Chapter 115: Restlessness
Chapter 115: Restlessness
In the blink of an eye, the sky darkened.
In a dense forest about twenty li from Chuyun City, four or five bonfires were burning, and bursts of cheerful laughter continuously erupted from within.
“Haha, come on, drink, let’s drink!”
“Drink less!”
“Haha, it’s fine. We’ll arrive at Chuyun City tomorrow, so it’s okay to drink more tonight!”
“Haha…”
If one were to approach and take a closer look, they would discover that in this open area with a radius of about ten zhang, forty to fifty people were gathered around bonfires, drinking wine heartily, eating meat, and occasionally uttering nonsense from their mouths.
Only about five or six people stood on the periphery, keeping watch with vigilant expressions.
If Tang Jinbiao had been there, he would have recognized these as the same group he was traveling with during the day, but after passing through the Thread of Sky Pass, their tense nerves had relaxed, and with tomorrow marking their arrival, they seemed to be celebrating early because there was no danger left in the remaining twenty li.
“Haha!”
“Come on, drink!”
“Haha!”
“Drink, drink, drink!”
Although these guards had undergone many tribulations, they were still young, and with victory within sight, they became reckless with excitement.
Crackle, crackle!
The fierce bonfires crackled and burned, yet not everyone was so carefree; a few older individuals, while drinking with the youths, felt their hearts pounding with fear.
“Captain Wang, with the brothers drinking like this, won’t there be trouble?”
A man around thirty years old asked Captain Wang, his eyes filled with unease, unable to pinpoint any flaw but sensing something amiss.
“Hehe, it’s nothing. We’re only twenty li from Chuyun City. Even if bandits have the nerve, they wouldn’t dare strike here. Why risk suicide if the Chu Clan found out?”
Captain Wang picked up his wine jug, took a large gulp, and spoke out.
“Hmm, Captain Wang has a point.”
After Captain Wang said this, the thirty-something man couldn’t find a way to press further; he nodded in agreement, then lifted his head to glance at a nearby ordinary carriage.
He hoped the Young Lady inside the carriage would give them instruction, but clearly, even their mistress approved of such behavior.
“Haha, Third Brother, what are you afraid of? Now that we’re here, no bandit would dare target us however bold they are. Come on, bro, we haven’t drunk together in ages!”
While the thirty-something man frowned deeply, unsettled by hesitation, a fellow around twenty-seven beside him handed over a wine jug and pressured him to drink.
“Fine, drink we will—who’s scared of whom?”
After hesitating briefly, the thirty-something man resolved his mind; even if trouble arose, Captain Wang and the Young Lady would bear it, and since they didn’t object, he couldn’t overthink it. He snatched the jug and joined in drinking too.
“Haha, that’s more like my Third Brother!”
The young man picked up a jug nearby, laughed loudly, and started drinking as well.
…
Five hours later!
Twenty miles away in Chuyun City.
Tang Jinbiao lay restlessly on his bed.
“Cough, seems boredom follows me everywhere. Not even a companion to chat with!”
He sighed idly while lying down, suddenly missing that old charlatan Huang Biaozi.
After arriving earlier in the day, he ate hastily and slept. But now, awake and unable to drift off again, he felt utterly directionless.
Earlier, sorting his Storage Pouch yielded little: besides the bloodstained Spirit Stone, the black bead, and the Jade Slip left by the Azure Dragon, everything else seemed unusable.
Of course, a few treasures held eternal value.
The Tiny Sword gifted by Tang Hu, the Jade Pendant from Tang Bu, and Wang Wanyu’s token of affection meant for him and Tang Yilin. As for Tang Xing’s instructions on the Qingyang Eight Trigrams Formation, he longed to try it, yet the Qingyang Eight Trigrams itself now appeared useless—something to revisit only after meeting Wang Hanyu.
“Oh, right. Ah Bu’s jade pendant had his mother’s name! I never memorized it.”
This thought prompted Tang Jinbiao to sit up and retrieve the plain pendant from his Storage Pouch.
Simple and unadorned, the pendant bore tiny engraved characters on its front:
“Mom, Luo Qiuyue!”
“Luo Qiuyue… What kind of woman abandons husband and son? Could even the Tang Family name fail to bind her?”
Reading the inscription, he smirked coldly, a flicker of hatred surfacing toward that mysterious woman.
Flipping it over revealed five other characters:
“Brother Biao, I love you!”
“Hah, that sentimental blockhead!”
He rolled his eyes at the heartfelt words.
Truthfully, those three months after the clan tournament had brought him unexpected joy. Though often “slacking off” with Tang Hu’s crowd, he cherished bonds deeper than any he knew in his past existence.
“Meet my God-Slaying Gaze!”
“Haha… hahaha…”
“Huh? What’d you say? Didn’t catch that!”
“As dumplings fill the belly, my sister-in-law thrills the soul! Right, Brother Biao?”
The pendant stirred memories of each companion’s quirks.
Tenacious, iron-willed Tang Hu, tragically shackled by self-doubt.
Tang Xing, ever muttering divinations but razor-sharp in instinct.
Timid, hesitant Tang Bu, who wore his heart silently.
And Tang Bi? Only “world-destroying” described him. A pure fool—yet audacious enough to roar “Meet my God-Slaying Gaze!” How’d he even conceive such bombast?
Unbeknownst to Tang Jinbiao, Tang Bi harbored another identity: Acting Genius. That secret remained veiled.
“Honestly? Humans battle teenage angst till their coffins close!”
Would this revelation spark such a sigh from Tang Jinbiao?
“Ha…”
Recalling those riotous antics, Tang Jinbiao chuckled despite himself.
Bang!
However, just as he chuckled, someone suddenly pushed open the door to the adjacent room with a soft creak.
“Hm?”
It was already deep into the night, and movement at this hour instantly put Tang Jinbiao on high alert. But as he strained his ears to listen, whispers drifted over from next door.
“You wanna die? Making such a racket now!”
“Sorry, boss, my mistake!”
“Everyone assembled? Word from below says the shipment’s arrived, and that bunch have completely dropped their guard—most are dead drunk!”
“Boss, the men are waiting outside the city, just need your orders!”
“Well done. This time, we’re working with the Chu Clan…”
This inn was ordinary, lacking any soundproof barriers or restrictions. Though they spoke softly, Tang Jinbiao, as a Body Refiner, possessed keen senses and overheard clearly. However, halfway through, they lowered their voices even further.
“Hm?”
Uncertain what they plotted but intrigued, Tang Jinbiao slid silently from his bed and tiptoed to the wall, pressing his ear against it. Only then could he catch fragments.
“Boss, you really think the Chu Clan ain’t just using us as cannon fodder?” one voice asked nervously.
“No fear. The Chu Clan’s powerful Cultivators are deep in the Hundred Thousand Mountains now. Heard some mystical treasure surfaced, and the factions there are tearing each other apart. Even the master of Chuyun City has gone. Highest Cultivation Level left here is Foundation Establishment Stage. Not a worry. If needed, we’ll simply… sabotage quietly,” another replied, utterly unflustered.
“What? Boss! You’d strike against Cultivators?” The first voice sounded terrified.
“Hmph! Scared? We live by the sword, brother. This life’s hard enough already. And now those Cultivators horn in? They never saw us as Mortals anyway! What’s there to fear? Death’s the worst that could happen!” The one called boss seemed resigned to fate.
“You’re right, boss. Word is, a thousand years back, Cultivators never meddled in mortal affairs. Now? Snatching resources from us Mortals! No holding back—let ’em learn we bite back!” The other’s anger flared at Cultivators’ arrogance.
“Right! Those Cultivators treat us like dirt! But Mortal strength has limits. Plotting against even a Foundation Establishment Cultivator’s harder than scaling heaven, let alone Core Formation or Nascent Soul Cultivators. Sigh. Against Qi Condensation Cultivators, maybe. Against Foundation Establishment? Zero chance.” The boss sighed heavily.
Hoo… hoo!
Hoo… hoo!
Suddenly, owl-like calls echoed outside.
“Hm?” Tang Jinbiao’s brow furrowed at the sound.
“Boss! All ready out there!”
“Good. Let’s move. No failures tonight!”
“Understood!”
Thud!
Whoosh… whoosh!
Then Tang Jinbiao heard the window swing open and two figures leap out into the night.
……
About half an hour later, certain they were gone, Tang Jinbiao opened his own window. Nothing stirred below—just the three pale orbs of the Triple Moons hanging above, casting faint light over the darkened sprawl of Chuyun City. Nearby stood a skeletal dead tree, lonely as a specter in the gloom.
“Those two were definitely trouble.” Though the streets seemed empty, Tang Jinbiao thought he glimpsed their fleeting shadows. His frown deepened as mumbled, “That ‘shipment’ they mentioned… likely has something to do with Captain Wang.”
He pieced together their earlier exchange, the indistinct middle part irrelevant.
“Who were they? Why sneak out so late? Sounds like bandits… Meh! None of my rotten business. Sleep!” Head tilted in thought, he dismissed the matter. Shutting the window, he returned to bed…