If it returned, she would be better prepared. She packed her belongings, secured the medicine case, and resumed her journey toward the main road with the sense that she had gained something more useful than a simple win.
The mountains gradually opened into a long valley. The spiritual energy became less dense, but the road grew more travelled. Qiao Zhi passed a pair of hunters carrying pheasants, a small caravan hauling woven cloth, and a family leading two donkeys laden with grain. At one point she helped a cart driver free a wheel from a rut. He thanked her and offered information about the nearest town, saying that a regional martial tournament was scheduled to begin there in two days. Many young cultivators had already arrived, hoping to win weapons, medicinal pills, or the attention of a powerful sect. The town sat beside a broad river and served as a meeting point for three trade routes, making it a natural place for martial families to gather.
