Chapter 100 Firefly
The Golden Crow sets in the west, and the Jade Rabbit rises in the east.
The news that the two inns suddenly caught fire and Xu Xiaodao was shot dead in the street spread like wildfire and spread throughout the streets and alleys.
"Haha, the Xiaodao Gang is finally going to be finished!"
"Yes, the Xiaodao Gang bullies the market and collects so much head money, stall fees, and festival fees..."
"Xu Xiaodao deserved to die. I heard that they not only extorted money everywhere in the city and acted arrogantly, but they were even more unscrupulous outside the city, robbing women and forcing them into prostitution, and even massacring many refugees."
"I heard that Xu Xiaodao was killed because he hooked up with someone else's wife."
"Ah, adultery has always resulted in death!"
…
On cold and snowy winter evenings, people had something to talk about after dinner, and they talked about all kinds of things.
On the contrary, not many people cared about the two inns that were burned down.
After all, they don't stay at the inn often.
But Xu Xiaodao is different.
He is the most famous local tyrant in the county, a typical example of a bully, and has profoundly influenced every aspect of people's lives.
After his death, some people cheered, some felt that God had finally opened his eyes, and some people were planning to fight for his territory.
"Xu Xiaodao is dead..."
Liang Buqing looked haggard, his eyes were red, and he was muttering to himself.
Since he left Hanxiang Tower and returned home this morning, he has been feeling restless and uneasy.
I was always on edge, feeling like something was wrong and that something big might be about to happen.
I never expected that what I feared would come true, and that big thing would happen so quickly.
"Xu Xiaodao was shot to death by an arrow, so the murderer must be..."
Liang Buqing was terrified and didn't dare to think further.
After he realized that he had leaked the information, he wanted to find Fang Zhixing and report it to him immediately.
But he hesitated, holding on to a glimmer of hope.
It was not until this moment that he realized it was too late.
Knock knock! Someone is knocking on the door.
Liang Buqing hurried to open the door and saw Chen Ping, the receptionist from the Internal Affairs Department, appearing outside the door.
Liang Buqing hurriedly opened the door to greet him and asked in surprise, "Brother Chen, why are you here?"
Chen Ping had no expression on his face, and said calmly, "Lao Liang, Master Fang asked me to inform you that you are fired and he will not continue to employ you."
As soon as these words came out, Liang Buqing was struck by lightning, and instantly broke out in a cold sweat. He sat down on the ground dejectedly, his face pale and his soul lost.
Seeing this, Chen Ping shook his head contemptuously, said no more nonsense, flicked his sleeves and turned away.
…
…
The next day dawned, but it was still dark.
Fang Zhixing got up early, had a quick breakfast, packed his bags, and quietly left the yamen on horseback.
This time, the purpose of going out is naturally to go to the third-level restricted area.
Whether or not one can advance to the first bird realm depends on how much one gains from this trip.
However, this time he acted in secret and left without saying goodbye.
No one was notified in advance.
Only a letter was left in the house.
If he did not return for a long time and was considered missing by everyone, then people investigating his whereabouts would definitely come to his room in the villa and would soon find the letter.
The thin dog curled up in Fang Zhixing's arms, with only its head showing. It kept yawning and looked very sleepy.
He muttered, "Will it work without Liang Buqing as a guide?"
Fang Zhixing replied: "It doesn't matter. With the experience from last time, I have figured out how to play in the restricted area. I can still play without Liang Buqing."
The little dog stopped talking nonsense.
Fang Zhixing's personal ability is beyond doubt. If he says it can be done, then it must be done.
Since Fang Zhixing is now successful, it means that Liang Buqing is dispensable.
In addition, Liang Buqing betrayed Fang Zhixing. Even though he did not do it on purpose, he still angered Fang Zhixing.
Fang Zhixing naturally treated him like a worn-out shoe.
Another point is that Fang Zhixing has too many secrets and he is very suspicious, so he will not easily allow someone to stay around him for too long.
Liang Buqing said that when it comes to giving up, then give it up, there is nothing to say.
Even if he brings Liang Buqing along this time, Fang Zhixing will still abandon him next time.
"A lonely figure on the cold river, an old friend from the rivers and lakes, why do we have to know each other when we meet!"
Fang Zhixing is not just talking, he means it.
He treated Duan Caiyan, with whom he was having an intimate relationship, like this, let alone Liang Buqing?
Dadada! We left the city and headed west, galloping as fast as we could.
On the move...
Less than ten miles out of the city, Fang Zhixing's eyes flashed and his face became involuntarily cold.
Along the way, he saw more than a dozen bodies.
They were all refugees who froze to death!
Two of them were still infants.
"Alas, there are frozen corpses on the road..."
Fang Zhixing sighed softly.
Even if I have read famous poems and quatrains thousands of times, it is still not as shocking and touching as seeing them with my own eyes.
The tragedy of the world is heartbreaking !
Fang Zhixing restrained his emotions and galloped on his horse.
The third-level restricted area is located on the edge of the firefly forest.
The forest was very vast, spanning three or four counties.
Because there are so many fireflies in the forest, every night the fireflies glow brightly, flying around in dense groups, just like stars in the sky falling to the earth, hence the name.
It is about 480 miles from Qinglin County to the Firefly Forest.
Fang Zhixing rode a white horse and hurried on, and arrived at around 2:30 in the afternoon.
He first climbed up a hill more than a hundred meters high to look into the distance.
Looking ahead, there is an ancient forest that seems to have no end, with thick trees towering into the clouds.
Starting from the edge of the forest, an extremely huge basin suddenly appears, and its overall outline is an almost perfect circle.
The circular basin is shrouded in a thin gray mist, which seems real and illusory, and cannot be seen clearly, giving people a sense of mystery.
The dog woke up, stuck out his tongue, yawned, and asked, "Is that the Level 3 restricted area?"
Fang Zhixing nodded and said, "Yes, this place is also called the Firefly Forbidden Zone. It is said that at night, there are thousands of fireflies, and the scenery is very beautiful."
The dog took a closer look and suddenly looked towards a certain place, reminding him, "Look, the camp is over there."
Fang Zhixing also saw it.
If you observe carefully, you will find that the scale of that camp is much larger than the camp in the Black Wind Forbidden Area.
In other words, there are many people coming here to hunt.
"Everyone talks about how dangerous the Level 3 restricted area is, but in the end, quite a few people come here to take risks."
Fang Zhixing pondered.
Hearing this, Xigou laughed and said, "Wealth and honor are sought in danger. How does the saying go? The bigger the storm, the more expensive the fish!"
Fang Zhixing no longer hesitated. He squeezed his legs against the horse's belly, and the white horse immediately dived down the mountain.
In a moment, Fang Zhixing rode into the camp on horseback.
It was still early and the camp was quiet with not many people walking around.
He first went to the inn, showed his two identity tokens, then chose a superior room and checked in very smoothly.
Afterwards, Fang Zhixing quickly put away his luggage, sat down to eat something to satisfy his hunger, and took out a topographic map of the firefly restricted area to study it carefully.
The thin dog came over and looked at the picture and said, "How do you want to do it?"
Fang Zhixing replied: “There are three tasks in total, hunting a level three alien beast, collecting Tiansha grass, and collecting Yin snake blood.
Now I have confirmed that the Yin Snake Blood is in a place called 'Yinfeng Valley'.
Tiansha grass is found in a place with an underground hot spring, and the specific location still needs to be investigated.
As for hunting the third-level monsters, you can leave it for last."
Xigou thought it was okay and suggested, "The full-level cheat only requires you to hunt a level 3 beast, but there is no clear requirement on which kind you must hunt, so you can choose a relatively weak one to hunt."
Fang Zhixing nodded and agreed with it deeply.
After all, he is only at the python level. Facing a ferocious third-level monster, he is undoubtedly like a rabbit fighting a lion. He must act within his capabilities.
Xigou asked again: "So, where is the guide? After all, you have never been into the Firefly Forbidden Zone, so you don't know what's going on inside."
Fang Zhixing replied: "This is a simple matter."
He pushed the door open, called the waiter, gave him some tips, and borrowed a piece of wood.
There is no mistake in the poem, post, content, and read the book on 6, 9, and bar!
Then he wrote a notice and put it outside the restaurant.
The notice is in the form of text and pictures.
After all, many people are illiterate and can only understand through drawings.
Before I knew it, the sky was getting dark.
The camp gradually became lively.
One after another, hunting teams came out of the basin.
Some were covered in mud, some were covered in blood, and everyone's face was filled with exhaustion.
They ignored their image and went to the restaurant to eat and fill their stomachs first.
Soon, someone saw the notice and read it out: "A guide is being hired at a high price. He is required to have been to the Valley of the Wind."
"Hey, Yinfeng Valley, come to think of it, I have never been to that place before."
"Well, I went to the Gulch once more than six years ago, and I can't quite remember the way."
"I'm actually quite familiar with the Gully Valley. I passed by that place last month, but I didn't go in to explore it."
…
As expected, there are many talented people among hunters.
Fang Zhixing sat in front of the table and laid out ten shiny gold beans, full of sincerity.
There is a constant stream of people coming to apply for the job.
Fang Zhixing interviewed them one by one, asking them how they arrived at Yinfeng Valley last time, what was in the valley, etc., asking in great detail.
Then, he summarized everyone's answers, verified them in detail, and selected the person who knew the Valley of the Wind best.
"Uncle Lu, I will hire you."
Fang Zhixing finally chose a middle-aged man in his forties named Lu Chuanyin.
What's outrageous is that he is not a warrior, but just an ordinary herbalist who makes a living by collecting all kinds of exotic flowers and herbs and selling them.
It is really hard to imagine that such an ordinary person would dare to venture into the third-level restricted area.
"There are so many experts among the people!" Fang Zhixing exclaimed in amazement.
Lu Chuanyin was very happy.
In fact, he had originally planned to go to Yinfeng Valley to collect medicinal herbs, which was just a matter of convenience.
I never thought that I could earn some money from this. It was such a blessing from heaven.
Fang Zhixing was moved, and couldn't help asking, "Are there many herbalists like you?"
"many!"
Lu Chuanyin grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth. He was missing a large front tooth and spoke with a lisp.
He sighed and said, "Life is getting harder and harder these days. If I don't take some risks and work hard, my whole family will starve to death."
Fang Zhixing understood and took the opportunity to ask, "Has anyone among you ever collected the Heavenly Evil Grass?"
"Heavenly evil grass?"
Lu Chuanyin was surprised, "Why, Boss, you also want to collect Tiansha grass?"
"also?!"
Fang Zhixing blinked and asked, "Who else is collecting Tiansha grass?"
Lu Chuanyin replied, "The people from the Seven Evils Villa have been searching and purchasing the Heavenly Evil Grass. I heard that they need the Heavenly Evil Grass to make medicine when they practice the Seven Evils Palm."
"Seven Evils Villa..."
Fang Zhixing had heard of this Qisha Villa.
According to the division of underworld forces, below the sects are the gangs.
Qisha Villa is somewhere in between the two, not as good as the best but better than the worst.
In terms of strength and sphere of influence, Qisha Villa is equivalent to a branch of Tieshanmen, slightly inferior to the Zhubing Hall.
In other words, there must be a Five Animals Realm expert in the Seven Evils Villa.
Fang Zhixing couldn't help but ask, "People from Qisha Villa are here too?"
Lu Chuanyin nodded and said, "Yes, they are here. A few days ago they were hiring herbalists with a large sum of money. I almost followed their team."
Fang Zhixing asked in surprise: "Why didn't you go?"
Lu Chuanyin lowered his voice and said, "I heard that once the people from the Seven Evils Villa were attacked by strange beasts in the restricted area, they would immediately injure one or two herbalists, feed them to the strange beasts, and then take the opportunity to escape."
Fang Zhixing immediately understood what was going on.
The night passed quickly.
The next morning, it was just dawn.
Fang Zhixing put on a suit of armor, brought the small dog, and entered the Firefly Forbidden Zone under the guidance of Lu Chuanyin.
As soon as he entered the basin, Fang Zhixing immediately noticed that the air temperature was getting higher and higher.
It was a cold winter outside, but inside the restricted area it felt like a crisp autumn day, even a little stuffy.
Looking around, I saw towering ancient trees that blocked out the sky and the sun.
Between the big trees, vines are entangled with each other, like a huge net covered with layers of layers, and not a single ray of sunlight can penetrate.
There was a gray mist floating in the air, moving unsteadily. It looked thick from a distance, but thin when approached.
This place is truly incredible and indescribable. There is an eerie and mysterious atmosphere everywhere, which makes people afraid and want to explore.
As they continued to go deeper, all kinds of ancient and strange trees in various shapes and sizes came into view, which was dazzling.
About two hours later, Fang Zhixing looked up and saw beautiful mountains with streams and waterfalls.
Is this the terrain that should be in a basin?
The little dog jumped around and sniffed here and there curiously.
He had indeed grown up and could walk easily among the thorns. He was not as cowardly as last time when he could only lie on Fang Zhixing's shoulder.
Lu Chuanyin also behaved like an old hunter. Whenever he arrived at a new area, the first thing he did was to find fresh feces and then smear it on his body.
And he could always find a safe route to avoid encountering those terrible beasts.
By the way, he also picked some herbs.
Once, a bird of prey suddenly swooped down from a big tree. It was a human-faced bird.
Fang Zhixing was ready for the fight, but unexpectedly, Lu Chuanyin suddenly blew a whistle, imitating the sound of a bird.
As a result, the human-faced bird hesitated for a moment and then flew away on its own.
Lü Chuanyin laughed and said, "This human-faced bird is a female and is in the mating season. I imitated the call of a male bird to seduce her, but she didn't like me and flew away."
“…”
Fang Zhixing and Xigou looked at each other, not knowing what to say for a moment.
Around noon, they climbed over a mountain.
"arrive!"
Lu Chuanyin pointed to a valley at the foot of the mountain and said excitedly, "The valley below is the Yinfeng Valley. Be careful, there are gusts of cold wind in there, and the cold wind penetrates your bones."
Fang Zhixing nodded and observed carefully. It was indeed a shady place with a very strong yin energy.
He was refreshed, walked down the mountain, and soon entered the valley.
(End of this chapter)