Devouring Evil Martial Arts, Eliminating Demons from All Heavens

Chapter 489 Eighteen Camps' Field Trip

beep!!

As the scenery outside the car door gradually changed from wilderness and hills to areas with human habitation, some small houses were built by the roadside.

The centipede began to slow down, and white steam and smoke billowed from the boiler, accompanied by a long, blaring warning horn.

People within a ten-mile radius could hear this sound.

Every train line in Changzhou has a freight station, which is actually a bunch of warehouses built next to the railway tracks.

However, after the white ape infiltrated and caused damage, these warehouses were the first places to be destroyed.

Today, the former freight station in the south of the city, known as Shibaying, is nothing but ruins, with large swathes of yellow rock foundation exposed to the air.

Tortoises, blue elephants, and brown-scaled horses—these creatures domesticated by Fangfengshi—were all waiting here, pulling large carts.

Since the freight station can no longer store goods, the only option is to move the goods to various locations in the town as soon as possible.

The blue elephant and brown-scaled horse are similar in size to real-world elephants and pack horses, while the bull tortoise is quite unique.

This strange beast resembles a giant tortoise with a bull's head. Its shell is the color of dry, grayish-white rock, and its four legs are covered with thick, bluish-gray skin with rough and powerful claws.

Its height is almost the same as that of the elephant next to it, and its width is far greater than the elephant's shoulder width.

In terms of speed, it is not as fast as an elephant, but its load-bearing capacity and endurance are truly amazing.

Before war, this was a vehicle favored by the Fangfeng clan. It could forage in the water, plow the fields, and carry the whole family on its back.

Because of the large stockpile in the past, even if the cow turtles are not suitable for battlefield transportation, they will inevitably be mobilized to do some work of transporting supplies when war breaks out.

The owners of these carts are mostly middle-aged and elderly men.

Leading the group was an elderly man in a tight-fitting outfit with his hair tied up in a gray turban. He held a leaf in his hand, put it to his lips, and played a melodious flute tune.

A strong wind blew, and the wild grass flew everywhere.

The wisps of hair at their temples fluttered slightly, and they remained as silent as a group of iron-willed men.

But the pig iron was also listening to the flute music.

Listen to his melodious rise and fall, listen to his sorrowful yet joyful voice, listen to his flute music echoing the sound of the wind.

Like the hot wind flowing in the blood of Fangfeng.

As the train arrived, the sound of the whistle from the leaves gradually faded away.

The old man jumped off the cart, lit three incense sticks, and bowed to the train.

The Mountain-Climbing Centipede is a mobile altar, borrowing the supernatural powers and mysteries of the true mountain centipede clan, its energy containing hidden spirituality.

The charioteer must know how to appease the driver.

Those receiving the goods should also know how to respect the train.

"Elder Feng!"

The three carriage drivers quickly got out of the carriage and greeted the old man.

Chu Tianshu followed.

When the old man saw Chu Tianshu, a stranger, he smiled and nodded as a sign of greeting. Then he waved for everyone to get on the car and pick up the goods.

Everyone around the cart sprang into action.

Upon seeing the train arrive successfully, they smiled, and the soldiers who had accompanied the train chatted and expressed their gratitude.

"The railway line in the northwest of the city had completely broken tracks. The 'Centipede Over the Mountain' train was two days late and was so bumpy that it made me vomit as soon as I got off."

"Ugh! Don't even mention it. We also encountered a water monkey on the way. I guarantee that monkey must have some status among the water monsters. It was incredibly ferocious. Luckily, we met a brave warrior..."

Someone brought food to the soldiers accompanying the wagons, and the wagons carrying goods quickly got to work.

Fang Xun stayed in the car.

Fang Liang and Fang Zhen followed Elder Feng into the city to oversee the arrival and placement of the goods, and to conduct a handover of the goods on the list in front of the current leaders of the Eighteenth Battalion.

Several people sat on the backs of several blue elephants, including Chu Tianshu.

Fang Liangzheng was telling Elder Feng about the white ape and describing how Chu Tianshu had saved him.

Throughout the journey, Chu Tianshu observed the people in the eighteen camps of the town.

As the carriages entered the long street, there were grand houses and tall buildings everywhere, but also some signs of dilapidation, with people carrying out repairs.

The three carriage drivers harbored a hidden fear of the war, but their sudden anger only surfaced when they were actually attacked. They usually maintained a tense demeanor, suppressing their anxiety and not revealing it.

The people here are completely different.

They seemed to be divided into two extremes: one was that they appeared rather numb and lazy.

They do whatever others tell them to do. If they are given instructions, they will do more. But if there are no instructions, they will just stand there blankly, or lean against the wall, or squat down and do nothing.

Another type of person walks briskly, their clothes billowing in the wind, with slightly bloodshot eyes.

The person in charge had a loud and clear voice, and the person working was quick and efficient, doing everything with lightning speed. Many women even carried their young children, who were not yet able to survive on their own, wrapped in a large cloth on their backs, while their hands were also quickly processing the tasks assigned to them.

These people might grumble, complain, and argue, but usually, just as they start exchanging a few words, someone nearby will call on them for help.

People who are still arguing will immediately turn around and join in to help.

The whole town was filled with a vibrant energy.

It's not the vibrant life force of tender tree leaves.

Rather, it is a kind of moving courage, as if the scars are still on the body, yet one dares to face the wind and sand with those scars.

Even those who seem apathetic and lazy are actually being motivated by this atmosphere.

They all possessed a frankness and openness that carriage drivers lacked.

The people here have truly experienced war.

Some of them were original residents of the 18th Battalion. During the war, they witnessed people around them being suddenly killed by spears, and when they were resting at night, they heard that their neighbors had already sacrificed their lives.

Some of them fled from other places, enduring hardships along the way, and some were even left as the sole survivors of their families.

The cruelty and horror of war impacted their minds.

Perhaps I only have three days left to live, or maybe only one day. How am I supposed to live then?
There are many answers to this question.

The people here seem to have already found their own answers.

If we only had one day and one night left to live, then everything we do and say could be seen under the bright light of the sun and moon.

When happy, laugh; when angry, curse; when wanting to sing, sing. All emotions arise from events and cease with events.

There's no need to worry about the next moment.

There is only one feeling that you don't need to constantly remember, yet it permeates your entire being.

Any evil spirit that tries to take our lives will have to pay the price.

Chu Tianshu watched as those people leaning against the wall in a daze were called away to help, and breathed a sigh of relief.

The resilience of all living beings always filled him with peace and admiration.

Even when faced with a sudden war, this place did not remain mired in a nightmare atmosphere for long.

However, the fact that the entire Shibaying town has been able to maintain its current state certainly owes much to the excellent guides.

"...I should thank you very much, my lord!"

Elder Feng Baili's voice brought Chu Tianshu back to his senses.

He smiled and looked back: "Elder, you flatter me."

"Night wanderers seek out stories, each with their own preferences. As for me, I travel around collecting folk tales and have seen a lot. I only feel that sadness is harmful to the body, so I don't really like to see cruel and tragic things."

Chu Tianshu said gently, "That white ape has violated my taboo."

Feng Baili had white eyebrows, a angular face, and a thick, bushy beard. He couldn't help but smile upon hearing this.

"When did you arrive in Cheung Chau, my lord?"

Fang Liang and Fang Liang were both startled.

Could it be that this young man is not from Cheung Chau?
Chu Tianshu remained calm: "A little over a month ago."

He didn't intend to be recognized as a human from the mortal world, but he also didn't intend to continue pretending to be a citizen of Changzhou.

To obtain sufficiently important intelligence, one inevitably needs to come into contact with experts.

Although Cheung Chau is a vast place, a master who has lived here for decades will naturally have an impression of the other formidable opponents.

His sudden appearance, coupled with his insistence on pretending to be a native of Changzhou, only makes him more suspicious.

"At that time, I had just traveled to the Zhenze area when I saw a small two-headed snake in the distance. It was quite cute, so I rode a crane to chase after it..."

Chu Tianshu took out the two-headed snake from the brocade pouch and played with it in his hand.

"Unexpectedly, a thick fog suddenly appeared, causing me to lose my way. After looking around, I realized that I had arrived in Cheung Chau after the fog cleared."

"This place has been isolated from the world for nearly a hundred years, hasn't it?"

Xiao Zuo cooperated by sticking out his tongue.

Bu Bai looked around, seemingly wanting to see what treasures shone in this town.

Feng Baili nodded, his eyes filled with reminiscence: "I heard that back in my father's time, it was quite convenient to travel between Changzhou and Zhenze."

"Since the strange fog enveloped Cheung Chau, there has been no news for nearly a hundred years. It was not until the water demon landed and the fog became turbulent that many foreign spirits and monsters mistakenly entered our land."

Feng Baili laughed and said, "My lord is indeed one of them."

"Since you are a night owl, our Eighteen Camps happen to have a place for you to gather inspiration."

(End of this chapter)