FRGNM -Chapter 263 Get Out of Here

“Clang!” An iron hammer slammed down, but the man in front quickly realized—no matter how fast he swung, Silver Wolf always found a gap to slip through. Seeing Luo Mingyu dodge as well, his heart sank. He bellowed in anger: “Speak! Who exactly are you? If you’re here for us, then get out!”

“You mean us?” Luo Mingyu frowned. “We’re just here looking for something. We don’t intend to harm anyone.”

“Words? Who’d believe that? Central Plains people are cunning. Everyone, charge together! Take them down and bring them back for soup!” The men on horseback leapt forward, pulling their reins and colliding toward Luo Mingyu’s direction.

They were fast—but Luo Mingyu was faster. His graceful figure flashed like lightning through the crowd. No matter their speed, he was always faster, brushing past the swinging hammers effortlessly, standing calmly on the ground with his eyebrows slightly arched. “Let’s go!”

With a flick of his right hand, all the attackers vanished. Those watching couldn’t help but go pale. This… this was clearly the skill of a Dou Qi master. Could it be that a Dou Qi master from another country had been sent here? They had no chance of confronting one.

“What do we do?”

“Quick! Return and report this. Warn everyone about the recent Central Plains intruders—they’re not to be eaten!”

“A Dou Qi master! Everyone prepare defenses! We cannot let them attack!”

Were they just bandits?

Watching the mysterious figures vanish, the few who had appeared from thin air were speechless. Even Luo Mingyu felt frustrated, the light in his black eyes flickering. Here, he couldn’t even lead them out safely.

He reached out and dissolved the barrier. Silver Wolf exhaled in relief. “What a dangerous place… such strange people. Luckily, the barrier still works. Otherwise, I think we’d all be done for today.”

“Enough chatter. We’ll just follow one of their groups for now, but we need to find where they live,” Qingyi said softly. They were completely unfamiliar with the area. Originally, they intended to ask someone about the location of the purple bamboo, but with a bunch of barbarians around, that seemed unnecessary.

Silver Wolf pouted, quickly moving next to Ling Ruoxi. “Ruoxi… are we really going to listen to Old Qingyi, follow them, and hand ourselves over to be eaten?”

“Of course not.” Ling Ruoxi stepped forward and quickly unfolded the Demon-Slaying Zither. Pressing her hands on the strings, she plucked sharply. A high-pitched note reverberated through the space, causing the ground itself to tremble.

Focusing her intent, a faint smile appeared at the corner of her lips. She pointed ahead. “We go in that direction.”

“Oh? When did you get this ability? So cool—just playing the zither and you can locate the purple bamboo?” Qingyi asked, puzzled, tapping the ground. He sensed nothing.

Ling Ruoxi retracted the zither and whispered, “This area is saturated with purple bamboo energy. That means the bamboo is here. Like other guqin instruments, the Demon-Slaying Zither can only transmit sound for a limited distance, which doesn’t affect the bamboo from afar. But here, the bamboo’s aura can feel it. It instinctively reacts to the zither’s power. Just now, the purple bamboo’s energy shifted slightly and retreated in that direction—that’s where it is.”

Sparse tents were pitched together like a small tribal village. The cattle and sheep were already penned, while a bonfire burned outside, roasting the finest livestock.

The aroma wafted through the air—pure, not greasy like magical beasts, but with a fresh, grassy flavor.

Around the dry grass and shrubs, the livestock weren’t very fat. The women worked to cut grass and feed the animals.

“They’re back! They’re back!” A woman outside the tents called, pointing at figures racing across the horizon. When the men returned, they brought food, clothing, and other goods. But today, the harvest didn’t seem abundant.

Dismounting swiftly, a man frowned. “Miya, have everyone pack up. We leave immediately.”

“Why? Koda… we just arrived. Are we moving already?” Miya paused, unable to accept the sudden reality.

Koda nodded quickly, stepping past her toward the tents. “A Dou Qi master has entered. Probably sent by another country. If we don’t leave now, we’ll all be killed!”

“A Dou Qi master? My God! What would a Dou Qi master do here? We have nothing… do they want to rob us?” Miya panicked, peering outside.

The sky had darkened. The last rays of sunlight faded, leaving endless darkness that enveloped them.

Koda’s face was grim. He punched a wooden post, muttering, “I don’t know… the news just came in. All the tribes are moving. We must hurry too.”

“News? So you haven’t actually seen a Dou Qi master? Koda, what if Muhan lied? Should we really move?” Miya frowned, blocking his path.

Koda untied the livestock from the pen. “Even though Muhan is our enemy, this isn’t the time to argue. If a Dou Qi master really is here, we’re done. We must go now.”

“Miya… hey, look over there!” She stomped her foot, instinctively clutching Koda’s sleeve as her eyes widened.

Koda’s expression turned cold. He grabbed the large knife by his side, staring intently ahead.

“Talking about the wolf’s nose being the best… clearly even a dog is better. Next time, call you Dog King. The person was only a li away, and you lost him?” Qingyi smacked Silver Wolf on the head, nearly laughing.

Finally, they had spotted a trail toward the purple bamboo. But Silver Wolf, claiming his nose was the best in the world, had lost the trail at the first bend.

Hanging his head, Silver Wolf patted his nose. “Don’t blame me! My nose is great, but this place limits us. Dou Qi isn’t very useful here. I’m not a dog, so my nose isn’t perfect. Hey, look! People from the southern barbarian lands!”

“We already saw them. Why else would we lead you this way? Stay put!” Qingyi snapped, watching the men from the tribe step out to protect the women behind them, weapons ready.

This group was unfamiliar, and probably didn’t know who they were.

Ling Ruoxi tapped her chin. “Don’t act yet. Observe first.”

“Who are you!” About a hundred meters away, Koda stepped forward, shouting angrily. Holding his knife ready, he dared anyone to come closer.

Ling Ruoxi stepped forward with a calm smile. “Don’t worry. We’re just lost. We’re merchants from Duanyun, passing through here and got turned around. We’ve been walking for days. Thankfully, there’s some grass and water to survive. Are you the local herders?”

Her voice was magnetic, her gentle smile exuded pure innocence, with no hidden motives.

Duanyun? Koda lowered his knife. Though they rarely traveled, they had heard of the powerful kingdom of Duanyun. Merchants often came here, and even they could get lost. Travelers usually went in groups, leaving markers along the way. Outsiders often wandered for days.

Miya exhaled in relief. “Since you’re guests, please come in and sit.”

“Thank you,” Ling Ruoxi replied softly, giving a subtle signal to the three behind her.

East Yang Ze had said the locals were violent cannibals—but these people seemed ordinary. Was the news wrong?

Inside the tents, stacked with food and bedding, Koda’s tent was prepared with tables, chairs, and cushions.

“Are you really from Duanyun?” Koda asked, raising an eyebrow as he brought out homemade alcohol, brewed from barley-like grains. It was low in alcohol, similar to rice wine.

Even so, Ling Ruoxi didn’t dare drink—it would be humiliating if she did.

Qingyi nodded, sipping the drink. “Yes, we were with a trade caravan returning to Duanyun. The four of us were planning our next sales, but we got separated and ended up here. We tried to return the way we came but couldn’t. We survived by eating roots and drinking dew. It took several days to find you. Are you the only people here?”

“Of course not. There are several tribes here; we’re just one,” Miya said, smiling. She quickly served milk tea and the roasted livestock. “You haven’t had proper food for days. Eat more.”

“Wow, amazing! I’ve never eaten anything this good, thank you!” Silver Wolf was already captivated by the aroma, grabbing the food eagerly.

Miya shook her head, amused and a bit protective. “Slow down, there’s more.”

“So, this tribe we’re in now is your tribe? But earlier, we saw you preparing to leave. Why’s that?” Ling Ruoxi asked, frowning, not rushing to eat.