Chapter 1595: Strange Occurrences

Peng Yukui smiled and looked at Maogong: "Bai Ziqi's counter-reconnaissance ability is very strong, and he soon discovered he was being watched. Fortunately, we still have some means." He Lingchuan followed his gaze to Maogong, seeing the latter expressionless.

"Being able to keep an eye on Bai Ziqi is truly not an ordinary skill!" The point was in the latter sentence, "Physician Peng, what places have you been to following Bai Ziqi?"

"They went northeast after leaving Bai Mao Mountain, but detoured to the Pei Kingdom and Ke Mountain in the middle, as if they were tracking something else."

The two words "Ke Mountain" made He Lingchuan's heart jump: "Ke Mountain? That's deep mountains and old forests."

"Yes, they found a ruin in Ke Mountain and investigated for a long time. It looked like both a tomb and an underground palace."

He Lingchuan secretly took a breath. That was the place where the Luo Sheng Armor was born. No wonder Bai Ziqi found out that the Luo Sheng Armor was related to the Great Emperor of the Nine Netherworlds.

This was not fun.

Peng Yukui asked He Lingchuan casually: "Have you been there?"

"Two of Yangshan's trade routes pass through there. Although the mountain is a bit high, crossing the mountain can save more than ten hours compared to flat ground." He Lingchuan didn't answer directly.

Peng Yukui continued: "We sniped Bai Ziqi at Ke Mountain and wounded two of his men, but he himself ran away. After that, he headed straight north. We chased him through Dingsheng Rock, Yuan Sea, and the territories of many great demons, and finally had a fight at the Thousand Star Mausoleum. However, Bai Ziqi's pace slowed down the further north he went. I estimate he didn't calculate the true location of the Upside-Down Sea, so he later turned his steps and came to the Yao Kingdom."

He Lingchuan pondered for a long time before asking: "Have you studied the formation True Person Qianhuan laid out on Bai Mao Mountain?"

"Of course." Peng Yukui said, "I was transferred over when passing through the Ya Kingdom. I arrived at the Xiaoyao Sect the month after the formation failed. Later, I returned to the Mou Kingdom on official business, and when I came back, I ran into Bai Ziqi in the small town under Bai Mao Mountain. *Heh*, he chose his timing so coincidentally, choosing to come when I wasn't stationed at Bai Mao Mountain."

"Does that formation truly point to True Person Qianhuan's hiding place?" He Lingchuan said, "I think it shouldn't be that simple, right? Otherwise, once the formation's disguise was seen through, wouldn't True Person Qianhuan's cave dwelling be exposed without doubt?"

"True Person Qianhuan possesses great supernatural powers, and that formation is not simple either. Speaking of which, I am ashamed—" Peng Yukui shook his head, "The direction of that formation is ambiguous, and I haven't figured out anything to this day."

He Lingchuan immediately said: "But State Preceptor Wang said that people from the mountain had gone to find True Person Qianhuan twice before, and none returned. Can they find the entrance to the cave dwelling?"

"Before they went missing, they all sent back messages saying they had arrived at the North Sea." Peng Yukui explained, "We don't know what exactly happened to them later."

The implication was that they didn't know whether the previous two batches of people had found True Person Qianhuan's cave dwelling or not.

He Lingchuan shook his head secretly. This True Person Qianhuan's paranoia was truly heavy; no wonder he could live until now.

"Then, Bai Ziqi fled directly south from the Thousand Star Mausoleum into the Yao Kingdom?"

"Yes, they headed straight for Tian Shui City after entering the Yao Kingdom, without the slightest hesitation." Peng Yukui said, "It was hard to make a move after entering the Yao Kingdom territory, so we could only endure and not act."

He Lingchuan nodded: "Wise. If you had appeared, he would have joined forces with the Yao people to deal with you."

Peng Yukui and Maogong looked at each other, the former saying: "This is the reason we found you."

They were strangers in Tian Shui City and truly needed an old hand to cooperate.

"You are well-informed about Tian Shui City, have thorough plans for actions, and have played against Bai Ziqi. Therefore, you are the best candidate."

He Lingchuan accepted the praise with a smile.

"In addition, we have one more thing to ask: how much does Island Master He know about the Great Emperor of the Nine Netherworlds, who has recently become famous?"

He Lingchuan raised his eyebrows. After the Great Emperor of the Nine Netherworlds made a name for himself, Lingshan had asked about this matter twice via flying messages, and both times he had brushed them off.

"Not much, just the rumors. I am a businessman, putting all my heart into the Yao Kingdom. I don't care much about the fighting and killing on the Flash Gold Plain. Besides chasing Bai Ziqi, do you two have the task of finding the Great Emperor of the Nine Netherworlds?"

"Lingshan is still a bit interested in this newly emerged force."

He Lingchuan had said he "didn't care much" earlier, so he didn't ask any more questions now, only saying: "Good, I will collect more clues in this regard."

At the moment, the three chatted about what they had seen and heard on this trip. He Lingchuan asked: "Have you two been to the Flash Gold Plain before?"

Maogong shook his head, while Peng Yukui raised his right hand: "I came once twenty years ago. I was young and ignorant then, and almost had my right hand chopped off near Chigu. It left a deep impression."

He Lingchuan laughed. People who first arrived on the Flash Gold Plain often received a reality check as soon as they landed at Julu Port. Stealing, robbing, kidnapping, and killing were the norm in the ownerless land. "What did Physician Peng come to the plain for twenty years ago?"

"To buy Weiyin Agent for refining tools." Peng Yukui said, "Besides Beijia's northern output, one has to rely on the Flash Gold Plain for this stuff."

The Mou Kingdom wanted to buy Weiyin Agent from Beijia, but naturally faced restrictions, so it was better to buy from the Flash Gold Plain.

Weiyin Agent was one of the Yao Kingdom's fist products for foreign trade, making manufactured armor and weapons lighter and stronger. The Yao Kingdom even mastered several formulas.

The Flash Gold Plain was an interesting place, extremely rich in products, but the people were exceptionally poor.

"I felt it was strange as soon as I arrived at Julu Port. The Flash Gold Plain was still chaotic, but the roads were easy to walk. We traveled more than two hundred miles northeast from the Peng Kingdom, and it was all peaceful." Peng Yukui took a sip of herbal milk, "On the contrary, we were robbed twice after entering the Yao Kingdom, and even encountered a robbery on the road. It is said that they were all committed by refugees."

"By the way, the food prices were shockingly expensive. We passed through Tuwang Town, which is more than a hundred miles north of Tian Shui City. The two of us ordered two bowls of noodles and it actually cost nearly a hundred big coins!"

"It only cost a dozen coins two years ago." He Lingchuan asked casually, "Is business in the town sluggish?"

"Sluggish, only two out of ten shops are open. The noodle shop we found said they couldn't get meat or vegetables, and people were constantly breaking into their back kitchen to steal things. They were even robbed once, so they will close in two days." Peng Yukui shook his head, "With prices rising like this, how can business be done?"

Grain prices were skyrocketing, and the number of customers in restaurants was plummeting.

Maogong also said from the side: "We also saw a conflict between the bailiffs and the villagers in Tu Town. It seemed like the villagers came to town to sell mountain goods, but were forced to sell at a low price and were beaten seriously. So all the men and women in the village went into battle, performing a full-scale martial arts show."

"Traveling south, I have seen many strange occurrences. Tian Shui City is a bit better, after all, it is where the Yao court is located." The two sighed, "Why is the current Yao Kingdom looking like the Flash Gold Plain?" ===== CHAPTER 1596 =====