Free Web NovelChapter 95: Chapter 95: Five Families City, a Great Opportunity
Tang Wen arrived at the scouted position, bent down, performed his Visualization, and struck!
A stone the size of an adult’s fist buzzed as it pushed through the air. Like a bullet fired from an ultra-long-range sniper rifle, it spun with a terrifying shockwave, piercing through boulder after boulder and pile after pile of rubble!
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
A series of explosive sounds rang out. Every boulder and obstacle in the way was smashed into a field of debris.
Tang Wen’s Grandmaster Level Flying Locust Stone technique produced an effect comparable to armor-piercing shells from a tank or heavy artillery.
He plowed through everything in his path, sweeping away all roadblocks with ease.
After ten such bursts in a matter of moments, everyone in the caravan, from top to bottom, ran over to watch.
Staring at the billowing clouds of smoke and dust from the violent impacts, they were all so stunned that for a long time, not a single person spoke.
Tang Wen took a deep breath. "The path is only half-cleared. There’s still another half to go. Commander Li, please accompany me."
After speaking, he stepped into the dust and smoke.
"Holy shit! Is this kid a fucking monster?"
Commander Li snapped back to his senses, muttered to himself, and hurried to follow.
A few of the younger men from the caravan also followed him into the rocky field.
They were desperate to see it again.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Tang Wen repeated the process.
Twelve consecutive explosions!
The violent commotion terrified the wild beasts and sent a hundred birds scattering into the sky.
A flock of black shadows flew across the sky.
Looking up, Commander Li pointed at the sky and said, "Blood Vultures! Even the Blood Vultures have been scared off!"
Blood Vultures are a Middle-level Exotic Beast clan, but their leader is a High-level Exotic Beast.
They feed on human corpses and are also known to ambush passing caravans.
They are incredibly ferocious. An ordinary caravan that encounters them would inevitably suffer casualties.
But now, they were clearly frightened by the sheer power of Tang Wen’s attack and had taken to the sky in panic.
"CAW! CAW! CAW!"
The Blood Crow cawed wildly at them, as if in contempt.
"Is this wide enough for the carts to pass?"
Tang Wen stopped and gauged the distance.
Commander Li took a couple of steps sideways, then nodded. "It’s wide enough. Commander Tang Wen, that move of yours is simply divine! Not even two Generals could do that, could they?"
Changing the landscape with his own power... Words like ’genius’ or ’monster’ were not enough to describe his might.
Half an hour later, the dust settled on the path that had just been blasted open.
The crowd stepped onto the gravelly path. As they traveled, the way they looked at Tang Wen was one of awe, as if gazing upon a celestial being.
The caravan continued on its journey, with its members taking turns to rest as they traveled day and night.
"We’re almost at Five Families City!"
"This is earlier than we expected!"
"It’s all thanks to Lord Tang Wen for carving a path through Chaotic Stone Ridge!"
"Indeed!"
According to the plan, the caravan should have arrived on the sixth day.
But by dusk on the fifth day, they had already reached the gates of Five Families City.
Tang Wen emerged from his carriage.
He sized up the city before him in the afterglow of the setting sun.
This was, after all, his first time traveling far from home.
It was the first time he had seen city walls other than those of Flame Camp.
The walls of Five Families City were tall, reaching a height of thirty feet, and were built from neatly squared stone blocks.
’In the ancient times of my past life, such a massive undertaking would have been unimaginable.’
But this world had Martial Artists. A Martial Disciple possessed several hundred pounds of strength, and a few of them together could move a block weighing over a thousand pounds.
Building a thirty-foot-high wall was nothing special here.
The walls were dotted with countless openings from which sharp arrows as thick as a child’s arm protruded, their cold gleam enough to instill fear in anyone.
"Are you the caravan from Flame Camp?"
When Tang Wen’s party was about a mile away from the walls, the gates of Five Families City opened, and a squad of cavalry rode out to ask.
"Yes. We’re here for the trade fair," Qian Sanduo stepped forward and replied.
"It’s Commander Qian. This way, please."
They stepped into the city.
Tang Wen frowned slightly. The stone-paved ground of Five Families City was covered in patches of black, unidentifiable filth.
A pungent stench filled the air.
Yellow-brown sewage flowed through the pitted and rutted areas.
No one in the caravan complained; they were clearly used to it.
Tang Wen observed the sides of the road. The wooden shacks were no better than the one he had lived in right after he’d first transmigrated.
’Back then, though, my sister and I were total outcasts in the camp.’
’Our family’s circumstances were worse than almost anyone else’s in the camp.’
’But compared to the people of Five Families City’s Outer City, we were just average.’
Seeing the caravan enter the city, people whose clothes were so dirty their original colors were unrecognizable stood at their doorsteps, craning their necks to watch.
Children hid behind the adults, peeking out curiously.
Their eyes were numb.
Only in the children’s eyes could a glimmer of life be seen.
Compared to the people in the wilderness villages, these people were merely living a slightly safer existence.
The people of the Outer City were all refugees from elsewhere.
The Five Great Clans gave them a safe place to live in exchange for their labor, whether it was Farming or working themselves to death.
As for how they lived, the Five Great Clans couldn’t care less.
After walking for about two-thirds of a mile, they passed through an iron gate.
The caravan party arrived in the Inner City of Five Families City.
The environment here was much better.
Although the ground had some fallen leaves and dried mud, there was no stench.
The residences of the people in the Inner City were about the same as those in the Outer City of Flame Camp.
In the center of Five Families City’s Inner City stood five fortresses.
Inside lived the core experts of the Five Great Clans—the five Patriarchs. They were five General Level Extraordinary masters!
Speaking of which, Five Families City’s relationship with Flame Camp was average, but they were also on bad terms with Black Mountain Camp.
The two sides had even clashed over a decade ago.
The Black Mountain King of Black Mountain Camp, a Veteran Extraordinary, had intended to flatten Five Families City.
However, three of Five Families City’s Extraordinaries joined forces, using a special Array, and actually managed to fight him to a standstill.
The other two Extraordinaries maneuvered around the battlefield, forcing the Black Mountain Battalion to retreat.
They made a name for themselves in that single battle.
From then on, Five Families City finally earned the recognition of the surrounding powers, both large and small.
After ten or twenty years of development, taking advantage of its geographical location, it became a hub for caravans and the main trading venue for the surrounding factions.
Take this Martial Artist trade fair, for example.
A dozen or so factions, large and small, would be attending, including even Black Mountain Camp, with whom they had a history of conflict.
"Esteemed guests from Flame Camp! Commander Qian, these six interconnected courtyards are your lodgings. Food and fresh water are all provided. Is there anything else you need...?"
Qian Sanduo went forward to exchange pleasantries, while Commander Li opened the courtyard gates and had everyone drive the carriages inside.
Tang Wen had no intention of socializing. He went straight to the central courtyard, picked a bright, well-ventilated room, and put away his luggage.
In the evening, the three commanders received a banquet invitation from the Five Great Clans.
"I won’t be going." Tang Wen, who had kept his face masked with a black scarf throughout the journey, had no desire to join the festivities.
He could imagine that if he were to reveal his excessively youthful face at the banquet...
...it would certainly cause many jaws to drop.
But it would also attract the wariness and jealousy of others.
He didn’t want any trouble.
Commander Qian didn’t insist. "Alright. We brought a lot of good things this time, and Commander Tang Wen is also carrying the Secret Medicine. It’s good to have someone stay behind in the courtyard."
Tang Wen nodded. "I won’t interfere with the trade matters. Commander Qian, you can make the decisions."
"Alright!"
Qian Sanduo agreed, and he and Commander Li left for the banquet.
As for the caravan’s Guards, half of them stayed behind while the other half were allowed to go out, stroll around, and relax.
But they were only permitted to seek pleasure, not to stir up trouble.
Tang Wen washed up, ate dinner, and began his Cultivation in his room.
However, he had to divert some of his attention to watch for any abnormalities in the surroundings.
So his Cultivation session was not a satisfying one.
Around nine at night, the Guards who had gone out started to return.
They were muttering things like, "The Red Flower Pavilion is nothing compared to our Yihong Brothel."
"The women here are so pretentious. They want extra money just to watch a shoulder-shaking dance. It’s not like I’m asking them to shake..."
"They even have young men working in this business here. Tsk tsk, what a local specialty."
"Whoa, you’re into that?"
"Get lost, get lost. Don’t you dare slander my good name out of thin air."
"..."
「Late at night.」
Tang Wen was in the courtyard practicing his sword forms.
Commanders Qian and Li returned on horseback.
The moment they entered, they reeked of perfume and alcohol.
After greeting them, Tang Wen told them both to wash up and get some rest, saying that he would take the night watch.
Five Families City wasn’t their home turf. It was better to be careful when necessary.
Unexpectedly, the two men just chuckled and said to Tang Wen, "Brother Tang Wen, there’s no rush to sleep."
"Something big is happening in Five Families City tomorrow. We two brothers don’t stand a chance, but you... you have a great opportunity."
Tang Wen glanced at them. They both looked like they were waiting for him to ask.
Tang Wen said, "Then we can talk about it tomorrow."
"No, Commander Tang Wen, aren’t you curious? It’s a huge deal, a really good thing!" Commander Li said anxiously.
Tang Wen shook his head.
The two exchanged a look. Qian Sanduo gave a helpless laugh. "Alright, fine! We’ll just say it! The sole daughter of Five Families City’s Zheng Family is holding a martial arts tournament to find a husband. Commander Tang Wen, you’re young, and you’re a Second-class Martial Artist. You perfectly fit their requirements!"
Commander Li added, "Although you’d be marrying into her family, the Zheng Family’s sole daughter is twenty-five this year, a Third-class Martial Artist, and is as graceful and beautiful as a celestial fairy. The Zheng Family is an Extraordinary Family with all the Cultivation Resources you could ever want. It’s an absolutely golden opportunity, my dear Commander Tang Wen."
Both men stared at Tang Wen at the same time.
The latter’s face was as calm as a placid lake, his eyes showing no ripple of emotion.
It was as if he hadn’t just heard "the sole daughter is as beautiful as a celestial fairy," but rather that they were having mung bean congee for breakfast.
He shook his head. Although he was curious about this "celestial beauty," he had zero interest in marrying into another family. "There is no need to mention this again. Women will only slow down the speed of my blade."
