"Let's stop for a while before going on." Mu Hanyan said to Jiang Yuzhe.
Then close your eyes, concentrate all your mind, and feel everything outside of your body.
Gradually, her mind sank into a state of emptiness. Suddenly, Mu Hanyan's heart trembled. Just to the right of the carriage, the power of heaven and earth rippled slightly, quietly converging to form a vortex that was difficult to miss, converging towards a certain point on the earth.
Usually, only masters above the level of Great Swordsman can draw upon the power of heaven and earth when they are promoted and break through. Ordinary practice is not enough to gather the power of heaven and earth together.
Could it be that a master had advanced? Mu Hanyan immediately dismissed her suspicions. The fluctuations in the power of heaven and earth were extremely subtle, and the vortexes formed were barely perceptible. If it weren't for the constant humming of the Frost Sky Sword, Mu Hanyan wouldn't have been able to detect them. This was clearly different from the vast and magnificent force of heaven and earth that converged and surged when a master advanced.
Mu Hanyan looked up into the distance. Although she didn't know what was going on, she was certain that the humming sound of the Hanxiao Sword must be related to this.
Hua Yue and the others followed Mu Hanyan's gaze, not knowing what she had discovered.
"There is a post road ahead." Jiang Yuzhe looked in the direction of Mu Hanyan's gaze, then looked at the side of the road ahead and spoke.
After his reminder, Mu Hanyan and the others discovered that there was a post road hidden among the weeds ahead.
This post road is extremely old and quite spacious, but there are bushes growing on both sides of the road, and even crooked trees growing in the middle of the road. It is obvious that few people pass by.
"That should be the ancient trade route leading to Shangyue. In the past, Anyun and Shangyue were on good terms, and this trade route was once prosperous. However, after a great war between Anyun and Shangyue a thousand years ago, this trade route has gradually been abandoned." Qu Shanling looked up and said.
The great war between Anyun and Shangyue, though fought a thousand years ago, remains a legend due to its brutality. Former allies became enemies overnight, with hundreds of thousands of soldiers from both sides dying on the battlefield. Although the two sides eventually negotiated a peace agreement, the peace they once enjoyed was no longer present. The trade routes that had been closed during the war were never reopened.
Of course, there is more than one closed trade route, but this is the most prosperous one, so Qu Shanling knows its origin.
"Yuzhe, go and take a look." Mu Hanyan pointed at Shang Dao and said.
She was certainly not interested in the ancient trade route from thousands of years ago, but because the place where the power of heaven and earth converged was in the direction where the ancient trade route extended.
The ancient trade road was built extremely wide, just enough to accommodate the carriages. As for the shrubs along the road and the crooked trees growing in the middle of the road, they certainly weren't a problem for them. As they cut through the thorns and brambles along the way, the carriages didn't slow down much.
Ruins of inns and teahouses were often seen along the route, making it easy to imagine the prosperity of this ancient trade route. To Mu Hanyan's surprise, they occasionally encountered dusty swordsmen along the way. Judging by their attire, they must have returned from training or treasure hunting, their faces beaming with joy.
After careful consideration, they found it unsurprising. Anyun Country lay along the winding slopes of the Longyan Mountains, practically surrounded on three sides. Even the capital city of Anyun was built mid-mountain, so countless swordsmen journeyed to the Longyan Mountains for training and treasure hunting. Besides cities like Longxu City, which had direct access to the Longyan Mountains, other locations also offered access to the mountains.
While these places are often hidden and somewhat dangerous, they also offer greater rewards than places like Longxu City. If I'm not mistaken, this ancient trade route happens to connect to a secret passage leading into the Longyan Mountains. So, while it's rarely visited, it hasn't been completely abandoned.
As they got further along, the road became increasingly bumpy and narrow, making it impossible for the carriage to pass. Mu Hanyan found a forest and hid the carriage there. This road was rarely traveled, so there was no need to worry about anyone stealing it.
Then, several people walked forward along the business road.
Ahead, there was a faint sound of fighting, seemingly mixed with screams. Mu Hanyan's heart moved and she quickened her pace.
Soon, an ancient village came into view. Looking at the broken stone walls, it was 70% similar to the ruins seen on the roadside before. If I guessed correctly, it should be a village that prospered for a while because of the ancient trade route, but also became depressed and declined due to the closure of the trade route.
Logically speaking, this trade route has become a dead end. Going straight ahead will lead to boundless mountains and vast wastelands. There should be few people living in the town. However, at this moment, hundreds of ragged villagers holding swords are confronting a dozen men in swordsman costumes.
"Rong Tianhai, our Fang family has been forced into a desperate situation by your Rong family. We finally found a place to stay here. Do you, the Rong family, really want to wipe out our entire family?" An old man shouted in grief and anger.
Several young men fell beside him, curled up in pain, apparently with their limbs broken.
"Mr. Fang, it's not that our Rong family wants to kill you all. It's just that you chose the wrong place. This place has good feng shui, and our patriarch has taken a liking to it, so we have no choice but to ask you to find another place to settle down." The middle-aged swordsman in the lead said arrogantly while picking his teeth.
"What good feng shui? It's obvious that you don't want to give our Fang family a chance to survive just because of the Fang family market!" the old man roared angrily.
Only then did Mu Hanyan notice that there was a very simple sign at the entrance of the village: Fangjia Market.
Mu Hanyan quickly grasped the situation: the Fang family had a grudge against the Rong family, and having been driven to desperation by them, they had been forced to leave their homeland and seek shelter elsewhere. They had found this deserted village, and then discovered that swordsmen training and treasure hunting would pass through it, so they established the Fang Family Market. The Rong family refused to give the Fang family a chance to recover, and attacked them once again.
This kind of thing happens a lot in the Holy Court Continent. If the people of the Zhao family had not committed suicide by taking poison last time, the Mu family would never have given them the chance to make a comeback, so Mu Hanyan was not in the mood to meddle in other people's business.
However, Mu Hanyan could feel that the vortex of the power of heaven and earth finally gathered somewhere in this village, so she did not leave, but stood aside and watched coldly.
"Mr. Fang, I am too lazy to say more to you. As long as your Fang family leaves honestly today, I will give you a way out. Otherwise, don't blame me for being merciless." Rong Tianhai snorted coldly and said.
"Haha, leave? The only remaining wealth of our Fang family is invested in this Fangjia Market. How can we survive if we leave?" Old Master Fang laughed bitterly.
"Then don't blame me, Rong Tianhai, for being cruel and ruthless." Rong Tianhai's expression turned cold, and several of his men rushed towards the Fang family.
"Seventh-level swordsman!" Mu Hanyan was slightly startled.
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