Chapter 204: Respective Preparations

After leaving Gan Province, the next few days of travel went smoothly without a hitch.

Lei Sitong deployed a cavalry of six hundred men to escort Yan Liqiang’s party through the cities and counties. As expected, they didn’t run into any other problems at all during the journey…

As the saying ‘a long journey tests a horse’s strength and the passage of time proves a man’s heart’ goes, Yan Liqiang could tell that his position by Sun Bingchen’s side had stabilized and rose once more after the incident at the posthouse in Weiyuan Prefecture. However, he noticed that Sun Bingchen was staring at him even deeper since then, and this made his heart race.

Although Sun Bingchen was still acting the same as before on the surface, his occasional gazes filled with rapt attention still made Yan Liqiang feel uncomfortable ever since he caught them. He wasn’t sure if it was his sixth sense, but he just couldn’t shake off the feeling that there was something else he couldn’t quite lay his finger on behind Sun Bingchen’s profound stare.

The first time Yan Liqiang realized that there was something else hidden behind Sun Bingchen’s gaze was when he assisted him in finding the iron case that Ye Tiancheng had hidden. However, that feeling was even more intense this time.

If Yan Liqiang didn’t know that Sun Bingchen wasn’t gay, he probably wouldn’t have the courage to continue staying by his side.

Perhaps it was because Yan Liqiang had once again proven his capability and attentiveness, but the task of looking after Ye Tiancheng every day upon arriving at their accommodation fell on Yan Liqiang following their departure from Weiyuan Prefecture.

Ye Tiancheng seized every opportunity he had with Yan Liqiang. He constantly tried to brainwash and get chummy with him in order to make a deal with Yan Liqiang — providing him with a few silver needles.

Silver needles were extremely common items which could be bought throughout most of the medical halls in the county town. They were tools used in treating ailments and Ye Tiancheng needed them to undo the sword acupoint sealing technique that Liang Yijie had used on him. If the meridians and acupoints in his body went back to normal, he would be capable of escaping.

Yan Liqiang’s attitude in response to Ye Tiancheng’s request was basically,‘Why do I have to risk my life for you? You think I’m a fool?!’

And thus his attitude was enough to drive Ye Tiancheng crazy.

On the 23rd of the first lunar month, after a few days of travel, Yan Liqiang and the rest had passed Gan Provincial City. They continued heading east and arrived at the furthest county town in Gan Province — Shizhai County.

That night, Yan Liqiang and the cavalry who escorted them stayed at the Shizhai County Office.

Shizhai County was a poor county — it was cursed by its infertile land and filled with yellow sand which stretched as far as the eyes could see. There weren’t many people in the county. The county’s posthouse was small, run-down, and could only accommodate a few dozen people. Not only that, the posthouse was also located outside the city. Upon receiving news of the arrival of Sun Bingchen’s party, the county magistrate of Shizhai County, dressed in his faded official robes, personally waited for Sun Bingchen along with a few county officials. They showed Sun Bingchen and the rest to the county office and finally managed to settle them down after sorting out some issues.

Although the so-called county office sounded impressive, it was actually extremely shabby. It was in worse condition than Yan Liqiang’s old house back in Qinghe County. For the sake of receiving Sun Bingchen and the rest as guests, the county magistrate even mobilized a few bailiffs who worked as messengers and some administrative staff members from the county office. They made a stove out of mud in the rear hall of the office and roasted a hog to be served as dinner for everyone.

If it wasn’t for this personal experience, Yan Liqiang wouldn’t believe that a county could be in such a dire state due to poverty.

Although the county office was run-down, it still had an underground dungeon for prisoners. Upon arriving at the county office, Yan Liqiang had someone escort Ye Tiancheng out from the prisoner carriage and into the prison where he personally stayed back to keep watch there.

Unlike those dark and damp prisons everywhere else, the prison in the Shizhai County Office was so dry as though it was a pit dug out of dry rock. In such cold and dry weather, the prison which had not been used in two years didn’t really have a bad odor.

There was no lamp in the prison except for a lit torch. As the torch’s flame burned, it emitted a distinctive noise akin to that of a rat nibbling on a table leg. For places like Shizhai County, the oil used in oil lamps was a luxury. Most people couldn’t even find food or feed themselves full, let alone being able to afford using oil to light a lamp.

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As soon as the people who delivered the straw mats left, Ye Tiancheng, who had just been put into the prison, immediately moved. His handcuffs and fetters clanked as he approached the iron bars of the prison cell. He grabbed the iron bars with both hands, stared at Yan Liqiang who was patting Goldie’s head, and then spoke in a soft voice. “We have arrived at Shizhai today. We will be leaving Gan Province tomorrow morning after four more hours on the journey…”

Yan Liqiang calmly threw a glance at Ye Tiancheng without saying anything. The former Pingxi Prefectural Governor was travel-worn from the arduous journey. Without washing his face, taking a shower, brushing his teeth, washing his hair, or getting a fresh change of clothes every day, his unkempt appearance and dirty face made him look no different than a beggar. The only thing that distinguished him from a beggar was his eyes which remained as eerie as ghost lights.

Yan Liqiang could feel Ye Tiancheng growing more impatient as the day of leaving Gan Province was approaching.

He knew the reason behind Ye Tiancheng’s frustration too. That was because the real dangers of this journey would only start the moment they left Gan Province. Ye Tiancheng was aware of the people who were after his life in the journey ahead of them. He was frustrated because he didn’t want to resign to a pathetic death in the prisoner carriage just like a useless person.

Not only Ye Tiancheng, but even Yan Liqiang could feel an immense pressure these few days. Ever since the day before yesterday, Yan Liqiang started feeling uncomfortable whenever he was traveling with the party. He could sense that they were being spied on, but he strangely wasn’t able to locate the source this time. He kept feeling as though there was a shadow following them obstinately. He got the same feeling multiple times despite the fact that they were traveling through the uninhabited wilderness.

Yan Liqiang really wished he could finish off Ye Tiancheng if he were permitted to do so because he knew that unknown danger was coming toward Ye Tiancheng.

Yan Liqiang deprecatingly laughed at himself in secret because of the irony. A few days ago, he was eager to tear Ye Tiancheng into shreds. In just the blink of an eye, he was suddenly worried for Ye Tiancheng’s safety because the danger brought about by Ye Tiancheng could possibly affect him. Just what kind of logic was this?

However, as Sun Bingchen’s personal attendant, the bottom line was, he couldn’t afford to betray Sun Bingchen’s wish. Therefore, he had no choice but to assist Sun Bingchen in escorting Ye Tiancheng back to the Imperial Capital. The only consolation Yan Liqiang had was the fact that the only ending that awaited Ye Tiancheng once he arrived at the Imperial Capital was death. Therefore, during the journey over the past few days, Yan Liqiang kept convincing himself that he was escorting Ye Tiancheng to his death at the Imperial Capital.

“The journey will be even more dangerous as soon as we leave Gan Province tomorrow. Today is the best chance!” Ye Tiancheng growled at Yan Liqiang like a stray wolf locked up in a cage.

“I told you already. You are only a lowly prisoner right now. You have nothing to make me risk my life for you!” Yan Liqiang calmly cast a glance at Ye Tiancheng. He took out a small knife and whetstone, then proceeded to repair and maintain the quiver of arrows before him.

“You should know that the ‘Cloud Dragon’s Ten Transformations’ technique I imparted to you is truly a lightness skill secret manual. This technique isn’t something you can easily obtain. Not even Sun Bingchen will impart profound techniques to you as he wishes! Was that still not enough to prove my sincerity? I have more valuable techniques here with me such as the ‘Blazing Skywheel’ technique. If you can give me what I need tonight, I will also impart to you the secret manual to the ‘Blazing Skywheel’ technique!”

“Sorry, I still haven’t gotten the chance to cultivate the ‘Cloud Dragon’s Ten Transformations’ technique’s secret manual you told me over these few days. As you can see, I travel with the party during the day and I have to watch you for most of the night. Therefore, I am left with no time to cultivate some secret manuals. Hence, I still cannot verify if that secret manual you told me is real or not. That was something you willingly told me. I didn’t promise to do anything for you, so you don’t have to bring that up again…”

It was true that Yan Liqiang had no time or the personal space to verify the authenticity of the lightness skill’s secret manual that Ye Tiancheng had used to bribe him over these few days. However, his archery skill was gradually being accepted by everyone during the journey. In their eyes, Yan Liqiang seemed to be rather talented in archery as his archery technique was making rapid improvements. Yan Liqiang also sensed that throughout his training these few days, he was slowly approaching the Fourth Heavenly Layer realm’s border. Apart from archery, the Iron Head technique he had been cultivating out of the various body techniques of the Golden Bell Shield’s first layer realm was about to succeed and it was also improving at a very rapid pace.

According to the explanation from the secret manual, to successfully cultivate the Iron Head technique among the various body techniques of the Golden Bell Shield’s first layer realm, even the most talented martial arts practitioner would need at least a year to charge up their acupoints in order to possess the same perception he currently had in martial arts techniques. However, it only took him one or two months to cultivate this technique. Apart from the Muscle Tendon Changing and Marrow Cleansing’s benefits, Yan Liqiang couldn’t find another factor that had contributed to his cultivation speed.

The more powerful he was, the better chance of survival he had in the face of danger. Yan Liqiang had been secretly making preparations over these few days against the ordeal that he was about to face. If he ended up as a funerary object to a corrupted official like Ye Tiancheng halfway through the journey before even reaching the Imperial Capital, that would be the most tragic tale in this world.

“If you don’t give me what I want today, aren’t you afraid that I’m going to tell everyone that you have learned a secret technique from me because you wished to make a deal with me? Do you know what consequences you will face then? Even if I can’t get out of this, this will be enough to ruin your future prospects…” Ye Tiancheng’s tone of voice started to turn dangerously cold as the expression on his face grew sinister.

Yan Liqiang threw Ye Tiancheng a disdainful look and laughed mischievously. “Do you think the others would believe you? Besides, how are you so sure that I haven’t reported to Lord Sun about you teaching me the ‘Cloud Dragon’s Ten Transformations’ technique? Do you honestly think I am that easy to trick and can be blackmailed so easily?”

Ye Tiancheng’s mood started to grow heavy. “Tell me, what will make you help me out just this once?”

“I will tell you one more time. If you wish for my help, then you will need to offer me benefits I can see and receive now. Don’t tell me about any promises for the future. There’s no way I am going to risk my life over empty promises.” Yan Liqiang said this and even took out the set of silver needles he had purchased two days ago, flashing it at him. “I have this thing with me. If you can recover your strength, I believe those chains will not be able to keep you bounded. Whether you can have this set of silver needles or not will all depend on what you can offer to me.”

Ye Tiancheng clenched his teeth, then silently retreated. He sat down on the ground and would only occasionally throw some strange complicated glances at Yan Liqiang who was outside the prison cell.

Yan Liqiang remained unmoved. To him, the current Ye Tiancheng was nothing more than someone whose remaining value could still be squeezed out. He was curious to find out if he could still squeeze something out of Ye Tiancheng aside from that ‘Cloud Dragon’s Ten Transformations’ technique.