Chapter 118: What Is Going On With This City?

"Boss, five pounds of braised beef, a pot of Green Ant Wine, and a plate of stewed tofu skin."

At the foot of Huangqingfeng Mountain in Qingyang County, a man sat down in a small tavern.

The man was quite handsome, his refined and scholarly face exuding an air of determination. Yet, his entire being carried the aura of a learned scholar.

In simple terms, the man combined the elegance of a scholar with the rugged vitality of a warrior.

Whether a woman preferred tough men or refined scholars, he possessed an irresistible charm to both.

However, what was unusual was the fact that the man was accompanied by a large white goose.

This white goose stayed close by his side and appeared surprisingly intelligent.

Strangely enough, despite being a goose, it carried a certain delicate and handsome air.

On closer inspection, one could even notice that the goose had long eyelashes! Those lashes were unexpectedly elegant.

The more you looked, the more you realized this white goose was oddly good-looking.

"Sir, your dishes are ready. Please enjoy. Let me know if you need anything," the waiter said as he placed the food on the table.

Just as the goose was about to dig in, the man, Xu Ming, grabbed its wing and smiled at the waiter.

"Waiter, this beef doesn't look very fresh. How about you try a piece first?"

The waiter paused for a moment before laughing. "Sir, what are you talking about? This beef was slaughtered just this morning. It's as fresh as it gets."

"Fresh just because it's from this morning? I think you should try it yourself." Xu Ming smiled. "What's the matter, waiter? Don't you dare taste your own braised beef?"

"Sir, you jest. Of course, I dare."

"Then go ahead and try it. You'll see if I'm wrong." Xu Ming handed the waiter a pair of chopsticks.

"Alright then, I'll have a taste. But don't make me pay for it!"

The waiter smiled as he took the chopsticks, picking up a piece of braised beef and bringing it to his mouth.

But just as the waiter was about to take a bite, a flash of cold steel glinted from his sleeve.

The waiter pulled out a dagger and lunged it toward Xu Ming's chest.

"Goose! (Fuck!)" The white goose flapped its wings in shock, preparing to kick the waiter.

But Xu Ming had already struck, delivering a punch straight to the waiter's chest.

The force of his "Mountain Shattering Strike" reduced the waiter to a mist of blood.

"Attack!"

The other "customers" in the tavern, realizing their ambush had been discovered, drew their weapons and charged at Xu Ming.

Half an incense stick's time later, the tavern fell into silence.

The assassins were utterly annihilated—some with their spirits shattered, some with their skulls crushed by Xu Ming's fists. Others had their throats sliced open by the wind blades conjured by the goose's flapping wings, their blood soaking the dirt floor.

"Goose, goose, goose! (What a nuisance! Can't even enjoy a peaceful meal anymore?)"

The white goose honked a few times, clearly annoyed.

Since leaving Baihe County, Xu Ming and the goose had been ambushed more than ten times in just over half a month!

At first, the cultivators from the Thunder Mark Sect and the Mountain-Moving Sect at least had the decency to declare, "I'm here to take your head!"

But after those cultivators were slaughtered by Xu Ming, they switched tactics to stealth and assassination. Now, they'd even stooped to poisoning attempts.

"Those three sects not only failed to regain their dignity but also lost at least forty Sea Observation Realm cultivators to us. They can't even send their Golden Core elders after us. They must be fuming right now, so resorting to such lowly tricks is only to be expected."

Xu Ming washed his hands, then went to the tavern's kitchen and found some untouched braised beef and wine that hadn't been poisoned.

However, the smell of blood in the place was too overwhelming, so Xu Ming took the Tianxuan Goose and walked some distance ahead before sitting on a rock to enjoy their meal.

"Goose, goose, goose! (How did you know they'd poisoned the food?)" Tianxuan Goose grabbed a piece of beef with its beak, tossed it into the air, and caught it in its mouth.

"I didn't actually know they'd poisoned the food. I just thought the tables and utensils here looked a bit too new, so I tested him. I didn't expect it to actually work."

Xu Ming took a sip of the wine and had to admit—it tasted pretty good.

Tianxuan Goose rolled its eyes at him. "Goose, goose, goose? (Aren't we supposed to head straight to Tianxuan Sect to meet Qingwan? Why are we taking a detour? Where are we going now?)"

"No rush. Let's visit the border town of Qingyang County first, then head to Tianxuan Sect. We've got time." Xu Ming let out a satisfied burp and glanced at Tianxuan Goose. "By the way, you've been spiritually awakened for a while now, and you've long refined the horizontal bone in your throat. Why can't you speak human language yet?"

"Goose, goose, goose... (I don't know either…)" At the mention of this, Tianxuan Goose visibly drooped, looking dejected.

It puzzled itself as well.

It had clearly refined its throat's horizontal bone long ago and should have been able to speak, yet all it could say was "goose, goose, goose."

"It's alright." Seeing the goose's downcast look, Xu Ming comforted it. "When we get to Tianxuan Sect, we'll see if Qingwan can ask her master to help you figure it out."

Tianxuan Goose snorted and turned its head. "Goose, goose, goose! (And you think Qingwan will help? She's probably already forgotten about us!)"

Xu Ming spread his hands. "If that's the case, there's nothing we can do. You'll just have to keep honking forever."

"Goose!" Tianxuan Goose was furious. It flew behind Xu Ming and repeatedly smacked the back of his head with its wings.

After filling their stomachs, Xu Ming and Tianxuan Goose continued on their way toward the border town in Qingyang County.

The town, Baiwa City, sat on the border between the Wu Kingdom and the Southern Demon Kingdom. Though it was technically part of Wu Kingdom's territory, it was essentially no-man's land.

Qingyang County couldn't establish an official government there, and the Southern Demon Kingdom didn't claim control either. Yet, neither side was willing to admit the town belonged to the other, so both had unilaterally included it on their maps.

In truth, the town served as a buffer zone between the two powers.

Three days later, Xu Ming and Tianxuan Goose arrived at Baiwa City.

There were no guards at the city gate. Xu Ming and Tianxuan Goose walked straight in.

But the moment Xu Ming stepped into the city, a surge of demonic energy rushed toward him.

Yet, the streets were filled with bustling humans going about their lives.

Xu Ming closed his eyes, then reopened them, his pupils now glowing with Dao patterns that revealed the truth behind illusions.

Scanning the scene before him, his brows furrowed tightly.

"What is going on in this city?"

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