The Legend of Fangren

"Set off."

Packing some dry rations, Fang Shi and Luo He changed into ordinary clothes and quietly slipped out of the back door of the post station.

I never expected to receive such an exciting mission less than two days after coming down the mountain.

Following the foot of the city wall and behind the eaves, the two carefully crossed the streets.

"Fangzi, do you think someone might be following us?" Luohe was very nervous as this was the first time she had done something like this, but her concern for her senior sister Qu gave her courage.

"Don't worry, I'm keeping an eye on things," Fang Shi patted his chest, assuring everyone.

He had done this several times in the past few nights; he's definitely a repeat offender.

However, he couldn't just make a promise casually. He could rely on his secrecy to sneak out of the city, but this time it was different. They had to go through the city gate, even if it was a small gate.

If someone with ulterior motives were to be watching this place, it would certainly be inappropriate.

Thinking this, Fang Shi stopped and grabbed Luo He, saying, "I'll sneak out from somewhere else later. You can use your token to get outside the city and wait for me by the main road."

"Hmm." Luo He didn't ask why; since Fang Zi said so, she did it.

The two then parted ways. Fang Shi turned into a small alley, then secretly turned back, following Luo He from a distance.

The saying goes, "The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind." He wanted to see if anyone was actually following him.

He followed Luohe all the way to the city gate, where he hid in the shadows at the base of the city wall and observed from the shadows.

There were indeed several horses in the stable by the small gate on the south side of the city. After Luohe showed his token, he was allowed to leave without any problems.

But just as Luohe led his horse out of the city gate, the soldier who had given him permission glanced around and then sneaked off to a small restaurant on the side of the street.

It's common for soldiers on night duty to slack off, but with beasts attacking and the city in such a tense situation, it's really inappropriate. It looks like they're in a hurry to find someone.

Fang Shi had a rough idea of ​​what was going on; the journey to Qumu City probably wouldn't be too smooth.

He then dug a tunnel out of the city and found the Luo River, which was not far from the official road.

"Fangzi, mount your horse," Luohe called to Fang Shi, seemingly excited.

Fang Shi jumped on and naturally hugged her waist from behind, saying, "You really know how to ride a horse. This horse is also quite rare; it doesn't seem to mind at all."

"Hmm...maybe this is just a natural talent." Luo He thought for a moment and said, "Fangzi, haven't you always known a lot of things since you were little? Some of those things definitely weren't taught to you by the villagers."

"Uh~ that's fine too." Fang Shi thought to himself, how can they be the same? Those are all little bits of life knowledge that don't belong to this world.

"shelf."

With a soft shout, Luohe spurred his horse onto the official road...

Shortly after they left, several people dressed in night clothes ran in through the south gate of the city, accompanied by guards.

The leader asked the soldier, "Are you sure she has a night pass token?"

"Yes, yes, I saw it clearly. The woman is not old and must be a disciple from a sect." The soldier nodded and bowed, showing no trace of the soldierly demeanor one would expect from a gatekeeper.

"Alright." The leader readily agreed, tossing him a money pouch. "Don't let a word get out. Do a good job. Once it's done, you might become not only the city's garrison commander, but also a troop captain. You should weigh the pros and cons carefully."

"Yes, yes, of course." The soldier took the money bag, weighed it in his hand, and looked down at his toes with a smug grin on his face.

The last few night travelers left the city gate and ran onto the main road without stopping for a moment.

Going back to the beginning, Fang and Shi rode their horses at breakneck speed.

Luohe gripped the reins, concentrating on controlling the horse, while Fangshi, in the bright moonlight, examined the map of the official road behind him.

He had asked He Qisheng for this. Normally, he would not have given it to him, but since the official road also had forks and the two of them had never traveled it before, He Qisheng gave him a map of the official road between the two cities.

Considering the general distance between cities, Qingye City and Qumu City are very close, almost side by side. This layout is because Qumu City was originally the only large city in Cangmu Valley.

Long ago, Qingmu City was just a town in Cangmu Valley. Although it was not small, it could not be called a big city. At that time, Qingmu Town mainly relied on its proximity to Longhe Sect to provide business for people from the outside world who came to seek immortality and enlightenment.

Later, as the Five Realms remained peaceful for a long time, more people were able to travel far, and naturally more people came to the Dragon River Sect to seek the Dao. Qingye Town gained power and grew rapidly, gradually becoming a well-known city in the Eastern Realm.

Before this, Qumu City was the closest major city to the Longhe Sect. The rise of Qingye City directly led to the loss of a large number of residents and merchants from Qumu City.

"It seems the relationship between the two cities isn't very good."

Even if this relationship may have started a hundred years ago, given the nature of the cultivation world, if the city lord has any cultivation, the feud might still be within two generations.

This journey will undoubtedly involve countless people and cities.

The sound of horses' hooves was rapid.

If we travel non-stop tonight, we can arrive in Qumu City tomorrow morning.

However, Fang Shi did not forget what would happen next, and although it was just a guess, he could not afford to be careless.

"Hezi..."

"Um?"

He shared what he had seen and suspected with Luohe, urging her to be cautious, while he himself kept a close eye on his surroundings.

The dark woods on both sides were impenetrable even to the bright moonlight, and in the silent environment, the sound of horses' hooves was particularly loud.

Hiss... Strange noises always came from the bushes and trees by the roadside, startling the horse. Luohe had to use his Golden Profound Qi to keep it calm.

According to He Qisheng, the sect immediately began repairs after discovering the breach in the formation, and it was restored within a day. After that, the number of mystical beasts coming from the Eight Wilderness Lands would decrease.

The official road was no longer as dangerous as it had been during the day.

But then the horse beneath him neighed again, as if sensing some danger, and the rhythmic sound of its hooves became disordered.

No... it's not that the horses' hooves were disordered, but rather that there were several more hoofbeats.

"Hezi, keep your body low!"

Upon noticing several dark figures chasing after them, Fang Shi immediately pressed Luo He down and shielded her with his back.

Sure enough, the next moment, several flying blades flew over, reflecting a momentary flash of light under the moonlight.

Whoosh! Three throwing knives flashed past, and mushrooms sprouted on Fang Shi's shoulder.

If I hadn't lowered my head, that knife would have been aimed at my neck and head.

Luohe, who had also sensed the attack, tried to pull the spear off his back, but Fang Shi stopped him, saying, "You focus on controlling the horse. Give these fruits to the horse, and I'll take care of the rest."

"Okay." Luohe took the fruit and handed it to the horse's mouth. The horse, panting from running, couldn't wait to take a bite.

For horses, the Sky Fruit is an excellent energy supplement.

After eating the fruit, the two men on horseback felt that they were moving faster.

The night travelers chasing behind were puzzled: "That horse is carrying two people and is running ahead, so how come it's going faster?"

If this continues, I'm afraid we won't be able to catch up even if we reach Qumu City.