Chapter 143 - 106: Remnant
Since the Young Manor Lord was headed to Wenxiang Forest, Jiang Ran naturally had to go there as well.
In fact, he had to be there with the Young Manor Lord.
Otherwise, without the Young Manor Lord to act as a shield, who knew what sort of mysterious dangers he might encounter?
’But the Young Manor Lord seems to have been in too much of a rush this time.’
’Was it because Dao Wuming shattered his composure?’
’Or had things simply spiraled out of his control?’
’Or perhaps... he was just eager to escape and never intended to make the trip to Wenxiang Forest at all?’
Regardless of the reason, Jiang Ran had to make this trip.
If not for the Young Manor Lord, then for the old drunkard.
Wenxiang Forest was not far. Using their Lightweight Technique, Jiang Ran and Ye Jingshuang arrived in a matter of moments.
From the outside, there was nothing particularly special about the place.
It was just a forest. The only thing that set it apart from any other was its rich fragrance.
This scent wasn’t the kind that came from sandalwood, pear, or camphor trees.
The trees themselves emitted a sweet perfume, like that of flowers in full bloom.
Thus, if one were to step into the woods and close their eyes, they would have the illusion of standing in a sea of flowers.
Jiang Ran didn’t recognize these trees. After asking Ye Jingshuang, he learned their name: ’Fragrant Trees’.
He had never seen them in his previous life; he figured they must be unique to this world.
Traces of destruction were visible throughout the woods.
They must have been left by the Young Manor Lord.
Judging by how he had moved bamboo to create a forest and lay an Array outside Benma County, the man was clearly a master of such arts.
Wenxiang Forest likely had an Array as well, and these signs of destruction were probably left by him as he broke through it.
Seeing this, Jiang Ran picked up his pace.
As they stepped into the forest, they found that even with the occasional signs of destruction, its beauty was not diminished.
Every blade of grass, every tree, was exquisitely and deliberately placed, making one feel as if they had stepped into a paradise on earth.
Jiang Ran was suddenly struck by the impulse to unhitch the gourd from his waist, take a long drink of wine, and then lie down under a tree to fall fast asleep.
Of course, he did not.
One hand resting on the hilt of his saber, he and Ye Jingshuang followed the mountain path forward. Before long, they had emerged from the forest.
For a moment, Jiang Ran felt a pang of melancholy.
Beyond the forest, the landscape opened up dramatically.
A stream babbled as it flowed into the distance, and two thatched huts dotted the scene, lending it a sign of life.
Jiang Ran approached the huts, but they were empty.
There was no trace of the Young Manor Lord’s trail either.
It was as if he had reached this point and simply turned back.
Jiang Ran wasn’t in the habit of barging into people’s homes uninvited. Seeing that the path continued, he and Ye Jingshuang pressed on.
Moments later, they came to the bank of the small river.
A small dock had been built by the bank. Jiang Ran looked up, his eyes narrowing slightly.
Right there, on the edge of the dock, sat a scrawny old man with stark white hair.
He held a fishing rod, angling in the water.
A conical bamboo hat rested on the dock next to his stool.
What stunned Jiang Ran was that even though the man was sitting right there, he hadn’t sensed his presence at all.
Even now, at arm’s length, Jiang Ran could not detect the man’s breathing or his heartbeat.
It was as if he wasn’t there at all.
He glanced at Ye Jingshuang and saw the same astonishment reflected in her eyes. Only then did he speak softly.
"This junior, Jiang Ran, greets you, Senior."
The old man didn’t look up at the sound of his voice, merely gesturing to an empty stool and a spare fishing rod beside it.
Jiang Ran mulled it over for a moment, scanned his surroundings once more, then gave Ye Jingshuang a slight nod.
He then walked over, sat down, picked up the fishing rod from the dock, and with a flick of his wrist, cast the line.
Silence fell over the riverbank once more.
An old man and a young man sat fishing in silence.
A young woman stood solemnly to one side, longsword in hand.
The scene was as beautiful as a painting.
As he fished, Jiang Ran studied the old man.
’He’s so thin... so thin he looked like nothing but skin and bones.’
His skin was loose, hanging in folds, especially around his wrists.
And yet, the hand that held the fishing rod did not tremble in the slightest.
’He looked ancient... His eyes were sunken and cloudy, and his temples showed no sign of the bulge that would mark him as a master.’
As Jiang Ran sat there studying him, the man seemed completely oblivious.
He seemed lost in thought, or perhaps he cared only for the rod in his hand, paying no mind to anything else in the world.
However, the time it takes to drink a cup of tea passed, then the time for an incense stick to burn, and soon an entire hour had been quietly left behind.
The fishing rod in his hand remained motionless.
By now, Jiang Ran couldn’t resist looking down at his own rod.
’Are there even any fish in this water?’ he began to wonder. ’If there were, there should have been a nibble by now, even on a straight hook.’
As the thought crossed Jiang Ran’s mind, he subconsciously channeled the power of his Righteous Heart Sutra of Creation into the fishing rod, sending it down the line and into the water.
BOOM!!!
A muffled explosion erupted, sending a monstrous wave into the air!
An aura of Inner Strength had been radiating through the water the entire time, preventing any fish from coming near.
Unaware of this, Jiang Ran had sent his own Inner Strength to investigate, triggering a clash between the two forces beneath the surface.
Ye Jingshuang’s expression changed slightly, and her hand instinctively went to the hilt of her sword.
As the water rained down, Jiang Ran flicked his sleeve, deflecting the spray completely.
He first shot Ye Jingshuang a look, telling her to remain calm. Then, he glared at the old man.