Beyond the Divine Capital's southern gate, there were even fewer travelers on the official road than Fang Mo had expected.
The autumn wind swept yellow dust in from the wilderness. The roadside post station's doors were shut tight, its windows nailed over with wooden strips, and the horse dung scattered outside had dried white.
Nian Nu'er walked half a step behind Fang Mo on his left, her deep-blue eyes sweeping over the abandoned post station.
"After the mutiny, the trade route between the Divine Capital and the Eastern Wasteland was cut off."
Fang Mo said nothing, tapping a finger against the hilt of the God Slaying Saber at his waist.
"Are we heading to the Eastern Wasteland first, my lord?"
"It's on the way."
Fang Mo kept walking, his gaze settling on a fork in the official road a hundred zhang ahead.
A stone tablet stood at the fork, engraved with two directions: left for the Eastern Wasteland Daoist Land, right for the East Sea ferry crossing.
"The Guixu Demon Abyss lies at the far end of the East Sea. We'll have to travel by sea."
Nian Nu'er caught up, her voice very low.
"But the Eastern Wasteland is on the way. We can't avoid the territory of the Dao Sect Three Palaces."
Fang Mo grunted in acknowledgment.
"Qing Xuzi still hasn't given me everything he owes."
"Weren't the rubbings from the first three floors of the Scripture Pavilion already delivered to the Heavenly Prison?"
"They were, but I never said that settled our accounts."
The corners of Nian Nu'er's lips curved, and she asked no more.
They followed the official road to the left for most of the day, until the sun had shifted from overhead to the west.
The road ahead was blocked.
Not by rocks or a