Chapter Ninety-Six: Deviating from the Planned Journey
Over the next few days, Jiu Ya and her group explored the entire city of Yancheng. They visited the City God Temple, climbed the ancient bell tower, and even listened to a storytelling performance at a famous local teahouse.
Jiuya also took the opportunity to buy a lot of local specialties: exquisite embroidered handkerchiefs, sweet and delicious osmanthus cakes, and several jars of the renowned Yancheng Huadiao wine. Every time Li Yue and Bai Yu returned to the carriage, they would find, to their dismay, a few more packages in the carriage.
When they finally left Yancheng, their carriage was noticeably heavier. Jiuya leaned back contentedly on the cushions, playing with a clay doll she had just bought.
According to their route, they would head to the next city. The distance between Yancheng and their next city, Shanliucheng, was greater than the distances between other cities. There weren't many houses along the way, but fortunately, the weather was sunny the entire time. They had brought enough supplies to avoid running out of food, although not eating wouldn't be a big deal.
As the carriage traveled along the official road, Jiu Ya would occasionally lift the curtain to admire the scenery rushing past outside.
Rong Jiang spent most of her time resting with her eyes closed, or reading the books she carried with her. Her profile looked exceptionally serene and beautiful in the swaying carriage, prompting Jiu Ya to steal glances at her from time to time.
On the way to Shanliu City, the closer we got to the city, the more lush the trees and the more vibrant the flowers became. Wildflowers along the roadside were in full bloom, a riot of colors, like a magnificent carpet spread across the earth. Butterflies danced among the flowers, and birds sang merrily in the branches.
Jiu Ya found it strange. Were Shanliu City and Yan City the same? Were they also famous for their flowers and trees?
That's not right. When I asked for directions in Yancheng, the people there clearly said that Shanliu City was famous for its jade and had many mountains, but this place looks like a plain.
"Why does this road seem so different from the one leading to Shanliu City?" Jiu Ya asked herself, pondering the question. She took out a map and began to study it carefully.
Perhaps they've taken the wrong turn?
Li Yue answered confidently, "It goes all the way east, and then turns west at the second intersection." Although his tone was very certain, his brows furrowed unconsciously, clearly indicating that he was beginning to have doubts.
"Not the third intersection?" Bai Yu asked in surprise. She was tidying up the items in the carriage when she heard this, and looked up with a puzzled expression.
“It’s the second one! Didn’t we start changing directions at the second intersection?” Li Yue said, but there was already a hint of uncertainty in his voice.
Bai Yu carefully checked her memory and thought she remembered correctly. "I remember you changed direction at the third intersection!" She pointed out the window. "Look at the scenery here, it's not as mountainous as they said."
"Then we've gone to the wrong place!" Li Yue suddenly pulled on the reins, bringing the carriage to a slow stop.
"It's alright, let's just keep going along this road. If we don't reach Shanliu City, we can go to other cities," she reassured them. Since they had already come so far, there was no need to turn back.
Making the best of a bad situation is not necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes, unexpected events during a journey can bring unexpected surprises.
So the carriage continued on its journey, passing through a dense forest and crossing a clear stream. Finally, as the sun set, they saw the outline of the city walls.
The thick city walls and majestic gate towers stand proudly. Tall birch trees line the outside of the walls; a gust of wind rustles the leaves, and the occasional withered branches and leaves swirl and fall to the ground. A plaque hangs on the gate tower, but it is too far away to read the inscription.
Finally free from the carriage ride, Jiu Ya stretched happily, her joints cracking slightly. Ah, we've finally arrived. She turned to Rong Jiang and smiled, "No matter where we are, at least we have a place to rest for the night."
Rong Jiang also looked towards the distant city, her eyes filled with curiosity and anticipation.
“Yes,” she replied softly, “I wonder what surprises this city will bring us.”
The carriage slowly made its way towards the city gate, and Jiu Ya was already looking forward to the city's delicious food and comfortable rooms.
The city gate tower of Qinan City is quite special—the stone engraved with the three large characters "Qinan City" has been weathered and cracked over time. There is a large crack in the middle of the character "Qi", as if it has been cleaved by a sharp blade. There are also broken stones next to the character "Nan", revealing the gray-white stone core inside.
"Qi Nancheng?" Jiu Ya murmured, feeling that the name seemed somewhat familiar.
Wait a minute! Jiu Ya slapped her thigh and said excitedly, "Ranran, we've arrived at Qinan City, the place we mentioned before that produces Xianhao tea!" She remembered that when she was in Yancheng, the storyteller in the teahouse mentioned that Qinan's Xianhao tea had a delicate aroma and a sweet aftertaste, and she remembered it at the time.
Rong Jiang frowned slightly when she saw the name Qi Nancheng. "Qi Nan?"
"Yes! Looks like we're in luck!" Jiu Ya said cheerfully, completely oblivious to Rong Jiang's subtle change in expression. "Li Yue, let's go straight into the city!"
Just as she was about to lower the carriage curtain, her peripheral vision caught sight of a gray-green vine twining around the trunks of the birch trees planted outside the city wall. The vine was very similar in color to the trunks. There were no leaves on the vine, only many slender stems. Among the branches and vines, strings of bright red flower buds swayed in the wind. From a distance, they looked like strings of bells hanging down, truly "a wind chime among the green leaves, gracefully revealing its fragrant face."
Jiuya looked at the clusters of flower buds and murmured, "Why do these flowers seem so familiar?"
Moreover, the city seemed far too quiet. Although people could be seen moving around inside, the usual hustle and bustle of a city was nowhere to be heard; even the sound of the wind blowing through the city walls and banners was clearly audible.
When Rong Jiang saw the cluster of flower buds beside her, her beautiful eyes narrowed slightly. After a moment, her eyelashes drooped, making it impossible to see the thoughts in her eyes.
The carriage entered Qinan City smoothly. The guards didn't question them, but stood there blankly, staring vacantly ahead. Once inside, the pervasive silence seemed to seep into every pore, and Jiu Ya couldn't help but shiver.
But the warm sun hung in the sky, illuminating the quiet city, and people came and went on the streets, everything seemed normal. This apparent normalcy and the underlying stillness created an eerie contrast that sent chills down one's spine.
Pedestrians were haggling with vendors.
"Your tea is much more expensive. Give me a two-cent discount and I'll buy more!"
"That won't do. This is spring tea, it just came down this spring. I'm running a small business, it's already cheap enough. It's pointless for you to keep trying to lower the price like this."
"How about another penny off? I can also recommend other friends to buy tea from you!"
"That's fine, but remember to recommend some of your friends to come and buy!"
A deal was quickly struck. The conversation was perfectly normal, but the voice was flat and emotionless, like a script that had been memorized long ago.
Hearing the two talking, Jiu Ya couldn't help but smile. It was so lively! It seemed the claim that Qinan produced tea was indeed true. But as she smiled, her expression gradually froze—why were these people's expressions so stiff? Their smiles looked painted on, and their eyes were terrifyingly empty.
Li Yue asked a passerby for directions, and the passerby pointed mechanically, a strange smile playing on his lips. Driving the carriage towards the inn, the wheels rolling over the cobblestones sounded particularly jarring in the quiet street.
Upon arriving at the inn, after expressing their desire to stay, the innkeeper said very enthusiastically, "Four gentlemen, you have made the right choice in choosing our inn. You didn't know our rooms were so nice and the prices were so reasonable." His smile was excessively warm, but his eyes never blinked.
In a few words, they finalized their accommodation. The key the innkeeper handed her was icy cold. When Bai Yu took it, she accidentally touched his fingers, and the temperature made her pull her hand back sharply—it was not the temperature a living person should have.
After settling their belongings, Jiu Ya discussed with Rong Jiang leaving the inn to stroll around the streets. She needed more evidence to confirm her suspicions.
The long street was bustling with people and vehicles, flanked by buildings, creating a lively atmosphere. However, closer observation revealed a subtle incoordination in the movements of the people, as stiff as marionettes. The vendors' cries rose and fell, yet lacked vitality, as if they were performing a play that had been rehearsed countless times.
"Ranran, that Immortal Tea was quite good. Since it's produced here, it should be available for sale, right?" Jiu Ya became interested and pulled Rong Jiang to find a stall selling Immortal Tea. She deliberately raised her voice to see how these "people" would react.
As a result, in turning around, she accidentally bumped into someone—a slightly plump woman with an empty basket slung over her arm. The woman staggered after being bumped, but instead of the usual startled reaction, she slowly regained her balance.
Jiu Ya said, "I'm really sorry, I didn't notice anyone coming when I turned around just now."
"It's nothing." The woman lowered her head, her voice seemingly devoid of any emotion, flat as if reciting a monologue.
After speaking, the woman was about to leave, but Jiu Ya noticed that the woman's expression did not change at all. Her poorly drawn eyebrows, drooping eyes, and pale lips were tightly pursed, and her expression was as stiff as if she were wearing a mask.
She hadn't noticed it while in the carriage, but once she was among the crowd, Jiu Ya suddenly realized that the expressions on these people's faces were extremely blank, and their laughter, anger, and curses were all stiff. Even the laughter of the children chasing and playing had a chilling mechanical quality.
Jiu Ya couldn't help but gasp; Qinan City seemed like a dead city.
The city was filled not with life, but with demonic and deathly energy.
"Ranran, something's not right here!" Jiuya's aura suddenly turned fierce.
Rong Jiang closed her eyes briefly, and when she opened them again, a trace of sorrow flashed in them. "There are no living people left in this city."
Even before entering the city, Rong Jiang sensed something was amiss; the city was devoid of any sign of life. However, she didn't voice her opinion, simply allowing Li Yue to drive into the city.
Upon arriving in the city, Rong Jiang finally understood from the seemingly normal scene that the people living there were not truly alive. They were shrouded in demonic energy, their souls still remaining within their bodies, but their three souls were incomplete and their six spirits were fragmented; they were merely walking corpses. These "people" maintained their habits and behavioral patterns from their previous lives, but had long since lost the breath of life.
When she first entered, Jiu Ya didn't sense anything amiss because she was already accustomed to demonic energy and didn't think much of it. It wasn't until she observed them up close that she noticed the unusual nature of these "people."
Jiu Ya looked up and saw pedestrians coming and going on the street, just like ordinary people in other cities, buying and selling, talking, or walking. "How could this be?"
She finally understood why the vines twining around the birch trunks outside the city walls gave her a sense of déjà vu; they were the Manling Flower, which could only grow and bloom under the nourishment of a large amount of demonic energy.
"Such a large city, yet there isn't a single living person?"
Jiu Ya couldn't believe it. Before entering the city, she had roughly estimated that although Qinan City wasn't large, even with a small population, there would still be several thousand people. So many people, all dead? What kind of terrifying power could turn the entire city's inhabitants into walking corpses?
“There might be some living creatures, but there are definitely no living people,” Rong Jiang said in a low voice, her gaze sweeping over a black cat dozing at the street corner. The cat looked no different from an ordinary house cat, but upon closer inspection, one could see that its eyes were a cloudy yellow, and its breath carried a faint black mist.
On this ground, the living simply cannot survive. They either die outright or become living dead, indistinguishable to ordinary people, like the others on this street. The entire city has become a giant breeding ground for corpses, where demonic energy circulates endlessly, nourishing these "life forms" that should not exist.
Jiuya smiled bitterly, "This really is—" Which brat ran off from the Demon Realm to the human world to commit evil deeds? And used such cruel methods to turn the entire city's inhabitants into living dead.
“It must have taken years to achieve this; it’s impossible to do so in a short time,” Rong Jiang said. Her fingertips glowed slightly, and an almost invisible golden light flowed between them as she probed the flow of power within the city.
Jiu Ya nodded. "That's right." She could also sense that the demonic energy here was already connected to the earth's veins. This couldn't be accomplished overnight; it would take at least several years, or even longer. So why hadn't anyone noticed anything unusual during this time? Although Qinan City was remote, it wasn't completely isolated from the world.
"Shall we continue shopping?" Jiu Ya asked, a hint of self-deprecation in her voice. Shopping in a ghost town like this was truly an unprecedented experience.
"Why not take a stroll?" Rong Jiang sneered. How could she know what the situation was like in Qinan City if she didn't take a stroll?
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