As you descend the mountain road, the scenery suddenly changes.
The lush greenery gradually disappeared, and what met the eye was once again withered and desolate.
The biggest feeling is that the temperature has risen, and the area south of the Kunlun Mountains feels more like springtime compared to the north.
Nanjiang City is the first city south of the Kunlun Mountains, and Nanjiang is the largest river in the Yan Kingdom.
Nanjiang City is backed by the First Mountain and faces the First River. The riverbanks are rich in water resources and have extremely high grain yields, earning it the reputation of being the granary of the Yan Kingdom.
Even now, after six months of drought, Nanjiang City remains the most bustling place.
Refugees flocked to Nanjiang City, seeking a place to survive.
After traveling south for so long, this was the first time Ning Wenyi and his group had been able to settle down and rest in the city without feeling anxious.
Although Nanjiang City was prosperous, it was affected by the influx of migrants. Most of the shops on the street were closed, and the streets were crowded with migrants, lacking the cleanliness and order of the past.
"Let's find an inn so everyone can get a good night's rest," Madam Ning said.
Two carriages and three horses were parked in front of Tianfu Inn. Although the people who got off looked travel-worn, it was clear that their journey had not been difficult.
"Gentlemen, would you like to stay at our inn or have a meal? If you're staying, we have plenty of rooms. Our usual top-class and bottom-class rooms are half price now, definitely great value for money!"
"As for meals, as you all know, the weather isn't cooperating, so the food will be a bit more expensive, but it will definitely meet everyone's needs!"
"Our Tianfu Inn is the largest inn in Nanjiang City, with the best service and the best reputation. Our main goal is to make our guests feel at home!"
Business was bad during the disaster year, and there were few guests staying at the inn. The innkeeper was overjoyed to have customers coming in and promoted the business very enthusiastically.
Ning Wenyi waved his hand and put down a silver ingot: "Give us five superior rooms! We're only staying one night, so you can use the rest of the money to arrange some food!"
The innkeeper quickly put away the silver and repeatedly agreed, "No problem, no problem. Please come upstairs, gentlemen, and rest for a while. Your food will be served shortly."
Ning Wenyi and his group followed the shopkeeper to the third floor, where there were five rooms of the "Tian" rank, which meant they had the entire third floor to themselves.
Ning Wenyi and his wife shared one room, Ning Jin and his wife shared one room, Shen Wei and Ning Lang shared one room, Zhi Mei and Dong Yue shared one room, and Zhi Lan shared one room with Lin Qing Lan.
After the shopkeeper left, Madam Ning instructed everyone: "Although Nanjiang City is better than Songyang City, Xuancheng City, and Pingyang City, the streets are still very chaotic. Try not to go out. We will only rest here for one night. We must continue our journey tomorrow and must not cause any unforeseen problems!"
Zhilan, holding Lin Qinglan's hand, asked Madam Ning, "Madam, shall we wait for Miss?"
Upon hearing this, Madam Ning looked at Ning Wenyi and asked, "How are Yao Yao and the others doing now? Are they on their way to Nanjiang City?"
Ning Wenyi shook his head: "I don't know, but Yao Yao is methodical and has the young master and others with her, so there's no need to worry. If you want to wait, Zhilan can go and tell the manager that we can stay another night."
Madam Ning thought for a moment and decided against it: "Forget it, I don't think Nanjiang City is very safe. There are too many people and too much gossip. It's better to leave as soon as possible. Once we're out of the city, we can find a quiet place to stay on the road and wait for them."
"Alright, whatever you say, Madam!"
At this moment, Ning Yao and her three companions had just descended the mountain and were heading towards Nanjiang City.
Ning Yao lagged behind them by a step, and when she reappeared, she was leading four horses.
Faced with everyone's doubts, Ning Yao directly shifted the blame to Shenmu.
It is said that Shenmu knew of the severe drought and that their journey to Nanjiang City was long, so he gifted them four horses.
This explanation convinced everyone, and they even believed that the perfectly intact saddle and whip on the horse were a gift from the sacred tree.
Lin Qingyu, in particular, was astonished: "So it turns out that Miss Ning isn't lacking in the blessings bestowed by the divine tree, but rather that these blessings are quite substantial!"
Ning Yao: ?
Ah yes, yes, yes—
Shenmu is also quite pragmatic.
It's not wrong to imagine it that way.
However, with the help of the horse, the speed to Nanjiang City increased significantly.
As evening fell and night descended, everyone had dinner and then went to bed early.
Since they were staying at an inn in the city, no one was assigned to guard it.
However, a recent habit has led Zhilan to sleep later.
A knocking sound came at the door, startling Zhilan, who was in a light sleep.
She quietly got up, looked at the door, glanced at the sleeping Lin Qinglan, and then got out of bed to open the door.
It belongs to the innkeeper.
"Shopkeeper? Is there something you need so late?"
The shopkeeper mysteriously handed Zhilan a letter: "Someone came to the shop just now and said to give this letter to the woman with the child. I noticed that among all of you, only you are with that little girl, so I'm giving it to you."
Zhilan took the letter with a puzzled look and asked, "Who sent this?"
The shopkeeper shook his head: "He was just a little beggar. He left the letter and left. The letter has been delivered. I'm leaving now."
Zhilan watched the shopkeeper leave, her heart filled with doubt.
This was her first time in Nanjiang City. Apart from her group, she didn't know anyone in Nanjiang City. So why would someone deliver a letter to her?
Zhilan was completely baffled, so she closed the door and went back inside.
After thinking it over, she unfolded the letter, glanced at its contents, and frowned.
"A letter from Miss? She's injured?" Zhilan stood up abruptly, ready to inform Ning Wenyi.
But she hesitated when she saw the next sentence.
The letter stated that she was injured and was currently staying at another inn in the city. She did not want her parents to know for the time being, and only told them to come over.
Zhilan had been restless ever since she learned of her mistress's injury.
After much deliberation, she decided to go regardless of whether it was true or not, since she had martial arts skills to rely on and wasn't afraid.
After putting down the letter and dressing up a little, Zhilan quietly went out.
When I passed downstairs, the shopkeeper wasn't there.
It was already late at night. She only glanced at the counter before hurriedly leaving the inn.
Little did she know, the moment she left, the shopkeeper emerged from the shadows, stared at her outrageous back for a while, and then disappeared again.
Zhilan left the inn and hurried toward the address in the letter.
The city of Nanjiang is quieter at night than during the day, but it is also more frightening.
Many homeless people were sleeping on both sides of the wide street.
Suppressing the strange feeling in her heart, Zhilan hurried through the city and arrived at her destination.
Before her stood a small building even more dilapidated than the Tianfu Inn.
It doesn't look like an inn; it looks more like a private residence.
Zhilan pressed down her hat and went to knock on the door.
The door opened quickly, revealing a person dressed as a waiter.
The other person gave a knowing smile and asked, "Are you here to see another lady?"
Zhilan nodded gently from under the veil.
The waiter stepped aside to let her in: "That young lady is on the second floor, in the first room on the left."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
