Defying the Heavens Scholar - Chapter 12

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Counterheaven Disciple, Episode 12

Episode 12. The Road to Sichuan.

The dawn air had turned bitterly cold.
As the last ember lighting the cave began to fade, I rose quietly and gathered my things.

“We need to move, sir.”

When I slipped my hand under his arm to steady him, Gang No swallowed back a short grunt of pain.

“It seems dawn has already broken.”
“The longer we stay here, the more traces we leave.”

I hoisted Gang No onto my back.
As we left the cave, I glanced back one last time into its depths.
The firelight and conversation from last night seemed to linger still in the air.
And with it came the thought of the Imperial Court — those who had made us what we are now, all for their own gain.
Hatred seethed from somewhere deep within my chest.
I clenched my teeth.

‘One day they will pay for this.’

* * *

Following the ridgelines, I picked pathways where no roads existed.
Settlements and main roads I deliberately avoided.
If the Imperial Court learned that Musin Cave had collapsed, they would certainly seal off the Relay Stations and the Government Road Bureau to search for us.
Yet there was no sign of any such activity. Only an endless, unsettling peace.
But worry gnawed at me, and I pressed deeper into the ridges, my stride shortened and cautious.
The further I ventured inward, the harder it became to find the way toward Sichuan.

‘Where in the world have we come to…’

As concern took hold, my temples throbbed.

“When you feel a dry wind blow, that’s where the road to Sichuan lies.”

As if he’d read my thoughts, Gang No spoke slowly from my back.

“And should you need to descend to a village, watch for those wearing a white Heroic Headband and a black Robe.”
“May I ask why?”
“Sichuan borders Gansu, and the Goudai Sect of Gansu is the Gongdong Sect. The mark of a Gongdong Sect Disciple is the white Heroic Headband and black Robe they wear. If you see such a one, you’ll know Sichuan draws near.”
“I see.”

I nodded at his explanation, then looked up toward the distant mountain ridge.

‘One way or another, I must find a village first.’

With resolve settling in, my pace quickened of its own accord.
Even as I descended the treacherous slopes like running, Gang No’s voice behind me never ceased — worried, steady.

“I don’t know their names, but each one of them is formidable indeed. Should they be moving as well, a great crisis surely approaches. You must be careful — careful twice over.”

Gang No seemed to be recalling those who had guarded Musin Cave.

“Have you noticed anything unusual yet?”
“No. All is quiet.”
“……Perhaps they thought he died in that explosion. Still, there’s no harm in being cautious.”

Gang No exhaled in relief and spoke.

“I’ll bear that in mind.”

For two more days we pressed onward.
Along the way, we sheltered in damp caves and crumbling hunters’ huts, enduring as best we could.
On the fourth day, my steps came to a halt at the entrance of a small village.

* * *

It was a quiet hamlet.
After who knew how many days following ridge after ridge downward, a few wisps of smoke rose faintly between the mountain slopes.
As I drew closer, scattered thatched cottages surrounded by earthen walls came into view.

“Elder, there’s the village.”

Gang No, carried on my back, lifted his head slightly.

“Ah…… the scent of human habitation.”

Smoke, simmering broth, children’s laughter drifting from afar.
After breathing only the damp stone and blood-tainted air of Musin Cave, these scents made the world feel entirely different.
But there was no time for sentiment.

‘In this state, drawing attention would be unavoidable.’

My clothes had grown ragged from scrambling through the mountains.
My robe was torn in places, blood and soil caked to it, the fabric split to expose raw flesh beneath.
Gang No, riding on my back, was in no better condition.
The skin around both his eyes was stitched in a grotesque web, and had we walked openly into the village square, the Government Road Bureau would have come down on us immediately.

“Elder, we need to avoid being seen for now.”
“Ha, so you’re saying we look rather disreputable, then.”
“To be frank, yes.”

I began scanning the village’s edge, searching for a spot with fewer people.
After walking a short distance, my eye caught a well set in a sunny corner of the village.
Beside it lay a broad, flat stone, and from a wooden frame and rope nearby hung clothes that had been washed and laid out to dry.
Robes faded by sunlight, several linen undergarments, and among them two bamboo hats casually draped across the line.

“…….”

I stopped in my tracks.
This spot lay slightly removed from the village center, with almost no sign of people passing through.
Only the distant sound of children laughing and a dog barking reached my ears.
From behind me, Gang No spoke in a low voice.

“Why have you stopped?”
“There are clothes here. And…… bamboo hats as well.”

My lips bit down of their own accord.

‘But I have no money to pay.’

Not a silver coin, not a copper coin—nothing at all.

“Elder…… I fear we’ll have to commit a sin.”
“A sin…….”

Gang No trailed off, then let out a quiet chuckle.

“Take my Walking Staff. It’s crafted from rather renowned old wood—it’ll more than cover the cost of new clothes.”
“Won’t you need your Walking Staff, sir?”
“A debt must be honored fairly. How could a man steal just because he lacked coin?”
“…I understand.”

I settled Gang No carefully against the wall on the far side of the well, away from the sun’s reach.
Then I stepped toward the well.
After scanning the clothes hanging on the line, I chose one dark Robe in relatively good condition and a threadbare inner shirt, then reached up to take down one Bamboo Hat and held it in my hand.
I left Gang No’s Walking Staff in its place.

“Let’s get you the Bamboo Hat first, sir.”

I tore a strip of black cloth from the Robe’s hem and carefully bound Gang No’s eyes.
Then I gently placed the hat on his head and tied it securely under his chin.
From the outside, the scars around his eyes were completely hidden—he looked simply like an aged man with his face deeply concealed.

“Does it feel constricting?”
“It’s fine. The world seen through eyes ended for me long ago anyway. One more thing to hide won’t change a thing.”

His matter-of-fact words struck something deep inside my chest.
I hurried to change into the Robe and inner shirt I’d taken from the well.
They were a bit large, but far better than my previous clothes caked with blood and dirt.

“Now you’re starting to look like a person again.”

Perhaps my mind had found some ease, for Gang No laughed softly beneath the Bamboo Hat at my words.
Only after I’d gathered my old rags together and buried them in the earth could I finally straighten my back and catch my breath.

‘Now the only thing left is the road to Sichuan.’

I walked through the village, calmly organizing my thoughts.

‘If only there were an Escort Station here.’

With an Escort Station, I could obtain horses, directions, and news all at once.
With that thought in mind, I began searching the village for an Escort Station.
As I walked through the streets, I noticed some villagers’ gazes lingering on me, but I continued on as calmly and composedly as I could manage.

* * *

Finding the Escort Station proved not difficult.
The village was small enough that gathering places were easy to count.
Beyond the low wall at the end of the dirt road, an old tiled roof jutted up, and beside the door hung a wooden sign with the character for “Escort” half-worn away.
Carrying Gang No on my back, I steadied my breath and pushed open the door.
Inside was quieter than I’d expected.
A few tables sat scattered about, and old spears and sword sheaths hung on the walls. The first scent to strike my nose wasn’t alcohol but sweat, dust, and the oily reek of animal hides.

At the counter, a middle-aged man had a ledger open before him, while in the corner two porters sat silently sipping their drinks. The man studying the ledger turned his head.

“Come to deposit cargo?”

He addressed me, a child, with condescension.

“I’ve come to ask directions.”

The man who’d closed the ledger spoke in a curt tone.

“Where to?”
“Could you tell us the road to Sichuan?”

The man pressed his lips together.

“Sichuan, you say…… The main road would be easier, though…….”

After a brief pause, he shifted his gaze to Gang No, who was strapped to my back.
Though a bamboo hat obscured his face, there was no mistaking the frailty etched into every line of Gang No’s body.
The hand protruding from beneath his robe was skeletal, and each shallow breath emerged in a sickly, labored rasp.

“Seems you’re in quite a hurry.”

I nodded gravely at his words.

“As you can see, my father is gravely ill. We’ve heard of a Medical Clinic in Sichuan renowned for its cures, so we’re making haste. I’d be grateful if you could point us toward the fastest route.”

My words seemed to strike a chord. The man began tapping his fingers on the table, consulting what appeared to be an invisible map in his mind.

“Behind this village, there’s a ridge to cross. Beyond that, a stream splits. Follow the water downward until you reach a place where the wind turns thick and stale. Once you pass through there, the terrain changes. That’s where the road to Sichuan begins.”

When I glanced back at Gang No almost reflexively, a barely perceptible nod came from his shoulders.
It matched what he’d spoken of before—that oppressive, stifling wind.

“Thank you. But…… how should I offer you payment for the directions?”

The man turned his head and nodded thoughtfully.

“Just go. From the look of you, your funds don’t seem generous—put what you would have given me toward your father’s medicine instead.”
“Truly……? Are you certain?”
“Normally I’d demand a guide’s fee. But I can’t do that to a young man carrying his father on his back. Still, if we meet in Sichuan, you’ll buy me a drink.”

At his words, I bowed deeply.

“I promise I will.”

Just as I turned to leave, expressing my gratitude, someone stepped into the Escort Station.

Tap. Tap.

Footsteps pressing the ground without haste or hesitation.
With those steps came the scent of medicinal herbs—crisp, cold, drifting in like wind through a window.
As the door opened, two young men entered.
Black robes. Hair bound neatly back. Swords at their waists.
And across their foreheads, white Heroic Headbands.

‘The Gongdong Sect……’

The words Gang No had spoken to me surfaced in my mind.
The border where Gansu meets Sichuan. White Heroic Headbands and black robes.
As I stood there uncertainly, their gazes found me, then settled on Gang No upon my back.

The middle-aged proprietor, who had been reaching to unfold his ledger, spoke first.

“Welcome.”

The young man in front nodded and passed by me.

“Did you bring the book as promised?”
“Yes, Master. Fortunately, we were able to obtain it in the Shaanxi region.”
“Indeed, what a relief.”

At the news that the book had arrived, the young man brightened visibly and reached out eagerly to accept it from the other.
But the small disciple who’d come with him simply stared at me, his lips pressed shut.

“Ah… at last you’ve found the Yunxing Swordplay. Thank you for all your trouble.”
“In truth, it proved extraordinarily difficult to locate. This commentary became so renowned that nearly every Martial Arts Manual bearing what we believe to be annotations in the same hand has vanished from circulation.”

I couldn’t help but open my eyes wide at overhearing their exchange.

‘The Yunxing Swordplay… could it be the very book I composed and annotated?’

The Yunxing Swordplay I had expounded upon while locked in solitary confinement three years past.
It had been a work bordering on philosophical discourse—a sword manual where I had drawn an analogy between the character for cloud and the character for rippling water.
As I calmed my startled heart and turned toward the exit of the Escort Station, the small disciple standing beside me looked up and spoke.

“Internal injuries. Severe ones.”
“…….”

At his sudden words, I looked down at the child.
And then I saw—the young disciple had his hand pressed against Gang No’s pulse point, the old man whom I carried on my back.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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