Jiangnan Gongyang raised the banner and raced eight hundred li to save his wife

The Jiangbei Wasteland is bordered by the sea to the north and the Desert to the south.

To the East lies Northbank City.

To the West lies Flat City.

Further south of the Desert, a Great River flows down from the distant sky, following the edge of the Desert and emptying into the Sea.

South of the Great River lies Jiangnan.

To the north lies Jiangbei.

North of the Great River, as far as the eye can see, there are Desert piled with sand and barren Wasteland with cracked ground, while to the south of the Great River are fertile plains and vast Forest full of vitality.

On resources.

The Jiangnan is much richer than the Jiangbei.

In terms of City, there are several famous cities in the Jiangnan, but there isn't a single decent City in the Jiangbei.

Therefore, Jiangnan has always looked down on Jiangbei, referring to it as a poor and remote place.

And at this time -

Two people stood atop the highest tree in a Forest in Jiangnan.

One was dressed in Green Robe, and the other in Hemp Robe.

What should I call you?

"The Jiangbei Old Devil?"

"Or... do you have a name you can say?"

The Elderly Man, dressed in Hemp Robe, had a full head of silver hair, and his face was covered with wrinkles that revealed his vicissitudes. He gazed calmly at the horizon and said...

The Jiangnan Rainy Season did not arrive early.

The weather was fine and sunny.

But looking into the distance, large swaths of dark clouds seemed to be descending as punishment from the gods, covering the area north of the Jiangbei.

Before the Green-Robed Man could reply...

The Elderly Man continued speaking slowly.

"The City below is called 'Hidden City,' a legacy laid down by our Ancestors. The name signifies our intention to preserve ourselves in this world and remain hidden until the Eternal Night's Passing."

"The Eternal Night descended hundreds of years ago; there was no Eternal Night before that. Whatever its cause, it will eventually fade away."

"Eternal Night is an accident, not the norm."

"The highest-level 'Life Workshop' in the city is already at level 7, fully capable of crafting exquisite and luxurious Clothing, but all members of our 'Jiangnan Gongyang' clan still wear Hemp Robe, just to constantly remind ourselves of this."

"This world is no longer our world."

"It's a world of Strange Entities."

Even if we seem to possess power, we are still Unbreakable in the face of a major crisis. All we can do is survive like ants, instead of flitting around like fleas, thinking we've jumped a little higher.

When you look up at the sky.

"You'll find that the height you're so proud of jumping is almost negligible compared to the sky."

"There are still two weeks left."

"The Jiangnan is also about to enter the Rainy Season."

"You need to take my daughter to Jiangbei in two and a half months, Winter Season."

Do you know what that means?

That means my only daughter, the sole heir of the "Jiangnan Gongyang" Family, might die in Jiangbei.

The Green-Robed Man, standing on a treetop with a dog's tail dangling from his mouth, shook his head with a nonchalant smile and said, "I didn't want her to come along either. It's inconvenient to have a woman by your side when you're killing people. You should persuade her to stay in the city and not wander off."

After a long silence, the Hemp-Robed Elder spoke softly.

I don't know your name, and I don't want to know your name.

"But"

Last night, my daughter told me very seriously that she wanted to go with you, even if it meant dying in Jiangbei.

"I have never seen her so resolute."

"Many Family fight tooth and nail over inheritance. I don't want my Family to become like that after I die. Over the years, I've eliminated all the unstable factors, and the Gongyang Clan is now extremely united."

"If you'd like to stay."

"You can take over the Gongyang Clan. Just change your child's surname to 'Gongyang' and inherit the Gongyang Clan. These days, bloodlines are actually useless; they're just a way to bring people together for mutual support."

Don't rush to refuse.

"I know you're a martial arts fanatic."

The Elderly Man paused for a moment before continuing, "Every power has its secrets, Gongyang Clan is no exception. Deep within the Hidden City lies a... Training Room."

"As long as you stay."

"You may use this Training Room as you see fit. It's not too late to seek revenge after you have completely gained control of the Gongyang Clan."

The Green-Robed Man, who had been smiling the whole time, suddenly narrowed his eyes and turned around uncontrollably to look down at the City hidden in the Forest behind him, revealing a loss of composure he had never seen before.

Training Room!

A faction with Training Room can attract countless people to join it if the news is leaked!

Buildings that possess Training Room are invariably belonging to renowned and powerful forces. Although the Gongyang Clan is not weak, they are not worthy of having Training Room.

"How?"

The Elderly Man chuckled upon seeing this, "Not many people use this Training Room. After all, our strength hasn't reached its bottleneck yet, so we don't need Training Room for the time being."

The most cost-effective way to develop your faction General Strange stones onto buildings.

However, there will be various limitations as the building is upgraded. You need to collect all kinds of rare Exotic Treasure Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures to upgrade the building. When the building can't be upgraded and you can't spend the Eerie Stone, that's when the Training Room comes in handy.

"I don't really understand you martial arts fanatics."

"You are now a level 9 Cultivator."

"Not to mention Jiangbei, even in the entire Jiangnan, this is a very good Cultivation."

"But one"

So what?

"My City Wall below has a total of 48 level Level-5 Cannon Tower. Do you dare to take the attack of any one of them head-on?"

You can't handle it.

"To accept this is to die."

"The only purpose of Cultivator is to become an extension of the Family after leaving the Family territory, but that doesn't matter. As long as you're willing to stay, this Training Room is yours."

After a long while, the Green-Robed Man finally managed to tear his gaze away from the City hidden in the Forest behind him, meeting the Elderly Man's eyes. After a pause, he suddenly laughed, "No, thank you."

You're mistaken. I'm not actually a martial arts fanatic.

"I just wanted to kill the people who deserved to die."

"Another significance of Cultivator is that I can kill wherever I want, without having to wait for someone to come to me."

"But..."

"My goal on this trip is to force my way into a powerful territory. It's a death sentence, and what I need to do is kill as many people as possible before I die."

"My original plan was to find an excuse to slip away before leaving and go alone."

"So you can rest assured."

"I would never have taken her with me in the first place, and I certainly wouldn't have let her die."

There aren't many people who are good to me.

She's dead.

"Perhaps even the only person left to offer incense to me is gone; that would make me seem rather pathetic."

After a long silence, the Elderly Man asked again, "Are you sure you don't want to stay?"

"No."

"The Training Room holds no appeal for you?"

"Have."

The Green-Robed Man tilted his head and gazed at the dark clouds that shrouded the north bank of the Jiangbei. He said softly, "But the hatred of the past haunts me like a demon in my heart. Every time I think of it in the dead of night, I can't help but recall it."

They must die.

"I cultivate to kill; cultivation without killing is meaningless."

"Good!"

The Elderly Man remained silent for a long time before finally speaking in a hoarse voice.

I'll allow her to go with you.

"But not two and a half months later, but half a month later."

"At this time, when the Jiangbei Rainy Season has ended and the Jiangnan Rainy Season has not yet begun, you take her away to Jiangbei."

"Half a month later."

"My daughter will travel with you, and with you will also be... the Grand Supreme Elder of the Gongyang Clan," Gongyang Yiyue.

"The Caravan of the Gongyang Clan will accompany the passengers throughout the journey, carrying their Clan Banner."

"She won't go with you into that territory's sphere of influence."

"Wait outside."

"If you survive and leave that territory's sphere of influence, the Gongyang Clan will help you clean up the mess."

"If you die there, the Gongyang Clan will go in and collect your body, but they won't avenge you."

"I can't let my girlfriend and you sneak into Jiangbei without anyone knowing; it would be too easy for us to die that way."

The Green-Robed Man gradually wiped the smile off his face and looked at the Elderly Man in front of him with such seriousness for the first time. He had thought that this conversation would be an insult to him, something he was already used to, but the result surprised him.

After a long while.

He then spoke softly.

"What courage!"

"But why set off in half a month? The family I plan to kill won't be celebrating their birthday for another two and a half months. That's the time I decided to act long ago."

"You're likely to die this time. Is it too much to ask to take her to Jiangbei for two months before you die?"

The man looked into the Elderly Man's cloudy eyes, shook his head, and agreed, "Not excessive."

The Grand Supreme Elder of the Gongyang Clan, "Gongyang Yiyue).

He had heard of that name before.

A Night Watcher.

It was activated once before, and that activation dealt a devastating blow to a hostile force. There aren't many forces that possess the "Night Watcher," but any force that does possess the Night Watcher has a trump card that can serve as a deterrent.

You don't need to do anything.

Just by standing there, he was enough to inspire a sense of apprehension.

The fact that the Gongyang Clan Caravan accompanied them, carrying their Clan Banner, was also a form of deterrence.

Any Family with a name.

Raising the Clan Banner signifies a message to the outside world.

This is merely a stopover in your territory; there is no malicious intent. Moreover, I have an important mission to carry out. Any force that dares to obstruct me will face the fierce retaliation of the Gongyang Clan.

The "Clan Banner" cannot be raised frequently.

That would eliminate its deterrent effect.

The last time the Gongyang Clan raised their Clan Banner during Caravan was 17 years ago.

That is...

The Gongyang Clan Family Head had a daughter late in life. Several months after giving birth, his wife suffered a Resurrection Pill to save her life. The entire clan's resources were mobilized, and the Caravan raised their Clan Banner and traveled through the night, covering eight hundred miles, to the Pill Sect to obtain the Resurrection Pill.

They drove straight through the core territories of several powerful factions.

They did not take a detour.

No force dared to intervene.

Even forces stronger than the Gongyang Clan did not stop them.

That year was Winter Season.

The "Clan Banner" of the Gongyang Clan galloped across the snow, giving rise to a famous story of a Gongyang from Jiangnan who carried the flag for Gongyang Baili to save his wife.

The Gongyang was referring to the Elderly Man before them.

The Gongyang Gao.

And 17 years later.

The Clan Banner of the Gongyang Clan will soon fly over the Jiangnan region once again.

This time.

It was all for my daughter's safety, to ensure she could return home safely.

The Green-Robed Man remained silent for a long time before finally tapping his toes lightly on the tree trunk and disappearing into the dense forest in the blink of an eye.

The Green-Robed Man robe had only been gone a short while.

A commotion arose at the foot of the Hemp-Robed Elder. A White-Dressed Girl was struggling to climb up the tree in a rather unseemly manner, her legs wrapped around the trunk.

Seeing this.

The Hemp-Robed Elder couldn't help but laugh helplessly. He waved his sleeve and used his spiritual energy to lift his daughter, who was climbing a tree, and place her on the tree whistle in front of him. He then covered her feet with his spiritual energy to stabilize her.

"Dad, what did you say to him?"

The White-Dressed Girl, who had just regained her footing, didn't care about her appearance and was a little out of breath.

What's the rush?

"I'll tell you when we get back."

The Hemp-Robed Elder said somewhat impatiently, "I've agreed to go to Jiangbei with him. The clan's Grand Supreme Elder, 'Gongyang Yiyue,' will accompany you the entire way, and the Trade Association will also accompany you with the Clan Banner to ensure your safety."

"Very good."

The woman in the white dress clenched her small fist and waved it in the air with some excitement. "That way, Jiangbei Old Devil won't die."

66

The Elderly Man glanced at his daughter, too lazy to correct her, saying he had said "ensure your safety," not "ensure your safety." He simply took out an old-fashioned box from his pocket, stroked it gently for a while, and then silently handed it to his daughter.

"This is the 'Resurrection Pill' that the Gongyang Clan obtained from the Pill Sect 17 years ago."

"As long as there's still a breath left."

"Regardless of any symptoms."

"Demonic possession, poisoning, possession by Strange Entities, etc."

"What the Altar cannot save, it can save; one pill can bring the dead back to life."

"This Pills was never delivered to your mother back then."

"Hope..."

"It will ensure your safety on this journey."

"--father."

The White-Dressed Girl took the pill box, her eyes reddening and glistening with tears. She looked up at the familiar Elderly Man before her, then nestled into his arms and whispered, "You're so kind. I thought you would force me not to go."

The Elderly Man didn't speak, but gently patted his daughter's back, gazing absently into the distance Jiangbei.

If conditions allowed, he even considered going himself.

Only.

With the Clan Banner in motion, the Family Head must remain in the Family to oversee operations. Otherwise, who could command the Family to launch a retaliatory campaign at any cost? His presence in the Family is the greatest protection he can offer his daughter on this trip.

His deceased wife's greatest regret before her death was that she had given up on something when they were young, at his urging.

This made him feel...

The girl he loved died long ago, after he refused to let her do something. He lived in a daze for decades afterward, only to come to his senses and regret it again on his deathbed.

It's better to regret it for the rest of your life.

Let's go then.

I would have no regrets even if I died.

What he needs to do is to stay in charge of the Family.

The Elderly Man affectionately ruffled his daughter's hair before gracefully turning away and placing her on the ground. "Go play for a while. I'll stay here by myself for a bit; it's been a long time since I've stood here."

Not long after sending her daughter away.

A burly man dressed in black and masked his face leaped from the treetops in the distance and approached the Elderly Man in the blink of an eye. He handed him a scroll of Bamboo Slip and said in a serious voice.

"Master."

"All the intelligence regarding the Jiangbei Old Devil has been gathered, and it's right here."

He then added somewhat hesitantly.

"His life story can hardly be described as glamorous. Are we really going to entrust this Young Lady to someone like that?"