Marvel: The other side of the double-passing door is Devouring the Stars

Chapter 509 Heading to Luoyan Mountain!
"The planet's ecosystem is very well preserved," Rowan thought. "Without the destruction caused by high-tech civilization, nature remains in its pristine state."

After walking for about an hour, Rowan heard a sound coming from ahead.

It was a sound of shouting and clashing metal, like someone was fighting.

Rowan quickened his pace and soon arrived at the source of the sound.

It was a small open space. In the open space, several people dressed in tattered clothes were fighting with a group of robbers.

The group appeared to be merchants; there were two middle-aged men, a young woman, and an elderly man. They were armed with wooden sticks and short knives, desperately fighting off the bandits' attacks, but were clearly at a disadvantage.

There were seven or eight bandits, dressed in animal skins and wielding machetes and spears, looking fierce and menacing. They had already killed two guards and were closing in on the merchants.

"Hand over the goods, and we'll spare your lives!" the leader of the bandits shouted.

"Please, please, let us go!" the young woman cried and begged.

"Hahaha! Let you go?" the bandit leader leered. "Hand over the goods, and leave this little wench behind, and we'll let you go."

"You beasts!" a middle-aged man roared, brandishing a wooden stick as he charged at the robbers.

But he was no match for the bandits. One of the bandits easily dodged his attack and then slashed him in the shoulder. The middle-aged man screamed and fell to the ground.

"Dad!" the young woman screamed.

Rowan stood behind the tree, watching this scene unfold.

He hadn't wanted to get involved in the locals' affairs, since the mission required him not to interfere with the planet's normal development. But seeing the despair in the young woman's eyes, he couldn't help himself.

“Never mind,” Rowan sighed, “saving a life shouldn’t be considered interference, right?”

He walked out of the woods and into the clearing.

"stop."

His voice wasn't loud, but it reached everyone's ears clearly.

The robbers turned to look at him, their eyes flashing with surprise and greed.

"Where did this kid come from?" the bandit leader sized up Rowan. "He's dressed quite well. Brothers, another fat sheep has arrived!"

“Boss, this kid’s clothes are nice,” one of the bandits said. “That sword looks worth a few bucks too.”

"Haha, what a lucky day!" the bandit leader laughed. "Kid, if you know what's good for you, hand over everything you have, kneel down and kowtow three times, and I'll spare your life."

Rowan looked at the group of bandits, a cold glint in his eyes.

“You have two choices,” he said calmly. “First, release these people and get out of here. Second, die here.”

"Hahahaha!" The bandits roared with laughter.

"Is this kid out of his mind?"

"You think one person can take on all seven of us?"

"Boss, stop wasting time talking to him, just kill him!"

The bandit leader laughed too: "Kid, are you tired of living? Brothers, get him!"

Three robbers, brandishing machetes, charged toward Rowan.

Rowan stood still, motionless.

He didn't move until the first bandit's machete was about to fall.

His movements were simple—a mere flick of his wrist dodged the cleaver. Then, he reached out and lightly touched the robber's neck.

The robber froze, then collapsed limply to the ground, unconscious.

The second robber's machete arrived. Rowan sidestepped, casually slapping the robber on the back of the head. The robber fell to the ground.

The third robber stopped in his tracks, terrified, but it was too late. Rowan strode up to him and struck him squarely in the chest. The robber flew backward, crashing into a tree and losing consciousness.

It only took three seconds from start to finish.

All three robbers fell down.

The remaining four robbers and their leader were stunned.

"This...this is impossible..." The bandit leader's eyes widened, his voice trembling.

Although he was a bandit, he had seen some highly skilled martial artists. However, he had never witnessed such speed. The young man's movements were so fast that they were almost invisible, like a ghost.

"Now, you still have a choice," Rowan said calmly, "to leave, or to die?"

The four robbers looked at each other, then turned and ran, abandoning their unconscious companion.

The bandit leader hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth and said, "You just wait, kid!"

After saying that, he turned and ran away.

Rowan didn't give chase. He never intended to kill anyone; he just wanted to scare the bandits away.

The businessmen were stunned by what they saw.

After a long while, the old man finally came to his senses, hurriedly stepped forward, and bowed deeply: "Thank you so much for saving my life, benefactor! On behalf of my whole family, I thank you!"

"You're welcome," Rowan waved his hand, "It was nothing."

He walked over to the injured middle-aged man and checked his injuries.

"The wound isn't deep, and it didn't break the bone," Rowan said. "A bandage will do the trick."

He took a clean strip of cloth from his pocket and used it to bandage the middle-aged man's wound.

"My benefactor is not only highly skilled in martial arts, but also knowledgeable in medicine. He is truly remarkable," the old man exclaimed.

"I only know a little bit about it," Rowan said modestly.

The young woman also approached, her eyes filled with gratitude: "Thank you so much for saving my life, young master. My name is Su Wan. May I ask your honorable name?"

“My name is Rowan,” Rowan said, “a traveler from afar.”

“Young Master Luo,” the old man said, “we are merchants from Yunxi Town, surnamed Su. This is my son, Su Ming, and this is my daughter, Su Wan. We were on our way to Linfeng City in the north to do business, but we encountered bandits on the way. If it weren’t for Young Master Luo’s rescue, we would probably be dead.”

"Yunxi Town?" Luo Wen's eyes lit up. "I was just about to go to Yunxi Town."

"Really?" Old Master Su was overjoyed. "That's wonderful! Young Master Luo, why don't you come with us? When we arrive in Yunxi Town, we will certainly treat you to a good meal to repay your life-saving grace."

“Alright, then I’ll trouble you, Mr. Su,” Luo Wen nodded.

Having a local guide is a good thing for him. It allows him to integrate into the local community and understand the local situation more quickly.

The group packed up and continued on their way.

The Su family's goods were loaded onto two oxcarts. Besides the two dead guards, one driver was still alive. They buried the dead guards by the roadside and continued their journey. Along the way, Old Mr. Su briefed Rowan on the local situation.

“Yunxi Town is one of the largest market towns in northern Dongzhou,” said Mr. Su. “It has a population of about 30,000. There are many shops and workshops in the town, and people from the surrounding villages come to trade on market days. Our Su family runs a cloth shop in the town; although we are not extremely wealthy, we live a comfortable life.”

"Isn't this area safe?" Rowan asked. "Why are there robbers around here?"

"Sigh, don't even mention it," sighed Old Mr. Su. "In recent years, the security situation in northern Dongzhou has deteriorated significantly. Ever since the garrison commander of Yunxi Town was replaced three years ago, bandits have become increasingly rampant. The new garrison commander only knows how to exploit the people and doesn't care about their lives at all. Those bandits even collude with the garrison commander, sharing their loot with him."

"Such a thing is true?" Rowan frowned.

“That’s right,” Su Ming said from the side, “We all know that, but what can we do? The garrison commander is an official sent by the imperial court; he has powerful backers. How can we ordinary people afford to offend him?”

"Father, please stop," Su Wan said worriedly. "Be careful, the walls may be overheard."

"What's there to be afraid of?" Su Ming retorted. "There's no village or shop in sight. Who could possibly hear us here?"

As Rowan listened to their conversation, he gained a deeper understanding of the social conditions on this planet.

It seems that the level of civilization on this planet is indeed similar to that of ancient Earth. Feudal society, official corruption, rampant banditry... these problems have also occurred in Earth's history.

More than two hours later, a town appeared before them.

"We've arrived," said Mr. Su. "Yunxi Town is just ahead."

Yunxi Town sits beside a river, surrounded by a plain. The town is small, encircled by a low wall, with a few guards at the gate. The buildings inside are mainly wooden structures, with streets crisscrossing, and the bustling noise of people can be heard from afar.

"Young Master Luo, welcome to Yunxi Town," Su Wan said with a smile.

The group arrived at the city gate. The guards conducted a routine inspection of the goods, collected a few copper coins as an entrance fee, and let them in.

Upon entering the city, Rowan curiously looked around at everything.

The streets were lined with all sorts of shops—cloth shops, rice shops, blacksmith shops, restaurants, teahouses… Pedestrians thronged the streets, including peddlers carrying loads, women holding children, and groups of children. The air was filled with various smells—the aroma of food, the stench of livestock, and the smell of human sweat.

"How lively!" Rowan exclaimed.

“Today happens to be market day,” Mr. Su explained, “people from the surrounding villages come to town to trade, so it’s especially lively.”

They walked through several streets and came to a small cloth shop. Above the door hung a plaque with the four characters "Su's Cloth Shop".

“We’re home,” said Mr. Su. “Young Master Luo, please come in.”

Several shop assistants were busy at the cloth shop. Seeing their owner return, they hurried to greet him.

"Master, you're back!"

"Unload the goods quickly," Mr. Su instructed. "Also, arrange a fine guest room for Young Master Luo. He is our savior; we must treat him well."

"Yes, sir."

Su Wan led Luo Wen to the backyard. There were several side rooms in the backyard, which were clean and simply but comfortably furnished.

"Young Master Luo, please stay in this room," Su Wan said, pushing open the door to a side room. "If you need anything, please don't hesitate to ask."

"Thank you, Miss Su," Luo Wen said.

"You're too kind, young master," Su Wan said, her face slightly flushed. "Just call me Su Wan."

After settling in, the Su family hosted a banquet to entertain Luo Wen.

At the banquet, Mr. Su kept toasting, thanking Luo Wen for saving his life. Although Su Ming's shoulder was still bandaged, he was in good spirits and also frequently raised his glass. Only Su Wan was more reserved, sitting quietly to the side and occasionally glancing at Luo Wen.

"Young Master Luo," Old Master Su asked, "you said you are a traveler from afar. May I ask what brings you to Yunxi Town?"

"I am a wandering swordsman," Rowan had already prepared his explanation, "I've heard that the northern part of the Eastern Continent has beautiful scenery and simple, honest people, so I came here specifically to see for myself."

"So you're a swordsman!" Su Ming's eyes lit up. "No wonder Young Master Luo's martial arts are so superb. Young Master Luo, could you teach me a few moves?"

“Su Ming, don’t be rude,” Old Mr. Su glared at his son.

“It’s alright,” Rowan said with a smile. “If Brother Su is interested, I can offer some pointers.”

"Really?" Su Ming was overjoyed. "Thank you so much, Young Master Luo!"

After the banquet, Luo Wen returned to his private room to rest.

He sat on the bed, reflecting on what he had seen and heard that day.

"The civilization on this planet is indeed very backward," he thought, "but the people are simple and kind. If an ancient alien beast really has awakened here, these people will probably..."

He shook his head and thought no more.

The most urgent task is to find the source of that energy fluctuation and confirm whether ancient star beasts really exist.

“According to the data, that energy fluctuation originated from the northern part of Eastern Continent,” Luo Wen analyzed. “Yunxi Town happens to be located in this area. I can use this as a base to gather information from all directions.”

He decided to start wandering around town tomorrow to see if he could find any clues.

The next morning, Luo Wen left the Su family and strolled around Yunxi Town.

He pretended to be a traveler interested in the local customs and culture, chatting with all sorts of people and inquiring about the area. He went to teahouses, restaurants, and markets, listening to a lot of local people's casual conversations.

Most people talked about everyday family matters and business dealings, with little of value. But occasionally, some interesting rumors would surface.

"Have you heard? Luoyan Mountain in the north has been haunted lately!" a merchant said mysteriously.

"Haunted?" another person asked curiously. "What's going on?"

"Some say that strange sounds, like the roars of wild beasts or thunder, can often be heard deep within Luoyan Mountain. Others say that strange lights can be seen in the mountains at night. Several people who went into the mountains to collect herbs have disappeared and never returned."

"real or fake?"

"It's absolutely true! My cousin's neighbor's nephew disappeared at Luoyan Mountain!"

Upon hearing this, Luo Wen's heart stirred.

Luoyan Mountain... Strange sounds and lights... Could this be related to ancient star beasts?

He noted this information down and continued to inquire.

Over the next few days, he heard more rumors about Luoyan Mountain. Some said a mountain god lived there, others said it was the work of a monster, and still others said the imperial court was conducting some kind of secret experiment. There were many conflicting opinions, and no one could agree on a single story.

But one thing is certain—there is indeed something unusual about Luoyan Mountain.

"It seems I need to make a trip to Luoyan Mountain myself," Luo Wen thought to himself.

He began preparing for his trip to Luoyan Mountain.

Luoyan Mountain is located about fifty kilometers north of Yunxi Town. It is a mountain range that stretches for hundreds of miles. The terrain is complex and it is said that many ferocious beasts roam the mountain, so ordinary people dare not enter it easily.

"Young Master Luo, are you going to Luoyan Mountain?" Su Wan asked worriedly upon hearing Luo Wen's plan. "It's very dangerous there! Many people have gone into the mountains recently and haven't come back!"

(End of this chapter)