Mountain Patrol Military Officer

Chen Yuan's Dharma Eye scanned around, and the clay idol emitted a faint glow, surrounded by incense smoke.

There really is a manifestation. I wonder which deity it belongs to.

He slowed his pace, intrigued, just as the inn worker hurried over after securing their carriage and horses.

"Hey, waiter, let me ask you something!" Chen Yuan casually gestured towards the small room without showing much expression,

"Why is this altar next to your inn?"

"Which deity do you worship here?"

The inn worker immediately turned serious and explained, "Sir, you might not know, but the Chencang Road in front of us is an official road connecting Shu and Guanzhong, very important. However, it's treacherous, as you might have experienced—it's still the best route."

"The road is dangerous enough, but the mountains are high and the forests dense, with countless Mountain Spirits and Wild Demons. Each year, they devour many travelers. So the authorities enshrined the Mountain God here to protect passersby! And not just here, you'll find one every hundred or so miles ahead!"

"This was built by the government, heh, our inn not only sells food and drink, but also incense." The inn worker implied the inn had government backing and continued earnestly:

"The Mountain God is very efficacious. Sir, you and your companions might want to offer some incense and prayers here."

Upon hearing this, the two men behind Chen Yuan's eyelids twitched.

One of them was a Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites in charge of incense nationwide, while the other was a Deputy Inspection Envoy of the Sky Patrol Department, able to decree gods across the lands. How could they bow to a minor deity? Could the Mountain God handle that?

Especially asking the mighty Demon Slayer of countless Dragon and Tiger to pray, the altar would explode!

Imagining this scene made the two men twitch more, but Chen Yuan simply smiled, "Would be interesting to see it firsthand!"

With that, he didn't continue the topic and directly entered the inn.

Once inside, a few sparse guests sat in the lobby, their attire and hairstyles somewhat different from those in Shu.

After three days of travel, crossing Dragon Ridge, they had reached the Three Qin Lands.

Those in the lobby noted their extraordinary demeanor, glanced sideways, then quickly withdrew their gaze.

The inn worker led them to a table, wiped it down with the cloth on his shoulder, and asked what food and drinks they wanted.

Chen Yuan ordered local specialties, including some wine, and the worker promptly went to relay the order.

Chen Yuan first sat down on a stool, followed by the other two men, while the coachman stood beside Chen Yuan and removed his hat, revealing Gongsun Yang's face.

On this trip outside Shu, he was presenting himself as Chen Yuan's old servant.

Soon, the inn worker returned with the drinks.

"This is the local red meat wine. Please enjoy, gentlemen!"

Carefully placing the cups from the tray, he left.

Gongsun Yang picked up the wine jug and poured drinks for the three of them.

Afterward, Chen Yuan picked up the not-so-exquisite cup, observing the reddish, murky liquid, lightly sniffing it for a meaty fragrance with a hint of an off smell.

"You two, stop brooding, have a drink!"

Seeing the two with tight expressions, Chen Yuan raised his hand.

Xu Liang and Gou Yue didn't want to look stern either, but they dared not be careless in the presence of Chen Yuan, which was torturous.

Moreover, there was another issue!

Eunuch Li was missing!

On the second day after leaving Shu, he disappeared right under the eyes of the two men.

No, he escaped out of guilt!

In truth, they both knew that with Eunuch Li's cultivation, he couldn't have pulled any tricks before them. It was Chen Yuan who acted, but they had to swallow it in silence.

There's a saying about accompanying the king like accompanying a tiger, and that's their current mindset—wanting to escape, yet having botched their tasks and with the edict forged and Li Huayu missing, they couldn't report without ensuring he reached the Divine Capital.

So they had to follow behind, serving diligently!

But what irritated them more was that with their Divine Skills, they could hasten to the Divine Capital, yet their lord was leisurely wandering, taking three full days just crossing Dragon Ridge.

They raised their cups in turn, swallowing bitter wine, too troubled to savor it.

Meanwhile, Chen Yuan leisurely enjoyed the flavor—spicy at first, with a trace of meatiness, followed by a mild sweetness.

Nothing remarkable, yet it pleased Chen Yuan.

Leisurely traveling beyond Shu for the first time, he finally had the chance to appreciate this world, in no rush. Watching his two "followers" sulk, he understood their thoughts.

So he changed the subject, gazing toward the altar outside the inn,

"Xu Shaoqing, the Ministry of Rites oversees all incense, and yet the inn collaborates with clay idols selling incense, even having government ties? Is this an exception?"

Xu Liang listened, his eyes flickering, "Naturally not. Nowadays, incense ceremonies flourish for generations, with temples common across the Central Plains."

"As for the government establishing temples and decreeing Mountain Gods to protect the people, it's about maintaining local peace. As a General from the Overseers, you should know the principles."

"Not quite, I honestly know little about it. You seldom see Mountain Gods in Shu because the Luck there was suppressed. With its recent lift, I assume you both know some insider info."

"Care to share with me?" Chen Yuan shook the cup lightly, eyes on the two, smiling slightly.

It was this demeanor that made both somewhat nervous.

Xu Liang remained composed as his expression didn't change, "I indeed know some superficial details. All I heard of Shu's Luck was to seal the Ten Evils rebels back then, leading to Shu's fall into obscurity and the decline of Cultivation. Beyond that, I'm unaware."

"But you, General, were present in Shu and directly involved in the battles against the Ten Evils, you should know more than I do, right?"

Chen Yuan listened, his eyes narrowing slightly.

The fellow was even retorting!

As a Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, the man surely knew more than Chen Yuan did, thanks to the Martial Temple his back rested against, a supreme sanctuary of Daqian. Chen Yuan knew limited about it, as did most in the world.

So he casually raised an eyebrow, not answering the question posed to him, instead, he continued, "Daqian has ruled for over eighteen hundred years. I wonder if those great sages and mighty figures who founded the Martial Temple still live on in their legends after their physical limits were reached?"

Xu Liang's brow furrowed involuntarily upon hearing this, and after a moment of silence, his eyes shone with a mysterious gleam as he grinned, "General has now reached Dragon and Tiger, brushing with the pinnacle of Martial Arts. This is a question you already know the answer to."

"I may as well tell you, General, they do exist!"

"Any more than that, I am not privy to."

"In a world full of mysteries, we are but seekers on the path."

While his words shocked Chen Yuan, they didn't surprise him; Dragons and Tigers lived as long as eight hundred years, yet above them lay even more enigmatic realms.

Pouring Xu Liang another drink, he said,

"Thank you, Xu Shaoqing, for resolving my curiosity. When I visit the Martial Temple for incense, perhaps I'll meet those great sages you speak of and solve another puzzle that vexes this General!"

The puzzle refers to the origins of those who leveraged Shu's Luck to seal the Ten Evils.

If anyone knew, someone in the Martial Temple enduring through the ages might, considering the scale of such feats, they would know or likely participated if contemporaneous.

His thoughts drifted, letting his imagination run wild.

At that moment, the inn worker brought up the dishes, halting Chen Yuan and the others' conversation.

After eating, they took a brief respite, preparing to continue their journey.

By then, daylight had fully broken, and unlike Shu's endless snow, Three Qin was still in early autumn, with leaves slightly yellow under the cold breeze.

Just as Gongsun Yang went to settle the bill and Chen Yuan stepped out amid the inn worker's flattery, the sound of horses' hooves clattered like urgent drum beats from afar.

Gradually, several loud shouts neared.

"Clear the way!"