Chapter 284: Entering the Town
Translator: Reverie_ Editor: Kurisu
Ling Han didn’t blame those who ran. These were truly normal people of the lowest status, without any abilities to fight against oppression, drifting with the tide and hanging by a thread. He gestured to them to stand with his hands, and said, “The one surnamed Cheng, I’ll take care of him for you all.”
“This young master, young master Fu is from the Starl Brilliance Palace Hall, and it’s said that he has a high status. You should probably leave at once!” someone exhorted.
“Yes, once, someone said to be very strong had a conflict with young master Fu, but ended up breaking both his legs and running to young master Fu to beg forgiveness.”
“I also heard that someone offended young master Fu, and eventually, in order to live, he sent his wife and daughter for young master Fu to abuse for several days, finally escaping this ordeal.”
Ling Han couldn’t help but laugh, and said, “I somewhat underestimated that guy, actually doing so many evil things!”
The lot of farmers extorted Ling Han to return on the path which he came, but their status was too low, and they only knew that Cheng Kai Fu was doing well in the Star Brilliance Palace Hall—as for what background he had exactly, that was completely unknown to them.
Ling Han naturally wasn’t afraid. He was already a high level Black Grade alchemist, and he came here to certify as Earth Grade one; it wasn’t like he needed to be afraid of a spoilt younger generation.
Exchanging a few words with the farmers, he returned to the carriage, but the two coachmen refused to carry them further no matter what. After reasoning in every possible way, they got Ling Han and the others off the carriage, then left as if their butts caught on fire, harnessing the carriage to double back.
“It seems that youngster has some connections.” Guang Yuan laughed.
“Coming over to oppress normal people, his connections must be limited, right?” Zhu Wu Jiu interjected. Originally, he had no qualifications to talk to someone in the Spiritual Ocean Tier like this, but everyone mingled together for a long time, plus Guang Yuan was a loose cultivator who didn’t stress things such as tier and status.
Ling Han didn’t care and said, “Let’s go, now we can only continue on foot.”
Now it was only half a day’s road from the Star Brilliance Palace Hall. The carriage wasn’t fast to begin with; it could only save them some strength, so it didn’t really matter.
As the party set out, Hu Niu acted like a spoiled child, having Ling Han piggyback her and turning to make faces at Liu Yu Tong and Li Si chan, appearing extremely full of herself. She put her arms intimately around Ling Han’s neck, displaying her possessiveness to the fullest.
However, only after a short while of walking, they encountered a wave of bandits that brazenly attacked… but were defeated by Can Ye alone. In the following hour, they actually encountered seven waves of bandits, showing how chaotic the environment here was.
This fully proved that Storm Mercenaries got along here quite well; before, when they were riding on the carriage with the Storm Mercenaries’ flag, they didn’t encounter a single wave of bandits, but now, bandits came like a tide.
Can Ye never knew to hold back when attacking. In Hu Yang Academy, whenever one sparred with him, someone in the Spiritual Ocean Tier needed to oversee it in case he heavily injured or killed someone. However, here, who would stop him?
Ling Han had no intention of making Can Ye hold back. This youngster was naturally like a sharp saber, suppressing his viciousness was equivalent to restricting his martial path. Only by being let free would he be able to grow into an exceptionally fierce saber!
Moreover, a bandit needed the awareness of being a bandit, dying served them right.
After killing another three waves of bandits, they scared off the remaining ones, and no one came to look for trouble anymore. Up ahead, a lofty palace appeared before them.
Rather than a hall, it was more like a tower. Its height and width weren’t proportionate, but architecturally, this could only be called a hall. The stairs were actually revolving on the outside of the palace hall in an upward spiral, an extremely grand handiwork.
The entire palace was piled up from Star Flower Stones. It wasn’t anything special during daytime, but at night, the entire palace hall would emit light like stars—Star Brilliance Palace Hall living up to its name.
However, it was now afternoon, and this palace hadn’t displayed its magnificent and spectacular side yet. From afar, it looked like a lofty tower casting a long shadow.
This wasn’t the Fallen Moon Gorge’s only edifice. The tall palace was surrounded streets that formed a flourishing town.
It was the hub linking the Nine Nations of the Desolate North to the north region. People from all nine nations converged here, including martial artists, merchants, random adventurers, and wanted criminals.
Here, everything was under the Star Brilliance Palace Hall’s control. The Star Brilliance Palace Hall was the dictator and the law here; whoever opposed—kill!
Entering and leaving this town required a fee. In principle, those who stayed in this small town would receive the Star Brilliance Palace Hall’s protection—but every three days, they had to either pay the fee again or leave.
Thus, businessmen came and went in haste, and the town’s inns’ charges weren’t lenient either, cheating customers to the point of feeling pain.
Ling Han came to the town’s entrance and paid according to the number of people—even Hu Niu was counted. Each person was a hundred silvers for three days, and three days later, if it was discovered that they were still here and didn’t pay again, they would be killed without mercy.
It was said that the fees hadn’t been as high and allowed people to stay as long as one wanted—as long as one had the money to live in the inns. However, starting from half a year ago, the rules changed; now, cries of complaint were heard everywhere, filled with extreme discontent regarding the Star Brilliance Palace Hall’s high-handedness.
But the Star Brilliance Palace Hall represented the Alchemist Society that controlled the Heaven’s Medicine Pavilion, and at least half of the medicinal pills in the Nine Nations of the Desolate North were distributed by them. Even if they were domineering, who would dare to oppose them openly?
Ling Han had Guang Yuan pay the entrance fees to the cent. Then, they first found an inn to stay at.
After washing off the fatigue of traveling with a bit of rest, Ling Han brought Zhu He Xin and Hu Niu and headed towards the Star Brilliance Palace Hall… Hu Niu couldn’t be dumped, while Zhu Wu Jiu was an alchemist, so he was related.
The town wasn’t large, so after ten minutes or so, they arrived at the Star Brilliance Palace Hall even though they strolled slowly.
Other than being tall, the Star Brilliance Palace Hall’s architectural style was rather ordinary. There were only a few dozens of steps—unlike some places with hundreds of steps before reaching the top, filled with the arrogance of towering above.
Pa, pa, pa , a group of people ran out from the large hall. Each one was fierce, startling the people at the entrance and dodging hurriedly to the sides.
The Star Brilliance Palace Hall was the highest authoritative organization of the Alchemist Society in the Nine Nations of The Desolate North—not only Earth Grade alchemy Master were here, but also many high Tier cultivators, all of whom were Alchemist Society’s own forces. They couldn’t dispatch someone all the time for little things; besides, alchemists’ focused on refining pills, and not fighting.
An alchemist’s organization, well, maybe they didn’t have other things, but they definitely weren’t lacking money.
This group of people was the Star Brilliance Palace Halls’ hired thugs, but they had a pleasant name called “Star Defense Force.” The members of the Star Defense Force naturally belonged to those of lower status, so they were also especially rampant, ramming in their path, extremely like thugs.
Ling Han took a glance and couldn’t help but reveal an astounded expression; the leader was Cheng Kai Fu whom he’d seen upon entering; his arm was actually reattached, covered in thick white gauze—malice was written all over his face.
Obviously, after this guy simply reconnected his severed arm, he couldn’t wait to bring people out for revenge.
What a truly cheap person; was that lesson earlier not enough?