Oasis

On the desolate wasteland, all kinds of giant rocks of various sizes formed the main scenery of the plain. Beneath one boulder that towered above the surrounding rocks like a small mountain, a sudden sound of movement rang out.

A furtive figure then pushed aside the rock blocking the cave entrance, quickly tossed it to the side, and pretended nothing had happened.

Watching the straw roll away in the breeze, Xuan Ye surveyed the Gobi rock formations around him, found the direction corresponding to the map, and then headed that way.

Perhaps because he was already nearing Stanrose City, the already-infrequent appearance of magical beasts had become even rarer in the area. From time to time, he could even see other humans along the way. Apart from Xuan Ye, most of them seemed to be traveling in groups.

Some groups consisted of only two or three people, while others were caravans of over a hundred merchants and their guards. Xuan Ye merely glanced at them from afar before turning away and leaving. He did not know whether Luo Luoji and the others' deaths had affected him.

A lone person in the wilderness could itself be considered an enticing target. In the wild, where there were no laws to restrain anyone, humans were often more dangerous than magical beasts. However, the sight of him carrying only a broken bow, a short sword at his waist, and a tattered bundle had dispelled many ill intentions.

What? Perhaps he had a Spatial Bag? Heh, that joke was not funny at all. Besides, even if one took the worst-case scenario, someone who truly possessed Spatial Equipment would be an even worse target.

Mercenaries and scavengers who spent all year roaming the wilderness naturally knew how to choose.

Thus, Xuan Ye's journey over the course of a day and a night was relatively peaceful. Gradually, traces of a road appeared before him. Although it was still a sandy road paved with gravel, it had clearly been laid by human hands.

As he passed a small checkpoint naturally formed by two enormous boulders, he saw the rocks covered with densely pasted sheets of parchment.

'A pack of Hyena Wolves (15–25) has recently been roaming beside the trade route. Clean up the trade route. Cut off the Hyena Wolves' ears, and each one can be exchanged for an additional fifty copper coins at the Mercenary Hall.'

'A small Gnoll Tribe has migrated into the Ring City Oasis. Drive them away or kill them before they cause greater damage. Each pair of Gnoll claws can be exchanged for an additional eighty copper coins.'

'Road maintenance. Report to the road construction team. As long as you have the strength, you can earn a corresponding wage.'

'Millet and wheat merchants are welcome to trade in Stanrose City. Food transactions are tax-free this season.'

'...'

Although there were no guards nearby, the small checkpoint was covered with various notices and posted missions.

Judging from the parchment's freshness, they were all recent missions. Beneath quite a few of the sheets were traces of older postings. It was rather considerate, saving people the time of returning to the city to accept missions. They could simply complete the mission, bring back the proof, and turn it in.

As for whether people would falsely report prey from other places, they likely had their own unique methods of identification after passing them down through the years. At the very least, they could tell whether the ears and claws were fresh enough to have come from nearby or from farther away.

Judging from the difficulty of these missions, they should have been intended for lower-ranking mercenaries or even commoners.

Turning around the corner of the small checkpoint and looking down the slope, Xuan Ye saw a stretch of fresh green.

Having grown accustomed to the dead desert and barren Gobi, the vast Oasis that suddenly appeared before him truly gave him a sense of comfort.

It felt as though the air had instantly become fresher!

Looking toward the center of the Oasis, he saw a magnificent stone city appear in the distance. The entire city had been built atop a gray-white stone mountain. Its steep terrain and towering walls seemed capable of defending against any attack.

A broad road extended from the city gate, winding down the stone mountain. Countless people, tiny as ants, traveled back and forth along it.

Stanrose City!

To the west lay the Desert of the Dead, and to the north lay the Riftwind Plains. It was the only large human settlement in the surrounding area that had developed into a city!

"Good heavens, this is incredible."

Although his memories contained vague images, seeing it in person still made Xuan Ye feel the greatness of human effort.

Stanrose City had been built atop a mine. Even the vast Oasis beside it had been artificially cultivated and expanded over many years after the city was built!

It was the source of life for all of Stanrose City.

Groups of Camel Beasts lay resting and eating at the edge of the Oasis. Laughter and cheerful voices drifted from the tents, as if they were celebrating finally crossing the desert or plains and reaching this Oasis.

They were probably caravans and Scavenger Squads that intended to rest first before entering the city.

Looking at the harmonious scene before him, Xuan Ye felt somewhat dazed. If he had not followed those few troublemakers midway and had instead turned back, perhaps he and Uncle and the others would have been celebrating here as well.

He shook his head, casting aside all distracting thoughts, then continued walking forward.

Judging from the singing and dancing before him, the subsequent actions of the evil cult to which Ye Man belonged seemed not to have affected this place at all. What exactly had they fought so desperately for back then? More than two months had passed, and nothing had happened.

He gradually reached the camp. Listening to the exotic instrumental music beside him and watching the fiery dancers perform, Xuan Ye's mood improved slightly as well. He gradually moved on from the mindset of an observer he had maintained along the way and began to blend into life here.

After accepting a cup of wine from one of the dancers and thanking her, Xuan Ye found an empty spot and sat down on the ground.

This seemed to be a small celebration spontaneously organized by several nearby caravans. Since they were about to enter the city, mingling with them would not be a bad idea. He could also take the opportunity to ask about the latest news.

However, these merchants who had just arrived from outside clearly had limited knowledge of Stanrose's current situation.

Two of the groups had come to sell grain because of their past experience. During the two months of the Rainy Season, other places were usually in the period immediately after the great harvest, when grain prices plummeted. In Stanrose City, however, it happened to be the time between harvests.

After all, relying on the Oasis outside to feed everyone still placed considerable pressure on the city.

Thus, even with his Perception, which had far surpassed that of ordinary people after he opened the Perception Inner Mansion, he still could not glean anything useful from the nearby conversations.

Just as he was about to give up, planning to meditate through the night and enter the city tomorrow, a conversation between two drunks caught his attention.

"...Hey, when we passed through Danmu Town, I heard that another Professional Rank Expert from the City Lord's Mansion in Stanrose died. When do you think their internal conflict will end? It won't affect our business, will it?"

"Heh~ Do you think you're smarter, or is the boss smarter? He definitely wouldn't have come here to make a profit if he wasn't confident. No matter who ends up ruling Stanrose, they'll still need grain. That means they'll have to treat us politely..."

"..."

When he first heard that a Professional Rank Expert had died, Xuan Ye instinctively thought of Uncle Luo Luoji. But after thinking it through, he realized it had happened at the City Lord's Mansion, so it seemingly had nothing to do with them. Besides, more than two months had already passed since that encounter, so it should not count as recent.

From what they had said, some sort of struggle seemed to be taking place within Stanrose. Someone had even died in the City Lord's Mansion—and a Professional Rank Expert at that. It clearly was no minor matter. Judging from their words, this might determine who would ultimately hold the authority in Stanrose.

Even these merchants knew about it, so the matter had clearly begun quite some time ago. Unfortunately, the original owner had only known how to practice martial arts and curry favor with that Potion Bitch, while his status and standing were too low. Otherwise, he probably would have heard some rumors back then.

Obviously, this was a good thing for him. At the very least, the infighting among the internal factions would further reduce the probability of him being discovered. Since the matter involved so much, it was impossible for the Kend Family, the third-largest faction, to remain uninvolved.

They might even be one of the main forces...

Thanks to Rongguang Xinghuo, Fengfengfeng111, and the other book friends for your tips~

There'll be another update later today.