Chapter 971 Xiao Shang is getting anxious.
Two months later, the weather had reached its hottest season. Jiang Fenghua heard Feng Qingyu talk most about how to adapt to the climate of Xichuan, as if Xichuan and the Ghost Realm were truly hell on earth.
Everyone humbly sought his guidance, extremely devout, fearing that they might die unexpectedly. They were terrified by Feng Qingyu.
When Jiang Fenghua arrived in Xichuan, all she felt was desolation and vastness, and even more so, she was shocked. Its desolation was not a chaotic mess of overgrown weeds and lifeless landscape, but rather an endless expanse of emptiness, like a magnificent painting, which made people feel that it was both beautiful and majestic, and made people feel refreshed and relaxed.
A thought suddenly occurred to her: could Xichuan and the ancient kingdom of Yinchuan be the same place? No one knows whether the ancient kingdom of Yinchuan existed a thousand years ago, but Xichuan certainly existed. There were no troops stationed there by any country, which might be due to the climate, as her uncle had mentioned, making it unsuitable for human habitation.
Most people couldn't survive here. If there really was an ancient kingdom in Yinchuan, could the people of Yinchuan live a normal life here? She also thought it was impossible. Another possibility is that the people of Yinchuan are used to this place.
Feng Qingyu asked, "What is Ruan Ruan thinking about?"
Jiang Fenghua said, "Why didn't my uncle tell me this place was so beautiful? Is this really the hell on earth that my uncle described?"
Feng Qingyu said, "We have only just arrived at the border of Xichuan. You will understand once you enter Xichuan. It is indeed very beautiful, like a fairyland. However, its strangeness is a stark contrast to its environment."
Feng Qingyu glanced at the sky, which was an endless blue sky without a single cloud. He said, "We're lucky that you can only see such beautiful scenery in this season. If it were another season, if it were winter, we wouldn't even dare to approach the edge of Xichuan. People simply can't survive here. They would have difficulty breathing, or even their hearts would stop beating. They wouldn't even know how they died. It's very eerie. I've heard it's like a demon taking lives."
Jiang Fenghua said, "Of course, people will have difficulty breathing if they don't have air. When the heart stops beating, a person dies. The word 'death' itself evokes fear. I guess what people are afraid of is not Xichuan, but the feeling of being on the verge of death that has been spread. So everyone is afraid. That's how the strangeness of Xichuan spread, so everyone is afraid, and no one wants to mention it."
Jiang Fenghua asked in confusion, "Since there's no one here, why does my uncle often go to Xichuan to escort goods?"
“It’s not that there are no people; people come here often. Xichuan is very large because it has abundant mineral resources. However, ordinary people can’t make this kind of money, but many people are not afraid of death and venture into Xichuan, risking their lives for money,” Feng Qingyu explained.
"Did any of these people survive?"
“Yes, but very few,” Feng Qingyu added. “My old man went in once and almost lost his life, but he was later brought back to life.”
“My maternal grandfather was also in there, but I’ve never heard him talk about his experiences.” Jiang Fenghua realized that she had been mistaken.
“It’s not something to be proud of for someone to almost lose their life on the road,” Feng Qingyu added. “Besides Ninth Master, who is more diligent in going to Xichuan, no one else in our family dares to venture out. The old man almost stumbled here too. He’s concerned about his reputation, so he won’t say anything. Besides, the reputation of Feng’s Escort Agency can’t be ruined.”
“Grandfather is still so concerned about his image. I feel fine now that I’m in Xichuan,” Jiang Fenghua said.
Gongsun Lan had visited Xichuan many times, and she asked, "Is this really Jiang San's first time here?"
Jiang Fenghua nodded, "Of course it's the first time."
Gongsun Lan smiled slightly, "You seem to know Xichuan quite well, unlike someone who's here for the first time."
Jiang Fenghua said calmly, "I know Miss Lanlan must be familiar with this place, but this is indeed my first time here."
Gongsun Lan paused upon hearing this. She was indeed familiar with the place; she had been here before. What did Jiang Fenghua mean by saying this?
"Let's hurry up! Let's find the Ghost Realm. You've been traveling slowly all along, stopping to rest every now and then. Now that we're almost there, why are you talking about how good the scenery is and how bad the air is? I don't feel that suffocating feeling you're talking about," Xiao Shang said urgently, feeling that he was about to find the answer he was looking for.
He was also thinking about something: was Xichuan the location of the ancient Yinchuan Kingdom? If so, did Yinchuan have its secret techniques? The more he thought about it, the more excited he became, and he had no time to appreciate the scenery along the way.
"We can't be in such a hurry," Feng Qingyu and Gongsun Lan said in unison.
The two looked at each other. After spending more than two months together, they had learned about each other's lives. They were both people who traveled around for many years. What surprised them even more was that they were born on the same day, month, and year.
Feng Qingyu said, "Don't rush into the depths of Xichuan. The air there is even thinner, and you won't be able to stand it and will die there."
Gongsun Lan nodded. "Let's set up camp here first, rest and recuperate before continuing our journey."
Jiang Fenghua said, "I'll listen to you for everyone's health."
Xiao Shang asked in confusion, "Why are you still staying here? How long are you going to drag this out? The Ghost Realm is located in Xichuan. Didn't Miss Gongsun go there? How come you're alright? Aren't you also curious about what secrets it holds? You say it's dangerous, but we haven't encountered any danger along the way!"
He roared, "What exactly do you want? Only by finding Yinchuan can your Great Zhou be saved!"
Jiang Fenghua ignored him completely. The Earthly Fiend Sect behind him seemed to be more anxious than Xiao Shang. Let them be anxious, she wasn't. In fact, she was quite happy to see Xiao Shang so anxious.
Feng Qingyu explained, "We've just arrived in Xichuan and need to get used to things before we set off. Besides, Brother Xiao Yu and the others are already feeling unwell."
Xiao Shang also received news from his subordinates that they also felt uncomfortable and couldn't even find the reason, as if they had been poisoned. But he couldn't care less about that now. The place he had been searching for for twenty years had finally become clear.
At this moment, Xiao Yu and his guards were indeed feeling unwell, as were Qin Yunyan and Ao Xue Hongxiu. Strangely, the frail Zhang Yumo did not feel any discomfort at all.
She quietly lifted the floral design on her wrist, only to find the mark growing ever more vivid. A fire seemed to ignite within her, a flame of hatred burning fiercely in her heart.
Zhang Yumo secretly glanced in Jiang Fenghua's direction.
Jiang Fenghua had been wearing a veil to cover the mark between her eyebrows the whole way, but looking at the person in front of her, she seemed to suddenly understand something.
For several nights, she would feel a sharp pain between her eyebrows, as if that uncontrollable feeling from before had returned, and the voice telling her to kill Xie Shang would reappear.
She felt the same way now. Luckily, Xie Shang wasn't there, otherwise she was worried that she would lose control and want to kill him. If it really was a curse, could she find the Ghost Realm to lift it?
Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Zhang Yumo secretly watching her, and thought to herself: If Zhang Yumo is also cursed, the red spider lily on her wrist should be guiding her!
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