Chapter 167: Trip to the Red Plains (2)
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Xu Qing silently walked on the streets of the port. He went to a few shops and sold the miscellaneous items and a portion of the sea lizard skins he had obtained on Sea Lizard Island. He also bought some items he needed for the trip and even bought a lot of poisonous herbs.
Finally, he stood outside a shop that specialized in selling talismans. After some thought, he suppressed his heartache for the spirit stones and stepped in.
A moment later, when he walked out, he had a special talisman on him. This talisman could change a person’s aura and appearance. Although it wasn’t perfect, it was enough for Xu Qing to use on this trip.
It was noon. Although winter had arrived, the geographical location of the Seven Blood Eyes caused the winter here to be warm. The sunlight was still hot and slightly dazzling.
Under this sunlight, Xu Qing’s figure disappeared into a corner of an alley. When he came out from the other end, his appearance had changed. He was no longer delicate and handsome but a long-faced youth with a sallow complexion. The Daoist robe he wore had also been changed to an ordinary long robe.
The cultivation fluctuations on his body also changed to the third level of Qi Condensation.
He was very clear about the outside world. Most people at the ninth level of Qi Condensation had statuses and were very conspicuous. Only scavengers at the third level of Qi Condensation had a certain level of deterrence and wouldn’t attract attention.
After sensing the transformation power of the talisman, Xu Qing became vigilant of his surroundings. However, his face was expressionless as he walked toward the teleportation array.
He didn’t use his ident.i.ty token, but paid directly with the spirit stones. Not long later, Xu Qing, who was standing in the teleportation array and warily checking the surroundings, was drowned by the sea of light and disappeared.
The eastern part of the Nanhuang Continent was at least tens of thousands of kilometers away from the former Diamond Sect’s territory. This was an area with a vast land and few people.
Because a type of red dentate gra.s.s grew in this wilderness, it was known as the Red Plains.
From afar, the entire land seemed to be dyed in blood. At the same time, the anomalous substances permeating the air here were also slightly denser than in the other wildernesses in the Nanhuang Continent which resulted in the ferocious beasts here becoming even more violent and powerful.
There were naturally not many cities in this harsh environment. There might only be one within hundreds of miles. Moreover, the buildings and styles were mostly primitive and crude. The slums here were also mostly made up of scavengers.
Regardless of whether it was the terrain or the population, the Red Plains was a rather abominable place. Hence, the various families of Purple Earth didn’t fancy it, and the Seven Blood Eyes didn’t care either. Only the Litu Sect preferred to develop in such abominable areas because of their doctrines.
Hence, the Red Plains became the territory of the Litu Sect.
At the edge of the Red Plains, in the center of a crude city, the only teleportation array in the Red Plains that was jointly set up by Purple Earth and the Seven Blood Eyes shone.
A sallow-faced middle-aged cultivator in a long black robe appeared in the teleportation array.
He was none other than Xu Qing, who had used the disguise talisman to transform his appearance.
As soon as he arrived, a rotting and nauseous stench a.s.sailed his nose. If it was someone who hadn’t experienced much hardship, they would feel somewhat uncomfortable with this smell.
However, to Xu Qing, this was the norm in the place he was once in. It was just that the rotting smell here was a little stronger.
Xu Qing’s expression was calm. Under the indifferent gazes of the few lazy guards in the surroundings, he walked out of the teleportation array.
All the buildings in the city were grayish-black and dilapidated. The ground was filled with all kinds of trash and feces.
There were very few people in the city and most of them were very vigilant toward each other.
There were very few women, and they all had fierce expressions. There were also children hiding in some corners of alleys. There was no innocence in their eyes, only a dying aura and coldness.
From time to time, screams and curses rang out in the city.
“It feels more like a scavenger campsite.”
Xu Qing’s gaze swept across the surroundings as he walked forward.
On the way, Xu Qing ignored the gazes that were filled with caution and fawning. He didn’t stay long in this city either. After leaving the city, he sped toward the wilderness.
The location of the Diamond Sect’s migration was on the Red Plains. However, it was somewhat far from the city Xu Qing had teleported to.
Before coming here, Xu Qing had observed the map of this place in the Homicide Department. Now, he locked onto a direction and ran.
His speed was very fast. The wind that blew across his face carried a bone-piercing chill, and there seemed to be some snowflakes mixed in. There were even some small hills in the distance that were covered by thin snow.
While it was a warm winter in the Seven Blood Eyes, it was a cold winter here.
This coldness awakened many of the memories in Xu Qing’s mind, especially when he saw many ferocious beasts and human bones on the way.
“Chaotic world.” Xu Qing’s gaze was calm as he sped up.
Time flowed by and the night arrived. As the night chill permeated the air, the wind grew stronger and the snow became fiercer. Xu Qing, who had left the city and entered the Red Plains, suddenly stopped in his tracks and looked into the distance.
The wind blew over, bringing with it a hint of malevolence and b.l.o.o.d.y stench.
He could see corpses on the distant ground amidst the snow, along with scattered goods and shattered carriages.
This was clearly a convoy heading to the city.
There were more than ten desperadoes with tattered clothes and disheveled hair beside the corpses. Their expressions and gazes were savage and bloodthirsty. Most of them emitted fluctuations of the second or third level of Qi Condensation.
Some of them were making sure the corpses were completely dead, some were rummaging for items, and some were dragging the corpses into the distance. There were also a few who were lying on top of a few naked female corpses to vent their b.e.s.t.i.a.l nature.
Further away, there was a glow of fire and it looked like food was being cooked. There was also some lingering heat following the wind.
Clearly, this convoy had encountered a group of fugitives and died tragically.
Xu Qing’s arrival immediately aroused the vigilance of these desperadoes. They all stopped what they were doing and glared at Xu Qing.
After sensing Xu Qing’s third level of Qi Condensation cultivation, these desperadoes laughed sinisterly. Their ferocity erupted and they charged toward Xu Qing without saying a word.
They felt that Xu Qing was a prey.
Xu Qing coldly looked at these desperadoes. To him, he had seen too many ma.s.sacres since he was young.
His experience as a scavenger allowed him to know that the so-called convoys that dared to travel in the wilderness had very few good people. When they encountered the weak, they could transform into plunderers at any time.
This was how the chaotic world was. Killing and being killed were very common. He didn’t have that much sympathy to investigate who was good and who was evil.
However… since these people were attacking him, he was not going to stay still.