The night was getting darker, but the night in Ruian City had a different feel to it.
However, the peddlers on the street didn't close their stalls. They were still selling delicious food. There were martial arts performances, cockfights, and dog fights on the street. There was even a opera house that sang all night. Although there weren't as many people on the street as before, there were still a lot of people. Most of them were adult men and old women.
The young women and children had already gone home to sleep.
Tang Yong and the others did not leave the city through the bustling market. Instead, they chose a more deserted West Gate. This gate was backed by the government office and next to it was Official Li's mansion. They would not disturb the people if they left from here.
The group quietly set out from the West Gate and then ran all the way to the Peach Blossom Village. Countless Longma horses stomped on the ground and made a rumbling sound.
Tang Yong thought to himself. Although they tried not to disturb the people in the city, the people were not fools. How could they not hear such loud hoofbeats?
When the sun rose the next day, they would see that many of the city's guards were missing. Even a fool would know that something big had happened.
However, whatever happened in the city now had nothing to do with them.
They were moving forward in the incomparably dark forest.
To be honest, with Official Zhao following them, their speed was comparable to during the day. As soon as he released his Martial King aura, no matter what kind of demon beast they encountered, they would all run away. Their journey was unimpeded, making Tang Yong feel like he was racing on the highway.
For this trip, Li Jianying brought a hundred soldiers with him. All of them were Martial Masters and above. In addition to the Silver Armored Cavalry and Tang Yong, there were about two hundred people in the group. Although the number was small, they were the elites of the Han Tang.
In fact, if they relaxed their standards, they could have recruited an army of a few thousand people. However, Li Jianying and the Third Prince discussed and gave up on this idea.
A dragon was at least a Martial King expert, and a Demonic Beast that could fight with a dragon would not be too weak. If these two Demonic Beast Kings were to fight together, bringing these beginner warriors would only be a burden. It would be better to bring fewer elites.
With Zhang Xiu leading the way, the group did not rest at all. They quickly rushed to the Peach Blossom Village.
Taoxi Village was located on the east road of Shangyuan Prefecture. If one were to walk there, it would take three to five days. However, Longma's legs were strong and it would only take half a day's time to run at full speed.
The morning sun had just risen, and a thick white fog drifted through the mountain forest. The lush green trees were shrouded in the white fog, and the smell of wild grass and mud wafted into their nostrils. It was a little refreshing, but also a little moist. Their clothes had long been soaked by the morning dew, clinging tightly to their bodies. Fortunately, after reaching the Martial Master realm, a person's body was incomparably strong, and they would not fall sick easily. Thus, even though they felt a little uncomfortable, they were not affected by the terrible weather.
Li Jianying looked at the hazy fog in front of him, then turned to Zhang Xiu and asked, "How much farther?"
Zhang Xiu was only a weak scholar, but he had walked the road from Shangyuan Prefecture to Taoxi Village for many years. He could almost go home with his eyes closed. Therefore, although there was a thick fog in front of him, it did not hinder his ability to recognize the road.
He lowered his head to look at the wildflowers on the side of the road and the sandy road under his feet. He pondered for a moment and said, "We will arrive in about the time it takes to brew a cup of tea."
Hearing him say this, the group, who had been somewhat relaxed, suddenly tensed up. Li Jianying's eyes were like lightning as he looked at the thick fog. He saw a golden light shoot out from his eyes and shoot into the distance.
After a moment, Li Jianying closed his eyes and said, "I see it. It's right in front of us!
After entering the village, everyone should be careful. There are many river demons in the village. "
River demons?
Tang Yong looked at Liu Neng in confusion. Liu Neng explained in a low voice, "Not only are there demon beasts in the Dense Fog Forest, there are also water demons in some rivers, lakes, and seas. Shangyuan Prefecture is close to Yongjiang, and Yongjiang is the largest river in the Han Tang. Naturally, there will be no lack of river demons. However, you don't have to worry. These river demons are all fish, prawns, and crabs that have turned into spirits. They can't leave the water and can only display their might near the river bank. They can't enter the city at all."
"What about the fishing villages by the river?" Tang Yong asked.
Unexpectedly, Liu Neng's face darkened. He sighed and said, "The most tragic ones are these fishing villages. They rely on fishing for a living and are often the target of these river demons. When the river demons pass by, the entire village will be wiped out. Sigh, fortunately, this year's Shangyuan Prefecture is under Lord Li's jurisdiction. If those river demons come ashore and kill humans, Lord Li will go into the river and kill a hundred times more to take revenge."
As Liu Neng spoke, a look of admiration appeared in his eyes. If the Han Tang were all good officials like Lord Li, the Han Tang wouldn't have fallen to such a state.
Tang Yong frowned when he heard this. Although killing ten times the number of demon beasts would be revenge, it would be useless. Demon beasts reproduced quickly, while humans grew slowly. Even if a hundred demon beasts were killed, it would be difficult to make up for the difference.
Therefore, Li Jianying's method was only a last resort.
Although the Han Tang had a large area and a large population, it was only a drop in the ocean compared to the demon beasts in its territory. Tang Yong now dared to predict that if the human population didn't explode, then in a few years, the demon beast tide would sweep through the entire Tang Yong's territory.
Of course, this was a matter of a few years. By that time, Tang Yong might not even be in the Han Tang. After all, the number of people he cared about in the Han Tang was limited. He didn't want to risk his life to warn these people.
Just as Tang Yong's thoughts were in a mess, the group had already carefully entered the Peach Blossom Village.
At the entrance of Peach Blossom Village, there was a huge bluestone lying in front of a peach tree. On the bluestone, there was a quaint word "Peach Blossom" written on it.
At this time, the thick fog had faded a lot. The group could now see about a hundred meters away. Tang Yong's vision was five times better than theirs. He could see about five hundred meters away. In the eyes of the others, they could only see the vague outline of the house.
Tang Yong could clearly see that the house had been smashed into pieces. Only the frame of the house was left. It was crooked, as if it would be blown away by the wind at any time. Of course, in addition to these empty houses, Tang Yong also saw a bloody and cruel scene.
The ground was littered with severed limbs and corpses with missing arms and legs. There were old people, women, and even children who were one month old.
Two Demonic Frogs were biting the child's head, and the other was biting the child's leg. They were tearing at each other, and neither side was willing to give way to the other. The child's body was not yet purple, and the blood was still bright red. It should have just died. His young face was still wailing, but his eyes had lost their light.
Puchi!
The two Demonic Frogs tore the child's body in half and began to chew on it.
The bloody and cruel scene made Tang Yong's eyes red with anger.