As the wheels clattered on the flagstones, Ren Baqian sat in the oxcart to observe the buildings and people on both sides of the road .

It was an unfamiliar environment, and he felt as if he was on a holiday .

The buildings in Longshou City were mostly built out of wood or pillars .

The buildings were dilapidated, and it became worse as they approached the city gate .

Many children were wearing old clothes while baring their b.u.t.tocks and running around . There were also a few of them who were biting their dirty fingernails while they looked at Ren Baqian .

No matter where they were, rich or poor, children were always full of energy .

It was easier to learn more by looking at the faces of adults .

By taking a brief look, Ren Baqian felt that the situation among the commoners was not too good . This was reflected in the way they dressed and the expressions they had .

They wore old clothes, gave the impression of being numb, and seldom smiled .

The buildings further inside the city were much better and more houses were decorated with flowers and plants .

"Yuelai Inn?" Ren Baqian first saw the sign board with the big word "Guest" written on it, before seeing the name of the hotel when he got closer to it .

It was worthy of being the largest hotel chain in this world for establis.h.i.+ng itself in a place like Dayao that was beyond its home territory .

"Boss, two main rooms please," Ren Baqian shouted as he entered the courtyard . It was depicted on TV this way .

"What do you mean by main rooms?" The lady at the counter raised her head and asked with a regional accent from the northeast . Although her forehead was slightly big, she was quite pretty with curved eyebrows, almond-shaped eyes, and was about 30 years old . She was charming and a wheeler-dealer .

"Main rooms… the best rooms that you have . " Ren Baqian felt downcast because he had gotten off on the wrong foot .

"Niu Er, two first-cla.s.s rooms," the lady boss bellowed . After that, she smiled at Ren Baqian and continued, "You speak in a strange and interesting way . Are you from somewhere far away?"

"Oh, I am from the Yun Nation . " Ren Baqian nodded . This was supposed to be his ident.i.ty at this time .

He and Lin Qiaole didn't look like the remnant citizens of the Hao Nation and appeared more like the people from the Yun Nation or Great Xia .

"Is the war still going on? How was the journey here?" the lady boss asked .

"It's still ongoing . The journey was tough and strenuous . I have to bring in my cow carriage to the courtyard . " Ren Baqian spat out his words and went out to bring in the cow carriage .

The lady boss leaned against the doorway as she watched Ren Baqian's movements . Her eyes flashed with suspicion when she saw the way Ren Baqian tied up the fork-horned cow in the stables .

The way he tied the rope wasn't like that of the Yun Nation people, but more like an aboriginal .

People from the Yun Nation preferred to tie Qingyun knots, while the aboriginals liked to tie three ring knots .

Ren Baqian watched the guards tying their horses to trees every day and naturally followed the same style as them without questioning it .

By the time Ren Baqian raised his head to look at her, she was smiling again .

"Have we arrived?" Lin Qiaole groaned as Ren Baqian pulled the curtain . She slowly crawled out like a snake .

After waiting for her to come out and taking his box with him, the two followed the innkeeper to their adjoining rooms on the second level .

As they went upstairs, the lady boss languidly asked, "Did you leave anything behind in the carriage? We will not be responsible if anything is stolen . "

"No . "

"You guests have brought very little luggage . "

The rooms were rather clean .

After all, this was Longshou City, the first city on the road after entering Tianjing Basin . There were many merchants entering and leaving daily . This inn was already considered decent .

"Let's go out for a walk . " Ren Baqian gave a kick to Lin Qiaole, who had jumped into bed the moment she entered the room .

"Hey…"

Ren Baqian expressionlessly took out a lollipop, waved it in front of her, then threw it toward the doorway . Lin Qiaole appeared there like a gust of wind .

Indeed, candy was not a panacea for everything, but not having it wasn't acceptable either .

Subsequently, Ren Baqian opened the box to take out a grenade which he put into his waist pouch . He had heard that there were quite a few pickpockets around .

The two of them left the room after the box was locked .

"Lady boss, do not let anyone enter our room," Ren Baqian said .

"Don't worry, I will break their limbs if they enter . "

Not long after Ren Baqian left, the lady boss ambled upstairs, opened the door, and entered the room . She took out a thin wire to pick the lock and opened the box to discover some bullets, a dozen grenades, a rifle, some books, and a bag of loose silver pieces .

First, she flipped through the pages of a book, but she found the letters unrecognizable .

Next, she looked carefully at the grenades and bullets before locking the box again .

…

With his hands clasped behind his back, Ren Baqian led Lin Qiaole in the direction of the city center while looking at the shops on both sides of the street .

There were various shops selling all types of clothes, salt, medicine, and rice as well as several tailor shops . Whatever was needed was available, and the place looked very busy with people going in and out of the shops .

After standing there and observing for a while, Ren Baqian found out who the people were that patronized these shops .

Many of the people who went in and came out had one or more bags and loaded their baggage in hand carts or on bamboo shoulder poles before leaving . They didn't look like ordinary civilians, but instead appeared to be small traders from other cities .

They bought what they needed at low prices and then resold these goods at the countryside and in small towns .

After walking for a short distance, their noses were inundated with a fragrant smell . They followed the smell and came across someone using a stove to roast a fruit bigger than a lychee . The fruit cracked after being roasted for a while and emitted a refres.h.i.+ng fragrance .

"How much are these fruits sold for?" Ren Baqian asked .

"One copper coin for three . "

When Ren Baqian turned to look at Lin Qiaole, she was drooling with her saliva dripping along the neckline of her clothes .

"Give me 30 pieces . " Ren Baqian threw a loose silver piece across .

The rind was very hot, and the cracks in it revealed the golden flesh .

It tasted like coconut, was slightly chewy, and was rather tasty .

This was followed by Lin Qiaole carrying bags of snacks and eating nonstop .

"Move aside, move aside…!" The clatter of horse hooves was heard before a few men wearing long gowns and riding dwarf horses were seen galloping down the streets and causing a disturbance .

"Who are these people?" Ren Baqian asked a stallholder on the roadside .

"Are you a guest from afar? These people are from the Nine Blades Sect . Don't provoke them and you will be fine . " The stallholder smiled .

"They are allowed to gallop around the city with impunity?" Ren Baqian asked .

"Be careful with your words! They are quite powerful here . If they hear you, you can get into trouble," that stallholder rapidly said .

"They are so overbearing? I didn't say anything . I'm just asking why no one is in control of the situation . " Ren Baqian raised his eyebrows and casually threw some silver pieces to the stallholder . "Please explain to clarify my doubts . We foreigners should understand the situation in order not to offend the wrong people . "

The stallholder looked around before saying softly, "Guests like you will get to know this place after staying for a period of time . The city guards are mostly members of the Nine Blades Sect, and many of the public order bureau officials are also their members . As long as there are no major problems, n.o.body will intervene . "

Ren Baqian threw some more loose silver pieces across because he had surprisingly obtained a lot more information from the stallholder . The most powerful force within Longshou City was unexpectedly not the chief of the 5,000 strong city guard, but a sect called the Golden Ring Residence . It was the biggest sect not only in Longshou City, but in this region that included Jici City and San Yuanli City .

Of course, this Golden Ring Residence was only the most powerful in the region .

Additionally, Longshou City was actually one of the three most powerful forces in the basin .

Therefore, even though this Golden Ring Residence was more powerful than the warlord of Longshou City in this area, they didn't dare to provoke him .

Of course, the warlord of Longshou City didn't dare to provoke them either since the Golden Ring Residence was not just a mere sect .

Beside these two factions, there were also two others small sects; one was the Nine Blades Sect, while the other was the Jiangliu Sect .

In addition, there was a local gang called the Death Toad Sect . It controlled a group of local ruffians and petty thieves and didn't have much power . In any case, the warlord of Longshou City wouldn't have tolerated them if they grew too big .

According to the stallholder, outsiders shouldn't provoke even the Death Toad Sect .

It was safety first when outside, and harmony was the most important . Be humble regardless of who you met because there was no need to court trouble .

Ren Baqian thanked the stallholder for his kindness and got Lin Qiaole to continue moving forward .

He had a rough idea of the power distribution in Longshou City and didn't expect such a small city to have so many factions . Compared to the aboriginal regions, it was much more chaotic .

"Hey, your wallet has been stolen," Lin Qiaole said incoherently as she ate the fruit in her hand .

Ren Baqian felt for his waist pouch only to discover that it was really gone .

"Do you want me to s.n.a.t.c.h it back? Five lollipops . " Lin Qiaole's eyes sparkled

"There's no need . " Ren Baqian laughed .

He expected to hear an explosion after a while .

In the hands of someone who didn't know better, it was almost certain that they would pull out the pin from the grenade .

In the time it took to drink two cups of tea, the pair heard an explosion from another direction in the distance while they were walking forward .

Ren Baqian took a look in that direction, then continued to look for a place to have his dinner . It was as if nothing had happened .

. . . . As the wheels clattered on the flagstones, Ren Baqian sat in the oxcart to observe the buildings and people on both sides of the road . It was an unfamiliar environment, and he felt as if he was on a holiday . The buildings in Longshou City were mostly built out of wood or pillars . The buildings were dilapidated, and it became worse as they approached the city gate . Many children were wearing old clothes while baring their b.u.t.tocks and running around . There were also a few of them who were biting their dirty fingernails while they looked at Ren Baqian . No matter where they were, rich or poor, children were always full of energy . It was easier to learn more by looking at the faces of adults . By taking a brief look, Ren Baqian felt that the situation among the commoners was not too good . This was reflected in the way they dressed and the expressions they had . They wore old clothes, gave the impression of being numb, and seldom smiled . The buildings further inside the city were much better and more houses were decorated with flowers and plants . Yuelai Inn? Ren Baqian first saw the sign board with the big word Guest written on it, before seeing the name of the hotel when he got closer to it . It was worthy of being the largest hotel chain in this world for establis.h.i.+ng itself in a place like Dayao that was beyond its home territory . Boss, two main rooms please, Ren Baqian shouted as he entered the courtyard . It was depicted on TV this way . What do you mean by main rooms? The lady at the counter raised her head and asked with a regional accent from the northeast . Although her forehead was slightly big, she was quite pretty with curved eyebrows, almond-shaped eyes, and was about 30 years old . She was charming and a wheeler-dealer . Main rooms… the best rooms that you have . Ren Baqian felt downcast because he had gotten off on the wrong foot . Niu Er, two first-cla.s.s rooms, the lady boss bellowed . After that, she smiled at Ren Baqian and continued, You speak in a strange and interesting way . Are you from somewhere far away? . . Oh, I am from the Yun Nation . Ren Baqian nodded . This was supposed to be his ident.i.ty at this time . He and Lin Qiaole didnt look like the remnant citizens of the Hao Nation and appeared more like the people from the Yun Nation or Great Xia . Is the war still going on? How was the journey here? the lady boss asked . Its still ongoing . The journey was tough and strenuous . I have to bring in my cow carriage to the courtyard . Ren Baqian spat out his words and went out to bring in the cow carriage . The lady boss leaned against the doorway as she watched Ren Baqians movements . Her eyes flashed with suspicion when she saw the way Ren Baqian tied up the fork-horned cow in the stables . The way he tied the rope wasnt like that of the Yun Nation people, but more like an aboriginal . People from the Yun Nation preferred to tie Qingyun knots, while the aboriginals liked to tie three ring knots . Ren Baqian watched the guards tying their horses to trees every day and naturally followed the same style as them without questioning it . By the time Ren Baqian raised his head to look at her, she was smiling again . Have we arrived? Lin Qiaole groaned as Ren Baqian pulled the curtain . She slowly crawled out like a snake . After waiting for her to come out and taking his box with him, the two followed the innkeeper to their adjoining rooms on the second level . As they went upstairs, the lady boss languidly asked, Did you leave anything behind in the carriage? We will not be responsible if anything is stolen . No . You guests have brought very little luggage . The rooms were rather clean . After all, this was Longshou City, the first city on the road after entering Tianjing Basin . There were many merchants entering and leaving daily . This inn was already considered decent . Lets go out for a walk . Ren Baqian gave a kick to Lin Qiaole, who had jumped into bed the moment she entered the room . . . Hey… Ren Baqian expressionlessly took out a lollipop, waved it in front of her, then threw it toward the doorway . Lin Qiaole appeared there like a gust of wind . Indeed, candy was not a panacea for everything, but not having it wasnt acceptable either . Subsequently, Ren Baqian opened the box to take out a grenade which he put into his waist pouch . He had heard that there were quite a few pickpockets around . The two of them left the room after the box was locked . Lady boss, do not let anyone enter our room, Ren Baqian said . Dont worry, I will break their limbs if they enter . Not long after Ren Baqian left, the lady boss ambled upstairs, opened the door, and entered the room . She took out a thin wire to pick the lock and opened the box to discover some bullets, a dozen grenades, a rifle, some books, and a bag of loose silver pieces . First, she flipped through the pages of a book, but she found the letters unrecognizable . Next, she looked carefully at the grenades and bullets before locking the box again . … With his hands clasped behind his back, Ren Baqian led Lin Qiaole in the direction of the city center while looking at the shops on both sides of the street . There were various shops selling all types of clothes, salt, medicine, and rice as well as several tailor shops . Whatever was needed was available, and the place looked very busy with people going in and out of the shops . After standing there and observing for a while, Ren Baqian found out who the people were that patronized these shops . Many of the people who went in and came out had one or more bags and loaded their baggage in hand carts or on bamboo shoulder poles before leaving . They didnt look like ordinary civilians, but instead appeared to be small traders from other cities . They bought what they needed at low prices and then resold these goods at the countryside and in small towns . After walking for a short distance, their noses were inundated with a fragrant smell . They followed the smell and came across someone using a stove to roast a fruit bigger than a lychee . The fruit cracked after being roasted for a while and emitted a refres.h.i.+ng fragrance . How much are these fruits sold for? Ren Baqian asked . One copper coin for three . When Ren Baqian turned to look at Lin Qiaole, she was drooling with her saliva dripping along the neckline of her clothes . Give me 30 pieces . Ren Baqian threw a loose silver piece across . The rind was very hot, and the cracks in it revealed the golden flesh . It tasted like coconut, was slightly chewy, and was rather tasty . This was followed by Lin Qiaole carrying bags of snacks and eating nonstop . Move aside, move aside…! The clatter of horse hooves was heard before a few men wearing long gowns and riding dwarf horses were seen galloping down the streets and causing a disturbance . Who are these people? Ren Baqian asked a stallholder on the roadside . Are you a guest from afar? These people are from the Nine Blades Sect . Dont provoke them and you will be fine . The stallholder smiled . They are allowed to gallop around the city with impunity? Ren Baqian asked . Be careful with your words! They are quite powerful here . If they hear you, you can get into trouble, that stallholder rapidly said . They are so overbearing? I didnt say anything . Im just asking why no one is in control of the situation . Ren Baqian raised his eyebrows and casually threw some silver pieces to the stallholder . Please explain to clarify my doubts . We foreigners should understand the situation in order not to offend the wrong people . The stallholder looked around before saying softly, Guests like you will get to know this place after staying for a period of time . The city guards are mostly members of the Nine Blades Sect, and many of the public order bureau officials are also their members . As long as there are no major problems, n.o.body will intervene . Ren Baqian threw some more loose silver pieces across because he had surprisingly obtained a lot more information from the stallholder . The most powerful force within Longshou City was unexpectedly not the chief of the 5,000 strong city guard, but a sect called the Golden Ring Residence . It was the biggest sect not only in Longshou City, but in this region that included Jici City and San Yuanli City . Of course, this Golden Ring Residence was only the most powerful in the region . Additionally, Longshou City was actually one of the three most powerful forces in the basin . Therefore, even though this Golden Ring Residence was more powerful than the warlord of Longshou City in this area, they didnt dare to provoke him . Of course, the warlord of Longshou City didnt dare to provoke them either since the Golden Ring Residence was not just a mere sect . Beside these two factions, there were also two others small sects; one was the Nine Blades Sect, while the other was the Jiangliu Sect . In addition, there was a local gang called the Death Toad Sect . It controlled a group of local ruffians and petty thieves and didnt have much power . In any case, the warlord of Longshou City wouldnt have tolerated them if they grew too big . According to the stallholder, outsiders shouldnt provoke even the Death Toad Sect . It was safety first when outside, and harmony was the most important . Be humble regardless of who you met because there was no need to court trouble . Ren Baqian thanked the stallholder for his kindness and got Lin Qiaole to continue moving forward . He had a rough idea of the power distribution in Longshou City and didnt expect such a small city to have so many factions . Compared to the aboriginal regions, it was much more chaotic . Hey, your wallet has been stolen, Lin Qiaole said incoherently as she ate the fruit in her hand . Ren Baqian felt for his waist pouch only to discover that it was really gone . Do you want me to s.n.a.t.c.h it back? Five lollipops . Lin Qiaoles eyes sparkled Theres no need . Ren Baqian laughed . He expected to hear an explosion after a while . In the hands of someone who didnt know better, it was almost certain that they would pull out the pin from the grenade . In the time it took to drink two cups of tea, the pair heard an explosion from another direction in the distance while they were walking forward . Ren Baqian took a look in that direction, then continued to look for a place to have his dinner . It was as if nothing had happened .