At the junior officer's shout, more than thirty soldiers simultaneously raised their Spine-Piercing Spear. Li Qiang was truly disgusted by these troops; he couldn't stand their bullying of others by relying on force. He frowned, and his outstretched hand was quickly withdrawn. He caught a glimpse of Princess Lanqiu looking over with a half-smile, and didn't dare to make a move, otherwise he almost couldn't resist grabbing the officer's neck again.
Kankanqi's slap was too hard. He was already a cultivator, and although he didn't use his True Essence Power when attacking an ordinary person, the slap still fractured the junior officer's cheekbone and loosened his molars.
The young officer cried out before the pain began to flare up. He covered his face, tears streaming down his cheeks, and spun around on the ground. Nashan chuckled and said, " Old Kan, your skills have improved! You made him cry with just one slap. I'll learn from you!"
Tange said in a strange voice, " Nashan... you're not learning anything good again." The people around had already stepped aside. Hearing the conversation between these two clowns, they couldn't figure out who they were, that they could still joke around with soldiers' Spine-Piercing Spear.
At this moment, another group of soldiers ran over from the other side, and upon seeing the situation of both sides, immediately drew their guns and charged forward.
Li Qiang grew impatient and waved his hand, saying, "Disarm them, but don't kill them."
Nashan, standing beside Li Qiang, happily raised his hand upon hearing this, and a bolt of lightning flew out. He had the Azure Shadow Binding fastened to his elbow, ready to use it at any time.
The onlookers gasped in shock and hurriedly retreated. Dealing with these soldiers was far too easy; the experts didn't even flinch. Several warriors quickly slipped into the squad, and in the blink of an eye, all the soldiers were empty-handed. The worst off were the seven or eight soldiers struck by Nashan's Azure Shadow Binding; they lay on the ground, convulsing.
Nashan felt embarrassed; he was the only one among all the great warriors who had made a move. He touched his bald head and gave an awkward "hehe" laugh.
An officer from another unit shouted, "You want to rebel? Let me tell you, there are tens of thousands of troops here..."
Li Qiang walked up to him, patted his head, and said domineeringly and nonchalantly, "An army of tens of thousands? Who are you trying to scare? Forget it, I can't argue with you!"
Princess Lanqiu walked up to the officer and showed him what she was holding. "Alright, this must be a misunderstanding."
Li Qiang wondered to himself: What is he holding? He's so secretive.
The officer trembled with fear. He had been ordered to wait for them, but upon seeing the items, he realized it was this group of people. He cursed the junior officer who had been beaten for being so blind.
Princess Lanqiu smiled and said, "Boss, let's give them their weapons back, okay?"
Li Qiang, of course, wouldn't make trouble for these soldiers, and generously said, "Brothers, let them go. We're leaving."
Kubo whispered a few instructions to the knight beside him, gave him a token, and the knight turned and ran away.
The officer ordered several soldiers to hurry back and report the news.
Kankanqi said casually, "We've driven back the soldiers from the Tante Kingdom at South Mouth Pass. However, many people who came from Fengnan City have been killed by them, and their bodies are still at South Mouth Pass." As soon as he said this, the entire crowd erupted into chaos.
Although many people didn't believe it, Li Qiang and his group were among the first to arrive after the Tante Kingdom's army blocked the South Mouth Pass. Some were skeptical, while others had already accepted it, and still others immediately burst into tears. The crowd quickly dispersed, with many returning to find their relatives and friends.
As news spread, more people learned of the massacre. This event caused a great shock on the Tanbang Continent. The atrocities committed by the Tante Kingdom's army in slaughtering civilians were abhorrent, and many people joined the army of the Bangqining Kingdom as a result, which greatly changed the course of the war.
The elite troops of the Tante Kingdom carried out a robbery and murder to boost morale and reward their soldiers, but they did not expect that Li Qiang and his group of cultivators would appear. Originally, they planned to kill and rob after the robbery, and everything would be done without anyone knowing as long as the divine beast breathed fire. However, they were defeated by Li Qiang and his group and returned home in a great defeat, not even having time to destroy the evidence.
To reach the port of Desperation Cape, one must traverse a long passageway, as the entire Sea of Wronged Souls is lined with towering cliffs. To reach the sea, one must pass through an underground tunnel. This tunnel is about forty meters wide and bustling with activity. Along the tunnel, many rooms have been carved out, all selling various specialties from the Tanbang Continent, but the goods here are much more expensive than elsewhere.
The patrolling soldiers led the way, and the junior officer who had been injured by Kankanqi mumbled incoherently as he cleared the path. Li Qiang was both annoyed and amused, and ordered someone to call him over. The officer looked at Li Qiang with a pained expression, his face covered in sweat from the pain. He knew he couldn't afford to mess with this group.
Although Li Qiang couldn't cure him, he had strong painkillers. He handed him two, saying, "Take these, they'll make you feel better." The young officer took them with some skepticism, put them in his mouth, and a soldier offered him water. He continued leading the group with a pained expression. Before long, the effects of the medication wore off, and he clearly felt the pain lessen. In reality, this was only a temporary solution; the pain would worsen once the medication wore off.
Princess Lanqiu had been observing closely. She saw Li Qiang feeding the wounded officer and was quite curious. When the officer's shouts became clearer, she realized it was medicine for the wound. She found Li Qiang somewhat unpredictable. At South Mouth Pass, he was ruthless, yet he seemed distressed by the deaths of civilians. He had been impatient with the soldiers earlier, but now he was treating the wounded officer—one of his own men who had injured him.
Li Qiang also noticed that Princess Lanqiu was looking at him. He knew that this mysterious girl was very curious about him, so he smiled slightly at her, suddenly made a funny face, and then walked forward in a serious manner.
Princess Lanqiu laughed at his funny faces, but this only made her more confused: what kind of person was he?
After passing through the passage, he saw the light of day again. It was a vast, open valley, surrounded by cliffs. One side faced the Sea of Wronged Souls, and the seawater occupied a third of the valley floor, where countless... Li Qiang knew in his heart that these should be boats, but they didn't look like boats at all. This was the first time he had ever seen such a means of crossing the sea.
In the middle of the cliff facing the Sea of Wronged Souls, there is a huge natural archway, with red light flashing inside. The view of the sea is almost invisible, only appearing dark and mysterious, and one wonders what lies there. On the other three cliffs, many houses have been built, stacked layer upon layer, all the way up to the halfway point of the cliff, creating a truly magnificent sight.
These houses are connected by countless platforms and railings; it seems that it would have taken hundreds of years to build such a massive complex.
Li Qiang pointed to the large, oval-shaped objects strung together on the surface of the water at the bend and asked, "What are these things? They look strange."
Paben glanced at it and laughed, "Master, this is the 'Flying Hook Chain,' the best tool for crossing the sea." He then pointed to a long, slender object with a semi-circular head moored nearby. "This is the most common one, called an ' Arrow Boat.' It's the fastest, but also the most dangerous, and has a small cargo capacity. I used to cross the sea in this."
Nashan, who had never seen the ocean before and knew nothing of its ferocity, laughed and said, " Old Pa, what danger is there? Old Na might have been afraid before, but now... hehe, I probably won't."
Paben scoffed, " Arrow Boat the sea in an arrow boat is a perilous journey, with countless people dying on Arrow Boat. It's easy to say, but once you're on Arrow Boat, whether you're afraid or not, your life or death is out of your hands."
Nashan shook his head. "At worst, I just won't take this Arrow Boat..."
Li Qiang said thoughtfully, "Isn't the Arrow Boat the cheapest?"
Paben nodded with a wry smile, "When I first started as a merchant, I could only afford to travel by Arrow Boat. I had no capital, so I had to risk my life to make money."
Li Qiang suddenly felt a pang of sadness. He remembered how his father Old Man Kabaji, had mobilized the merchants to raise money for him, and silently said to himself, "May good people live a long and peaceful life." He felt a sense of guilt towards his father.
Kubo said, "Boss, the Grand Alliance has a base at Desperation Cape. Let's go there and rest for a bit. The Wind of Fear might not subside for a few more days."
Hong Qian also said, "Yes, the warriors are tired, they should go and rest."
The Grand Alliance truly lived up to its reputation as a large merchant guild. The spot Kubo mentioned was located on the southern cliff, with many rooms. After settling the warriors, someone came to report, "The garrison commander and the administrator of Desperation Cape request an audience."
Li Qiang was no longer interested in the Bangqining Kingdom or Tante Kingdom, nor did he have the patience to see these people. He said, " Kubo, Zhao Hao, you accompany Princess Lanqiu to see them. Nashan, Paben, and Hong Qian, let's go for a walk to clear our heads."
There were also many shops on the cliff, and Li Qiang and his companions strolled slowly.
Hong Qian said, "In a few days, Nanadun and the others might come to see us off. I don't know if they'll be able to make it in time. Will Martial Uncle return from the Western Continent this time?"
Li Qiang stopped, reached out to hold onto the railing, looked at the people at the bottom of the valley who looked like tiny ants, and smiled, "No, after escorting Princess Lanqiu to Heavenly Halberd Peak, I will leave this planet."
"Planet?" Hong Qian had never left Tanbang Star and had no concept of a planet. "Uncle-Master, if... if you can see my master, tell him... Hong Qian misses him very much." He lowered his head and couldn't continue.
Li Qiang patted him on the shoulder and said earnestly, "Don't worry, I'll definitely tell him when I see him."
Li Qiang looked up at the sky, which was gray and just like when he first arrived on the Tanbang Continent. Suddenly, the little Sea Demon flew up from his waist and soared into the sky with a cry.
"What's wrong with the little guy? He seems very excited," Paben asked curiously.
Li Qiang's gaze followed the little Sea Demon closely. He saw it circle twice in the sky, then suddenly accelerate and swiftly disappear into the top of the cliff.
Hong Qian exclaimed in surprise, "Hey, Uncle-Master, what if the little Sea Demon flies away and never comes back?"
Nashan, clinging to the railing, craned his Zhutou to look up at the sky. "That's hard to say... That's the Sea of Wronged Souls, its home!"
"This is its home." Upon hearing this, Li Qiang's heart skipped a beat, and a slight sadness welled up within him. He abandoned the idea of chasing after it and said, "Yes, no wonder it was so excited. Never mind..." He said nothing more and turned to step onto the stairs.
Hong Qian hurriedly said, "Uncle-Master, I'll go after them and see."
Li Qiang waved his hand and said, "Don't chase it. If it doesn't want to come back, there's no point in catching up. Besides, the Sea of Wronged Souls is its home. I can't bear to force it to follow us, even if it's just a little Sea Demon. Let's go."
Hong Qian repeatedly expressed his regret, but Nashan and Paben understood Li Qiang's good intentions. Paben laughed, "The little Sea Demon is home. We don't know when... we can go home..." He suddenly remembered that he was already homeless. He sighed softly, "Ah... I really envy the little Sea Demon."
There were many shops on the cliff, bustling with people. Many merchants were taking advantage of the few days of free time to replenish items they hadn't had time to buy. Many people on the platform were carrying large and small bags, exchanging greetings and inquiring about each other's situations. Li Qiang kept a close eye on the crowd around him, still clinging to a sliver of hope that he could find Old Man Kabaji and the others.
Nashan walked into a shop, which seemed to be a small toy shop, and Li Qiang and the others followed him in.
Paben looked around and laughed, "This is something for children. Why am Old Na interested in this?"
The shop owner greeted us warmly, "Gentlemen, we have some new trinkets in stock. Would you like to buy some for your children to play with?"
The small shop had only one shelf, and it didn't have many items, but they were all things Li Qiang had never seen before. He casually picked up a semi-circular black object, fiddled with it in his hand for a while, and asked, "Shopkeeper, what is this? How do you play with it?"
The shopkeeper said solicitously, "This is the 'Half-Shadow,' let me demonstrate for you." He took the Half-Shadow and gently tapped the bottom with his finger. The black surface of the Half-Shadow turned into a colorful halo, and strings of colorful stars scattered out, somewhat like bursts of fireworks, which was quite beautiful.
Nashan saw it and was as happy as a child, shouting, "Oh! It's beautiful! It's beautiful! I like it... I want this Half-Shadow." He snatched it away and stuffed it into his pocket, then said, "What else is fun? Bring it all out." He pulled out a large handful of coins of various colors, which he had scavenged from the corpses of dead soldiers at South Mouth Pass, and casually placed them on the counter. The shopkeeper was startled; how could there be so much money? He immediately perked up—a big customer had arrived.
The shopkeeper took out another item and smiled, "This is a new arrival, called 'Flying Soul Pivot.' I'll go outside and demonstrate it for everyone." He walked outside the shop and leaned against the railing. The Flying Soul Pivot is a set of three toys. The left hand has a blue handle with three shiny points; the right hand has a flat, round object with four finger sleeves that can be inserted into fingers, and a semi-transparent six-pointed star is attached to it.
The shopkeeper tossed his hand, and the six-pointed star flew away. Because it was semi-transparent, it was impossible to see where it went. Nashan said disappointedly, "What's so fun about this?"
The shopkeeper chuckled, "Watch closely, the exciting part is about to begin." He pressed a small button on the handle with his left hand, and three glittering horns flickered slightly. Suddenly, the image of a monster appeared in mid-air below the valley, though it was a very faint shadow that danced in the air following the shopkeeper's gesture.
Nashan was so surprised he could hardly speak, "Wow, this is even better... I want it!"
Li Qiang immediately recognized the toy's potential value. This kind of phantom-like toy, if its workings were understood and modified, could definitely be a great tool for deceiving people. He laughed, "I want one too!"
Li Qiang and Nashan, like two mischievous children, began rummaging through the store's various toys. The shopkeeper was all smiles, buying a huge pile of toys. They didn't haggle, paying whatever price he quoted. Little did he know that this sum of money would soon be of little use to them.
Paben chuckled, " Old Na, how many children do you have? You buy so many toys. How old are your children now?"
Nashan was taken aback, and touched his Baldy hard, saying with some confusion, "How old are you? How old are my children...?" His face darkened, and he could no longer remember how long he had been away from his hometown.
Paben realized he had said the wrong thing, and he nervously rubbed his hands, somewhat at a loss.
Li Qiang comforted her, " Nashan, no matter how old the children are, they will be happy as long as it's a gift from their father. Don't be sad, we'll be back soon."
Nashan, clutching the pile of toys, gazed at the sky peeking through the doorway and murmured, "Yes, soon... soon we'll be back." He suddenly chuckled, "Boss, help me pack this up. Carrying so much stuff is a burden. When we get back, the kids will never have seen anything so fun. Oh... shopkeeper, do you have a jewelry store here?" He handed the toys to Li Qiang, keeping only a half-Shadow of the Demon in his arms. Not wanting everyone to be saddened by his plight, he changed the subject.
The shopkeeper chuckled, "There's a shop specifically for that on the cliff face across the street."
Nashan shouted, "Go and see! Go and see! Bring some good things for my wife too!"
Li Qiang and the others laughed heartily. Paben said ingratiatingly, "Hey... I know about this. I'll help my sister-in-law pick out a nice piece of jewelry. Hehe, I know all the best headdresses, waist ornaments, and arm ornaments here."
Li Qiang knew that they didn't use gold or silver to make things here, and he was curious about what materials these ornaments were made of. He put the items into his bracelet, startling the shopkeeper who was looking at them with a picture book. The items had disappeared, and the shopkeeper couldn't figure out where he had put them.
The passageways on the cliff face were a chaotic mess, and it would take at least several hours to get to the shops on the other side. Li Qiang laughed, "Let's just fly over."
Hong Qian nodded, grabbed Paben, and flew over the railing. Li Qiang casually grabbed Nashan's belt and also leaped over the railing. The shopkeeper stood dumbfounded at the door, only then realizing that Li Qiang and the others were not ordinary people.
Nashan yelled from mid-air, "Boss, hold on tight! Your belt's about to break!"
Li Qiang laughed and said, "If it breaks... you can go down naked." Hong Qian and Paben both laughed.
Li Qiang added, "The people at the bottom of the valley must be very surprised that a strong man has descended from the sky. Haha, they might even mistake you for a naked god."
Nashan hurriedly covered his mouth, afraid to shout again, lest his boss make another sarcastic remark. He was determined to learn to fly in the future. He imagined how awesome it would be to return to his hometown if he could fly. Thinking of the wonderful idea, he couldn't help but burst into wild laughter. Li Qiang was so startled by his strange laughter that he almost let go. Seeing that they had arrived, he raised his hand and threw him over.
Nashan was in real trouble. The moment he landed on the platform, a tremendous inertia forced him headfirst into the jewelry shop, his eerie laughter still lingering. The shop owner, suddenly seeing a Baldy, bald man burst into the store with a grotesque laugh, was so frightened he froze, his hands and feet turning ice-cold. Before he could recover from the shock, the man tumbled headfirst into the shelves, his two Choujiao sticking up high and dangling incessantly.
The shop owner cried out in distress, "My goods... Oh dear..."
Li Qiang rushed in after him, then regretted it a little; he had used too much force, grabbing Nashan's Choujiao and shoving him backward. Nashan gracefully flipped out of the shelf, landing with a "thud" on his bottom on the floor. All that could be heard was someone cursing wildly from the shops on the ground floor.
The shop owner, his face contorted with grief, looked at the scattered ornaments and mustered his courage to grab Nashan: "You... you... you owe me my goods!"
Nashan looked at the shop owner with teary eyes. He wasn't trying to renege on his debt; he had just bumped his nose and the tendon had hurt, causing tears to stream down his face. The shop owner panicked even more. This big man was crying so desperately; he definitely didn't have the money to pay. The shop owner couldn't help but cry too, "I run a small business... Waaah... What am I going to do..." The two looked at each other with tearful eyes, a poignant scene unfolding before them.
Nashan angrily wiped away his tears, pulled out a wad of cash from his pocket, threw it at the shop owner, and said to Li Qiang, "Boss, I bumped my nose, it hurts so much..." The shop owner had just started to cry when he suddenly saw the wad of cash, and he laughed again, but his expression was very ugly.
Paben had the shopkeeper bring out various ornaments, explaining each one to everyone, "This is a belt inlaid with Golden Bodhi Wood. The leather of this belt is made of scales from the back of Spirit Cricket. Look closely at this edge; it's woven from Light Pelican Silk. Hmm, the lining isn't very good. Shopkeeper, let's exchange it." The shopkeeper was bewildered by Paben's explanation and knew he couldn't fool them anymore. For the sake of the money, he brought out the best ornaments in the shop.
Nashan picked up a string of large red beads. "What is this made of? Is it any good?"
Paben glanced at it. "This is Exterminating Protrusion Red, not very valuable."
Nashan took the beads in his hand, thought for a moment, and then said, "Who cares if they're valuable or not? I like the red beads."
Li Qiang, however, was drawn to a black, flame-shaped object hanging on the wall. It was only the size of a cigarette box, its dark texture giving him a strange feeling. What was this thing?