novelaction Chapter 192 Banditry in Linyun County
Chapter 192 Banditry in Linyun County
A thin layer of mist rose from the river in the early morning. Xue Tong, with a steamed bun in her mouth, ignored the strange looks from the people around her and came to the Qinglin River with Xue Lan.
The passenger ship that Qin Liu had mentioned the day before was indeed moored on the riverbank, its indigo sails not yet unfurled, making the entire ship resemble a lurking beast.
On this "beast," people have already been traveling up and down, carrying their bags, ready to embark on a journey of thousands of miles.
Xue Tong spotted Qin Liu as soon as she reached the side of the boat.
It wasn't that she was deliberately searching; it was just that Qin Liu's physique was too eye-catching. He was currently directing something on the ship, with an elderly man standing next to him who only reached his shoulder.
Qin Liu spotted the two in the crowd and grinned at them.
When Xue Lan arrived at the ticket booth, she paid the money. The middle-aged man selling tickets gave Xue Lan two small iron pendants, which looked like scales and had a black sheen on them.
It looks like something from a long time ago.
There weren't many people buying tickets yet, and the middle-aged man seemed quite relaxed. Seeing Xue Lan staring intently at the iron weight, he spoke:
“It’s normal that the girl is from out of town and has never seen this pendant before.”
Xue Lan looked down at him: "How did this gentleman know I'm from out of town?"
The middle-aged man pointed to the large ship behind him: "This passenger ship is specially prepared for people from other places. There are constables from Qinglin City on board to escort them all the way, so it's safer!"
Xue Lan looked at the middle-aged man. Although he was dressed like a scholar, his body was filled with a bloodthirsty aura and a murderous aura, so he must also be a member of the government.
"Thank you all for your trouble!" Xue Lan bowed slowly to the middle-aged man in front of her.
"Young lady, you're too polite!" The middle-aged man waved his hand at Xue Lan, "This little pendant in your hand is a symbol of the River Goddess, keep it safe!"
Xue Lan finally understood. The local chronicles she had read before did indeed record that the river god of Qinglin River was a black carp that had cultivated for a thousand years and was only one step away from transforming into a dragon.
The middle-aged man looked at Xue Lan with a sudden realization and smiled kindly.
The girl in front of me didn't look like she came from a poor family, but she had no arrogance whatsoever, and her voice was always gentle and soothing, making her impossible to dislike.
Thinking of this, the middle-aged man said one more thing to Xue Lan.
He pointed to Xue Tong, who was not far from Xue Lan: "Miss, although there are guards from the government on the ship, you still need to keep an eye on your younger sister."
Xue Lan nodded, bowed to the middle-aged man again, and then boarded the ship.
Qin Liu stood on the deck, feeling somewhat uneasy ever since he saw the two young women. Now that he saw them board the ship, he kept glancing at the old man beside him.
The old man was dressed in a neat gray martial arts uniform, with a short beard, and his murderous aura and bloodlust were even greater than Qin Liu's.
After boarding the ship, Xue Lan only glanced at it before shaking her head.
"I never imagined that coming to Qinglin City would really get me into trouble with the constables!"
The person in front of me is clearly of a high rank.
The girl whispered her complaints to Xue Tong, having just finished eating her steamed bun. Hearing this, she looked at Xue Lan and retorted, "Did you do something wrong?"
Xue Lan shook her head.
"Then what are you afraid of?" Xue Tong asked dismissively.
A few moments later, Xue Lan looked at Xue Tong hiding behind her, somewhat speechless: "What are you afraid of?"
Xue Tong said in a low voice, "I did something wrong!"
Xue Lan couldn't help but slap her: "You're such a coward!"
Xue Tong ignored Xue Lan; no matter what Xue Lan said, she wouldn't go out from behind her.
The girl had no choice but to deal with the person opposite her first.
"Xue Lan greets both lords!"
The girl bowed to the old man in front of her, then looked into his incredibly sharp eyes.
The old man glanced at Xue Lan and said gently, "From what he said, the two young ladies are heading to the Great Li Dynasty?"
Xue Lan never expected that this old constable, who was surrounded by a murderous aura, would speak in such a gentle tone.
Like an ancient, unchanging rock in the mountains, heavy and profound.
"Your Excellency, Xue Lan and my younger sister have been sent by their elders to Dali Chaolinyun County."
Upon hearing the words "Linyun County," Xue Lan noticed that the expressions of the two people opposite her suddenly became somewhat unnatural.
He seemed to be... hesitant to speak.
After a brief silence, the old constable spoke: "Miss Xue, I was deeply inspired by what Qin Liu said yesterday. Today, I would like to offer my advice again. In recent years, the officialdom of the Great Li Dynasty has been corrupt, and there are many cases of forced labor and mutilation. The most rampant of these is in Linyun County..."
For the next fifteen minutes, the old constable explained in detail to Xue Lan the current situation in Linyun County. Linyun County was located at the border of Da Shun and Da Li, backed by Shengding Mountain, a place of high mountains and dense forests, extremely dangerous. The human traffickers being hunted by the government were hiding there. Therefore, it was extremely dangerous for a weak woman like Xue Lan.
Xue Lan couldn't help but ask, "Doesn't the government of the Great Ceremony care?"
The old constable sighed: "At the end of last year, a group of slave traders mixed with bandits were driven to Linyun County and have not come out yet. The government sent people to arrest them, but to no avail. Young lady, I'll stop here."
After finishing his speech, the old constable disembarked, clearly indicating he wouldn't be participating in the escort mission. Qin Liu then went to do his own thing.
Xue Tong had been eavesdropping behind Xue Lan, and only after everyone else had left did she slowly peek out and complain, "Your master isn't very loyal, he just sent you straight to the bandit's den."
Xue Lan was somewhat speechless: "It's not the first time."
Is there anyone in this world more terrifying than Grandmaster Qingyin?
Xue Lan prepared to respond to each move, and Xue Tong couldn't object any longer, so she started to change the subject: "You've been away for so long, are you really not going to care about the affairs of the cultivation world?"
Upon hearing this, Xue Lan shook her head: "No, no, no, I have eyes in all directions and ears in all directions. Right now, there is a matter concerning Lian Chuan's Core Formation that needs to be resolved."
Xue Tong became interested: "What is it?"
"When the Silver Moon Wolf forms its core, it must rely on the Pure Ice Lotus nurtured in the Ice Flower Pool of the Northern Region."
"I've been struggling with how to get Lian Chuan to form his Core Formation. Now I have a perfect opportunity!"
Xue Tong was quite curious about this excellent opportunity for Xue Lan not to be killed by Jin Guang, and her eyes sparkled.
Xue Lan wouldn't keep the young girl in suspense for long: "Do you still remember Xue Chongyu?"
Xue Tong nodded: "Your kin are in the Wan Gong Fang secret realm."
“She’s looking for me now because of the sword strike she used against Fuyang City’s inner demons. I plan to turn the tables and send Lianchuan back.”
After the girl finished speaking, she walked down the deck, leaving Xue Tong alone in the same spot.
After a long while, Xue Tong finally caught up with Xue Lan: "I always thought you would get him a Pure Ice Lotus."
Xue Lan turned to look at her: "Even if I could get her the Pure Ice Lotus, I wouldn't be able to keep an eye on her cultivation afterward."
The girl's voice was tinged with melancholy: "It's just that I'm about to give away my junior brother, whom I've raised for so many years..."
The sun had already risen, and the river surface shimmered.
As more and more people rushed to catch the boat, the overwhelming noise broke off Xue Lan's voice, and the melancholy in it seemed to be Xue Tong's illusion, falling apart in an instant.
Perhaps this is how it should be; Xue Lan's decisions are always right.
We can leave Cui Wu in Fuyang City, send Ji Jinjin and Zhu He to the battlefield, and now we can send Lian Chuan back to the Upper Realm.
However, Xue Tong always felt that Xue Lan was too lonely under such extreme rationality.