The memories of all humanity are awakening, except for mine.

Jiang Chuan was eating when he suddenly noticed a gaze.

He looked up and saw a "boy" not far away secretly observing him. When the boy looked over, he immediately turned his face away.

The "boy" was about sixteen or seventeen years old, with delicate features, his hair tied up and wearing a crown, dressed in a blue outfit, with a short sword at his waist.

But with Jiang Chuan's keen eye, he could tell at a glance that this was a girl disguised as a man.

“That’s my younger sister, Sun Qi.” Sun Ruohai noticed Jiang Chuan’s gaze and lowered his voice, “My father spoils her rotten. He insisted she come with the caravan to broaden her horizons, but worried about her safety on the road, so he had her dress as a man.”

Jiang Chuan nodded knowingly and didn't look at it any further.

After breakfast, the caravan of more than twenty people and more than ten carriages set off in a grand procession.

The mountain roads were muddy and difficult to navigate in early spring, and the convoy moved slowly.

Jiang Chuan rode a chestnut horse, following beside Sun Ruohai. The mountain road turned, and a rushing river appeared ahead, with only a rickety wooden bridge spanning it.

"Everyone be careful, this bridge is in disrepair." Before Sun Ruohai could finish speaking, a wooden plank in the middle of the bridge suddenly broke, and the wheel of a carriage got stuck in the gap. The entire bridge groaned under the strain.

"Hold on!" Sun Ruohai shouted, but the carriage had already begun to tilt, and the goods on it were about to fall into the river.

Jiang Chuan flashed and leaped to the center of the bridge.

He made a hand seal with one hand and softly uttered, "Freeze!"

An invisible force supported the tilting carriage, and at the same time, the broken wooden planks slowly returned to their original state.

The convoy members stared in disbelief at the scene until Jiang Chuan signaled them to continue.

"Thank you so much, Brother Jiang, for your help!" After crossing the bridge, Sun Ruohai gratefully cupped his hands in thanks. "If it weren't for your magical powers, this shipment would have suffered heavy losses."

Jiang Chuan waved his hand: "It was nothing."

"Hmph, just some petty tricks." A clear voice interrupted.

Sun Qi appeared beside the two of them without them noticing. She spoke with disdain, but her eyes were bright as she stared at Jiang Chuan.

"Qi'er, don't be rude!" Sun Ruohai scolded.

Jiang Chuan wasn't offended; instead, he laughed and said, "Miss Sun is right, they are indeed just petty tricks. However, it's best to avoid such things as crossing the river and then burning the bridge."

Sun Qi was taken aback, realizing Jiang Chuan was teasing her, and her face flushed red: "Who, who's a girl! I'm clearly a..."

"Alright, Qi'er," Sun Ruohai interrupted her helplessly, "Brother Jiang saw through it long ago, so stop pretending."

Sun Qi looked at her brother and then at Jiang Chuan, then suddenly stomped her foot, turned around and ran away.

In the following days, Sun Qi seemed to deliberately avoid Jiang Chuan, but whenever Jiang Chuan talked and laughed with others, she could always sense that she was eavesdropping nearby.

The mountain road became increasingly steep, and the weather was unpredictable, sometimes scorching hot under the sun, sometimes pouring rain.

On the evening of the fifth day, the convoy set up camp in a mountain hollow. Jiang Chuan was meditating by the campfire when he suddenly heard light footsteps.

He opened his eyes and saw a young girl in a light purple dress standing in front of him, with exquisite features and skin as white as snow.

"Miss Sun?" Jiang Chuan asked hesitantly.

The girl smiled, a smile as beautiful as spring flowers in bloom: "What, you don't recognize me just because I changed my clothes?"

Jiang Chuan then recognized Sun Qi dressed as a woman and couldn't help but exclaim, "Miss Sun, your attire is truly eye-catching!"

Sun Qi's cheeks flushed slightly as she sat down beside him. "I've been rude these past few days. Brother is right; when traveling, honesty is the right way."

Jiang Chuan shook his head and smiled, "It's only right that Miss Sun is cautious."

"Just call me Qi'er, that's what everyone in my family calls me."

As Sun Qi spoke, she looked curiously at the spirit beast pouch at Jiang Chuan's waist, "I heard you keep a green snake? Can I take a look?"

Jiang Chuan untied the spirit beast pouch and carefully took out the still-sleeping Qing Lin: "Its name is Qing Lin, and it's currently... well, you could say it's in seclusion."

Sun Qi touched the scales of the blue scale with her finger and exclaimed, "How beautiful! Its scales feel cool to the touch, like jade."

“It’s not usually this well-behaved,” Jiang Chuan laughed. “When it’s awake, it’s quite mischievous and always likes to wrap itself around my wrist like a bracelet.”

"Really?" Sun Qi's eyes lit up. "When will it wake up?"

Jiang Chuan shook his head: "It's hard to say. It might happen tomorrow, or it might take several months."

The two started chatting, from spirit beasts to cultivation, and then from cultivation to interesting stories from their respective hometowns.

Jiang Chuan recounted the embarrassing story of how he mistakenly used his master's alchemy furnace as a toilet when he was a child, which made Sun Qi cover her mouth and laugh until tears streamed down her face.

"I didn't expect you cultivators to be so approachable," Sun Qi said with a smile, wiping his eyes. "Those I've met before all had such stern faces, like someone owed them money."

Jiang Chuan shrugged. "Cultivation is about living with clarity, not about putting on airs. Besides," he suddenly lowered his voice, "let me tell you a secret, cultivators also need to use the restroom."

Sun Qi was taken aback at first, then burst into laughter, almost slipping off the rock. Jiang Chuan quickly caught her, and the two of them suddenly closed in on each other, their eyes meeting, both momentarily stunned.

"Ahem." Sun Qi hurriedly sat up straight, her ears turning bright red. "Um... have you ever been to Longhai County?"

Jiang Chuan also withdrew his hand somewhat awkwardly: "I've never been there, I've only heard Senior Tao mention it."

"Then let me tell you about it!" Sun Qi said excitedly. "Longhai County is incredibly prosperous. The streets are wider than this river, and there are shops lining both sides, selling all sorts of things."

The campfire crackled, illuminating the girl's radiant face. Jiang Chuan listened quietly, occasionally interjecting with questions, but a strange feeling stirred within him.

Sun Qi came to chat with Jiang Chuan almost every day.

Sometimes she would bring wild fruits picked from the mountains, and sometimes she would bring strange and unusual stories she had heard along the way.

Jiang Chuan would also demonstrate some minor spells to her, such as making withered branches bloom or summoning a small bird made of water.

"Brother Jiang, are you attending that mountain gate assembly to join the Cloud Sea Immortal Sect?" Sun Qi suddenly asked one day.

Jiang Chuan nodded: "Senior Tao recommended that I give it a try."

"Will it be difficult to see you in the future?" Sun Qi asked, her head lowered and her voice growing softer.

Jiang Chuan laughed, "How could that be? Cultivators aren't isolated from the world. Besides, don't your merchant caravans frequently travel between different prefectures?"

Sun Qi looked up: "Then, if I go to Longhai County in the future, can I come to see you?"

"Of course." Jiang Chuan answered without hesitation, only realizing after speaking that he seemed to have agreed to an important promise.

Seven days later, the convoy finally crossed the last mountain ridge.

Standing on high ground and gazing into the distance, a magnificent city comes into view on the plains. The city walls rise high, and the city gates, like the mouths of a giant beast, swallow and spew forth a constant stream of people.

"That's Longhai Prefecture!" Sun Qi exclaimed excitedly, pointing into the distance. "Look at that tallest tower! That's the Star-Gazing Tower, said to have eighty-one floors!"

Jiang Chuan squinted, clearly seeing the rows of buildings in the city and the mist-shrouded peaks in the distance—that must be Tianzhu Mountain, the location of the Cloud Sea Immortal Sect. As the caravan approached the city gate, more and more travelers gathered around. There were scholars carrying books, wealthy young men waving folding fans, veiled young ladies, and many martial arts practitioners carrying swords.

What's even more eye-catching are the cultivators, some flying low on swords, others riding rare and exotic beasts, drawing gasps of amazement from passersby.

"Longhai County is always this lively during the annual mountain gate gatherings," Sun Ruohai remarked. "Cultivators from all over gather here, all hoping to join the Cloud Sea Immortal Sect."

Jiang Chuan nodded, his heart filled with both anticipation and trepidation. Just then, the spirit beast pouch in his arms suddenly moved. He quickly probed it with his divine sense and discovered that Qing Lin's aura was fluctuating violently, as if it was about to awaken.

"Brother Jiang, what's wrong?" Sun Qi keenly noticed his unusual behavior.

Jiang Chuan smiled mysteriously: "Looks like our little guy is about to wake up."

The convoy slowly drove into the city gate, blending into the prosperity of this ancient county with a history of thousands of years.

Jiang Chuan stood in front of the announcement pavilion of the prefectural government office, looking up at the gold-edged, red-background list, a smile playing on his lips.

"Hunting demons and monsters? Is it that simple?"

The list was densely filled with the names of various evil spirits: Heart-Eating Mountain Demon, Skin-Painting Ghost, Three-Tailed Fox. Each name was followed by the bounty amount and the approximate location of its appearance.

Squeezed through the crowd, Sun Qi couldn't see the list clearly even on tiptoe. Anxious, she tugged at Jiang Chuan's sleeve: "Brother Jiang, what does it say?"

Jiang Chuan stepped aside to make room for her, and casually pointed: "Look, the immortals of Tianzhu Mountain are quite straightforward. To enter the sect, you must first kill demons; the more demons you kill, the higher your ranking."

He lowered his voice and chuckled, "I like this rule; it's simple and straightforward."

"Then... are you confident?" Sun Qi asked, blinking, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her clothes.

Jiang Chuan laughed heartily: "Don't worry, I'll carry you! I guarantee you'll complete the mission too."

His slap was quite forceful, causing Sun Qi to stumble and almost fall into the arms of the person next to him.

Jiang Chuan quickly helped her up, but then heard a soft laugh from behind him.

"This gentleman is quite confident."

The voice was clear and melodious. Jiang Chuan turned around and saw a young man in white standing three steps away.

The boy was about seventeen or eighteen years old, with sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes, and a handsome face. He wore a white robe with cloud patterns embroidered in gold thread, and a long sword with a white jade sheath was at his waist.

A servant carrying a sword case followed behind him, clearly from a wealthy family.

The young man in white bowed respectfully: "My name is Jiang Wei. Seeing your extraordinary bearing, I would like to invite you to join my team to hunt demons. What do you say?"

Jiang Chuan sized the other person up and down, then grinned: "I always bring girls, not men."

These words were so blunt that several cultivators watching the spectacle couldn't help but burst out laughing.

The servant behind Jiang Wei's face darkened, and his hand was already on the sword box, but he was stopped by a look from his master.

Jiang Wei, instead of being annoyed or angry, asked with interest, "May I ask your esteemed name, brother?"

"The whiteness of flawless jade, the grace that benefits the world."

Jiang Chuan casually cupped his hands in greeting, "Remember, don't mistake someone for someone else at the mountain gate assembly."

Jiang Wei laughed and said, "Brother Bai is indeed interesting. Then we'll meet at the grand meeting."

The two turned and left. Sun Qi jogged to catch up with Jiang Chuan and whispered, "Brother Jiang, that guy looks pretty good. Why don't we team up with him?"

Jiang Chuan didn't even turn his head: "Look at his attire, he's obviously from a wealthy family. People like that are either arrogant or incredibly cunning. Team up with him? You might get betrayed at any moment."

Sun Qi nodded, seemingly understanding, and then asked, "So where do we go now? There are so many monsters on the list, which one should we catch first?"

"Just trying my luck," Jiang Chuan replied casually, his eyes scanning the street.

He reached out and stopped a middle-aged man hurrying past. "Brother, I have a question. Where do the wandering knights who participate in the Mountain Gate Tournament usually go for treatment if they get injured?"

The man was taken aback when he was stopped, and subconsciously replied, "Of course I'm going to the Pharmacist's Pavilion, it's in the West City."

Before he could finish speaking, Jiang Chuan released his grip, pulled a map of the capital of Longhai County from his pocket, and traced a few lines on it with his finger: "West City...found!"

Sun Qi curiously leaned closer: "Brother Jiang, what are we going to the Pharmacist's Pavilion for? You're not injured."

Jiang Chuan winked mysteriously: "You'll find out when you get there."

The two walked through the bustling streets and arrived at the Pharmacist's Pavilion in the west of the city.

This is a three-story wooden building with a long queue in front of it. The air is filled with a strong smell of herbs and a faint stench of blood.

As soon as they entered, they heard a wail coming from inside. Several cultivators covered in blood were being helped in by their companions. One of them had his right arm almost torn off, with the white bone clearly visible.

"Damn mountain demon!" the one-armed cultivator cursed through gritted teeth. "The list clearly says it's in its infancy, how can it possess such powerful demonic energy!"

His companion, still shaken, said, "That beast was too fast; even five of us couldn't take it down."

Jiang Chuan's ears twitched, and he pulled Sun Qi to squeeze through.

As he passed by the injured cultivators, he suddenly cried out "Ouch!" and deliberately bumped into one of them.

"I'm so sorry! I mistook you for someone else!" Jiang Chuan apologized repeatedly, but quickly wiped his hand on the man's blood-stained sleeve.

The wounded man was in so much pain he was grimacing, but he didn't care about anything else. He waved his hand and let his companion help him inside.

Sun Qi was completely confused: "Brother Jiang, what's going on?"

Jiang Chuan put his index finger to his lips and pulled her out of the Pharmacist's Pavilion quickly.

Once they reached a secluded spot, he opened his palm, revealing several drops of dark red blood on it.

"This is."

"Those people fought with the mountain demons; their blood is tainted with demonic energy."

Jiang Chuan carefully smeared the blood onto a white cloth and wrapped it up. "It'll be very useful tonight."

Sun Qi's eyes lit up: "You want to use this blood to find that mountain demon?"

"clever!"

Jiang Chuan gave her an approving look. "I have a secret technique for detecting qi, but it's not easy to use during the day because there are too many people and the qi is too mixed. Let's go back to the inn to rest first, and I'll take you to catch a demon tonight!"

Outside the prefectural government office, Jiang Wei hadn't gone far. He stood under an old locust tree, watching Jiang Chuan and Sun Qi's departing figures from afar.

"Young master, that brat is too arrogant. Should we send Ah Fu to teach him a lesson?" the sword-wielding servant asked in a low voice.

Jiang Wei gently shook his head: "No. This person seems frivolous, but in reality, he is far more capable than I appear. I am already at the late stage of the Knowledge Realm, yet I cannot ascertain the depth of his cultivation."

Afu was taken aback: "Even the young master can't see through him? He's only sixteen or seventeen, isn't he?" (End of Chapter)