Chapter Sixty-Seven: The Fragrant Musk Deer

Wang Yuanfeng had already left Mount Tianzhu, traveling nearly a hundred miles away. This time, he journeyed alone, taking no one with him. Lou Jingou had wanted to follow, but given his current state—barely able to walk—it was out of the question.

Before leaving, Wang Yuanfeng had made some arrangements for those staying behind, though only the general direction was set; as for the details, he need not concern himself, for they would handle it well enough.

As for the crowds that had arrived at Mount Tianzhu early in the morning, they were the supporters his maternal grandfather had sent word about. Dozens of managers, hundreds of apprentices, and a thousand sturdy men with some fighting skills—these were the very people Wang Yuanfeng felt he lacked at his side. Each time he gained control of a new place, he found himself short-handed, and in these chaotic lands, with unrest everywhere, it was no easy task to summon help.

Therefore, he had hoped to send a message to his father through the Jia Trading House, asking for reinforcements to ease the current situation. Yet, unexpectedly, the Divine Wind Camp had been blocked at Dongting Lake, and his grandfather, upon learning of the dire shortage of manpower, had immediately decided to invest in him. Even though Wang Yuanfeng was his grandson, if he were truly hopeless, his grandfather would never have made such a significant investment—perhaps some funds, but never manpower.

Just these dozens of managers alone would have cost no less than half a million taels of silver. If his grandfather had not seen some potential, he would never have made such a decision. Still, no matter how shrewd his grandfather was, he could never have guessed that all these efforts were for the sake of a single magical artifact. Ever since his encounter with the Eagle Tiger God on Mount Dongyue and the guidance he received, Wang Yuanfeng had begun to discern patterns from the strange phenomena within his own mind, and made his decision accordingly.

Had it not been for so many incidents, he might have simply cultivated step by step, indifferent to other matters. But there were no ifs. By noon, Wang Yuanfeng had already used two talismanic horses, each covering nearly a hundred miles. When the second talismanic horse began to show signs of spontaneous combustion, it was time to switch to the third.

Each use of a talismanic horse allowed a journey of a hundred miles—a Daoist traveling technique every novice must master. In a world with poor transportation and great distances, such arts were invented mainly for travel. Common techniques included the Divine Steed Talisman, the Five Ghosts Palanquin, the Four Ghosts Coffin, Leaping Arts, Shrinking the Earth, and the Crane Transformation.

Wang Yuanfeng used the most common technique—the Divine Steed Talisman, which had both yin and yang horses. The talismans, painted and affixed to the legs, allowed the user to cover up to eight hundred miles a day, though this was an exaggeration. Some could indeed travel over a thousand miles in a day, but Wang Yuanfeng's talismans only lasted a hundred miles each.

As he ran, he felt the talisman on his leg grow hot. "Time to change the talisman," he thought. Spotting a small hill not far ahead, he quickened his pace and stopped atop it. The talisman was now scorching hot and had begun to blacken. He peeled it off, and it burst into flames without fire, instantly turning to ash and scattering on the wind.

He took out his water flask and drank deeply. Along the way, he had passed through villages but seen few people. He had stopped a few times, thinking to ask about the local situation, but the wary looks from villagers made him drop the idea.

Reflecting on this, he was glad to be traveling alone with the Divine Steed Talisman; traversing mountains and rivers was much easier. Even if some ill-intentioned souls spotted him along the way, none could hope to catch up over dozens of miles. Had he brought two tall carriages, he would have had to stick to the main roads, which would only invite more trouble and take at least ten or fifteen days to reach the borders of Southern Prefecture.

People were always driven by necessity. Had the Divine Wind Camp's ten thousand men passed safely, he would have simply gone to observe how the military harnessed momentum, comparing it with his own studies and broadening his horizons. If he had wanted a military career, that experience could have been a valuable entry on his record, a credential for future advancement. But his ambition lay elsewhere; he wished only for his family's safety and to pursue the Dao. Thus, upon hearing of the army's obstruction, his only worry was that his father might be implicated.

He then drew from his breast a piece of parchment, which he had obtained from Commander Wu before leaving Mount Tianzhu—a map, crude but sufficient for now. Opening it, he saw only the main roads, some large counties, and a few rivers and mountains sketched out.

He lifted his head, silently aligning himself with the Northern Star, then confirmed his position and the direction of Southern Prefecture on the map. Calculating his next stop with the Divine Steed Talisman, he found a place on the map that looked as if it had been split by a sharp blade, labeled Mount Cleaver and Axe.

From his sleeve, he produced two more talismans bearing horse symbols—the Divine Steed Talismans. Affixing them to his legs, he muttered the incantation and dashed toward Mount Cleaver and Axe, covering seven or eight yards with each stride.

He chose deserted, mountainous paths, crossing hills and rivers as they came, ignoring everything he saw. An hour later, he could see Mount Cleaver and Axe in the distance. Running towards the mountain, he noticed that while approaching it seemed easy, descending towards its base was not so simple. From below, one could only see nearby; from above, the view stretched far.

Although the map showed Mount Cleaver and Axe, reaching Southern Prefecture did not necessarily require passing through it. Wang Yuanfeng traveled another ten miles and saw, from afar, a county town nestled before the mountain.

From the map, he learned that this county, north of the mountains, was called Yin Hua, notorious for its snakes and insects. Wang Yuanfeng stopped and removed the talismans from his legs, preparing to enter the town on foot. Including breaks, he had traveled nearly three hours since dawn. Having set out at the fourth hour, it was now almost the eighth; with autumn deepening, night would fall soon. The Divine Steed Talisman’s claim of eight hundred miles a day was clearly an exaggeration—he, at the Human Immortal stage with only the Minor Elixir, could at best cover five hundred miles from sunrise to sunset. If he could reach the Major Elixir state, three thousand miles in a day would not be impossible.

As Wang Yuanfeng approached the town, hunters returning from the mountains also made their way there, carrying their day's catch to barter for necessities or sell for silver to support their families. Most bore pheasants or rabbits; only a few had larger game.

Suddenly, a familiar, aromatic scent wafted by. After a moment's thought, Wang Yuanfeng realized it was the same fragrance as the incense he often used—musk. If such a thing were available, he would buy it to make his own incense, though he'd have to determine if it was male or female musk. The males produced musk that could be harvested; females did not. This musk opened the senses and was typically used in refining incense for cultivation.

Yet it was also poisonous to all pregnant creatures except musk deer themselves—causing miscarriage or even death upon inhalation, and even crossbreeding musk deer would poison each other.

Following the scent, Wang Yuanfeng saw a hunter carrying a musk deer, its legs bound. He was about to inquire when he noticed a strange light emanating from the animal. Its eyes were calm, unafraid, and it looked around with a leisurely air, as if it were out for a stroll rather than a captive.

"Something's off," Wang Yuanfeng thought, and used his Qi-vision. The musk deer appeared ordinary, but it was too at ease for a captive adult.

That could only mean one thing: it could escape whenever it wished. Curious, Wang Yuanfeng caught up to the hunter and asked, "Excuse me, is that a musk deer you’re carrying?"

The hunter looked up to see a young gentleman, dusty from the road but of uncommon bearing, and respectfully replied, "Yes, sir. Today was my lucky day—I caught this musk deer in one of my traps, something that hasn't happened once in twenty years of hunting."

Wang Yuanfeng found this odd. "Are there not musk deer near Yin Hua County?" he asked.

"That's right," the hunter answered. "Musk deer prefer sunny places. There are none here in Yin Hua; they’re only found south of Mount Cleaver and Axe, in Yang Hua County. I suppose this one wandered here by accident." He had lived in Yin Hua for over thirty years and knew the land well.

Wang Yuanfeng thought the musk deer’s behavior was strange, but since he was just passing through, it was none of his concern. He continued chatting with the hunter as they approached the city gate.

"Look, a musk deer!" someone suddenly shouted. Only then did Wang Yuanfeng realize a crowd had gathered—not for him, but for the musk deer beside the hunter.

He stepped aside, allowing others to see. Whatever became of the musk deer, the hunter would surely make a profit, which pleased Wang Yuanfeng, since they had traveled together.

"Are you selling this musk deer?" someone asked.

The question came from a young man whose attire Wang Yuanfeng recognized as that of a Jia Trading House apprentice.

The hunter, intending to sell the musk deer in town anyway, was glad for the chance to avoid the entry and market taxes. The town had a market for wild goods, but after the trade, a tax of about thirty percent would be collected. If he could sell it here, even for a slightly lower price, he’d still come out ahead.

"Of course I’ll sell," he replied.

"Fifteen taels of silver. Will you sell at that price?" the apprentice offered.

The hunter considered. Though there were no local musk deer, traders occasionally brought some over from Yang Hua County, selling them in town for about twenty taels. After taxes, he’d be left with about fifteen taels anyway. Fifteen taels would be enough to fix up his house and find a wife for his son.

"Deal," he agreed.

As the apprentice handed over the silver, he glanced at Wang Yuanfeng’s sleeve and noticed the emblem of the Jia family crest. Inspiration struck, and he asked, "You come to town often to sell game, don’t you?"

The hunter answered honestly, "Hunting runs in my family. I always bring in something, more or less."

The apprentice pressed the silver into the hunter’s hand and added, "You have skill. In the future, bring your game straight to the Jia Trading House."

"Gladly," the hunter agreed without hesitation. The Jia Trading House had a good reputation; with their support, he’d never have to worry about selling his catch or being taxed heavily again, and his prospects would only improve.

Just as the hunter was about to take the silver, a voice called out, "Wait! I’ll pay twenty taels!"