Chapter 293 - 196: Shanyang Prefecture

Chapter 293: Chapter 196: Shanyang Prefecture

Shanyang Prefecture.

It was once a prefecture in the western part of the Great Wei Dynasty. But after the court’s Prince Wucheng rebelled, it gradually fell and became the Rebel Army’s territory.

Even Fang Yue couldn’t have imagined it. He had just been in Guangfeng Prefecture—on its eastern side, no less—a place thousands of miles from Shanyang Prefecture.

Even for him, a journey of that length would take over a month.

But in that other world, he had walked for less than a thousand li, not even covering a tenth of the actual distance.

Yet when he emerged, he had somehow appeared in Shanyang Prefecture.

And on its western side, at that.

After marveling at the wonders of this world, Fang Yue started to wonder how he was going to get back.

How would he get through Shanyang Prefecture? How would he cross the blockades? How could he possibly return to Guangfeng Prefecture?

~~~~~~~

「Three days later.」

On the official road to Xiahe County Town, a dozen or so carriages flying the Zhou Family caravan’s banner advanced slowly. They were laden with goods—foodstuffs, bolts of cloth, and the like—and appeared quite overstuffed.

Among them was a carriage, plain on the outside but luxurious on the inside, positioned in the center of the convoy.

On the roof of the carriage sat a man of about twenty-five or twenty-six, leisurely sipping tea with one leg crossed over the other.

The man was handsome and powerfully built, with an exceptionally heroic air. He was none other than the owner of the Zhou Family caravan, Zhou Zhengyang.

He was resting with his eyes closed when the sudden, rapid sound of hoofbeats echoed out.

THUD-THUD-THUD.

A tall, sturdy steed galloped near. The rider on its back reined it in and leaped to the ground.

"Boss, Mo Mountain is just ahead. They say there are Demon Beasts active in the area. Should we take a detour?" the rider asked.

"A detour? Why would we take a detour?" Zhou Zhengyang opened his eyes. "We’ve already lost a lot of time on this trip. If we go around, I’m afraid we’ll be late."

"But..." The rider hesitated.

"But what?" Zhou Zhengyang frowned. "The Demon Beasts? They’re just wild animals. Our caravan has plenty of Martial Artists, and we’re equipped with Divine Arm Crossbows. A few measly beasts pose no threat."

"But Boss, I just have a feeling it’s not that simple. Something about the area around Mo Mountain feels... genuinely strange," the rider said, still hesitant.

"Enough. Regardless, we have to get through," Zhou Zhengyang said, waving his hand dismissively.

"Yes, sir," the rider replied respectfully.

The sound of hoofbeats faded into the distance.

"These Martial Artists are so timid," Zhou Zhengyang said, shaking his head. "It’s just a pack of wild animals. Can they really stand up to Martial Arts experts, or to swords and blades?"

And so, the Zhou Family caravan continued its advance toward Mo Mountain.

~~~~~~

Mo Mountain was located near Xiahe County Town.

Years ago, the Mo Mountain Tribe had rebelled. Their Blood Dragon Platform destroyed the nodes of the water veins, causing a great drought throughout all of Shanyang Prefecture.

At the time, Shanyang Prefecture had dispatched a large army to quell the Mo Mountain Tribe.

They suffered heavy casualties at first, and it took nearly a full year of fighting to finally conquer the tribe.

Unfortunately, after the Mo Mountain Tribe was annihilated, a few survivors escaped deep into Mo Mountain.

Later, when Prince Wucheng seized Shanyang Prefecture and the imperial court was completely routed, the seals and wards throughout the prefecture were destroyed.

The sealed Demon Realm began to merge with the Great Wei Dynasty, and the number of giant beasts and Fierce Beasts steadily increased. Over time, the area became a Demon Mountain.

Powerful, savage beasts would even appear from time to time, hunting down caravans or the common folk from nearby villages.

"A Fierce Beast!"

A guard at the very front of the Zhou Family caravan spotted a Black Shadow in the dense forest ahead. He jumped in fright and yelled out.

CRASH!

The next moment, a wild boar covered in pitch-black fur burst from the dense woods.

The boar was over four meters long, incredibly burly, and massive in size, with bone-chilling tusks.

Seeing the boar charge, the Zhou Family caravan guards immediately drew their crossbows, preparing to shoot it down.

These were military-grade crossbows forged from special refined iron, making them extremely powerful. In large enough numbers, they could even take down a besieged Qi Sensing Martial Master.

In the blink of an eye, the boar was riddled with arrows and collapsed to the ground.

But the beast was resilient, and it struggled to get back to its feet.

Enraged, the Zhou Family guards drew their Long Spears and thrust them into the boar’s abdomen. They followed up with a kick, ending the creature’s life.

"Alright, haul it away," the leader of the Zhou Family guards ordered with a smile. "A boar this large has to be worth a pretty penny. We’ll get a good amount of silver for it."

"Yeah!" The Zhou Family guards were ecstatic. They rushed forward and scrambled to lift the boar onto an empty carriage.

This was an unexpected bonus from the job. For them, getting a share of the profits was a rare treat, so of course they were excited.

Soon, the caravan continued on its way.

The victory over the wild boar did much to ease the tension that the caravan’s guards had been feeling.

’So this is all there is to Mo Mountain. Those tales of Demon Beasts are probably just a load of bull.’

By evening, the caravan was about to exit the Mo Mountain region. In all that time, they hadn’t encountered another Fierce Beast.

This made the Zhou Family caravan’s guards relax considerably, and the whole convoy began to pick up its pace.

But at that very moment,

calamity struck without warning!

RUMBLE!

The ground trembled as if in an earthquake.

"Trouble! On guard!" the Zhou Family leader’s face paled as he roared the command.

At that moment, Zhou Zhengyang whipped his head around toward the source of the tremors. In the dense forests of Mo Mountain, he saw massive trees shaking violently and toppling over, as if something terrifying was emerging from deep within.