Fang Ming did not return to Gu Yue village.
Behind him, the black smoke still covered the valley. Wolf howls, Gu Master cries, and explosions came from within. Gu Yue Fang Yuan and Bai Ning Bing had already resumed their hostility after escaping the smoke.
Fang Ming did not look back.
The Lightning Lycan had trapped two Rank four Gu Masters and many elders inside its Wolf Smoke Gu. Yet in the original fate, that same Lightning Lycan would be killed in one strike by the Divine Investigator Tie Xue Leng.
And Tie Xue Leng would not even be in his best condition.
The difference between Rank four and Rank five was too large.
Fang Ming's previous thoughts of staying until the end and trying to copy the first generation Gu Yue's Gu worms now seemed laughable.
Too naive.
Very naive.
That level of danger was not something he could touch with Rank three peak stage cultivation.
He activated Thunderwings Gu.
Blue lightning wings appeared behind him, carrying him away from the valley. He did not fly high, only moving between trees and slopes, using the terrain to hide his figure.
He was not heading toward Gu Yue village.
He was heading away from Qing Mao Mountain.
In his memory, Tie Xue Leng would soon meet Fang Yuan on the road and be delayed there. Fang Ming had no interest in being stopped by someone seeking death.
The wolf tide, Gu Yue clan, Fang Yuan, Bai Ning Bing, Tie Xue Leng, the first generation clan head — all of them could continue struggling.
Fang Ming only needed distance.
After flying for some time, he landed in a bamboo forest.
Thunderwings Gu consumed primeval essence quickly. Even with Rank three peak stage cultivation, using it for long travel was foolish. It was a movement Gu for bursts of speed, not a beast of burden.
Fang Ming withdrew the Gu and continued on foot.
His route had been prepared long ago.
Inside Bookworm Gu, he had stored clan maps, wilderness records, caravan roads, beast territories, river routes, and old mission notes. Many academy students treated these records as dry words. Fang Ming had read them as paths of survival.
There was a tributary of the Yellow Dragon River not far from Qing Mao Mountain.
If he reached it, the river current could carry him away faster than walking through the wilderness.
The Yellow Dragon River was one of the great rivers of Southern Border. It passed through many mountains, including Qing Mao Mountain, Bai Gu Mountain, and other distant regions, before finally flowing toward the sea. Its tributaries crossed many dangerous places, but compared to walking blindly through forests filled with wolves, beasts, bandits, and wild Gu, the river was still a road.
Not a safe road.
Only a faster one.
Before evening, Fang Ming reached the tributary.
The river was wide and rapid. Water struck against rocks, raising white foam. Mist rose from the surface and drifted between the trees.
Fang Ming cut several Qing Mao bamboos and tied them together with hemp rope taken from his Pouch Gu. His hands moved quickly. The raft was crude, but strong enough for temporary use.
He placed several sealed pouches and supplies near the center to balance the weight.
Then he pushed the raft into the water.
The river immediately pulled it forward.
Fang Ming stood on the raft, one hand holding a bamboo pole. The current was strong, and the raft creaked from time to time. Qing Mao Mountain gradually became smaller behind him.
He did not feel relaxed.
Leaving the grave did not mean leaving danger.
It only meant the danger had changed.
For half a day, the raft moved with the current.
Fang Ming adjusted its direction whenever rocks appeared. When the rope loosened, he tied it again. When the current became too violent, he lowered his body and waited for the waves to pass.
The river route was faster than land.
But it was not stable.
Late into the night, a soft sound came from below the raft.
Ta.
Fang Ming's eyes moved.
Ta ta ta.
The sound became denser.
The bamboo raft shook slightly.
Fang Ming activated Snake Tongue Gu. The air around him tasted of water, fish, mud, and a sharp metallic smell.
His expression changed.
A black shadow shot out from the river.
It was too fast.
Fang Ming leaned aside, and the black shadow brushed past his sleeve before falling back into the water.
Shuttle Swordfish.
This fish was shaped like a shuttle, with a sharp head and tail. It moved in groups and attacked prey far larger than itself. In great rivers, even boats could be damaged by them.
More black shadows shot out from beneath the water.
Fang Ming activated Sky Canopy Gu.
A white canopy appeared around his body.
Bang bang bang!
Several Shuttle Swordfish struck the canopy and bounced away. Fang Ming raised his palm and used Moon Edge Gu. Thin crescent blades flashed across the river surface, cutting two swordfish in half.
Blood spread in the water.
This did not scare the group away.
Instead, more Shuttle Swordfish gathered.
The raft shook violently.
Crack.
One bamboo split.
Then another.
Fang Ming's face sank.
Sky Canopy Gu could protect him, but it could not protect the whole raft.
Moon Edge Gu could kill the fish that appeared, but most of them attacked from below. The raft was only bamboo and rope. Once the structure broke, the current would swallow the remains.
Crack crack crack.
The raft began to tilt.
Fang Ming did not hesitate.
Thunderwings Gu!
Blue lightning wings spread behind his back. He stepped hard on the sinking raft and flew out.
At the same moment, the raft broke apart.
Several Shuttle Swordfish leapt from the water, striking toward him. Fang Ming turned mid-air, and a Moon Edge blade cut across them. Their bodies fell back into the river, dyeing the water red.
Fang Ming flew toward the bank and landed among the wet stones.
Behind him, the broken bamboo pieces were dragged away by the current. The Shuttle Swordfish continued attacking the remains until they disappeared downstream.
Fang Ming looked at the river.
The river route had ended earlier than planned.
He did not feel regret.
A road that could no longer be used should be abandoned quickly. Hesitation only drowned people.
He checked his body and supplies.
The Pouch Gu was still with him. Most important items had been stored inside, so the loss was not heavy. But without the raft, he could no longer rely on the river current to create distance.
He had to walk.
This was also within his preparations.
Fang Ming took out a folded map from the Pouch Gu.
Not far from this riverbank, there was an old caravan road. It did not lead directly to Qing Mao Mountain. Instead, it connected several smaller settlements and eventually joined a larger trade route.
According to the records in Bookworm Gu, a caravan would pass that road during this season.
The time was not exact.
Caravans were affected by weather, beast tides, road damage, and profit. But if Fang Ming reached the road quickly enough, he had a chance to meet them.
That was his next destination.
Traveling alone in Southern Border was too dangerous. Even Rank three Gu Masters could die in the wilderness if they lacked information, supplies, or luck. A caravan was different. It had guards, scouts, trade goods, Gu food, and news from outside.
Fang Ming also needed a caravan for another reason.
His Gu worms had to be fed.
Moon Edge Gu, Sky Canopy Gu, Thunderwings Gu, Lightning Eye Gu, Iron Skin Gu, Bookworm Gu, Snake Tongue Gu, Spring Grass Gu — none of them survived on air. Their food was not impossible to obtain, but it had to be bought, traded, or gathered from suitable places.
They were not blood path Gu that could be fed with any blood.
Without a market, even a good Gu worm could become a burden.
The caravan could give him protection.
It could give him trade.
It could give him information.
And among the many Gu Masters traveling with it, there might be useful Gu worms, skills, instincts, or talents for him to copy later.
Fang Ming folded the map and placed it back into the Pouch Gu.
He turned away from the Yellow Dragon River and walked into the forest.
Behind him, the river continued flowing violently, carrying the broken bamboo away.