Shu: Shocking News of Disaster
The land of Shu is a special region within Yanling Commandery. Why? Because this region is characterized by towering mountains, Great Marsh rivers and lakes, and treacherous terrain. In addition, earthquakes are frequent, and River Water often overflow and rocks tumble down, making it unsuitable for habitation.
In addition, due to the inconvenient transportation, the Shu region has far fewer people than other places. Many deep mountains and forests have never been visited by anyone for hundreds or even thousands of years, and are frequented by Venomous Snake and ferocious beasts.
Therefore, the Shu region was a notorious poisonous area throughout the entire Great Qin Empire, teeming with poisonous insects, poisonous plants, and other Poisonous Creatures.
Here, Cultivator mostly rely on poison. Even Cultivator at the Return to Simplicity Realm cannot get by in Shu without some knowledge of poison techniques. The most famous poison-using family in Shu is the Tang Family Fort Fortress. Although the Tang Family Fort's power is only comparable to that of the Small Sect, its traps and poison techniques are feared by all, so no one dares to provoke them in this small corner of Shu.
With the speed of the Clawed Steed, in just seven or eight days, Zhuge Xiang and his group entered Sichuan from the inner headquarters of Mowu City. Upon entering, they found that the spirit and atmosphere here were completely different from other places.
"No wonder it's a place that produces so many Poisonous Creatures," Zhuge Xiang said with a sigh as he sat on his Sharp Claw Colt on the mountain path, gazing into the distance. Behind him, Zhang Kuang and the others nodded in agreement. Clearly, the spirit and character of this Shu region were unlike any other place.
Elsewhere, the sky is blue with white clouds, and even when the weather is bad, it's just overcast skies and torrential rain. But in Shu, the sky is always dark and gloomy, giving the feeling that a storm is brewing. Moreover, unlike dark or white clouds, the clouds in Shu all have a faint Jade Green and a faint bluish hue, as if they carry Toxins at first glance.
The soil wasn't a pure yellowish-brown, but rather had a faint dark yellow tinge. It also contained a lot of sulfurous sulfate, and the air felt stuffy and hot.
"After crossing two more mountain peaks and traversing winding mountain paths, we'll enter Shuzhong City in Shu. Let's quicken our pace." Arriving in this familiar land of Shu, Niu Geng seemed both eager and excited. He spurred his horse, Sharp Claw Colt, forward, with Niu Geng Zhuge Xiang and the others following behind. The atmosphere was tense, the air stifling, making everyone feel physically and mentally exhausted.
"It's fortunate that it's Sharp Claw Colt with half- Monster Beast blood; if it were an ordinary horse, it would have been exhausted long ago," Mo Wuyan said, gently stroking the Sharp Claw Colt's slightly panting neck. They had all heard of the Shu region, but had never been there.
"Dear guests from afar, the weather is hot and humid. Please have a bowl of plum tea to quench your thirst." After walking along the mountain path for about half an hour, a woman appeared carrying a wooden bucket, and the fragrant aroma of plum tea wafted out from the cracks in the bucket.
"There's plum tea on this mountain path? That's quite rare." The weather was already hot and humid, and everyone was exhausted. But the aroma of the plum tea invigorated Zhang Kuang and the others, and they jumped off their Sharp Claw Colt.
"Wait, Madam, just give us a few bowls of plain water," Niu Geng Zhang Kuang stopped Zhang Kuang and the others as they reached for the plum tea.
Zhang Kuang and the others looked at Niu Geng with some surprise, but they didn't say anything. The woman, however, looked Niu Geng over and then turned around and carried out another bucket of water from the grass beside the mountain path. It looked like just ordinary water.
She served a bowl to each of Zhuge Xiang and the others. With a slight Shu accent, the woman smiled and said to Niu Geng, "Is this young man also a local? He's quite handsome."
"Yes, I'm originally from Tang Family Fort. I cultivated in the Asura Sect for a few years and have come back for a visit," Niu Geng replied with a smile, also speaking in the standard Shu accent.
"Tang Family Fort? Asura Sect? Young man, you are truly Dragon Among Men. I have misjudged you. Consider these few bowls of plain water as an invitation from this old woman," the water seller said with a slight surprise, then smiled warmly.
"Then we won't stand on ceremony, thank you, Madam," Zhuge Xiang and the others said with a smile, taking the bowl of water from the woman's hand and drinking it down.
"This water is quite peculiar," Zhuge Xiang said with a slight surprise after drinking a bowl of plain water. On the surface, the water seemed to be just an ordinary bowl of water, and it had no taste in his mouth. However, after drinking it, a cool sensation arose from his abdomen, and the stuffy air seemed to become much fresher.
"Young man, are you from out of town? This plain water is a specialty of our Shu region, made from special herbs. It has the effect of refreshing the mind and clearing the head. In Shu, having a bowl of this while traveling is the best thing you can do. It will keep you from feeling stuffy all day long," the woman selling water said with interest and a smug look on her face after hearing Zhuge Xiang's words.
"Hehe, this water is quite peculiar, could you please have another bowl?" Upon hearing that the plain water had such good effects, Su Huayu chuckled and spoke up.
"No, no, this plain water is good, but if you drink too much, it can keep you up at night for days and is actually harmful to your health," the woman said Su Huayu, waving her hand.
After everyone drank a bowl of water, they mounted their Sharp Claw Colt. Sure enough, the air seemed much fresher, and their mental fatigue was relieved. As they left, Zhuge Xiang flicked his wrist and shot a silver ingot into the woman's hand.
Regardless, selling water on the roadside is hard work, and taking advantage of these people at the bottom of society is not Zhuge Xiang's style.
"Niu Geng, why did you stop me from drinking that plum tea?" After leaving, Mo Wuyan finally spoke up and asked Niu Geng curiously.
"That sour plum tea is undrinkable; it's used to harm people," Niu Geng explained, shaking his head. "Shu is known for its poisons. Even ordinary people know a few tricks of poison and witchcraft. Locals in Shu won't drink sour plum tea sold by others because it contains a special kind of roundworm eggs."
"After outsiders drink it, their blood and qi churn while traveling, causing those tiny roundworms to hatch. These roundworms have an astonishing appetite; once hatched, they will make people feel hungry and can eat ten times the normal amount of food in one go. If I'm not mistaken, you'll see a restaurant not far down the road."
"So that's how it is. That woman is truly ruthless." After hearing Niu Geng's explanation, Mo Wuyan and the others suddenly realized that if they drank the plum tea and got hungry later, they could eat at her restaurant and consume the equivalent of ten people's meals. It really was a way to make money.
"The lifespan of those roundworms isn't long. If they're not full, they'll be excreted within a day. If they're full, their corpses will also be excreted. So, their black heart only lasts for one day," Niu Geng corrected with a smile.
"Disgusting," Su Huayu said, her brows furrowing slightly.
"It's true that customs vary from place to place. No wonder people say that it's easy to get taken advantage of when you're unfamiliar with a place," Qin Qing said with a light laugh, covering her mouth beside Zhuge Xiang.
Just as Niu Geng had predicted, after traveling about ten miles along the winding mountain road, they found a restaurant halfway up the mountain. After dismounting, Zhuge Xiang and the others ordered some food and wine at the restaurant.
This restaurant was not large; it was clearly a small, abandoned village shop set up for passersby. It was a small, flat-roofed house, about three to five zhang in circumference, with the kitchen and other facilities all inside. Outside, there was a simple shed with seven or eight square tables. When Zhuge Xiang and his group arrived, they occupied two tables, while a few other travelers sat at the other tables.
After some food and wine were served, Zhuge Xiang ordered three catties of beef for Xiao Yue. Xiao Yue jumped down from Zhuge Xiang's shoulder and began to eat heartily, which made a little girl next to her's eyes light up. She was clearly very fond of Xiao Yue's clever appearance.
"Hey, have you heard? Last night, Tang Family Fort was attacked by the Li Family. The entire Tang Family Fort was almost destroyed, and even the Tangjiabao lord was killed in battle. Only a few people from Tang Family Fort escaped." Among the diners at the wilderness shop, two men at a table not far away were talking in hushed tones, which instantly attracted the attention of Zhuge Xiang and the others.
The two men both appeared to be martial artists, both at the Meridian Opening Realm, and looked to be around thirty years old. One was fat and the other thin. The fat man spoke mysteriously.
"How could I not know? I had heard that Tang Family Fort in Shu was powerful and was even planning to join Tang Family Fort. But when I went there this morning, the entire Tang Family Fort was... well, it was a scene of bloodshed and corpses everywhere. I never imagined that a force like Tang Family Fort could be wiped out so easily," the thin man next to him said, shaking his head with a sigh.
"You mean it? Tang Family Fort was wiped out? What exactly happened?" Upon hearing the conversation between the two men, one fat and one thin, Niu Geng's expression changed drastically. He jumped up with a whoosh, stretched out his hands, which were as black as ink and carried a foul stench, and grabbed the two men by the collar, asking urgently.
Niu Geng's sudden outburst attracted the attention of everyone in the shop. Upon hearing Niu Geng words and seeing his reaction, their expressions changed. They weren't stupid; they naturally guessed that Niu Geng must have a close connection with Tang Family Fort. Immediately, the people in the shop stood up one by one, as if avoiding a snake or scorpion, and hurriedly paid their bills.
"I... we don't know either... we only heard that they were wiped out by the Li Family," the two men said, their chests grabbed by Niu Geng. They knew they were no match for him, and seeing Niu Geng 'Niu Geng hands, which were as black as ink, they realized he had mastered the Poison Arts in his palms. Their faces turned even more panicked.
"The Li Family? The Li Family is only on par with the Tang Family Fort in terms of power. What ability do they have to destroy the Tang Family Fort?" Hearing the two men's words, Niu Geng frowned deeply and asked in a low voice. (To be continued...)