islands would be dwarfed greatly. It was like comparing a single city to a country.
"Wait!",
"What is it honorary elder alchemist Bai?"
"You were speaking as if all of you have decided on this altogether. What's going on?"
Chen Weimin looked at the elder and after receiving an approving nod, he continued.
"Honestly, I was with elder when I gathered these information. After we learned about them, I shared this info to them first and then to you. I didn't mean to act like a leader since we have sister Yue but elder told me to do it because I was the one who found the information. If you want, Sister Yue can still lead us as long as we go to the free cities of Magvel."
"Well, I don't have anything against you being the leader of this next expedition. I also like the idea of going to that place but I still have some business in this place. If it is possible, I will follow the route you'll take after I will be able to clear all of my business in this place. How about sister Yue?" Long Bai looked at Yue with seriousness. With his eyes, he was trying to convey that she can do whatever she wanted to do.
"Everyone, I was given the command token by our sect leader. Now that things has come to this, I want you to have it."
Yue passed on the command token that the sect leader gave to Chen Weimin. Whoever holds the token is representing the six star school's sect leader and every disciple of the sect must obey or its tantamount to treason if otherwise.
"I too have something to deal with in here first. After it will be settled, I will follow afterwards to. I hope you don't have anything against me."
The rest did not gave any violent reaction to Yue's decision as they know that each of them is aspiring for something. The decisions each one make is one's fate to deal.
"Then it is settled. I, Chen Weimin, the 2nd disciple of the six star school leader will take the responsibility to lead the group in the next expedition towards the neighboring country."
As the meeting went on, they discussed how the group will travel towards the other nation and the things they needed for the travel.
"Getting out of this place is not a problem since we just need to buy a travel pass from the city office but once we reach the border, that's where the problem starts. Between the two nations, there's a neutral zone that we must pass through. From what I learned, that place is full of beasts from earth rank to heaven rank."
After saying the word "heaven rank", the atmosphere became sullen. Earth ranks are manageable, sky ranks are already a challenge but beatable with a group, but heaven ranks would be impossible with their current conditions. If they'll encounter a heaven rank, it would be the same as fighting someone who's at the spirit tempering stage of cultivation, the stage above the soul tempering stage.
"As long as we stay away from these danger zones indicated in the map, we will be fine. I paid so much for this information so it should be pretty accurate. During the travel, we would most likely encounter earth ranks and some few sky ranks. We can deal earth ranks ourselves but we will rely on elder in case we will encounter sky ranks. We will just give our supports from the sides as much as we can."
"Did you ask what level of heaven rank beasts are there?"
"They said that the highest rank that was encountered up to now was a middle grade heaven rank beast, that's similar to spirit manifestation layer of the spirit tempering stage. I heard that that one person from this place was able to fight it and escape with his life, the right hand of the General, Colonel Skywrath who reached the late levels of the spirit manifestation layer. Anyway, we just need to strictly follow the given route since this is used as a trade path between the two large countries."
After some assurance, everyone had finally made the decision to proceed with. Except Long Bai, Yue, and the other two, the rest will going ahead as early as tomorrow. The meeting was adjourned with the a goodbye note.
"Brother Bai, what is the plan now that it came to this? Where will we start searching for the two?"
"Sister Yue, I have an idea where they would be but I don't know where exactly. Disappearances can be majorly attributed to beast encounter or enslavement. The crime rate in this area is almost to none so these can only be the reason. Now considering skills, the two has the capability to escape beasts since beasts are simple minded. We can only assume that its most likely the cause of an intelligent being, a cultivator."
"So you mean, they could be taken as workers in the mine?"
"Yes, the problem is which mine could they be in. In this region alone, the number of mine counts to more than five. If we try to search one by one, it might take long. Probability wise, the two will not go too far so we will start searching from the nearest mine. There's a new mine established near here which is located close to the mountain range we passed through. This is most likely to be the place. We will check this area first. Sister Yue, in case there's something We won't be able to deal with with our combined strength, I'll transport you to my pocket world just in case.
"I'll be in your care, brother Bai. So are we going to infiltrate the place this evening?"
"Right. First, we will check the numbers of enemy around that place. By the way, how much have you progressed in your movement skill?"
"I think I will be able to breakthrough soon to the intermediate success. Lately, I feel that I just need something to push it so I would be able to step on the next level."
"Mn, that's good to hear. Let's prepare then."
The two took off not a while later towards the mine Long Bai indicated. The travel took at least an hour since they need to conserve their energy if not, they could have reached it not even half an hour.
"Brother Bai, I can see it. That place must be the mine. There are human activities in there jot to mention the light coming from the fires."
"Let's split and check the area around. I'll proceed to the other side while I'll leave this are to you. I'll meet with you after I'm done there. See you later."
Long Bai sped towards the opposite side to check it. It is imperative to find the best way on how to infiltrate the mine without raising any alerts or suspicions.
As he went to the other side, he was able to discover the command station of the place. As he scanned the person inside, the system identidied the person to be on the late levels of essence condensation layer. It might be possible to silence the person inside but only if there are no other factors to consider.
'Hm...better not to attract more attention. I'll leave this place for now. I wonder how the entrance is. I hope there are not much guards on the opposite side. Hm? What's going on?'
""Sir, the additional batch of workers will be arriving just about later."
"Alright, I'll go and meet the officer-in-charge. Go and ready the cells in the mine."
"Sir, I hear and follow!"
Long Bai saw the commanding officer exited the tent after the guard went off. It's a chance he was hoping to happen just a while ago.
Just before coming to this place, he thought of stealing for that lock and analyze its inscriptions. In that case, relieving the captives would even be easier. After all, he planned to steal the fire stones in here first before leaving. The plan was to use the manpower of the workers to dig the place until a vein will be found. When that happens, that will be the time when the escape will will be implemented.
Inside the tent, Long Bai managed to steal two of the locks they use. He also saw some fire stones in a box but stopped himself from taking it since it would just raise alerts if discovered. For now, he returned to Yue to convey the plans.