Free Web NovelLu Yibei felt that, generally speaking, leaving the brothel-like building rashly was not a wise move.
She had no way of confirming in advance whether the street outside the building was an illusion from the distant past or the real Yumen Pass.
If it were the former, it would be fine, but if it were the latter... following the woman named Lianqing out of the building would almost certainly lead to danger.
The luck buff she had 'borrowed' from Fang Ji had almost worn off, but Lu Yibei had great faith in her own luck.
At this moment, Yumen Pass was in a state of "night," with various bizarre and ferocious local urban legend being exceptionally active. It was truly fraught with danger, even the Night Watch's mediocre Guardians had to temporarily avoid them.
Although Lu Yibei, for some unknown reason, was not affected by the mysterious power shrouding Yumen Pass and her strength was not restricted, she would never be so arrogant as to think that her strength was greater than a restricted Calamity.
In a way, this building was similar to a safe house in a zombie game. Although there were also urban legend hidden here, the urban legend here were quite friendly, and there was also a Night Watch Guardian present... free𝑤ebnovel.com
Someone who leaves this brothel-like building at a time like this, in a horror movie, would be the character who ignores all warnings, insists on acting alone, and is the first to die.
If Chatterbox Girl could transform into some strange little creature and float beside her, she would probably say to her at this moment, "Please explore the area ahead later!"
“......”
So, why leave here?
Even if she could influence the past through some temporarily unknown method, even if she was curious about what happened to that woman...
But these things, to some extent, were irrelevant; they were far less important than her life. Lu Yibei thought.
She tried to convince herself not to meddle, not to risk following the woman, and her resolve gradually firmed.
But when her gaze passed through the building's vermilion-lacquered gate and she saw the scene on the street outside, she was stunned...
————
Outside the building.
Dry, hot wind brushed her face, and under the bright sunlight, the flagstones paving the street shimmered faintly.
On both sides of the street were teahouses, wine shops, and eateries. Outside the shops and on the open spaces along the streets, countless vendors were arranged in rows, stretching as far as the eye could see.
Although there was a bit of wind and sand today, perhaps because the people living nearby were accustomed to such weather, there were still many people on the street.
Simply dressed farmers, loudly hawking merchants, slowly walking literati, and a few Persians with ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) exotic clothing and deep-set features, Arabs leading camels and wearing white headscarves... Carriages rumbled, and pedestrians flowed like a river.
Seeing such a sight, Lu Yibei suddenly remembered that Yumen Pass, in addition to being a God Kingdom, was also an important city pass. In times of peace, it not only had numerous residents but also merchants from various countries in the Western Regions.
Everything before her seemed to silently tempt her, enticing her to experience the grandeur of a Tang Dynasty border city pass immersively.
If Professor Ma saw such a sight, he would probably rush out impatiently, even if he knew there was a risk to his life.
Unfortunately...
Although Lu Yibei had a slight interest, it was not strong enough to warrant risking her life.
What truly shook her "don't court death" belief were the vibrant "people" on the street...
————
On the bustling street, a simply dressed little girl sold a hair ornament made of a pomegranate flower and some unknown small white wild flowers. With five copper coins clutched in her excited hands, she scurried through the crowd and handed the coins to an old man guarding a small tea stall by the roadside.
“Grandpa, look! The Uncle gave me this.”
The old man guarding the small tea stall smiled kindly, rubbed the little girl's head, and while taking out a handkerchief from his pocket to gently wipe the sweat from her forehead, he softly asked, “Did you thank him?”
“Of course!” The little girl grinned, revealing a missing front tooth, “I specially picked out the biggest and prettiest bunch of flowers for him!”
“Good girl, you keep it...”
In the adjacent eatery, guests came and went.
Merchants from all corners of the world, from inside and outside the pass, hurried in, quickly ate a bowl of hot noodle soup, drank a cup of turbid wine, or took a few freshly steamed buns, and then left before their seats were even warm.
The eatery owner collected the copper coins they left on the table, counted the amount, and simply called out to them with a smile, “Have a safe journey and prosperous business!”
In the shop next to the eatery, a simple-looking young man took out an object wrapped in a handkerchief from his pocket, carefully unwrapped it, and presented it to the young woman behind the counter, stammering, “Here, this is for you.”
The young woman saw the exquisitely crafted Yanzhi box made of wood. Before she could even apply the Yanzhi, her cheeks flushed crimson, and then she playfully chided the young man, “Why did you buy this? What a waste of money!”
Seeing that the young woman seemed angry, the young man panicked and quickly said, “I, I thought you liked it, uh, if you don't like it, I'll go return it now...”
The young woman rolled her eyes and reached out to poke the young man's forehead hard. “You’re such a big fool!”
There were also Persian merchants arguing fiercely over a difference of one or two copper coins per jin for spices, literati walking together, muttering something about "repaying the Lord's golden platform wishes," and in the distant caravan heading to Chang'an, someone shouted something, seemingly indicating departure, followed by a series of camel snorts.
Whips cracked, and the camel train swayed forward. A few stragglers quickly rushed out of the crowd to rejoin the main group...
————
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The bustling street exuded an air of prosperity, as if everything was just as it had been for countless days and nights in the past. If it weren't for the rumors already circulating in the market that the Nanling Commander had died in battle and the Shaman King was about to besiege the city, it would probably be even more lively and prosperous.
The woman named Lianqing and the accompanying young woman blended into it, as if becoming part of the background.
These distant past scenes inexplicably reminded Lu Yibei of the former Peony Street. Although she thought she had long forgotten it, the sight before her made her memories surge, then gradually become clear...
In her memory, the intersection of Peony Street in the early morning also had a similar hustle and bustle.
However, this liveliness was quickly becoming unsustainable.
Lu Yibei looked into the distance and saw the towering city walls of Yumen Pass. In a trance, a wind blew from beyond the city walls, carrying a little sand and dust, and a faint, charred, bloody smell mixed in the wind.
The wind had already brought the scent of distant war. fгeewebnovёl.com
It was very faint, and ordinary people might not notice it, but the aura filled with slaughter, blood, and cruelty had already made the Witch Breed's core restless.
War is often like this—sudden, like a thunderstorm, catching people off guard. And those caught in war are always slow to realize it, until they are awakened by the sounds of fighting and crying on some morning, only then realizing that the seemingly distant war has arrived at their doorstep...
Although the Shaman King's army had not yet attacked Yumen Pass, without the Nanling Commander and the Long Xiang Army to stop them, they would soon arrive here, like a surging flood breaking a dam.
From the conversation between Lianqing and the young woman, it seemed that some tribal warriors had already infiltrated Yumen Pass, and there might be more forces lurking around Yumen Pass. Otherwise, it wouldn't be so difficult for the Long Xiang Army to leave the city and contact the Nanling Commander, who was feigning death.
So, what would happen to these people living in, or who once lived in, Yumen Pass when the Shaman King's army truly entered?
Was there any way out?
They would probably be crushed mercilessly by sharp blades and cold iron hooves, like a bubble being popped? Lu Yibei thought.
When she collected her thoughts, the backs of Lianqing and the young woman were only two blurry outlines in her vision.
As she gazed at the outlines of their figures, Lu Yibei felt as if she was hallucinating; a voice sounded in her mind.
“If you want to follow them, hurry up, or they’ll be too far away.”
“If you can really do something to influence the past, it’s worth a try, even a tiny change could give these people a greater chance of survival...”
Lu Yibei lowered her head, and with a thought, she retracted the armor covering her hands, exposing her blood-stained palms to her sight.
“......”
After a brief silence, she bit her lip, looked up, found the figures of Lianqing and the young woman in the flowing crowd, stepped out of the building's main door, and jogged to catch up.
Never mind, if I court death, then I court death!
Anyway, it's not the first time, and I can probably adapt to the pain and start enjoying it, right?
No matter how bad the situation gets, it won't be worse than the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons or the Pink Fluffy Rabbit awakening, right? Probably not... Lu Yibei thought.
————
On the other side, Fang Ji and Shen Baiwei swiftly moved through the dilapidated and crumbling buildings.
Probably because of the miracle flower attached to Shen Baiwei, although they encountered some minor incidents along the way.
For example, two unknown urban legend fought each other, and the aftermath struck. Shen Baiwei was unharmed, but Fang Ji was scorched black all over. Another example: they walked the same path one after another, Shen Baiwei was safe and sound, but Fang Ji triggered a trap and was stabbed several times, with each blade avoiding vital points...
But fortunately, they had close calls but no real danger, and the general direction of their advance was correct. They would soon meet up with the Elders. Fang Ji could even smell the rich fragrance in the air, formed by the gathering of a large number of Miracle Order members.
“......”
Once I meet the Elders and retrieve the holy relic from them, and take a short rest, my miracle flower should also return.
At that time, I just need to return the way I came, and if nothing unexpected happens, I can awaken the sleeping First Generation Holy Child.
Fang Ji thought excitedly, when suddenly a violent coughing sound entered his ears, pulling his wandering thoughts back to reality.
“Cough, cough cough!”
Following the sound, he saw Shen Baiwei supporting herself with one hand on a broken stone pillar by the roadside, and the other hand clutching her chest. Her face was pale, and a trickle of black blood slid from the corner of her mouth, accompanied by intermittent coughing.
You stole my miracle flower, and now you can't bear it, can you? Did you think you had a monster-like physique like Disaster? Fang Ji thought, gloating.
Although he didn't know why Shen Baiwei suddenly vomited blood, he first used "spiritual victory" to calm himself down, to dispel the resentment caused by the miserable encounters along the way, before asking, “What’s wrong with you?”
Shen Baiwei did not look at Fang Ji, but instead turned to look deep into Yumen Pass, her expression grave, “I'm afraid I can't go with you. I need to go over there and see.”
If that unknown bastard continues to mess around, I'm afraid my Spirit Mark will go out of control... Shen Baiwei thought.
And as she was thinking, Fang Ji suddenly reached out and seized her wrist.
You think I'll let you go?
If you leave and take my miracle flower, won't I die on the road? Fang Ji thought.
Shen Baiwei, “......”
