landbeastnovel Chapter 10 Qingyang Town
Chapter 10 Qingyang Town
Li Shoujing and Li Shouxin held the door frame tightly, their claws pounding on the wooden door with a clanging sound, and even more shockingly, the claws, carrying the two of them, reached back in.
"Just those few that slipped through are already so ferocious. Could that swordsman have already..."
The three felt a slight unease, and Li Shoujing was extremely anxious.
Qingzhen Temple prides itself on being an orthodox Taoist sect and is extremely averse to incurring karmic debts. What if that chivalrous hero died at the hands of a night owl after saving the three of them?
The consequences for the three of them were far worse than dying there.
"Master, senior brother, you stay here, I'll go out and take a look." Li Shouxin said in a deep voice, the flames in the depths of his eyes burning even more fiercely, as if a god had descended to earth.
"Let's go together, let's go together. It'll be good to have someone to look after us," Li Shoujing replied in a muffled voice.
To everyone's surprise, Li Shouxin quickly refused, glancing sideways at the two of them:
"Don't forget, my eyesight is excellent. I'm just going out to check things out; I don't think there will be any danger."
The old Taoist sighed, his forehead furrowing into a deep frown, but he said no more.
Seizing the opportunity, Li Shouxin leaped out and slipped through the window frame.
Outdoors
The carcasses of owls with ferocious faces lay scattered here, their broken wings, feathers, and beaks everywhere.
Blood mingled with wood chips, iron filings, and sand, relentlessly washing over the ground.
Rather than saying the owls were wounded by swords, it would be more accurate to say their bodies were ripped open by brute force. Blood was everywhere, staining the soil.
Even the surrounding ruins were stained with blood.
The headless owl thrashed about in the blood. Beside it, a finely forged steel blade, already dulled, was embedded in the body of another owl, pinning it to the tiled wall.
As the first light of dawn appeared in the east, the morning and evening sun illuminated his tattered clothes and his slightly tired yet unusually cold eyes.
"They fought all night long!"
"The owls here have probably all been wiped out."
Thinking this to himself, Li Shouxin mustered all his strength and took a few steps to reach Fang Hongxuan.
"I still do not know my benefactor's name..."
Looking into Li Shouxin's eyes, Fang Hongxuan felt a strange mix of irritation and closeness. He couldn't quite grasp the reason behind it.
Li Shouxin shared the same thoughts as Fang Hongxuan. Although both of them had many doubts, they also remained indifferent to the matter.
"You may simply call me Fang Hongxuan; there's no need to address me as your benefactor."
After cleaning themselves up and changing into their robes, the two returned to their resting place.
The three of them had not eaten or drunk anything, and after a fierce battle at night, they were inevitably hungry and thirsty.
Fang Hongxuan seemed to have noticed something amiss. He took out steamed buns wrapped in oil paper from his bag and distributed them to the three men. He also took the water bag off the saddle and tossed it over.
"Where does the Taoist priest intend to go on this journey?"
The old Taoist priest carefully swallowed the meat pouch, and after swallowing it all, he gulped down several mouthfuls of water before speaking.
"I originally intended to take my two disciples to Lintao County to seek refuge with the Xingyun Temple there. However, the world is in turmoil, and we have suffered many hardships along the way. We were just a hair's breadth away from meeting our patriarch."
"I've also heard that some local gentry and powerful figures in Qingyang Town are oppressing the people. If I have the chance, I must punish the wicked and promote the good, restoring peace to the people of this region."
"I wonder what Young Master Fang's plans are?"
"What a coincidence! Even a storyteller wouldn't dare to write it like this, as it's just too much of a coincidence."
The reason is simple: both He Nianwei in the past and Li Xing and his apprentice in the present are connected with Qingyang Town.
Even the second case in Fang Hongxuan's case file originated from Qingyang Town.
"Wandering the world, wielding a sword across the land."
In the end, Fang Hongxuan still did not tell the truth.
After all, although he was a demon-slaying captain, his subordinate officials and laborers were not allowed to stop him wherever he went. However, it was inconvenient for him to act secretly.
That's why the practice of burying armor and going into battle lightly equipped was adopted.
As for the four people, they were merely strangers who met by chance and might never see each other again. It wasn't appropriate for them to recount their personal affairs in detail.
"If you pass through this village and continue west for about ten miles, you will reach Qingyang Town. Daoist, we shall take our leave here."
"Take care of yourself."
"Take care of yourself."
The three men bowed respectfully to the swordsman before departing.
...
Qingyang Town was originally a western border town with distinctive Jiangnan characteristics, Qingyang City. In spring, the willows along the Ba Bridge slant, and the rain washes away the dust and smoke.
The city's pavilions and towers, nestled against the mountains and beside the water, resemble a fairyland. The people who live here are all proud of this.
However, this was thirty years ago.
In recent years, the border region has been unstable, plagued by natural disasters and man-made calamities. After many twists and turns, this seemingly impregnable city, like a dazzling firework, vanished into thin air.
Masts and oars turned to ashes
Of the once vast Qingyang City, only one main street survived, which has been transformed into the present-day Qingyang Town.
...
Fang Hongxuan sat at the table, savoring the thick porridge, occasionally picking up a few pieces of pickled vegetables to eat with the porridge.
Having not had a hot meal in a long time, Fang Hongxuan was quite impressed by the chef's superb skills.
Through the window, one can clearly see a plaque on the left side of the building in the middle of the street that reads "Qingyoufang".
Standing below the plaque was a wealthy young man dressed in brocade, with a jade ring at his waist, and two burly men dressed as servants behind him.
However, this young master had pale skin, deep-set eyes, high cheekbones, and a listless demeanor, looking like someone who had indulged in excessive sexual activity and whose body was about to collapse.
People were already gathered along the street, all of them shoemakers, vendors, and laborers.
"He gambled all night again. Even a fortune wouldn't be enough for him to squander like that. He's a complete spendthrift." The short-sleeved, rough-looking man sitting in the chair looked on with envy.
He held a bowl in one hand and chopsticks in the other. His mouth was full of thin porridge, but he didn't slack off, puffing out his cheeks and muttering.
"Shh, are you out of your mind? In this chaotic world, who in Qingyang Town doesn't know that the local constables have long since become the Liu family's lackeys? Be careful, or they might arrest you!" someone warned.
Upon hearing this, the rough-looking man looked terrified. He quickly finished the thin porridge in his bowl, then hurriedly tossed down a copper coin and left.
Liu Yiheng didn't say much. He just glanced at the rough man, and the two servants behind him grabbed the rough man from the crowd with sticks in hand.
"Young master, spare my life! I offended you with my loose tongue. I beg you to spare my life." The rough man made a move to kowtow to Liu Yiheng, but was stopped by his servant.
The thick stick was aimed at the rough man's head, and in just a moment, blood was flowing freely. The rough man was beaten and covered in wounds. He was barely breathing and would not live much longer if he did not receive timely medical treatment.
Liu Yiheng took out a money pouch from his pocket and then threw it to the burly man who was on the verge of death in front of everyone:
"I had a bad day yesterday and was holding my anger in. Giving you a good beating made me feel much better, and this is my reward."
Those around him, upon hearing this, were green with envy. Just being beaten up for a few taels of silver—it seemed like a worthwhile deal no matter how you looked at it.