63: Chapter 63 Leaving the Mountain

Lin Qing had already been trekking alone through these vast mountains for over five months.

During these five months, he had maintained a deep wariness of Vicious Beasts, but his guard against people had gradually diminished.

This pool was only a few dozen yards wide, utterly insignificant within the vast Hundred Thousand Mountains. He truly hadn't expected that after finally relaxing enough to take a soak, he would actually encounter someone—and a woman at that.

The young woman stood at the edge of the jungle, her snow-white dress fluttering slightly in the mountain breeze, her jet-black hair falling over her shoulders. Her features were elegant and clear, and her skin was as fair as snow.

As soon as she stepped out of the jungle, her eyes met Lin Qing's in the pool. Their gazes locked in mid-air, remaining in a stalemate for several breaths.

Lin Qing's entire body froze, his eyes filled with blankness and astonishment.

For five whole months, he hadn't seen a single human being. He had gone from the initial vigilance of entering the mountains, to the loneliness of the Middle Stage, and finally to complete numbness.

Opposite him, Yun Nian also stood frozen in place. Her pretty face instantly turned red from her ears down to her neck. Her clear eyes were filled with panic and shyness, and she seemed immobilized, even forgetting the rhythm of her breathing.

She had been leading a team for training at the edge of the mountains. The team was currently camped nearby, and she had intended to find a water source for a quick wash. She had stumbled upon this pool by pure chance and ran straight into Lin Qing soaking in the water. The sudden sight left her mind completely blank.

As they faced each other, the air seemed to solidify.

The rustling of the mountain wind through the forest leaves became exceptionally clear, making this awkward silence feel even more intense.

After three full breaths, Yun Nian finally snapped back to her senses. She hurriedly turned around, her slender back tensing slightly, her shoulders trembling gently, not daring to look back even once.

Only then did Lin Qing fully wake up. Cursing his own carelessness in his heart, he quickly rose from the pool, grabbed his neatly folded clothes from the shore, and dressed himself nimbly. At the same time, he circulated his blood-Qi to evaporate the remaining moisture on his body.

Once he had tidied his clothes, his expression returned to its usual calm indifference. He was just about to step forward and speak to resolve this sudden misunderstanding.

However, several hurried footsteps echoed from the dense forest behind the woman, accompanied by tense shouts that pierced the tranquility of the mountain forest.

"Senior Sister Yun! What happened?!"

"Was that your voice just now? We're coming!"

"On guard! We might have encountered a Yao Beast!"

The shouts drew closer, carrying a heavy sense of vigilance and killing intent. Upon hearing them, Lin Qing immediately stopped in his tracks, remaining still while also secretly going on guard.

He did not act rashly, simply standing quietly by the pool as his Divine Thought quietly spread out, covering the entire entrance to the dense forest.

In just a moment, seven or eight figures lunged out from the thick jungle. Both men and women, they were all dressed in uniform snow-white attire with weapons at their waists. Their steps were steady and their blood-Qi was abundant; they were clearly trained Sect Disciples.

They saw the calm Lin Qing by the pool at a glance and instantly took him for a villain with ill intent. The seven or eight people immediately fanned out into a surrounding formation, their weapons half-unsheathed. Cold killing intent surged toward Lin Qing, and the atmosphere instantly tightened to the extreme.

The two parties stood facing each other from a distance by the pool. The air in the mountain forest seemed to freeze, permeated with killing intent.

"Everyone, stop!"

Yun Nian quickly stepped between the two sides, the blush on her pretty face not yet faded. Her expression held a hint of panic as she hurriedly explained, "Don't attack yet. It's a misunderstanding, all a misunderstanding! Your Excellency just happened to be here. I stumbled upon him and cried out in surprise. There was no ill intent, and I'm not in any danger."

She spoke very quickly, fearing her fellow Disciples would hurt someone and also fearing this awkward misunderstanding would be exposed in public. As she spoke, the blush on her cheeks deepened. Her eyes darted away, not daring to meet Lin Qing's gaze, let alone the inquisitive looks of her fellow Disciples.

Hearing this, the several Luoxia Valley Disciples looked at each other. Their gazes toward Lin Qing were still somewhat strange and suspicious, but seeing that Yun Nian bore no injuries, they eventually began to withdraw their killing intent, and their grip on their weapons loosened slightly.

Yun Nian breathed a sigh of relief. She tidied her dress and took a step forward, cupping her hands in greeting to Lin Qing. Her manner was graceful and her etiquette perfect. With a hint of apology in her elegant features, she asked:

"I am Yun Nian, a Disciple of the Luoxia Valley in Qingzhou. I apologize for the offense just now and hope Your Excellency can be magnanimous. May I ask Your Excellency's honored name?"

Her voice was soft, carrying the unique refined air of a Sect Disciple, which completely dissolved the previous awkwardness.

Seeing this, Lin Qing also returned the greeting by cupping his hands. His expression was flat, neither humble nor arrogant, and his tone was steady:

"I am Lin Qing, a mere Loose Cultivator without a Sect. I also hope Miss Yun can forgive my impropriety just now."

These two simple self-introductions slightly eased the tension in the air. The Luoxia Valley Disciples glanced at each other, and seeing Lin Qing's steady demeanor, their vigilance dropped further.

Yun Nian nodded. Seeing Lin Qing alone, she couldn't help but feel a bit surprised and asked:

"Your Excellency Lin Qing, from the look of it, you are alone in these mountains?"

Lin Qing's Divine Thought had already swept over everyone present, investigating their cultivation levels clearly.

Among this group of eight, the one with the highest cultivation was Yun Nian in front of him. Her blood-Qi was condensed and her aura was steady; she was already at the fourth-rank Middle Stage cultivation.

The other seven were mostly at the third-rank Peak or fourth-rank Early Stage levels. Before the current Lin Qing, they couldn't cause even a ripple.

This group was exactly the opportunity he needed to leave the Hundred Thousand Mountains. He currently knew nothing about the Dynasty layouts or Sect powers of the outside world. Following these people out of the mountains was the safest choice at the moment.

With his thoughts racing, Lin Qing's expression remained unchanged as he spoke calmly:

"That is correct. I entered the mountains alone for training and unintentionally lost my way, unable to find the path out. Encountering everyone today is truly a stroke of luck. I wonder if you could tell me which direction leads out of the mountains?"

Upon hearing this, the eight people opposite him looked at him strangely. Getting lost even in the edge territory?

Although they had doubts in their hearts, they didn't ask much, simply assuming Lin Qing had accidentally entered a mountain forest maze formation.

A flash of sympathy appeared in Yun Nian's eyes, and she immediately spoke with a smile and a warm tone:

"I see. Your Excellency need not worry. Our training in the mountains has concluded, and we are just about to set off back to the valley. We happen to be heading out. If Your Excellency doesn't mind, why not travel with us? We can look out for each other on the way out."

These words were exactly what Lin Qing wanted. He immediately cupped his hands in thanks:

"In that case, I thank Miss Yun and all you Fellow Daoists for your help. I am deeply grateful."

Seeing his perfect etiquette, the last bit of wariness from the Luoxia Valley Disciples dissipated. They nodded in acknowledgment, effectively accepting him.

The group lingered no longer and turned to walk toward their temporary camp.

The camp was located on an ordinary patch of flat ground. A bonfire was set in the center, with freshly slaughtered low-grade Vicious Beast meat roasting over the flames. Fat dripped into the fire with a sizzling sound, releasing a rich aroma.

As everyone sat around the bonfire, Lin Qing looked at the flickering flames and the roasting Vicious Beast meat, then asked:

"Aren't you afraid that lighting a fire in the mountain forest will attract high-grade Vicious Beasts?"

In the great mountains, lighting a fire at will was a major taboo. Even a hint of scent could attract Vicious Beasts from miles away.

Hearing this, a male Luoxia Valley Disciple sitting opposite him laughed:

"Your Excellency might not know, but this is already the outermost edge of the Hundred Thousand Mountains, barely a hundred miles from the outside. There are only low-grade Vicious Beasts in these woods; no powerful Yao Beasts would ever set foot here. Lighting a fire to roast meat is perfectly fine."

Lin Qing nodded, indicating he understood.

At this time, Yun Nian took a piece of sliced roasted meat, holding it with a clean leaf, and handed it to Lin Qing. Her expression was gentle, with a hint of testing in her voice:

"Your Excellency Lin Qing, to be able to remain safe while training alone in the Hundred Thousand Mountains, your martial cultivation must be extraordinary. Although our Luoxia Valley is a small Sect in Qingzhou, we do have Pulse Opening Realm experts overseeing us. If you don't mind, why not join our Luoxia Valley? It would give you a place to settle down."

As her voice fell, the surrounding Luoxia Valley Disciples all turned their gazes toward Lin Qing.

Lin Qing took the roasted meat and fell into thought.

He had just arrived in the outside world, alone and without support, knowing nothing of his surroundings. Finding a formal power to temporarily rely on was indeed the wisest choice at the moment.

This group of Luoxia Valley Disciples had good Heart-Nature and were warm toward others, lacking the arrogance of some Sect Disciples or any malicious intent. Moreover, if their Sect's strongest was only at the fifth rank, he shouldn't be in any mortal danger.

More importantly, he was penniless.

In the outside world, silver might be useful. But he only had banknotes, and those were printed with the official seal of the Xia Kingdom. Outside these mountains, they were just worthless scrap paper.

In the Hundred Thousand Mountains, he could use the sky as his blanket and the ground as his bed, but once he entered human society, he couldn't actually end up homeless and sleeping on the streets.

Besides, his cultivation had now reached a Breakthrough to the fifth rank. Joining a Sect would help him search for Cultivation Techniques.

Various thoughts flashed through his mind, and in just a moment, Lin Qing made his decision.

He looked up and bowed with cupped hands to Yun Nian and everyone present:

"I am deeply grateful for Miss Yun's kindness and the goodwill of all you Fellow Daoists. I am a Loose Cultivator with no Sect. If Luoxia Valley does not mind, I am willing to join. I will have to trouble you all to introduce me."

Hearing this, a joyful light instantly lit up in Yun Nian's eyes, and she quickly returned the gesture with a smile:

"Your Excellency is too polite!"

The night passed without further words.

The next day, just as the sky was beginning to brighten, the group packed their bags and set off.

With the Luoxia Valley Disciples leading the way, the journey was smooth and unobstructed. In just half a day, the dense forest ahead began to thin, and dazzling daylight rushed toward them. The endless green mountains were finally left behind, and flat official roads, scattered villages in the distance, and rising cooking smoke all came into view.

He had completely walked out of the Hundred Thousand Mountains.

Lin Qing stopped his pace at the boundary between the forest and the plains and slowly turned around.

Behind him were the vast, boundless Hundred Thousand Mountains that stretched for who knew how far, which had carried five months of his loneliness. Before him was the open and flat land of Qingzhou, a brand-new world he had never set foot in.

He took a deep breath, and fresh air carrying the scent of human life flooded into his chest. Five months of tempering in the deep mountains came to a close at this moment.

Lin Qing turned his head and looked at the official road ahead. A brand-new path of martial arts officially began from this moment.