Ning Xiaochuan asked curiously, "What kind of place is Dark Emperor City?"
Though Gou Sheng's cultivation was not high, he was a know-it-all. "Dark Emperor City is right beneath our feet, but ordinary people can neither see nor touch it. It is an extremely mysterious place."
Ning Xiaochuan was still quite puzzled. Wasn't this the Imperial City of the Yulan Empire? Could there really be another city beneath the ground?
Yu Yan's lips moved slightly. After hesitating for a moment, she said, "I... know a little about it."
Ning Xiaochuan and Gou Sheng both fixed their eyes on her.
Yu Yan said somewhat timidly, "The Imperial City we can see is actually only its surface. This city has another side—the dark side. There are many places unknown to others, many unseen dealings: brothels, Underground Casinos, Assassin Guilds, Underground Auction Houses, Underground Martial Arenas, swindlers, thieves, great bandits, prostitutes, criminals walking the streets... and so on. More or less, all these people are connected to a mysterious dark organization."
"It is like sunlight shining down upon the earth. The places touched by sunlight are the world we can see. The places sunlight does not reach are the Dark World, also the world we cannot see."
"This dark organization rules everything beneath the Imperial City and has existed for several hundred years. Even some princes' and marquises' residences have deep ties to it. This vast dark organization is known as—Dark Emperor City."
"So, Dark Emperor City is not actually a city. It refers to a vast and mysterious dark organization."
"Dark Emperor City's power is immense. It can even use its hidden influence to sway the will of the court. The court has always wanted to destroy it, but Dark Emperor City has become deeply rooted over hundreds of years. It was established almost at the very founding of the Yulan Empire. Even the court's power finds it difficult to pull it out by the roots."
"The court even sent troops to clear out the industries under Dark Emperor City's control. Yet after every major purge, Dark Emperor City would rise again within a few years and reclaim its position as ruler of the Imperial City's Dark World. One could even say that it ruled the realm alongside the court; only, its methods could not bear the light of day and were unknown to ordinary people."
Ning Xiaochuan said, "Then why doesn't the court directly destroy Dark Emperor City's nest and kill all of its rulers? Wouldn't Dark Emperor City collapse on its own?"
Yu Yan gently shook her head. "It's difficult! Dark Emperor City's headquarters is extremely well-hidden, and it changes constantly. The great figures in the court probably do not even know who Dark Emperor City's Undead City Lord is, much less where its headquarters can be found."
Especially when she mentioned the name "Undead City Lord," fear appeared in her eyes. She lowered her voice, as if speaking too loudly would allow the Undead City Lord to hear her and bring calamity upon herself.
Although this was Ning Xiaochuan's first time hearing the legends of Dark Emperor City, he could still sense the immense power of that mysterious dark organization. Looking in the direction the army had departed, he said, "This time, the court has dispatched both Dragon Elephant Divine Martial and Divine Dragon Warriors. Perhaps they truly found Dark Emperor City's nest. A heaven-shaking, earth-shattering battle may be unavoidable."
Three-Fingered Lin had been silently listening to them all along. Only now did he let out a faint snort. "Not necessarily. Dragon Elephant Divine Martial and the Scarlet Armor Battalion are making such a huge commotion as they go to besiege Dark Emperor City's nest. If I were Dark Emperor City's Big Boss, I would have long since oiled the soles of my feet and fled."
"The court's army may be powerful, but after several hundred years of easy living, it has long rotted to the core. I dare guarantee that even among the troops going to besiege them now, there are definitely people from Dark Emperor City. With such flowery showpieces, they still want to besiege Dark Emperor City? They can wait to eat shit!"
He actually called Dragon Elephant Divine Martial and the Divine Dragon Warriors flowery showpieces. This blind fortune-teller's mouth was truly not small.
Gou Sheng said, "Tch, ignore him. Three-Fingered Lin just loves bragging. Benefactor, let's go find the tree!"
Ning Xiaochuan did not think Three-Fingered Lin was wrong. Instead, he felt that his words made considerable sense. Perhaps he was an extraordinary man.
But right now, Ning Xiaochuan only wanted to find the Blood Toad Wood as quickly as possible. He did not ask anything further and followed Gou Sheng toward the outskirts of the market.
"Gou Sheng, where are you going? Your glabella is darkened—I fear there may be an ill omen. Don't stumble into somewhere you shouldn't go!" Three-Fingered Lin called after them.
"Ignore him. Besides bragging, Three-Fingered Lin has no other skills. Yesterday, he also said my glabella was darkened, but nothing fucking happened," Gou Sheng said.
Ning Xiaochuan, Gou Sheng, and Yu Yan had already left Nanshan Village.
Ning Xiaochuan asked, "It seems you are quite familiar with this Master Huang. Who is he?"
"A neighbor. That old fellow is close with my grandfather and often comes to my home to cheat food and drink. I heard he used to muddle around in the military camp when he was younger, but then he suffered a crushing defeat. His eyes went blind, and seven of his fingers were severed. After that, he left the army and came to Nanshan Village to swindle people. He claims to tell fortunes, but he is really just cheating people out of money," Gou Sheng said.
Yu Yan said, "Brother Gou Sheng, earlier you said you had asked him to calculate an auspicious day for business before coming to my young master to sell leaves. If he is cheating people for money, weren't you cheating us as well?"
Gou Sheng's expression immediately became somewhat unnatural, and he looked quite embarrassed. "Miss... could you not call me Gou Sheng? That is only my childhood nickname. My proper name is 'Murong Wushuang.' If you do not mind, you may call me 'Young Master Wushuang.'"
Yu Yan looked at Gou Sheng's ragged appearance and messy hair. She simply could not connect him with the name "Murong Wushuang." Her beautiful eyes stared at him for a long while before she burst into laughter.
Ning Xiaochuan had known all along that Murong Wushuang was deceiving him, but he had not taken it to heart at all. If Murong Wushuang did not deceive him, how could Ning Xiaochuan make him obediently lead the way to the Blood Toad Wood?
"Where is our destination?" Ning Xiaochuan asked.
"Nanyue Mountain," Murong Wushuang said.
"I have an Azure Deer Carriage. You can drive it. It should be much faster that way."
Ning Xiaochuan and Yu Yan boarded the Azure Deer Carriage and sat inside.
Murong Wushuang sat outside instead. He picked up the driver's whip and lashed the Azure Deer Horse across the rump. The Azure Deer Horse immediately raced away like an arrow leaving the bowstring.
Inside the carriage, Ning Xiaochuan sat on a soft couch woven from snowy gauze silkworm silk, while Yu Yan knelt below and warmed his tea. Her slender, snow-white fingers held a Glazed Tea Cup. She wiped it clean with a silk handkerchief, poured in steaming tea, and only presented it to Ning Xiaochuan after it had cooled by three or four parts.
Ning Xiaochuan held the fragrant Cattail Leaf Tea but did not drink it immediately. "Yu Yan, you know so much about Dark Emperor City. Is it because Jade Viewing Pavilion is one of Dark Emperor City's properties?"
Yu Yan was still very young, one or two years younger than Ning Xiaochuan. Her skin was delicate, and her figure slender. Though she did not possess Yu Ningsheng's ethereal, otherworldly air, she carried the freshness of a girl next door.
She lightly pursed her rosy lips and hesitated for a moment. "Jade Viewing Pavilion can establish itself in the Imperial City only because a vast power supports it from behind. Whether that power is Dark Emperor City is hard to say, but it must have no small connection with Dark Emperor City. To be precise, every brothel in the Imperial City must be connected to Dark Emperor City. Otherwise, none could establish itself in the Imperial City."
Ning Xiaochuan nodded gently. An organization like Dark Emperor City was an enormous beast. For now, he did not dare provoke it and had merely asked in passing.
Nanshan Village was called Nanshan Village because this Bianji lay beside Nanyue Mountain.
As the saying went, those who live by the mountains live off the mountains; those who live by the water live off the water.
Nanyue Mountain was thick with forests and filled with perilous peaks and deep valleys, nurturing quite a few rare Mysterious Medicines.
The poor residents of Nanshan Village all went into Nanyue Mountain to search for Mysterious Medicine. If they found a single stalk, they could live off it for an entire year.
Of course, Nanyue Mountain's terrain was dangerous, and fierce beasts and Mysterious Beasts often appeared there. Ordinary people truly did not dare venture deep into the mountains, or their lives would be in danger.
At the foot of Nanyue Mountain, the Azure Deer Carriage stopped. There was no longer any main road, so they could only enter the mountain on foot. The carriage was left in a village at the foot of the mountain.
"The roads on Nanyue Mountain are difficult, and the place we are going is already near its depths. It will probably take two days to get there. Tonight and tomorrow night, we will have to sleep in the mountains," Murong Wushuang said. He carried a large bundle of food freshly bought from the village on his back and held a woodcutting blade as he walked through the forest, cutting through thorns and brambles to clear a path for Ning Xiaochuan.
Ning Xiaochuan also carried a bundle and followed behind at an unhurried pace.
As for Yu Yan, because Ning Xiaochuan feared they might encounter danger in Nanyue Mountain, he had her remain in the village for now.
The trees in the mountains were simply too dense. Ning Xiaochuan did not know how far they had traveled. He only knew that they crossed a stretch of forest, climbed a cliff face, and passed a lake. By the time darkness fell, they had likely covered only a little over sixty li.
That was only because both he and Murong Wushuang were physically strong enough to move so quickly. If Yu Yan had entered the mountains with them, they would probably have traveled only seven or eight li by now.
Martial artists possessed physical strength many times greater than ordinary people, so naturally their speed was much faster.
Along the way, Ning Xiaochuan had also realized that this youth named Murong Wushuang was actually a martial arts expert who hid his abilities deeply. His cultivation was no lower than Ning Xiaochuan's.
Ning Xiaochuan began to grow cautious. He knew how treacherous people's hearts were in this world. If Murong Wushuang killed him in these deep mountains, all the Silver Coin on his person would surely be looted clean.