Chapter 492

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Chapter 492: The City of Death

Qingyang City, the ancient capital of Bi Fang Country, has become a city of death.

Bi Fang fell, and hundreds of thousands of ministers and citizens died overnight. A blue flame burned everything within a thirty-mile radius, leaving nothing but ashes.

It is because of this that Bi Fang Country was destroyed so quickly, as the pillars that supported it in the past have almost all died out.

Whether in the past or present, a nation’s capital is the political and economic center. In feudal times, even throwing a brick randomly could hit a hereditary noble or a relative of a high-ranking official. Even opening a restaurant required having connections, as there was no way to do business without a powerful backer.

In a certain sense, the hundreds of thousands in Qingyang City, including the bloodline clans that have lasted for thousands of years, were the pillars of the nation, like neurons in the brain. When the entire brain is burning, only a few managed to escape. No matter how powerful a giant is, it will naturally perish quickly.

The previous principality that was destroyed in a similar way was the Jiuyin Family.

For the people of the Ten Thousand Demon Kingdom, it doesn’t make much difference which one rules over them. However, the noble clans are bound to the princes and it is difficult for them to change their allegiance. Ba Xia was once a subordinate of Qiongqi and has never thought about removing this mark. They faithfully follow their leader and have no intention of making Ba State their own domain.

The revival of Bi Fang is destined to be extremely difficult. Even if they succeed, they will only obtain half of the country. They don’t have enough resources or manpower to sustain themselves. At most, they can maintain a fragile balance and rely on the court, waiting for a long period of rest and recovery.

Because of this, Qingyang City is still a threshold that must be crossed.

Qingyang City has become a barren land with broken walls, but this is not a problem. The city can be rebuilt, and people can be gathered together.

For example, in history, Changsha was once devastated by a great fire. The fire burned for five days and nights, destroying 90% of the buildings. The direct death toll exceeded 30,000 people. Almost everyone mourned and sighed. The once prosperous Changsha was completely destroyed. However, in the ruins of the fire that had not yet been extinguished, there appeared five vendors selling vegetables and meat. The next day, there were vendors selling rice noodles and oil cakes. At that time, over 90% of the vendors and citizens of Changsha chose to receive loans for self-rescue, while only a few hundred people chose to become victims of the disaster. The local residents didn’t give up on Changsha, but chose a vigorous revival and reconstruction.

For Bi Fang Country, the biggest problem is not how Qingyang City can be rebuilt, but how to disperse the hundreds of thousands of lost souls lingering over the city. Until now, the Yin fire generated by the dead in Bi Fang still covers the entire city. Tens of thousands of lost souls emerge from the Yin fire, all of them torn and tattered, like wandering resentful spirits in the mortal world.

Speaking of demon towns, the Ming Country also has a Fengdu, and its origin is quite interesting.

Back then, there was a second-grade heroic spirit who separated their own Heroic Spirit Principle and merged it into the ground, attempting to penetrate the underworld and allow the living to see death, trying to use this method to explore the secrets of reincarnation.

The flow of life and the cycle of souls are among the greatest mysteries, even high-ranking heroic spirits dare not easily explore the rules. This second-grade heroic spirit succeeded, but only halfway.

He did enter the cycle of reincarnation, but he couldn’t come back. The path he opened in the underworld only pried open a small part of the reincarnation well. It’s like a mosquito biting a person and drawing a drop of blood, but this drop of blood created the Fengdu as a realm of the underworld.

The rumors about the Ten Yama Kings and Hell in later generations all stem from this. In fact, these hells are man-made and are used to judge sinners and accommodate lost souls. The passage opened by the reincarnation well, which is the fabricated Six Paths of Reincarnation.

The Ten Demon Land is like a mystical place for the afterlife, not very different from the local guardian’s area, but it has an additional path to guide souls to their next life. Ultimately, they all end up in the same place.

But the Ten Thousand Demon Kingdom doesn’t have this path, so it can’t send the hundreds of thousands of lost souls to the next life. They remain here, appearing every night, guarding the lonely city.

If the lost souls in Qingyang City are not resolved and the Ghost Fire continues to burn, it means the foundation of Bi Fang Country cannot be restored.

Looking at the map, the strategic position here is also very important. For the living who want to restore the country, the importance of Qingyang City cannot be overstated.

Nalan Qingshu wants to send the lost souls away, which is understandable both emotionally and logically. There needs to be an explanation for both the deceased and the living. But she doesn’t have a solution.

What Bai Wei meant was that coming to Qingyang City, at most, they would just take a look. He personally didn’t want to complicate matters in such a critical situation.

Quietly, an obvious exclamation mark appeared above Nalan Qingshu’s head.

The journey has been very smooth, with no encounters with bandits or criminals. The closer they get, the more desolate it becomes.

Only the sound of the wind whistling, as if the universe mourns along with it.

Inside the train carriage, Nalan Qingshu’s fingertips trembled gently. The smoother the ride became, the more restless her sleep became.

Her mental state also showed signs of decline, as she absentmindedly held onto the box she always carried with her.

Chao Lu asked, "Do you feel nervous being close to home?"

Out of the blue, Nalan Qingshu asked, "Have you ever been to Bai Ze Kingdom?"

"No, I haven’t had the time or opportunity."

"You should go and see for yourself."

"If I were to go back, maybe all I would see is the devastation and loss of my country. It’s better not to see." Chao Lu shook his head.

"Don’t you even have the courage to face these things?"

"Having the ability to confront doesn’t necessarily mean one is courageous. Not wanting to see also doesn’t mean one is weak. I refuse to accept such an outcome, that’s why I’m here," Chao Lu said, pausing after each sentence.

Nalan Qingshu stood up and laughed softly, saying, "You’re right, I envy you for at least still having a chance to struggle."

Chao Lu frowned and said, "I thought you had already accepted it."

Little Bi Fang chuckled self-deprecatingly and said, "I thought I had already accepted it too, but it seems like it’s not as simple and easy as I thought…"

She pointed to the west and said, "Right there, buried my ten or so years of life, my relatives, my friends, my entire past. There isn’t even a tombstone."

Nalan Qingshu paused as she said this.

Chao Lu whispered, "Keep talking, maybe it will make you feel better to express your unhappy feelings."

"Unhappy?" Little Green shook her head and said, "It’s not exactly unhappiness, maybe just feeling down and a bit resigned… Actually, when I escaped, I didn’t remember what had happened at all… There’s a sense of unreality. Now I need to see it with my own eyes."

"Is this your reason for coming to Qingyang City?"

"I’m still young, I didn’t plan on putting an end to the past." Nalan Qingshu forced a casual smile.

"Is there any other reason?"

"It’s because of my mother’s will. She wanted her ashes to be taken to Qingyang City, and she wanted me to go back within five years, without any delays." Nalan Qingshu said, "Five years is also the deadline she predicted for the restoration of the country, and she was quite accurate. It’s just that the changes came faster… It’s only been three years."

"I don’t agree with Mr. Nalan’s approach." Bai Wei’s voice came through.

Murong Nu nodded and said, "The strategists view everything as chess pieces on a chessboard, including themselves and others, even loved ones are not exceptions."

Nalan Qingshu didn’t get angry, but remained silent and said, "My mother spared no effort in teaching me. It was all to prepare me to inherit the throne and govern the country in the future. She never kept anything from me. This is not only her wish, but also my father’s."

Chao Lu’s gaze became more complicated. Her family only wished for her to live a burden-free life.

Nalan Qingshu had long accepted this and murmured, "My parents had true love, I am just an unexpected outcome."

Murong Nu had seen it all, "Noble families and ancient bloodlines are often like this, devotedly nurturing the next generation. But what they create, rather than being called children, is more like a replica of themselves. Being born to be a king is both a responsibility and a status… Speaking of which, when it comes to standing up, you don’t resemble a half-human and half-demon at all."

Nalan Qingshu explained, "The Bi Fang bloodline is different from ordinary demon clans. It cannot be diluted. This is also the case for most top-tier exotic beasts and fierce beasts. Once awakened, the bloodline will become purer. If unable to awaken, it can be maintained in a half-demon state."

"Which one is better?"

"There isn’t a better one, but half-demons grow noticeably faster than normal demons, shortening their childhood."

"This doesn’t sound like a good thing," said Bai Wei. "I would love to go to elementary school for a dozen years like Conan."

"The Ten Thousand Demon Kingdom doesn’t have such a tolerant living environment. It’s always good to grow up faster," Chao Lu said.

Murong didn’t care about bloodlines at all. "It seems I don’t have a top-tier bloodline, but being a half-demon is also great."

Nalan Qingshu shook her head. "You may not necessarily not have it. Perhaps you just haven’t encountered the awakening trigger."

The speed of the carriage suddenly slowed down and then came to a stop.

"We have arrived," said Bai Wei. "Qingyang City is just ahead."

The carriage opened, and everyone got off.

The place called ‘前面’ is actually quite far away.

Murong Nu, with a hopeful attitude, poured wine everywhere and gave a warning at the festival, "Ten miles is the limit, don’t get any closer… If you insist on going in, you will surely disturb the lost souls and be burned by demonly fire into nothingness."

The little snake girl felt the air especially heavy, which made it feel a bit uncomfortable.

"Let’s rest here tonight," Bai Wei observed Nalan Qingshu’s expression and suggested, "We have been traveling for two days straight, it’s time to take a break."

Murong Nu was excited and said, "Great! Mr. Driver… come here and spin a thread for me to make a hammock!"

They roasted sweet potatoes around the campfire… no, wait, they roasted yams and rested after nightfall.

Bai Wei held the reins as if he were holding the Pansilk Cave Lord’s spirit, not minding if it wanted to run away or cause trouble.

He had been offline for a while, running for two days and nights. The mental fatigue was secondary; he just wanted to show up and reassure his family.

It hadn’t been half an hour since he came and went; he had just gone offline in the evening. He was eating Baixiang brand instant noodles to satisfy his hunger and return to his usual self when suddenly a warning meow came from his consciousness.

Bai Wei stopped eating and Yagyū Simozi asked, "What’s wrong, brother?"

"Nothing, just a feeling come true."

…Nalan Qingshu entered the city.