Ascending to the Clouds Alone

Clutching the white jade slip tightly in his palm, Lin Su felt as if he were holding a block of ice. The words on the slip were as if carved into his mind:

[Batch No. 176 - Escorted]

"Goods: Loose Repairs"

Quantity: 518

"Purpose: Blood Ore Catalyst | Protective Sacrifice"

"The Qianji Shuttle is hereby ordered to arrive at Chixia Ridge within three days for delivery. The loss must not exceed ten units. Any negligence will result in the severe punishment of the accompanying personnel by the Enforcement Hall."

These few lines of text made his blood freeze instantly, and he stood there stiffly.

Goods? Prelude? Sacrifice?

Lin Su didn't know how long he had been stunned; perhaps three or five breaths, or perhaps just a fleeting thought.

What else is recorded on this jade slip?

He dared not read any further, but a voice inside him kept urging him on:

Keep reading, you must keep reading! You have to figure out what's going on.

But, just half an incense stick's time ago, he was still full of anticipation, believing this was a path to immortality...

At that time, the Thousand Machine Shuttle replenished its spiritual power at Eagle Beak Cliff, raised its head and leaped, leaving a long trail of light in the twilight.

"Buzz—Clang—"

The rhythmic sound of the roar made Lin Su's mind wander, as if he were immersed in the drumbeats of a sacrificial ceremony.

Below the shuttle were the shadows of continuous mountain ranges, with occasional flashes of lights passing by, the origins of which were unknown.

"despair!"

A crisp sound interrupted his thoughts.

Han Xiangyu slammed the half-empty pot of "Crimson Flame Wine" onto the low table, frowning as he said:

"Just hang in there, we'll reach Crimson Cloud Ridge in eight more hours."

Lin Su withdrew his gaze and looked at the middle-aged man who had accompanied him all the way:

"Uncle Han, once we get there, what kind of work can someone like me find?"

Curled up in this cramped room, Lin Su felt his spiritual energy stagnating and difficult to circulate. After sitting there for two days and nights, his ankles were quite swollen.

"Alive?...Tsk!"

Han Xiangyu licked his lips, savoring the cheap kick of the liquor:

"If you're lucky, you might be chosen by a sect and become a handyman to make a living."

"Well... if you're unlucky, go find your cousin and work as a laborer in the mine."

He looked up at Lin Su, his expression suddenly becoming serious:

"Wherever you go, remember this: survival is reserved for only two kinds of people—the useful and the obedient!"

Lin Su felt a sudden tightness in his chest as he looked into the man's already intoxicated eyes:

"What do you mean...?"

Han Xiangyu composed himself, stretched, and yawned, saying:

"I'm going to the purification room. You should think carefully about how to make it useful, or how to be obedient."

Without explaining, he tightened the belt around his waist, got up, and went to the shuttle cabin connection.

Watching Han Xiangyu's slightly forward-leaning back as he squeezed through the crowd, Lin Su was suddenly filled with emotion:

Uncle Han's back has always been straight, but after only three years, it looks just like an old bow.

In a daze, that figure was superimposed on "myself" many years later.

Lin Su turned his face away in annoyance and looked out the glass window.

As night deepened, the boundary markers whizzed by, like rulers planted in the darkness, and the light of the spiritual vein nodes slowly faded.

Amidst the cacophony of voices around, the various scenes unfolding inside the cabin are reflected in the glass windows:

Some were dozing off, some were drinking silently; some were dreaming of saving up spirit stones to exchange for Foundation Establishment Pills, only to be met with ridicule from others; others simply hoped to gather enough spirit stones to return home and prolong their father's life...

Lin Su's mind was in turmoil, and he had no idea what lay ahead.

Just then, a vendor's cry rang out from behind:

"Divine smoke and spiritual brewing, sweet spring water, Poria cocos and pine nuts, eight-treasure soup..."

A woman dressed in a gray-blue butler's robe approached, pushing a trolley.

The cabin was very crowded, and the multi-purpose vehicle was bumping and jostling. As she walked, she gently reminded everyone:

"Please, everyone, gather your strength."

Lin Su turned his head and saw that the multi-treasure cart was filled with all kinds of wines, drinks and snacks, a dazzling array.

Looking at the female deacon, she appeared to be about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, with a faint smile on her lips.

The half-empty pot of smoky liquor brought from the mortal world on the low table was emitting a pungent aroma.

Lin Su frowned and asked softly:

"Fairy, how much does the spirit wine cost?"

"A single grain of spiritual sand."

Seeing that Lin Su was sitting upright, the female deacon glanced a few more times at his faded robes, and then said:

"A tael of gold, or a tael of silver, but with a premium."

"..."

Lin Su secretly took a breath. The price that could afford a banquet in the mortal world could only buy a pot of spirit wine here?

Seeing that he didn't reply, the female deacon, with a hint of understanding, said:

"I'm on duty today. If you're using gold or silver, you can pay less of the premium."

These words made Lin Su unconsciously meet her gaze, and he felt that her eyes and brows were gentle and very approachable.

Other ways:

"Please, fairy, fetch me a pot."

The female deacon smiled slightly and said softly with concern:

"The spirit wine is helpful for cultivation; it would be even better with some snacks. Would you like some?"

Lin Su's face flushed, and clutching the emptied money pouch in his sleeve, he replied in a low voice:

"No need, thank you, fairy."

It was the time when independent cultivators went out to make a living, and many were short of money. The female steward was already used to it, so she said nothing more.

However, the handsome appearance of the young man in front of him seemed so out of place in the foul air inside the cabin.

She put the spirit sand she received into her storage bag, then took out a plain white jade slip, condensed a wisp of spiritual power at her fingertip and gently touched it, her gaze lingering on it for two breaths before returning to normal.

The simple body was shrouded in a hazy aura, with hidden secret patterns flowing within, clearly indicating that it was sealed with a restriction.

Running back and forth between these shuttle cabins and frequently retrieving documents is quite inconvenient.

So she casually tucked the jade slip into her waistband, freed her hand to take out the spirit wine and hand it over, her gaze falling on the charred ancient zither beside Lin Su:

"Young friend, is this your zither?"

Lin Su was taken aback for a moment, glanced at the zither, then straightened up and accepted the spirit wine:

"Yes, Qifengqin."

"Qifengqin? A good name." The female steward nodded slightly and said:

"Legend has it that in ancient times, someone was making a zither, using a thousand-year-old paulownia tree. On the day the zither was completed, a phoenix came to roost."

Your zither... is a replica of the ancient Jiao Wei style, with a simple and elegant design; it doesn't seem like an ordinary piece.

Hearing the praise, Lin Su smiled shyly, unconsciously reaching out to cover the body of the zither, about to reply.

"cough!"

Before anyone knew it, Han Xiangyu had returned and was standing at the other end of the aisle, muttering curses under his breath:

"You scoundrel, you're quite something! You were making excuses to refuse a drink earlier, but then you turned around and bought it yourself?"

Lin Su quickly withdrew his hand, and seeing his frighteningly stern face, the words he was about to say were swallowed back.

The female deacon smiled and lowered her eyes as if nothing had happened, then pushed the trolley forward.

Han Xiangyu sat down opposite Lin Su at the low table, glanced at him, and then slowly closed his eyes, looking extremely tired.

Seeing that he had closed his eyes to rest, Lin Su carefully uncorked the spirit wine pot.

A refreshing scent wafts by, carrying a faint fragrance of flowers and fruits, as if one were standing in a newly blossoming orchard at dawn.

He leaned closer and took a sniff; the fragrance seeped into his nostrils, making his mind clearer.

Before one could even savor the moment, the Thousand Machine Shuttle abruptly stopped, as if caught in mid-air by a giant hand.

With a forward lunge, Lin Su's forehead hit the corner of the low table, stars flashed before his eyes, and the spirit wine pot in his hand rolled away.

The female deacon was also caught off guard and fell forward, her waist and hips slamming hard against the handle of the trolley.

With a crisp "clang," an object fell from her waist, bounced high into the air, landed on the deck, and rolled several times.

The people around them were in no better shape; they were all in a sorry state, with wine and soup splattered everywhere.

Han Xiangyu, on the other hand, remained seated, seemingly used to it.

Before they could react, the Thousand Machine Shuttle began to swing violently sideways again.

A belated warning sounded, the runes on the shuttle body flashed wildly, and the spirit rail below emitted a piercing shriek.

"What's wrong? What's wrong?"

"We've encountered a surge of spiritual energy. Hold on tight!"

"Damn it, wasn't there any warning beforehand?"

……

After a short while, the tremors subsided, the shuttle stabilized again, the runes stopped flashing, and the warning sound ceased.

Lin Su covered his forehead and looked at Qi Fengqin. Seeing that it was safe and sound, he breathed a sigh of relief.

He reached out and placed his hand on the instrument. The warmth of the paulownia wood emanated from his palm, easing his tense emotions slightly.

Looking up at Han Xiangyu again, the other party was still in the same posture, but there were now several deep finger marks on the edge of the couch.

As the chaos gradually subsided, Lin Su glanced at the ground. The spirit brewing pot had rolled away to who knows where, but something was lying at his feet.

It's that white jade slip!