Chapter 1967: The Fan Family's Flight

The messenger said resentfully, "If you don't believe me, forget it. I'm taking my mother and leaving first."

"I still think that surnamed Guo won't be rampant for long," the Shopkeeper muttered. "Oh dear, just what is this person's background? Where did such a madman, such a force, pop out from? Never heard of them before!"

A diner interjected, "Guo Bai Yu is a capable general under Yao Kingdom's Grand General Shan Zezhong. He's fought the Luodian people and several northern tribes; word is he's quite formidable. After Shan Zezhong was defeated and killed, he led the remnant troops and fled Yao Kingdom, probably coming here to find a foothold and maintain his army for self-importance."

Unable to compete with other warlord chiefs within the country, Guo Bai Yu came to the Shanjin Plains to seize a territory.

"Remnant troops?" The messenger shook his head. "I heard his army is strong in soldiers and horses, with great numbers — doesn't look like any remnant force."

The diner retorted sarcastically, "Have you ever seen true elite troops then?"

Naturally he hadn't. The messenger sized him up and down: "Who are you? Have you seen them?"

"I have. I'm a Yao Kingdom person."

This diner was Fan Shuang.

The messenger laughed, "Yao Kingdom has already perished. Where is there any 'Yao Kingdom' now?"

Fan Shuang pressed his lips tightly together.

Indeed, Yao Kingdom's demise happened in a single night; Yao people still cannot accept this fact.

A year ago, Yao Kingdom was clearly the wealthiest, most stable, happiest country on the Shanjin Plains;

A year ago, who would have thought his life would be turned upside down?

Once people above people, they suddenly became subjects of a fallen nation.

The Shopkeeper cut in, "True elites are the Black Armor Army — what Yao Army? When the Black Armor Army passed through Mian City, I saw them with my own eyes. That bearing, tsk tsk, so formidable!"

Fan Shuang immediately said, "The Black Armor Army's leader, the Nine Nether Great Emperor, I once followed by his side for several months."

Both of them laughed: "Go on, keep bragging."

What they were discussing was the reincarnated Dragon God!

What blessings did this kid accumulate to be able to accompany the Dragon God?

"It's true." Fan Shuang had a Yin-Shan silverwood token in his bosom, made from a Jualuo tree stained with silver lacquer, inscribed with the character "Fan". The holder of this token is a guest deeply respected by the Yin-Shan Chamber of Commerce.

Of course, Fan Shuang traveled far and wide; he wouldn't be foolish enough to reveal the token right there.

The messenger poured cold water on him: "Where is the Nine Nether Great Emperor then? Where is the Black Armor Army? When we needed them most to save us, where were they?"

Suddenly an impatient voice rang out from behind: "Waiting around all day for someone to save you — are your hands broken or your legs crippled? Can't lift a weapon or can't walk the road? Won't defend your own homeland, want to slip away at the slightest stir, then blame the Black Armor Army for not coming to save you. Hey, do the Dragon God and Black Armor Army owe you?"

Fan Shuang turned his head; a diner at another table happened to meet his gaze squarely.

This man was lean and wiry, corners of his mouth and eyes drooping, looking somewhat gloomy. He had ordered a bowl of plain noodles earlier, and during the conversation between these three, he had been eating with loud slurps, single-mindedly, turns out he was eavesdropping all along.

As he lifted his eyes, Fan Shuang felt his gaze was like a vicious wolf, as if ready to pounce and tear Fan Shuang to pieces at any moment.

Fan Shuang subconsciously swallowed.

The messenger also felt his scalp tingle under this man's stare, and reluctantly argued back: "With just us few people in Mian City, who could we beat? If Guo Bai Yu really comes, who can withstand him?"

Fan Shuang countered, "Even if we can't win we have to fight. Are we just going to let him plunder without a fight?"

The messenger rolled his eyelids: "Easy for you to say! Yao Kingdom fought wars every day, why didn't you stay? How did you know to run?"

Fan Shuang was left speechless.

Back then he went on diplomatic missions across Shanjin, silver-tongued and elegant in conversation, yet today he was rendered mute by a rustic commoner.

"You run, he runs — no wonder you all end up leaving your homes behind!" The noodle-eating man sneered, "If the whole city and countryside are full of cowards like you, even if the Dragon God came he couldn't save you!"

Seeing the atmosphere turn sour, the Shopkeeper hurriedly smoothed things over:

"Wait, Yun Dong's Luofeng Pond was also forcibly seized by Guo Bai Yu. Would Yun Dong's lord agree? Since Yun Dong is wealthy, their military strength shouldn't be weak, right?"

The messenger rolled his eyelids again: "That's unclear. Why don't you go call him to send troops then?"

Stung by his retort, the Shopkeeper instantly changed the subject: "Speaking of Yao Kingdom, I heard a General surnamed Chen died?"

Fan Shuang nodded, "General Chen Chuihua, defeated and killed at Gansong Slope."

"Then who's the big boss in Yao territory now?"

"Bai Tan." Fan Shuang's tone turned somber, even gritting his teeth as he spoke this name, "He caused the King's death, killed all the royal family. With General Chen dead, the entire Yao Kingdom belongs to him."

Why does a traitor still get a good ending? Heaven's Dao is unjust!

"Looking like that, you just escaped from Yao territory not long ago, right?" The messenger asked in surprise, "Why did you run? Is Bai Tan treating you badly?"

"His nickname is 'Half-City Butcher' — you tell me if he treats us well or not." Fan Shuang said coldly, then turned to ask the Shopkeeper, "Are the dishes I ordered ready yet?"

The Shopkeeper went into the back kitchen and in a blink brought out a tray with four dishes and one soup, calling a waiter to deliver it upstairs.

Fan Shuang followed upstairs, but after climbing two flights of stairs he suddenly sensed something, turned his head —

That noodle-eating man was also looking at him, eyes seeming to be pondering something.

Being stared at with that kind of look — like fish meat on a chopping block — Fan Shuang secretly shivered, hurried upstairs and returned to his room.

At the last glance, he noticed this man's left hand was missing a thumb.

Mr. and Mrs. Fan woke up and just rose, both somewhat fatigued. Fan Shuang's mother, Lady Wang, had just finished washing up; looking at the food the shop assistant brought, she picked up her bowl and ate with great relish.

Honestly, what good dishes could this little shop make? Far worse than home cooking — the fish was half burnt, and the vegetable oil even had a swill stench.

Rice often had hulls in it too.

In the past, Lady Wang not only wouldn't touch her chopsticks, she'd summon the chef and scold him severely. The Fan family's foundation in Tianshui City wasn't considered solid, but they were officials great or small, able to send Fan Shuang to study in Lingxu City; their minimum standard for food was color, aroma, and taste all complete, ingredients fresh.

These months of hiding and fleeing, Lady Wang's temples had grown many white hairs, and the wrinkles at her eyes had increased. Fan Shuang felt a pang of heartache; words reached his lips but he silently swallowed them back.

No matter how thunderbolt-from-clear-sky the news, let Mother finish eating first.

Father Fan also ate a few mouthfuls: "Why aren't you eating?"

In this past month, the wrinkles at his eyes seemed even deeper.

Fan Shuang could only say, "I'm not hungry."

Lady Wang asked while eating, "How far is Huan City?"

Fan Shuang's heart felt blocked: "About forty li of road."

"After we finish eating, I'll accompany you to the street to buy new clothes. The one you're wearing is old, full of dust and dirt, and it looks like it might have been stained with blood." Lady Wang said disdainfully, "Although we've come to rely on Uncle Lu Heng, we can't let him look down on you."