Braised Dragon with Soy Sauce

Chapter 195 Accidentally Entering the Kingdom of Zhenglan

Using the moonlight, Mo Yuming and his companions surveyed their surroundings. They found themselves atop an unfamiliar cliff, surrounded by complete darkness except for the indistinct outlines of mountain peaks. They were unsure which way to go. Ah Hao, using the fluorite in his hand, discovered numerous tracks of wild animals, but no signs of human activity, concluding that they were in a remote, untouched mountain range.

Mo Yuming used the starlight to determine his direction and decided to head east. He knew from the map of Zhongyuan City that Black Dragon Village was located southeast of Zhongyuan City, which was in the same direction as Shangyuan City. So as long as he didn't go too far, no matter where he was, he could get closer and closer to Shangyuan City by heading east.

Fortunately, this wasn't the Monster Mountain Range. Even though there were many monsters, the vast majority posed no threat to Mo Yuming and his companions. Monsters have a strong sense of smell, and if they detect an opponent they can't handle, they'll immediately flee. To avoid being affected by the monsters, Mo Yuming intentionally or unintentionally released his aura of peak Earth Rank strength as he traveled, scaring away the monsters around him.

After crossing several mountains, the three finally saw a mountain path, and at a bend in the path, they found a small village. It was already early morning, and the sky was beginning to lighten. Some villagers were already up and out working. Ah Hao hurried to ask for directions and learned that they were now within the territory of Zheng Lan Kingdom. It was more than two hundred li to the border crossing to Shangyuan City, and more than one hundred li to the border crossing to Zhongyuan City.

The three were now in a dilemma. Returning by the same route would take another six or seven hours. Taking the pipe would allow them to buy horses and travel, but the problem was that none of them were from Zheng Lan Kingdom and they did not have travel documents. This would cause trouble when they left the country. Moreover, Commander Yu was a soldier, and his sudden appearance in Zheng Lan Kingdom in military uniform would inevitably cause unnecessary trouble if he were discovered.

Mo Yuming was fine; he could recover his strength after cultivating the Witch Clan's mental technique for a quarter of an hour. But the two of them couldn't. Yu Tuanwei was a little better off, having already reached the third level of the Earth Rank, so although he was tired, it didn't affect him much. But Ahao was in a different situation; he was only at the third level of the Human Rank, and after walking for six or seven hours without rest, he was almost exhausted. So Mo Yuming used his soul tablet to contact Jiang Yuheng and Huang Xiaoxiao, asking if there were any secret contact points of the Great Xia Empire nearby.

When Jiang Yuheng and his companions learned that Mo Yuming had inadvertently wandered into the Zhenglan Kingdom, they were greatly surprised. They quickly consulted a map and, after comparison, told Mo Yuming that there was a border city of the Zhenglan Kingdom called Jingzhou, located thirty miles away. Jingzhou was one of the nine provinces of the Zhenglan Kingdom, and there was a restaurant called Fuyuan Restaurant there. They suggested that Mo Yuming go there to rest for a while.

So Mo Yuming bought some local clothes from the villagers, and the three of them changed into ordinary people's clothes before heading towards Jingzhou City. An hour later, the three arrived at Fuyuan Restaurant in Jingzhou City. After contacting the manager, the manager personally accompanied Mo Yuming and the others to a secret room on the top floor to rest. After Mo Yuming explained the situation to the manager, the manager immediately took his leave.

After washing up and eating the food brought by the waiter, Ah Hao and Yu Tuanwei each found a room to rest. Mo Yuming also entered the secret chamber to begin cultivating the Witch Clan's mental cultivation method. An hour later, Mo Yuming left his room and went to the lobby of the restaurant. He found a quiet spot to sit down, and the waiter immediately brewed a pot of fragrant tea and brought it over.

This was Mo Yuming's first visit to Zhenglan Kingdom. Although it was very close to Dachi Kingdom, the two countries had very different customs and traditions. Dachi Kingdom was mainly based on mining and animal husbandry, and as it was the main production area of ​​Chiyun Horses, the people of Dachi Kingdom were more rugged and fierce, and their clothing tended to be red, hence the name Dachi Kingdom. Zhenglan Kingdom, on the other hand, was mostly hilly and had lakes, and its main industries were grain crops and fishing. Therefore, the people of Zhenglan Kingdom were more honest and simple than those of Dachi Kingdom, and their clothing and accessories tended to be more blue.

But these are merely minor differences in the lives of most ordinary people. As for those tyrannical thugs and bullies, they are the same everywhere they go.

Sure enough, not long after Mo Yuming sat down, a group of people walked in through the shop entrance. It wasn't mealtime, so there weren't many customers in the shop. In the spacious hall, only Mo Yuming and two or three other tables of customers were drinking tea and chatting.

The leader was a young man dressed in a blue and white brocade robe. The robe was made of high-quality material and was exquisitely crafted, clearly indicating that it was expensive. In addition, his belt was adorned with a pendant carved from precious jade.

As soon as the man entered the gate, his men shouted, "Young Master Yan has come for tea. All irrelevant people, leave immediately!"

Several guests who had been chatting and drinking tea in the lobby, like Mo Yuming, immediately left the restaurant upon hearing the commotion. Although no one wanted to, they dared not offend this scoundrel, so they had no choice but to leave the restaurant in silence. The waiters in the restaurant could only turn a blind eye and let these scoundrels run rampant.

"Waiter, Young Master Yan must be a bit hot from walking. Quickly brew him a pot of cool tea to soothe his fever. Also, bring him some of your best snacks, the Spirit Fruit, as a token of your respect!" The middle-aged man who had been leading the way for Young Master Hong shouted again. This man had a pointed face and a monkey-like appearance, yet he feigned arrogance, making him a complete clown. The other six or seven followers were also mostly middle-aged men, though they were slightly more relaxed than the skinny clown. But they all had an air of superiority, acting like invincible masters.

The young man swaggered to the large table in the center of the hall, with his seven henchmen standing in a row behind him. The waiter quickly brought over the fruits, snacks, and iced tea, then carefully retreated.

"Hey! What's that lowly commoner lingering in that corner? Waiter, hurry up and get that ungrateful country bumpkin out of there, don't ruin the young master's appetite!" The clown suddenly noticed Mo Yuming sitting at a small wooden table by a window, drinking tea. Dressed in the cheapest commoner's clothes, with nothing of value in his hands, he stared out the window admiring the street scene, completely ignoring them. He paid no heed to their shouts.