“In such an environment, optical illusions aren’t entirely impossible.”
“We’ve been walking for so long, without seeing a single soul or even a camel, how could there suddenly be a city?” Zanxing glanced around. “It’s a bit strange.”
Tian Fangfang gripped his Qianyang Axe at his waist. “Could it be a lair of demonic forces?”
“I’ve never heard of demon lairs in the desert,” Men Dong pondered. “This seems too remote.”
Meng Ying looked towards the vaguely discernible city in the distance and calmly said, “Whether it’s a lair of demons or a mirage, we can’t stay here indefinitely. Let’s continue forward. If it’s a mirage, we’ll pass through it and move on. If it’s a lair, we’ll act accordingly. It’s better than aimlessly wandering here.”
“Exactly,” Mu Cengxiao immediately agreed. “If it really is a demon lair, there’s nothing to fear. Disciples of the TaiYan Sect are not afraid of death. It’s also a good opportunity to use their blood to strengthen my God-Slaying Sword.” He spoke confidently, exuding the demeanor of a protagonist. Just as Zanxing was about to applaud him silently, Mu Cengxiao turned to her. “Besides, with your inheritance from Fairy Qinghua, those demonic forces are no match for you. Perhaps you can find the mastermind behind Yin Ying and destroy the evil pearl.”
Zanxing: “…You’re really overestimating me.”
“Junior sister, don’t underestimate yourself,” Meng Ying added. “You were identified by the oracle as the ‘destined one’ who will eventually save countless lives. Those demonic forces fear you the most, it’s destined.”
Zanxing sighed deeply in her heart. Destiny might have cast her into this role to die before reaching two thousand words. Her current actions were defying fate itself, which wasn’t exactly friendly towards her. However, she couldn’t say these thoughts to others.
Gu Baiying frowned, “Are we done talking? Let’s move on. Even if it’s a mirage, some more talk and the illusion will vanish.”
“Senior Uncle, should we continue forward?” Tian Fangfang asked.
Gu Baiying stared at the city in the distance and huffed, “Of course, the stranger it seems, the more we should investigate. Besides,” he shot Tian Fangfang a sideways glance, “do you see any other way out now?”
There was none. Their qi was draining rapidly, and if they continued like this, they would become just like ordinary people. They would grow hungry, tired, and thirsty. Without escaping this desert, they might die of dehydration before anything else.
Proud cultivators, including the sect’s prodigy, stuck and perished in the desert due to getting lost—this would be quite embarrassing if word got out.
The group unanimously decided to head towards the city.
Though it didn’t seem far, after a couple of hours’ walk, they found themselves in a place still devoid of life. The golden sand beneath their feet was soft and dry, unlike the clean, moist gravel near the Western Sea of Li’er Country. It resembled a vast golden marsh, potentially pulling someone into an abyss at any moment.
As they approached the city, the moving figures became clearer, and they could even see spacious, bustling streets with shepherds leading cattle and sheep. Distant noises filled the air, resembling the lively atmosphere of a marketplace.
Would a mirage have such sounds? Zanxing couldn’t recall. Meanwhile, Men Dong was already jumping with excitement.
“It’s not a mirage, it’s real!” The child bounced up, his pink hairbands fluttering more than before. “I see people! This is really a city!”
“It could still be a demon lair,” Zanxing cautioned, pouring cold water on his excitement. “Be careful they don’t catch you.”
“If they catch anyone, it’ll be you first,” Men Dong retorted, puffing his cheeks and glaring at her. “Catch the leader before the underlings. You’re the one with the inheritance, so they’d grab you, the fat lamb, first.”
Zanxing: “…”
Meng Ying said, “We’ve arrived.”
Zanxing looked up at what lay before them.
It was an ancient city.
By ancient, it meant the bricks on the city walls were weathered and covered in thick moss in places, some eroded by wind and rain, as if they had stood for centuries.
The city gate was made of gray stone, thick and wide, with carvings of a woman in a golden silk dress that flowed to the ground. She was barefooted and her long, flowing hair cascaded down her shoulders like waves, her makeup rich, and her eyes captivating. In her left hand, she held a green snake, and in her right hand, a red one. The snakes were cold and mysterious, yet the woman exuded warmth and beauty. Their intertwined forms created a charming and alluring scene that captivated onlookers.
“It’s so beautiful,” Tian Fangfang exclaimed sincerely.
Zanxing retorted, “Is it?” It reminded her of the performances like Madame White Snake from her childhood theater days.
“I think it’s beautiful too,” Men Dong scoffed. “You’re just jealous of her beauty.”
Zanxing: “… Men’s thoughts are always so hard to understand.”
“Look at the characters on the city gate.” Thankfully, Mu Cengxiao remained undistracted by beauty, pointing ahead. “They’re different from usual.”
Above the stone city gate were carvings of various snakes, and in the center, black characters seemed to float in mid-air, prominently displayed. The shape of the characters was unusual, flat and elongated, their dark color adding to their mysterious and eerie appearance.
“Wu Fan…” Meng Ying softly pronounced the characters above. “Wufan City.”
“Wufan City?” Zanxing was momentarily puzzled.
“Do you know anything about Wufan City?” Mu Cengxiao asked her.
“Earlier, I saw it mentioned in a book called Astonishing! 100 Fantastical Stories of the Cultivation World’ in the library,” Zanxing explained. “The guardians of this city… are the Snake Shaman Clan.”
“The Snake Shaman?” Tian Fangfang was astonished. “Isn’t that the same as Yin Li…”
“Yes, the very same Snake Shaman Clan that made a deal with Yin Li. Legend has it that the Snake Shaman people can communicate between the heavenly and human realms, existing outside the three realms. It’s said they guard a city called Wufan City, but no one has ever seen what Wufan City looks like, and it’s never been recorded on any country’s maps,” Zanxing looked towards the direction of the city gate. “So this is Wufan City.”
“Senior uncle,” Meng Ying looked at the silent Gu Baiying. “Should we enter?”
Gu Baiying tightened his grip on his silver spear. “Of course we should enter,” he replied, cautioning, “Follow behind me and stay vigilant.”
The appearance of this legendary city in the desolate desert warranted caution. After all, the fantastical stories never detailed the temperament of the people of Wufan City or any rules or taboos they might have. It was best not to inadvertently provoke any trouble.
As they approached, Zanxing noticed that this legendary city was not much different from an ordinary one. Looking past the city gate, there was a long road flanked by various hotels and vendors, resembling Pingyang Town at first glance. The only difference was perhaps due to the strong winds, as people here wore longer black robes embroidered with intricate and colorful patterns. They wore various colored cloth turbans on their heads and colorful bead necklaces hung from their chests, giving them a simple yet romantic appearance.
At the city gate stood two guards with swords, also dressed in black robes and colorful cloth turbans. Their skin was slightly tanned. Upon seeing Zanxing and her group approaching, they immediately drew their swords and blocked their path, demanding, “Who goes there? How dare you trespass into Wufan City!”
Gu Baiying raised an eyebrow. “Travelers passing through.”
His response was not sincere at all, almost provocative. Seeing this, Mu Cengxiao, stepped forward and said, “We are disciples of the Taiyan Sect from Duzhou. Due to a teleportation array malfunction, we accidentally ended up here. Please allow us to enter the city to rest for the night, and we will leave tomorrow.”
His attitude was much better than Gu Baiying’s just now, but the two guards, upon hearing this, did not relax. They exchanged glances and maintained a stern and cautious tone, “We’ve never heard of this Taiyan Sect. Wufan City does not accommodate outsiders. Leave quickly.”
“How is it possible you’ve never heard of it?” Men Dong exclaimed anxiously, “The Taiyan Sect is led by the only ascended figure in Duzhou, Sage Yushan. Surely you’ve heard of Sage Yushan?”
“I’ve never heard that name,” retorted the other guard coldly. “Don’t make trouble here. Leave quickly, or don’t blame us for being impolite.”
“Oh?” Gu Baiying slammed Xiu Gu into the ground, provokingly staring at the two. “What impolite actions are you planning?”
The tension instantly became palpable.
Tian Fangfang approached Gu Baiying quietly and whispered, “Senior Uncle, please be aware of our current situation. Our qi is significantly depleted now, and there are snake fairy tribes around here. It’s better not to confront them head-on.”
“…It’s the Snake Shaman Clan,” Zanxing corrected him.
“Whether they’re snake shamans or snake fairies, the situation has changed. We shouldn’t provoke them like we did before,” Tian Fangfang reasoned.
Amidst the confrontation, they suddenly heard a voice from behind, tinged with hesitation: “…Big Brother Tian?”
They turned around to see a little girl standing not far from the city gate with a bamboo basket on her back. She appeared to be around thirteen or fourteen years old, dressed in a black shirt and a flower-patterned skirt embroidered with peach-colored flowers. Around her neck hung a silver necklace. Despite her young age, she didn’t wear a headscarf like the adults but instead had a shiny black braid hanging down to her chest. Her skin was slightly dark, and she had almond-shaped eyes, a well-shaped nose, and two shallow dimples on her cheeks, making her quite a charming young girl.
Tian Fangfang was momentarily stunned before tentatively asking, “…Xiao Douzi?”
Upon hearing her name, Xiao Douzi’s eyes lit up. She ran over excitedly, stopping in front of Tian Fangfang with a face full of unexpected joy. “Big Brother Tian, it’s really you!”
“Junior Brother,” Meng Ying frowned, “who is this…”
Tian Fangfang smiled and explained, “She’s my fellow villager who used to bring me steamed buns. Her name is Douniang. But…” He looked at the young girl with some confusion. “Xiao Douzi, what are you doing here?”
“I live in this city now,” Dou Niang replied with a smile. “Senior Brother Tian, are you all trying to enter the city?”
“I…”
“Yes!” Without waiting for Tian Fangfang to finish, Gu Baiying interrupted. He bent down, staring at the young girl, a smirk playing on his lips. “Unfortunately, the guards won’t let us in. What should we do about that?”
*
Xiao is a term used to affectionately refer someone younger.