Chapter 63 Golden Light Across the Earth

Jiang Chen and his group set off again.

On the road, Zhang Zhongjian kept chatting and spinning yarns with Jiang Chen, and Jiang Chen followed along with his responses.

As for Zhang Lingyi, she rode her horse quietly, with Xiaoqing sitting behind her, arms wrapped around her waist.

Xiaoqing occasionally wanted to chime in, as she was naturally a carefree and lively person.

The fear of being hunted by bandits earlier had long since been cast to the nine heavens.

"Young Miss, what you said before about being willing to marry Young Master Jiang, is it true?" Xiaoqing whispered.

"Don't talk nonsense, be careful that Young Master Jiang hears you."

"What are you afraid of? We're being so quiet. But Young Master Jiang seems to be a Daoist, right? Can Daoists get married and have children?" Xiaoqing asked, puzzled.

Zhang Lingyi's earlobes turned red; she was clearly a bit shy.

Hearing Xiaoqing's confusion, she pursed her lips and decided to give Xiaoqing a lesson.

"Xiaoqing, Daoists can marry and have children; only monks and nuns are forbidden from marrying."

"Oh, so that's how it is!" Xiaoqing said excitedly.

"Then Young Miss, you should marry Young Master Jiang quickly, and then I can be your personal attendant!"

"You, Xiaoqing, you are a girl, have some shame!"

Zhang Lingyi was blushing furiously. Xiaoqing could spout such brazen words, leaving her feeling both ashamed and secretly delighted.

She couldn't help but steal a glance at Jiang Chen.

Jiang Chen focused his eyes on his nose and his nose on his heart, pretending not to hear anything.

In fact, when the two young women started whispering, he had already blocked his sense of hearing.

At this moment, Zhang Zhongjian suddenly leaned in, smiling lewdly: "Fellow Daoist Jiang, why don't you just swallow your pride and go along with this young lady? I see she must be from a wealthy family; what's wrong with marrying into it and becoming a man of leisure?"

Jiang Chen said indifferently: "This poor Daoist only has the Dao in his heart. If you wish to, Fellow Daoist, why not go yourself?"

"Sigh, I have too many things to do; how could I concern myself with romantic matters? Besides."

Zhang Zhongjian said gloomily: "The young lady offers herself to you in gratitude, but to me, she offers to be a beast of burden in the next life. The contrast is just too great."

"Being ugly isn't your fault, at least..." Jiang Chen consoled.

Zhang Zhongjian's eyes lit up, waiting for Jiang Chen's follow-up: "At least what?"

"At least, you are also poor."

Zhang Zhongjian: "..."

"I haven't asked yet, Fellow Daoist Jiang, what are you going to Chang'an for?"

Jiang Chen answered without hesitation: "Someone invited me to a banquet, so this poor Daoist is giving him some Face."

"In Chang'an, I do know a few Daoist friends. When the time comes, if Fellow Daoist Jiang has any need of me, just say the word."

In the evening, the group of four finally saw a magnificent green brick city gate on the distant horizon.

Outside the city gate was an extremely lively market town, with wine shops and inns everywhere, and many people mingling within.

Even though it was getting dark, it was still exceptionally lively.

"Chang'an, we've finally arrived!" Zhang Zhongjian chuckled.

Sitting on horseback, Zhang Lingyi and Xiaoqing, holding oil-paper umbrellas, also let out a long sigh of relief.

Once they reached Chang'an City, they finally didn't have to worry about any danger.

The two had walked for half a day and ridden for half a day; now in the scorching summer, they were already soaked.

They couldn't wait to find a place to stay, take a bath, and change their clothes.

"Let's hurry, it will be curfew soon," Jiang Chen reminded.

Once the curfew started, even the market town outside the city would be closed off.

The four of them walked quickly to the city gate; outside the gate, there were also merchants selling goods.

Such merchants would need to pay an entry tax to enter the city, so they simply sold their goods in the market town outside.

"Young Miss, are you entering the city now, or tomorrow morning?" Zhang Zhongjian asked.

He had done his duty by escorting them here; once they entered Chang'an City, Zhang Lingyi could go to her grandfather's place on her own.

Zhang Lingyi looked at Jiang Chen and said: "It's late now, and even if we enter the city, the curfew will be in effect. It's not appropriate to disturb my father, so we'd better enter the city tomorrow morning."

"That works too."

So the four of them headed toward the market town outside the city. There were many inns in the market, and Jiang Chen chose one that was decent enough to stay in.

In his room, Jiang Chen put down his Spell sword and looked outside through the window.

Although there was a curfew, it seemed to be looser outside the city, and some places were already decorated with lanterns and festoons.

There were also many merchants hawking their wares outside, looking just like a night market.

"Selling sugar figurines! Selling sugar figurines!"

"Hu bing, delicious and tasty Hu bing!"

"Hat tricks, don't miss out as you pass by, if it's not good, it's free!"

This rich atmosphere of mortal life was something Jiang Chen was experiencing for the first time in this prosperous Tang Dynasty.

The last time in Weinan County, all he saw were a bunch of fanatics.

After a while, there was a commotion below.

"Catch the thief! Catch the thief!"

Jiang Chen ignored it, instead sitting cross-legged on the couch to begin his daily Cultivate.

Cultivating is like sailing against the current; one cannot slack off for a single day.

There were also morning and evening lessons; even when traveling, they could not be neglected.

Jiang Chen could be considered an anomaly of the Maoshan Sect.

Other Disciples hated the morning and evening lessons to death, but he, on the contrary, never missed a single one, and was always willing to do them.

Not for anything else, just to be able to comprehend some Spells and Divine Abilities from them.

And as time passed, after long periods of travel, he was about to comprehend another Spell from his morning and evening lessons.

"You recited the Earth-Pacifying Incantation once, gained Golden Light Ground-Traversing EXP + 1"

Originally, comprehending Daoist arts required utilizing the profound nature of the Maoshan Sect's morning and evening lesson hall.

But Jiang Chen had been traveling constantly these days, deepening his understanding of the earth's ley lines, and thus he directly comprehended the Golden Light Ground-Traversing technique.

"Golden Light Ground-Traversing upgrade EXP needed: 10 / 10"

"Skill: Golden Light Ground-Traversing (Level 1)"

As the Golden Light Ground-Traversing was successfully comprehended, a wave of realization merged into his heart.

Jiang Chen understood that this Golden Light Ground-Traversing technique could be considered both a combat movement technique and a Divine Ability for traveling.

Originally, when Jiang Chen traveled at full speed, he could cover about six or seven hundred li in one hour.

Now with the Golden Light Ground-Traversing technique, his speed was nearly half again faster, and he could cover eight or nine hundred li in one hour.

This was only at level one; as it leveled up later, his speed would become faster and faster.

Moreover, this Spell could be considered the easiest to level up, because he only needed to keep walking to continuously gain EXP.

Although the EXP gained was relatively small, it accumulated into a considerable number.

"Skill: Combat Mastery (Level 4); Blade Mastery (Level 2); Sword Mastery (Level 4); Talisman Arts (Level 3); Golden Light Incantation (Level 3); Three Souls Restraint Technique (Level 3); Shangqing Image-Aspect Sword (Level 2); Mastery of Five Thunders (Level 2); Golden Light Ground-Traversing (Level 1)"

During these days, not only had Jiang Chen's cultivation improved, but most of his Daoist Spells and Divine Abilities had also made sufficient progress.

The Three Souls Restraint Technique had also been upgraded to level three, although there weren't that many wild ghosts for him to catch in the wilderness.

But Jiang Chen constantly used the Three Souls Restraint Technique in his daily life to Cultivate and consolidate his Divine Soul and that bit of spiritual light, so it leveled up very quickly.