Volume Two, Chapter Twenty-Eight: The Road Ahead Blocked

Meng Fang whispered, “The Grand Feather Sword Sect is also one of the major forces in the region. In terms of Daoist sects alone, it surpasses even the Fire Venom Sect. There’s been some bad blood between them for a while, which is why they refused to join the Free Alliance back then, and the Fire Venom Patriarch has always seen them as a thorn in his side. But the sect leader’s master is also a Great Saint, and he achieved sainthood long before the Fire Venom Patriarch, so the Fire Venom Sect doesn’t dare to make a move against them.”

“How incredible!” This was the first time Yu Mu had heard such tales from the martial world, and he was utterly captivated.

Meng Fang sighed, “It’s a pity that this Great Saint has been in seclusion for many years. Otherwise, he would never have let the Fire Venom Sect grow so powerful. Still, it’s said that a martial uncle remains to guard the sect, though no one knows how strong he really is.”

“What about the black-robed man leading the group? Who is he?”

“He’s even more impressive. His background is shrouded in mystery—he’s actually the local head of an assassin organization called ‘Thorn’. This group is immensely powerful, with influence spanning the world, and even the three great powers wouldn’t dare provoke them lightly.”

“And what about that one?” Yu Mu gestured toward a figure who had not spoken a word. This person was completely shrouded in black, wrapped tightly from head to toe, not even showing their eyes.

Meng Fang simply shook his head. “I don’t know who that is.”

“Uh…” Yu Mu realized he’d asked a pointless question.

During their conversation, the opposing sides continued their standoff, neither daring to make the first move, settling instead for verbal sparring. Seeing that the quarrel would likely yield no results, the two quietly slipped away.

They found a tavern and sat down. They had rushed here at dawn and hadn’t even had breakfast, only to find themselves in the midst of such a strange affair. Now, unable even to enter the teleportation array, much less leave the city, they sat in silence, drinking in silence.

Just then, seven or eight people entered, all battered and covered in dust, some even nursing wounds. As soon as they entered, chaos erupted—they clamored for food and drink, clearly famished.

One of them cursed, “Damn it, who would’ve thought those beasts from Hawk Ridge would not only seal off the teleportation array but block all the roads there too? If we hadn’t run so fast, we’d have died at their hands.”

“Keep your voice down, do you want to die? Don’t forget, this is Free City—this is their turf,” another warned urgently.

“What’s there to be afraid of? At worst, I’ll die.” Despite his words, his voice dropped. The group glanced about, relieved to see only Yu Mu and Meng Fang eating in the tavern.

Yu Mu and Meng Fang were surprised by the newcomers’ appearance. Judging by their cultivation, these people were likely a match for the two sisters of the Joyous Path. Yet even as a group, they’d ended up in such a sorry state; it seemed the road to Hawk Ridge was treacherous indeed.

The group eyed Yu Mu and Meng Fang warily, lowering their voices to a whisper, casting furtive glances their way. Burdened with troubles of their own, the two had no wish to get involved, nor to draw attention, so after finishing their meal, they hurriedly paid and left.

Though the group spoke in hushed tones, Yu Mu’s keen senses caught every word—they were discussing the failures of those who had tried to reach Hawk Ridge.

“Meng, you’re the nephew of the Sky-Supporting Great Saint. If you head to Hawk Ridge, you shouldn’t be stopped, right? Why don’t we just go there directly?”

Meng Fang shook his head. “There are so many people at Hawk Ridge, and I hardly know any of them; what are the odds of running into someone familiar? Besides, it’s thousands of miles from here to Hawk Ridge—if we go on foot, the birthday celebration will be long over by the time we arrive. Most importantly, the journey is riddled with danger—there’s no way just the two of us could make it safely.”

Yu Mu was astonished. “Are there really bandits operating within Hawk Ridge’s territory?”

Meng Fang gave a bitter laugh. “Not only are there bandits—danger lies everywhere. Hunters, adventurers, herbalists, treasure seekers, explorers… sometimes these people are more dangerous than any bandit, and there are even greater threats than them.”

“What could be more dangerous than that?”

“Demons.”

“Demons? Such things exist in this world?”

“Not just demons, but also ghosts—two different races, but both foreign and terrifying.”

Meng Fang’s words seemed veiled in mist, as if recounting a legend, and Yu Mu was filled with curiosity, grabbing Meng Fang’s hand eagerly. “Tell me more, Meng!”

Seeing Yu Mu’s thirst for knowledge, Meng Fang laughed heartily. “I don’t know much myself—just fragments I’ve heard from my uncle.”

Meng Fang looked up, his voice turning wistful. “It’s said that ten thousand years ago, for reasons unknown, passages between the cultivation world, the ghost world, and the demon realm were opened—one after another. Creatures from both realms surged across the boundaries.”

“An invasion from beyond?”

“Exactly,” Meng Fang nodded. “The beings from those realms were incredibly powerful, and the cultivation world suffered heavy losses. Fortunately, the law of the world repelled these outsiders, so disaster on a massive scale was averted. The situation lasted less than a hundred years before the passages closed again.”

“Ah, that’s a relief.” Immersed in the tale, Yu Mu breathed a sigh of relief.

But Meng Fang clapped him on the shoulder with a wry smile. “But countless creatures from those two races managed to hide away, causing endless trouble. And it’s said that from that time on, the path to immortality was blocked—no one has ascended since.”

Yu Mu was secretly startled. “It’s connected to the blockage of the immortal path! What really happened back then? Why was the way to immortality sealed?”

Over the years, Yu Mu had begun to piece together the meaning behind the conversation between King Yama and the Judge. It seemed his journey here was linked to the obstruction of the immortal path. He also suspected the Judge’s promise was related to becoming immortal. That was why he was so concerned with the mystery of the blocked immortal path.

Meng Fang spread his hands and shrugged. “That, I don’t know.”

Yu Mu realized he’d asked another pointless question and changed the subject. “Meng, are there demons and ghosts near Hawk Ridge as well?”

“Yes, which is why even my uncle doesn’t dare venture into some especially dangerous areas lightly.”

Yu Mu frowned. “From what I know, using the teleportation array costs a fortune—it’s manageable for people, but surely not for cargo. Do they actually use the array to transport goods to Hawk Ridge? That would be far too expensive.”

Meng Fang laughed. “Large shipments can’t use the arrays, of course. But whether merchants or travelers, most people heading to Hawk Ridge use one of two methods.”

“What two methods?”

“Traveling in groups, or hiring mercenary companies as escorts,” Meng Fang explained. “Back when my uncle wanted to connect with the outside world, he led people to forcibly open a passage between Hawk Ridge and Free City. That road is relatively safe. Those folks we saw earlier probably tried to go that way.”

“Meng, if all roads to Hawk Ridge are now blocked, what should we do?”