"...."
Di Tanxue stood still in stupification, watching this scene of absolute obedience unfold.
The Sinful Crown of Blood. The words from the dream he had had rang once again in his mind. And with that came the realisation of the weight of just what he had gotten involved in.
Heh.
Letting out a sneer filled with self-mockery, he suddenly felt a chilly sensation. Not because of trepidation or any such things, but because he was bare naked with just a few tiny pieces of fabric on his body.
Taking out a clean set of robes from one of the storage bags he had collected just a while ago, Di Tanxue wore it hurriedly followed by the Cloak of Concealment on the outside.
Once done with the preparations, he looked around with eagerness and anticipation on his face.
It was finally time to explore the world and even visit his hometown if he got the chance.
#####
The next day.
Singing a happy tune, walking under the warm radiance of the golden Sun and breathing-in a mouthful of cool air devoid of the bloody stench left in the wake of the rain yesterday, Di Tanxue could not help letting a smile of satisfaction appear on his face.
These things, although trivial, were part of the daily life that he had so desperately hoped to reclaim for the past eight years.
Freedom….
It was as pleasant and sweet as he remembered it to be, yet it was equally as burdensome since he was well-aware that it might not last for much longer.
Letting out a sigh, he saw a caravan approaching from up ahead. With more than a dozen beast-driven carriages and nearly a hundred beast-mounted guards protecting them from all sides, the caravan was of a modest scale seen frequently on the four Cardinal Highways.
It was only a few moments later that the caravan guards seemed to notice Di Tanxue and slowed their advance out of caution.
Recognising the cloak of concealment worn by the lone figure ahead of them, a few of the caravan guards shared uneasy glances amongst themselves and hastily looked up at the sky.
Fortunately it did not seem like it would rain anytime soon.
They heaved a sigh of relief only to realise that the more experienced ones among them had expressions filled with horror and dismay as they gazed ahead.
On the other side, Di Tanxue too noticed their expressions of horror and with a frown he walked to one side of the road, gesturing towards the caravan guards to pass by.
"Scram!"
He shouted in a deliberately pretentious tone, making the guards snap out of their dazed state and turn their gazes simultaneously towards their captain.
Seemingly hesitant for a moment, the captain was about to issue an order when suddenly his eyes went wide in horror.
"Disperse! Move! Move damnit!"
Panicked, the captain shouted frantically. Commanding the caravan to move out of the centre of the highway and urging his own mount to do the same, the guard captain was left horrified, finding everyone around him remain completely motionless.
It was as if something or someone had forcefully petrified their limbs. Left with no choice, the guard captain turned to Di Tanxue in desperation.
"Lord Immortal, please help us!"
Far off in the road ahead of the caravan, an armoured beast of particularly large size could be seen speeding towards them with maddening frenzy.
From his experience and the beast's trajectory, the captain could tell that it won't take long for the frenzied beast to reach and collide into their caravan.
It would likely end with half, if not more, of his subordinates dead or gravely injured. It was as good as a death sentence for all of them since even the surviving individuals won't live for long with the reduced numbers.
'hmm, Should I?..."
For a fleeting moment Di Tanxue contemplated saving the caravan guards, it would be an easy task for him to do but… why should he?
He owed them nothing. Since they dared venture out of their respective domains, they must've been aware of the dangers involved.
One unfortunate event and they could all die. One chance encounter with a cultivator and their lives could turn into a living hell.
They must have known. Wasn't that the reason why they looked so afraid of Di Tanxue earlier.
Clicking his tongue with indifference, Di Tanxue too looked behind at the approaching frenzied beast or rather the thing being dragged along by the beast to be precise.
While it was not easily noticeable due to the frenzied beast's gigantic size of being nearly twice as tall and ten times as wide as an ordinary human; there was in fact a luxurious looking carriage of an equal size attached behind the beast.
Di Tanxue could feel the presence of three living beings, most certainly humans based on their existential weight, from the luxurious looking carriage and one of those three was single-handedly responsible for the current mess.
Additionally, there was a fourth person right beside the horn of the beast, hence if the beast were to crash into the caravan, this person would be the first one to die. And it seemed unlikely for him to escape either as he too appeared to have been petrified just like the caravan guards.
Nonetheless, the person himself looked unbothered to his eventual fate and was instead seen trying his best to calm the beast down through words since his head was the only part of the body he could move.
Was he actually worried about the injuries the beast might suffer when his own life and that of many others were at risk?
Fool! What a hypocritical bastard!
Di Tanxue cursed in his mind, yet his eyes never left this foolish figure. There was something about this person that reminded him of somebody else who was equally as foolish and hypocritical.
Somebody who would risk his life and that of others just for the happiness and well-being of a single insignificant individual.
"...how foolish;"
Di Tanxue commented once again.