Chapter 222: Arrival at Wusi City

222. Chapter 219: Arriving at Wusi City

Early the next morning, before dawn, Li Xuan heard a sound inside the carriage, so he slowly opened his eyes.

"Sigh, I knew it," Li Xuan said helplessly, shaking his head, then rubbing his eyes and walking out of the tent.

Just as Li Xuan stepped out of the tent, taking advantage of the moonlight, he saw a frail figure in the distance.

The frail figure also heard Li Xuan's emergence and visibly stiffened.

Li Xuan had long expected that Zhu Zhuqing would not stay in his camp, so he never slept soundly.

"I... I will cause you trouble here," Zhu Zhuqing whispered, her voice very low, but Li Xuan heard it clearly.

After crying in front of Li Xuan yesterday, Zhu Zhuqing no longer knew how to face him.

More importantly, Zhu Zhuqing also knew her own status, being a marriage link between the Star Luo Royal Family and the Zhu Family; if others discovered it, Li Xuan would be implicated, which Zhu Zhuqing did not want to happen.

"If you want to leave, I won't stop you. This is something I prepared for you; go to the border and find Huang Shang, he will arrange for someone to send you back to Star Luo City." Li Xuan sighed, speaking to Zhu Zhuqing, and at the same time tossed a Soul Device Ring to her.

Li Xuan didn't want Zhu Zhuqing to leave, but he had no reason to keep her.

And Li Xuan didn't know why, as if by some strange impulse, he filled the Soul Device Ring for Zhu Zhuqing with several bottles of Xuanling Pill and more than ten thousand gold Soul Coins.

Instinctively, Zhu Zhuqing took the Soul Device Ring Li Xuan gave her, and her mind became a jumble for a moment.

Zhu Zhuqing also didn't want to leave, but she had no reason to stay, so she couldn't remain here.

"If any problem arises, go to Ladi Canyon at any time; there you will find my Token, and they will shelter you." Li Xuan sighed again, continuing to speak to Zhu Zhuqing.

"Thank you." Zhu Zhuqing solemnly placed the ring on her finger, then, under the cover of night, left.

After watching Zhu Zhuqing depart, Li Xuan lost the mood to sleep, sitting by the campfire, watching the flames, unsure what he was thinking.

Li Xuan blinked, then turned and went back into the tent to continue sleeping.

Li Xuan knew the trouble Zhu Zhuqing brought, but he didn't care; besides, his talent was already outstanding, and his cultivation was far stronger than Dai Mubai.

"Young master, she was right to leave; we haven't yet matched the strength of the Star Luo Empire," Bai Chuan said softly as he came to Li Xuan's side.

"Bai Shu, what should I do next?" Li Xuan asked, frowning at Bai Chuan.

"Diligently cultivate and strive to become a Title Douluo early; then you'll have the capital to negotiate with the Star Luo Empire. As long as you're strong enough, you could even snatch people from the Star Luo Empire's hands," Bai Chuan said, tossing wood into the fire, his tone relaxed.

"Sigh... my Fourth Soul Ring hasn't been secured yet; I've already asked Huang Shang to search for a suitable soul ring," Li Xuan said, frowning as he stared at the fire.

"Young master will surely get his wishes fulfilled. Are you going back to rest?" Bai Chuan turned his head and asked Li Xuan.

"No, the sky will brighten soon; we should attend to our own matters," Li Xuan shook his head, no longer thinking of sleeping.

……

Early the next day, Bang Chui woke up lazily; after the three of them ate a simple bite of rice, they set off.

Bang Chui also roughly understood what had happened, so he didn't ask further.

The three traveled in silence, slowly making their way toward Wusi City.

Li Xuan's next goal was to bring the Min Clan under his command.

The Min Clan's ability to survive independently was relatively weak, but if they could rely on other forces, their capabilities were still quite decent.

Their speed was their greatest advantage; they could fully serve as messengers, maintaining communication between Ladi Canyon and the outside world.

Although Li Xuan's Kongming Eye could also do this, its output was too low to achieve real communication.

Therefore, someone still needed to carry messages.

……

Three days later, at noon.

Bai Chuan and his party finally arrived beneath Wusi City.

"Young master, we've reached Wusi City; let's get off the carriage and rest," Bai Chuan turned his head and said respectfully to Li Xuan.

"Alright, Bai Shu," Li Xuan said, then jumped off the carriage with Bang Chui.

"Bai Shu, didn't we take a wrong turn? This place looks so poor; the towns along the way all seem destitute. Has the Tian Dou Empire abandoned them?" Li Xuan raised an eyebrow and asked Bai Chuan.

After leaving the Star Dou Great Forest, passing Suotuo City and then Wusi City, every town along the way was dilapidated, appearing long neglected.

"Young master, we're practically walking along the border; can it not be poor? The wealthy towns are all near Tian Dou City, while ordinary civilians barely get by," Bai Chuan said with a smile, shaking his head.

Having once been a slave, Bai Chuan had strong opinions on poverty, and he also knew why.

"Young master, you and Bang Chui, Young Master, should go into the city to rest; I'll look for you in the town in a moment," Bai Chuan also jumped off the carriage, then nodded at Li Xuan and said, then led the carriage away to find a place to store it.

Li Xuan, on his own, led Bang Chui into Wusi City.

As Li Xuan entered Wusi City, he found it even poorer than he had imagined; the city's scale was small, just a modest town, and its economy was not very prosperous.

Wusi City lies on the border of the Tian Dou Empire; further north lies Extreme North, so the temperature here is lower, and due to a lack of trade, it is also poorer. Buildings are old and dilapidated, few shops are open, many beggars line the streets, pedestrians are scarce, and no one sets up stalls.

Watching the scenery, Li Xuan thought that his chances of recruiting the Min Clan had risen considerably; the poorer the place, the harsher the Min Clan's life, and the harsher their life, the easier they would be to recruit.

"Brother, this place is so poor; should we give them some charity?" Bang Chui whispered to Li Xuan. Though Bang Chui had faced many setbacks since childhood, his heart was kind and compassionate.

"No need, we can't change much. Let's first find a place to rest, have a comfortable meal, and handle business tomorrow. If they wish to change, we can select some of good character to enter our domain; as for those of poor character..." Li Xuan nodded at Bang Chui, then continued strolling around Wusi City. After wandering for half a day, Li Xuan finally found a relatively clean and sanitary inn, booked three rooms.

It was early spring, the sky still a bit chilly, so Li Xuan prepared to make his own hot pot.

Besides the weather, Li Xuan was worried about the hygiene of Wusi City's eateries, and the place lacked any specialty dishes.

Li Xuan and Bang Chui sat around the hot pot, waiting for Bai Chuan to arrive.

After a dozen minutes, Bai Chuan indeed found the selected room.

"Young master, little Young master," Bai Chuan smiled at Li Xuan and Bang Chui.

"Everyone's here, let's start!" Li Xuan smiled, then took out chopsticks and began adding meat and vegetables.

Li Xuan calculated the time; Bai Chuan was about to return, so they only then began adding meat.

Soon the hot pot boiled, and a rich aroma from the bubbling broth filled the entire room.

Seeing Li Xuan's fresh ingredients, Bai Chuan's appetite was whetted, so he ate together with Li Xuan and Bang Chui.

"Young master, Wusi City is poorer than I imagined; that means gathering information on the Min Clan shouldn't be too hard. How about I go out for a while? Within two hours I can bring back all the Min Clan intel. This place is so poor, perfect for our work," Bai Chuan said, lifting his bowl, stuffing a piece of mutton wrapped in Mahjong tiles into his mouth, chewing thoroughly before speaking to Li Xuan.

Bai Chuan was right; Wusi City is not only small but also especially poor—just a few Silver Soul Coins are enough to investigate the Min Clan's information thoroughly, which is why Bai Chuan said so.

"Why the hurry? This outing is just to avoid work; let's wander around outside. Besides, the Min Clan should already know about our trip to Wusi City, let them react, and then we can go find them," Li Xuan put a piece of lamb into his mouth and smiled at Bai Chuan as he spoke.

"Alright, young master," Bai Chuan said helplessly, but could only comply.

Half an hour later, Li Xuan and the other two, having eaten and drunk their fill, each returned to their own rooms to rest. — In the following two days, Li Xuan and Bai Chuan spent money in Wusi City gathering a large amount of information about the Min Clan; after two days of effort, the intelligence was already quite comprehensive.

Li Xuan and Bai Chuan sat at the table, exchanging the intelligence they had obtained over the past two days.

"Young master, the Min Clan is doing terribly; the Spirit Hall suppresses them, the local Soul Master Family suppresses them, and now finally no one is suppressing them, but unfortunately the money they earn can't even sustain their own family," Bai Chuan put down the documents in his hand and shook his head helplessly.

"Indeed, the main problem is they have so little money yet still aim to train soul masters; it's no wonder their economy is on the brink of collapse," Li Xuan also shook his head helplessly.

It's not even a pity that the Min Clan is this miserable; it's all self‑inflicted. Otherwise, with the Min Clan's speed advantage, they could do something and wouldn't have to live off others' charity.

Now, without the Po Clan's support, they have already reached the point of having no rice to put into the pot.

"Young master, although their family's martial soul isn't very powerful, its traits are quite excellent—extremely fast speed, capable of many tasks," Bai Chuan nodded and analyzed seriously to Li Xuan.

"The family is a good family, but their Clan Leader..." Li Xuan is very fond of the Min Clan's abilities, yet Bai He is indeed a source of worry for Li Xuan.

"What's the matter, young master? The Min Clan's Clan Leader Bai He is a powerhouse at Soul Douluo level; though aged, his speed is such that few on the entire continent can surpass him," Bai Chuan asked Li Xuan.

"Sigh... Bai He is the maternal uncle of Tang Xiao, the sect leader of the Clear Sky Sect, and Tang Hao, the Clear Sky Douluo; his elbows bend outward," Li Xuan shook his head helplessly, his mind filled with many thoughts.

"...," Bai Chuan was stunned after hearing the introduction, not expecting the Min Clan's entanglement with the Clear Sky Sect to be so deep.

In that case, the possibility of Bai He betraying Ladi Canyon has greatly increased, so Bai Chuan furrowed his brows deeply.

"Young master, perhaps..." Bai Chuan's gaze suddenly hardened, a fierce light flaring, as he made a downward slicing gesture.

"Let me think; if it really doesn't work, then that's the only option—Bai He, being of Soul Douluo caliber, is still of great value," Li Xuan frowned and said to Bai Chuan.

Unless absolutely necessary, Li Xuan will not take action to kill Bai He.

The Douluo Continent is not a game world; on the Douluo Continent one can not only poison but also set traps. Thus, although Bai He exists at the Soul Douluo level, killing him would be difficult but not impossible.

However, Li Xuan will not let Bai He disappear easily; he also intends to use Bai He's influence to locate Yang Wudi and recruit Yang Wudi into his own ranks.

The purpose of recruiting the Min Clan is not only to enlist the Min Clan, but also to use the Min Clan to attract the Po Clan.

Now the Po Clan still has no news; Li Xuan will not act against Bai He lightly, but if Bai He dares to betray, Li Xuan will not hesitate to strike.

Bai Chuan watched Li Xuan fall into contemplation, then sat quietly beside him, waiting for Li Xuan's decision.

"One step at a time; Bai He may stay, but must be monitored, not allowed to go out of control. If his danger level rises, he will be killed without mercy," a faint Killing Qi emanated from Li Xuan's eyes.

Li Xuan must find a way to control Bai He, lest he trap himself at a critical moment.

"Young master, you're right," Bai Chuan nodded satisfactorily, looking at Li Xuan.

Decisive in killing, yet not bloodthirsty nor indiscriminate; weighing pros and cons, Li Xuan's character can achieve great deeds!

"Bai Shu, this is a Visiting Card I prepared earlier; could you please make a trip and deliver it to the Min Clan for me?" Li Xuan took a Visiting Card from Small Cave Heaven and handed it to Bai Chuan.

"Yes, young master, I'll deliver it right away," Bai Chuan stood, bowed to Li Xuan, then took the Visiting Card and turned to leave.

Li Xuan watched Bai Chuan's silhouette, his expression heavy; the Min Clan is indeed impressive, yet also a hot potato.

"Sigh, mishandle it and you'll end up raising a money‑sending boy; we must be cautious," Li Xuan waved impatiently, then returned to his room to rest.

Although the Min Clan is now destitute, they were once nobles, so Li Xuan will use aristocratic etiquette to pay a visit to the Min Clan.

After returning to his room, Li Xuan went straight to sleep.

Bai He's position is truly awkward—he's the protagonist Tang San's great‑uncle; Li Xuan also worries that, if he gets hot‑headed, he'll hand the Heaven‑Shaking Cannon over to Tang San.

That would be a real disaster, like rolling a big pancake into a meatball and firing the cannon inside. (End of chapter)