Journey to Great Yue

Xu Bai thought that Rising Dusk King was going to talk to him about other things, but he didn't expect that the conversation would eventually turn to Liu Qingfeng.

In fact, Xu Bai only knew a part of the various rumors about Liu Qingfeng.

It is said that his madness stemmed from his self-created Undying Body, and he later wanted to research methods to achieve immortality of the soul.

In the end, he lost all his spirit and soul, and ended up in this state.

That's what everyone says right now, but now Rising Dusk King is telling him there's another layer of meaning, which has piqued his curiosity.

Xu Bai remained silent, knowing that Rising Dusk King would eventually speak.

The beginning has already been set, and it would be inappropriate not to continue.

Sure enough, after only a short while, Rising Dusk King continued speaking, picking up where he left off.

"His condition is actually due to his self-created cultivation technique, but it is related to a certain place," Rising Dusk King said slowly.

Xu Bai was somewhat bewildered by this statement.

It wasn't due to his own creation of the cultivation technique, but rather related to a certain place? What place was it? Where did he go that caused him to lose his soul and become an idiot? Xu Bai suddenly had a guess; perhaps he had found the clue.

"Actually, we only discovered this recently because we obtained a fragment of a book he left behind, which records the details of this matter." Rising Dusk King put his hand to his mouth and coughed lightly, seemingly a little embarrassed.

"It's quite a coincidence. This thing was given to me by the Jade Face Abbot after he found me. He said he obtained it by chance."

"I even beat her up for your sake back then. Alas, I never expected that she would actually regain her senses and still remember this incident."

"Before leaving, they took many treasures from me, saying it was compensation."

The Jade Face Abbot?

That name sounds so familiar. Where have I heard it before?

Xu Bai thought about it carefully and quickly realized who it was. Wasn't this the crazy Female Daoist Abbot?

This guy actually took advantage of his lucidity to run to the Border Pass and even gave Rising Dusk King a book.

It was indeed because of her that the Female Daoist Abbot was beaten badly by Rising Dusk King and had to flee in disarray.

"What's recorded in that book?" Xu Bai asked.

Everything else was irrelevant. Now Xu Bai was very curious about why Liu Qingfeng was in his current state.

Rising Dusk King did not continue speaking. He turned around, went to a cabinet, rummaged through it for a while, found a book, and handed it to Xu Bai.

The point is to let Xu Bai see for himself; he can't explain it clearly anyway, so it's simpler and clearer to just look at it directly.

Xu Bai didn't hesitate or fuss. He took the book, opened it, and after reading the whole thing, he silently closed it and returned it to Rising Dusk King.

"I see."

The book actually records something quite simple: the reason this guy destroyed his own soul was to try and enter the Ghost Market.

According to this book, Liu Qingfeng lacked the ability to repair his soul, so his soul could not be repaired like that of Undying Body.

So he was thinking of a solution, and soon he came up with one.

He had searched almost everywhere for a cultivation method related to the soul, but he couldn't find one that matched his needs. So he went back and searched through ancient books and found a clue.

According to ancient texts, in a very distant era, there was a being who had absolute control over the soul, and he might have been able to resolve the predicament of that time.

But the people of that era are long gone, so Liu Qingfeng thought of the Ghost Market.

If we can enter the Ghost Market, we might be able to find some clues.

This guy is ruthless. He knew that entering the Ghost Market would completely obliterate his soul, so he used an extremely cruel method. He endured the excruciating pain and split his soul in two, storing one part in the outside world while finding a suitable opportunity to enter the Ghost Market.

There are no further records here, because what follows is the matter of entering the Ghost Market, and it is estimated that an accident occurred at that time.

"Even if we went in, our souls would be instantly destroyed, let alone him," Rising Dusk King said slowly.

"He thought he was clever enough to split his soul in two so that he could retain a part of it and slowly recover if he escaped danger."

"But he didn't expect that the reason the Ghost Market was Ghost Market was that there wouldn't be any loopholes for him to exploit. The moment he entered, everything was gone, and he became what he is now."

"After he came out, he instinctively wanted to find what was most important to him. He absorbed countless things related to the soul, and even absorbed the soul itself. But that's the rule of the Ghost Market. No matter how much you absorb, it will dissipate."

At this point, Rising Dusk King paused slightly.

Xu Bai frowned, connecting all the clues, and found that it seemed to be a real possibility.

When he summoned Liu Qingfeng, Liu Qingfeng was slowly absorbing his soul.

But no matter how much is absorbed, it's like a leaky, broken bottle; whatever is absorbed will be lost. This might be the reason why Liu Qingfeng entered the Ghost Market in the first place.

"The Prince just told me not to have too much contact with him. Could it be that it will have an impact?" Xu Bai asked.

The records in this book and what Rising Dusk King just said are all Liu Qingfeng's own actions, but they do not involve anyone else.

However Rising Dusk King told him not to have too much contact with Liu Qingfeng, Xu Bai guessed that there was more to the story.

Rising Dusk King nodded and asked in return, "How much do you know about the rules of the Ghost Market?"

Xu Bai shook his head, indicating that he knew very little.

He only went in twice, so he knows very little about it.

"Even though we don't know much, we all know that it's a terrible place," said Rising Dusk King.

"What's so scary isn't that the eeriness there is strong, but rather the rules. The reason I don't let you have too much contact with them is because no one can say for sure whether or not something will happen."

"Think about it, if you get involved for too long, you'll be dragged into it too. What will happen to your soul? You'll end up in the same state as him."

"Although there is no evidence to suggest that this will happen, it is better to be cautious and try not to have too much contact with him."

Xu Bai understood.

Although there are no precedents, we must be prepared for anything.

However, Xu Bai was not afraid of being dragged into the rules of the Ghost Market.

If he were to reach a certain level of strength and be able to protect himself, he would even be eager to be dragged into it.

Last time he was dragged in, his progress bar leveled up rapidly, and his cheat ability accelerated. If it happened again and accelerated even more, that would be incredibly satisfying.

Of course, he couldn't say these things, much less could he. He simply nodded to indicate that he understood and said that he would absolutely not have much contact with Liu Qingfeng.

Rising Dusk King breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing Xu Bai's answer.

There was no way around it; he could figure out what most people were thinking, but sometimes he just couldn't figure out what Xu Bai was thinking.

Because Xu Bai's ideas are sometimes too unconventional, call him unconventional or avant-garde.

This kind of thinking and personality is a good thing, after all, it won't make Xu Bai fall into a rigid and pedantic state, but sometimes it can also be a bad thing.

Therefore, as a senior, he had to remind Xu Bai that such a talented person must not be allowed to get into trouble.

"By the way, judging from your expression, it seems you have something to say. What is it?" Rising Dusk King had already said what he needed to say, and now he asked Xu Bai.

I noticed something was off about Xu Bai's expression earlier.

Xu Bai then changed the subject and asked about the Three Lives Mountain.

There are still dozens of progress bars waiting for him there, and he doesn't want to give up.

Moreover, there were elderly people with white hair there speculating about what would happen when resources were depleted, and he wanted to see for himself.

Upon hearing this, Rising Dusk King frowned deeply. "Three Lives Mountain, I've never heard of this name before. Could you describe its approximate shape to me?"

From an extremely distant era to the present, many names may have changed, so it's normal that Rising Dusk King didn't know them.

However, over such a long period of time, the characteristics of a mountain will not change much.

Xu Bai gave a general description.

If he were to find it himself, it would be a very difficult task, but it's different for Rising Dusk King.

When the Great Chu Kingdom was first established, Rising Dusk King led his army to traverse every corner of the land.

Therefore, the Deep Nether King should know these mountains and terrains better than he does.

"Towering into the clouds, with steep mountain paths?" Rising Dusk King fell into deep thought, as if recalling something. After a long while, he shook his head.

"If you say the mountain road is steep, many features fit your description, but if you're talking about towering peaks, the Great Chu Kingdom doesn't have that."

"In the Great Chu Kingdom, many mountains are not this high, and the terrain is not this complex. If you really want to find it, perhaps there are other places."

Other places?

Even the Great Chu Kingdom doesn't have it, so Xu Bai already knows very well what these so-called other places are.

"The Great Yue Kingdom? Or Barbarian Tribe?"

In this entire world, there are only these three kingdoms now, so apart from the Great Chu Kingdom, there are only two other factions left.

Rising Dusk King nodded and said, "The Great Yue Kingdom."

"The area under their jurisdiction is characterized by high mountains, dense forests, and many dangerous locations."

"If you're looking for mountains that soar into the clouds, that's the place to go."

He was telling the truth. After all, the geography of each country is different, and he couldn't conjure up a towering mountain for Xu Bai. If he really wanted to find one, he would have to go to the Great Yue Kingdom.

It's impossible for there to be Barbarian Tribe there; the terrain there is the simplest, just flat land.

Xu Bai fell into deep thought.

If that's the case, then he'll have no choice but to go to the Great Yue Kingdom. He's wondering if it's worth the trip.

After thinking it over carefully, I finally slapped my thigh and made the decision.

I'm off!

This thing involves dozens of progress bars and even the secrets of that era. He would feel like he was missing out if he didn't take a look.

Upon seeing Xu Bai's actions, Rising Dusk King already knew what Xu Bai was thinking.

"Are you really going? Do you know what kind of situation you'll face once you get there, given your current status?"

"Putting everything else aside, I think the strongest person in the Great Yue Kingdom would take action against you and take your life directly."

That's absolutely true. In the Great Chu Kingdom, almost no one dares to do anything to Xu Bai now. Even if they wanted to assassinate him, they wouldn't send any experts, since it's not certain whether they could even get past the Border Pass.

Therefore, in the Great Chu Kingdom, Xu Bai could walk around blindly without anyone bothering him.

The title of King Xu has become a reality in the Great Chu Kingdom. With this title, even the martial arts world of the Great Chu Kingdom will give him face.

As you know, back in the Buddhists, a single token was enough to silence all the monks.

But the Great Chu Kingdom is the Great Chu Kingdom. Once outside the Great Chu Kingdom, Xu Bai's various identities, when combined, are like having countless flags erected behind him.

It's practically announcing to everyone, "I'm here, come and kill me!"

Moreover, the Great Yue Kingdom would not care about his status and would be eager to kill him, causing the Great Chu Kingdom to lose an extremely important person.

Since everyone has already broken off relations, the reason why no fight has broken out is because no one is confident and no one wants to let a third party benefit.

So use underhanded tactics whenever possible, and target one person at a time.

Xu Bai smiled and said, "Disguise."

He took out the human skin mask from his pocket. It was left to him by the Thousand Faces Female Thief, and he originally intended to return it, but Xu Bai no longer wanted to.

This thing was so well-known that even Bai Zhong, the military genius of the Great Yue Kingdom, and Gu Mu Yin, the deputy leader of the Barbarian Tribe, didn't notice it when it was worn on their faces. It was truly an excellent treasure.

Therefore, Xu Bai has already made a plan: this time, he may need to change his identity.

"Please ask Your Prince and the Thousand Faces Female Thief to lend me this item for a while longer, and I will return it to him later," Xu Bai said.

Borrow it...

It's not like I'm taking it.

This request is not unreasonable.

Rising Dusk King into deep thought. After a long while, he slowly said, "There's no need to talk to him anymore. I agree. You can take it. It will be good for you to go outside, but you must be careful."

"I thought Your Prince would disagree, after all, my status is different now," Xu Bai said.

Rising Dusk King shook his head. "My thoughts are different from my brother's. I have always believed that when a true talent emerges, it is like an uncarved jade stone. It needs to be tempered by itself before it can shine with brilliant light."

"I told you a long time ago that you need to broaden your horizons and not just limit yourself to the Great Chu Kingdom. Right now, you are truly carefree within the Great Chu Kingdom, but if you want the whole world to fear you, you need to go out into the world."

"To have the world fear you sounds like a particularly lonely thing, but loneliness is better than death."

Xu Bai smiled, put the mask back on his face, and said, "After this trip, I need Your Prince's help with the follow-up matters. Also, please tell His Majesty that my whereabouts must be kept strictly confidential. I don't want to lose my life on this trip."

Rising Dusk King nodded in agreement.

Of course, they had to do these things well, after all, it was to save Xu Bai's life.

Rising Dusk King subconsciously asked, "Is that thing so important to you that you're willing to take such a big risk?"

He was just asking casually, and he wasn't trying to find out any secrets. If Xu Bai didn't want to talk about it, then so be it.

"It's very important," Xu Bai replied with absolute certainty.

A progress bar from a distant era, and secrets about resource depletion.

When the two are combined, taking a little risk is worthwhile.

He only said those three words and didn't explain anything further.

"When are you leaving?" Rising Dusk King asked.

Xu Bai thought for a moment and said, "Let's go tonight, travel light."

The sooner the better, so we can go and come back sooner.

Rising Dusk King didn't say anything more. Since Xu Bai had already made his decision, he didn't say anything more and just reported it to his superiors.

Of course, all of this has to wait until Xu Bai leaves. If we talk to the higher-ups now and wait for their instructions before letting Xu Bai Xu Bai, he probably won't be able to.

He knew his older brother best. His brother protected Xu Bai like a treasure. If he had really followed the rules, Xu Bai might not have been able to leave at all.

Of course, it will definitely make his older brother angry afterwards, and he might even curse at him, but that doesn't matter anymore.

A real man should stand firmly on the ground, with his head held high, leaving his mark on the world and making his name known far and wide. That is what a man should do.

What kind of man is it to cower in one place all day? Xu Bai left, and left decisively. Before leaving, he had changed his appearance and physique, and changed his clothes.

He left quietly, and no one knew. However, before he left, Rising Dusk King arranged a special place for him.

His current identity is no longer Xu Bai, but a traveling merchant who specializes in trading various goods between the Great Yue Kingdom and the Great Chu Kingdom.

Even during times of war, these traveling merchants still existed, so no one bothered to manage them.

Xu Bai didn't bring the first-grade puppet with him; that thing was just too conspicuous. An ordinary person could easily associate it with him after just one glance.

Anything that is similar to his previous identity could expose him, so Xu Bai tries to avoid it as much as possible.

A horse, a person.

He's not playing the role of the Transcendent Realm expert right now, so he has to bring a horse along.

His current light-loaded appearance evoked a sense of nostalgia, as if he had returned to the days when he galloped on horseback.

He didn't tell Chu Yu, after all, the fewer people who know about this, the better.

Enjoying the bumpy ride, Xu Bai continued on his journey and finally arrived at a small town on the Border Pass.

Merchants usually travel through this place, so Xu Bai also traveled to the Great Yue Kingdom from this place.

The inspections were extremely thorough, and the defenses here were very heavy; it could be said that this was the most heavily fortified place on the entire Border Pass.

Xu Bai didn't bring much this time, only a human skin and a book, both of which he obtained from the Ruins.

When inspected, I made up an excuse to cover up the two items.

He carried no goods, only a lot of money.

Xu Bai said he went out to purchase goods, not to sell them, so that makes sense.

He passed the inspection quickly.

It must be said that one thing played a crucial role during the inspection, Rising Dusk King gave him before he left.

A pill.

This pill can conceal his strength for about ten days, so even a highly skilled expert wouldn't be able to detect it.

However, the effects of the medicine will wear off after ten days, but it doesn't matter to Xu Bai.

At that time, finding any place and changing his identity would be a piece of cake for him.

Becoming an expert in this field is also a piece of cake.

He quickly passed the inspection and followed a hundred people toward the Great Yue Kingdom.

These are all traveling merchants, and they are all on business in the Great Yue Kingdom.

When it comes to things like crossing mountains and valleys, people naturally prefer to stick together. Xu Bai didn't want to show his unusual behavior, so he followed behind.

They didn't travel through the Shadow Courier Station, but through the official post station, since these people weren't businessmen, but just merchants.

The crowd was large, with some merchants carrying goods and carriages, others walking, and still others riding horses. Naturally, the crowd was divided into several groups due to the speed of movement.

Xu Bai, riding a horse, naturally walked with people who had horses and carriages.

Some carriages even hired people in the trade for protection. Money is a very important thing in this world, and even people in the trade are not immune to it.

Xu Bai followed silently on horseback. After all, it was an official post station, which was much more open and spacious than the Shadow Courier Station Post Station, which led through desolate and uninhabited places.

Some businessmen, because they frequently do this kind of business, are familiar with each other and chat in twos and threes.

Xu Bai didn't speak. His face was deep and inscrutable. Of course, it's normal for a businessman to have some unfamiliar faces.

His silence didn't mean no one was talking to him. Merchants are driven by profit, and at this time, most of those going to the Great Yue Kingdom were sellers, with very few purchasing.

Small quantities represent special items, let alone purchasing. If there's no profit, why bother purchasing?

Therefore, some shrewd businessmen set their sights on these people who came to make purchases, looking for opportunities to chat with them and try to find out some business opportunities.

"Brother, I've been on this road for so long and I've never seen you before. It seems this is your first time doing business like this." A middle-aged merchant dressed in fine silk and satin rode a horse beside Xu Bai.

Don't let the middle-aged businessman's portly appearance fool you; he's actually an excellent equestrian.

There are risks in doing anything, but even greater risks in business, the simplest being those mountain bandits who rob people on the way.

Sometimes, equestrian skills are essential for survival.

Xu Bai didn't want to pay attention, but due to his current status, he would occasionally agree. However, when it came to business opportunities, he would remain silent.

There's some ridiculous business opportunity, but these people are incredibly accurate. If I were to make one up myself, it would probably have flaws, so I'd better not mention it.

It's best not to bring it up at this time, since nobody wants their profits to slip away.

The middle-aged businessman was named Qian Lai, a very common name.

Seeing that Xu Fan didn't speak, he became interested and started talking non-stop.

They even guaranteed that if Xu Bai could reveal the details, their profits from this business partnership would definitely be higher than they are now.

Don't trust a businessman's words; they can talk the moon down from the sky. Xu Bai just agreed verbally, but there was no real progress.

Qian Lai was also puzzled. The young man in front of him didn't look very old, but he was extremely slick.

No matter how hard he tried to find out, he couldn't get any information, but the more he tried, the more interested he became.

It's in a businessman's nature to pursue profit, so of course he wouldn't let it go.

Qian Lai was still talking non-stop, and Xu Bai just listened to him for fun, driving his horse along as he went.

The speed is neither fast nor slow.

It was night when we left, and by then we had walked quite a distance, and it was already close to midnight.

The convoy ahead gradually came to a stop, and Xu Bai stopped as well.

The noise had stopped. Qian Lai for a long time, but seeing that Xu Bai remained silent, he stopped talking too.

As Xu Bai watched the convoy stop, wondering what was going on, he saw a woman step down from the most luxurious carriage.

The woman wore a bright green dress, her hair was piled up high and tied with a jade hairpin, making her look elegant and beautiful.

Xu Bai knew this woman; he had heard many people talk about her on the way here.

Zhong Ruqin, the eldest daughter of the Zhong Family.

The Zhong Family was a traveling merchant family that specialized in traveling Border Pass, but they were a wealthy family.

Even compared to some prominent families in Jing Prefecture, Prefecture, Province, and Circuit, this wealth is not small.

Unfortunately, they are not insiders in the industry, so they will always be of a lower status.

Zhong Ruqin was the eldest daughter of the Zhong family. She was already married to a court official.

But unexpectedly, on the very night of her marriage, before they could even consummate their marriage, the court official died.

After the coroner examined the body, it was discovered that the cause of death was a rapid heartbeat. Specifically, when the veil was lifted, Zhong Ruqin's face was seen.

After that, the official's family considered Zhong Ruqin an ominous sign and kicked her out of the house.

When Zhong Ruqin returned home, she was burdened with responsibilities, but she didn't take them seriously.

Although she had never had sexual relations with anyone before, she still kept her hair tied up high.

After facing various criticisms at home, she started a trading business.

Once, twice, three times, four times, he actually did it very well, turning all the previous accusations into nothing, and became the pillar of the family.

To be honest, in Xu Bai, Zhong Ruqin was indeed beautiful.

She had long, jet-black hair, almond-shaped eyes like water, arched eyebrows like clouds, and lips like cherries.

Her captivating gaze alone is enough to soothe the soul, and coupled with her mature demeanor, she is simply irresistible.

—It's very moisturizing, really moisturizing.

Xu Bai glanced at it a couple more times, then took out the book from his pocket and started reading.

Since he had stopped, he didn't ask any questions, knowing he would get an answer soon. Sure enough, Zhong Ruqin spoke slowly after getting off the train.

Her voice was soft and gentle, with a mature charm.

Once they're far away, no one can hear them, but Xu Bai's strength allows him to hear them clearly.

"It's getting late, and it's dangerous to walk on the main road. When I was traveling as a merchant, there was a dilapidated courtyard ahead where we could rest. Tell everyone to follow it."

Zhong Ruqin was speaking to a martial arts practitioner beside her. She had hired several such practitioners to protect her on this merchant journey.

The martial artist nodded, clasped his hands in a salute, and then slowly began to repeat his words.

When someone in the trade speaks, their voice naturally travels far, and everyone hears it.

No one present refused; after all, they were just ordinary people, and safety was the top priority.

Xu Bai felt he couldn't act strangely, so he just followed behind.

The convoy slowly set off again, traveling on the dark road, with the moonlight serving as its only source of illumination.

After walking for about half an hour, a dilapidated courtyard appeared ahead.

The courtyard was indeed dilapidated. From the outside, it looked like it had been abandoned for many years. Under the moonlight, even the gate was only half open.

Zhong Ruqin remained seated in the carriage, leading the way. When they reached their destination, the carriage stopped.

A servant carried a round stool and placed it underneath. Zhong Ruqin held onto the edge of the carriage, carefully stepped onto the stool, and got off.

The soft, sweet voice appeared again.

"This is where I have stayed many times. I'm glad I can get through the night and avoid the threat of jackals and tigers."

Everyone nodded. In this desolate wilderness, having a place to stay was already a blessing. Although there wasn't enough room for so many people, at least it wasn't in the woods.

Then everyone went inside, gathered in twos and threes, and started a bunch of bonfires.

The courtyard wasn't very big, and there were too many people.

The servants, grooms, and even the hired tradesmen stood guard outside, watching the goods or doing other tasks.

Xu Bai followed him inside, found a corner to sit down, and didn't join the others.

Qian Lai leaned closer and said, "Young man, why don't you go find a room?"

The courtyard was quite empty, without a roof over its head. But if you went inside, you could at least feel some warmth.

Xu Bai shook his head, politely declining, and then turned his gaze to Zhong Ruqin.

Zhong Ruqin wore a bright green cloak that tightly hugged her curvaceous figure, but the curves of her waist and back could be seen as she moved.

She didn't join the others, but went into the largest room.

No one present said anything, since everyone here was brought by them, and if we're talking about who's rich, the Zhong Family is indeed rich, so no one would dare to offend them, since there's no benefit in doing so.

Qian Lai noticed Xu Bai's gaze and mistakenly thought he had some filthy thoughts, so he couldn't help but laugh and say, "With your looks, if you could marry into the Zhong Family, you could marry a widow and still have a smooth life."

Xu Bai said, "You're overthinking it."

He fell silent after those four simple words.

Qian Lai been rebuffed, Qian Lai stopped talking, returned to his seat, leaned against the wall, and closed his eyes to sleep.

Xu Bai didn't sleep. He took out the book he got from the scorpion and slowly started reading.

He couldn't understand the text in the book; it was written in the Ruins, but that didn't stop the progress bar from growing.

The progress bar slowly increased, the moonlight grew brighter, and the darkness grew deeper.

In the largest room, the door was tightly closed, and a dim light was on.

Under the lamplight, a shadow was cast on the window of the door.

I went to the hospital to have my ear checked today, and after testing positive, my ear feels like it's stuffed with cotton.