"Lu Banner Sergeant."
The curtain of the carriage was opened again, revealing Eunuch Li's face that showed neither joy nor anger.
His high-pitched voice broke the silence during the march, "You are young, and you are cruel to others, but you are even more cruel to yourself. That fatal blow just now was really impressive. Over the years our family has been in the palace, we have seen young talents like crucian carp crossing the river. There are only a handful of young talents who can do what you do."
Lu Chen slowly opened his eyes, the bloodshot eyes had not yet faded away.
He turned his head and nodded slightly towards the carriage window, "My father-in-law is ridiculous. In a desperate situation, a rabbit can still fly like an eagle. Lu is just looking for a glimmer of hope, nothing special."
"A glimmer of hope?" Eunuch Li twitched the corner of his mouth with a smile, and lightly tapped the edge of the car window with the dust fly in his hand, "The murderous aura from your glimmer of hope is so cold that even though we are so far away from home, we can't even feel it. My soul is chilled. This kind of method is not something that Armory in a small place like Nanling Prefecture can pick up casually. Lu Banner Sergeant, there are some things that are very hot to hold."
Lu Chen's heart was ringing with alarm, but a wry smile that was mixed with fear and exhaustion appeared on his face at the right moment, "I'll be honest with you, father-in-law, that fragment... the price is extremely high."
He raised his hand and caressed his still pale cheek seemingly unintentionally, "If you use it forcefully, your soul will almost break and your meridians will be destroyed. Unless it is absolutely necessary, I will never dare to use it a second time. It is said to be a life-saving trump card, but in fact it is no different from a life-saving charm."
Eunuch Li squinted his eyes, like a poisonous snake examining the reality of its prey, savoring every word in Lu Chen's words.
After a long while, he spoke slowly, "Whether it's a fragment or a complete inheritance, if you can kill half a step Xiantian, that's your ability. But..."
He changed the subject and lowered his voice, "Nanling Prefecture's water is murky, Capital City's water is deeper and turbid. If your skills were spread, more than one Ye Family would be concerned. When the time comes, trouble will automatically come to your door."
"It is precisely because the road ahead is difficult and dangerous that the younger generation needs father-in-law's guidance even more."
Lu Chen took the opportunity to bring the topic to the core, with a sincere tone, "Capital City Dragons and snakes are mixed, and all forces are intertwined. Lu is like a blind man touching an elephant, not knowing the depth. I hope that my father-in-law will not hesitate to teach me which is the dragon pool and which is the tiger's den, so that the younger generation will not make mistakes and die without a burial place."
This seemingly humble request for advice obviously scratched some kind of itch in Eunuch Li.
His skinny fingers tapped lightly on the window frame, making a regular "click" sound, as if weighing.
"Capital City, it's easy to say." Eunuch Li finally spoke again, speaking slowly, "Let's just say that the Demon Suppression Division headquarters you are going to is peaceful on the outside, but on the inside, there are mainly three streams of water that are stirring it up."
"Want to hear the details."
"The first one is the prince party. Behind it stands the man from the East Palace. There is no shortage of resources and a strong momentum, but the foundation is still shallow and there are many people who are eager for quick success."
"Second, the Aristocratic Clan sect. Most of them are descendants of wealthy families who have been inherited for hundreds of years. Their network of connections is intricate and they pay attention to blood and rules. They are very exclusive."
"Third, the veteran faction. A group of old monsters with half their feet in the coffin board. They usually do not fight for power or gain. They seem aloof, but the real core of the Demon Suppression Division - such as the Wanling Pavilion that stores countless miraculous skills and secrets and treasures of the past, is firmly in their hands."
"Myriad Spirit Pavilion..." Lu Chen repeated in a low voice, with a trace of longing in his eyes.
"That's right, Myriad Spirit Pavilion." Eunuch Li caught his look and smiled meaningfully, "Some of the things in there are even our family can only covet. Lu Banner Sergeant, if you want to visit Demon Suppression Division To truly gain a foothold in, rather than being used as a weapon, Myriad Spirit Pavilion is a hurdle you cannot get around. But, if you want to get something from the fingers of those old monsters, potential alone is not enough, you have to come up with a real price tag. Moreover, not everyone can bear the backlash of some things."
"The price..." Lu Chen nodded thoughtfully and did not continue to ask further questions. Instead, he asked, "In addition to Demon Suppression Division, Capital City, what other forces or individuals need special attention?"
Eunuch Li seems to be getting more and more interested in talking, and continues to talk about everything.
"The Xungui Group, those Wuhou Lords, hold military power, and Demon Suppression Division have never been able to deal with each other very well, and frictions occur from time to time."
"Heavenly Secrets Pavilion, a group of rats who are obsessed with money, claim to know everything and sell all kinds of information, but it is difficult to tell the truth from the false, so be careful of being deceived. There are also some old monsters who live alone, such as Ghostly Shadow Liu Sanniang, who are said to be able to kill people in the midst of thousands of troops and appear elusive. If you don't want your head to move when you sleep one day, you'd better stay away from her..."
His voice became lower and lower as he spoke, and finally it almost turned into a breathy sound, entering Lu Chen's ears. "Remember, Lu Banner Sergeant, Capital City is a place that specializes in cannibalism. Your life is very valuable now, but it is because of its value that it is easier to break."
The setting sun stretched the silhouette of the motorcade into a long silhouette.
Lu Chen silently carved every name and force into his mind.
He clearly realized that he was heading towards a vortex that was far larger and more dangerous than Nanling Prefecture.
In the evening, a three-story post station appeared at the end of the official road. The three gilt characters Capital View Tower on the plaque were dazzling in the afterglow of the setting sun.
The lobby of the inn was brightly lit and bustling with people. Business travelers, porters, and people from all walks of life gathered together. The noise was mixed with the smell of sweat, alcohol, and the aroma of food.
Lu Chen found a corner to sit down against the wall, ordered a pot of the most ordinary coarse tea, and looked around casually.
Soon, his eyes were attracted by a huge <Nanling Prefecture Trade Route Map> hanging on the wall.
The map uses cinnabar and ink lines to mark the specialties, main routes and passes in detail.
His eyes suddenly focused and landed on an inconspicuous location in the northwest corner of the map.
There is a place named Blackstone Gorge marked there, with a note in small letters next to it. "Former military transfer station, abandoned for more than a hundred years."
And the end point pointed to by the animal skin map in Elder Ye's storage ring is actually this Blackstone Gorge!
Lu Chen's heart skipped a beat, and a chill silently climbed up his spine.
A military fortress that has been abandoned for hundreds of years...Ye Family Second Elder's secret map... This is no coincidence!
At this moment, a slightly fat middle-aged man wearing the clothes of an inn steward passed by the Lu Chen table carrying wine and food.
I don't know what happened. He stumbled suddenly. The tray in his hand tilted, and half a bowl of turbid wine splashed onto Lu Chen's sleeves.
"Ouch! I'm sorry! I'm sorry, sir! Damn this little guy! He's blind!" The steward hurriedly put down the tray, his face filled with exaggerated flattery and panic, and he apologized repeatedly.
Lu Chen raised his eyes, his gaze fell on his face calmly, his voice was not high, but it carried a coldness that penetrated the hustle and bustle. "Steward, did you do this on purpose?"
The smile on the steward's face suddenly froze, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead at a speed visible to the naked eye. There was a slight tremor in his voice. "Sir, sir, you are joking! You can't even borrow the courage of a villain! The villain just... just slipped under his feet and couldn't stand firmly..."
Lu Chen said nothing, just looked at him quietly.
The air seemed to freeze for a few seconds.
Lu Chen picked up the teacup, gently blew away the foam, and spoke in a calm tone, as if he was chatting. "Blackstone Gorge... That place has been abandoned for hundreds of years, right? Is anyone still going there now?"
The three words Blackstone Gorge were like thunder, exploding in the manager's ears.
His whole body trembled violently, his face turned as pale as paper, his lips trembled, and his eyes were filled with extreme fear, as if he had heard some life-threatening curse and could not utter a single word.
Lu Chen put down the tea cup, his eyes still fell on the steward's face, and his voice was a little colder. "It seems that you know something that you shouldn't know. I'm afraid your legs are not able to walk on the road to Blackstone Gorge. Tonight, you just stay in the inn and don't go anywhere. Think carefully about what to say and what to say, which will rot in your stomach forever."
The steward seemed to have had all his strength drained away, his legs softened, and he almost collapsed to the ground.
Lu Chen stopped looking at him and looked out the window at the increasingly dense night.
"Lu Banner Sergeant?" Eunuch Li's unique high-pitched voice sounded next to him again. At some point, he had arrived at the table with a playful smile on his face, "What are you looking at so fascinatedly? Is there some rare scenery in this wilderness station?"
Lu Chen looked away, his face had returned to its previous calmness, but deep in his eyes, a cold sharp light flashed away. He picked up the tea cup, took a sip, and said lightly, "It's nothing, I just feel that the wine in this inn is probably a little too mixed with water."