578 Night Talk

Ji Xixi heard the familiar soft sound of wooden boards beside her ear, a relaxed smile on her face, and gently patted the two sleeping, unsuspecting people.

She gently turned her head to look at Jingzhai, and whispered in a low voice, "Sister, are you worried?"

Feeling Xixi's concern, he smiled gently and nodded slightly.

He focused his consciousness and responded in a low voice, "Sister, I am indeed a little worried."

These past two days, I've been leading troops to take control of the area surrounding Dalong Prefecture, and I'm feeling a bit impatient.

He only wanted to quickly consolidate control of the surrounding areas to avoid being attacked from both sides.

After a moment of contemplation, he heard a familiar, continuous sound.

High-pitched, passionate, and continuous.

A slight blush rose to her cheeks as she nodded gently, "The end of the year is approaching. Although I have some worries, I need to have a peaceful New Year."

Xixi nodded slightly, "Don't worry, we're here too. Even if something unexpected happens, my lover will still be here."

She chuckled softly, "If you're truly worried, why don't you go and ask Mr. Chen to go and make a trip there?"

He chuckled softly again, "Shen Lang's cultivation is truly unfathomable now."

With a half-smile, a slight blush appeared on Jingzhai's face as she looked at the three sleeping figures. She heard a soft, familiar, and shy voice in her ear and nodded emphatically in agreement.

She drifted off to sleep, a soft smile playing on her lips. 'It's too late; disturbing others now would be too much.'

Before dawn, Yun Baiyi, Zhang Dazhuang, Ren Pingsheng, Shanlong, and Shanqing hurried along, traveling through the night, where the cool night wind was quite cold.

Weaving through the cold wind, our figures rising and falling, traveling together at night, we felt a sense of exhilarating fearlessness.

They were moving so fast that they didn't have time to think much.

The mountains and forests are secluded and cold at night, a sight rarely seen on the official road.

The leaves fall in dappled patterns, creating a serene and mysterious atmosphere. The branches rustle in the cold wind, adding to the chill.

The ancient trees reached for the sky, their branches and leaves flourishing. Although the official road was more than ten zhang wide, it was also unusually cold at this moment.

The eerie, ghostly light and the various colors of the demonic beasts occasionally reflected outwards.

The group of people, hurrying along, protected their bodies with their inner energy within their clothing, causing the surrounding cold air to retreat as if repelled by an invisible shield.

As they approached Yansha City, their view gradually opened up.

The view, which had been limited by the dense forest, suddenly opened up, revealing a vast expanse of farmland before them.

Further away, the trees are sparse and the shrubs are plentiful.

Like a white ocean, shimmering and undulating under the moonlight, it resembles giant dragons winding and coiling, magnificent and mysterious.

The city of Yansha stands majestically, like a sturdy fortress, its tall and thick walls protecting the peace of this land.

They also uphold ancient rights.

Wei Si, Yun Baiyi, and the other six slowed down. With Yansha Prefecture in sight, they gazed at the towering Yansha City in the distance, feeling a sense of weariness.

Yun Baiyi sighed softly, "Having only stayed in the border region for a few months, with very few ghosts and wild beasts, I almost mistook other places for the safe environment of the border region."

It makes one think that along the way, there will always be a few blind monsters and newly formed Yin ghosts.

They even saw a few powerful ghosts, their blood surging, clearly having killed people.

Greed and violence, the bloodthirsty instinct—once the restraint is broken, there is no turning back.

These should all be eliminated promptly, but getting on the road is more important. Unless they collide with us, we don't want to delay our business.

These ghosts are different from ordinary spirits; they possess considerable power and intelligence, and can even transform into humans or other forms.

The cunning ones, sensing danger from afar, quickly hid and secretly observed.

Although Yun Baiyi was willing to kill these ghosts and spirits, the time was not right or suitable.

He thought to himself, 'Once Yan Prefecture is pacified and Dalong Prefecture is stable, I need to work with my wife to sweep through every nook and cranny of Dalong Prefecture.'

Ren Pingsheng felt a mix of emotions, but he was already used to what he saw at night.

He smiled in agreement, "I feel the same way. After spending some time in the border town, looking outside feels like a completely different world."

Leaving the border town and venturing out into the world, I increasingly appreciate how rare and precious the border town's environment truly is.

A sense of awe washed over me. The border town's tranquility and stability were beyond words, and it was the ideal I longed for.

He thought to himself, "All I ever wanted was for good weather, no evil spirits or monsters, and no tax increases."

What a pity, what a pity!

Slowly raising his head, he gazed at the desolate land outside the city of Yansha, where in the distance lay the mineral deposits within the Yansha Prefecture.

He quickly pulled out a map and whispered to the others, "This is Yansha Prefecture. The original residence of the Ying family was later renamed the Huo family."

The Huo family's elite forces are mostly concentrated here.

The Huo family is backed by the Fire Spirit Cult, and the original ancestor of the Huo family was an elder of the Fire Spirit Cult.

Although he was an elder, I heard that he was just an outer steward. After getting old, he failed to break through and returned to this place to establish the Huo family, which has since flourished.

But it was precisely this Elder Huo who brought Yan Province to its development.

To put it simply, some areas of Yanzhou are barren, sandy, with sparse vegetation, making it difficult to survive.

Ren Pingsheng continued softly, "After Elder Huo returned, he explored the surrounding area and finally discovered the wonders of this place. He found a fine mineral in the distance and offered it to the Fire Spirit Sect."

The Fire Spirit Cult sent people to investigate, and at that time they only found iron ore; the other mineral deposits were buried in the deep underground abyss.

Therefore, the original Ying family, now the Huo family, was tasked with managing the ore, and was required to submit a batch of ore every year or every few years.

At this point, he sighed slightly and said softly, "It was originally a good thing. This place has minerals, and the flow of resources is active; it should have been a tremendous boon for the people here."

He slowly shook his head, not wanting to say anything more.

The wind whistled as two figures sped towards them. Upon seeing several people in front of them, they slowly stopped, becoming wary.

The people who came had a clear objective; they had obviously received orders.

Then, seeing Ren Pingsheng holding the Demon-Slaying Token, he bowed and said, "Your subordinate, Shang Tie, greets your superior."

Ren Pingsheng nodded slightly. Earlier, upon arriving, he had secretly contacted Shang Tie, the person in charge of the area, and asked softly, "Shang Tie, you should be a local."

Shang Tie's face showed a hint of excitement, his eyes filled with barely concealed hatred. He clasped his hands and bowed, saying, "Yes, sir. I am a local. Fortunately, I was lucky enough to survive."

Ren Pingsheng nodded with a hint of sadness and said softly to Yun Baiyi and the others, "After the Ying family discovered the minerals here, they should have hired local villagers and people from the city to mine them."

If they are paid reasonable wages, these people shouldn't have a too bad life.

He sighed, "But the Ying family was initially hesitant, and the mine also paid them a fair amount of wages."

But later, the piles of bones became a cruel and realistic testament.

A layer of ore, a layer of bone.

Looking at Shang Tie, who seemed hesitant to speak, she said softly, "I'm sure you know more details than I do."