Chapter 687: Dahuang Swamp

Calmly and idly, Chu Liuyue listened to their conversation. From the sound of it, nothing major had happened at Dahuang Swamp in the past two years. Then again, it was only natural that the situation was much more stable now since Black Guards were stationed there.

But as those Black Guards were just responsible for guarding the place, it was more convenient for Shangguan Wan to bring a few of her own men since she was there to look for a few herbs and the legendary fiend’s blood.

…

As this was Shangguan Wan’s first time going to Dahuang Swamp, she made sure to listen carefully to Mu Qinghe’s every word and keep them in mind. By listening to what Mu Qinghe had to say now, she could gain some confidence when she was there later. Actually, she had no interest in going to such a dangerous and remote place. If it weren’t because she had to find a suitable place to execute her plan, she might not ever set foot in this piece of land.

As the Tianling Dynasty’s Third Princess, the rumored rare treasures and legacies held no interest to her. Besides, she would be ascending the throne in a few months. The entire Tianling Dynasty would be hers by then, so there wasn’t a need for her to risk her life by going to Dahuang Swamp.

Not only was it dangerous, but there also were no promises that one could find any treasures.

“That’s the general situation of Dahuang Swamp. Feel free to ask questions if there’s anything you don’t understand. I—as your lieutenant—will definitely tell you everything I know.” Mu Qinghe changed the way he addressed himself after putting on his armor to lead the army.

Shangguan Wan smiled. “I got it. Thank you, Lieutenant Mu. This trip would’ve been dangerous without you.”

Mu Qinghe lowered his head. “You flatter me. This is what I should do.”

“No need to be modest. We might have to trouble you further once we arrive at Dahuang Swamp. Don’t you agree, Yucheng?” As Shangguan Wan spoke, she looked at Jiang Yucheng, who was standing next to her.

But Jiang Yucheng was deep in thought, so he didn’t catch what she was saying.

“Yucheng? Yucheng?”

Only then did Jiang Yucheng snap back to his senses and look up.

“What’s wrong?” Shangguan Wan furrowed her eyebrows when she saw him seemingly waking up from a trance. For some reason, he seems distracted during the entire journey. What Mu Qinghe said earlier is really important, yet he didn’t listen to him at all? If I remember correctly, he’s never been to Dahuang Swamp either. Someone as cautious as him ought to be very concerned about the situation there. It’s strange that he seems so distracted…

“Did you not hear what Lieutenant Mu said earlier?”

Jiang Yucheng let out a cough before he adjusted his clothes. “Oh, he’s briefed me about it.”

Shangguan Wan was skeptical though. As his subordinate, it makes sense that Mu Qinghe would tell him about Dahuang Swamp’s situation in advance, but… Something is off about him today.

“Are you okay, Yucheng? Did you overwork yourself in the past few days?” Concern surfaced in her eyes. He’s been looking for the person who almost assassinated him lately. Did he overwork himself because of this?

Jiang Yucheng’s gaze shifted slightly, but he neither denied nor admitted it. “A little, I guess. But I’ve left those matters to Sun Qi and the others to settle.”

Given his current status, it’s inevitable that he feels disgraced since he couldn’t find the person who attempted to assassinate him after so many days. Shangguan Wan thought her guess was right as she studied his expression. “Don’t worry. Sun Qi has always handled things well.”

Jiang Yucheng smiled and nodded. He then silently glanced at the back before quickly retracting his gaze.

After a while, he suddenly asked, “If my memory serves me right, Mu Hongyu possesses the Faint Yuan Body, right?”

Mu Qinghe nodded.

“What’s wrong? Why did you mention her out of the blue?” asked Shangguan Wan out of puzzlement.

“It’s nothing, actually. I heard the others talking about her when we came earlier, so I got a little curious… After all, such a physique hasn’t appeared in a millennium. I hear that people with this physique can travel through space at will?”

“That’s right. Yu Xiang Hall went through a lot of trouble catching her back then. If her physique wasn’t so rare, how could Jian Fengchi possibly bear to spend six million white crystals on her?” Even though Shangguan Wan spent most of her time in the palace, she knew everything that happened outside. In fact, she couldn’t resist sneaking glances at Mu Hongyu when she saw her earlier. But other than the latter’s delicate appearance and cheerful disposition, she couldn’t see anything special about her.

“I didn’t expect Dragon Teeth Mountain’s clan master to take her as his disciple though…” commented Shangguan Wan calmly. Although I look down on slaves, Jian Shuye doesn’t seem to care about such things. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have insisted on marrying that woman of ordinary status back then. Speaking of which, Jian Shuye and Jian Fengchi are considered Mu Hongyu’s benefactors.

“She appears to be on close terms with Chu Liuyue though?” said Shangguan Wan with a slight frown.

Mu Qinghe explained, “Mu Hongyu is actually from Country Yao Chen. Chu Liuyue and her were from the same school.”

“No wonder.” Shangguan Wan nodded in understanding, but inwardly, her detest for Mu Hongyu and Chu Liuyue increased.

Meanwhile, Jiang Yucheng cast a meaningful look at Mu Hongyu. Could she be the one who broke into the zither room and stole the zither that day?

…

After some time, a hint of light finally appeared in the darkness.

“We’re here!” said Mu Qinghe in his deep voice.

Everyone started to quiet down out of nervousness.

The light in front of them quickly spread to reveal an exit ahead.

The Black Guards in the lead were the first to come out, followed by Shangguan Wan and the rest.

Ye Ranran was a little worried and excited at the same time. “Are we at Dahuang Swamp already?”

Chu Liuyue was about to say, ‘not yet,’ but she swallowed the words down upon catching herself in the nick of time.

They followed everyone else outside.

…

After experiencing a powerful suppression, they finally saw the bright sky.

Chu Liuyue felt a little dizzy as her feet stepped on solid ground. She closed her eyes for a moment and waited for her eyes to adjust to the light before opening them again.

In front of her was a vast and boundless desert with blinding gold sand and undulating sand hills, where the blazing heat made everything seem a little distorted.

Marvels and exclamations could be heard. “So this is Dahuang Swamp…”

“We’re only at the edge of the western border. We have to go further inside to get to Dahuang Swamp,” said Mu Qinghe.

While the person who spoke earlier let out an awkward cough, many people were surprised to hear what Mu Qinghe said. We’re not there yet? Then, what does the real Dahuang Swamp look like?

Mu Qinghe then made a hand gesture and ordered, “Open, Team One!”

The 500 Black Guards in front immediately turned around and marched to the side, stopping only about 500 steps away from the transportation formation. As they let out a cry, they lifted their hands in unison.

Golden sand flew into the air to reveal a huge transportation formation underneath it.

Chu Liuyue’s eyebrows rose slightly. Oh? The transportation formation I set up is still here.

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