Encountering Duan De

A month later, after traveling on and off, Chen Yu, Ye Fan, and Zhang Sanfeng finally arrived at the capital of Yan Kingdom.

After a month of effort, Chen Yu and the others could already speak exactly like the locals and no longer had to worry about anyone noticing anything unusual.

Over the past month, they had also witnessed the cruelty of the cultivation world: lackeys of Blessed Land disciples bullying men and women and committing every evil imaginable; friends turning against each other over resources; shameless people pushing their companions out to save their own lives; and...

Of course, they had also encountered bandits blocking the road. If the three of them had not been fairly capable, they might already have been separated from their heads.

The capital of Yan Kingdom had a long history. Since ancient times, it had been the center of this region and had repeatedly become the core area of dynastic change.

The blade marks and sword holes on the ancient city walls silently told of the brutality of changing dynasties.

Because Yan Kingdom was close to the Ancient Forbidden Land, there were many cultivators there. As the political center of Yan Kingdom, its capital naturally had no shortage of cultivators, and where there were cultivators, there were bound to be places for trade.

Yan Capital was extremely bustling. The cries of peddlers and porters, the rumble of carriage wheels, and the delighted laughter of children all reached Chen Yu's ears.

"Candied hawthorn! Sweet and sour candied hawthorn!"

"Buns! Hot, steaming buns!"

"Flatbread! Flatbread! Freshly baked flatbread!"

"Tofu! Hot tofu! Tender, fragrant, and filling!"

Listening to the vendors' cries around him, Chen Yu's stomach growled traitorously.

Since his stomach had sent him a signal, he naturally could not mistreat it. He looked at Ye Fan and Zhang Sanfeng, and after seeing them nod, he began visiting all manner of snack stalls. They did not leave until they were completely satisfied.

After eating and drinking their fill, Chen Yu and the other two planned to head to where cultivators gathered and ask what had been happening recently, but a sudden voice stopped them.

"Three brothers, wait a moment."

A portly middle-aged man dressed in Taoist robes blocked the path of Chen Yu and the others.

"This poor Taoist sees that all three of you are blessed with great fortune. I have a great opportunity here that I wish to share with you. Would you be willing to cooperate?"

A great opportunity?

Chen Yu, Ye Fan, and Zhang Sanfeng exchanged looks. Could they really run into something so good right after entering the city?

Still, one did not strike a smiling face. Chen Yu politely asked, "May I ask how to address you, Daoist?"

The plump middle-aged Taoist humbly replied, "This poor Taoist is Duan De, merely an unknown nobody. I must have made you laugh, little brother."

Chen Yu and the other two felt their hearts skip a beat, but their expressions did not change in the slightest.

Damn it, could this be that unscrupulous Taoist Duan De who excelled at cheating, swindling, and trickery?!

Their luck was truly awful. They had run into this scammer the moment they entered the city.

As they responded to Duan De, Chen Yu and the others discussed how to handle the situation in the Chat Group.

[Chen Yu: Our luck isn't very good. We ran into this scammer as soon as we arrived in Yan Capital.]

[Ye Fan: Should we agree to it? Everyone, give your opinion.]

[Zhang Sanfeng: This poor Taoist believes we can. He may be a cheat, but he is familiar with this place.]

[Chen Yu: I think so too. He may be a cheat, but he has real skills. We should be fine if we're careful. Besides, Ye Fan definitely won't be in any danger. If things get dangerous, True Man Zhang and I can just leave.]

[Xiao Yan: What are you talking about? Have you left the Ancient Forbidden Land?]

[Ye Fan: Yes, we have already left the Ancient Forbidden Land. Right now...]

Ye Fan explained their situation to everyone.

"Fine. The three of us will follow you for the time being, Daoist. We just arrived here and are unfamiliar with the place, so we hope you will look after us."

"Of course, of course. This poor Taoist will certainly take good care of you."

Duan De smiled, inwardly delighted. He had finally roped in three unlucky fools.

"Daoist, you should be quite familiar with this place, right? Show us around and broaden our horizons."

"This Yan Capital is merely a city of Mortals, and there are not many cultivators here. There is nothing worth seeing. This poor Taoist heard that a Great Emperor Tomb has appeared in a stretch of ruins. I will take you there to broaden your horizons."

A Great Emperor Tomb?

Could it be the Qing Emperor Tomb of the Demon Race?!

Ye Fan had already spent more than half a year in the Ancient Forbidden Land, yet the Qing Emperor Tomb still had not been opened? Were the ancient aristocratic clans really this useless?

Chen Yu glanced at Ye Fan. Could it be that the Demon Emperor Tomb would remain unopened until they found someone to nurture the Demon Emperor Heart?

[Chen Yu: Ye Fan, could this Demon Emperor Tomb be waiting for you? Does the Demon Race really not have any prodigies capable of nurturing the Demon Emperor Heart?]

[Ye Fan: I don't know. Let's go take a look.]

[Ye Fan: I suspect that fat Duan De may have already seen through my physique. Maybe he'll end up selling me to the Demon Race after all.]

[Chen Yu: That would be perfect. Wouldn't that continue your romantic fate?]

[Ye Fan: Heh heh, let fate take its course. Everything will follow fate.]

"Fine, we'll follow you, Daoist, and see the world."

They had come out to gain experience, so naturally they would not linger in this city of Mortals.

"Good. Let's go."

Duan De was overjoyed and led the three out of the city.

After leaving the city, Duan De took out something that looked like a pot lid. He muttered an incantation, and the lid rapidly expanded.

"Get on. We need to hurry. If we arrive too late, we may not even get any soup."

Hearing this, Chen Yu and the other two leaped onto the lid.

Chen Yu tapped the lid with his hand. This should be the lid of the Heaven-Swallowing Demon Jar. It would be great if he could trick Duan De into giving it to him.

[Ye Fan: Brother Chen wants this lid?]

[Chen Yu: Of course. Don't you want it? It's an Emperor Weapon.]

[Chen Yu: I hope we can get a few decent treasures in the Demon Emperor Tomb. Then I'll try to trade with that dead fat man for the lid.]

[Chen Yu: True Man Zhang, if there's danger, hide behind Duan De. Don't be embarrassed about it.]

[Zhang Sanfeng: All right, this old Taoist understands.]

Duan De was very fast. An hour later, they entered the Primitive Ruins.

They did not stop at the outskirts and continued flying deeper into the ruins.

In the end, Duan De stopped at a place relatively close to the core area. If they went any farther, they would encounter the elders of the various Blessed Lands, and flying was no longer suitable.

After landing, Chen Yu and the other two tacitly stayed half a step behind Duan De, leaving him at the front. If danger came, it would find him first.

This sight made Duan De's mouth twitch. These three bastards.

Duan De took several deep breaths, then said to them, "Three brothers, this is the tomb of the Azure Emperor. Aren't you curious?"

"Daoist, we know our strength is lacking, so we won't push forward. It will be enough to follow behind you and watch."

"There are many treasures here. Don't you want to take a few?"

"No. We wouldn't be able to keep them."

After that exchange, Chen Yu and the other two remained completely unmoved. Duan De was so angry he wanted to curse. He wanted a few unlucky fools, some stepping stones to scout the way, not three stubborn leeches following behind him.

Before they realized it, the four of them arrived at a desolate place. Not a blade of grass grew there; it was nothing but scorched earth.

The moment they entered, Duan De's expression became much more solemn. He no longer had the mood to persuade Chen Yu and the others. "Be careful. There is something unusual here."

Hearing this, Chen Yu and the other two also became vigilant, though they still stuck closely behind Duan De to prevent this bastard from abandoning them and fleeing alone.

Chen Yu did not trust Duan De in the slightest. After realizing that the three of them would not obey him, this immoral bastard might very well abandon them and run.

"Who's there?"

Duan De suddenly shouted toward the right. Chen Yu and the other two immediately stared in that direction warily.

After a long while, there was no movement. The three turned to look at Duan De, but he was nowhere to be seen. The spot where he had just been standing was empty, and Duan De himself had vanished without a trace.

"Damn it, that guy still got away."

Chen Yu and the other two had no choice. With their protective talisman gone, they could only rely on themselves.