Chapter 232 (5200) Yunzhou City

Instructing Li Xinyu and others to take care of the remaining students here, Tie Jingang led the elite team of Ling Xin, Lu Fei and others back along the official road.

These people are all top-notch warriors, and their movement speed is naturally not comparable to that of large troops. They have covered most of the distance before it gets dark.

"Wait..." Tie Jingang waved his hand: "There is a situation ahead."

A few people immediately hid themselves, and looking from a distance, they saw five vehicles on the official road. The carriage was approaching slowly, and there were five very burly men guarding it.

These guys are all about two meters tall and have strong builds. They hold strange weapons in their hands. However, their clothes are very strange. They seem to be wrapped directly with cloth. I would say it is rough, but the cloth looks fresh. I would say it is exquisite. There is really no tailoring design. The only characteristic is that it is tightly wrapped, and you can't even see its appearance clearly.

“It’s our carriage!” Lu Fei said excitedly.

“Go kill them and get them back!” Xiao Tian was about to take action immediately, but was stopped by Tie Jingang: “Don’t be impulsive if you don’t know the details of the other party.”

“ But they were slow enough. They only walked thirty miles in one day and one night?" Lei Tianyang said disdainfully.

"If people don't rest, horses will have to rest." Lu Fei explained: "I guess they found a place to rest for a while last night and continued walking during the day today."

"But don't you think it's strange?" Ling Xin frowned and said, "If it is true as that person said, they are bandits near Anping Town, how come they came to Shannan Town, a hundred miles away, and happened to find us? "The carriage?"

"Maybe they are here to perform a mission..." Lao Miaomiao said: "There are only a few people. They are not out to rob houses, maybe they are here to check out places near Shannan Town..."
 "No matter what the reason is, we must get our things back!" Tie Jingang whispered: "In this way, you go around to the back of them, and I will go out to negotiate from the front. If they refuse to cooperate, you will come out to surround them. Them!"

"Understood"

The people immediately dispersed along the jungle around the official road. Seeing that they were lying in wait, Tie Jin just walked out of the woods and stopped him with a big axe. At the front of the convoy.

"Friends!" Tie Jingang clasped his fists, "Did you pick up these carriages near Shannan Town? I am the owner of the carriage. Can you return them to their original owners?"

Tie Jinggang's plan was to be polite first and then attack. In this case, the other party would most likely not cooperate. When the time comes, he would announce his name and show off his hands to intimidate him. It would be best if he could solve the problem without taking action.

But who would have thought that as soon as they heard him speak, the bandits looked at each other, turned around and ran away without any hesitation, not caring about the carriage that they had worked hard to transport for a whole day.

“Huh?!” Tie Jinggang was also stunned by this scene. If nothing else, just looking at those burly figures, they didn’t look like they were easy to mess with. Why didn’t they even fart? , you can escape so easily? He was brewing up a lot of cruel words, but there was no use for them...

Not only him, but also the students who were hiding in the dark were also blinded. They walked out of the woods one by one, staring at each other with big eyes and small eyes, not knowing. What is the situation?

"I'll catch up and have a look!" Xiao Tian was very dissatisfied when he didn't get into a fight. He turned around and chased in the direction where the few people were escaping. Tie Jingang hurriedly asked Lu Fei to stop him: "Be careful, it's a trap for the enemy..." 
But as soon as he finished speaking, Xiao Tian came back, holding a piece of burnt rag in his hand...

"The person disappeared, no trace could be found, it was not far away. I found such a piece everywhere." Xiao Tian frowned: "If I hadn't rescued it in time, this piece would have been burned."

"What is this?" Several people looked at it and seemed to be confused with it. The cloths on the bandits were all the same, and apart from the burnt smell, there was also a faint smell of rancidity.

“Those bandits are probably zombies, right?” Lu Fei frowned. "Is it a conspiracy of the original virus?"

"No..." Tie Jingang shook his head: "The zombies were born last night, and the smell should be the smell of rotting fresh meat. But this smell is not that disgusting, more like a long-dead mummy... ..."

"By the way, there is another strange thing!" Xiao Tian said: "When I caught up, I saw the flames burning on the rag, it was black!"

"Black flames?" Several people were stunned: "How can there be black flames? Are you dazzled?"

"Am I dazzled?" Xiao Tian grinned: "Except Professor Song, who dares to You say you have better eyesight than me, believe it or not!”

“Aren’t you most famous for your good nose?” Lao Miaomiao sneered: “Xiao Tian?”

"If you want to fight, just say so!" Xiao Tian glared at him: "The account for the sneak attack on me this morning has not yet been settled. I will not show mercy just because you are a woman!"

"Okay, don't argue. "

Tie Jingang stopped the quarrel between the two: "Everyone, check if there is anything wrong with the carriage and the goods. Pay attention to the extreme pressure and be careful of possible traps... This matter There is indeed something fishy, so everyone must be alert and take precautions.”

Everyone immediately followed the instructions and unloaded the goods from the carriage together, checking them from the inside out, but found nothing. What's the problem...

This is strange. Could it be that I am really overthinking?

Tie Jingang frowned, but seeing the sky getting dark, he still directed a few people to reload the carriage.

Although he was still a little concerned about the situation in Shannan Town, in order to avoid causing trouble, Tie Jingang did not continue going north. From the current point of view, everything that man said is correct. The virogen should have been eliminated...

And without the powerful virogen, even if there are a few zombies left, this kind of A slow monster that can only rely on scratching and biting has no contagious power in a world like [Martial Arts] with a vast land, sparse population, and strong folk customs.

It is better to rush to Yunzhou as soon as possible, contact the sect, and discuss the follow-up treatment...

While it was not dark yet, a few people drove the carriage along the official road. The road goes south.

Only Ling Xin looked at the burned rag Xiao Tian threw on the ground and fell into deep thought.

“Mummy…Black Fire…”

…………

To make a long story short, a few people drove the carriage, and the speed was much slower. Everyone is a master, and their endurance is amazing, but the horse still needs to rest. It stops and goes all the way, and it is not until the afternoon of the next day that we return to Anping Town.

Everyone was surprised to see that the carriage and cargo were not damaged at all. With the financial support, there is no need to stay in an inn tonight. Everyone moved to an inn in the town. Although there are still a few people in one room, at least it is much more comfortable to sleep than in a crowded Datong bunkhouse...

Tie Jingang went to the inn again and found a reply from the sect. The general content was that they were aware of the situation and asked them to continue their mission and not worry about Shannan Town.

Compared with ordinary Jianghu sects, Bainamen from the main world must be more aware of the dangers of the eternal virus. If the sect said that they should continue their mission, they should have a way to deal with it...

Of course, the information that homing pigeons can carry is still limited. We will wait until we arrive in Yunzhou to discuss the specific situation.

"When can I take a shower... I feel like I stink..." In the inn, the students who had just improved their living conditions began to "extend themselves" again.

“Oh, just bear with it. After all, this is the [Martial Arts] world. There is no running water. If you want to take a bath, you have to go to a big town.”

"Yes, our next stop is Yunzhou, which is the largest town in the southwest of the Central Plains! Last time I went there, it was very prosperous, just like the towns seen in costume dramas! There is also a branch of our sect!" 
The experienced seniors painted cakes for the junior students who had just arrived. Everyone fell asleep with their longing for the future.

…………

Early the next morning, the escort team set off from Anping Town. After several days of trekking, they finally arrived at the boundary of Yunzhou.

Yunzhou City is the largest city in the southwest of the Central Plains in the [Martial Arts] world. It covers an area of nearly a thousand hectares and has a population of more than 500,000. Going south from here, there are endless stretches of Shiwan Mountain, going straight to the Zhongzhou Mountains in the north, and adjoining the Western Plateau in the west. The special geographical location has resulted in a mixture of cultures from the Central Plains, southern Xinjiang, and highlands. It is a prosperous city where many ethnic groups live together. "Wow, what a high wall!"

Seeing Yunzhou City from a distance, the students marveled.

“[Martial Arts] martial arts practice is prevalent, and even the physical strength of the people is stronger than that in the main world, so the scale of the towns and buildings here is larger than that in the ancient times of the main world.” Li Xinyu said Along the way, he is nominally the senior brother of the students, but in fact he plays more of a guide role.

“The city wall here is more than ten feet high. At the narrowest point on the top of the wall, seven or eight horses can ride parallel. Not to mention the siege rams and trebuchets, even the cannons may not be able to blast them open.” 
“But even so, it cannot stop the martial arts masters who come and go.” Deng Qian said with a smile: “There are many ethnic minorities in Yunzhou City, and there are also many unique sects stationed in it. You have to be careful in your actions. If you violate other people's taboos, you may get into trouble. ”

"Don't worry, senior sister." Zhao Jian said with a smile: "Aren't we just staying here for one night? We are still at the headquarters of our sect. What trouble can happen."

"It's not just one night." Tie Jingang said. : "We may have to stay here for two more days."

"Huh?" The students were puzzled: "Why."

"Although I reported to the sect through carrier pigeons before, I received the letter, but I couldn’t write it in too much detail.” Tie Jingang explained: “When you get to Yunzhou City, you can contact the sect through the branch and report the specific situation. In addition, there are various forces in Yunzhou City, and the martial arts sects are intertwined. It is also convenient for us to inquire about the follow-up information of the Shannan Town incident. We will need to discuss it with the sect, which may take some time."

"But we have been delayed for two days in Anping Town..." Lu Fei said worriedly. "There are only nine days left before the birthday of Master Yao Wang Valley. The sect requires us to arrive three days in advance. There is still almost three hundred miles to go. If we delay here for another two days, time will be a bit tight."

Tie Jingang nodded: "So for the last three hundred miles, we have to speed up the march."

"Even if we can speed up, the horses can't." Some students questioned: "The horses pull the cart. , The distance we can walk every day is fixed, and our efforts alone won’t do much.”

“Who said we have to rely on horses?” Tiejingang looked at them.

“Huh?” The students looked confused.

“So take advantage of these few days to have a good rest and recharge your batteries!”

.........

The large army approached the gate of Yunzhou City, but they did not rush into the city. Instead, they released the paper cranes first and waited for a while.

At the city gate, you can see officers and soldiers checking the common people and merchants entering the city, and they have to pay taxes according to the goods they carry.

[Martial Arts] The imperial court in the world is weak. In ordinary villages and towns, the nearby sects are local snakes and often speak better than the government. But such a big city was still in the hands of the imperial court.

In Yunzhou City, dozens of martial arts sects of various sizes are stationed, but most of them are branches, similar to offices. A sect usually only has about ten people, who are responsible for inquiring about information and recruiting disciples. , and other tasks such as answering fellow students who are passing by. There are more than 30,000 imperial troops stationed here, and there are several acropolis nearby with heavy troops stationed there. After all, it is close to the border, and the troops arranged by the imperial court here are all elite soldiers. Their individual abilities are not as good as those of martial arts masters, but forming a military formation is enough to intimidate all local sects.

Therefore, here, people in the world of martial arts behave in a low-key manner, and all taxes paid on the transaction must be paid honestly.

Of course, the premise is that there is no relationship.

Not long after, a middle-aged man with a goatee walked out of the city. He looked at Li Xinyu from a distance, nodded, and then greeted the guard guarding the door with a smile. He seemed to be very familiar with him. Soon, he found the officer and pulled him aside with a smile. After a while, the two walked out arm-in-arm. The goatee pointed at the people of Bainamen. The officer smiled and nodded, waving to them. .

“Done!” Li Xinyu smiled, leading everyone and driving towards the city gate.

The officer came up and picked up the goods on the cart with his scabbard. He turned to the guard responsible for recording and said: "Remember, they are all dry food and fodder. The cart drivers are also poor farmers, thirty or forty people. , pay tax of two hundred cents..."

"Thank you, Master Jun!" Li Xinyu took out two small bunches of copper coins and handed them over, and the group passed the customs smoothly.

"These are the new disciples of the sect, right?" Walking on the street of Yunzhou City, the goatee smiled and said: "My name is Hou Song, I am the person in charge of Baina Sect in Yunzhou City. You guys Just call me Master Hou.”

The students all called him Master Hou. Song Shan introduced: “This Master Hou has lived in Yunzhou City for fifteen or six years. Except for visiting relatives in his hometown, he basically lives here. He is very familiar with the local situation.”

Going back to his hometown to visit relatives is a code word, which refers to returning to the main world for purification. Yunzhou City is several hundred miles away from the headquarters of Bainamen. With the strength of a practitioner of Ningxinjing, he can go back and forth in a few days. Basically, he goes back every two to three months, and he can come back clean in about a month. Calculating this, Hou Songchun's time in Yunzhou City was also ten years longer.

“Then Master Hou must be very experienced.”

"Where, where..." Hou Song said with a smile: "After all, we are here at this age, and we still have a lot of friends."

Speaking of this, he whispered: "Your car is full of congratulatory gifts, and there are many in them. If they were asked to make a detailed inventory of the precious medicinal materials and materials and pay taxes according to regulations, they would definitely not be able to pay for it without a few hundred taels. I just gave the guard twenty taels of silver to solve the problem, which saved a lot. Otherwise, the headquarters would have lost a lot of money. It’s not enough.”

While talking, a wedding team from southern Xinjiang happened to pass by. The bride had bright eyes and white teeth, and was very beautiful. She was wearing clothes with complicated patterns and all kinds of exquisite silver. The utensils jingled as the sedan chair swayed, but her expression was a bit solemn, not as happy as if she was getting married. However, the accompanying team of bridesmaids all smiled brightly, were pretty and pretty, and looked very good-looking.

Among the students, the boys looked at him with open eyes, and the girls were full of envy.

Hou Song's face changed slightly, and he hurriedly warned everyone to get out of the way. When the team passed by, he also made a strange move and shouted something in an unintelligible language to the team.

The southern Xinjiang people in the team were very happy to hear this, and even the bride with a peaceful face turned her head and took another look at him.

"Southern Xinjiang people have many rules for welcoming brides. If you block their way, there may be conflicts." After the team had gone far, Hou Songcai warned: "There are many ethnic groups living together in Yunzhou City, and there are many rules. If you don’t do it in a grand manner, you will be in trouble if you violate other people’s taboos.”

“But the brides from southern Xinjiang are so beautiful.” A girl said with envy: “They can dress so beautifully when they get married. "?"

"Ordinary people definitely don't have the financial resources." Hou Song explained: "Looking at this size, it should be a wealthy family... Maybe Wu Jida has another wife."
 "Who is Uquida?" the students asked curiously.

"An old bastard... no wonder the bride is unhappy after marrying him..." When he mentioned him, Hou Song curled his lips with a very disdainful expression, and then immediately fell silent: "Shh, this is the southern border. Don't say unnecessary words, you can easily get into trouble. "

You said it yourself... The students were speechless and turned to look at the surrounding buildings. They were all made of bamboo and wood and were built on the river. By the waterside, buildings are suspended outside the river embankment, layer upon layer.

“This generation is inhabited by people from southern Xinjiang.” Hou Song continued to introduce: “Although they are thin and slim, they live in the deep mountains and jungles all year round, with poisonous insects and wild beasts, and their folk customs are quite tough. , and they are also proficient in the art of poisonous poison. If you are in the city, try not to come near this place." Not far into the area, we came across a building made of stone with mainly red and white walls. You can see some complicated decorative patterns on it, and you can often see some high tower altars with religious characteristics.

"This is the living area of the highlanders..." Hou Song introduced: "They attach great importance to religion and must obey the teachings of "Ming Wu Tian" everywhere in their lives. Most of the highlanders are quite kind. , but the prerequisite is not to offend their religious taboos...especially not to offend their monks. These monks are the highest status among the highlanders and are their spiritual leaders...Well, there is one over there!"

Following the direction indicated by Hou Song, everyone saw a dark-skinned and red-skinned monk wearing a robe and clasping his palms together under a high tower, giving a sermon. Many highlanders were kneeling below, all of them tall and tall. , has a strong physique and is not easy to mess with at first glance, but in front of the monks, he is as submissive as a child.

"What a diverse city..." the students sighed: "It must be interesting to live here."

"It was still very fresh when I first came here." Hou Song He smiled and said: "But after living for a long time, I still feel that my hometown is convenient... But there is no way, someone has to work here..."

While talking, the team has arrived at the urban area dominated by people from the Central Plains. After a while, I came to a large courtyard. There was a plaque on the door with the three characters "Bainamen" written on it.

“Here we are, here is the sect’s office in Yunzhou!” Hou Song walked in first: “Here, come out and help carry the luggage!”

…………

(End of this chapter)