Yunzhou City

After instructing Li Xinyu and the others to take care of the remaining students, Tie Jingang led the elite team, including Ling Xin Lu Fei, back along the official road.

These individuals were all top-notch fighters, and their speed was naturally far superior to that of the main force. Before it even got dark, they had already covered most of the distance.

"Wait..." Tie Jingang waved his hand, "There's something going on up ahead."

The group immediately hid themselves. Looking into the distance, they saw five carriages slowly approaching on the official road, with five very burly men guarding them.

These guys were all over two meters tall, with strong physiques, and they were carrying Exotic Weapons. However, their clothes were very strange. They seemed to be made of cloth wrapped directly around their bodies. They were rough, but the cloth looked relatively fresh. They were also not very well-made. The only feature was that they were wrapped up so tightly that you could not even see their faces.

"It's our carriage!" Lu Fei exclaimed excitedly.

"Go kill them and take it back!" Xiao Tian was about to act when Tie Jingang stopped him. "Don't be impulsive if you don't know their background."

"But they're slow enough. They've only traveled thirty li in a whole day and night?" Lei Tianyang said dismissively.

"People don't rest, but Mr. Ma needs to rest too," Lu Fei explained. "I guess they found a place to rest last night and continued walking during the day today."

"But don't you find it strange?" Ling Xin frowned. "If what that person said is true, that they are bandits from the mountains near Anping Town, how could they have run all the way to the vicinity of Shannan Town, a hundred miles away, and just happened to find our abandoned carriage?"

"Maybe they're here on a mission..." Lao Miao Miao said, "There are only a few of them; they're probably not out to rob or plunder. Maybe they're just scouting around the area near Shannan Town..."

"No matter the reason, we must get our things back!" Tie Jingang said in a low voice. "Here's what we'll do: you all go around to their rear, and I'll go out from the front to negotiate. If they refuse to cooperate, then you all come out and surround them!"

"Understood."

The group immediately dispersed along the woods surrounding the official road. Seeing that they were in ambush, Tie Jingang emerged from the woods, carrying Great Axe, and blocked the front of the Team Cheng.

"Friends!" Tie Jingang clasped his hands in greeting. "You found these carriages near Shannan Town, didn't you? I am the owner of these carriages. Could you please return them to their rightful owner?"

Tie Jingang's plan was to try diplomacy first, then resort to force. In this situation, the other party would most likely not cooperate. He would then announce his name and show off his skills to intimidate them. It would be best to resolve the issue without resorting to violence.

But to everyone's surprise, as soon as they heard him speak, the bandits exchanged glances, turned around and ran without hesitation, completely ignoring the carriage that had been painstakingly escorting them all day.

"Huh?!" Tie Jingang was also stunned by this scene. Putting everything else aside, just looking at those burly men, they didn't seem like easy to mess with. How come they ran away so easily without even uttering a sound? He had a bellyful of harsh words brewing up inside him, but there was no way to use them...

Not only him, but the students who were lying in ambush were also confused. One by one, they came out of the woods, staring at each other, not knowing what was going on.

"I'll go after them and see!" Frustrated at not getting into a fight, Xiao Tian turned and chased after the group in the direction they had fled. Tie Jingang hurriedly told Lu Fei to stop him, "Be careful, it might be a trap..."

But no sooner had he finished speaking than Xiao Tian returned, carrying a charred rag...

"The person vanished without a trace, but we found this piece of something not far away." Xiao Tian frowned. "If I hadn't acted quickly, this piece would have burned to ashes."

"What is this?" The group looked at it and it seemed to be made of similar fabric to the clothes worn by the bandits. Besides the burnt smell, there was also a faint stench of decay.

"Could those bandits be zombies?" Lu Fei frowned. "Could it be part of a conspiracy by the Virus Progenitor?"

"No..." Tie Jingang shook his head. "The zombies started appearing last night, and they should smell like rotting fresh meat. But this smell isn't so nauseating; it's more like the smell of a long-dead, mummified corpse..."

"Oh, right, there's something else strange!" Xiao Tian said, "When I caught up with them, I saw that the flames burning on this tattered cloth were black!"

"Black flames?" The group was taken aback. "What kind of flames are black? Are you seeing things?"

"You think I'm seeing things?" Xiao Tian grinned. "Besides Professor Song, who dares to say they have better eyesight than me? Believe it or not!"

"Isn't your most famous trait your sharp nose?" Lao Miao Miao sneered, "Xiao Tian?"

"If you want to fight, just say so!" Xiao Tian glared at him. "I haven't settled the score for ambushing me this morning yet, and I won't go easy on you just because you're a woman!"

"Okay, stop arguing!"

Tie Jingang stopped the two from arguing. "Everyone, check the carriages and goods for any problems. Make sure everyone pushes their internal energy to the limit, and be careful of any hidden traps... This matter is indeed a bit strange, so everyone be on high alert and take precautions."

Everyone immediately did as instructed, unloading all the goods from the carriage and inspecting it thoroughly, but found nothing wrong...

That's strange. Could it be that I'm overthinking things?

Tie Jingang frowned. Seeing that it was getting dark, he still directed the men to reload the carriage.

Although still somewhat concerned about the situation in Shannan Town, Tie Jingang decided not to continue north to avoid trouble. It seemed that what the man had said matched up; the Virus Progenitor should have been eliminated...

Without the powerful Virus Progenitor, even if a few zombies remain, these slow-moving monsters that can only be caught by scratching and biting have little infectious power in a sparsely populated world like [Martial World], where the people are fierce and the land is vast.

Let's get to Yunzhou as soon as possible, contact the sect, and discuss the follow-up...

Before it got too dark, the group drove their carriage south along the official road.

Only Ling Xin looked at the burnt rag that Xiao Tian had thrown on the ground and fell into deep thought.

"Mummy... Black Fire..."

To make a long story short, the group drove the carriage at a much slower pace. The men were all skilled drivers with amazing stamina, but the horses needed rest. They traveled on and off, finally arriving back in Anping Town on the afternoon of the second day.

Everyone was overjoyed to see that the cart and goods were undamaged. With travel expenses covered, they didn't need to stay at Roadside Inn that night and moved to an inn in town. Although they were still sharing a room, it was much more comfortable than sleeping in a crowded dormitory...

Tie Jingang went to the post station again and found the sect's reply. The gist of it was that they were aware of the situation and told them to continue their mission without worrying about Shannan Town.

Compared to ordinary martial arts sects, the Hundred Rivers Sect from the Main World must be more aware of the dangers of the Eternal Virus. The sect's decision to let them continue their missions suggests they must have a solution...

Of course, the information that carrier pigeons can carry is still limited. We'll discuss the specifics once we get to Yunzhou.

"When can I take a shower... I feel like I stink..." In the inn, the students, who had just improved their living conditions, started to "go too far" again.

"Oh well, just bear with it. After all, this is Martial World world. There's no running water here; you have to go to a big town to take a bath."

"Yes, our next stop is Yunzhou, which is the largest town in the southwest of the Central Plains Southwestern Branch! I went there last time, it's so prosperous, just like the towns I've seen in period dramas! There's even a branch of our sect there!"

Experienced Senior painted a rosy picture for the new students, and everyone drifted off to sleep filled with anticipation for the future.

The escort team set off from Anping Town early the next morning, and after several days of trekking, finally arrived in Yunzhou.

Yunzhou City is the largest city in the Southwestern Branch of the Central Plains in the [Martial World] world, covering nearly a thousand hectares and with a population of over 500,000. South of it lies the boundless Ten Thousand Mountains, northwards it reaches the Central Province Mountain Range, and westwards it borders the Western Plateau. Its unique geographical location has resulted in a blend of cultures from the Central Plains, the Southern Borderlands, and the Highlands, making it a prosperous city where multiple ethnic groups live together in harmony.

Wow, what high city walls!

Upon seeing Yunzhou City in the distance, the students exclaimed in admiration.

"The Martial World world is rife with martial arts, and even the common people are stronger than those in the Main World. Therefore, the towns and buildings here are larger than those in ancient times in the Main World." Li Xinyu was nominally the students' Senior Brother, but in reality, he was more of a guide.

"The city walls here are over ten zhang high, and even the narrowest part of the top can accommodate seven or eight horses side by side. Let alone battering rams and catapults, even cannons might not be able to break through."

"But even so, it can't stop Martial Forest Expert can move swiftly and skillfully." Deng Qian laughed, "There are many ethnic minorities in Yunzhou City, and quite a few unique sects are stationed there. You have to be careful when you move around inside. If you violate someone's taboos, you might get into trouble."

"Don't worry, Senior Sister," Zhao Jian said with a smile, "We're just staying here for one night, and it's right here in our own sect's territory. What trouble could possibly happen?"

"Not just for one night," Tie Jingang said. "We might have to stay here for a couple more days."

"Huh?" the students asked, puzzled. "Why?"

"Although I sent a message to the sect via carrier pigeon before, I couldn't write in too much detail," Tie Jingang explained. "Once we arrive in Yunzhou City, we can contact the sect through the branch and report the specific situation. In addition, Yunzhou City is a complex place with various forces and numerous Martial World arts sects, which will also make it easier for us to find out the follow-up information on the Shannan Town incident. We will need to discuss it with the sect then, which may take some time."

"But we've already wasted two days in Anping Town ..." Lu Fei said worriedly. "Now there are only nine days left until the Medicine King Valley Master's birthday celebration. The sect requires us to arrive three days in advance, and there's still about 300 li to go. If we delay here for another two days, time will be a bit tight."

Tie Jingang nodded. "So for the last three hundred li, we need to speed up our march."

"Even if we can speed things up, the horses can't," one student questioned. "Horses pulling a cart can only travel a fixed distance each day; our efforts alone won't make much difference."

"Who says we have to rely on horses?" King Kong looked at them.

"Huh?" The students looked completely bewildered.

"So take these few days to rest and recharge!"

The main force approached the Yunzhou City, but did not rush into the city. Instead, they released Paper Crane and waited for a while.

At the city gate, you could see soldiers checking the people and merchants entering the city and demanding taxes based on the goods they were carrying.

In the world of Martial World, the imperial court is weak. In ordinary villages and towns, the local sects, as the dominant forces, often have more influence than the government. However, in large cities, the imperial court still holds sway.

Within Yunzhou City, dozens of martial arts sects, large and small, were stationed, but most were branches, similar to offices, with only about ten people per sect responsible for tasks such as intelligence gathering, recruiting disciples, and assisting fellow disciples passing through. The imperial army stationed here, however, numbered over thirty thousand, and several nearby garrison cities were also heavily fortified. Being close to the frontier, the troops the court had deployed here were elite soldiers; while their individual combat abilities might not match those of Martial Forest Expert, their military formation was enough to intimidate all the local sects.

Therefore, people in the underworld here tend to keep a low profile, and they have to honestly pay all the taxes they are required to pay.

Of course, this is on the premise that there is no relationship.

Before long, a middle-aged man with a goatee emerged from the city. He glanced at Li Xinyu from afar, nodded, and then greeted the guards at the gate with a smile, seemingly quite familiar with them. Soon, he found the officer, smiled, and pulled him aside. A moment later, the two walked out arm in arm. The man with the goatee pointed to the Hundred Rivers Sect group, and the officer smiled, nodded, and waved to them.

"All done!" Li Xinyu said with a smile, leading everyone and driving the cart toward the city gate.

The officer stepped forward, used his scabbard to probe the goods on the cart, and turned to the guard in charge of recording, saying, "Write this down. It's all dry rations and fodder. The drivers are poor farmers, thirty or forty people. They'll pay two hundred cash in taxes..."

"Thank you, sir!" Li Xinyu handed over two small strings of copper coins, and the group passed through smoothly.

"These must be the new disciples of the sect?" Walking down the street in Yunzhou City, the man with the goatee smiled and said, "My name is Hou Song, and I am the person in charge of the Hundred Rivers Sect in Yunzhou City. You can just call me Martial Uncle Hou."

The students all addressed him as Martial Uncle Hou. Song Shan explained, "This Martial Uncle Hou has lived in Yunzhou City for fifteen or sixteen years. Except for visiting relatives back home, he's basically always here and knows the local situation very well."

Returning home to visit relatives is a code word, referring to returning to the Main World for purification. Yunzhou City is hundreds of miles away from the headquarters of the Hundred Rivers Sect. With the speed of Cultivators in the Heart Refining Realm, it only takes a few days to make the round trip. Basically, they can go back every two or three months and return after about a month to cleanse their essence. By this calculation, Hou Song has spent more than ten years in Yunzhou City.

"Then Martial Uncle Hou must be very experienced."

"Not at all..." Hou Song laughed, "After all, I've been around for a long time, and I still have quite a few friends."

He then whispered, "Your carriage is full of congratulatory gifts, including many valuable medicinal herbs and materials. If we really made them take stock of everything and pay the taxes according to regulations, it would definitely cost several hundred taels. I'll just give the gatekeeper twenty taels of silver, which will save a lot of money. Otherwise, the headquarters' budget wouldn't be enough."

As they were talking, a wedding procession from Southern Borderlands happened to pass by. The bride was beautiful, with bright eyes and white teeth, wearing an elaborate and gorgeous dress, and adorned with various exquisite silver ornaments that jingled as the sedan chair swayed. However, her expression was somewhat solemn, not as joyful as one would expect when getting married. On the other hand, the bridesmaids accompanying her were all smiling brightly, beautiful and charming.

The boys stared wide-eyed, while the girls looked on with envy.

Hou Song's expression changed slightly, and he hurriedly warned everyone to make way. As the group passed by, he made a strange gesture and shouted something in a language that was incomprehensible to the group.

The people from Southern Borderlands in the group were delighted to hear this, and even the bride, whose face was serene, turned her head and glanced at him again.

"People in Southern Borderlands have many customs for weddings. If you block their way, it might cause a conflict." After the procession had gone some distance, Hou Song warned, "Yunzhou City is inhabited by many ethnic groups, and various customs are prevalent. If you accidentally violate someone's taboos, you'll be in trouble."

"But the brides from Southern Borderlands are so beautiful!" a girl exclaimed enviously. "Can they all dress this beautifully for their weddings?"

"Ordinary families definitely don't have that kind of wealth," Hou Song explained. "Judging from this scale, they must be a wealthy and powerful family...maybe Wujida has taken another concubine."

"Who is Wujida?" the students asked curiously.

"An old bastard... No wonder the bride is unhappy about marrying him..." Hou Song curled his lip at the mention of him, his expression disdainful, then immediately made a shushing gesture. "Shh, this is the Southern Borderlands Frontier region, don't say anything unnecessary, or you'll get into trouble."

"Didn't you say all of that yourself...?" The students looked speechless, turning to look at the surrounding buildings, which were mainly made of bamboo and wood, built on the riverbank, with the buildings suspended outside the river embankment, layer upon layer.

"This area is inhabited by people from the Southern Borderlands," Hou Song continued. "Don't let their slender build fool you; they live in the Deep Mountains and forests year-round, surrounded by poisonous insects and wild beasts. They are quite fierce and skilled in poisons and venomous insects. Even people from the Central Plains dare not provoke them. If you are in the city, try to avoid this area unless absolutely necessary."

As they spoke, the group turned a corner and left the area inhabited by the people of Southern Borderlands. They hadn't gone far when they came to a cluster of stone buildings with red and white walls, adorned with intricate patterns and often featuring tall towers and altars with religious characteristics.

"This is the living area of the Highlanders..." Hou Song introduced, "They are very religious, and in all aspects of life, they must follow the teachings of ' Ming Wu Tian '. Most Highlanders are quite kind, but only if you don't violate their religious taboos... especially not their monks. These monks are the highest-ranking among the Highlanders, their spiritual leaders... Look, there's one over there!"

Following Hou Song's directions, the group saw a dark-skinned, reddish-brown monk in a robe, his palms clasped together, preaching and expounding the Dharma beneath a tall tower. Many highlanders knelt below, each one burly and robust, clearly not to be trifled with, yet before the monk, they were as submissive as children.

"What a diverse city..." the students exclaimed. "It must be so interesting to live here."

"It was all so new and exciting when I first arrived," Hou Song laughed. "But after living here for a while, I still find my hometown more convenient... But there's nothing I can do; someone has to work here..."

As they spoke, the group arrived at a city predominantly inhabited by people from the Central Plains. Before long, they came to a large courtyard with a plaque above the gate bearing the three large characters "Hundred Rivers Sect".

"We've arrived! This is the sect's office in Yunzhou!" Hou Song went in first. "Someone, come out and help us with the luggage!"

(End of this chapter)