Chapter 81 - Obsession

In the silence of the night, the two carriages slowly left Xuelai City one after another.

Xuelai City was last city on the way to the Dead Swamp. Between the Dead Swamp and Xuelai City was a forest of medium sized trees, through which a narrow path had been cleared for use by mercenaries and traders.

On the carriage in front, Chu Ping was waving his whip in a relaxed manner.

Zhu Shi and Wu Yunlian’s soft giggles could be heard from the carriage every now and then. They seemed to be happily chatting all the way.

In the carriage behind them, Han Feng and Ku Long were sitting outside, occasionally uttering some words.

Most of the time, they were both on alert and kept an eye on the surroundings.

Shi Yan was completely silent in his carriage.

For the past dozens of days, apart from meals, Shi Yan hardly got out of the carriage.

Every time he got out of the carriage, he wore a tired face with furrowed brows, seeming to be bothered about something.

---

Late at night.

The two carriages had stopped beside a brook in the forest. Zuo Shi and Wu Yunlian got off the carriage and walked to the brook, using the water to rinse their faces.

Before long, the two came back with some water to find that it was completely silent inside the other carriage.

“What is that guy doing?”

Wu Yunlian looked at the carriage in confusion, her expression clearly showing bewilderment, “I have hardly seen him get of the carriage. Apart from those times when he got down and wolfed down his food, he has been staying in the carriage all day. And every time he comes out, he is always deep in thought, showing such a miserable face. What a weird kid.”

“He has always been a weirdo.” Zuo Shi nodded in acknowledgment, “He has such strange hobbies like studying historic relics and ancient languages. No one knows what happens in his brain.”

Wu Yunlian laughed alluringly, “Xiao Shi, this guy is really different. Usually such boys would chase you around all day long, and wouldn’t go away even when you tried to drive them off. But this one has never looked at you in these ten days! He seems unwilling to come out of the carriage. Really strange.”

“Leave him alone. He is a weirdo.” Zuo Shi was really surprised by Wu Yunlian’s opinion, and realized she was right. Shi Yan had never looked at her while they were on the road.

Though not a self-centered girl, Zuo Shi knew that she was pretty, and the attitude Shi Yan showed towards her was very different from other boys’ attitudes.

Shi Yan was at his romantic age, but why was he so indifferent towards women?

Every woman cared about such things, including Zuo Shi. Apart from some confusion, she was also a little angry.

“Get me some water.” Shi Yan’s indifferent voice came from the carriage.

Ku Long was stunned as he looked to Han Feng and replied, “Feng, do you still have some water?”

Han Feng shook his head, and pointed at Wu Yunlian and Zuo Shi, who were slowly approaching them, “They get the water these days.”

Ku Long stuck out his head and looked at Wu Yunlian with a big smile, “Sister, please give me some water, my Young Master is thirsty.”

“Tell him to come get it by himself.” Zuo Shi pouted and grunted, “Staying in the carriage all day. He must stink! Weirdo!”

Ku Long smiled in embarrassment and leaned to the carriage, “Young Master Yan, Miss Zuo requests you to come out for water.”

“Hmm.”

Shi Yan replied briefly, drew the curtain and walked out with a withered face.

He looked dumb, his eyes puzzled, seemingly baffled by a certain problem.

Without too much thought, he walked towards Zuo Shi slowly, grabbed the water bag from her hand, and then drank up.

After that, he casually handed the bag back to Zuo Shi, who was rather angry, and turned back for his own carriage while mumbling, “That water was fragrant, so strange...”

“Shi Yan!”

Zuo Shi blushed in anger, “That water bag is mine! Not your Shi family’s!”

Shi Yan was shocked by her scream, and finally woke up from his deep thought on the [Seal of Life and Death]. He asked, “So what?”

“Xiao Shi just now drank from this water bag. Hehe. Of course it would be fragrant.” Wu Yunlian smiled and joked, “Haha, maybe there’s still some of Xiao Shi’s saliva in it!”

“Aunt Lian!” Zuo Shi blushed and stamped on the ground, “What the hell are you talking about!”

Ku Long and Chu Ping were stunned, with their faces turning strange. Even Han Feng raised his head secretly to look in their direction.

But soon, the three went on for their own business like nothing had happened, as if no one had heard Wu Yunlian’s words or saw Zuo Shi’s blushing face.

Shi Yan realized it immediately, but he still pretended to know nothing and smiled, “It’s ok. I’m easy-going. I don’t hate your saliva at all.”

Immediately, he turned back joyfully and got back into the carriage at once, not showing up again.

“Haha! Hahahaha!”

Wu Yunlian laughed too hard to stand steady as her breasts trembled. She suddenly felt that Shi Yan was not boring at all. His casual words were really hilarious.

Zuo Shi was dumbstruck for a while, then her eyes widened and she cursed, “Shi Yan! You bastard!”

“Uncle Han, let’s go.” Shi Yan’s calm voice came from the carriage.

“Okay.” Han Feng’s mouth formed a strange smile and he urged Ku Long, “Let’s go.”

Their carriage slowly started moving, and for the first time passed by the other carriage.

Standing there with a red face, Zuo Shi first glanced over at Wu Yunlian, then at the silent Chu Ping, and said angrily, “What are you laughing at? What’s so funny? It’s not amusing at all! You all are so lame!”

Then she swiftly slipped into the carriage and yelled, “Uncle Ping, be quick! Kick their carriage! Give that bastard a lesson!”

Chu Ping was stunned, and looked to Wu Yunlian miserably.

Wu Yunlian shook her head and jumped onto the carriage. She comforted Zuo Shi, “Come on, Xiao Shi. Don’t be angry. He didn’t mean it.”

“Too rude! He said... he said...” Zuo Shi grunted with indignation, but was too shy to continue.

---

Shi Yan never took it seriously at all.

In the carriage, Shi Yan was leaning back and frowning, while odd texts flashed across his mind.

The ancient method of the [Seal of Life and Death] quickly flashed through his mind.

Recently, he had wholeheartedly put all of his energy into learning the method.

Even when he was having meals, his brain had never stopped thinking. He was trying so hard to understand the practice process of the seal that he was nearly going insane.

He was that type of person.

Once he was determined to do something, he would focus on it and use everything to realize it, never changing his mind.

After so many years of practicing extreme sports, he came to the conclusion that only with obsession, could one do things perfectly!

[The Seal of Life and Death]! [The Seal of Life and Death]!

At that time, there was only one thought in his mind; to understand the process of the [Seal of Life and Death] as soon as possible.

It was best if he could master the seal before he went into the Dead Swamp.

Only by mastering the seal could he be able to protect himself in the Dead Swamp, and have more opportunities to gain beneficial things.

Closing his eyes, Shi Yan tried to relax, and began to sort out his recent understandings of the method.

After a long while, he willed his Profound Qi to slowly move from his belly to his right arm.

The Profound Qi didn’t move fast, but it was concentrated and was refined with in his right arm.

As the Profound Qi gathered in his right arm, the latter became transparent, and even the bone and veins in his hand could be seen clearly.

Shi Yan didn’t realize the strange changes in his arm.

Eyes closed, he tried to execute the different the ideas that he came up with recently, and refined the Profound Qi in his arm many times.

As his arm began to expand, Shi Yan made up his mind and pushed his Profound Qi toward his palm.

“Chee chee chee!”

Wisps of crystal Profound Qi flew out from his fingers like lightning.

Those five streams of Profound Qi looked alive, as they lingered around his fingers but never flew out far.

“Still not correct.”

Shi Yan opened his eyes, and gazed at the Profound Qi on his fingertips. His face showed disappointment as he frowned and mumbled to himself, “There must be something wrong. It’s not a sign of success. What on earth should I do?”

His mumbles became softer, as he withdrew the Profound Qi from his fingers little by little.

Shi Yan sank deep into his thoughts again, obsessively trying to find the truth of the seal.