Ever since leaving the town, Wan Gong had been restless, and as he sat on the Black-Tipped Mount, he seemed about to say something but then stopped himself.
Li Qiang had noticed his preoccupation earlier, so he asked, "Is something the matter Wan Gong?"
Wan Gong said with a wry smile, "Elder brother... I want to send Bi Shi and Bi Tong back. It seems that our Mangye Tribe is unaware of the current changes. Let them go back and report to the tribe chief so that we can prepare for any eventuality."
Li Qiang nodded and said, "Okay. Bi Shi and Bi Tong, be careful on your way back. Take these jade talismans. The cyan one is a protective talisman; crush it for self-defense. The red one is for attack; crush it and throw it out immediately. It's quite powerful."
Wan Gong hurriedly thanked him and gave the two brothers a few more words of advice.
Bi Shi and Bi Tong were unwilling to go back, but the news had to be sent back no matter what. So many people had died inexplicably in the town, which made them very uneasy.
Bi Shi and Bi Tong reluctantly turned their Black-Tipped Mount around and sped off back the way they came.
Li Qiang and his four companions set off again.
Because of the Lesser Origin-Nurturing Pill, Wan Gong's physique has undergone a great change, and he can now barely keep up with Li Qiang and the others' crazy travel method.
Although the Black-Tipped Mount were skilled at long-distance running, they couldn't withstand the continuous high-speed galloping of Li Qiang. Finally, the Black-Tipped Mount slowed down.
Paben cried out, "Master, the Black-Tipped Mount can't take it anymore, let's slow down!"
After several days of trekking through mountains and rivers, I didn't see a single merchant or traveler on the road. It seemed as if everyone had hidden themselves away, and the journey was desolate, lonely, and lifeless.
That day, Li Qiang and his companions rounded a mountain pass and were suddenly greeted by a vast grassland stretching as far as the eye could see. The waist-high grass swayed in the wind, and various strangely shaped birds circled in the air. In the distance, there were flocks of unknown wild animals, and on the west side of the grassland was a large sparse forest.
Li Qiang exclaimed, "Wow, that's spectacular!"
Wan Gong, "This is the Heavenly Road Grassland. There's a large village ahead. We must go to this village first and join other caravans."
Hong Qian said, "This is my first time here. I've heard that this road is not easy to travel."
Paben said, "I know about the Heavenly Road Grassland. The monsters here are second only to the Wild Plains. I've heard that you need to gather a large group of people to pass through safely. A friend of mine once traveled through here, and he told me that the road is extremely difficult."
Li Qiang laughed and said, "The roads in the Western Continent don't seem to be easy to travel. Look at all the things that have happened along the way."
Wan Gong laughed and said, "The people of the Western Continent are fierce and the geography is treacherous. Life here is indeed very difficult, haha, but fortunately we've gotten used to it."
Nashan was extremely curious. He touched his Baldy and sighed, "Damn, this place feels really strange. Boss, look at that big thing flying in the sky, it looks really scary." He suddenly swallowed and grinned, "Boss, I wonder if that thing's meat tastes good."
It was a huge, strange bird with two pairs of black wings, a slender body, and a round head, somewhat like an enlarged dragonfly, hovering in the sky like an aerial patrolman.
Wan Gong said, "That's Frost-Winged Xun. It won't attack people; it only eats corpses."
Li Qiang understood; it was a scavenger. He laughed, " Nashan, you'll definitely like the meat of this thing, haha."
Upon hearing that it involved eating corpses, Nashan immediately felt nauseous and repeatedly said, "No! No! It's disgusting!"
Hong Qian pointed and said, "That should be the big village up ahead." Wan Gong said, "That's right, that's the West Stockade of Andu Stockade. Let's hurry."
The group urged their Black-Tipped Mount to gallop away.
Andu Stockade comprises five large villages on the Heavenly Road Grassland: East Stockade, South Stockade West Stockade, West Village, North Stockade, and Central Stockade. The Central Stockade is located in the center of the Heavenly Road Grassland. The other four villages, situated at the entrances to the Heavenly Road Grassland, are located elsewhere. Anyone entering the Heavenly Road Grassland, whether people or goods, must first gather in one of these four villages. Of course, those who are reckless can venture in on their own, but the carnivorous monsters of the Heavenly Road Grassland are no joke; a few people who do enter might not even find a bone.
The Heavenly Road Grassland is the territory of the Beast-Splitting Tribe. Andu Stockade was established by them. They make money by collecting various protection fees. At the same time, they also arrange guards to ensure the safety of the five villages.
West Stockade is a medium-sized village, with a radius of about 100 meters. All the weeds and trees around it have been cleared away, and the ground is paved with gravel that has been compacted and leveled.
The outer perimeter of the village was covered with a dense array of sharp wooden sticks, varying in size from as tall as two people to over a meter long.
The village is surrounded by tall wooden walls, with two layers, one inside and one outside. Every ten meters or so, there is a tall pillar with a stilt on it, where two people can stand and observe the outside. At present, the stilt is empty and no one is there, so it seems that the security is not very strict.
Everyone and everything entering the village had to pay money. Li Qiang five companions dismounted from their Black-Tipped Mount at the village gate, while Paben talked with the burly men guarding the village.
Li Qiang looked around and felt that if this village was used for defense, it must be very well-protected. It seemed that the monsters in the Heavenly Road Grassland were indeed extraordinary, otherwise there would be no need to build the village so solidly. However, there were very few people guarding the village. Apart from a few men at the entrance, there seemed to be no other guards.
After paying, Paben said, "Master, let's go in."
Looking around, Wan Gong said in confusion, "Strange, there are so few people. This place used to be bustling with people, but now everything feels off."
Entering the village, there were hardly any people to be seen on the streets.
The houses here are very unique, all with square roofs supported by many thick pillars. None of the rooms have walls, only half-boards, so you can see clearly what the people inside are doing.
Wan Gong randomly found an empty room, tied the reins of the Black-Tipped Mount to a wooden post outside the door, and called out, "Everyone, come in."
Li Qiang tied the reins and asked curiously, " Wan Gong, why did you come into the house so casually?"
Wan Gong laughed and said, "Any room here is open to anyone who wants to stay."
Paben said, "All the fees were paid when we entered the village."
Li Qiang entered the room and found it empty. The floor was made of logs, which had become uneven and pitted, but were worn smooth and shiny, with a blackish-red color. He wondered how many people had lived there.
In the center of the room was a square pit, made of long stone slabs—that was the hearth. In the corner was a pile of firewood. Wan Gong picked up a bundle and placed it in the hearth. He patted himself down, then said sheepishly, "Oh no! I didn't bring a crystal fire starter."
Li Qiang sat down on the edge of the pit and laughed, "I'll do it."
Li Qiang reached out and tidied the pile of firewood, propping up three thicker branches, then adding thinner twigs, and said with a smile, "These branches are all wet."
Wan Gong stared in astonishment at the firewood in the hearth. He hadn't seen Li Qiang use any kind of kindling, yet the firewood had burst into flames, and the fire was growing larger and larger. Li Qiang's hand was still in the fire. He hurriedly shouted, "Boss, pull your hand away quickly, you're burning yourself!"
Li Qiang laughed and said, "Hehe, the firewood is too wet. If I take my hand away, thick smoke will rise. It will be fine if it burns a little longer."
Wan Gong felt like an idiot; everything before him was so unbelievable.
After a moment, Li Qiang withdrew his hands, and the flames in the hearth leaped up. He brushed the dust off his hands and laughed, "Alright, Paben, go find out what's going on and see what happened, then we'll be on our way."
Wan Gong said, "It would be safer for us to travel with a large caravan. It's very dangerous to travel on the Heavenly Road Grassland alone."
He still couldn't understand that with experts like Li Qiang and Hong Qian around, he had nothing to worry about. Li Qiang's purpose in entering the village was simply to gather information; if it weren't for the unexpected events along the way, Li Qiang wouldn't have even made it to Andu Stockade.
Nashan said, "Boss, I'll go with Paben."
Li Qiang laughed and said, "You can't sit still for a moment. Remember, don't cause trouble."
Nashan rubbed his Baldy and chuckled, "How could that be, boss? You know I'm the most timid Old Na, and I'm terrified of anything involving books."
Hong Qian laughed, "You're afraid of trouble? Even a ghost wouldn't believe that! Forget it, hurry up and go."
Just as Paben and Nashan left, two people entered from outside. Both were dressed as merchants. One of them, the leader, was a large, fat man with a big head, a round body, and a pair of small eyes that gleamed with shrewdness.
Li Qiang felt that he didn't seem to walk in, but rather rolled in. The man bowed deeply, his face beaming with a smile, and said, "Hello, friends. Hehe, may I bother you for a moment?"
The man following behind him was of medium height, with a face covered in deep, chiseled wrinkles that left a lasting impression.
Li Qiang stood up and said with a smile, "Hello! Please come and sit down. Are you a merchant?"
Wan Gong was surprised that Li Qiang would be so polite to a stranger, thinking to himself, "These kinds of traveling merchants are everywhere, why is the boss being so polite?"
The fat man said with a smile, "Let me introduce myself first. Hehe, my name is Kazhu. I am the contact person recommended by several small caravans. I'm sorry, because we didn't have enough people, we couldn't cross the Heavenly Road Grassland. So everyone asked me to find some more people. I've been waiting for a long time, and I only see a few of you here. Hehe, I wanted to ask you if you would like to travel together?" He sat down as he spoke.
Wan Gong asked, "There seem to be very few traveling merchants lately. Do you know what's going on?"
Kazhu's chubby face twitched, and she sighed, "Alas! Brother, the road is rough. Strange things have been happening lately. Some caravans have had their entire crew disappear without a trace, and we can't figure out why. Many large caravans have stopped, and some have even turned back and closed down. It's really tough for us small businesses. If we can't get our goods to our destinations, we'll lose everything. So we have to grit our teeth and keep going."
Li Qiang laughed and said, "We just arrived too, let's see how things go first."
Hong Qian suddenly said, "Many people have arrived at the gate of the village."
Li Qiang had already heard this and said, "There are many..."
Kazhu asked in confusion, "How did you know so many people were coming?" He turned to look at the gate and exclaimed in delight, "It's a large merchant caravan! That's wonderful!"
Hong Qian said, "This doesn't look like a merchant caravan. Look, there are Silver-Tipped Steed; it's an army."
Kazhu jumped up, exclaiming in surprise, "Why are there troops at this time? And it's a large merchant caravan, not many soldiers!"
Dozens of large carts pulled by Mottled-Tipped Steed rumbled along the main street, preceded by a small group of Silver-Tipped Steed, numbering about twenty or fifty riders, followed closely by a large group of Black-Tipped Mount.
Kazhu exclaimed happily, "Great! This is a caravan of a thousand people. Now we can go!"
Andu Stockade suddenly became lively. The noisy crowd split up and entered the empty houses along the street. Some people shouted to the livestock and directed the caravan to the designated parking area for large carts. The large group of Black-Tipped Mount passed by, followed by many smaller groups of merchants, who also dispersed to look for empty rooms. The village, which had been quiet just moments before, was now extremely noisy.
Li Qiang said, "Good heavens, this is a real mess. Kazhu, don't worry, go and contact them to leave together. Hehe, we'll have to see how things go."
Kazhu smiled and said, "Okay, I'll go talk to them. Young man, let's go together. Don't wait any longer. I've been waiting here for a long time. It's not easy to find a caravan like this. If we miss this opportunity, it will be too late to regret it. I'll let you know when we leave." He seemed very enthusiastic and insisted that Li Qiang and the others go with him.
Li Qiang had originally planned to set off immediately after Paben returned with the information, but seeing how enthusiastic Kazhu was, he felt a little embarrassed to refuse him.
Wan Gong also said, "Boss, why don't we travel with the caravan? More people will save us a lot of trouble, and small groups of monsters won't dare to attack us on the road. What do you think?"
Li Qiang smiled and said, "Alright, then I'll trouble Kazhu to go and tell them we'll go together."
Kazhu said goodbye with a smile, looking very happy.
Hong Qian laughed, "Uncle-Master, we can't keep up now. Large caravans travel very slowly, but they are very safe."
Li Qiang said, " Wan Gong, how far is it from here to the Ladu Kingdom? We need to hurry there after we finish our business on the Heavenly Road Grassland."
Wan Gong said, "After crossing the Heavenly Road Grassland, I know a shortcut. Although the road is difficult, it's much shorter, and we have enough time. We don't know where this large caravan will go after reaching Andu Central Stockade. We also need to inquire about where Blessing Bailing is. Perhaps after reaching Central Stockade, we'll have to travel separately."
People moved into the adjacent room as well. Since all the rooms were enclosed by half-board walls, Li Qiang and his group could see what was happening inside each room.
A dozen or so people rushed into the next room, laughing and talking loudly as they dragged their luggage around, each looking for a place to stay. Outside, the street was bustling with people, many of whom couldn't find a room. Seven or eight men looked at Li Qiang's room and came over. One of them went inside and shouted, "Hey, friend, is this place full?"
Li Qiang smiled and said, "No, come in!"
The man turned and called out, "Brothers, come in!" Several people swarmed in, making the room instantly crowded. The man shouted, " Tudun, take my luggage with you, or I won't allow it to get messed up!"
A short man answered, dragged two large backpacks into the house, threw them into a corner, and shouted, "Brother Zhutou, find something to eat, we're starving!"
The man called Zhutou laughed and scolded, "Eat! Eat! Eat! All you know is eating, are you possessed by a starving ghost? Lao Chong, take the rolled jerky out of your bag, Tudun, go get some water."
One of the men lay down on the ground, ripped off his animal-hide boots, and immediately a strong stench filled the air. He said, "Ouch, that feels good now... Soaked in sweat, warming myself by the fire, brother, move aside."
Li Qiang had been holding his breath, and upon hearing this, he smiled slightly and stepped aside.
The man sat up and put his feet on the edge of the fire to warm them. Wisps of smoke rose from his feet, making the stench even stronger. He muttered, "Sorry, everyone, it smells a bit bad, just bear with it."
Zhutou cursed, " Choujiao! You fucking bastard, are you trying to kill me? Every time we get to the field, you take off your boots and start stinking. You're so damn annoying."
The Choujiao said with a long face, "I can't help it, I'm just naturally sweaty. Brother Zhutou, can't I just stop grilling them?" He pulled his foot back and rubbed it vigorously with his hands.
Fortunately, the room had half-wood walls, which made it well-ventilated and the smell dissipated quickly. While rubbing his feet, the Choujiao said to Li Qiang, "Sorry, brother, did the stench bother you? Hehe, oh well..."
A man standing nearby said loudly to Li Qiang, "This kid has notoriously Choujiao. If it weren't for Brother Zhutou taking him in, no caravan would want him. Hehe, you can just call him Choujiao."
Choujiao wasn't angry at all, and laughed, " Laitou, don't talk about me like that. We're in the same boat. I'm Choujiao, and you're Laitou."
Everyone burst into laughter, even the people in the next room laughed.
Li Qiang couldn't help but chuckle and asked, "Hmm, Choujiao, what kind of merchant caravan are you? Why are you traveling with the army?"
The Choujiao rubbed his feet together, grimacing, and sniffed his hands before finally saying, "We're a big caravan, you know. That group of soldiers is traveling with us. The roads haven't been safe lately, hehe, big caravans like ours are rare these days. Hey, are you waiting here to travel with others? Trust me, no problem, just talk to our Brother Zhutou, it'll only cost a little money." He looked quite smug.
Zhutou sat down next to Li Qiang and said with a grin, "Hey bro, Tu Shu and I are the leaders of a group of thirty, you know. There are only three of you? Don't worry, just follow us and we'll make sure you're safe."
Wan Gong said, "There are five of us in total."
Choujiao chimed in from the side, "It's alright, our Brother Zhutou is a real hero. He's been in and out of the Heavenly Road Grassland dozens of times, protecting at least eight hundred or a thousand people and goods. Young man, you can follow him with peace of mind. Just a little money will guarantee your safety, isn't that great!"
Lao Chong took a small pile of lean jerky from his animal skin bag, placed it by the fire pit, and shouted, "Come on! Eat some jerky! Why hasn't Tudun come over yet? He's so stupid, it takes him forever to find water. Come and eat!"
Choujiao reached out and picked up a piece, tore off a slice, threw it into his mouth, and chewed loudly, mumbling, " Lao Chong, this meat has a weird taste, hmm, it seems to have gone soggy."
Li Qiang couldn't hold back any longer and laughed, "Brother, the meat should be fine."
The Choujiao held up the jerky in his hand and held it under Li Qiang's nose, saying, "Smell it, it definitely tastes a bit off."
Li Qiang hurriedly turned his head and said, "Hey, buddy, help me out, that's the smell of your Choujiao!" Everyone burst into laughter.
The Choujiao held his hand up to his nose, sniffed it hard, and laughed, "It really does smell like Choujiao. Oh well, whatever, I don't even notice my own smell." He nonchalantly tore off another piece of meat and stuffed it into his mouth.
Zhutou warmly greeted Li Qiang, "Come on! Come on! Eat with us! Don't be shy!"
Li Qiang laughed and said, "You guys eat, I just ate." He didn't need to eat in the first place, and seeing how disgusting the way the Choujiao were eating made him even less likely to touch the jerky.
These men didn't really take Li Qiang and his companions seriously. Almost every man traveling on the Western Continent was strong and robust; to make a living here, you couldn't do without a strong physique.
Li Qiang and Hong Qian were both dressed in long robes and looked Wan Gong, while Wan Gong had a good physique, with broad shoulders, thick back, big hands and feet. He also had a large cleaver beside him and a full beard, making him look like a typical traveling man.
Nashan and Paben walked in, and Nashan said loudly, "Huh? So many people, boss, we're back." He looked the fiercest, Baldy with one eye and scars on his face, and everyone in the room looked at him at the same time.
Nashan only Qi Ingestion a few people; he didn't care about anyone else. He went to Li Qiang's side, grabbed the arm of the guy with the Choujiao, and said, "Hey little brother, move aside." He gently pushed him aside.
The Choujiao couldn't withstand the force and tumbled backwards, a mouthful of jerky stuck in his throat, choking him until his eyes rolled back. Lao Chong quickly stepped forward and slapped him hard on the back, finally spitting out the meat in his throat, yelling, "Hey, you trying to kill me, cough cough!"
Zhutou was a little angry and said, " Baldy! Come on, let's get acquainted. My name is Zhutou." He stretched out a large hand. Anyone around could tell at a glance that Zhutou wanted to weigh Nashan's worth.
Nashan's eyes lit up, and he extended his hand as well. "Hehe, my name is Nashan, hehe, let's get intimate." The two hands clasped together.
Both of them appeared nonchalant. Nashan didn't exert any force at first; he kept his eyes on Li Qiang, knowing he had been rude and afraid his boss would scold him.
Li Qiang laughed and said, " Nashan, don't go too far."
His meaning was that Nashan shouldn't bully others, but Nashan completely misunderstood, thinking that Li Qiang agreed to let him intervene, as long as he didn't hurt anyone. He quickly laughed and said, "Boss, how could that be?"
Zhutou began to feel afraid. No matter how hard he tried, the one-eyed giant didn't budge, as if nothing had happened.
He grinned and said, "Welcome! Zhutou, sorry about that."
Zhutou's expression changed drastically. Everyone saw that Zhutou's face suddenly turned red, and his body trembled slightly. He tightly closed his lips, and sweat poured down his face.
Seeing this, Li Qiang quickly said, "That's enough, Nashan, let go and apologize to Zhutou."
Nashan quickly withdrew his hand, chuckled a few times, and said, "Hehe, Zhutou, our boss gave the order. Hey, it was just a joke, don't be angry, hehe, hehe." He had a big smile on his face.
No one could believe that this fierce Baldy was so obedient, and they couldn't help but become curious about Li Qiang: this young and frail lad seemed rather unfathomable.
Zhutou Tou plopped down, his hand bones nearly shattered from Nashan's grip, the pain excruciating. It took him a long time to catch his breath. He was convinced of his own Qi Ingestion, knowing he was far inferior to Na Shan, and said with a wry smile, "It's alright! It's alright!" Men traveling in the Western Continent are all straightforward; they always accept defeat and don't cheat.
Nashan called out, " Paben, bring over the fresh meat we just got. I'm treating everyone to some meat." Paben threw a monster the size of half a man off his back and placed it by the fire pit.
Li Qiang laughed and said, "Come and eat, everyone. You guys come too." He was referring to a group of men next door who had been watching the commotion. The group of men cheered and climbed over the half-wall.
A large group of people sat around the fire pit, each pulling out a sharp knife they carried with them, and began to cut and roast meat to eat.
Nashan patted Zhutou on the shoulder with a grin and said, "Brother, let's eat together."
Li Qiang and Nashan's generosity immediately won over this group of straightforward men, and before long, they were calling each other brothers.
Wan Gong was deeply moved. He knew Li Qiang's strength very well, but he never expected Li Qiang to be so easygoing, able to put his arm around these rough, burly men and call them brothers, without looking down on them at all. He felt that this was a true master.