Trouble in Phoenix Cry Village
In the imperial capital of the Qian Kingdom, the fury had yet to subside. Decree after decree was issued!
Ordinary cultivators would never dare devour the power of a divine dragon! It had to be the work of either a cultivation clan or an enemy nation! Whichever it was, the consequences would be far-reaching. It might cause unrest throughout the kingdom and put the imperial capital under new rule! This matter had to be investigated.
The entire imperial court buzzed with discussion! Civil and military officials alike denounced the deed, filled with righteous indignation!
Nor was the talk confined to the court. Even the common people of the imperial capital joined in spreading rumors!
"An enemy nation has attacked the borders of our Qian Kingdom! Cultivators have joined the battle, the borderlands have been slaughtered, and tens of thousands of commoners have been taken captive"...
As discussion raged at court and among the people, Grand Commander Bai Yu, an imperial special envoy, tore through the air on his way to Sunset City!
After several days of arduous travel, the old village chief and his companions finally drew near Phoenix Cry Village. Sure enough, it lay on a major thoroughfare. Merchants came and went in an endless stream: wheelbarrows, carriages, caravans, and mercenary groups followed one another without pause! Some stopped to rest in Phoenix Cry Village, while others were merely passing through. It truly was prosperous.
As soon as the old village chief and the others reached the village, the person who had brought the news earlier hurried out to greet them! After exchanging a few words, they began asking about the place they might move to!
About thirty li west of Phoenix Cry Village, there had once been an academy called Bright Virtue Academy! It occupied a vast expanse of land, with pleasant mountains and waters! Later, the academy moved to Sunset City, and the place was abandoned!
The group could not spare the time to rest and continued on their way. There were plenty of travelers along the road, making it a lively journey!
Bright Virtue Academy was overgrown with weeds and littered with broken walls and crumbling ruins, its former glory long gone. Its ancient, unadorned gate had rotted away, and the bluestone paving had been worn down by the years! Inside the academy, wild creatures ran rampant, spiderwebs blocked the way, and debris lay everywhere!
They hacked their way through thorns and brambles, sweating profusely in the heat! The academy had been abandoned long ago, and even the paths had vanished! It seemed the place really had been deserted for too long!
After great effort, they made it through the tangle of wild grass! At last, they saw an old, unadorned compound. Its signboard had long since fallen and weathered away! The courtyard walls looked as though they might collapse at any moment! But the land here was truly well suited to growing crops! The soil was fertile, and there was a great river in the distance! Irrigation would be especially convenient.
Supported by the others, the old village chief gazed around! Tears streamed down his aged face. This place was perfect!
The old village chief had spent his whole life in the mountains! He knew all too well how hard life there was! He never stopped wanting to lead everyone out of the mountains! Now the mountains were growing ever more dangerous, and hunting was harder than ever. They had to find a way out! They had to find a way forward for the younger generation of Hundred Stars Village!
The group cheered and leaped for joy. At last, they could leave the mountains!
Moving the village required the city lord's approval. It seemed they would have to make a trip to Sunset City!
They retraced their steps, planning to rest for the night in Phoenix Cry Village and set out for Sunset City the next day!
"Young man, may I ask if there's a place to rest around here?"
Ye Fan's father and his companions arrived at Phoenix Cry Village and saw a villager herding sheep into a pen. He cupped his hands and asked!
"Who are you?"
"We're heading to Sunset City tomorrow and are passing through. It's getting late, so we're looking for a place to rest."
"I see. Go straight into the village and keep going. There's an inn for passing merchants to rest at! You can try there," the young man said, putting down his whip and pointing toward the village!
"Thanks, young man!" They cupped their hands in thanks and entered the village!
"Old thing, don't you have eyes when you walk?" Hearing the arrogant shout, the group, who were searching for the inn, looked toward the voice! Two or three overbearing young men were harassing an old woman. Her hair was gray, and she moved slowly! She was looking at the two or three men before her in fear and alarm!
"My lords, my old eyes have grown dim, and I bumped into you! Please, my lords, show mercy and let this old woman off!"
"Old thing, you're asking for a beating! The street's this wide, and who would dare not make way for us? You saw us and didn't even move aside! Do you know how many copper coins these newly tailored clothes of mine cost? You blind old thing!"
The old village chief and his companions had not intended to meddle! But the three men's behavior was so despicable-they were actually bullying an old woman!
"This makes my blood boil!" Unable to stand by, Ye Fan's father was about to step forward and demand justice for the old woman!
"Ye Wangshan, don't be rash!" the old village chief gently scolded.
Ye Fan's father was Ye Wangshan!
The others also tried to stop him. They had only just arrived, so it was better to be careful!
The group prepared to continue on their way!
One of the arrogant young men looked over and tugged at the leader's clothes. "Brother Chuang, look, another bunch of country bumpkins has come into the village."
The leader turned to look. Now he could find some more amusement!
The three left the old woman and strode over!
"You lot up ahead, stop!" one of the young men shouted, pointing at the old village chief and his companions!
"May I ask why you want us to stop?" The others had pulled Ye Fan's father to the back, so Xiao Changlin was the one who answered!
"Why? You lot look awfully sneaky. What business do you have in our Phoenix Cry Village? I lost a treasured saber a few days ago, and you all look to be in a hurry, so I came over to ask!"
"Your mother's fart!" Before Xiao Changlin could speak, Ye Wangshan could no longer hold back!
The three men's expressions changed. "You stinking beggar, we offered you face and you refused it! Then don't blame us!"
The old village chief and his companions had been traveling for days. Their clothes were already ragged, and they had not rested properly these past few days. They did indeed look a little worn out!
Eldest Uncle hurried forward and cupped his hands. "Hehe, my brother has always spoken so rudely. He has offended you young gentlemen, and I apologize on his behalf!"
"Young gentlemen, please be magnanimous! Don't take offense at the likes of us mountain folk!"
Smack! Before Eldest Uncle could finish, he was slapped across the face!
"You mountain bumpkins, you lowlifes! Do you know who my big brother is? He's the city defense officer of Sunset City, the future lord of Sunset City! You barbarians dare speak to me like that?"
After Eldest Uncle was struck, Ye Wangshan could no longer hold himself back. He was about to step forward and fight, but the old village chief shouted him down!
The old village chief rose and cupped his hands to the three young men.
"Young gentlemen, please make things easy for us. We are passing through, but we have urgent business to attend to. It's getting late, and we have no choice but to seek lodging in your village. As soon as day breaks, we will set out and trouble you no further." As he spoke, he had the uncles bring out some silver and dried meat! "Please accept these small tokens. Don't take offense at the likes of us mountain folk."
The three looked at what was offered! They tossed aside the dried meat and kept only the silver. "Old thing, at least you know what's good for you!"
The three took the silver and left, while the old village chief and his companions looked humiliated! Several of the uncles were still holding Ye Wangshan firmly in place!
The old village chief looked at Eldest Uncle. "When you're away from home, suffering a little grievance is nothing. As long as we can move the villagers out of the mountains, none of this matters! Sometimes you have to endure..."
Phoenix Cry Inn was a set of simple buildings! The villagers had opened passages through their courtyard walls and put up a few simple structures, turning the place into an inn!
"Innkeeper, do you have any rooms left?"
"Yes, we do! How many rooms do you need, honored guests?" Seeing customers enter, the innkeeper smiled and nodded repeatedly.
"One will be enough. We'll set out early tomorrow morning."
"Right away!"
The innkeeper led the way, with the old village chief and his companions following!
"Innkeeper, may I ask you something? What kind of official is Sunset City's city defense officer?"
"Honored guests, did you happen to run into those three ruffians?"
"We did, and we had a bit of a conflict with them!"
"Ah, those fellows rely on their elder brother's position as an official in Sunset City to prey on the villagers and commit all kinds of misdeeds. The villagers have long been full of complaints about them! We merchants grit our teeth at the very mention of them. We'd love nothing more than to eat their flesh raw!"
"Doesn't anyone do anything about them?"
"Do something? How? Their big brother's elder sister is City Lord Mo's concubine! Even the village chief can't control them. What can we do?"
"All right, innkeeper. Thank you for telling us!"
"Mm, in the future, just keep out of their way when you see them. As the saying goes, if you can't afford to provoke them, you can afford to avoid them!"
There was a shared sleeping platform in the room, big enough for four or five people. The old village chief and the uncles naturally slept on it, while the other burly men could make do with bedding on the floor for one night!
Early the next morning, the old village chief and his companions gave their faces a quick wash! They bid the innkeeper farewell and headed for Sunset City...