NOVEL NEXT Chapter 128: Yanfu County
Chapter 128: Yanfu County
After walking for another half day, Xu Lian noticed the bodies scattered along the roadside. The further they went, the more bodies they encountered.
Gradually, the hills and fields were littered with bodies.
Some were already decomposed, having died many years ago.
Others were fresh, probably recently dead.
Good heavens… Is Yanfu County really this chaotic?
Although Xu Lian had heard many times that Yanfu County was a lawless place, seeing it with his own eyes was still beyond his expectations.
At the front of the caravan, Jiang Xianyu had already drawn the large sword from her back and was holding it in her hand, ready for battle at any moment.
The guards also drew their long blades, their expressions alert as they scanned their surroundings.
Ahead, the sounds of intense combat echoed.
On a hillside, a man and woman were engaged in combat for reasons unknown.
By the river, six men brawled while a woman stood quietly off to the side. Were they fighting over her?
In a wasteland, two groups of people were engaged in a bloody battle, men and women, young and old. It seemed like two small families with some deep-seated grudge were going at it.
Xu Lian’s eyes widened. If he didn’t know that this was Yanfu County, he would have thought that he had stumbled onto a battlefield!
Jiang Xianyu’s expression remained cold. She ignored these people and led the caravan forward.
The guards also paid little attention, obviously accustomed to such scenes.
On the hillside, the man and woman finished their duel. The woman, defeated and covered in blood, began to flee. For some reason, she ran toward the caravan. The man, seemingly unwilling to let her go, chased after her with murderous intent.
Soon the woman reached the caravan.
“Stay back or you’ll die,” Jiang Xianyu said coldly, raising her sword, its blade glowing with energy.
The woman glanced anxiously at the man closing in behind her. Then, her eyes scanned the caravan and landed on Old Yun Tou. She rushed to his horse and pleaded, “Elder, please save me! I want to be with you.”
The caravan members couldn’t help but laugh and tease.
“Well, Old Yun Tou, you’re lucky with women.”
“She’s not bad looking. You could have some fun with her.”
Old Yun Tou was tempted. He asked the woman, “Besides being with me, do you have any cultivation resources to offer?”
The woman quickly took out some spirit stones and pills, holding them in her hands. “I do.”
Jiang Xianyu at the front of the caravan sternly said, “Everyone in my caravan is forbidden to interfere in other people’s affairs. Otherwise, they’ll be expelled.”
“Expelled, then. We’re already in Yanfu County anyway.”
Old Yun Tou waved his hand, using his energy to snatch the spirit stones and pills from the woman’s hands.
He drew his weapon, leaped off his horse, and landed on the ground, advancing toward the pursuing man.
The man glared at Old Yun Tou and the woman, then turned and fled.
Old Yun Tou didn’t pursue him any further. He walked back, wrapped his arm around the woman, and flew back onto his horse.
Since Old Yun Tou had been expelled from the caravan, he couldn’t stay with the group. Like Xu Lian and Xiao Xixi, he had to follow at the rear.
What kind of place is this… Xu Lian truly had an eye-opening experience. He had just arrived in Yanfu County and was already witnessing scenes like this.
Old Yun Tou, feeling pleased with himself, began groping the woman while asking with a smile, “What grudge do you have against that man?”
The woman replied, “A while ago I thought he was good-looking and had decent strength, so I became his Dao companion. But not only did he not give me any cultivation resources, he kept using mine. I decided to leave him, but he wouldn’t let me go and kept harassing me.”
Old Yun Tou searched the woman thoroughly, but could not find any more cultivation resources. He sighed with regret. “Once we reach Yanfu County, you can leave after we’ve had our fun.”
The woman quickly said, “Thank you, elder, for saving me.”
Xu Lian listened in silence, feeling completely speechless. What kind of mess is this?
The caravan traveled for another hour or so before arriving at Yanfu County.
At first glance, Xu Lian saw ruins everywhere. There were no city walls or gates, and only a few intact buildings remained. Bodies littered the streets, and people were openly fighting. Strange demons and monsters roamed the broken streets.
“Husband, I’m taking the caravan to deliver the goods. Wait for me at the Laifu Inn. I’ll come find you after I’m done,” Jiang Xianyu said as she approached the rear of the caravan.
Xu Lian was delighted. They had been traveling for over half a month, and finding the Nightbloom Flower wasn’t urgent. Securing Miss Jiang first seemed like a good idea.
Immediately, Xu Lian replied, “Alright, I’ll wait for you.”
With that, Jiang Xianyu led the caravan away.
Xu Lian turned to Xiao Xixi, “Where is the Laifu Inn?”
Xiao Xixi pointed to one of the few intact buildings in the county. “That’s it over there.”
Xu Lian was curious, “What is the background of Laifu Inn? Why is it still intact while everything else is in ruins everywhere else?”
Xiao Xixi explained, “I heard that it’s run by a powerful sect.”
Alright… Xu Lian led her toward the Laifu Inn.
The woman with Old Yun Tou suggested going to Laifu Inn, but Old Yun Tou refused, saying it was too expensive. Instead, he insisted on finding a random broken-down house. The woman, penniless and injured, had no choice but to comply.
Xu Lian rode his black horse, while Xiao Xixi rode her chestnut horse, side by side along the ruined streets.
Seeing that Xu Lian was looking around curiously, Xiao Xixi quickly warned him, “Don’t look around too much. It’ll make it obvious that you’re new to Yanfu County, and you’ll attract unwanted attention.”
“Looks like we’ve already been noticed…” Xu Lian’s senses were sharp.
Five black wolves darted out of a broken alley, surrounding Xu Lian and Xiao Xixi as if they were hunting in the forest.
“Kid, hand over your cultivation resources if you don’t want to die.”
“Give them to us now.”…
The fact that they could speak human language indicated that they were wolf spirits.
Not only these five black wolves, but also some nearby humans and demons were watching.
Xu Lian placed his hand on the hilt of his sword, but he didn’t draw it. Instead, he slashed through the air.
A sharp whistle echoed as a brilliant sword aura tore through the air.
With a splash, blood blossomed as the leader of the black wolves was split in two!
The other four wolves yelped in terror, tails between their legs, and fled in all directions.
The onlookers, both human and demon, quickly averted their eyes, no longer daring to stare at Xu Lian and Xiao Xixi.
“Husband, you can look wherever you want. Forget what I said,” Xiao Xixi giggled.
Xu Lian sheathed his sword and climbed back into the saddle. At Bright Strength Stage 9, he was a formidable fighter. Unless it was an old monster, most people and demons weren’t a match for him.
Xiao Xixi glanced at his sword and asked, “Why haven’t you drawn your sword yet?”
“Because so far, I haven’t encountered an opponent worth drawing it for.”
“…”
Xiao Xixi laughed softly. Of course, she was happy that her man was strong.
When they arrived at the Laifu Inn, Xu Lian booked two rooms and paid twenty Spirit Stones. The price was comparable to the best spiritual lodgings on First Street in Pingyang County. But considering that the inn was a safe haven in the chaos of Yanfu County-a place where one could recover from serious injuries without fear-it made sense why it was so expensive.
Xiao Xixi knew that he had plans with Jiang Xianyu, so she took one room for herself.
Xu Lian settled into his room and waited, planning to ask Jiang Xianyu if she knew about the Nightbloom Flower, a specialty spiritual item of Yanfu County. Jiang Xianyu had been traveling between Pingyang County and Yanfu County for over three years, so she should know about it.