Be a proper Taoist priest in The Condor Heroes

Jiaocheng County, located on the eastern foothills of the Lüliang Mountains, was still under the jurisdiction of Taiyuan Prefecture. After the Battle of Sanfeng Mountain, the main force of the Jin Dynasty was annihilated, and Taiyuan Road and Fenzhou area had become a stable rear area for the Mongols, with no threat of war.

Although Taiyuan Prefecture has issued orders to "reduce corvée labor and taxes, encourage agriculture and sericulture," recruit displaced people, and promote post-war economic recovery, these orders are currently only being implemented within the inner city of Taiyuan Prefecture, and have not yet been implemented in Jiaocheng County. The situation appears to be even more dire than in the outer city of Taiyuan Prefecture.

Jiaocheng County is located in the southwest of Taiyuan Prefecture, at the confluence of the Fen River and the Kong River. It was established as a county in the sixteenth year of the Kaihuang era of the Sui Dynasty and was named after it. In the second year of the Tianshou era of the Tang Dynasty, it was moved to its present location. Historically, it has been an important route from Taiyuan Prefecture to western Shanxi. Due to its control of the river valley passage, it has become a strategic location that is contested by military strategists. This small town with a history of more than 100 years as a county was completely changed during the chaos of 1232.

Su Yan carried Xiao Nian'erba through the black pine forest, secretly circulating his energy in his feet. He had already memorized the key points of the Leap Technique. Since acquiring this lightness skill in the black pine forest, he had practiced it a lot along the way. He circulated his qi and blood throughout his body, following the method of "raising qi and gathering it below the navel, sinking the abdomen and tightening the waist". When his toes touched the ground, he used the force accurately, and his body was much lighter than before.

On the panel.

Host: Su Yan

Age: 16

Martial arts:

Rank E - Su Family Sword Technique (Mastery, 64/400) [Consumable -25%, Armor Penetration +25%, Pressure +30%]

Rank E - Lifting Technique (Beginner, 52/100) [Cost -10%]

E-level - Stone-smashing expert (beginner, 0/10).

Realm: Third-rate martial artist.

This is the best proof.

He stepped on the roadside gravel for leverage, leaped across a shallow ditch, and landed as steadily as a rock. The little boy on his back only felt a slight sway, but didn't feel the slightest bump.

"Yan-ge'er, you walk so lightly now, it's like you're walking on the wind."

The little girl nestled on his shoulder, gently patting his back with her tiny hands, her voice full of surprise.

Su Yan's lips curled up slightly, secretly relieved that this lightness skill had come just in time. In the past, when carrying Xiao Nian'erba on his back, he would be out of breath after a short while. Now, with the boost from the Leap Technique, not only was his speed increased by 30%, but his physical exertion was also greatly reduced. Jiaocheng County, which he had originally planned to reach in the afternoon, was already in sight just after 1 p.m.

But the closer they got to the county town, the more depressing the scene became.

Upon entering the city, the scene was even more shocking. The streets were full of potholes and filled with blackened sewage. Most of the mud-brick houses on both sides had collapsed halfway, revealing charred rafters.

There was no distinction between the inner and outer city. Everywhere along the roadside, refugees huddled together, each one emaciated, some gnawing on dry tree bark, others lying on the ground, barely alive. Occasionally, a few weak coughs would pierce the deathly silence of the streets. Compared to the outer city of Taiyuan, this place lacked the tight control of Mongol soldiers, but its desolate, neglected state made it all the more tragic.

"Let's find a clinic to treat your foot injury first."

Su Yan said in a low voice, his eyes quickly scanning the streets and alleys.

"While we're at it, let's see if there are any Quanzhen Sect agents hiding there, and also to find out about the road conditions."

He remembered that his senior brother Song had mentioned that the Quanzhen Sect's secret agents were mostly located in places with high foot traffic, such as pharmacies and inns. However, after walking along most of the street, he saw that the pharmacies were either closed down or just empty shells, without even a decent sign, let alone any signs of secret agents.

Su Yan already knew in his heart that there was probably no Quanzhen Sect stronghold in Jiaocheng County, and he would have to rely on himself for everything.

Finally, we found a clinic that was barely open in the city center. The storefront was so dilapidated that only half of the door remained, and the three characters "Jishetang" on the lintel were blurred.

The room was dimly lit and filled with a strong smell of herbs and a hint of mildew. An old doctor with gray hair and beard was sitting at his desk pounding medicine. When he saw Su Yan come in with his back to him, he glanced at him and spoke in a flat tone.

"See a doctor or get medicine?"

"Treat her foot injury"

Su Yan gently placed the little girl on the bench in front of the table and untied the burlap from her feet.

The wound was bandaged by an old woman back in the dilapidated village, and now it was soaked in blood and stuck to the wound.

Xiao Nian'er shrank back in pain, but bit her lip and didn't say a word. She just tightly gripped the hem of her clothes and whispered.

"Yan-ge'er, it doesn't hurt."

The old doctor took a closer look and frowned.

"The wound has become infected; if left untreated, it will rot to the bone."

He deftly took out the herbal juice from the earthenware jar and some dried medicinal powder.

"Bear with it, the wound needs cleaning."

Su Yan pressed down on Xiao Nianba's shoulder and gently comforted him.

"Just bear with it, it won't hurt after it's cleaned."

The old doctor carefully wiped the wound with a clean linen cloth dipped in herbal juice, cleaning away the pus and dirt little by little. Fine beads of cold sweat appeared on Xiao Nianba's forehead, and tears welled up in his eyes, but he stubbornly refused to cry out.

After cleaning, the old doctor sprinkled on the medicine powder, carefully wrapped it with new linen, and gave him a small packet of medicine powder and a prescription.

"Change the dressing once a day, keep it dry, and avoid walking too much."

"Doctor, I have some wound medicine here, may I use it here?"

Su Yan suddenly remembered the wound medicine given to her by her senior brother Song Zhifang.

"Medicated wound medicine will heal faster, but it's a bit of a waste of its potential. If you're willing, no one's stopping you."

Su Yan paid the copper coins, thanked the old doctor, and carried Xiao Nianba out of the clinic. Next, he went to buy the necessities. He first found a shoe shop and bought two pairs of sturdy cloth shoes for Xiao Nianba and himself, and also bought a few pairs of thick cloth socks.

Then he went to the general store and bought enough clean strips of cloth, a small bag of salt, two new water bladders, and finally bought some ready-made grain cakes at the grain store.

During the shopping trip, Su Yan remained vigilant. His agility with the Lifting Technique allowed him to easily avoid the harassment of street vagrants and quickly distance himself from several idle men with unfriendly eyes.

The little girl lay on his back, her little hands tightly wrapped around his neck, watching him skillfully select things and bargain, feeling a sense of security in her heart.

Although the city was dilapidated, there were still inns, but few people inquired about them. I managed to stay for one night and got up early the next morning to continue my journey.

As for why not buy a horse for the journey, in this era, a donkey is comparable to a car worth 200,000 in the previous life, not to mention a horse, which only wealthy families can afford.

Ordinary people couldn't even fill their own stomachs, let alone own a horse. Moreover, horses were extremely scarce in the Mongol-controlled areas, with most usable horses in the army and those that were left outside already reserved by wealthy families.

With the Lifting Technique, Su Yan's travel speed increased significantly. Originally, Xiao Nianba was preparing to get off and walk a bit, but Su Yan found that the increase in the Lifting Technique had slowed down considerably.

It must also be related to the weight. Su Yan had always thought that the increase in the panel was only related to the number of times she practiced, but she did not expect that these external conditions could also affect the progress.

Without further ado, he immediately carried Xiao Nian'erba on his back and ran all the way. Originally, the two of them could only walk twenty or thirty miles a day, but now, thanks to Su Yan's lightness skill, they could walk more than sixty miles a day.

It's more than twice as fast as before, and most importantly, it can help Su Yan improve his lightness skill proficiency.

The journey from Jiaocheng County to Hezhong Prefecture, nearly 500 li, took Su Yan less than nine days. This speed can be considered extremely exaggerated, but it was indeed the case.

With the added advantage of his lightness skill and his ever-increasing proficiency, the further he progressed, the easier it became. Moreover, Su Yan deliberately traveled through mountainous and wild areas, firstly to avoid the trouble of Mongol soldiers patrolling, and secondly, with the help of his leaping technique, he was able to hunt some prey.

Fortunately, he was lucky enough to encounter a wild boar when he was about to master the Lifting Technique, which saved him from consuming too much dry rations. Otherwise, he would have become the first transmigrator to starve to death.

However, this also taught Su Yan a lesson: he must prepare in advance every time he breaks through. At present, these martial arts are only E-level martial arts, and the consumption is already so amazing. Other high-level martial arts will probably consume even more. If he does not have enough energy, he may really die from exhaustion.

Host: Su Yan

Age: 16

Martial arts:

Rank E - Su Family Sword Technique (Mastery, 196/400) [Consumable -25%, Armor Penetration +25%, Pressure +30%]

Rank E - Leap Technique (Mastery, 347/400) [Consumable -25%, Agility +30%, Evasion +30%]

Rank E - Stonebreaker (Proficient, 146/150).

Realm: Third-rate martial artist

Because of the constant travel, my proficiency in the Leaping Technique has actually surpassed my proficiency in swordsmanship. I've also been practicing the Stone-Smashing Hand technique in my spare time these past few days, and I've now reached a proficient level, although it is indeed still a bit rudimentary, it has increased the power of my punches.