Decaying World

Chapter 114 Exploring Part 114 (by Xie Huoyu_Lord Jun)
"Later, someone in the tribe accidentally merged with the ancient evil weapon insect codex and became the first generation of mist people. From then on, the history of clearing the land and establishing human settlements began."

"The Mist People are incredibly powerful, but they also have a limited lifespan. The descendants of the first generation of Mist People are called the Primal Blood, but this Primal Blood is not permanent. When the progenitor Mist People die, the Primal Blood will degenerate, and the nobles will revert to ordinary people. Therefore, in order to maintain and prolong the rule of the Primal Blood, the people built the Inner City."

"But I've heard that the Fog People aren't just made up of our human race, is that true?" Lin Hui asked.

“Yes.” Han Xiaoyue nodded. “Other races also have Mist People, but overall there are not as many as humans.”

"Going back to the previous topic, the inner city was built to prolong the rule, how so?" Lin Hui asked.

"Because the greatest drain on the Fog People is the constant struggle against the external fog, building an inner city with special materials can block most of the fog from the outside, thus minimizing the Fog People's drain. Of course, there are other ways to extend their lifespan, such as creating replicas of the Evil Weapon Insect Codex to share the burden. But overall, these methods are not very effective."

Han Xiaoyue paused for a moment, then continued.

"The original bloodline nobles have discovered that, apart from the bloodline of the Mist People, there is another way to truly combat the Mist: invocation."

"Inspiration?"

"Yes, the summoning is actually a kind of activation, a lower-level ritual that imitates and replicates the Fog People. The summoner can also share some of the pressure the Fog People face in fighting the fog. Thus, the inner city began a large-scale increase in population and the selection of summoners."

"I roughly understand," Lin Hui nodded in realization. "Then what about those sealed fortresses I encountered when I went to the inner city?"

"There are countless dangers within the mist. Even a small area outside can have two ruins, let alone such a large area as the inner city. Therefore, the Primal Bloodlines gather all anomalies, find their source, and then categorize, collect, and seal them all. They then send people to guard them. This is what is known as the Inner City Sealed Fortress," Han Xiaoyue explained earnestly.

Next, Lin Hui asked her various questions about the fog zone and the inner city, which she answered easily, even quoting historical events and anecdotes.

His extensive knowledge seemed to exceed Lin Hui's expectations.

Before they knew it, the two were engrossed in their conversation.

"What about the lifespan of the Fog People? Since the Fog People determine the lifespan of a city, what about the lifespan of Tu Yue now?" Lin Hui suddenly asked this question.

"The records of Tu Yue's city-building date back to around four thousand years ago. There are no specific written records about the lifespan of the Fog People, but based on the earliest records of the city's history, it should be around ten thousand years," Han Xiaoyue replied calmly.

"Since there's no record of it, how did you deduce it?" Lin Hui asked curiously.

"Xingdao city is on the verge of collapse. Their mist people are already old, and they were recently caught in the crossfire between two passing mist people, suffering serious injuries. Now they can't even maintain stability in the inner city, so they're clearly doomed. I've been to Xingdao and checked their historical records, and that's my conclusion," Han Xiaoyue replied.

She looked at Lin Hui with a strange expression.

“You are special. Most people don’t really care about these things because they are too far removed from their lives.”

"Just curious," Lin Hui smiled.

“Sometimes, being too curious can only lead to suffering,” Han Xiaoyue said.

“I would rather suffer than remain ignorant,” Lin Hui said.

These kinds of words can't be taught in the impoverished educational environment of the outer city.

Han Xiaoyue's eyes lit up, and she vaguely sensed a difference from the surrounding environment emanating from Lin Hui.

She wasn't sure if it was the subtle aura of another world's civilization. But at this moment, she definitely sensed something different.

Many other people would probably just ask why curiosity brings pain.

But Lin Hui understood immediately and gave his own answer.

"There's another question. I wonder if Miss Han knows how the Mist People fused with the Evil Insect Codex?" Lin Hui was quite curious about this.

How exactly does a mist-man who ascends to the heavens in one step come into being? Why can he reach the pinnacle without any cultivation?

“Chosen,” Han Xiaoyue said calmly. “Since they’ve been named Evil Weapons, you should be able to guess what the existence of the Mist People really means.”

"Was it chosen by the Evil Insect Codex?"

“Yes. This choice is one-way. In fact, as far as I know, the Fog People face different calamities every now and then, and only by overcoming them can they continue to live. So this also divides the Fog People into two classes: City-Building Fog People and Scattered Fog People. Only Fog People who can safely survive each calamity can build a city. This also means that their strength is extremely terrifying.” Han Xiaoyue spoke frankly and without reservation.

"I see. After fusing with the Evil Weapon Insect Codex, can the Mistman still continue to cultivate martial arts?" Lin Hui asked again.

Han Xiaoyue immediately smiled.

"That's a bit of a funny question. After all, in the eyes of the Mist People, the limit of a martial artist is that they can be annihilated with a mere thought. But you've raised a crucial point. The power of the Mist People depends on their development of the fused object. The higher the upper limit of the Evil Weapon Insect Codex, the stronger the Mist People become. As for whether the Mist People can cultivate other systems after fusion, I don't know."

She suppressed her smile.

"All I know is that once a Mistman achieves mastery, their strength and foundation far surpass any other system. Even the pinnacle of inner city internal strength is nothing more than an ant that can be wiped out with a flick of the wrist in the eyes of a Mistman."

"Where is the High Priest?"

"The same applies to the Palace Master realm above the High Priest. Their power compared to the Mist People is like a raindrop compared to a river, or an ant compared to a human. The difference is indescribable," Han Xiaoyue said solemnly.

Lin Hui felt a chill run down his spine and stopped asking questions.

He now understands the strength of Zhou Tianwuren and some of the strength of the high priests, but even with such strength, in the eyes of the mist people, they are no different from ants. He can hardly imagine what kind of level that is.

Then Han Xiaoyue asked him for some personal information, seemingly intending to use him as a shield.

As it was getting dark, the two got up and parted ways, exchanging contact information.

Han Xiaoyue provided a mailing address, while Lin Hui left the address of Qingfeng Temple.

After leaving the inner city, he quickly wrote down what Han Xiaoyue had said, to be verified later.

The inner city gradually began to take shape in today's description. The next day, early in the morning, Lin Hui packed his things and entered the inner city again.

Based on the map, he determined that he was heading to a place called Xuanya District in the outer ring. The inner city was divided into nine districts, and each district was further divided into nine towns.

Xuanya District is a large area mostly located in the outer ring road, with numerous medicinal herbs, minerals, and trading markets. According to the Wang family's map records, the population was between four million over the past fifteen years.

Before going, Lin Hui inquired about information from his father and learned that the main inhabitants of the Xuanya District were a minority group called the Gray Stone Clan. The most influential forces, apart from the three major factions, were the Xuanya Sect, one of the three sects and six gangs.

After collecting some forbidden items, Lin Hui set off with twenty feather blood samples sponsored by his father.

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The sky is bright.

Around nine o'clock in the morning.

Lin Hui once again entered the inner city through the South Ninth Gate with practiced ease.

After crossing the cliff, he arrived at a fork in the road and, following the signs, chose the main road leading to the Xuanya District.

There was no caravan, no followers, just him alone, carrying a sword, gold notes and feather blood, plus a little dry food. With a push of his feet, he rushed forward like the wind along the main road.

The ground was damp from the recent rain.

On either side of the dusty, muddy ground were simple bamboo railings.

Beyond the railings stretched vast expanses of lush green rice paddies.

In the rice paddies, there were men and women dressed as farmers, carrying hoes, moving quickly back and forth across the fields.

It's just like an ordinary person running at full speed on flat ground.

The pristine white sky, the grey earth, and the lush greenery on both sides made Lin Hui feel increasingly relaxed and happy.

He could smell the fresh scent floating in the air.

After traveling at a normal pace for about half an hour, another fork in the road appeared ahead.

He slowed down and stopped, carefully looking at the sign.

Left: Redstone Fortress.

Right: Horse manure hill.

"There are no signs here, how do I get here? Let me think." Lin Hui was now regretting not bringing a guide. He thought this journey would be the same as last time, but he didn't expect the distance to be so far.

He mentally recalled the approximate location and charged wildly to the left again.

Before long, a stone bridge appeared on the road ahead, with a narrow cliff below and water rippling at the bottom of the cliff.

Several men wearing light leather armor and carrying swords stood guard at the bridgehead, chatting idly.

A campfire was still burning on the right, and two large black dogs with ram horns were lying beside it; it was unclear what kind of creature they were.

Lin Hui slowed down, intending to ask for directions to confirm if he was on the right track.

The terrain and routes on this map don't quite match up with what I see when I actually walk them.

"Halt!" The two men guarding the bridge spotted him and called out.

"There's been a case up ahead, and it's currently under investigation. You can take a detour through here," a man with a mustache explained.

"The case, what case? Can you tell me about it?" Lin Hui frowned slightly.

"Two bandits ambushed at least three caravans traveling through here, and the Anmin Army is pursuing and issuing warrants for their arrest. Passage through here is temporarily prohibited," the other party replied.

He sized up Lin Hui, recalling his movements just now.

“Your agility is good, but the bandits inside have killed hundreds of people in a caravan with Zhou Tianwu in charge. You’d better be careful if you go alone.”

"Thank you!" Lin Hui's heart skipped a beat. This inner city was indeed different. The bandits were all at the Zhou Tian realm, which was completely different from the outer city where a Zhou Tian could dominate more than ten towns.

After saying goodbye to the two, Lin Hui ran along the shore for more than 30 miles before finding the second wooden bridge.

The wooden bridge was even broken; the central planks were rotten and decayed, leaving only a few scattered haphazardly on both sides of the bridge.

Moreover, there were no signs in the area, and it was completely desolate. There wasn't a soul in sight.

Lin Hui hesitated; he had no idea where he had wandered off to. What if he got lost and couldn't find his way back?
No amount of permits on his person would be of any use.
He immediately turned around and headed back towards the stone bridge, intending to ask for detailed directions.

Not long after he returned to the stone bridge, he was surprised to find that the two leather-armored men who had just been at the bridgehead were now lying on the ground.

Blood was splattered all over the ground, and the two black ram-horned dogs beside it had also been cut in half at the waist, and were dead beyond any doubt.

He immediately sensed something was wrong and turned to run away.

"That's him! Catch the murderer!!"

Suddenly, a furious roar rang out from not far away.

(End of this chapter)