Chapter (14): The Missing Starting Point
While the others had spent their time immersed in books, Mu Yanchan had succumbed to exhaustion. Yan Tangtang, still not fully recovered, had been forced into bed by Mu Yanxing's stern insistence. Aside from those two, the rest of the group worked tirelessly without a moment's rest.
They couldn't yet place their full trust in this particular book. It was obscure, which suggested one of two things: either it was a fabrication, or it was a very recent publication.
Regardless of which it was, they needed confirmation. Chen Zhao pulled out maps he had purchased from various regions, meticulously comparing them to see if any of the territories mentioned in the book aligned with known geography. Meanwhile, Su Min and Mu Yanxing combed through other volumes for any scrap of useful information; Su Min had even gone so far as to scour other bookstores in the city to purchase an even wider variety of texts.
Once Mu Yanchan and Yan Tangtang awoke, they joined the effort, and the work stretched once more past the stroke of midnight. They allowed themselves no respite, save for the brief moments they took to eat.
Finally, Chen Zhao began to synthesize the gathered data, sketching out a map of his own. The others gathered around, offering their perspectives and weighing the different possibilities.
As evening fell, Chen Zhao put the finishing touches on his hand-drawn map. He called everyone together, placing the parchment in the center of their circle.
"The most useful find is the book Mu Yanchan discovered," he began.
"The author describes the route from the city of cultivators back to the city where he traded in great detail. At least, it seems detailed. We can't know for sure if those details are accurate or if there are gaps in the itinerary because we are completely unfamiliar with those lands. While we find some of these areas mentioned in other books, there are as many contradictions as there are similarities. Still, I believe this route has the highest probability of being correct."
Though they had studied this path precisely because they thought it was plausible, hearing Chen Zhao's final assessment—that this route was likely the right one—finally allowed them to breathe a sigh of relief.
"Because of that," Chen Zhao continued, "I've integrated probable data from other books into the route. It seems to fit together quite well, though we won't know if the journey will truly be smooth until we set foot on it ourselves. However..."
Chen Zhao paused, his expression turning serious.
"The author's journey essentially ends at the trading city. His detailed descriptions stop right there. The path from that city back to his hometown isn't described in detail at all; it's incredibly abrupt. My guess is he only wanted to document the unfamiliar route, and felt his usual trade route wasn't important enough to include in the book. He likely wrote only a brief summary of that leg. But for us, this is a massive gap. We aren't merchants who have traveled these roads like he did. Therefore, I've marked our starting point at the city where he traded."
Everyone leaned in to look at the starting point Chen Zhao indicated. The city was called Yique.
Chen Zhao continued, "The bad news, however, is that we don't know where Yique is, nor do we know the location of the author's hometown, Jiuye. I've checked every map of the regions we've visited over the last three months, but I haven't found either. I don't think these are small towns. The author's family is a major merchant clan; a city where such a family resides wouldn't be insignificant. Furthermore, a major trading hub wouldn't be small either. So, we can rule out the idea that they are simply too small to be on the map. This means the likelihood is that these cities aren't in the regions we've traveled, nor are they in this immediate area."
A collective gasp filled the room at Chen Zhao's words. They finally had a starting point for their map, yet the path to reach that starting point remained lost.
Mu Yanchan asked hesitantly, "So, what you're saying, Chen-ge, is that even though we have a reliable route, we have no way to get to it?"
Chen Zhao's eyes, bloodshot from two days of sleeplessness, snapped toward Mu Yanchan with a fierce glare.
"Mu Yanchan! If you don't want to listen, get out of the room!"
Mu Yanxing quickly intervened, telling her younger brother to just stay quiet and listen to the discussion. She offered Chen Zhao a placating smile, encouraging him to continue.
Su Min spoke up. "Since we don't know either city, should we aim for the starting point, or should we head for the author's hometown first?"
"Good question," Chen Zhao replied. "Since both are unknown to us, we could search for the starting city, but we must realize that might be harder than finding the hometown. A large merchant group usually travels a fair distance, even if it's not 'far' by their standards. Therefore, we should aim for the hometown first, as it's likely closer to where the journey began. Another reason is that in the author's hometown, we might actually find the man himself and get the information firsthand."
Everyone nodded. It felt logical.
Chen Zhao wasn't finished. "But we don't know if we are currently closer to Yique or Jiuye. So, while we investigate Jiuye, it's best to look for news of Yique as well. If it turns out Yique is closer, we'll have to rethink our plan."
Mu Yanxing added, "But investigating Jiuye won't be easy. Since neither Jiuye nor Yique appears on the maps of this region issued by Ran City, it's clear they are far from here. If we go wandering around without solid information, we might just end up even further away."
"Correct," Chen Zhao agreed. "That's why we must find out if anyone in Ran City knows of Jiuye or Yique. Our previous inquiries were about the borders of the cultivation world, so it's not surprising people didn't know. But these are cities where ordinary people live; someone is bound to know them—provided the distance isn't beyond our wildest expectations."
Everyone agreed to the plan. Since they had no idea how far Yique and Jiuye were from their current location in Ran City, rushing off blindly was a bad idea. Gathering intelligence in Ran City was the better path.
However, they couldn't act on the plan just yet. Although Yan Tangtang and Mu Yanchan had slept earlier, another day and night had already passed. The other three hadn't slept at all. Even setting aside Yan Tangtang's condition, the others were still at very low cultivation levels and could not withstand such physical strain. They decided to eat and rest first. The investigation would begin in earnest tomorrow morning.