Chapter 53: Going Out Of The City (II)

I'll buy a map and some supplies for leaving the city. Tomorrow, I'll head out and take a look,

thought Lin Zheyu.

There was still plenty of time before the banquet began, and he had little else to do in the meantime. He bought a map detailing the latest factions, routes, and dangerous areas outside the city, along with a few throwing darts, poison powder, mosquito-repelling herbs, dry rations, and other supplies.

Carrying his purchases, Lin Zheyu decided to stop by the Jade Pill Teahouse before heading out. As expected, Jia Yanyong and the others were there.

"Brother Lin, come, have a drink. My wife brewed this herself," Xie Jiang said with a smile and poured Lin Zheyu a cup of wine.

"Thank you."

Lin Zheyu lifted the cup and took a careful sip. The wine was rich and mellow, not strong in alcohol, but had a fine taste.

"This tastes good. You could open a wine shop yourselves," said Lin Zheyu with a smile.

"

Heh

. Not bad, right? My wife's family actually runs a wine shop. This is their ancestral recipe, and they brew a batch every year. This jar is for you," said Xie Jiang as he picked up a 1kg jar of wine from the ground and handed it over.

"Thanks. I don't have anything good to give you in return, but I can add a few dishes for you. Waiter, bring some dishes."

Lin Zheyu called over the waiter, ordered a few side dishes, and added another jar of wine.

"Three days from now at noon is our Feihong Gang gathering. Don't miss it because of your training," Ning Hui reminded him.

"Are you going to the Funing Garden or the Fuhe[1] Garden?" asked Xie Jiang.

"The Funing Garden," replied Lin Zheyu.

"

Heh

, I won. Pay up," said Xie Jiang, looking proudly at the other two and holding out his hand for money.

"Brother Lin, you are truly valued by the gang leader. To think you're going to Funing Garden... I thought you'd only be invited there after reaching the Organ Forging Realm," said Ning Hui with a sigh, pulling out some money and handing it over.

"I should have thought of that. What a loss. Last time, Brother Lin was invited by Young Master Xu. I should have realized that you’d be invited to the Funing Garden this time," said Jia Yanyong regretfully, reluctantly handing over his money.

Losing some money wasn't the issue; it was just unbearable to see Xie Jiang's smug face.

"

Heh

. Since I won a bit of money, Brother Lin, tonight I'll treat you at the Hundred Flowers Pavilion. Pick the finest girl you like!" said Xie Jiang cheerfully.

After some casual chatter, Xie Jiang brought up serious matters.

"After the Little New Year, it will be our turn to garrison Baishi Mountain. I heard from the brothers stationed there that the casualties this time were not small," said Xie Jiang.

"The bandit troubles over there haven't been settled yet?" asked Lin Zheyu.

Senior Brother Han Mo had been away suppressing bandits for some time, and it was uncertain whether he would return before the year's end.

"It's not that simple. Most of the bandits outside the city vanish without a trace. Once they shed their clothes and lay down their weapons, they appear to be ordinary folk, making it nearly impossible to eliminate them all. Moreover, the larger bandit groups hide inside Lion Valley, which is filled with dangers. Once they retreat there, they cannot even be found," Ning Hui explained.

"Don't worry. The situation at Baishi Mountain isn't too bad. If something happens, Lord Qiu and the others will bear the responsibility. By the way, I heard that Baishi Mountain has had ghost sightings recently. Brother Lin, perhaps you'll get to see one for yourself when you go there this time," said Xie Jiang.

He gave Lin Zheyu a mischievous grin and added, "Brother Lin, you might just meet your ghost lover this time!"

"Get lost."

Lin Zheyu rolled his eyes helplessly.

From Xie Jiang and the others, he had come to understand what ghosts in this world truly were. It was said they were wraiths born from resentment and baleful qi under special conditions. They carried fragments of memories from their previous lives, but were mostly dull and witless.

Since they were formed of resentment and baleful qi, their appearances were terrifying with twisted and ghastly faces. These sinister spirits were not overly lethal, but once they came into contact with ordinary people, their baleful qi and resentment would seep into the body, corroding one's vitality. A single misstep could result in death.

But for martial artists, whose blood qi were vigorous and yang qi abundant, the most it would cause was a serious illness. For those at the Blood Qi Realm, they did not even need explosives. A single punch infused with vibrating blood qi, powered by their immense vitality, could scatter a wraith's soul entirely.

"Ghosts are nothing to fear. Just don't dig up coffins and run into a living corpse," said Jia Yanyong casually.

If one encountered a living corpse, the only option was to run for one's life. Such creatures were far more terrifying than bandits. They had copper skin and iron bones and were impervious to blades and spears. A single bite or scratch would infect the wound with sinister poison, and it was almost impossible to cure.

"By the way, I plan to go outside the city in the coming days. If you encounter trouble from other gangs or wandering martial artists, don't fight them head-on. Ask Lord Qiu to intervene if you really can't handle it," said Lin Zheyu.

"You're going outside the city? It's chaos out there, and it's full of bandits everywhere. Why would you do that?" asked Jia Yanyong in confusion.

"That's right. The outside is so dangerous now that even Bone Forging Realm martial artists aren't safe," Ning Hui added.

"I want to see what the situation outside is like and get familiar with the terrain, in case of future need," said Lin Zheyu with a smile.

Songyi City's economy was too poor, and the war had disrupted his storytelling copyright plan. If he couldn't find a way to make money soon, he would have to consider escaping elsewhere.

"Then you'd better be careful. Bandits run rampant in the mountains and forests," Xie Jiang reminded him. "It's best to go with experienced hunters. They know where there are fewer bandits and which routes are more hidden."

"

Mm

, I've already taken that into account. Come, drink, drink. The next few days will be hard on you all," said Lin Zheyu, raising his cup in a toast.

***

The next morning, at the Xing Family’s household.

Knock, knock, knock.

Early in the morning, Xing Jinglong's door was knocked upon.

"What's with the racket so early?"

Xing Jinglong opened his eyes, showing clear displeasure. Being woken up at dawn left him brimming with irritation. If there wasn't a good reason, this servant would certainly be punished.

"Young Master, someone from the Wuding Gang has come seeking you. He says he has important news to tell you," said the servant nervously.

It was never a good thing to wake the young master, but he had no choice. The man from the Wuding Gang had said that lives could be lost if the young master wasn't woken and matters were delayed.

Xing Jinglong was from a collateral branch of the Xing Family, but he seldom mingled with the direct descendants. He enjoyed martial training and fighting, which was why he had joined the Wuding Gang. After a few more years, when he grew tired of it, he planned to join the City Guard like his elder brother Xing Penghai.

𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

"Let him in," Xing Jinglong said as he yawned, still not fully awake from sleep. It had been a long time since he had woken up this early.

"Young master, a brother came to report that he spotted Lin Zheyu heading toward the west gate. It looks like he intends to leave the city," said the man.

Hearing this, Xing Jinglong instantly sobered up. A look of delight appeared on his face as he asked, "You're saying that brat has gone outside the city?"

The man nodded firmly and replied, "He went toward the west gate. There's nothing there, so unless someone is leaving the city, few people ever go that way."

"

Haha!

That brat finally dares to step outside! Go notify Uncle Zhao and Qiao Quan. Have them meet me at the west gate. This time, I'll make sure he can't escape even with wings!" Xing Jinglong laughed loudly.

"By the way, how many were with him?" asked Xing Jinglong. He had grown cautious after having suffered several setbacks at Lin Zheyu's hands. This time, he intended to be fully prepared.

"Only him alone," replied the man.

"Alone? That arrogant brat! He thinks his lightness technique alone will let him roam freely outside the city?

Heh

, this time you won't escape the palm of my hand!"

Xing Jinglong sneered viciously, quickly changed clothes, mounted his horse, and galloped toward the west gate.

1. 福 (fú) means blessing, good fortune, happiness and 和 (hé) means harmony, peace, concord, balance. Together it means 'blessed harmony' or 'fortune and harmony.' ☜