"What was going on with this group?"
Elsewhere, in Donghua, a crowd had gathered around the spot where Qiu Yan and the others had originally been standing, pointing and gossiping.
At the center of the crowd stood a group of people—Qiu Yan, Qiu An, and the guards and guides. Yet they were all rooted to the spot, silent and motionless, most of them staring wide-eyed ahead.
"Where did these people come from? Judging by their attire, they're no ordinary folk."
The scene was quite strange, but coupled with the bearing Qiu Yan carried, even those nearby who noticed them did not dare approach too closely.
Many of these people were wandering martial artists resting in the town ahead, while others were simply local residents. Drawn by the group's strange behavior, they had gathered here.
The difference was that, in Qiu Yan and the others' previous experience, a mountain that had appeared out of nowhere, along with a yard-high jade wall before it, had blocked their path. But now, the road before them was perfectly ordinary. Let alone a mountain, there was not even the slightest obstacle in sight.
Only the village in the distance remained bustling, with people constantly passing through.
This was because war had flared up again in the east, and the Heavenly Stars and Earthly Fiends Bandits had sent out hero invitations far and wide, calling on heroes from across the land to resist tyranny and uphold justice on Heaven's behalf. Thus, anyone in the martial world with even a little fame, a little skill, or a thirst for renown had come flocking in response. Ze Prefecture lay at the crossroads; many heroes, swordsmen, and wandering champions from the Central Passes, Three Jin, and even the Grasslands beyond the frontier passed through this place. In recent days,