That day, Meng Zhao brought several Acquired Realm experts from Lü Yue's second branch, along with the disguised Shi Jie. Traveling light, they spurred their horses onward at full speed.
They hurried to Xinping County, the small county where Hu Yingming and Bai Yang were currently staying.
Xinping County was a remote border county under Nan'an Commandery. Its territory was full of mountains, and its population, culture, economy, martial arts, and all else ranked at the very bottom among the commandery's counties. It truly was a place of barren mountains and vicious waters.
However, because of its many mountains, the area also possessed some rather valuable resources, such as fierce beasts carrying the bloodline of vicious beasts and naturally nurtured herbal ingredients. This had drawn the attention of many merchants. One of the trading associations held by Hu Baiwan was among them.
It was already late August. The noonday sun remained scorching, like a great fireball baking the mortal world, but mornings and evenings had already turned crisp and cool.
Meng Zhao and his party reached the outskirts of the county seat on fast horses near dusk. They then dismounted, disguised themselves as a group of traveling merchants, entered the city, and settled into a relatively secluded inn.
Inside the exceedingly crude room, a dim oil lamp burned upon a wooden table with one corner broken off.
Its light cast dark shadows across the faces of the three men, making them look particularly eerie in the dead of night.
Meng Zhao had shed his luxurious robes. Yet even in plain green clothing, he still carried an air that set him apart from the crowd.
The Jade Prayer Beads in his hand had now become one of his personal hallmarks; the beads never left his hand.
Not far from the table,