Chapter 45: Chapter 42 : The Journey (1)
Embra P.O.V
Right now, I am traveling through the forest using 'Body Flickering technique and stealth. The direction I am heading towards is Dongping Lake, which is half a day walk on foot from the forest I lived previously. But, I am starting to see a huge lake even though I have only traveled for three hours. Humu... So, my current speed is as fast as a car's huh?
So far, I have not met with any person, maybe because it is almost noon and everyone is having lunch somewhere?
Ending my thoughts there, I find a place with a good view so that I can enjoy lunch while looking at the scenery. Well, though I say it, the scenery is not that good, for me who has traveled through the world and seen much unique nature.
Soon, I found a place atop a hill overlooking the lake. But, I chose not to climb and stay at the base of that hill. I take out my bamboo basket and wooden box from the inventory and place it near a tree, in case someone passed by. For today's lunch, I have prepared sweet chicken curry with steaming vegetable soup and juice as a dessert. It saves me so much trouble by having this inventory that can stop time, really. Even the dishes I cooked days ago are still steaming hot.
There is no need to worry about food because I have cooked myself a hundred dishes for me to eat for a whole month. So, the food problem is solved. One thing that concerns me is the money. It is no problem for me to stealthily travel on the ship but, I can not rule out the possibility of having someone who is stronger than me on the ship. It would be a problem if they discover me and have a fight in the middle of the Ocean. So, I am thinking about peaceful ways.
Anyway, after lunch, I continue my journey to Quingdao, a port city. If my map is correct, Quingdao should be a straight-line journey from Dongping Lake. It would take three days on foot. So, I think, it would take me two days, if I added the time for meals and sleep.
On the road, I met a group of ten peddlers that are moving north, the opposite direction from where I am heading. So, I stopped by the tree which is their blind spot, and takes out my bamboo basket and the wooden box. I throw the wooden box in my bamboo basket and walks towards the group after smearing my face with a little bit of leave, to suggest that I come out of the dense forest.
I do not silent my footstep and approach them like a normal person. First, I call out to them, so that they are not cautions against me.
"Hey...! Brothers... please stop." (Embra)
"Hm... Oi. It is a kid. Are you by yourself, kid?" (A man)
A man replies to me and they stop by under the trees by unloading their things. I approach them with smiles and greet them first using my previous name 'Chang Yin'. Of course, the first thing they ask is the reason why I am traveling alone.
Well, I am just a fifteen years old child with 155 cm tall. No matter how I am tall for my age, they kindly ask me the reason why I was traveling alone. So, I tell them a story, I come up with by using my late grandma. I tell them that, now that my grandma, who has adopted me is dead and I am planning to go to Quingdao, her birthplace to meet with her families.
They show their sympathy but, it was a bit shallow. I think, most paddlers have similar sad stories. Well, because of that, I get to know that my map is correct and that the port city is indeed in the direction I am heading. A thought occurs in my mind and I try to ask them in a roundabout way about demons and get to know that they indeed exist for they warned me to take shelter in a village when nightfall.
Wow. There are even demons in China, huh? Well, I will see them myself, when the time comes. With that out of the way, I thanks them by trying to sell my tea sets with the price they think it is worth. They bought two sets at their price and try to test me by haggling down the price which I refuse to lower.
Oh right. Talking about the money, there is one thing that makes me a little confused. That is the monetary unit. According to my research when I was living in the forest, modern china use 'yuan' as a monetary unit but, in 1880, they use something called 'tael'. I don't know the details but, one yuan should be roughly equal to 1 tael according to modern value and so the tea set that is about 200 yuan should sell 200 tael but, All I got is just three copper coins worth 0.3 tael. With my observation Haki, I can feel the emotions of living beings and I can feel that they are not lying to me at all.
So, I ask the peddlers about the daily wages in the nearby cities by giving them a reason that I did not get a proper education. They tell me that it was about 0.05 to 0.09 tael a day for a construction worker in the nearby city. And, they said, they themselves usually make about 2 to 2.5 tael a month. What the f***?
I asked about various things by offering them my preserved foods and after talking with them for an hour, I continue my journey to Quingdao. I learned very much from them concerning the things in the 1880s which is a little bit different from the information I get from Eve. Well, I will learn about them when I have time.
After four hours of traveling, the sun begins to set and color the sky in an orange hue. According to the peddlers from earlier, a village should not be far from where I am. So, I speed up, and soon, I arrive at a village before it becomes completely dark. Behind a tree near the village, I take out my 'peddler things' from the inventory again.
The guard easily let me in, which was very nice of him. Fortunately, I also got an inn by sweet-talking to an old widow. Mind you though, I am not trying to hit on her. I am just trying to be on her good side using the innocent face of a child.
That night, I gather information by buying some men a drink, and turns out, the peddlers are not lying at all. Because one copper coin, 0.1 teal, is enough to feed three men plus me. But, because of that, I get to know some interesting news besides the currency here.
It seems, a nearby city was attacked by a group of demons two nights ago and there is almost no survivor. Oh, dear... This is getting interesting. Will I be meeting a demon soon? I am expecting, Mr.Demon.
That night, after I retire to the tiny room in an inn, which was just enough for one person to sleep, I go around the village in stealth. I am marking some places with my Hiraishin mark so that it is easier for me to move around in case the demons attacked the village. I am glad, this village has only a few hundred villagers because it did not take me longer than half an hour to circle around the village.
I also try to sense the surrounding with my Haki but, there are no living beings besides humans and animals near the village. Seeing that nothing is happening, I go back to the room in an inn and change my clothes to complete black like a ninja and prepare a black cloth beside my bed, for covering my face. I also put my Katana beside the bed.
This Katana is not something I bought from the shop. It is a gift from Keinnayi for completing my five-year training in the forest. The katana has the blue handle, which is made so that it does not easily slip from my hand. The blade itself has a kind of noble blue color and it is a beautiful katana. The balance is good and the weight is a little bit heavy but, it is not bad for me.
I am no doubt that this sword would stand out because the sword guard, the pommel of the handle, the sword collar, and each end of the black scabbard are made with gold. I know it since the first time I touch them that those are pure gold.
I like this sword but, I think I will refrain from using this sword in public till I have learned 'breath' and become a demon slayer. Till then, this sword will be used by a black-clothed man, me in disguise.
Eve, please inform me in case of danger.
<Affirmative, Host>
For the last time, I check the door and windows are locked tightly so that a sound would make in case they are opened from outside. Then, I rest for the day. I have to travel the next day too. So, good night.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone