Dragon's Origin

After Wang Sheng, the old Daoist, and A Qi left the capital, they quickly disappeared from sight. No one dared to easily follow the three of them, especially Lingxu, the old Daoist; following him meant certain death, without exception.

However, now that they knew the trio was heading towards the Shanyue region, there was no need to follow them. They could just go directly to their destination. As for whether they should continue to follow Wang Sheng once they reached the Shanyue region, that question was clearly unnecessary.

Tracking Wang Sheng in the mountains was essentially the same as seeking death. No one would be foolish enough to do that. Anyway, the Shanyue region wasn't as dangerous as the Thousand Absolute Lands, so why not just go into the Shanyue region and investigate themselves? They might even discover something before Wang Sheng and the others.

Even so, there were still some oblivious people on the road causing trouble, although their purpose wasn't to track Wang Sheng and his companions.

The reason was A Qi's incredibly sexy battle suit. This outfit was one of a kind in the world. It was fine when there was no one around, but as soon as there were people, some couldn't help but stare. There was no helping it; people naturally liked beautiful things.

When faced with a beauty like A Qi, some naturally had inappropriate thoughts, so conflicts were inevitable. Then came the conflicts, battles, and deaths. Of course, it wasn't Wang Sheng, A Qi, or the old Daoist who died, but only those who harbored wicked thoughts.

After more than a dozen such overestimating individuals appeared along the way, no one was foolish enough to approach such a trio and throw their lives away. The news had spread that it was Changsheng Gong and Old Lord Guan's Lingxu who had taken action. Forget about getting revenge; they didn't even dare to argue.

The trio enjoyed the peace and quiet. The rest of the journey was free of disturbances, and they smoothly reached the Xia Kingdom. They didn't go through the Xia Kingdom's capital but instead went straight through the country, heading directly for the Shanyue region.

"Just past here is the Shanyue region." After crossing a small river and stepping onto a not-so-high ridge, A Qi looked at the dense jungle ahead and announced the arrival at their destination.

The jungle was very dense, even more so than the Thousand Absolute Lands in some places. Especially the terrain; it was all undulating mountains and hills. The unseen areas were likely the same.

"This side is the forest, and further in is the swamp." A Qi led the two into the forest skillfully, introducing the area as she walked: "Some jungles grow directly in the water. Those are havens for demonic beasts. Even the barbarians don't dare to venture in easily."

"Let's go check out the nearest barbarian tribe." Wang Sheng's words determined their next destination. A Qi had no objections. She directly identified the direction and took the lead with a machete.

Whether it was Wang Sheng or the old Daoist Lingxu, they were both very skilled in the Nine Syllable Incantation, making it easy to keep all kinds of snakes, insects, rats, and ants away from the area they passed through. A Qi obviously knew this, so she enjoyed the undisturbed path clearing with peace of mind, without even needing to be vigilant about the surroundings. Wang Sheng and Lingxu took care of everything.

At least ten miles away from a habitable valley, Wang Sheng, A Qi, and the old Daoist Lingxu stood on the topmost branch of the tallest tree on a mountain peak. Wang Sheng held a scope and was carefully observing the barbarian tribe.

Logically, the scope's magnification could only support Wang Sheng seeing up to 2,500 meters, but Wang Sheng's vision had been enhanced, allowing him to clearly see the valley ten miles away. At this distance, Wang Sheng could observe without any worries about being discovered by anyone in the valley.

The valley was large enough for several thousand people to live in, or rather, it shouldn't be called a valley but a flat area surrounded by several mountains. The environment was surprisingly good, and there was a river flowing through one side, enough to guarantee the survival of these thousands of people.

In Wang Sheng's view, these barbarians had far surpassed the stage of drinking blood and eating raw meat. They were no longer as uncivilized as Lingxu and A Qi described. At least in Wang Sheng's scope, the barbarians were wearing not only fur but also some cloth, and even ready-made clothes.

The tools they used were no longer the crude tools of tree trunks and stones they had mentioned. At least Wang Sheng saw exquisite knives and bows and arrows.

"The people from Baoqing Yu Tang have been here," Wang Sheng said with certainty after putting down the scope.

The old Daoist Lingxu half-closed his eyes, seemingly resting, while A Qi's gaze was fixed on the scope, as if a small hand in her eyes wanted to see what was inside.

Wang Sheng smiled, handed the scope to A Qi, and taught her how to use it while holding her small hand. Even so, when A Qi saw the distant scenery through the scope, her hand trembled, and she almost dropped the scope on the ground. Fortunately, Wang Sheng had anticipated this and caught it, handing it back to A Qi.

Lingxu had played with the scope when Wang Sheng built the heavy sniper crossbow and wasn't curious at all. However, he was curious as to why Wang Sheng said that.

"Did you see someone from Baoqing Yu Tang?" the old Daoist asked, puzzled. "Why do you say that?"

"I saw something from Baoqing Yu Tang," Wang Sheng replied with a smile.

Seeing those things, Wang Sheng was thoughtful. After the old Daoist also looked through the scope for a long time and returned it, he asked, "Didn't the Xia family ever think about conquering these barbarians before?"

"How could they not?" A Qi curled her lips and replied, "They tried it hundreds of years ago, and many people died, but they gained nothing. Did you really see something from Baoqing Yu Tang?"

A Qi and Lingxu's eyesight wasn't good enough to support them seeing those things clearly through the scope ten miles away, so they asked curiously.

"What methods did the Xia family use?" Wang Sheng asked again.

"What else could they use?" A Qi looked at Wang Sheng, asking puzzledly, "Killing! Is there any other way?"

The old Daoist Lingxu was equally puzzled, looking at Wang Sheng as if waiting for Wang Sheng to answer.

"No wonder Baoqing Yu Tang took advantage of the situation," Wang Sheng sighed. Sure enough, these self-proclaimed superior people were the real barbarians. When conquering a group of barbarians, they only knew how to kill. Didn't they know there was another method called economic warfare?

Explaining it to A Qi and Lingxu now, they probably wouldn't understand, so Wang Sheng simply didn't explain and just picked up the scope again to look at the valley.

Looking at those tools and weapons that the old Daoist confidently said they were drinking blood and eating raw meat when he was young, Wang Sheng realized that Baoqing Yu Tang might really have created a big news this time.