"You're leaving?"
Li Ban still had many things he wanted to discuss with Cat Girl, but the sudden news left him momentarily speechless.
Cat Girl nodded with slight hesitation. "It's not exactly leaving, just parting ways temporarily. I've finished reading the Art of Awakening Life over the past few days, and I'm ready to practice it. Originally, I thought about waiting until we reached Yanzhou, but the variety of vegetation there is too monotonous. It would be best to go to Yingzhou to practice."
Li Ban had naturally read the Art of Awakening Life as well. It was entirely about how to bestow vitality upon plants, with its most important chapter focusing on awakening tree-spirits.
Normal tree-spirits possessed incredibly long lifespans, which in turn meant their reproductive capabilities were exceedingly poor.
Hundred Flowers Pavilion, however, had developed the Art of Awakening Life to enhance a tree-spirit's ability to reproduce, at the cost of reducing their lifespan.
For an individual tree-spirit, this wasn't necessarily a good thing.
But for Hundred Flowers Pavilion, which sold tree-spirits, it was a significant modification that boosted their production yields.
Li Ban simply couldn't figure out why Cat Girl wanted to practice this.
"No, I want to use the Art of Awakening Life on myself."
Even Shi Ming, who was sitting off to the side, widened his eyes. "Miss Cat is from the plant tribe?"
Li Ban was waiting for her to continue. Hearing Shi Ming interrupt, he shot the man a helpless look.
'Your cat is a plant.'
"Of course not," Cat Girl said, rolling her eyes at Shi Ming. "I'm not using it directly on my body. It's just that I have a new idea for body tempering, and I need to combine it with the Art of Awakening Life to practice."
"A new martial art? Innovating comes with risks," Li Ban advised. "Why don't you stay with us and figure it out completely before heading to Yingzhou to put it into practice?"
"I've already been preparing for a while."
Her tone was resolute.
Li Ban fell silent for a moment. "How about this: wait until I completely heal your injuries with Flesh on White Bones before you leave. What do you think? You'll have to pass through Yuezhou and Weizhou to get to Yingzhou anyway."
This time, Cat Girl finally nodded in agreement. "Alright. By the time we reach Weizhou, my injuries should be mostly healed. I'll set out for Yingzhou then."
She suddenly raised a hand to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "Once I'm done, I'll go find you at the Myriad Ancient Pagoda in the Unreturning Place."
Li Ban nodded. "If I temporarily go somewhere else, I'll leave a letter for you. My promise stands. So you must come, or tell me to come to you."
Cat Girl smiled brightly. "Of course I won't forget."
Shi Ming felt utterly defeated by these two and their little secrets.
He scratched his somewhat frizzy hair. "It's still a month's journey from here to the Capital City. Why are you guys already saying your goodbyes?"
Feeling inexplicably annoyed, Cat Girl bared her fangs at him. "Pale-faced scholars taste best roasted."
Shi Ming immediately pointed at Li Ban. "Eat Brother Li! Eat Brother Li, he has more meat. I'm all bones; only a dog would enjoy eating me."
Shi Ming was a size thinner than Li Ban, but his was a wiry thinness that naturally couldn't compare to Li Ban, who had already built up a fair amount of muscle.
Li Ban rubbed his temples. The scene from just moments ago—where everyone feared and respected him while he was with Priest Yao—felt like a mere illusion.
Back in this simple, unadorned little carriage, he was still just a lowly prison guard.
Because they were following the First Prince's convoy, Li Ban and the others didn't have to worry about managing logistics anymore.
Food, clothing, shelter, and travel—everything was arranged for them in advance.
Someone had even suggested swapping Li Ban's carriage for one of the same caliber as the First Prince's and Priest Yao's.
Knowing they would eventually have to part ways for Yanzhou, Li Ban declined.
Before long, the entourage left Langzhou and entered Yuezhou.
The Capital City was situated exactly between Yuezhou and Weizhou.
It bordered Weizhou for the larger half of its perimeter, and Yuezhou for the smaller half.
As a result, these two places were the most prosperous regions in all of the Nine Provinces.
After they entered Yuezhou, the mountains and hills gradually diminished, and plains and rivers became the primary landscape.
Every county seat they passed rivaled the mid-sized towns of Yu Province. Just looking at the vast expanses of farmland and the densely packed houses lining the streets was enough to tell that the population here was immense.
However, with a prince traveling, the roads and streets were cleared the entire way. No one was allowed to casually approach the convoy.
Li Ban figured that Li Yuan probably wasn't in the mood to accept the kowtows of the commoners right now anyway.
Nowadays, aside from cultivating in the carriage, occasionally visiting the Shadow World to check on the migration progress, and asking if Du An had appeared again, Li Ban spent his time following Zhu Yao into the wilderness to practice spells.
The first spell Li Ban focused on practicing was Shrinking Ground to an Inch.
This spell was convenient for traveling and escaping, making up for the most sorely lacking aspect of his current abilities: mobility.
Moreover, since he had only just come into contact with spells, trying to practice both Shrinking Ground to an Inch and the Terror Spell at the same time would muddle his mind, making it impossible to execute the complex, precise shifts in consciousness required.
"Empty your mind first. The more tense you are, the easier it is to make a mistake."
That day, Li Ban and Zhu Yao ran atop the city walls once more to practice.
Priest Zhu Yao had used a spell to make others ignore them. Thus, while the two stood on the wall practicing, the main gates down below were thrown wide open as the city lord and all the officials of the Imperial Court waited to welcome the First Prince.
Standing high above such a bustling place, Li Ban found it difficult to focus as easily as he did in the uninhabited wilderness.
His gaze drifted downward from time to time.
He watched the anxiously waiting officials and guards; he watched the massive, imposing convoy march through the city gates in formation.
For a split second, the lively bustle of the mortal world seemed to have nothing to do with them.
It was like watching a television show—a liveliness separated by a screen.
It was the cold sense of isolation one felt when standing atop a high-rise, looking down at the streets below.
This left Li Ban in a daze, constantly feeling a sense of unreality.
Because his thoughts were wandering and he found it hard to enter a state of tranquility, Li Ban's practice today was even less effective than before.
He kept messing up around the fifth or sixth step, prompting Priest Zhu Yao to occasionally speak up and remind him.
She was incredibly patient. Although her face remained expressionless, her tone was gentle. Even when Li Ban failed to make any progress after several attempts, she continued to guide him peacefully.
Noticing Li Ban looking at the crowd below time and time again, Zhu Yao—who had been standing three zhang away—flashed to his side, standing shoulder to shoulder with him as they looked down together.
"The mortal world's chaos blinds the eye, but inner clarity illuminates the heart," Priest Zhu Yao recited softly. "Entering meditation by mountains and lakes is merely the foundation. Only by finding tranquility amidst the bustling mortal world have you truly mastered it."
She didn't stop Li Ban from looking out at the mortal realm.
Among the Priests, there was a saying: "To transcend the world, one must first enter it." But Zhu Yao had always felt that "observing the world" was also an excellent method for tempering one's state of mind.
Right now, it was merely standing on a wall, watching the commoners below.
In the future, she could even take Li Ban to witness the birth and destruction of worlds.
Oh, she probably wouldn't have time. She could have Qian Que do it for her.
Li Ban looked down for a while. When he saw that simple, shabby carriage appear in the convoy, a thought suddenly stirred in his mind.
He didn't want to stand here anymore; he wanted to go back.
The next second, he abruptly appeared inside the carriage, nearly stepping on Cat Girl's tail.
"Meow!!!"
Looking rather awkward, Li Ban hopped down from the long bench on one side of the carriage.
"Haha, it's my first time using the spell. I'm a little out of practice."
The sheer desire to return to the carriage had influenced his precise positioning.
It was also possible that, because he spent most of his time in the carriage sleeping on that bench, he had naturally landed on it.
"Is this a spell?" Cat Girl lowered her tail, staring at Li Ban in amazement. "That's incredible! You learned one in just a few days? At this rate, won't you be able to learn hundreds of spells?"
Li Ban sat down. "I wouldn't say I've truly learned it. That was probably a fluke. I was outside for a bit, and I suddenly really wanted to come back. I felt an unexpected sense of urgency and had a firm goal in mind, and then—"
As he spoke, he suddenly fell silent.
At the moment, only he and Cat Girl were inside the carriage. Shi Ming had gone out to sit on the carriage shaft with Deng Jun to watch the commotion.
Cat Girl looked at Li Ban, still waiting for him to continue, only to find him speechless, simply staring in her direction.
Gradually, his stare made her a little uncomfortable.
She scratched her hair, twitched her ears, and finally wiped her face.
'There's no dirt on it.'
"W-what are you looking at?"
"Ah!" Li Ban seemed to finally snap out of it. With bright eyes and a smile on his face, he excitedly told Cat Girl, "I just realized something! When I was practicing this spell earlier, I kept thinking about entering a state of tranquility, about relaxing, about perfectly executing every single step of the cast. But I kept forgetting that the whole point of using this spell is to go where I want to go!"
Li Ban felt he had grasped the crux of Shrinking Ground to an Inch. It gave him the refreshing, clear-headed thrill of a sudden epiphany.
When a person has a clear, unwavering goal, their focus sharpens, effortlessly and naturally shutting out external distractions.
The complex seventeen-step mental shift was completed almost instantaneously, and in the very next second, he arrived at his destination.
Unable to sit still, he stood back up and pumped his fist. "What do you call this? This is called never forgetting your original intention!"
Cat Girl had been feeling slightly annoyed, but seeing Li Ban so happy, she found herself unwittingly captivated and smiled in gratification.
As she smiled, her grin eventually faded.
'He's striving so hard to climb higher,' she thought. 'I can't stand still, either. I've been stuck at the 5th Tier for too long.'
The sliver of reluctance she felt about parting ways was gradually replaced by firm resolve.
She believed that a brief separation was for the sake of a better reunion.
Although she was waiting for Li Ban to pull her up, she was still a Gold Badge assassin! She couldn't just rely entirely on Li Ban without putting in any effort herself, could she?
Both Cat Girl and Li Ban were marching firmly toward their respective goals.
Meanwhile, atop the city wall, Zhu Yao had just reeled in her slightly stunned expression, reverting to the calm, indifferent demeanor of a goddess.
"Good talent, a clear mind, and a fast learner."
"Fostering someone is indeed interesting. Du An is a bit too seasoned."
"Having succeeded once, the second time won't be difficult."
"Why isn't he back yet?"
"Is he too excited?"
"He didn't... forget about me, did he?"
Below the city gate tower, everything was bustling and lively.
Even though orders had been given not to disturb the people, high-ranking officials and nobles still came out in throngs to welcome the royal carriage.
Atop the city walls, it was quiet and peaceful.
The unseen Priest Yao stood upon the high battlements, her expression cold and her eyes slightly narrowed as she gazed up at the sky.
The clouds rolled and unfurled.
It was as lonely as a fresh snowfall.