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Chapter 323 Immortal Fortress

The song not only had a melodious tune, but its lyrics also had a free and unrestrained spirit that transcended worldly affairs, which surprised the group of people who listened to it.

Looking at the vibrant flower fields and the leisurely farmers working among them, one gets the illusion that they have stumbled into a fairyland rather than the human world.

"Fuwen, go and ask where this place is and who these people are," Lu Qing instructed Fuwen behind him.

Fu Wen accepted the order, dismounted, and hurried away.

He had a kind face, and at this moment he wasn't wearing a guard's uniform, but just ordinary clothes, completely concealing his murderous aura.

Even so, his tall stature and strong physique could not be concealed. When he strode past, he still carried an invisible sense of oppression.

But when he walked up to the farmers, they didn't seem surprised at all. They simply stopped what they were doing and looked at the stranger who had suddenly appeared with some curiosity.

"Old man, excuse me!" Fu Wen bowed to the old man closest to him and said, "My master and I got lost on our journey. We heard singing and followed the sound to find this place."

Excuse me, what is this place? What do you all do?

The old man looked at the rune calmly, and after he finished speaking, he returned the greeting with a bow: "Our place is called Fairy Fortress. This is our fortress's flower field. We are all farmers in this fortress. We usually grow these flowers and plants and sell them to people as dyes."

"Are you lost? There's a shed over there where everyone rests when they're tired from working. It's getting a bit hot in the sun now, so if you're tired from walking, feel free to go in and cool off!"

After saying that, he smiled and pointed to the shed over there, then went off to do his own thing.

This reaction surprised Fu Wen somewhat, but since the other party had already left, he couldn't stop him. He could only return to Lu Qing's side and relay what the person had said.

Lu Qing looked up at the bright sun overhead: "In that case, why not accept their kindness and go sit in that shed?"

The shed was located in the middle of a flower field, with a wide view. Inside the shed were several wooden benches and two wooden tables, which looked clean, tidy, and free of dust.

A few people sat there, with a clear view of everything around them.

In this large flowerbed, there were about a dozen farmers working scattered around, all humming the song they had heard from afar. Although they were not gathered together, their singing was surprisingly uniform, echoing each other across the flat, open plain, sounding exceptionally melodious.

Zhu Yu sat under the shed, resting his chin on his hand, his gaze sweeping over the people, his brows slightly furrowed.

The way these people worked looked harmonious, with a sense of leisure and lightness and joy. Coupled with the singing, this was the epitome of the joy and harmony of a prosperous era.

However, Zhu Yu felt something strange about it.

After a while, the singing gradually subsided, and the farmers came to rest in twos and threes in the shed. Among them were men and women, young and old, all dressed in similar clean cloth clothes, their hair neatly combed, and their faces bearing contented smiles. After entering the shed, they sat around a wooden table, and a gentle breeze carried the faint fragrance of flowers and grass from their clothes to Zhu Yu's nose.

She took a quiet sniff, trying to discern what was hidden within the fragrance.

Those people sat there happily, looking at Lu Qing and his group with some curiosity.

"Where are you all from, and what are you doing here?" The oldest among them asked after looking them over.

"Old man, we are merchants who are out buying goods. We were just passing through here, but a few days ago we were robbed by bandits."

To avoid the bandits, we had to take a detour, and ended up losing our way and stumbling upon this place.

Lu Qing smiled and spoke in a refined and amiable manner, appearing every bit the refined businessman traveling abroad.

The old man, though unsuspecting, looked surprised: "Mountain bandits? Why would there be mountain bandits?"

His confusion didn't seem feigned; he appeared genuinely incredulous upon hearing the word "mountain bandits."

"Could it be that your Immortal Fortress has never been harassed by the surrounding bandits?" Zhu Yu asked with a puzzled look.

The group of people shook their heads in unison, each looking puzzled, as if "bandits" were some incredible word.

“Our village has never been harassed by bandits.” The old man shook his head blankly as well. “This area is our village’s flower fields. Everyone tends to the flowers and plants every day, working at sunrise and resting at sunset. It has always been peaceful. No one has ever gone out to commit crimes, and no one has ever disturbed our lives.”

Zhu Yu and Lu Qing exchanged a glance, both feeling somewhat puzzled.

Along their journey, they encountered places even more barren and treacherous than this, plagued by bandits. Why is it that this Fairy Fortress, with its picturesque scenery, prosperous people, and vast fields of flowers and grass, is clearly a prime piece of "fat meat," yet it remains untouched?
If it is said that in order to resist the invasion of mountain bandits, this fortress organized some able-bodied men to spontaneously form some patrol teams to protect the people, fields and products in the fortress and drive away anyone who came near with malicious intent, then that would make sense.

But they found this place by following the singing all the way here, without encountering any obstruction or questions from others.

The flower farmers in front of them seemed to have never seen bandits or been disturbed by them before.

This is very strange.

Could it be that these bandits only like to gnaw on the toughest things, ignoring the easy money and preferring to traverse mountains and valleys to lie in wait on remote, desolate paths where only a few people occasionally pass by, just to snatch a little money that takes a lot of effort every now and then?
Thinking this, Zhu Yu asked again, "Old man, has your fortress been here for a long time? Or did it come together later?"

"In all these years of living here, have you never encountered any bandits?"

The old man stared blankly at Zhu Yu, seemingly stumped by her question, or as if he hadn't understood what she was asking at all.