Chapter 76: Horse King Town
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He had thought they wouldn’t depart until tomorrow, but in the afternoon, Xu Yan saw Eight Fingers Wang packing his luggage and changing into short, practical clothes with his large wooden staff strapped to his back.
Upon inquiry, it turned out that traveling by cart was too slow, which was why Eight Fingers Wang needed to leave early.
Ghost King Gate had its own horse ranch outside the city, but lackeys like Eight Fingers Wang—who paid when they had money and only followed sect missions when they didn’t—couldn’t own horses. Unable to even pay a year’s interest, no wonder Eight Fingers Wang had to leave early.
Hiring a horse cart for travel was much slower than riding horses, because a cart didn’t carry just one or two people. At busy times, two skinny horses could carry dozens of people—how could that be fast?
Xu Yan only knew Eight Fingers Wang among Ghost King Gate disciples. Since he wanted to travel the same route, Xu Yan simply packed up, changed into clean, practical short clothes, and left Plum Fragrance Tower with Eight Fingers Wang.
According to Xu Yan, he was going to Horse King Town to see the excitement. Eight Fingers Wang absolutely refused, preferring death to bringing Xu Yan along, putting on a righteous appearance.
It wasn’t that he didn’t want to bring him—he didn’t dare.
This mission was no small matter. Orders from above strictly forbade spreading word about it. Bringing an outsider along would spell trouble if discovered by the hall master or vice hall master.
Later, Xu Yan had no choice but to produce his Ghost King Gate waist token, and only then did Eight Fingers Wang agree to let Xu Yan accompany him.
“Who would have thought Brother Yan was also one of our Ghost King Gate people.” After leaving Plum Fragrance Tower, Eight Fingers Wang seemed very friendly, asking: “Which hall are you from? Are you also from Green Wood Hall? That would make us martial brothers, hehe.”
“I don’t know which hall.” Xu Yan wasn’t lying: “I plan to pay every year. Do I look like someone short of money? I can’t do fighting and killing.”
“Brother Yan is naturally not poor, hehe. Then why are you still coming to Horse King Town with me? I heard this mission isn’t simple.” Eight Fingers Wang said as they walked: “After cutting down the righteous sects, we still have to deal with the snake demon. Heaven knows how many lives will be lost this time.”
Eight Fingers Wang was right. Once righteous and evil sects went to war, it was basically a fight to the death. With Qi Nation led by evil sects, the righteous sects probably wouldn’t have too many people. But there was still a snake demon—in such chaotic battles, one careless moment could cost your life.
“I’m going to broaden my horizons, staying far away will be fine.”
Xu Yan spoke with a relaxed attitude. The two arrived at the cart station. Eight Fingers Wang wanted to travel by those carts that seated twenty or thirty people, but Xu Yan impatiently hired a private cart to carry just the two of them.
“Brother Yan is still wealthy and generous, hehe.” Eight Fingers Wang nodded and shook his head while flattering him. This time he saved money—it seemed when traveling, you had to go with this kind of rich young master. At least he didn’t have to pay travel expenses.
Departing before dusk, with three hundred li to travel, they could arrive in about one night. Although night travel would be slower, it wouldn’t delay important matters.
“Who’s leading your Green Wood Hall this time?”
On the road, Xu Yan inquired about details of this sect mission. His goal was good horses—he wouldn’t participate in the clash between righteous and evil sects. At most, he’d watch the excitement, but he still needed to inquire about Yue Chengfeng’s whereabouts.
“Our Green Wood Hall is led by Vice Hall Master Tan. Hall Master Yue seems to have other business—I didn’t see the old man at the hall today.”
Hearing that Yue Chengfeng wasn’t going to Horse King Town, Xu Yan finally breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed the news about Flying Centipede indeed had tremendous appeal for Yue Chengfeng—he’d even set aside sect missions and abandoned the Plum Fragrance Tower that was about to fall into his hands.
Were Foundation Establishment Pills really that precious?
Xu Yan pondered silently. Flying Centipede’s Foundation Establishment Pill was currently hidden close to his chest. If this kind of pill was truly something that made innate martial artists green with envy, Xu Yan felt it would be better not to take it out in the future.
He understood the principle of inviting disaster by flaunting wealth.
After bouncing around all night, by dawn they weren’t far from Horse King Town.
“Don’t enter the town—go to the east gate.”
The yawning Eight Fingers Wang directed the driver.
“To the east gate?” Xu Yan stretched lazily: “Ghost King Gate’s gathering place?”
Not entering Horse King Town was to avoid alerting the enemy. Placing the gathering spot in the mountain forest outside town would prevent the righteous sects from noticing—Xu Yan could see through this tactic at a glance.
Eight Fingers Wang gave a thumbs up in admiration: “Brother Yan guessed right. Our Green Wood Hall is assembling in the eastern bamboo forest. As for other forces, that’s hard to say. Those big shots might already be in town, while lackeys like us naturally have to ambush outside.”
Rummaging through his pack to find two hard, dry flatbreads, Eight Fingers Wang handed one to Xu Yan: “Good thing I came prepared, or we’d be going hungry this morning.”
“When do we make our move?” Xu Yan didn’t take the flatbread and asked.
“Should be around noon.” Eight Fingers Wang chewed quite contentedly, crunching away without fear of breaking his teeth.
“Enter Horse King Town.” Lifting the cart curtain, Xu Yan instructed the driver, then turned to Eight Fingers Wang: “There’s still most of the day left. Let’s go look around town first.”
Having already eaten half his flatbread, Eight Fingers Wang couldn’t swallow his mouthful. After holding it in for a long time, he finally managed to say: “The vice hall master forbade us from entering town. Brother Yan, if you want to go, go yourself—I don’t want to get beaten.”
“Is your vice hall master also waiting in the eastern bamboo forest?”
“Yes!”
“Are you very famous in Ghost King Gate?”
“Not bad. I know at least most of Green Wood Hall’s people, and I’ve seen the guardians and protectors from afar several times.”
“The vice hall master and Green Wood Hall disciples are all waiting in the east suburbs. Who would know if you entered town?”
“That’s true… but what if the guardians recognize me?”
“Don’t worry. The guardians would remember a wild ghost before they’d remember a shrimp like you.”
“Brother Yan, that’s too hurtful, but it seems to make sense…”
Going to ambush in the east suburbs early in the morning held no appeal for Xu Yan. They hadn’t even eaten breakfast yet—couldn’t he hear his stomach growling?
Following the smooth official road, the cart drove directly into Horse King Town. Finding a steamed bun shop in town, Xu Yan and Eight Fingers Wang began eating heartily.
Heaven and earth were vast, but the stomach was most important—this was Xu Yan’s philosophy of life.
Anyway, this Ghost King Gate operation had nothing to do with him. Watching excitement required a full stomach to be enjoyable.
Horse King Town wasn’t small. Though it couldn’t compare to Fengshan City, it was much larger than Linshan Town. The town housed at least tens of thousands of residents, and every household raised horses. Early in the morning, many half-grown children led horses out of town to graze them in the mountains.
Horse King Town’s horses weren’t kept in stables but ran wild in the mountain forests from a young age. Those constantly kept in stables could never produce good horses.
Watching the half-grown children in town leading horses to graze, Xu Yan found it quite novel. The pedestrians coming and going on the streets mostly rode horses—all tall and long-legged with coats like satin, glossy and smooth.
As he watched, Xu Yan noticed something wrong. There were quite a few children leading horses to graze, but their direction was remarkably consistent—all heading toward the town’s west gate.
Horse King Town was surrounded by mountains on all sides. Logically, horses could graze in all directions. If they only grazed in one direction, wouldn’t the western mountains’ grass be completely eaten?
