sovbooks Chapter 95: He Won't Abandon Us
Chapter 95: He Won't Abandon Us
Lanjiang City.
Outside Lanjiang City, traffic was heavy, with numerous convoys passing through the city gates. Many of these convoys carried enormous demonic bodies.
These demon materials mostly occupy a vast area; the original ten-meter-high city gates have now been increased to thirty meters. The number of city gates has also increased.
"Hurry up, all of you! If you delay, I'll hold you accountable!"
A large convoy was stuck at the city gate, which was specifically for transporting materials.
A middle-aged man dressed in black leaned out of the carriage and berated the soldiers inspecting the convoy.
The usually imposing soldiers, having been reprimanded, dared not show the slightest dissatisfaction, and instead lowered their heads and smiled obsequiously: "Yes, yes, I'll complete Lord Li's inspection immediately."
The middle-aged man then pulled his head back into the carriage.
The soldiers wiped the sweat from their brows, dared not inspect carefully any further, and quickly let them pass after a cursory glance.
A newly recruited soldier, seething with anger, complained to the veteran who was training him: "Isn't guarding the city gate supposed to be a lucrative job? It's been three days now, and I'm getting yelled at every day. There are people everywhere I go who I can't afford to offend."
The veteran quickly slapped him on the head and warned in a low voice, "What nonsense are you spouting! Are you out of your mind?!"
"You think things are still the same as before? Didn't you see the government office gates were smashed up the other day? How many thugs are hiding in Lanjiang City right now? From now on, anyone who thinks they're above everyone else should keep their tail between their legs and behave themselves, understand?"
"Okay," the recruit replied with a long face.
He was originally a rogue cultivator in the city. He had miraculously survived a battle in the Ghost Heaven Mountains, but was so terrified that he never dared to go to the battlefield again. To avoid being conscripted by the Demon Exorcism Bureau, he spent a large sum of money to buy this job guarding the city.
Who would have thought it would be so frustrating?
But then I thought, being scolded is better than going to the battlefield to die. Everyone in the city knows that going to the Ghost Sky Mountain battlefield is like having one foot in the grave.
Lanjiang City Demon Extermination Bureau.
A figure stood by the window, gazing into the distance with a worried expression.
There was a knock on the door behind him, and his deputy walked in. Lie Yunshan turned around.
"Sir, the Ghost Sky Mountains have requested reinforcements again," the deputy reported from the front lines.
After listening, Lie Yunshan rubbed his furrowed brows vigorously: "How much time has passed? What are the people on the front lines doing!"
After venting his frustrations, he changed the subject:
"Fine, pass down the order: increase the conscription numbers! Have all the families in the city contribute men and resources! Didn't they recently loosen restrictions on secret medicines and cultivation techniques? Every single rogue cultivator in the city, without exception, be captured and sent to the front lines!"
"To avoid causing chaos in the city! Also, keep urging the surrounding prefectures to send a joint force of martial artists immediately! If Lanjiang City can't be defended, none of them will have an easy time!"
"Yes, sir!" The deputy quickly left the room.
Lie Yunshan rubbed his aching brow again.
"The situation at the front is critical, reinforcements are not arriving, and the city is in complete chaos... What can we do..."
……
Inside the Nangong family compound in the city, in a secluded courtyard, a maidservant emerged carrying a tray with bowls.
"How is it? What did those two women say?" A man dressed as a servant had been pacing outside the courtyard for a while when he saw a maid come out and asked anxiously.
The maid rolled her eyes at him, annoyed. "What else can I say? She was once the Madam of the Lu family, why would she be interested in you?"
Xie Feng's face darkened: "Now that they've lost their backing, aren't they afraid of being kicked out of the family?"
Hearing this, a hint of jealousy flashed in the maid's eyes, but she warned him, "Don't be foolish! They were arranged to stay here by Miss Xiao, and it's said that the head of the family knows about it. If you dare to do anything reckless, you'll be in deep trouble!"
Xie Feng scoffed dismissively, "What Miss Xiao? Isn't she just living under someone else's roof? I heard her father is crippled. If it weren't for the family head's lingering affection, how could she be living in the East Garden?"
"You...!" Seeing that Xie Feng wouldn't listen to reason at all, the maid stomped her foot in anger.
"I'm not going to care about you anymore!" He turned and left.
Xie Feng stood outside the courtyard for a moment, ultimately lacking the courage to challenge Xiao Ling'er's status. After all, he was merely a capable servant of the Nangong family.
He was transferred to this area half a month ago, and he happened to catch a glimpse of two women living here. One glance was enough to steal his soul.
Later, he inquired with the maid who was in charge of delivering the food and learned that she was a lady from a fallen family who had come to seek refuge. At that moment, an idea came to him.
Unexpectedly, Xiao Ling'er was standing behind the other party, and even the family head seemed to know of their existence.
Realizing that force wouldn't work, he repeatedly sent letters through his maid to express his admiration, but she completely looked down on him.
"Hmph! With things in such a mess outside and the family in such a bad situation, I refuse to believe we'll keep supporting two useless idlers forever!"
Xie Feng shouted angrily, his voice loud enough to be heard in the courtyard.
But that was all. He was sharp-tongued, but he didn't dare to show his face in front of Xiao Ling'er. Everyone in the Nangong family knew that Xiao Ling'er, like their young mistress, was extremely favored by the head of the family.
Xie Feng left with heavy steps.
An autumn wind rises outside the courtyard, carrying a few fallen leaves that flutter and drift into the yard.
The courtyard was small and simply furnished, but apart from being clean, it was no different from an ordinary house.
This area was originally where ordinary members of the Nangong family lived, and it couldn't compare to the courtyards in other areas.
A door to a room in the courtyard opened a crack, and a gentle woman peeked out before coming out and placing an empty bowl on the ground outside the door.
The bowl was clean, and all the food was eaten.
After closing the door, Lu Wanrou looked into the room.
Fu Huiying had just finished eating and was sitting cross-legged on the ground, diligently circulating her internal energy. The faint signs of energy appearing on her body indicated that she had entered the initial stage of cultivation and had reached the Skin Tempering Realm.
"Sister Fu, cultivating for too long will harm your health," Lu Wanrou said worriedly.
Fu Huiying didn't open her eyes: "It's nothing, I'm just feeling bloated from eating, this is a good time to digest."
Upon hearing this, Lu Wanrou sat down cross-legged beside her and began circulating her qi and blood.
Fortunately, Xiao Ling'er sent someone to bring them to the Nangong family in time. A few days after they left, the Lu family was forcibly bought for one tael of silver.
When she left, Lu Wanrou took some of the valuables with her, and distributed the majority of the remaining money among the other members of the Lu family, urging them to flee as soon as possible. Those who refused to leave were now driven out, having lost all their money.
How much money do we have left?
After a while, Fu Huiying stopped cultivating and asked.
Lu Wanrou pursed her lips, pulled out a small box from under the bed, opened it and counted: "There are still 53,400 taels, plus some loose silver."
"If I continue to buy secret medicines to cultivate, I'm afraid I won't be able to last much longer."
Fu Huiying sighed, "Let's use it sparingly for now."
Lu Wanrou looked at her, a hint of confusion in her eyes, and asked, "Sister Fu, will Brother Zhang... come back?"
"He definitely will, he won't abandon us!"
Fu Huiying has said this countless times, but each time it carries an unequivocal affirmation, and this time is no exception.
Lu Wanrou pursed her lips, the image of that solid and reliable embrace flashing through her mind.
Her expression gradually hardened, and she nodded firmly:
"Yes! I'll definitely be back!"
……
"Roar! Human! You're still alive?!"
The Black Tiger King soared into the sky from within the city, its tiger-like face staring at the young man standing in mid-air with a mixture of surprise and uncertainty.
A strange mahogany coffin floated beside the young man. It sensed the aura of the venomous dragon emanating from the coffin.
Zhang Ping looked at the Black Tiger King, golden light gathering in his eyes.
He curled the corners of his mouth into a wicked smile:
"Black Tiger King, I've come to collect your tiger bone soup!"
As soon as he finished speaking,
Two beams of intense golden light suddenly shot out from his eyes!