The Journey To Goyou Cave

I woke up from the pain in my body. When I looked up, the words, “An unfamiliar ceiling,” something I had heard somewhere before, came to mind.

“Senior Brother Kou woke up.”

It was Seiran’s voice. I endured the pain and sat up with only my upper body, and Haoxuen came to my side with a worried look.

“How long was I asleep?”

“It is morning of the next day now.”

I was surprised when I heard Haoxuen’s answer. That meant I had slept for more than ten hours.

“What kind of demonic beast got you?”

“A demonic beast called a Black Wind Tiger. It was a large tiger covered in black fur.”

I told them about the fight with the Black Wind Tiger. However, I made it so that the one who killed Daaren was the Black Wind Tiger.

“You used a paralytic drug to stop its movements, and the finishing blow was [White Flame] from the Broadsword Fox-Flame Technique? Amazing.”

Seiran raised his voice in admiration.

“I really will study alchemy too.”

Haoxuen was aiming to become a Taoist practitioner like me. I had told him several times that Elder Shanshi would be better as a goal, but that did not seem to change.

“I have a favor to ask of you two.”

“What is it?”

Haoxuen asked with a serious expression.

“As I explained earlier, the ones who survived were Yulong and me. I am curious what kind of report Yulong will make. Could you investigate that?”

“Understood.”

“We will look into it.”

While I slept once more, the two of them investigated and reported what they had found. According to that, Yulong seemed to have reported that they had gone to hunt Red-Eyed Bears, encountered a Black Wind Tiger, and Daaren had died after taking it down with him.

After that, when Elder Mon examined my injuries, she said I would need seven days for a full recovery. I could do qi training, but strenuous exercise was forbidden.

It would soon be about a year since Haoxuen and Seiran entered Gyorei Cave.

“Haoxuen, did you hear about the trip to Goyou Cave?”

“No.”

“They say we will go to Goyou Cave and hold exchange matches with their young Taoist practitioners.”

It seemed to be something like an annual event.

“Senior Brother Kou, did you participate?”

“I should have still been an outer disciple around then. I do not think I participated.”

The next day, seven young Taoist practitioners were gathered, and they were informed about the exchange matches with Goyou Cave.

“You are scheduled to go to Goyou Cave at Sanshou Lake and hold exchange matches.”

The one who told them that was Elder Tsuen. Ever since Elder Tsuen had been dismissed from the position of managing the outer disciples, he had become an even more difficult old man. Standing beside that Elder Tsuen was one of the high disciples, Gao Bowen.

“There is no need to concern yourselves with victory or defeat in these exchange matches. You have not even been disciples for a full year. The results of your training will show themselves farther in the future.”

The ones leading the young Taoist practitioners would be this Bowen and Elder Tsuen. Bowen was a Taoist practitioner whose talent had been recognized enough for him to become the sect leader’s direct disciple, so he seemed reliable.

By contrast, Haoxuen and Seiran whispered to each other that Elder Tsuen seemed likely to become a source of trouble. That was because the two of them had heard what Elder Tsuen had done to the outer disciples.

At the end of the explanation, Elder Tsuen looked around at the gathered young Taoist practitioners.

“Prepare for the journey and gather in front of the gate first thing tomorrow morning. Absolutely do not be late.”

They were dismissed for the day. Haoxuen and Seiran reported to Kou, who was resting in his room, that they would be going to Goyou Cave. Then he lent them a cloth called a tarp.

The next morning, when the two of them went to the meeting place, Meimei and Hongfa were waiting.

“Good morning, you are early.”

When Seiran greeted them, the other three also exchanged greetings. After a while, the three of Yuhan, Rui, and Toumi gathered, then Bowen came next, and finally Elder Tsuen arrived.

“All right, everyone is here. We are leaving.”

After saying that, Elder Tsuen stood at the front and began walking. Sanshou Lake was southeast of Mount Gyorei, about eight days away on foot. Since the season was summer, the loads everyone carried on their backs were small. That was because there was no need to bring blankets and the like.

Haoxuen and Seiran walked while carrying bags containing change of clothes, bamboo water flasks, and the like on their backs, and holding broadswords.

“I want a broadsword with a shaft that can be divided, like the one Senior Brother Kou has.”

Seiran suddenly said that. Hearing it, Haoxuen nodded.

“For a hunt where we can return the same day, carrying a broadsword around is fine, but carrying one all day long is tough.”

Hearing that, Bowen laughed. Elder Tsuen grew displeased, as if he had heard the name of someone he disliked.

“Walk in silence.”

“Understood.”

“We apologize.”

The first two days proceeded smoothly. However, on the third day, the weather was gloomy from the morning, with clouds covering the sky.

“It looks like it is going to rain.”

Seiran said while looking up at the sky. After they walked for a while longer, rain began to fall just as the group started along a road inside a bamboo grove.

“We are going into the bamboo grove.”

Elder Tsuen left the road and entered the bamboo grove to take shelter from the rain. The bamboo leaves caught the rain for them, but that was only temporary. Haoxuen and Seiran cut down several bamboo stalks with their broadswords and created a space.

“What are you doing?”

Bowen asked.

“We are making a place where we can take shelter from the rain.”

After answering, Haoxuen took out the tarp, a large cloth, from his backpack and began the work of stretching the tarp over that open space. He had thought to block the rain with the waterproof tarp.

They tied the loops at the four corners of the tarp to the bamboo with cord and fixed it in place.

“This completes it.”

When Seiran and Haoxuen went under the tarp, Meimei and Hongfa came under the tarp as well.

“This is nice.”

Meimei said while looking up at the tarp that did not leak rain. Hearing that, the others also entered under the tarp. Bowen looked up at the sky and let out a sigh.

“Elder Tsuen, what shall we do?”

“We will wait here for a while. If the rain does not stop, we will go through the rain to the next town.”

“In that case, it would be better to wrap the luggage in this cloth and carry it. Haoxuen, Seiran, can I ask you to do that?”

“Yes, understood.”

The two of them readily agreed.