The carriage was brownish-yellow in color, with a thick black curtain hanging in front, completely separating the interior from the outside world. On the curtain were embroidered numerous graceful and ethereal images of immortals, which somewhat lightened the heaviness of the carriage.
The mechanized carriage was entirely painted black, and as it moved, the joints emitted faint rubbing sounds. It walked steadily, traversing mountains and ridges as if walking on flat ground.
Several martial artists had almost exhausted their strength to keep up with the carriage, yet they could not catch sight of Meng Qi and Jiang Zhiwei, who were completely hidden inside the carriage.
Thus, the carriage continued deeper into the mountains, as if deliberately evading something. After several days of travel, it had reached a remote and uninhabited area. From time to time, the howls of wild beasts echoed around, making people’s hair stand on end and their scalps tingle.
“Where exactly are Mr. Su and Miss Jiang heading?” During their exhausting pursuit, the weary martial artists inevitably began to question.
A man in black clothes with a scar on his forehead took a light breath, frowning. “After the visit from the Cloud Crane Immortal of the Myriad Phenomena Sect, he suddenly set out, deliberately choosing secluded and hard-to-find paths. Could it be that negotiations with the Myriad Phenomena Sect failed, so he’s fleeing early?”
The more he thought about it, the more convinced he became that his guess was close to the truth.
A petite woman hesitated and said, “Mr. Su even humiliated Master Zhu in broad daylight. The Ink Palace claimed it was an invitation, but perhaps it was a loss of face…”
She didn’t finish her sentence. The group exchanged uneasy glances. Offending both the Ink Palace, which might retaliate, and failing to reach terms with the Myriad Phenomena Sect meant there might be no place left for them in this world!
Even if Mr. Su and Miss Jiang were powerful, judging from their displayed strength, they were at most stronger than ordinary cultivators. There was still a significant gap between them and the legendary masters and immortals who could easily suppress such cultivators!
“Then… should we continue following them?” A man with a square jaw showed hesitation.
Even if they could obtain true cultivation techniques leading to martial immortality, being hunted by two major powers would leave them no place to hide in the world. They would live like rats in dark corners, living in constant fear. Such a life might be worse than their previous one.
A female leader with a slightly stern face said, “All of this is just your speculation. If Mr. Su and Miss Jiang wanted to escape, why take a carriage? They could simply soar through the skies or cross empty space effortlessly!”
“Perhaps, perhaps the carriage is completely empty, and they are using us as bait to draw away pursuers!” The scarred man looked thoughtfully at the carriage moving steadily through the mountains. He wanted to inspect it but feared being mistaken and struck down with a single palm strike.
“Right, and besides, they’ve ignored all our pleas for guidance, showing no intention of passing down their martial cultivation techniques. Continuing to follow them is pointless!” The petite woman, influenced by these guesses and the harsh reality, began to lose heart.
There were countless people in the world who sought cultivation techniques desperately but gained nothing in return.
The female leader glanced at her companions, her expression shifting, and spoke softly, “I failed to learn the art of mechanical constructs, lacked the aptitude for cultivation techniques, and was told I wouldn’t make a good swordsman when I tried to switch to sword cultivation. A few days ago, I thought I would end up like every other martial artist—wandering the martial world until I lost my vigor, then settling down as a bodyguard for someone, marrying a husband like me, and placing my hopes on our descendants.”
“But Mr. Su’s finger flick that sent a sword bead flying opened a whole new world for me. It showed that martial artists like us also have a path to immortality, one where we need not feel inferior before mechanical artisans or cultivators. Every movement can exhibit miraculous abilities, just like immortals.”
“I, Fang Huayin, have lived twenty-three years and been ordinary for all of them, but from this day forward, I refuse to remain ordinary. No matter how perilous the path ahead, how faint the hope, or how grim the future, I will pursue the path of martial immortality. Even if I die, I will die on a path filled with hope!”
Her heartfelt words moved her companions. Then Fang Huayin continued, “Wang Dong, Mo Yan, Lu Fengming, Wan Yu, I won’t force any of you. Those who wish to continue should follow me and keep pleading until the day Mr. Su and Miss Jiang agree.”
Mo Yan, the petite woman, hesitated briefly before speaking first, “We knelt all night, but Mr. Su showed no reaction. I don’t want to waste my time on something with no hope.”
Wang Dong, the scarred man, exhaled deeply, “They’ve been rushing for days, seemingly trying to evade someone. Continuing to follow them is too risky. As the saying goes, ‘As long as the green mountains remain, there will always be firewood to burn.'”
Lu Fengming, the square-jawed man, avoided Fang Huayin’s gaze, his eyes flickering. “I, I more or less agree with them.”
“And you?” Fang Huayin turned to Wan Yu.
She felt as though her choice was defying fate itself, something the world would not accept.
Loneliness, hesitation, and unease surged in her heart.
Wan Yu, the white-haired youth, had been silent from the beginning. Now, looking at the brownish-yellow carriage ahead, he spoke softly, “After witnessing Mr. Su’s ‘miracle’ of manifesting his inner world externally, I’ve decided not to leave. How often in a lifetime does one get such an opportunity? Even if I die here, it’s better than regretting it endlessly in the future.”
Wang Dong and the other three looked deeply at Fang Huayin and Wan Yu before bowing deeply and saying, “We hope you both achieve your wishes.”
With that, they turned and left, quickly disappearing into the forest.
Fang Huayin looked at Wan Yu but said nothing more. “Let’s hurry. Don’t let the carriage leave us behind.”
The two quickened their pace, closely following the carriage with its black curtain. Whether it was an illusion or not, they both noticed that the carriage seemed to have slowed down slightly.
After several more days, the carriage crossed over the mountain ridge and reached the edge of a remote area. Fang Huayin and Wan Yu were already exhausted, sustained only by sheer willpower. Fortunately, the carriage often stopped to allow the mechanical horse to recover; otherwise, they wouldn’t even have had time to drink water or eat dry rations!
The carriage slowly came to a halt. Fang Huayin and Wan Yu quickly took out some dry food and began chewing it with water, not wasting a single moment.
Suddenly, more than a dozen large horses burst from the forest, ridden by men carrying swords and knives, all wearing masks, clearly bandits.
Looking at the brownish-yellow carriage, the high-quality mechanized horse, and the thick black curtain embroidered with immortal patterns, the bandit leader swallowed hard, feeling as though he was about to strike it rich.
Behind the black curtain, there was no movement at all, suggesting that the carriage might be empty. This meant that as long as they killed the man and woman guarding the carriage, they wouldn’t have to worry about provoking a powerful mechanist!
“Brothers, attack!” The bandit leader raised his long knife.
Clattering hooves thundered as the horses charged toward Fang Huayin and Wan Yu.
At first, the two felt amused. These bandits, who might not even be a match for them, dared to rob Mr. Su and Miss Jiang? Weren’t they just asking for death?
But as the horses drew closer and still no movement came from behind the black curtain, both Fang Huayin and Wan Yu began to suspect that the carriage might indeed be empty.
With Mr. Su’s extraordinary abilities, making the carriage stop and start at will wouldn’t be difficult, right?
So the carriage might truly be unoccupied!
Should they abandon the carriage to the bandits? Both were already exhausted, and the enemy was numerous and powerful. Thoughts of retreat naturally arose in their minds.
Just as these thoughts surfaced, Fang Huayin gritted her teeth, choosing to advance rather than retreat. If they couldn’t even protect the carriage properly, what right did they have to plead with Mr. Su and Miss Jiang for cultivation techniques?
Pf! She darted around the perimeter, avoiding being surrounded by the charging cavalry. Now and then, she leapt lightly into the air or ducked low, first attacking the horses, then striking the riders.
Wan Yu followed closely behind, perfectly in sync with her.
Under normal circumstances, the two could barely defend themselves, but after prolonged exhaustion, their strength was waning. Their arms and legs began to feel weak.
As several blades came slashing down, Fang Huayin tried to dodge, but her right leg suddenly gave way, nearly causing her to stumble.
Three gleaming blades reflected in her eyes, as if heralding her impending death.
“Is this where I die?”
“The path of cultivation…”
“I refuse!”
A surge of intense emotion welled up in her heart. She rolled with the momentum, desperately dodging.
Just then, a warm male voice reached her ears:
“Lift your sword, straight upward.”
Mr. Su? Fang Huayin’s heart stirred, and she instinctively chose to trust the voice. She raised her sword upward, precisely striking the side of a long knife.
The knife was deflected, which coincidentally knocked the other two weapons off course, sparing Fang Huayin’s body.
With just one strike, the situation changed dramatically!
Startled yet delighted, Fang Huayin sprang back to her feet, her sword light flashing.
At first, the bandits thought it would be an easy victory. But suddenly, the man and woman before them seemed like ghosts, each sword strike felling one of their comrades!
Before long, only a group of wandering horses remained at the forest’s edge.
One bandit, not yet dead, vaguely saw the carriage moving. The black curtain still hung motionless, exuding an indescribable mystery. The two deadly figures from earlier were now seated in the driver’s position.
The carriage slowly moved away, disappearing from his sight.
…
Inside a certain tavern, many people from the martial world were whispering amongst themselves.
“Have you heard? Recently, a mysterious carriage appeared. It has a black curtain and is heading toward the Ink Palace territory. The drivers are two martial artists, yet the Five Ghosts of Jing River and the Seven Disciples of Dang Mountain were all defeated by them! In this world, besides cultivators and mechanists, which martial expert dares to claim they could accomplish such a feat?” A gossipmonger was spreading the news.
The listeners were all astonished: “Are there really such powerful martial artists? Then who is inside that carriage? Could it be some mechanist or cultivator?”
“How could that be? If it were a mechanist or cultivator, how dare the Five Ghosts of Jing River attempt to rob the carriage? They say there’s actually no one inside, hiding some great secret!”
“No, no, there are people inside! But they’re not cultivators, nor mechanists…”
The rumors were mixed and contradictory. On a remote path, many martial artists were either hiding in trees or behind rocks. It was said that the mysterious carriage would pass by here, and some evil sword cultivators and mechanists were planning to act, hoping to uncover its secrets.
After an unknown amount of time, the sound of galloping hooves approached. In the distance appeared a carriage, its black curtain hanging low, blocking all view inside. It moved silently, exuding a strong sense of mystery.
Seated in the driver’s position were a man and a woman, both half-closed-eyed, seemingly lost in thought.
Suddenly, two figures descended. A dark green sword light flew out, slashing remotely toward the female driver.
A deep black puppet, wielding a long halberd, charged forward with heavy steps.
“They really made their move?”
“So, cultivators and mechanists really are different!”
“Now we’ll finally see the secret of the carriage!”
As this thought arose, their gazes froze. They saw the male driver leap forward in advance, reaching the black puppet in just a few steps. He crouched low, dodging the halberd strike. A flash of sword light, and he passed by.
The puppet took a few steps forward before suddenly disintegrating, its parts scattering to the ground.
Another flash of sword light, and the mechanist, who had been feeling secure, fell to the ground clutching his throat.
The dark green sword light slashed toward the carriage, but the female driver bent her sword, striking against the incoming blade.
Clang! Surprisingly, the dark green sword gained no advantage.
Clang! Clang! Clang! After several exchanges, a cry of pain erupted from dozens of feet away. A black-robed man collapsed, blood spurting from his seven orifices.
She struck the very weak points where the flying sword connected with its master’s spiritual sense? Observers with some knowledge had their pupils contract in shock.
Then, they saw the man return to his position as the driver, and the carriage continued moving forward slowly, passing over two corpses. The black curtain did not so much as tremble.
The martial artists stood there like wooden chickens, watching the mysterious carriage disappear into the distance. They vaguely noticed sparse golden-yellow, black, and white lights circling around the carriage, exuding a sacred and solemn aura, as if immortals or Buddhas were descending into the world!
…
Inside the manor of a great martial hero, martial artists from all corners of the land had gathered for the same purpose.
“There must be an immortal inside that carriage!”
“No, it must be hiding a rare treasure, a treasure that can help one ascend to immortality!”
“I don’t care whether it’s an immortal or a rare treasure. I just want to learn the skills of those drivers! It’s no worse than those of ordinary mechanists or cultivators!”
As the discussions raged on, Wang Dong and the other three wore expressions of mixed emotions.
“In any case, the most important thing is to find out where that carriage is now!”
A ten-year-old boy, the son of the great martial hero, watched his uncles, aunts, and elders excitedly discussing the mysterious carriage. He found it incredibly mysterious and irresistibly intriguing.
Suddenly, driven by curiosity, he reached out his hand, trying to touch the black and white specks floating in the air:
“What is this?”
As this childish voice rang out, all the martial heroes nearby noticed the floating black and white specks.
“The carriage!”
“The mysterious carriage!”
They all thought of the same thing simultaneously, instinctively rushing toward the gate.
The gate opened, and they saw a carriage slowly approaching from the depths of the night. It was brownish-yellow, with a thick black curtain hanging down.
Seated in the driver’s position were a man and a woman, surrounded by sacred golden-yellow, black, and white lights. The black curtain was embroidered with images of numerous immortals. Inside the carriage, there was still no movement at all.
It was indeed that mysterious and unusual carriage!
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