Loyal Heart Roaming the Skies

Book 2: Chapter 1: The old friend has long departed

On the surface of the Qingjiang River, a large boat was sailing through the waves.

The part of the boat that was in contact with the water was filled with many fin-like objects flipping up and down.

This was the Hundred Fin Boat created by the Mo Family's mechanical techniques, imitating the fins of fish to assist in swimming.

About ten men were pedaling water wheels in the bottom compartment to propel these "fins" and accelerate the boat's movement.

Of course, it would be faster without using manpower. Just put the Dao Yuan Stone into the boat formation carved by the Mo Family cultivators.

But obviously, it was cheaper to use manpower.

This large boat could carry two hundred people, which was considered good in the entire Zhuang Nation's waters. It belonged to the government, but it also operated passenger and cargo transportation businesses.

Du Yehu was on this Hundred Fin Boat.

Fenglin City was located in the northeast of Zhuang Nation, while Jiuyang City was in the west. It was most convenient to take a boat through the Qingjiang River.

The military control was strict. He finally got a long vacation and drank a jar of strong wine on the boat, then fell asleep with his head covered. He just woke up now and came out to enjoy the river breeze.

It was already the cold winter of the twelfth lunar month, but because New Year's Eve was approaching, the people on the boat were still lively.

During this time of year, it was highly likely that the people on this boat were travelers from the three cities of Wangjiang, Fenglin, and Sanshan.

Du Yehu approached the crowd and listened quietly for a while, but couldn't hear the accent of Fenglin City. He couldn't help but feel bored and turned back to his cabin alone.

Not long after, he came out carrying large and small bags and got off the boat during a brief stop.

There was still a stretch of waterway from here to Wangjiang City, so he was the only one getting off the boat.

It was so cold, and the Qingjiang River might freeze. It should be more convenient to take the land route.

These things were all told by the captain in the military, who claimed to have traveled all over the mountains and rivers of Zhuang Nation. It was very useful.

The large and small bags were all carefully prepared gifts, including specialties from Daishan County (except for ferocious beasts, Jiuyang City itself didn't have any specialties), spoils of war from the battlefield, and some good things specially supplied to Jiuyang Xuanjia.

In short, Du Yehu guaranteed that those few country bumpkins would be delighted. His little sister An'an would definitely grab his beard and give him a big kiss.

Both hands were full, and from a distance, he looked like a moving shelf. But Du Yehu didn't feel tired at all.

For many years, he had spent the New Year with Linghe, Jiang Wang, Fang Pengju, and Zhao Rucheng.

He and Linghe had no family, and Jiang Wang only went back to Fengxi Town briefly. Fang Pengju didn't like staying in the clan, and Zhao Rucheng rarely went home.

So they were always together.

This year, Fang Pengju was missing, but Jiang An'an was added.

Thinking of Jiang An'an's cute little face, Du Yehu couldn't help but grin.

His blood relatives were all gone, and Jiang Wang and the others were his true brothers. Jiang An'an was his true little sister.

He worked hard in Jiuyang Xuanjia, just to show off in front of his brothers and receive the adoring gaze of his little sister.

When he left, he made an appointment with Jiang Wang to compare the speed of cultivation in the Four Spirit Body Refining Technique.

Now that he had found a way to cultivate the ancient martial arts Qi and Blood Meridians, and had mastered the Four Spirit Body Refining Technique, it was time to let his third brother know who the real big brother was.

Du Yehu moved forward quickly, and the closer he got to home, the faster his footsteps became.

He took big strides and ran on the road, his heart rushing like an arrow.

"Stop!"

When he was still some distance away from Fenglin City, a group of soldiers stopped him.

"What's the matter?" Du Yehu stopped and asked unhappily, revealing the military badge of Jiuyang Xuanjia on his waist.

The soldiers looked at the large and small bags on him and probably understood what he was here for. They couldn't help but show sympathy.

"Sir, you probably left the camp early and happened to miss the notification." The soldier said cautiously, "The evil cult White Bone Sect is causing trouble here, sacrificing the entire Fenglin City to welcome the descent of the evil god. Although the conspiracy was exposed by the Dean of the Fenglin City Dao Academy, Dong A, and even alarmed the Prime Minister to come and exterminate the ringleader, the entire Fenglin City has already fallen into the netherworld. No outsiders are allowed to enter."

Bang! Bang!

With Du Yehu's strength, he couldn't hold onto the packages for a while, and let the large and small bags fall to the ground.

"...What about the people in the city?" He asked tremblingly.

The soldiers sighed, "They're all gone..."

Crack!

Du Yehu was startled by the sound and came back to his senses. He realized that he had unintentionally stepped into the ground and sank a few inches.

He pulled his foot out and heard a wailing sound next to him.

"Gone, all gone! Everything is gone!"

Du Yehu followed the sound and saw a man with a package crying on the ground, his voice already hoarse.

He cried for a while, but he was too exhausted and stopped for a while, then started wailing again after a while.

Judging from his appearance, he should also be a villager returning to Fenglin City. He was stopped on his way home.

"Dong A, Dong A! Dong A is our dean!" Du Yehu suddenly seemed to have caught something and asked excitedly, "Since Dean Dong has exposed the conspiracy of the evil cult, the cultivators in the city should have escaped, right?"

The soldier apologized, "Except for Dean Dong, including the teaching students, none of them survived."

Du Yehu sat on the ground, grabbed his hair forcefully.

"It can't be, it can't be."

He was in a daze, muttering to himself.

"Big brother, don't you have great wisdom?"

"Third brother, aren't you better at fighting than me?"

"Little fifth, aren't you smarter than me?"

"Why is everything gone? Why is everything gone?"

Muttering to himself, he shouted, "You three big men, how could you not take care of An'an!"He had been muttering to himself for a while, then suddenly stood up, gathered the gifts he had brought, and bundled them into a pile. Without looking back, he rushed towards the direction of Maple Forest City.

"Sir, you can't go there!"

The soldier reached out to stop him, but Du Yehu had already leapt away in a few bounds.

"Let him go." The soldier next to him sighed, "He can't enter the land of the underworld anyway, it's good enough for him to take a distant look."

......

According to the soldiers who later recalled the blockade of the outskirts of Maple Forest City, the entire city had been quiet since it fell into the underworld.

Only around that New Year's Eve, for some unknown reason.

There were cries of despair like the roar of a trapped beast, which lasted for three days.

......

......

The journey was long and the mountains were high. Jiang Anan fell asleep and woke up again on her brother's back.

They traveled during the day and cultivated at night, sometimes in caves, sometimes in trees.

They had to endure the wind and dew, and could only eat some wild fruits to stave off hunger along the way.

But she was very sensible and never complained once.

She knew that her brother would only be more tired and more exhausted.

Several times she wanted to walk by herself, but Jiang Wang wouldn't allow it.

The sky was gradually darkening, and it was time to rest again.

Jiang Anan loved the night, not only because of the stars, but also because her brother could finally stop and talk to her.

After leaving Maple Forest City, her brother spoke much less.

Based on previous experience, her brother should find a cave at this time, then light a bonfire, and let her rest in his arms.

But tonight, Jiang Wang carried her all the way up the mountain, all the way to the top.

The cold wind on the mountaintop made her little face red. Her body was fine, wrapped in animal skins, it was very warm.

Jiang Wang put her down from his back and held her little hand.

The siblings looked around from the top of the mountain, only to see sparse stars and peaceful wilderness. The distant mountains were hidden in the night, stretching out at their feet.

"Brother, why did we come here?" Jiang Anan asked.

"Tonight is New Year's Eve."

Jiang Wang asked in a gentle voice, "Anan, do you want to see fireworks?"

"Yes!" Jiang Anan immediately answered, but soon shook her head, "Anan doesn't want to......"

Perhaps she also knew that it was not like when they were in Maple Forest City. In the wilderness, where could they find fireworks? She knew that no matter what she wanted, her brother would do his best to get it for her, so she was reluctant to ask for too much.

Jiang Wang squeezed her little hand and said in a hoarse voice, "Look."

He let go of Jiang Anan, and flicked his finger into the air.

A flower of fire flew to the highest point and bloomed brilliantly.

His fingers moved continuously, and one after another, the fire flowers bloomed in the night sky.

Exploding into a sky full of stars.

Like the stars in the sky, falling into the human world.

Each point of starlight was like a departed person.

Although the body and soul were gone, the light remained forever.

This was New Year's Eve in the year 3917 of the Dao Calendar.

On the top of an unnamed mountain, Jiang Wang set off half a night of fireworks for his sister.

......

......

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