Longzang

Chapter 101 A Certain Family Name
Ningzhou, Hanyang Pass.

Wei Yuan rode a thin horse out of the pass and embarked on his journey westward.

Wei Yuan was dressed in a cultivator's outfit, with a raincoat and tall leather boots. He rode a skinny horse with two willow baskets carrying his luggage. This was the most common attire for a rogue cultivator in the west.

It was just past noon, the sky was cloudless, but the sun seemed veiled, its crimson hue blurred at the edges. The air was hot and humid, and most pedestrians' clothes became so damp they could be wrung out after walking for a while.

Hanyang Pass is one of the most formidable passes in the world and the gateway to Ningzhou. It is garrisoned by 100,000 soldiers. The city walls are not high but wide, each five zhang high and five zhang wide. Inside the city are eight giant crossbows, capable of shooting ten thousand zhang (approximately 33 meters) with a single arrow, enough to wound even a Dharma Image.

Under the hazy sunlight, the three large characters of Hanyang Pass appeared somewhat mottled, tinged with a verdigris. Large patches of moss covered the city walls, giving the entire pass a deep, verdant appearance.

Looking around, this world is filled with shades of green, some light and some dark, while in the far west, there is a line of deep, damp, dark green.

After leaving the pass, the road became muddy and full of potholes, with murky puddles everywhere. There weren't many people on the main road westward. The two groups that had left the pass with Wei Yuan split up after only a few miles, leaving Wei Yuan alone on horseback, heading west. After a few more miles, the main road turned into a narrow path, and then the path became barely visible.

Seeing that there was no one around, Wei Yuan stopped his horse and walked to a puddle by the roadside, scooping up a handful of water. The water was greenish, slippery in his hands, and had a faint fishy smell. Tiny insects were swimming around in the water, some even trying to crawl into Wei Yuan's palm.

Swarms of flying insects flew above the puddle, making a very loud buzzing sound.

Unlike the Liao region, there is no clear boundary between heaven and earth here; the further west you go, the more humid and rainy it becomes. Not long after leaving Hanyang Pass, large pools of water begin to appear on both sides of the road. Beside these pools grow the black willows unique to this area, their trunks a deep green tinged with black, dozens of roots anchored in the water. From a distance, they look like strange creatures with dozens of thin legs standing in the water.

Large swarms of insects can often be seen buzzing and dancing on the surface of the pool. The further west you go, the larger the insects become. If these insects bite you, they will leave a small bloody pockmark.

This is the territory of the Western Witch Domain, where it rains for months on end. Further west lie endless swamps, teeming with countless ferocious and poisonous insects in the water and forests. Although this world is filled with water, like the handful of water in Wei Yuan's hand, drinking it directly would immediately cause a serious illness. The natural water sources within the true Witch Domain are even more poisonous, with toxic fog permeating the air, making it impossible for ordinary people to survive.

Wei Yuan finally dug up a clump of wet mud, examined it, washed his hands with Taoist magic, mounted his horse, and continued westward.

Beyond Hanyang Pass lies the uncharted territory, devoid of flying boats; one must either find a means of transportation or fly using a magical artifact. Wei Yuan's destination is Quliu Town, currently the largest city in the Broken Domain, located 3,900 li from Hanyang Pass.

Yun Feifei will meet Wei Yuan in Quliu Town, and then they will return to Taichu Palace together. The information says that Yun Feifei may have a few fellow disciples, and Wei Yuan can settle them at Hanyang Pass and take Yun Feifei back first.

There was no one on the road at this time. Wei Yuan moved his divine sense, and a wisp of black energy entered the thin horse's body. The thin horse let out a long neigh, its speed increased suddenly, and it galloped westward. Wei Yuan traveled slowly when there were people and rushed when there were no people. Occasionally, he would spend the night in the desolate mountains. Three days later, he arrived outside Quliu Town.

Wei Yuan halted his horse outside the town, his eyes narrowed as he gazed at the sky above Quliu Town, his pupils gleaming with a golden light. In his Qi Observation Technique, Quliu Town was shrouded in black mist, with faint traces of blood-red light everywhere, but in the center, one area showed little blood-red light and a faint wisp of blue qi.

That was a suitable place to stay. Wei Yuan withdrew his energy, and the skinny horse returned to its original state, half-dead, and walked into the town.

Quliu Town was originally just a small town of a thousand people, which changed hands several times during the war and was completely destroyed. After the Wuyu tribe's army retreated, due to its convenient transportation, various tribes gradually settled here, and now more than 100,000 people live here, far exceeding the pre-war scale. Arriving here means arriving at the center of this lawless region.

The town was filled with makeshift shacks and tents made of tarpaulins. The streets were narrow and crowded, and many people wore cloaks made of oilcloth and covered their faces with cloths, refusing to show their true faces.

There were shops on both sides of the street, and many people had simply set up stalls, mostly selling things that Wei Yuan had never seen before. However, at a glance, there were very few items containing spiritual energy, so they were probably just waiting for someone with poor eyesight to take the bait.

Some of the stall owners didn't seem to be selling anything; they scrutinized every passerby with cold, fierce eyes, like venomous spiders searching for their dinner.

As Wei Yuan walked through the muddy and crowded streets, he was immediately met with many malicious glances from the shadows around him.

During his journey westward, Wei Yuan carefully considered his options and devised two main strategies: stirring up trouble and using luck as bait. As for disguising his identity, after much deliberation, Wei Yuan ultimately chose to portray himself as a hot-tempered swordsman.

Sword cultivators are known for their short tempers, and Wei Yuan, being a particularly volatile one, naturally unleashed his killing intent, glaring back without hesitation. This immediately silenced most of the malicious gazes around them. However, Wei Yuan could already sense that two men with profound inner strength lurking in the shadows were beginning to show contempt. In this lawless land, arrogant individuals were often simple-minded and prone to sudden death.

This is exactly the kind of impression Wei Yuan wants.

The hot-tempered swordsman Wei Yuan was adept at playing the role, but he didn't know whether his strength lay in swordsmanship or in his hot temper.

Quliu Town was unexpectedly large; it took several blocks to reach the town center. Wei Yuan then saw a three-story wooden building. It was a rare, well-preserved building in the town, and quite large, with a backyard that enclosed almost half a block. Above the main gate hung a plaque that read "Lying Flat Inn".

The suitable place to settle down, as determined by Wei Yuan's Qi-gazing technique, was right here. Wei Yuan stroked his two beards and entered the inn with his head held high. Of course, Wei Yuan wouldn't show his true face; he had already used Taoist magic to disguise himself. At this moment, he looked nearly fifty years old, with thin eyebrows and rat-like eyes, his small eyes gleaming with a fierce light. He was both lewd and ruthless, clearly not a good person.

His cultivator's robes were somewhat worn; although they were magical artifacts, they were of low grade and showed obvious wear and tear at the edges, giving off an air of destitution. However, Wei Yuan strode confidently, trying his best to appear carefree and indifferent to money.

Upon entering the main gate, you'll find the dining hall, with seventeen or eighteen tables, almost all of which are occupied. The second and third floors house the guest rooms. Several small courtyards are built at the back, specifically for wealthy residents.

As soon as Wei Yuan entered the gate, he felt several malevolent divine senses sweep over him, specifically targeting his waist, acting with utter blatant audacity. However, when it came to primordial spirits and divine senses, Wei Yuan had never been afraid of anyone, and since he had decided to pretend to be a sword cultivator, he had made preparations.

Wei Yuan visualized Xiao Yu's immortal sword, the Great Sun, in his sea of ​​consciousness, imbued his divine sense with a fierce sword intent, and slashed back fiercely!
A chorus of screams and cries of pain erupted in the lobby. Several guests covered their faces with their hands, while others collapsed backward, blood gushing from their noses, and unconscious. A bunch of fish, turtles, shrimps, and crabs trying to outwit Wei Yuan, who had already established his Dao Foundation, were naturally not going to fare well.

All the guests' expressions changed immediately, and they dared not make eye contact with Wei Yuan again. Wei Yuan casually chose a table, walked over, tapped the surface, and said coldly, "You, move to another seat!"

At the table sat two middle-aged men dressed as merchants; their true identities remained a mystery. Seeing Wei Yuan looking for trouble, they remained silent, immediately getting up and moving to a corner, even abandoning the barely touched food and wine on the table.

Wei Yuan sat down at the table, called over the waiter, and said, "Give me the most expensive courtyard, then put my luggage in there, and also, feed the horses."

The waiter glanced at the skinny horse and two willow baskets outside the door, a smile plastered on his face, and said, "Don't worry, I'll make sure your steed is well fed!"

The words "celestial steed" greatly pleased Wei Yuan, and his small eyes almost disappeared with laughter.

Being a waiter at this inn is no small feat. Knowing the temperaments of these sword cultivators, even if they're so poor they can't afford their next meal, they'll still demand a top-tier room; otherwise, their sword spirit might be tarnished. As long as these masters are served well, the benefits are considerable. Many sword cultivators may not have much money, but they dare to spend it!
Wei Yuan ordered some more wine and dishes, ate a couple of bites, and then headed towards the back courtyard. At this moment, the innkeeper followed him, personally opening the gate to the largest courtyard for Wei Yuan, and then bowing and scraping as he entered the courtyard.

The courtyard was fairly clean, though the stone walls were covered in moss and there were two small puddles on the ground. Stone tables and chairs were placed in the courtyard, but they were all wet; special rattan mats were needed to sit on the chairs. It was already getting dark, and without lights, it was almost impossible to see anything in the courtyard, whereas inside the Taichu Palace, it was still brightly lit.

The innkeeper solicitously lit the oil lamp and candles. After the guard Yuan sat down in the room, he put his hands in his pockets and asked, "Where do you come from, Immortal, and where are you going?"

Wei Yuan's face darkened, and he said, "What? Is there an official government here? Do I have to report what I'm doing?"

The shopkeeper smiled ingratiatingly and said, "You're joking. What government office is here? Even if there were, it would have been torn down! I'm asking because we have many other businesses that we can definitely help you with. You're an expert; just look at our location, this building, this courtyard, and you'll understand."

Although Wei Yuan didn't quite understand, he still nodded and said, "I got into some trouble in the Western Jin Dynasty. I heard there are many opportunities here, so I came to try my luck. When I'm not busy, I also take on some business."

The shopkeeper's smile widened: "May I ask which type of business you handle?"

Wei Yuan pulled a sword from the willow basket and slammed it on the table, saying, "Take it if you need it."

"Then I wonder how sharp your sword is?"

Wei Yuan rolled his eyes: "I killed a lieutenant general who was about to be promoted in the Western Jin Dynasty, what do you think?"

The shopkeeper immediately replied, "Understood! If someone with a Dao Foundation is looking to commit suicide, you've got the right choice!"

Wei Yuan said calmly, "If you're tired of living at the Earth Rank, you can come to me."

"Understood!" The shopkeeper, who had been standing straight, bent down a little and said, "Please give me a name so that it will be easier for people in the underworld to spread my name."

Wei Yuan said in a deep voice: "I am Li Zhi, the 'Peerless Swordsman'!"

"Alright! We might get a booking tomorrow. As a token of our sincerity, we'll waive the room rate for the first three days."

Wei Yuan could no longer contain his excitement and was overjoyed.

(End of this chapter)