Chapter 338

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Main Character:

Shen Yao

Liu Jingyan felt he hadn't checked the almanac before going out this trip; everything he ran into was bad luck.

Holding his breath, he agreed to the government office's request; Liu Jingyan had Shen Yao move farther away. "The Ghost Mist's range is expanding; staying outside Songyang City holds no benefit."

Ghost Mist is a type of power technique produced by Strange Phenomena; they are odorless and formless, drifting unpredictably.

The more powerful the Strange Phenomenon, the more Ghost Mist it produces, and it will also devour living beings.

Liu Jingyan didn't intend to forcefully withstand this Red Embroidery Building, but he couldn't stop the Exorcism Office people from not wanting their lives; he could only pinch his nose and guard outside Songyang City — both to avoid the commoners behind him delivering food to the Ghost Mist, and to receive people coming out of Songyang City.

However, those who could still run out of Songyang City at this time were all capable experts; commoners didn't have this ability. The Ghost Mist is formless; falling deep into it only leads to losing direction.

Shen Yao was obedient; she simply took the servants and withdrew a distance to the rear.

Of course, not just Shen Yao — all the surrounding commoners, as long as they weren't fools, understood the principle of fleeing if they could. Songyang City was visibly about to fall; they had to find a way to survive for their families.

"Miss Shen, someone has come to visit," the Steward stood outside the carriage compartment, head lowered, speaking softly.

Shen Yao helplessly waved her hand. "Not seeing them; we're just passing through. No need to get entangled."

Songyang City probably can't handle this matter; most likely they'll have to wait for Imperial Court reinforcements.

Liu Jingyan doesn't hold office in the court; his staying to help is already conscience. Shen Yao couldn't drag him down at a time like this.

Hearing this, the Steward nodded, then solemnly refused the visitor. No matter what the other party said or did, he remained unmoved.

True enough; at a time like this, who doesn't know that only capable people count as backing?

Songyang City isn't large; originally very few could cultivate, and among those, even fewer achieved success.

Liu Jingyan's cultivation method is profound, and he still has to protect Shen Yao and a group of servants. Who would be willing to give up their chance to survive? It's not like they actually want to die.

This path blocked, the high officials and nobles in Songyang City felt some disappointment.

But Liu Jingyan is from Luojing after all; not giving them face is no problem at all. All they could seem to do was mutter darkly a couple of sentences, then continue seeking other ways.

In the face of survival, all propriety, righteousness, integrity, and shame can be temporarily discarded.

Shen Yao stayed in the carriage compartment; she had already seen no fewer than several women or men run to Liu Jingyan's side to curry favor.

Their thinking was simple: as long as they could rely on this young master with profound cultivation, protect their lives, everything else was negotiable.

Pity Liu Jingyan's temper wasn't very good; he had no mind to play along with them. With a cold, indifferent gaze he sent them away, telling them not to bother him. Liu Jingyan suddenly turned stern, staring at the Ghost Mist before him.

The Ghost Mist was moving, like a ferocious wild beast baring fangs and claws, continuously surging and eroding outward from the city.

Gripping the folding fan in his hand, Liu Jingyan turned his step and flew directly into midair.

The very moment he flew up, the Ghost Mist formed a giant pair of hands and slapped down from the air — precisely where Liu Jingyan had just been standing.

The sudden struggle caused everyone outside the city to panic.

Shen Yao's ears were filled with wails and cries for help. She stared unblinkingly at Liu Jingyan, lips slightly pursed, constantly rummaging through the things in her space.

There were simply too many supplies; even after organizing, Shen Yao couldn't quite remember everything clearly. At a time like this Liu Jingyan couldn't have an accident; she still had to rely on him to reach Luojing and live.

Bang—

Rocks exploded, fragments flying wildly, stirred-up dust filling half the sky.

The originally clear sky was forcibly split open, as if a giant hand were stirring wind and clouds.

Shen Yao got down from the carriage compartment and called out, instructing the Steward to take the people and leave as soon as possible.

"But"

The Steward couldn't decide; his gaze looked left and right, clearly not knowing whose orders to follow.

"Go quickly. A Yan can't spare attention for us; if something happens we can only blame our own bad luck." Shen Yao's hand lightly covered her abdomen; she turned and ran toward the rear.

Seeing this, the Steward let out an "aiyo," called to the servants standing dazed in place to fall back. "Be careful, watch out for injuries."

This isn't inside the city; there's no doctor making house calls here.

In a dark mass, a group of people ran to the rear, simultaneously revealing those who couldn't run nimbly.

Don't be fooled by Shen Yao's soft, weak appearance — her footwork was nimble, movements rapid; she herself wasn't injured anywhere.

It was the other servants in the group; stumbling and bumping was commonplace, yet they didn't dare make a fuss and annoy their master.

The commotion between Liu Jingyan and the Ghost Mist grew larger and larger; they were already fighting in a tangled battle outside Songyang City.

It wasn't that no one went up to help; it's just that individual strength here was limited. Liu Jingyan still had to divide his attention to look after them, so he simply handled it alone.

The Ghost Mist let out a strange roar, condensing an even larger palm that lunged straight at him.

Liu Jingyan retreated and dodged, not forgetting to activate a technique via the folding fan to counter the enemy.

Golden light blades dancing throughout the sky flung onto the Ghost Mist — not only scattering and exterminating the Ghost Mist, but also shaving off a layer of the originally not-so-level open ground.

Liu Jingyan's bearing was graceful, as if strolling in a leisurely courtyard, making the onlookers all the more confident.

After a long while, the Ghost Mist unwillingly retreated backward, revealing a stretch of space that had originally been devoured.

The people who had walked into the Ghost Mist earlier had long since collapsed on the ground, unconscious.

Liu Jingyan didn't pay them any mind; instead, folding fan in hand, he returned — didn't even go to the government office.

Shen Yao understood Liu Jingyan felt resentful inside. She picked up the food the Steward had sent over, coaxing him not to go hungry.

Liu Jingyan: …

Liu Jingyan found it funny. He wasn't a child. "Just don't want to stay any longer."

Today fighting Ghost Mist; tomorrow who knows, might have to fight the Red Embroidery Building.

Liu Jingyan knows his own business; he doesn't have that ability, can't shoulder any heavy work.

"Today was a probe. That Ghost Mist is insidious and cunning; in a few more days I'm afraid—" Liu Jingyan's words weren't finished when he heard someone inviting him from outside the carriage compartment.

Now they could still pass through unimpeded, except that the Government Office wouldn't let him have his way.

Setting down the half-finished soup, Liu Jingyan told Shen Yao to pack her luggage, "Wait for me to return, then we'll leave."

Feeling he had done his utmost, Liu Jingyan's heart was like a rock; no matter what benefits the Government Office offered or how many treasures they promised, he was unmoved.

Helpless, the people in the Government Office could only watch Liu Jingyan lead his people away; even if they complained in private, it was of no use.

Liu Jingyan sat in the carriage, Shen Yao leaning beside him, and both breathed a sigh of relief.

It's good to be able to get out; Songyang is now a huge pit, whoever comes must fill it, unless the Imperial Court is willing to arrange fifth-stage martial artists or cultivators to save it.

"Not to mention fifth-stage is hard to cultivate, there aren't many fifth-stage serving in the Court either."

Besides, Wei State's borders have always been unsettled, needing troops stationed year-round to deter; a large number of high-stage martial artists and cultivators are holding the front line and cannot move about easily.

Like the current matter in Songyang, it basically relies on internal digestion. Liu Jingyan put one arm around Shen Yao's shoulder, not optimistic about the prospects of Songyang City.

Shen Yao puffed her cheeks, smiling and telling Liu Jingyan to relax; they had already left the City Outside, and how Songyang was had nothing to do with them.

This was not cold-blooded selfishness, but truly being powerless.

And before Liu Jingyan left, he had already explained the situation clearly to the people in the Government Office; even if he insisted on staying, it would be futile, just struggling a few more days.

"Whether they want to leave, whether they can leave, depends entirely on their own will," they had already done their utmost; even moral blackmail couldn't bind them like this.

Liu Jingyan held Shen Yao tight, burying his head in her shoulder and neck and taking a deep breath.

The carriage hurried on until shattered rocks and dead branches blocked the way ahead, and they had to stop the carriage to rest.

Neither of them got out of the carriage; they just lay in the Che Xiang to sleep.

Naturally someone would keep watch at night; possibly because this place was not far from Songyang and there was no banditry around, they slept quite comfortably, and everyone set off refreshed.

Their bad luck seemed to have all been used up at the Red Embroidery Building in Songyang City.

The subsequent journey, until they reached outside Gu Fu City, was all smooth sailing.

They were dusty and travel-worn all the way, surely they would enter the city to rest for a few days.

It was just that Liu Jingyan was still fearful about the matter of Songyang City; this time he only stayed briefly in Gu Fu City for two days before hastily setting off for distant Luojing.

Having replenished the consumed supplies and travel tools, they could save a lot of effort on the road.

Shen Yao occasionally heard the Servants discussing the matter of Songyang City.

Good news doesn't go out, bad news travels a thousand miles. The news of something strange appearing in Songyang City could not be hidden, and had spread to more than half the cities of Wei State.

On the Luojing side, people from the Exorcism Office had already been arranged; it was said that two fourth-stage martial artists had gone, and as for the final result, it hadn't spread yet; presumably they were still deadlocked.

"A Yan, what is that?" When the carriage stopped on the road, Shen Yao got out to walk around, and saw a not-large temple on a hill not far away.

Cloud Mist swirled around the temple, as if floating among the clouds, vastly different from the clear weather with not a cloud in ten thousand li around.

"Gu Fu has many temples; rural village temples enshrine some not very well-known gods and Buddhas," most had little incense, slowly perishing in the long river of time.

Liu Jingyan said, and also popularized knowledge about Gu Fu's temples to Shen Yao.

During this period, naturally it also involved strange matters; Shen Yao discovered that whatever was relatively famous was inseparable from strangeness.

"…Strange Temples do not easily appear in the world; once they appear, the consequences are more serious than the Red Embroidery Building." The several incidents of Strange Temples eating people recorded by the authorities all appeared during wars or snow disaster years; Wei State had been founded for over a hundred years, and there were temporarily no traces of Strange Temples.

Shen Yao: …

Shen Yao looked at the mountain temple not far away, thinking that Liu Jingyan's words would always be slapped in the face.

Perhaps it was not that the Strange Temple had not appeared, but that the Strange Temple had always been concealing its aura.

Strangeness was not without consciousness; some strangeness could be said to be intelligent and shrewd, understanding conspiracy and schemes better than ordinary people.

Gu Fu Strange Temple… Shen Yao pulled Liu Jingyan onto the carriage, and at the same time urged the Steward to hurry the journey.

Still, try not to delay time as much as possible; otherwise they would very likely become Cannon Fodder witnessing history.

Although Shen Yao often regarded herself as a Passerby, given all that had happened during this period, perhaps she did not lack a Main Character halo? Why did she see so much strangeness, completely contrary to the Passerby persona?

Silently complaining about her strangeness-seeing Constitution, Shen Yao grew increasingly worried about her life in Luojing.

Surely she wouldn't be so unlucky as to keep seeing strangeness, she was a genuine Pregnant Woman.

"Yao Yao, Yao Yao?"

Liu Jingyan called out several times to the absent-minded Shen Yao; seeing her displeased expression, he thought she was worried about life in Luojing, and hurriedly comforted her with words, both a Guarantee and a Commitment, that Liu Jingyan would not let Shen Yao suffer hardship.

Shen Yao shrank into Liu Jingyan's embrace, "A Yan, can I live in the city?"

The City Outside was not as safe as the city; although the mountain villas outside the city had beautiful scenery, Shen Yao was not a person who enjoyed superficial pleasures; for the sake of the child in her belly, she could endure it temporarily.

"Luojing City is strictly controlled;" even with his face, he couldn't buy a good location, and the living environment of some ordinary areas was not as good as the few mountain villas the Liu Family had outside the city.

"It's nothing, just thinking that outside the city is mostly inconvenient;" she still wanted to maintain meeting frequency with Liu Jingyan, so that this person wouldn't forget her after returning to the Liu Family.

Liu Jingyan did not know that his image in Shen Yao's heart was like this.

At this moment, hearing Shen Yao say this, he felt more delighted in his heart.

If possible, he also did not want to place her in a mountain villa outside the city.

Leaving the city was not easy; the internal relations of the Liu Clan were chaotic and noisy; he was more willing to keep her by his side.

"Wronging Yao Yao," Liu Jingyan sincerely felt he owed Shen Yao; if not for his reckless actions, Shen Yao would not have to be entangled with him.

Perhaps the Liu Clan had its own Qilin Son within; Liu Jingyan did not think he was that special.

Silently resolving to properly arrange for Shen Yao, Liu Jingyan pondered which place in Luojing City was safe.

East City was definitely out of the question; Luojing's officials and nobles were as numerous as carp crossing the river, and above them was Imperial Power; he could only consider South City or North City.

South City was a gathering place for wealthy merchants, claimed to be the richest place in all of Luojing.

But wealth also represented chaos; South City had many people of all kinds, and occasionally someone going missing was simply too normal.

North City was where minor officials and merchants of the middle class lived; their status was neither high nor low, their character neither good nor bad; he happened to have several Manors in North City.

Liu Jingyan stroked his chin, and soon decided where Shen Yao would live.

At the same time, he did not forget to arrange Manpower to protect Shen Yao.

Shen Yao did not know any of these things; at this moment she was waiting to rest well after arriving in Luojing.

Traveling day after day, even Shen Yao with her daily pills suffered aching waist and sore back.

Moreover this journey was not peaceful; there were no bandits, yet there was trouble more terrifying than bandits — Liu Jingyan had not recovered, his face deathly pale, and when the carriage reached outside Luojing City he directly collapsed ill.

This threw the team into panic; fortunately Shen Yao was there to hold the line and manage.

When Liu Jingyan had more or less recovered, everyone changed into clean clothing, and only then queued to enter the capital.

Compared to Songyang City and Gu Fu City, Luojing City occupies a larger area.

Especially the city walls erected outside, about ten-odd zhang high, blocking out the sky and sun.

"Are there formations engraved on these city walls?" Shen Yao looked at the clear patterns above, raising her head to look at Liu Jingyan beside her.

The two of them had already gotten off the vehicle; the rule for entering Luojing is that except for imperial relatives and court officials, everyone else must queue to enter the city.

"They are formations, from the hand of the Abbot of Huang Jue Si," extraordinary in function.

They can even withstand demon races below Demon General and strange phenomena that have just entered a rank.

A Revealing Demon Mirror that can reveal true forms also hangs on the Luojing city gate, used to check the safety of passing travelers.

In short, Luojing's defenses are strict; wanting to stir up trouble here is very difficult.