Chapter Forty-Nine: The Grand City-Guarding Formation

Qingzhou, situated at the edge of the mountain range, was considered a major town. Its scenic beauty and the frequent passage of merchants had gradually transformed it into a fortress near the mountainous area.

Qinghe Town was still some distance from Qingzhou—on horseback, it would take at least half a day. This was largely because Qinghe Town lay close to the Qinghe Sword Sect, and the overseer of Qingzhou had specially built a road leading straight to Qinghe Town.

Yue Qi and Bai Lian rode side by side, each on their own horse, accompanied by Hong Ye and the perpetually lingering Li Qinglan, whose voice was as grating as a duck’s quack.

Li Qinglan’s name sounded feminine, and it was no wonder he had such effeminate airs; even Hong Ye, who shared a horse with him, could hardly bear his “pitifully delicate” expression.

Yue Qi had only decided that day to journey from Qinghe Town to Qingzhou, without any prior plans. The reason for bringing Hong Ye and Li Qinglan was their familiarity with Qingzhou’s streets; after all, he couldn’t simply stand at the city gate, challenge the defenders, and call Wang Chao out—he needed a way to slip inside.

Originally, Yue Qi intended to travel alone, only bringing Hong Ye and Li Qinglan, as there weren’t enough horses in the camp, and he couldn’t guarantee everyone’s safety if the group grew too large. According to Hong Ye, there were many fighters in Qingzhou.

However, Bai Lian insisted on accompanying him after hearing his plan. Yue Qi wanted her to stay at Yang Village and guard the camp against sudden zombie attacks, but he couldn’t withstand her determination and eventually took her along. Bai Lian’s martial prowess was considerable; if danger arose and the enemy wasn’t using poison or similar tactics, Yue Qi believed she could handle it.

Thus, the planned trio became a party of four with only three horses, and Hong Ye, “unfortunately,” had to share with Li Qinglan.

Halfway there, Yue Qi noticed their horses were growing weary and called the others to a halt. Horses were precious in these times—he couldn’t let theirs die of exhaustion.

They found a patch of grass, tied the animals, and rested. Yue Qi, as usual, stayed close to Bai Lian, though it was clear her mood was low, likely still resentful about not being included in the original plan.

Finding himself unwelcome, Yue Qi approached Hong Ye and Li Qinglan. Though there was no plan for revenge, entering Qingzhou would require some discussion.

“Duck voice…” Yue Qi summoned them, addressing Li Qinglan, “Li Qinglan, you said you know how to get into Qingzhou?”

Li Qinglan cast Yue Qi a plaintive look—he’d heard the nickname clearly—but he needed Yue Qi’s protection for the future, so he answered honestly, “Qingzhou has four city gates. Before the disaster, only the east and west gates were regularly open; the north and south gates usually opened only for celebrations.”

“If all four gates are shut, how do we get in?” Yue Qi, unsettled by Li Qinglan’s mournful gaze, pressed on with a frown.

“That’s a secret few know…” Li Qinglan puffed his chest with pride and continued, “There’s a wealthy landowner in Qingzhou called Liu Feng, whose home is near the south gate. Brother Ye, you’ve been in Qingzhou a long time—you must have heard of him?” He turned to Hong Ye.

Hong Ye frowned at the nickname but replied, “That’s right, Liu Feng is infamous for his stinginess. Everyone in Qingzhou, young and old, knows him.”

“Oh? And what does that have to do with us getting into Qingzhou?” Before Yue Qi could speak, Bai Lian, feeling neglected, strode up and pinched his arm fiercely before demanding an answer herself.

“It matters a great deal!” Li Qinglan exclaimed. “Liu Feng owns a huge plot of land outside Qingzhou, and he secretly dug a tunnel connecting his property to the outside.”

“How could that be? Would the city lord allow it? And why dig a tunnel?” Yue Qi rubbed his arm and asked.

“You’re unaware, Brother Yue… Liu Feng is almost a relative of the city lord—his younger sister is, by all accounts, the city lord’s second concubine. So the city lord turns a blind eye to the tunnel; it doesn’t really harm Qingzhou, and if war comes, the tunnel can easily be filled in,” Li Qinglan mused.

“How do you know this? And now that the Wang family manages the city, surely they know and have blocked the tunnel?” Yue Qi frowned.

“The Wang family? You don’t think the Wang patriarch is the city lord, do you?” Li Qinglan looked at Yue Qi in astonishment.

“Isn’t he?” Yue Qi replied.

“Of course not…” Hong Ye interjected. “The Wang family is just a martial clan—they could never manage a city. The city lord is appointed by the imperial court to oversee this region; his influence far exceeds the Wang family’s, and he commands an army. So what if the Wang family’s martial skills are high? If the city lord wanted, the Wang family wouldn’t have a foothold in Qingzhou.” Hong Ye finished with a hint of disdain.

“In that case, we go through the tunnel?” Yue Qi asked tentatively.

“Wait!” Bai Lian suddenly spoke up, questioning Li Qinglan, “How do you know Wang Chao doesn’t have members of the city lord’s household with him? What if they know about the tunnel?”

Li Qinglan was flustered, anxious, and after a moment’s thought, replied, “Wang Chao does have people from the city lord’s household—I’ve seen them. But they seem unaware; Liu Feng’s house was sealed off long ago because there were zombies still inside. Few know about the tunnel—I heard it from one of Liu Feng’s drunken relatives.”

“Why would Liu Feng dig a tunnel? If it were to hide treasure, I’d understand, but tunneling out of the city… why not use the gates?” Bai Lian pressed.

“That… I don’t know! I only know there’s a tunnel and where it is, but why Liu Feng dug it—I’m not him! How would I know?” Li Qinglan grew increasingly agitated, clearly sensing the others’ skepticism.

Yue Qi thought for a while, then pulled Bai Lian aside. Of the four, he trusted only Bai Lian.

“Do you think we should trust him?” Their closeness appeared intimate from afar, but up close, Yue Qi was whispering privately.

“I’m not sure, but it doesn’t seem fake…” Bai Lian shook her head. “Let’s check it out. He says he knows where the tunnel is—make him lead the way. Surely he wouldn’t risk his life to help the Wang family, right?”

“That’s reasonable. Sigh, I thought dealing with ordinary people would be simple, but now we can’t even get into Qingzhou…” Yue Qi sighed.

“You think mortal cities are so fragile?” Bai Lian gave him a look and continued, “Qingzhou is mild compared to some bigger towns. They have their own protective arrays—some are said to withstand the full force of a Nascent Soul cultivator!”

“Seriously?” Yue Qi was dubious.

“Of course… You think mortals are easy prey for cultivators? The imperial court spends vast resources every year to hire experts from cultivation sects to maintain these arrays. If a cultivator with ill intent attacked, a single spell could destroy a city. So proper defense is necessary…” Bai Lian paused, then added, “My master told me all this. He said our sect’s array masters were once sent out to maintain those arrays.”

“I see… But now that cultivators’ spiritual power has vanished, I doubt those arrays can even activate…” Yue Qi smiled in relief, thinking that he wouldn’t be barred from entering big towns in the future.

“Not necessarily…” Bai Lian shook her head. “Our spiritual power may be gone, but the energy in spirit stones remains.” She produced a spirit stone from her robes, gleaming like polished jade, as if green leaves had been ground to paste and infused within.

“Is that… a high-grade spirit stone?” Yue Qi watched the abundant energy swirl inside it. “How come you’ve kept such a treasure?”

Spirit stones in the cultivation world ranged from low-grade to high-grade, with the most powerful being the supreme-grade stones.

“This is a treasure, but I won’t let you use it…” Bai Lian teased, “I have several advanced scrolls—if I infuse them with energy, they can match the power of a late Core Formation cultivator’s strike. If I give you this, I’ll have nothing left!”

“Why didn’t you use it when we faced danger before?” Yue Qi frowned, his tone tinged with dissatisfaction.

“Don’t be upset—listen…” Seeing her lover’s mood sour, Bai Lian hastened to comfort him. “The scrolls are powerful, but I can’t control them. They’re good for hordes of zombies, but against one, if I misjudge, I could hurt our own people…”

Her explanation eased Yue Qi’s heart; he stroked her fair cheek apologetically, then took her hand and led her back to the others.

ps: Today’s my birthday! I went out with friends, so I updated early! Another recommendation this afternoon—so happy! Updates tonight as usual! New writers must never miss a day, so on my birthday, I shamelessly ask for recommendations and favorites—haha! Wishing all my readers happiness every day!