When Chu Xisheng and Lu Luanli walked out of the city together, Chu Yunyun had already arrived at the gate of the Four-Way Escort Agency. She went to report to Deputy Escort Head Lin as usual.
Only after reporting their names would the escort agency arrange an escort team for the escorts.
However, when Chu Yunyun found Deputy Escort Head Lin, the burly man with a rugged face looked somewhat troubled. After a moment of thought, he called Chu Yunyun to the back of the escort agency and handed her two vials of medicine and a money bag.
"The bag contains your and your brother's withheld wages from the escort agency, totaling twelve pieces of magic silver. You can count it. The vials contain Yanghe Powder, which I see you both use frequently. However, starting from tomorrow, you and your brother don't need to come here anymore."
Chu Yunyun was slightly puzzled and respectfully asked, "May I ask Deputy Escort Head Lin, have my brother and I done something wrong?"
"You're both very good," Deputy Escort Head Lin shook his head, with some regret in his tone. "Chu Xiaomei, you don't need to say anything. Your magical skills are excellent, and now that you've reached the level of spiritual cultivation, you are sure to achieve even greater heights. I also have high hopes for Xisheng. Although he is young and has a lingering illness, his swordsmanship is outstanding, and he is cautious and thorough in his actions, much better than those inexperienced youngsters outside. However, it seems that you and your brother have offended the Long family in the inner city. They have made arrangements, and they don't want you to continue working at the escort agency. You should know that in this line of work, it's all about making money through good relations."
Upon hearing the words "Long family in the inner city," Chu Yunyun immediately understood the situation. It was because Chu Xisheng had injured Long Sheng's wrist that the next day, the Long family hired people to break Chu Xisheng's limbs at the Book Collection Tower.
—The Long family was too overbearing!
A fierce look flashed in her eyes, and she straightforwardly took the money bag from the man. As soon as she held the money bag, Chu Yunyun felt that something was amiss. The silver inside was heavier, and there should be around fifteen pieces. She couldn't help but express her gratitude with a raised hand, "Deputy Escort Head Lin, you are truly righteous!"
"Please don't mention it," Deputy Escort Head Lin also returned the gesture. "Today's matter is really unfair to our escort agency. It's just a small token, so please forgive us!"
Chu Yunyun shook her head slightly. When they first arrived in Xiushui City, it was the Four-Way Escort Agency that gave them a meal. Even though they were now being forced to leave, they were still given their withheld wages and two vials of medicine worth three pieces of silver. There was really nothing unfair about it.
At this point, Deputy Escort Head Lin hesitated and said, "By the way, I wonder where Chu Xiaoge is? You and your brother should be careful these days. It's best to leave Xiushui County. From the sound of the Long family's people, it seems they are not willing to let go. Recently, Long Heng, the eldest son of the Long family, returned to Xiushui from the capital. This person is known for his domineering and ruthless methods. On the third day of his return, he dug up the Iron Flag Gang's branch at the Firebone Cavern, and it is said that more than sixty members of the Iron Flag Gang died, and many herb pickers were also implicated and killed."
Chu Yunyun's heart trembled. Chu Xisheng had gone to the Firebone Cavern today.
"Thank you for the reminder, Deputy Escort Head Lin."
After thanking Deputy Escort Head Lin, she turned and ran out of the escort agency, rushing towards the eastern part of the city without even bothering to conceal herself. Her steps seemed slow but were actually fast, like smoke and mist. Chu Yunyun only hoped that when she arrived, Chu Xisheng would still be safe—
The entrance to the East City Gate of Xiushueng County was crowded with people, bustling and lively. Under the gate, the crowd and various livestock shuttled back and forth, their body odors and sweat mingling together, creating a pungent stench.
Chu Xisheng wandered around a few horse and carriage shops at the city gate and quickly found a carriage heading to the Fire Bone Cavern. There were two empty seats left in the carriage, and the carter initially asked for one hundred wen, but Chu Xisheng negotiated it down to sixty.
Inside the carriage, there were a dozen or so strong young men, and the smell was indescribable. Lu Luanli covered her nose as she entered the carriage and placed a brocade handkerchief on the seat. After sitting down, she furrowed her brows. She noticed that the passengers inside were staring at her, and their gazes were unsettling, containing lecherous intent and a palpable desire.
As Lu Luanli reached for the talisman hidden in her sleeve, she heard a "clang" sound. It was Chu Xisheng's refined steel blade suddenly transforming into a dazzling white light. Before anyone could react, the blade was back in its sheath. It wasn't until this moment that a middle-aged strong man dropped the pipe he had been holding in his mouth.
This copper-wrapped pipe was unexpectedly cut in half by Chu Xisheng in an instant. The middle-aged man, who had been openly lecherous, was now visibly shaken and wary. He eventually shifted his gaze away, muttering in dissatisfaction about why people like them, presumably from a higher social class, would choose to share a carriage with poor people like them.
The carter, sensing trouble, warned the passengers not to cause any trouble, as the cart belonged to the Zhang family, an official of the county government. After the warning, the cart departed from the city gate.
Chu Xisheng turned his gaze outside the window, revealing a complex expression. As the cart traveled eastward for about seventy miles, the scenery outside the window began to change from the picturesque Jiangnan water town to the arid northwest desert. The temperature rose significantly, and the ground turned into a barren desert.
This was the Fire Bone Cavern, surrounded by a five-mile radius of such environment. In the distance, a bustling town could be seen atop a hill, renowned for producing Yangyang grass and being the most famous medicinal herb production area within a hundred miles of Xiushui County.
The cart dropped all the passengers about a mile away from the town, and Chu Xisheng and Lu Luanli had to continue on foot up the mountain. Chu Xisheng asked about Lu Luanli's purpose for practicing spells in the Fire Bone Cavern and how long it would take. He also mentioned his own plans to travel to various places within three to five days to gather medicinal herbs.
Lu Luanli explained that she needed to practice the Fire Spirit Witch God's spell, which could only be cultivated in the Fire Bone Cavern and did not require a special environment. As a result, she intended to follow Chu Xisheng wherever he went.
Chu Xisheng turned his head, looking at Lu Luanli suspiciously. He couldn't help but wonder if she was making excuses to follow him. He even touched his face, amazed at his newfound charisma after his rebirth.
Blushing slightly, Lu Luanli simply wanted to find an excuse to follow Chu Xisheng but couldn't say it out loud.
She gave a light snort. "This is an invocation spell. Do you know the origin of the Fire Bone Cavern?"
"I don't know," Chu Xisheng shook his head, uninterested. All he knew was that he could find the Yangyang grass he sought inside.
"The Fire Bone Cavern was formed from the remains of an ancient giant god, belonging to the same lineage as our ancestor, Pangu," Lu Luanli explained, casting a strange glance toward the mountainside. "This giant god was originally a subordinate of the fire god 'Yan Rong,' following Yan Rong in battle against the heavens, but ultimately perished by the Xiushui River and his remains gradually transformed into the Fire Bone Cavern."
"So, there's an ancient giant god buried inside the Fire Bone Cavern?" Chu Xisheng was somewhat surprised. It was the first time he had heard of the Fire Bone Cavern having such an origin.
The ancient giant gods were primordial divine spirits of this world, said to possess power equivalent to that of a third-grade martial cultivator from birth. They were the common ancestors of humans, demons, giants, and great witches in this world.
"Of course, otherwise, how could the Yangyang grass be the main ingredient for the nourishing elemental cultivation secret medicine? The Yangyang grass grows by harnessing the residual power left behind by the giant god's remains and can help unlock the seals within our bloodlines."
Lu Luanli explained with conviction, "The martial cultivation elemental techniques consist of nine grades and eighteen levels, with the secret medicine spanning all eighteen levels. Ultimately, it's about breaking the shackles within our bloodlines, releasing the seals imposed by ancient divine spirits."
"The fire spirit witch god spell I'm cultivating is meant to summon a trace of the spirit of this giant god, to be used by me in the future."
Her voice slightly softened at this point.
At this moment, they had reached the front of the town, where Lu Luanli saw that over seventy wooden stakes were erected on the street entrance, each with a body hanging from it. They had long since perished, their skin pale gray, surrounded by flies, and the wooden stakes were covered in dark brown bloodstains.
As Chu Xisheng looked at these wooden stakes, his confusion turned into a heavy heart.