Chapter 66: Chapter Sixty-Six: Parting Ways

I'm following Master Xuanzang's lead, Han Guang said, looking to Tang Luo for guidance.

Very genuine, not hiding his identity at all.

"Haven't you asked if there are any other places to settle?" Dong Yuan asked.

A cunning rabbit has three burrows.

What if we can't make it to Anshan City in time?

"There are naturally villages with dozens or over a hundred households along the way," Tang Luo said, "but aside from the poor monk, you benefactors would likely only be able to sleep outside."

The big city "doesn't discriminate between raw and cooked."

Small villages wouldn't be like that.

A group of oddly dressed people, with nowhere to settle.

Tang Luo is different—you can tell at a glance he's a high monk who came from some impressive, grandiose temple.

Monks who keep their hair aren't exactly heinous; at most, they're rare.

Of course, if Tang Luo had a face full of fierce meat, he'd be a hated, precept-breaking rebel monk.

He wouldn't be welcome anywhere.

"Tch."

Xu Yi let out a cold snort, disdainful: "If they won't give us a place to stay, does that mean we just won't stay? Kill a few to establish authority—still afraid we'll have nowhere to sleep?"

"How could the poor monk let benefactors recklessly invite killing calamity?" Tang Luo said.

"You really think you're some enlightened high monk?" Xu Yi froze for a moment, then laughed, saying, "Did water get into your brain?"

We're gods and demons walking among men—a group of tough souls wandering the edge of life and death.

Not a peaceful travel tour group.

Dong Yuan's brows slightly furrowed, as if she'd thought of something, but she said nothing, choosing to observe coldly.

The three newcomers were somewhat uneasy.

How long has it been? We haven't even seen a shadow of the "target," and our own people are already infighting?

"Amitabha." Tang Luo intoned a Buddhist chant, with no intention of arguing with Xu Yi.

Xu Yi also didn't continue saying anything.

"Let's go, let's go—if we don't hurry, we'll still be on the road when it gets dark," Han Guang said.

Han Guang's words hit the mark.

After nightfall, the group was still more than half an hour's journey from Anshan City.

Among the three newcomers, aside from Du Shun.

The other two took each step with great heaviness.

Having walked so long without food or drink, they were nearly dead from exhaustion.

If they stopped now, they likely wouldn't have the strength to rise and continue walking.

The atmosphere within the group also turned somewhat bad.

Not really related to the long journey.

But stemmed from the conflict—or rather, disagreement—between Tang Luo and Xu Yi.

After all, the road to Anshan City counts as an official route.

The closer one gets to Anshan City, the more people naturally appear.

Those walking like Tang Luo's group, those on horseback, those in carriages—there are quite a few.

Xu Yi, having walked a long time, at that moment wanted to seize a means of transport—say, a carriage.

But Tang Luo stopped him.

In the end, it was Dong Yuan siding with Tang Luo that calmed the situation.

The relationship became very stiff.

Dong Yuan siding with Tang Luo wasn't because she was kind or anything like that.

Her thinking was very pragmatic.

In unfamiliar territory, don't create more trouble.

For a bit of comfort, stirring up dangerous "branching plotlines" isn't worth it.

In short, we haven't yet entered Anshan City.

The hidden danger in the group has already been buried—no, to be precise, it's basically already declared a split.

After reaching Anshan City, Xu Yi definitely won't act together with Tang Luo.

Different paths, no joint planning.

This hypocritical monk—Xu Yi has no interest in playing house with him.

Dong Yuan didn't speak, but she'd already made up her mind in her heart.

After arriving at Anshan City, she'll separate from the others.

The three newcomers are of no help to Dong Yuan, unless they're the rare "wise" type.

Three "senior members."

Xu Yi is arrogantly self-important, overly inflated, belonging to the pig-teammate ilk.

Han Guang looks weak, playing the lackey role of imitating Xuanzang the monk.

Also useless.

There's still a chance he's deeply scheming, pretending to be a pig to eat the tiger.

That kind is even more dangerous than "useless."

It's like placing a time bomb beside oneself.

As for that monk Xuanzang.

Kind but pedantic, not acceptable.

If using this opportunity to suppress Xu Yi, win over people's hearts, and gain leadership of the team.

Such a person is equally deep in scheming, absolutely not of good kind.

Only by myself am I the most suitable choice.

Can advance to attack, retreat to defend.

No need to worry about pig teammates causing trouble, nor fear being stabbed in the back.

Gods and demons walking are solitary, self-reliant travelers.

Dong Yuan understands this very clearly.

They have all embarked on the path where power returns to oneself—why then cling together for warmth?

"Such high city walls."

"I go..."

Upon arriving near Anshan City, Du Shun and the others couldn't help but exclaim.

Han Guang was also very surprised.

But he held back his words, unable to react like a newcomer with excessive surprise.

Absolutely cannot lose the dignity of a senior member.

The city walls of Anshan City seen by everyone are as high as 30 meters, the wall height being more than twice that of Chang'an's Ming city walls.

Can be called magnificent.

The entire Anshan City has walls on the east, south, and west sides, with the north side backed by mountains.

The place where Tang Luo and the others arrived is the south city wall.

The south city has a total of seven gates.

The central gate is the largest; the remaining six gates are paired in threes, decreasing in size sequentially.

There are two gates each on the east and west.

A river flows from west to east, running through the entire Anshan City.

There are also lakes within the city.

Truly deserves the words bustling and prosperous.

When Tang Luo and the others arrived, their luck was not bad—only the two smallest east three and west three city gates remained open in the south city.

Enter east, exit west.

The west three gates have no one.

Those wishing to enter the city through the east three gates have formed a not-so-short queue.

These two gates are of equal size, basically able to accommodate a carriage drawn by one and a half four-horse teams.

"Productivity is more developed than imagined."

In the team, Dong Yuan silently thought in her heart.

Such a prosperous and magnificent capital city, even if it is the only one within a hundred-li radius.

Is sufficient to reflect a fact from the side.

This mission is probably not that simple.

Placing the little matchstick girl in this ancient Huaxia background mission world itself carries strangeness and incongruity.

The process of entering the city went very smoothly.

The strange attire of Han Guang and others merely caused the guards to glance twice.

On the contrary, the splendid monk—Tang Luo's appearance—made the guards ask a few more questions, which Tang Luo handled flawlessly.

Don't misunderstand.

It's not that kind of interrogation, but rather a respectful inquiry asking where the monk comes from and whether he needs any help.

Tang Luo does not know whether this Great You Dynasty has any state religion.

But from when he began asking that passerby and observing the situation here.

The monks in this mission world are doing quite well.

Hmm—not just monks.

A Daoist, the guards likewise showed him a few degrees of respect.

Monks and Daoists are both doing quite well.

"In a world where vital energy is still sufficient, do cultivators exist?" Tang Luo speculated in his heart.

Three missions, three mission worlds.

The degree of sufficient vital energy is stronger one after another.

"Master Xuanzang, Master Xuanzang!"

Han Guang's voice interrupted Tang Luo's thoughts.

"Those two people are leaving." Han Guang was somewhat anxious.

The three newcomers beside him were also at a loss.

After entering Anshan City, walking a few steps, they did not block the road in crowded places.

Everyone then stopped—after all, even now they don't know which direction to go.

They hadn't yet had time to discuss where to go.

They began to scatter.

Xu Yi said, "Old man won't walk the same path as this monk."

Dong Yuan also decided to act alone.

Master Xuanzang seemed to be in a daze.

Several senior members instantly "lost their chain".

"Oh, the poor monk wishes the two patrons a safe journey." Tang Luo looked at the two who were about to leave and said, "Or, wait for the poor monk to consecrate you before you go?"

Dong Yuan said nothing and left directly.

Xu Yi, on the other hand, asked: "Are you following me, or are you following this monk?"

The three newcomers glanced at each other and did not move.

Han Guang, of course, needs no further explanation.

He had personally witnessed Tang Luo's strength; only a fool would abandon the essential for the trivial and follow a stranger.

"Then you can die together." Xu Yi did not understand the principle that "a breakup should be dignified," and before leaving, he added a harsh remark.

This made Han Guang and the others' faces look somewhat unpleasant.

"Master, what should we do next?" Han Guang asked.

"The poor monk will go begging for alms, and we will make plans tomorrow morning." Tang Luo said.

This time, begging for alms was not physical begging, but true begging.

Tang Luo, with his excellent appearance, quickly found an inn and expressed willingness to let the monk and a few attendants stay for one night.

He could also provide vegetarian meals.

Although the few vegetable dishes were rather bland in taste, Han Guang and the others had been hungry for so long, and it was free.

They naturally thanked the innkeeper profusely and ate with great joy.

The atmosphere was very harmonious.

"That... Master, if you come to Anshan City, could it be that you have received news?" The somewhat plump innkeeper said to Tang Luo.

Tang Luo only drank a bowl of plain congee and did not continue, already sitting on the other side with a serene posture: "What news, patron? Could you please elaborate for the poor monk?"

"So the master doesn't know after all."

The innkeeper said, "Nowadays, Anshan City is not as peaceful as before."

The matter is not complicated.

In recent half a year, people have often gone missing in Anshan City.

Some bodies were found, as if torn apart and eaten by fierce beasts, incomplete.

Some people were not even found with their bodies.

Originally, it was not a big deal.

Putting it bluntly, it is now the depth of winter, and this year's harvest is not particularly good.

In Anshan City, people freeze to death and starve to death on the streets every day.

Beneath the bustle and prosperity lies a cruel shadow.

But later, the matter involved several major households in Anshan City, and it became quite a fuss.

Thus, the major households spread the word, offering heavy rewards, wanting to recruit extraordinary individuals to resolve this.

Over the past month or so, many people have come to Anshan City one after another, hoping to make a big profit.

However, up to now, the recruitment notice has not ceased.

Obviously, the matter remains unresolved.

"I see." Tang Luo said, "The poor monk did not come for this matter, but the poor monk still has some methods for subduing demons and eliminating evil, so I can try."

"Master, the matter is not simple." The innkeeper said.

If, because of his words, this handsome monk is sent to his death, that would be a sin.

"Amitabha." Tang Luo said solemnly, "As the saying goes, if I do not enter hell, who will? Even if I must sacrifice my life, the poor monk cannot stand idly by while demons and monsters run rampant in the world."

Once, a merit power was placed before him.

Tang Luo, without saying a word, reached out!