Chapter 421: The Qianxing Ruins

Peach nodded, grinning wildly at him.

The little cursed child seemed to like Fushan Yue better, even though the guy never spoke gently to her.

Maybe she’s just like those stray cats that cling to whoever picks them up first.

He Lingchuan overheard members of the caravan whispering outside. Apparently, three families of pariahs had slipped away under the cover of night. By morning, their houses were completely empty with no one left behind, and an interesting detail was that all three families had lived right next to each other. The authorities had already issued orders to hunt down the ten-odd fugitives.

The carriage gave a light jolt as it began to move.

He Lingchuan lifted the curtain and looked out. Tongluo County, bathed in the pale light of dawn, was still fast asleep. Most of its businesses catered to nighttime trade, so aside from a few small eateries and inns still open, everything else had its doors tightly shut.

The previous night’s clamorous city that never slept now lay utterly spent beneath the morning light.

The hooves and wheels of the Stone Gate Merchant Caravan rumbled on, and soon they left that strange county city behind.

With nothing better to do, Fushan Yue stretched out a hand toward He Lingchuan. “The things I told you to buy last night, where are they?”

He Lingchuan’s eyes narrowed. “Told me?”

“Please!” Fushan Yue corrected himself smoothly. “The medicinal materials I asked you to buy last night?”

Only then did He Lingchuan toss him a packet wrapped in oiled paper.

Fushan Yue opened it, then somehow produced a mortar from who-knew-where and motioned for Peach to start grinding the herbs.

Once the ingredients had all been crushed into powder, he added water and mixed it into a paste, then smeared it across Peach’s face.

The moment the medicine touched her skin, it began to itch. By the time Fushan Yue finished applying it, the itching had intensified severalfold.

Peach could not help but reach up to scratch, only for her hand to be smacked away.

“If you want to live, don’t touch your face!”

She naturally wanted to live, so she could only clench her teeth and hold herself back from scratching the intense itch.

Only after more than fifteen minutes did Fushan Yue finally allow her to wash her face.

By then, the caravan had reached the post station on Tongluo County’s northern outskirts. Peach jumped down from the carriage and splashed water over her face at the horse trough, carefully pursing her lips so no one would see the injury on her mouth.

Still, other travelers caught sight of her face and cried out in shock, hurriedly backing away.

Confused, she glanced at her reflection in the water and saw a mottled visage staring back at her.

White patches had broken out across her face, her complexion uneven and blotchy.

When she climbed back into the carriage, Fushan Yue explained casually, “I just disguised you as someone who has vitiligo. It’ll flake off on its own in half a month. You have nothing to worry about.”

As the itching slowly subsided, Peach suddenly pointed into the distance and spoke for the first time, her voice small but clear, “She, she’s the one who stitched my mouth shut.”

Both men looked over. A middle-aged woman was walking toward the back of the post station. There was nothing remarkable about her clothing, but she leaned on a long cane as she walked.

Given her age and how nimble her steps were, her using a cane looked really odd.

Fushan Yue asked, “She’s the witch who accused you of being cursed?”

“Yes!” Peach answered without hesitation.

Fushan Yue stretched lazily. “Stay here. Don’t move.” After saying that, he hopped down from the carriage and headed toward the back of the post station as well.

Barely fifteen minutes passed before he returned, his complexion noticeably rosier than before.

He Lingchuan, however, caught a faint whiff of blood in the air and asked, “You ate her?”

“Yes.” Fushan Yue smiled and patted Peach’s head. “I ate the witch.”

Peach’s eyes lit up, sparkling.

He Lingchuan clicked his tongue.

This brat managed to nourish himself and win loyalty at the same time. Even though he seems rough on the outside, he’s actually quite meticulous and calculating on the inside. In any case, he’s definitely not some reckless fool.

“Then what about the hole in your sleeve?”

“I’ve only got one hand, so things are a little inconvenient.” Fushan Yue yawned. “The witch managed to fight back a little. Greedy as she was, she did have some skill.”

The Twilight Plains was as desolate as ever. The caravan passed a few small towns and villages to replenish water and supplies, all of them lifeless and dispirited.

Gradually, however, the land began to rise. As they continued north, they could see mountain ranges in the distance from atop the hills.

The sun slowly sank westward. Second Boss Shi lifted his riding crop and pointed north. “Once we cross the next mountain, we’ll have a place to rest for the night.”

There was a small town there, and it was good enough to spend the night at.

No sooner had he finished speaking than the wind picked up.

The caravan had left Mount Fengmo not long ago and was accustomed to the howling northern winds, but this gust carried dust, sand, and grass. It was far filthier than any wind they faced at the mountain peaks. It scoured their faces until they could barely keep their eyes open.

Eyes shut or not, the sand seemed to have a mind of its own, forcing its way into noses, ears, and down collars.

At times like this, opening one’s mouth was absolutely forbidden. Anyone who did so ended up spitting grit nonstop.

After another fifteen minutes of trudging, the world turned dim.

The sun was clearly still there, yet when they struggled to look up, all they could see through the yellow haze was a faintly glowing oval, like a duck egg.

It was as if light had completely vanished from heaven and earth as a sandstorm had arrived.

Second Boss Shi wrapped a cloth around his head and face and shouted commands, leading the caravan northward.

To the north lay mountains that could block the worst of the storm. Besides, this was the only route across the Twilight Plains toward the State of Chiyan.

The caravan’s progress was agonizingly slow. He Lingchuan jumped down from the carriage to help, circulating his protective qi to deflect most of the sand and grit.

This was where deep cultivation truly showed its worth.

At last, relying on their rich well of experience, the Stone Gate Merchant Caravan found the entrance to the mountain range.

Once inside, the sandstorm weakened noticeably.

Even so, the forest was still being whipped violently, trees swaying as though they might be torn up by the roots.

Thunder rolled across the sky again and again, terrifying the oxen and horses pulling the wagons and carriages.

Second Boss Shi surveyed their surroundings, his expression grave. Several experienced guides from the caravan rushed over, shouting against the wind, “Second Boss, I think we’ve gone the wrong way. This road leads to the ruins!”

He Lingchuan happened to be nearby and heard it clearly. “Which ruins?”

“What else could it be?!” Second Boss Shi roared back. “Qianxing City!”

He Lingchuan’s heart clenched.

The former capital of the State of Yuān? Did the sandstorm blow us all the way here?

Everyone stared anxiously at Second Boss Shi. “What do we do now?”

One scrawny guy had already been nearly blown off his feet after entering the mountains, saved only because he managed to grab onto a cargo strap.

Even by Second Boss Shi’s many years of caravan experience, this sandstorm was exceptionally severe, so turning back onto the plains where visibility was under ten meters was out of the question.

“We take shelter in the ruins! Quickly!”

The caravan pushed deeper into the mountains.

After several kilometers uphill, the sandstorm eased further, but then rain began to pour, drenching them.

The men grumbled nonstop. “What kind of cursed weather is this?!”

Only Peach huddled into a tight ball inside the carriage, trembling violently, as though she believed all of this was her fault.

A few more kilometers on, the view suddenly opened up.

The mountain road ended, revealing a vast valley ahead, one so broad that it could only be described as expansive.

But seeing as it was encircled by mountains on all sides, it was perhaps more accurate to call it a basin,

The ruins Second Boss Shi had mentioned were immediately visible to He Lingchuan within that basin.

The caravan rolled toward it. The trees here were even denser than outside, likely because water pooled within the basin. Long ago, this abundant supply had fed Qianxing City’s moat; now it flowed on in lonely silence.

An ancient road flickered in and out of sight amid the overgrown forest.

Wheels crushed through dead branches and fallen leaves as the caravan advanced. He Lingchuan noted that the bluestone road had once been wide enough for at least five wagons abreast. Two centuries ago, when the State of Yuān was at its height, this road must have been choked with traffic and travelers.

Now it lay broken beneath weeds and the slanting sun.

Only upon entering the basin did the sheer scale of Qianxing City become apparent. From the square foundations and stone ramparts, it had occupied at least half the area of Panlong City. The gate foundations in particular were massive and thick, hinting at the former grandeur.

However, all the wood had long since rotted away. Only a few fragments of stone walls remained, draped in creeping vines.

“This city was destroyed thoroughly.” Even

the stones bear scorch marks from fire. Such a magnificent capital, and not a single proper building remains. It’s truly a pity.

Even with centuries of erosion, there should have been more ruins left behind, like in Panlong City.

“I’ve heard that after Qianxing City fell, the monster emperor ordered it completely razed and exterminated, ordering that not even a centimeter of timber be left standing,” Second Boss Shi shouted over the pounding rain. “Whether it be palaces, pavilions, homes, or even pigsties, everything was razed. Nothing was spared.”

At the same moment that Peach pointed ahead, He Lingchuan asked, “What’s that?”

About 165 meters away stood a dozen or so stone houses. These buildings were broad and large, stacked without any aesthetic sense but undeniably sturdy.

One of them even had only three walls, the fourth side completely open to the air.

Although they were called houses, they looked more like warehouses.

“Traveling merchants built them themselves using local materials. Over time, there simply came to be this many.”

He Lingchuan raised an eyebrow and said, “So people do come here.”

“The mountains are tricky. People often get lost. If you’re already here, then you might as well stay. Everyone needs shelter from wind and rain.” Second Boss Shi ordered the caravan to drive the wagons into several of the stone houses, settle the men, and check the cargo.

Merchants followed profit wherever it led. Even a ghost city could serve as a stopover.

The stone houses already contained plenty of dried grass. The caravan’s doctor brought out several basins, filled them with straw and mugwort, and set them alight to fumigate the rooms. Otherwise, with the damp ground here breeding snakes, insects, and mosquitoes, sitting or lying down for even five minutes would leave you covered in bites.

In serious cases, people could even come down with a high fever.

As smoke thickened, all manner of small creatures fled the stone houses in panic, including several golden-ringed venomous snakes.

In any case, as it seemed that they would have to spend the night in this ghost city, the caravan began cooking.

Once the water boiled, the grain and sweet potatoes were dumped in together. Later, vegetables and mushrooms were added, producing a thick, sticky porridge.

Everyone had traveled all day. They lifted rough bowls and slurped noisily, pairing the porridge with a couple of steamed buns and a few bites of pickled vegetables. In the rainy wilderness night, things did not feel quite so unbearable after all.

As it crept into the latter half of the night, the wind and rain only intensified, lightning flashing now and then to illuminate the surroundings, thunder rumbling long and deep.

Fushan Yue sat wrapped in his cloak, face hidden, motionless for a long time. Just when others thought that he had fallen asleep, he abruptly sat up and said, “People are coming.”

Sure enough, more than ten figures emerged one after another from the woods, heading toward the cluster of stone houses.

The Stone Gate Merchant Caravan’s sentries immediately blew their whistles, alerting everyone to be on guard.

The newcomers were a group of twelve or thirteen mounted riders, one carriage, and two monsters. Their approach was unhurried. One rider flicked his whip and rode ahead, calling out when he reached the caravan,

“Just sharing the night in these barren mountains, we’ll be gone at dawn!”

It was a standard phrase travelers used in the wild, signaling that they only sought shelter and meant no harm.

After that, the group went and settled at two other stone houses about forty meters away from where the Stone Gate Merchant Caravan was located.