Tang Badong was once a place of great prestige, but now it has become so despicable and wretched, which is truly lamentable.
In truth, Tang Badong was quite fierce, but seeing how easily Li Qiang had wiped out the Spirit Master, he was terrified. He had personally witnessed the Spirit Master kill over three hundred soldiers from the Jiunan Kingdom and collect their souls. In his mind, the Spirit Master was invincible. Who knew Li Qiang was even more powerful, killing the Spirit Master with a single blow without any effort? Only then did he realize that these people were no ordinary individuals.
The four members of the Mangye Tribe bowed respectfully to Li Qiang, expressing their gratitude for saving their lives. The elder in the lead said, "Great kindness needs no thanks. If you need anything in the future, please just let us know. My name is Wan Gong." He pointed to the other three and said, "This is my old partner, Qianqi Gong, and the brothers Bi Tong and Bi Shi."
Li Qiang chuckled and said, "No need to thank me. No one would let such a harmful thing go unpunished. Um, my surname is Li, Li Qiang." He then introduced Hong Qian, Nashan, and the others to them.
Tang Badong and the group of burly men were forced to squat on the ground with their heads in their hands, forming a large, dark mass of squatters. The innkeeper and his staff trembled as they got up from the ground.
Li Qiang paced back and forth as he asked, " Tang Badong, what did you just say? Is there any news you want to tell me?"
Tang Badong said, "You have to promise me that once I tell you the news, you'll release us."
Nashan flew into a rage upon hearing this, kicking him to the ground and cursing, "Damn it! My boss is asking me a question, and you, you bastard, dare to negotiate? You're asking for it!"
Wan Gong asked, "Are you referring to the story of the Blessing Bailing at the Heavenly Road Grassland?"
Tang Badong trembled; this was exactly what he wanted to say. His voice hoarse with resentment, he said, "Yes! But I have more information you don't know."
Li Qiang didn't actually want to kill these people. He laughed and said, "Tell me, and I'll let you go if you do a good job."
Tang Badong's spirits lifted immediately, and he said, "The Spirit Master said that the Blessing Bailing and the Wild Plains Buddhist Site are closely related, and that you will receive what you desire by paying homage to the Blessing Bailing." He glanced at the white bones on the ground and added, "He was just following orders. I don't know the specifics of how to pay homage or what you can get; he didn't say."
Li Qiang was very interested in this news because he was also planning to go to the Wild Plains. He then asked, " Tang Badong, are you still planning to go to the Heavenly Road Grassland?"
Tang Badong said in a hoarse voice, "Alas! We'll have to start our escape as soon as we step out of this door. The Spirit Master is dead; someone won't let us go."
Seeing that Wan Gong seemed hesitant to speak, Li Qiang smiled and asked, "Does Wan Gong have something to say?"
Wan Gong shook his head and said, "It's nothing, I just don't believe what he said."
Tang Badong was filled with hatred. He lowered his head and secretly vowed, "I will never let any Mangye Tribe member go again."
Tange laughed, "Boss, aren't we just short of Black-Tipped Mount? Hehe, we have plenty now."
Nashan clapped and laughed, "Haha, Old Tan is getting smarter and smarter, so many Black-Tipped Mount! Haha!" This clearly meant he wanted to rob Tang Badong's Black-Tipped Mount.
Tang Badong wasn't confused; he quickly said, " The Black-Tipped Mount are yours, just please leave half for us to escape."
Li Qiang thought to himself, "This guy is indeed worthy of being the leader; he's very adaptable. If he were to act recklessly, he'd probably be leaving naked. Oh well, I'll let them go this time!" He laughed and said, "In that case, you pay off the inn's losses for today, leave half of the Black-Tipped Mount behind, and leave immediately to avoid bothering me."
The innkeeper could hardly believe the outcome.
Tang Badong, only concerned with survival, immediately pulled out a bag of common currency from the Western Continent from his pocket, placed it on the table, and led his men slowly back toward the gate.
Li Qiang picked up the money bag and handed it to the shopkeeper, asking, "Is this enough?"
The shopkeeper, his hands trembling, untied his money pouch, glanced at it, and said, "I don't need this much."
Li Qiang said, "Give any extras to the workers. Alright, Paben, make way for them. Hong Qian, take your men and select the Black-Tipped Mount."
The four men, including Wan Gong, were dumbfounded. They never expected that Li Qiang and his gang would openly rob someone, and in such a blatant way, steal their opponent's Black-Tipped Mount. They found it unbelievable.
What puzzled them even more was that Li Qiang actually made Tang Badong pay for the inn's losses. This practice was against the common sense of people from the Western Continent, and their curiosity grew even stronger.
Tang Badong and the others slowly retreated outside the door, mounted the remaining Black-Tipped Mount, and rode away.
The rain outside grew heavier. The innkeeper nervously approached Li Qiang to express his gratitude.
Li Qiang laughed and said, "No need to thank me. Go tidy up the table. Wan Gong, please come and sit down." He then said to Tange, "Go and call Hong Qian. Tell the brothers to go practice their skills and then get some rest."
Tange bowed respectfully and led his group of brothers back to their guest rooms.
After gesturing for the four guests from the Mangye Tribe to sit down, Li Qiang asked, " Wan Gong, we're not familiar with this place and would like to find a guide. What do you think...?"
Wan Gong laughed and said, "That's no problem. We can be your guides; we know this area very well."
Li Qiang was overjoyed and laughed, "Hehe, that's great! By the way, we're also planning to visit the Heavenly Road Grassland we mentioned earlier. Does Wan Gong know where it is?"
Wan Gong and the others exchanged glances and said, "We are planning to go to the Heavenly Road Grassland. Recently, many tribes and countries have sent people there. We don't intend to pay homage; we just want to take a look and learn about the situation."
Qianqi Gong added, "We mainly want to know if that Blessing Bailing is harmful to our Mangye Tribe, because the different legends we've heard are quite different, and we don't really understand what's going on. Sigh! Anything related to the Wild Plains always seems a bit off."
Although the brothers Bi Tong and Bi Shi did not speak, their eyes never left Li Qiang. They were deeply impressed by the strength Li Qiang had just displayed and were interested in everything about him, including his clothes and appearance.
Bi Tong, being older, remained calm, but Bi Shi, being younger, finally couldn't resist and followed Nashan and the others in calling Li Qiang, "Boss... I hear them all call you Boss, you won't be angry if I call you that, will you?"
Wan Gong was both surprised and worried, but he was too late to stop Bi Shi. He could only look at Li Qiang anxiously, waiting for his answer.
Li Qiang couldn't help but laugh and said, "What you call me doesn't matter, it's just a name. I like everyone to be casual. We'll be traveling together in the future, so I hope we can help each other."
Li Qiang's words astonished the four of them. Qianqi Gong sighed, "There are countless experts in the Western Continent, but this is the first time I've seen such a master. I admire you greatly! I'll call you Boss too."
Hong Qian happened to enter and laughed, "I've seen quite a few experts from the Western Continent, but none of them can compare to my martial uncle."
Li Qiang laughed and said, "Stop bragging about experts and novices. Hong Qian, is everything arranged?"
Hong Qian nodded and smiled, "Uncle-Master, I really know quite a few experts from the Western Continent, and I've even fought several of them. I might run into them when we go to the Heavenly Road Grassland. Hehe, they'll definitely go to such a lively place."
Knowing that Hong Qian had previously cultivated in the Western Continent, Li Qiang asked, "Are there any people from the Cultivation Realm?"
Hong Qian shook his head and said, "There are no cultivators among them, just ordinary people who rely on their knowledge of some gadgets to act like kings and tyrants. Some of them seem to know a little bit about cultivation methods, but they are very poor at it. Later, I stopped fighting with them."
Li Qiang chuckled and said, "Fight them? Don't you have anything better to do?"
Hong Qian said somewhat embarrassedly, "Hehe, it was just for fun."
Wan Gong asked curiously, "I know almost all the famous experts in the Western Continent. Who are you playing around with?"
Hong Qian said, "Forget it, it's better not to say anything. My martial uncle will laugh at me."
Bi Shi interjected, "The person I admire most is the top fighter in Lone Teng Fortress..."
Hong Qian laughed and said, "Could it be that you're Teng Yishou?"
Bi Shi said excitedly, "It's Teng Dange Teng Yishou, he's amazing!"
Hong Qian shook his head and laughed, "Do you know why he's called Teng Yishou?"
Bi Shi said, "It seems that it's because he can defeat others with just one hand; no one has ever seen him use his other hand."
Wan Gong said, "No, it's said that Teng Yishou has one hand left, and the other hand is fake, but I haven't seen it with my own eyes."
Hong Qian said calmly, "Yes, I chopped off his hand."
Bi Shi was speechless, and after a long pause, he finally managed to say, "That's impossible. I've never heard of Teng Dange failing."
Hong Qian laughed and said, "A false reputation can be harmful. If he hadn't been so persistent, I wouldn't have broken his hand. That happened a long time ago; he was still very young then."
Qianqi Gong asked in confusion, "This brother doesn't look very old, while Teng Dange is much older than me. How is that possible?"
Hong Qian smiled slightly and offered no further explanation.
Li Qiang knew Hong Qian was telling the truth, but he had no way to explain it to them, as cultivators' ages couldn't be discerned. Li Qiang changed the subject, saying, "We'll be setting off tomorrow, so you should all get some rest."
Although Wan Gong and the others were full of questions, they didn't press the matter further, and the four of them went back to the house to discuss it.
Li Qiang muttered to himself, "Tomorrow... what will I encounter tomorrow? It seems the Western Continent isn't peaceful either."
Early in the morning, the heavy rain was still pouring down. The innkeeper and his staff got up early, only to find Li Qiang already standing at the gate.
The boss whispered to his waiter, "Sir, you're up very early. Are we too late?"
One of the men whispered, "He didn't sleep; he stood up all night. I saw him when I got up to use the outhouse in the middle of the night."
The boss cautiously approached Li Qiang and said with a smile, "Good morning, sir. Did you get some rest?"
Li Qiang smiled slightly, turned around and said, "Good morning, boss."
The boss and his staff were immediately struck by Li Qiang's radiant appearance. He seemed quite different from the previous night, though they couldn't quite put their finger on it. They just sensed an imposing aura emanating from him.
In fact, Li Qiang unintentionally left his Divine Sense for the second time last night. The first time he left his body was in the Black Prison. Relying on the power of the Supreme Radiance Shuttle, he managed to glimpse the Nascent Soul Realm Divine Sense with his Leaving the Body Realm, but he almost suffered a qi Qi Deviation. This time, however, it was a natural progression, and his power greatly increased. He truly stepped into the cultivation gate of the Leaving the Body Realm Soul stage.
The innkeeper and his staff dared not look any longer. The innkeeper instructed the staff to prepare breakfast and feed Black-Tipped Mount, and the inn suddenly became lively. Outside, however, the main street remained deserted. The rain poured down intermittently, and the floodwaters made it impossible to see the road. Fortunately, the houses here were supported by thick wooden pillars, suspended above the ground, so even the heavy floodwaters did not affect them. In the misty rain, wisps of smoke drifted out, signaling the arrival of a new day.
Hong Qian came out with a group of brothers, and Wan Gong and his four companions also came to the front hall. They exchanged a few pleasantries upon meeting.
Li Qiang said, " Hong Qian, I plan to split into two groups. One group will go to the Heavenly Road Grassland, and the other will return to the Ladu Kingdom first."
Hong Qian thought for a moment and said, "Well, that's fine, so they won't worry. However, I want to go to the Heavenly Road Grassland with my martial uncle."
Nashan and Tange also exclaimed, "I want to go to the Heavenly Road Grassland too!"
Li Qiang shook his head and said, " Hong Qian and Paben, come with me. The rest of you go back to the Ladu Kingdom. Nashan and Tange, you two will take the brothers back. It's a big responsibility. Don't cause any trouble along the way, understand?"
Nashan was really desperate. His one eye widened, and he pleaded in a low voice, "Boss! Grandpa! Ancestor! Please have mercy! Take me with you. Tange can lead the team to the Ladu Kingdom. I'm not needed. Please!"
Tange yelled, "Na-shan! What do you mean 'as long as I lead the team,' you... you..."
Nashan grabbed Tange's hand, which was pointing to him, and whispered, " Old Tan, we're such good brothers, hey, just let your brother go, Old Tan, don't argue, or next time I'll give you a chance... um, no, next time I'll call you brother, okay?" He realized that the next time they were going to the Wild Plains, and he couldn't refuse, so he quickly changed his tune and switched to an emotional appeal.
Tange broke free of his grasp and cried out, " Nashan, no! I... Waaah... Waaah!"
Li Qiang turned his head and saw Nashan covering Tange's mouth, forcefully dragging him backward, saying, "Hehe, Old Tan, let's go to the side to discuss this, don't disturb everyone." Tange whimpered as Nashan pulled him into the back, and no one knew how these two frenemy would resolve their issue.
Li Qiang then consulted with Wan Gong, Wan Gong laughed and said, "Boss, splitting up into two groups is no problem. Qianqi Gong has been to the Ladu Kingdom before, so we can have him lead the way. I'll take Bi Tong and Bi Shi with me to the Heavenly Road Grassland."
They had already discussed it last night. Since such a powerful figure had come to the Western Continent and they had met him by fortuitous opportunity, they had to establish a relationship with him no matter what. This would only benefit the Wilderness Clan.
A moment later, Nashan and Tange walked in. Nashan said pitifully, "Boss, we've made up our minds. Tange will lead the team back to the Ladu Kingdom, and I'll go with you to the Heavenly Road Grassland. Boss, please say yes!"
Li Qiang really didn't know how the two of them had resolved the issue. Seeing that Tange's expression showed no displeasure, he was surprised that Nashan actually had a knack for it. He laughed and said, "Alright, Nashan, you're coming with us. Next time, you're not allowed to argue, understand?"
Nashan understood perfectly well, but he still wanted to play dumb, so he vaguely replied, "Um, this... yes, boss."
After breakfast, the boss and his men braved the heavy rain to lead the Black-Tipped Mount from the backyard to the front gate. There were more than twenty riders, while Li Qiang and his group only had a dozen or so men. Li Qiang instructed Tange, " Tange, be extremely careful on the road. If anything unexpected happens, avoid taking action if possible. Everything is focused on reaching Ladu Kingdom. Don't cause trouble on the road; the safety of the brothers is paramount. If you absolutely must take action, be steady, accurate, and ruthless. There can be no mercy. Remember that? Also, take more Black-Tipped Mount with you."
Tange laughed and said, "No problem, boss, don't worry. Na-shan!"
Nashan came running over eagerly, looking ingratiating. "Brother, what's up?" Everyone couldn't help but laugh, but Nashan glared at them and said, "What are you laughing at... Brother, tell me."
Tange thought for a moment, "Never mind, I forgot again... We'll meet again in the Ladu Kingdom."
Nashan was stunned for a moment before realizing that Tange was teasing him, but he was incredibly thick-skinned and still smiled broadly, saying, "Brother, have a safe journey!"
It was the first time for Tang Tange and his group to ride the Black-Tipped Mount -Black-Tipped Mount. They climbed onto the horse awkwardly, and if it weren't for their skill, they really wouldn't have been able to ride such a thing for the first time. Qianqi Gong rode alone and loudly explained the key points of controlling and riding the Black-Tipped Mount. Although everyone was not very skilled, they still managed to get on the horse.
Originally, there should have been two people per horse, but because there were too many, Qianqi Gong gave each of them one horse.
After bidding each other farewell, everyone sped off, led by Qianqi Gong and Tange.
Li Qiang laughed and said, "The Black- Black-Tipped Mount Black-Tipped Mount look pretty good. I'll give them a try." He took a fancy to the largest one and walked from the hall to its side.
Wan Gong, Bi Tong, and Bi Shi were all dumbfounded. They knew that the real ground was just outside the gate and down the steps, but Li Qiang simply walked out without paying any attention to whether the ground beneath his feet was solid or empty.
Bi Shi exclaimed softly, "Wow! What kind of skill is that? Walking in mid-air!"
Li Qiang boarded the Black-Tipped Mount. He was already used to flying in the air, and after asking a few simple questions about the controls, he easily got the hang of it.
Wan Gong and the others were all skilled riders, each with their own Black-Tipped Mount. There were seven of them, a total of eight Black-Tipped Mount. So each of them chose one, and Wan Gong attached the empty Black-Tipped Mount to the back of his own mount.
Seeing that everyone was ready, Li Qiang said, "Let's go!" With a gentle tug on the reins, the Black-Tipped Mount darted off.
The group sped along the main street, interspersed with Nashan's strange cries. "Wow... we're going to fall... slow down... oh... ya..." The seven people and eight riders gradually disappeared into the distance.
Wan Gong and the other two looked at Li Qiang and Hong Qian in disbelief. Despite the heavy rain, the two men were completely dry, without raincoats. It was as if the rainwater flew away as soon as it reached them, unable to get close at all. Paben and Nashan were in much better shape. All three of them had raincoats, but on the galloping Black-Tipped Mount, they were almost soaked through.
Li Qiang asked, " Wan Gong, are you familiar with the Wild Plains?"
Wan Gong wiped the rain from his face and said loudly, " The Wild Plains are very famous in the Western Continent. There are many legends about it, but few people dare to go there, and I have never been either. According to the elders of the tribe, long, long ago, it was a place where immortals lived. Later, for some unknown reason, a great war broke out on the Wild Plains, and since then, it has been abandoned. Strange things often happen there, making it an ominous place."
Hong Qian laughed and said, "Nonsense, it's true that a great battle took place there, but it's not a place where immortals live."
Wan Gong dared not refute, muttering, "This is a story passed down by the elders of the clan, not something I made up."
Li Qiang laughed and said, "Is that place really that strange?"
Bi Shi said, "Boss, I heard that the area around Wild Plains is completely abandoned because people often die inexplicably there, and often the entire village is wiped out, regardless of age or gender. Even livestock don't survive, and the dead don't have any wounds on their bodies. It's terrifying."
Li Qiang asked, "Can't we find out the cause of death?"
The Wan Gong straightened his back and said with a wry smile, "They were all terrified. Who dared to investigate? People in the vicinity fled as soon as they heard the news. I heard that some countries even sent troops..."
He shook his head, sighed, and said, "It's terrifying that not a single one came back alive."
Li Qiang remained silent, his expression turning serious.
The rain gradually subsided, Wan Gong said, "This area is a rocky wasteland; the terrain is bad. Be careful that Black-Tipped Mount doesn't injure his hoof..."
Hong Qian suddenly interjected, "Look ahead!"
Wisps of smoke rose in the distance. Li Qiang said in confusion, "The smoke is thick; it doesn't look like cooking smoke. With this much rain, the woods shouldn't catch fire... Strange."
"Master," Paben said. He flicked the reins, and the Black-Tipped Mount galloped off.
Li Qiang waved his hand and said, "Alright, let's all go take a look!"
The seven men and eight riders sped up the hillside ahead, heading towards where the smoke was rising.