Weird, my gaming life

The northern border of Jiangnan Prefecture lies Yanmen Pass.

This pass is a vital passage for entering and exiting Jiangnan, with sheer cliffs thousands of feet high; one man can hold the pass against ten thousand.

In the past, the place was bustling with merchants and the sound of camel bells, but now there is a hidden sense of unease and death.

Below the pass, a long queue had formed. The merchants and laborers coming and going all wore worried expressions as they were questioned by squads of fierce-looking soldiers. These soldiers were uniformly dressed, no different from ordinary government officials and soldiers.

However, if a martial arts master were to approach them, they would find that these soldiers had gloomy eyes and a bloodthirsty, cold aura unique to the demonic sect.

On a hillside several hundred meters from the official road, Lin Yuan lay behind a rock, his small body almost blending into the surrounding environment.

He had been observing here for the entire morning.

If Lin Yuan hadn't possessed powerful mental strength, he would probably have already fallen into the Demonic Sect's trap.

The checks here are extremely strict, especially for seven- or eight-year-old children. Not only are they questioned about their origins, but the soldiers also touch the children directly. Although their actions are discreet, Lin Yuan's powerful mental strength allows him to see through their subtle movements.

"Have you heard? The Holy Gate has issued a bloody kill order. The entire Jiangnan branch is looking for one person."

Not far away, several bodyguards who were taking a break were talking in hushed tones, and their words drifted into Lin Yuan's ears on the wind.

"Who are they looking for? With such a commotion, could it be that the Palace Master of Qinghe Palace has run away?"

"What palace master? I heard it's just a baby!"

The lead镖师 (bodyguard/escort) had a solemn expression. "It is said that he is a peerless genius hidden by Qinghe Palace. He is only six or seven years old, but he already has the cultivation of a first-class master. On the night Qinghe Palace was destroyed, this child killed many disciples of the Demonic Sect. Even the son of the Blood Fiend Hall Master fell to him."

"A top-tier martial arts expert at six years old?!" Another bodyguard gasped. "Boss, are you kidding me? Did he start practicing martial arts in the womb?"

"Who knows? Anyway, it's all over the place now. That newly promoted Transcendent Realm expert from the Holy Sect has announced that anyone who can provide clues about that doll will receive a reward of a thousand taels of silver and three mid-grade cultivation techniques! Whoever can bring that doll's head to her will immediately become an outer sect elder of the Holy Sect!"

The murmurs gradually faded away, but Lin Yuan's eyes remained unmoved.

Ling Xiao's mother? The head of the Blood Fiend Hall of the Holy Gate?

A thought flashed through his mind, but he quickly suppressed it. None of that mattered to him; the most important thing right now was how to get through Yanmen Pass safely.

Forcing their way through is the worst possible strategy. The soldiers at the pass include experts from the Demonic Sect, and the entire Ming army has clearly been heavily infiltrated by the Demonic Sect. Coupled with the powerful bows and crossbows deployed in the army, even a master of innate cultivation might not be able to gain the upper hand.

His gaze fell upon a large caravan.

It was a caravan from the Western Regions, with dozens of carts piled high with all sorts of goods, camels and horses mixed together, and a large number of people, making it seem somewhat chaotic.

They seemed to have impressive backgrounds. A middle-aged man who appeared to be in charge was talking to the guard of the pass. They seemed quite familiar with each other and he kept slipping the guard several heavy money bags to the guard.

It is it.

Lin Yuan used the "Bone Shrinking and Shape Changing Technique" to quickly change his appearance, his figure silently sliding down the hillside without making a sound. He circled around and approached the caravan from the rear.

Using the exquisite footwork of the "Divine Swiftness Tiger Step," he slipped between two trucks right under the noses of dozens of guards.

The air was filled with a pungent, mixed smell of animal dung and spices.

He chose a wagon loaded with a large quantity of furs. The furs were piled up like mountains, emitting a strong, pungent odor that perfectly masked his own smell.

Seizing the opportunity when a patrolling guard turned around, Lin Yuan sprang up and climbed onto the truck silently like a nimble ape, his small body quickly disappearing into the depths of the piles of furs.

He adjusted his posture, curling himself up, leaving only a tiny opening between the fur folds for breathing and observation.

Before long, the caravan manager seemed to have reached an agreement with the garrison.

"Everyone, perk up! Get ready to pass the test!"

A shout rang out, and the caravan began to move slowly forward. The wheels rolled, making a dull thud on the stone pavement.

Lin Yuan's heartbeat slowed, and he entered a state of absolute stillness. He could hear the noisy voices outside, the neighing of horses, and the clanging of metal from the guards' armor.

"Stop! Inspect!"

A rough voice rang out beside the car.

Through the crack, Lin Yuan saw two armored soldiers approaching. One held a portrait, scrutinizing each person in the caravan. The other, wielding a long spear, began roughly searching the goods.

"Unboxing!"

"Pour out this bag of grain and let us see!"

The first few vehicles were inspected very thoroughly, and complaints from the caravan crew and shouts from the guards could be heard from time to time.

Soon, it was the turn of the car where Lin Yuan was hiding.

"What's in this vehicle?"

"Reporting to the magistrate, these are just fox and wolf pelts from Jiangnan, worthless trinkets," a caravan worker said with a fawning smile.

The soldier holding the spear snorted coldly, clearly not believing it. He raised his spear and tapped the carriage shaft heavily with the butt of the spear.

"Hmph, a good place for Tibetans."

As he spoke, he flipped over and leaped onto the truck, standing atop a mountain of furs, and began to probe downwards inch by inch with the long spear in his hand.

Lin Yuan's muscles tensed instantly.

He could clearly feel that each thrust of the spear tip caused the entire pile of furs to vibrate, and the force transmitted down the spear shaft clearly carried a fluctuation of internal energy.

Lin Yuan held his breath, pressed his body against the floor of the carriage, and remained motionless.

Outside, the caravan manager seemed to be talking to the leader who was checking them, with laughter and polite conversation filling the air.

The soldier, played by a disciple of the Demonic Sect, seemed impatient. He increased the force of his thrusts, his spear piercing deeper and deeper with each strike, like a viper spitting its tongue.

"puff!"

A soft sound.

The cold spear tip pierced through the thickest layer of wolf skin, carrying a chilling aura, and suddenly thrust towards the small space where Lin Yuan was curled up and hiding, aiming straight for Lin Yuan's back.

His entire body's muscles were taut to the limit, and his innate true energy flowed silently through his meridians, ready to unleash its power at the last moment, even if it was just to move his body away by the slightest bit.

Just at this critical moment, a fawning and anxious voice rang out from outside the car.

"Oh dear! Sir, please have mercy! These are just worthless animal hides; it wouldn't be good if they got your weapons dirty!"

The caravan manager jogged over, his fat face beaming with smiles. As he spoke, he discreetly slipped a heavy money bag into the hand of the armed disciple.

The soldier in the vehicle paused, lowered his head, and glanced at the supervisor out of the corner of his eye. He weighed the money pouch in his hand; it was quite heavy.

"You're smart to know what's good for you."

He snorted coldly, his impatient expression softening considerably. He suddenly drew his spear and slammed the butt of it against the pile of furs twice, producing dull "bang" sounds, before jumping off the vehicle, cursing under his breath.

"Next one! Check them all carefully!"

The crisis is over.

Lin Yuan's tense body slowly relaxed without making a sound. He remained like a stone, quietly lurking in the darkness and stench.

The caravan slowly passed through the pass, the bumpy wheels and the noise of the outside world gradually fading away. After about an hour, the surroundings became completely quiet, with only the monotonous sound of the wheels rolling and the occasional conversations of the guards remaining.

Lin Yuan did not act immediately.

He waited until nightfall, when the caravan set up camp in a sheltered valley and lit a campfire. The sounds of the men's laughter, the horses' chewing, and the wind mingled together.

He then emerged silently from the gaps in the fur pile, like a cat stalking the night. He spotted a gap in the camp patrol, and with a swift movement, slid off the vehicle without alerting anyone, disappearing completely into the distant darkness in a few leaps.

He didn't stop, but traveled dozens of miles through the night until he could no longer see the fires of the caravan camp, at which point he finally stopped in a pile of rocks.

The wind in the north is much colder and harsher than in the south. It feels like a knife against your face. The air lacks the moisture of the water towns of southern China, carrying only the dry scent of dust and withered vegetation.

Lin Yuan identified the stars and determined his location. Just as he was about to continue his journey, he caught a glimpse of a faint firelight flickering in a distant mountain valley.