Free Web NovelChapter 478: Chapter 261: Zi’an County
Descending the mountain, Cheng Zongyang felt the same mix of curiosity, caution, and excitement he’d experienced when first entering the Wilderness World.
He hoped to discover something, yet feared what he might find.
Thus, as he carefully made his way down the mountain, he gripped a shrunken Soul Gathering Stele in his left palm and held his Tang Blade in his right hand. To ensure his own safety, he didn’t dare travel recklessly using his Body Technique, lest he be discovered by the Cultivators who sometimes flew overhead.
Fortunately, he encountered no danger on his way down, even after circling halfway around the mountain.
After about two hours, he finally neared the source of the smoke.
Perched in a tree, Cheng Zongyang took out his binoculars to observe. He had expected to see a small mountain village, but it was just a single thatched hut.
Outside the hut, a family of four was busy in the yard—chopping firewood, watering the vegetable garden, and feeding the chickens.
Watching the scene unfold, Cheng Zongyang didn’t make a move. Instead, he studied their clothing.
Seeing that their clothes were not much different from his own, Cheng Zongyang breathed a small sigh of relief. ’At least my attire won’t cause any unnecessary problems.’
He climbed down from the tree and approached cautiously, stopping when he was close enough to faintly overhear the family’s conversation.
’The language is somewhat similar. Good, I can mostly understand it.’ Cheng Zongyang nodded to himself. He then stored the Soul Gathering Stele in his Marketplace Cottage, keeping only the Tang Blade.
Just as he was about to go over, he remembered something. He entered the five-layer preservation zone of his Marketplace Cottage, selected a large wild deer, and then emerged.
’I should at least have a reason for passing through. This will also reduce their suspicion.’
Now, shouldering a large wild deer weighing over two hundred pounds, he walked up to the family’s home and called out from behind the man-high wicker fence.
Cheng Zongyang’s arrival naturally drew the attention of the middle-aged man of the family, who stared at him warily.
’Anyone who can carry such a large deer through the mountains has to be a Martial Artist!’
The woman, meanwhile, quickly pulled two children of about ten years old to her side.
"Sir, Ma’am, please don’t misunderstand." Cheng Zongyang dropped the deer carcass at their gate, feigned wiping sweat from his brow, and cupped his fist.
"My apologies for disturbing you. I am Cheng Zongyang, a Hunter. I arrived in these mountains not long ago and have been living on another peak. I was out hunting this morning and ended up here while chasing this deer. After I killed it, I decided to impose on you for a cup of water."
The man stared at Cheng Zongyang, listening intently, as if trying to parse his words and determine if he was lying.
In the end, he also cupped his fist. "You’re too polite. I am Wang Shou. In that case, I suppose we’re neighbors." Without turning his head, he said to his wife, "Go pour a bowl of water for our guest."
"Thank you," Cheng Zongyang said with a smile.
Inwardly, however, he was surprised by the man’s accent. It was clearly different from the one the family had been using among themselves just moments before.
’Evidently, the accent the family was using before was their regional dialect. What he’s using with me must be some kind of common tongue.’
The woman soon came out with a bowl of water. Wang Shou took it and brought it to the gate, his body still tense, clearly not having let his guard down.
Cheng Zongyang sighed to himself. ’This man won’t be easy to fool.’ But he put on a hearty smile, took the bowl with both hands, and drained the water in a few gulps. Handing the bowl back, he asked, "Brother Wang, may I ask you something?"
Wang Shou handed the bowl to his wife and looked at Cheng Zongyang. After a moment of silence, he gave a slight nod. "What is it you want to ask?"
"Where is the nearest County Town, and how do I get there?" Cheng Zongyang asked politely. "I’d like to sell this deer for some silver coins to buy supplies."
Upon hearing this, Wang Shou’s brow furrowed. "Where are you from?"
Cheng Zongyang’s heart tightened. ’I must have said something wrong.’ Still, he kept a smile on his face and replied, "I’m not from this area; I drifted here due to certain circumstances. Could you tell me, Brother Wang?"
After a moment’s silence, Wang Shou finally relaxed a bit. "You must be from another County Town, then? If you were from Zi’an County of Li City, you’d naturally know the way."
Cheng Zongyang shook his head. "That’s right. But as for where I came from, I’m afraid I cannot say. However, if you can answer a few questions for me, this deer is yours."
Wang Shou didn’t press the matter. He simply told Cheng Zongyang, "This area is under the jurisdiction of Li City, one of the eight major cities, and is known as Zi’an County. If you want to sell the deer, just go to Zi’an County. Follow that small path down to the county road at the foot of the mountain. Head east, and you’ll reach it."
’He’s definitely not a local,’ Wang Shou concluded. ’And he looks so young. He must have either fled here after getting into trouble or run away from home.’
Cheng Zongyang cupped his fist in a salute. "Thank you for your guidance, Brother Wang. But could you tell me in more detail about the rules of this land and the situation with the Cultivators?"
Hearing this question, Wang Shou became even more certain of his guess. However, seeing Cheng Zongyang’s show of goodwill, he relaxed a bit more. After a moment of thought, he said, "In that case, please, come in and sit."
"Thank you!" Cheng Zongyang cupped his fist with a smile.
In the yard was a nameless tree with lush leaves. The two men sat down in its shade and began to talk.
Cheng Zongyang learned from Wang Shou that this place was the territory of Zi’an County, under the governance of Li City, one of the eight major cities.
Building on this, Cheng Zongyang continued to subtly probe for information and eventually managed to piece together the general structure of this world.
—The Life Realm, the Ice Realm, and the Fire Realm!
The Life Realm was controlled by eight major cities: Qian City, Dui City, Li City, Zhen City, Xun City, Kan City, Gen City, and Kun City!
