First Arrival in Luofan

The Luofan Kingdom is located in the central part of the Linhua Continent. It is a vast country with a large population, making it a populous nation.

Mengka City is a border city in the Luofan Kingdom. It was very poor and backward in its early days. Later, due to its proximity to the Black Rock Mountain Range and the construction of a cross-border highway, it became a necessary passage for trade between the two countries. Now, it has developed quite well.

On the outskirts of Mengka City, bordering the Black Rock Mountain Range, a group of seven slowly came to a halt.

It was around seven or eight in the morning. Occasionally, Hunters from Mengka City heading into the mountains for a hunt would pass by and couldn't help but glance at them a few extra times.

All seven were exhausted. Except for Liu Wenyin, the clothes of the other six were tattered, covered in mud, and stained with blood.

"Thank you for escorting me all the way. I've already paid the commission, so let's part ways here."

Liu Wenyin looked at the four Hunters in the group, polite but maintaining a distance.

They all had legitimate identities and could return to the Mu Kingdom directly via the cross-border highway, without needing to traverse the dangerous Black Rock Mountain Range again.

The four exchanged glances, thanked her, and turned to leave.

Before leaving, the two Hunters at the Cocoon Breaking Stage subtly glanced at Aunt Yun.

At this moment, Aunt Yun had white hair, was hunched over, and her face was covered in age spots, appearing frail and near death. However, her eyes were sharp as swords as she watched the four depart.

Originally, Su Ze had been carrying Aunt Yun down the mountain, but halfway there, Aunt Yun said she had recovered enough and insisted on walking herself.

Su Ze knew her intentions and, after confirming she was alright, let her down.

These four Hunters, after the group was attacked by a Beast Swarm, did not leave like most others. Instead, they chose to continue escorting Liu Wenyin, which showed they were trustworthy and diligent individuals.

However, wealth can move people's hearts. After Aunt Yun revealed the Fifth-Order Marvel, there was no guarantee they wouldn't become greedy.

After all, a Fifth-Order Marvel was invaluable; in any kingdom, it could be considered a national treasure. When the temptation is great enough, anyone short of a saint might lose their resolve and compromise with their inner greed.

Especially the two Hunters at the Cocoon Breaking Stage, who had probed Aunt Yun quite a bit along the way, clearly harboring ill intentions.

It was just that Aunt Yun's performance was flawless, leaving the two Cocoon Breaking Stage Hunters unable to gauge her true strength. They didn't dare to gamble; if Aunt Yun still had fighting ability, or could use the Dream Weaver's Eye one last time in a desperate struggle, they would be finished.

"And you?" Liu Wenyin looked at Su Ze. "Where are you planning to go?"

"Of course, I'm following you, Sister."

Su Ze was unfamiliar with the Luofan Kingdom and planned to get acquainted with the situation by following Liu Wenyin before making any decisions. Moreover, he had some matters he wanted to ask Liu Wenyin about.

Watching the four Hunters disappear into the distance, Su Ze said, "I'm just afraid they might bring trouble after they leave."

Liu Wenyin shook her head. "We'll deal with future matters when they arise. They also contributed quite a bit along the way, and Aunt Yun is not in good condition currently, so it's not suitable for her to exert herself further."

Aunt Yun's face suddenly turned pale, the light in her eyes rapidly dimmed, and she stumbled, about to fall.

Fortunately, Su Ze was quick-witted and caught her.

It turned out Aunt Yun was already at the end of her strength, merely holding on throughout the journey.

"Quick, let's get into the city first."

Fearing that the two Hunters at the Cocoon Breaking Stage might return, Su Ze immediately picked up Aunt Yun and hurried away.

Su Ze and Liu Wenyin jogged for about twenty minutes before encountering a motorized tricycle.

Upon getting into the vehicle, the elderly driver babbled something Su Ze couldn't understand. Su Ze tried to communicate with him in the common language of the Linhua Continent, but the driver didn't understand.

Fortunately, the scholar Liu Wenyin was there. She exchanged a flurry of words with the driver, negotiating the price and destination.

"You know Luofan language too?" Su Ze asked curiously.

"I've studied six languages."

"Impressive."

As the tricycle bumped along the country road, the sights they saw—old houses, tangled wires, garbage everywhere, packs of stray dogs, and weather-beaten people—all spoke of the country's poverty and backwardness.

The Luofan Kingdom's overall national strength was not weak, but its wealth disparity was notoriously high, ranking first among the six kingdoms.

Every city in the Luofan Kingdom had dedicated wealthy districts, which were forbidden to the poor, and also had the smallest yet most densely populated slums. Mengka City was no exception.

Su Ze and his companions' destination was neither the wealthy district nor the slums, but an ordinary community where many middle-class people lived.

After more than two hours of bumpy travel, the tricycle finally reached the city center of Mengka City. They immediately switched to a taxi. After some communication, the driver took them to a very lively street.

"The driver said that accommodation and food are very convenient here, and many businessmen from the Mu Kingdom choose to stay here," Liu Wenyin said.

Su Ze surveyed the street. It was indeed lively, but still messy and dirty. The surrounding buildings were also very old, as if he had traveled back to a rural village in the 1990s of his previous life.

Su Ze and his companions were not short of money. However, the wealthy districts had strict security and checkpoints everywhere. Since none of them could use their real identities, they would be unable to move freely in the wealthy districts and could only make do with staying here.

Although this place was run-down, it had its advantages: hotels here did not require identity registration.

"Let's find a place to stay first."

Su Ze and Liu Wenyin asked passersby for directions. After asking only a few people, Su Ze encountered an enthusiastic fellow countryman from the Mu Kingdom. Following his recommendation, the three of them checked into a nearby hotel.

Although, in Su Ze's opinion, this hotel should have been called a "motel."

After completing the check-in procedures, Su Ze found his room. Although the room was small and the furniture was a bit old, it was clean enough.

Liu Wenyin and Aunt Yun were staying in the room next to his. They were all exhausted and needed to rest well.

Su Ze took a shower first, changed into clean clothes, and lay down on the bed, stretching out like a starfish. He let out a deep breath, feeling a sense of relaxation from the inside out.

He had finally escaped the Mu Kingdom!

To him, Pebble Prison was a small cage, and Mu Kingdom was a large one. He couldn't eat or sleep peacefully in Mu Kingdom, as it was the Zhao Family's home turf, and he constantly had to worry about being captured by them.

Things were different in Luofan Kingdom. No matter how powerful the Zhao Family was, their influence was limited to Mu Kingdom; they couldn't possibly extend their reach that far.

As long as he was careful and kept a low profile, finding him in Luofan Kingdom, the most populous of the Six Kingdoms, would be like searching for a needle in a haystack for the Zhao Family.

However, it wasn't absolute safety. Su Ze hadn't forgotten he still had an enemy: the Netherworld Organization.

After Feng Buqing went mad, Su Ze wasn't sure if the Netherworld Organization would continue to track him.

Furthermore, Su Ze remembered that Zhao Yuanyi had influential friends in Luofan Kingdom. Originally, his plan was for Zhao Lingxiao to seek refuge with that friend after arriving in Luofan Kingdom.

It wasn't impossible for Zhao Yuanyi to use that friend's power to search for him in Luofan Kingdom.

Ultimately, to be truly safe, he still needed to increase his own strength.

But those were all things for later. Right now, Su Ze just wanted to get a good night's sleep.