In the cabin of the Thorny Heart, Zhang Yu realized that the luggage he had left on the Great Fortune had been placed there. It was even covered with a cloth cover and was well kept.
He checked it and found that nothing was missing. There were no signs that it had been rummaged through. In fact, there was nothing particularly valuable except for a few books about strange creatures that he had sketched out in the past.
After tidying up, he couldn't help but think of Zhao Xiangcheng's invitation to him at the banquet.
In all fairness, there were many benefits to joining the Safety Council. However, it wasn't a good thing to be labeled as a party too early.
His main purpose in coming to the capital was to learn the new method and at the same time, to find more items that could replenish his magical energy. For the time being, he didn't want to be involved in the power struggle between the Soaring Sea Islands and the capital.
Of course, he knew that some things couldn't be avoided. However, only with enough power could he ensure that he wouldn't be easily manipulated.
He sat down behind the desk and pulled out Xia Sword from its sheath. He looked at the sword's body that was glowing with the light of jade. He took out a piece of fine velvet from his luggage and carefully wiped it.
This sword was a magic tool. After killing an enemy, it wouldn't be stained with blood or dust. Under normal circumstances, there was no need to specially clean it. What he was doing was actually a way to communicate with the sword.
After the battle with the Heavenly Salamander, he felt that his spirit had been elevated. There was also a subtle connection between him and the sword. At this moment, he tried to breathe a few times. He felt that the sword seemed to have a life of its own. It followed his breath and maintained a strange rhythm. It seemed that it would fly out of his hand if he pushed it with his mind.
He didn't know where this feeling came from. However, according to his teacher, when a person and a sword were completely in sync, all kinds of wonderful things would happen. For example, a sword name would appear on the sword's body, the blade would become sharper, and it could even fly in the air.
However, he didn't think that such a day would come. After all, this sword wasn't personally refined by him. There was still a bit of a psychological barrier between him and the sword. However, there was no need to consider this at this stage.
Meanwhile, in the outside world, the reinforcements had just finished dealing with the Heavenly Salamander's corpse and were ready to set off for home. However, at this moment, Ming Yi came to find Zhang Yu in the cabin. "Zhang Shaolang, someone from the Army of God came here just now and said that he wanted to meet you. However, he was stopped by Manager Zhao. The manager asked you not to blame him for acting on his own initiative."
Zhang Yu could tell that Manager Zhao had good intentions and said, "Please thank Manager Zhao for me."
Ming Yi smiled and said, "I'll pass the message."
The rest of the journey was uneventful. When night fell, an attendant knocked on Zhang Yu's cabin door and said that Zhao Xiangcheng had invited him to dinner. However, Zhang Yu declined politely and used the pills he carried with him as a substitute. Afterward, he used breathing exercises to replace sleep and rested peacefully for the night.
At daybreak, Zhang Yu suddenly felt that the surrounding temperature had become extremely comfortable. He knew that the ship was about to arrive at the capital, Auspicious Light. As such, he got up to wash up and had an exquisite breakfast in the cabin. Then, he went to the deck and gazed into the distance.
Standing at the bow of the ship, he could clearly see the outline of the continent and the An Mountain range stretching from the north to the south. The capital of the Dongting Protectorate, Auspicious Light, was located west of the An Mountains, in the middle reaches of the Dan River.
It was said that Tianxia had established more than eight hundred protectorates, and the Dongting Protectorate was only one of them.
The Dongting Protectorate also had its own uniqueness. This was the furthest east of Tianxia's territory and the only Tianxia Protectorate to be stationed on this unknown continent.
As the Thorny Heart approached the continent, the city of Auspicious Light shrouded in the morning light gradually became clearer in his eyes.
This was a large and sturdy city. It faced the Teng Sea and was built with the Qi Mountain at its back. The most conspicuous part of the city was located on a towering platform. The Summer Viewing Platform, the Protectorate Office, the Taiyang Academy, the Sage Shrine, and other taller buildings were located there.
The buildings below the platform were spread out along the undulating terrain. The outermost edge that expanded to the sea was Dan Port. Because the entire city site was sandwiched between Qi Mountain and the coast, it generally showed a narrow and long distribution in a north-south direction.
The Dongting Protectorate had a population of more than three million, and Auspicious Light occupied a third of it.
There were more than two hundred thousand Tianxia people here, and the rest were mostly the mixed blood descendants of the An people and Tianxia people. There were also some who were naturalized barbarians from the indigenous countries.
Behind the Qi Mountain, on the distant An mountain range, there was a tall and cold snowy peak towering under the dome of the sky. It was like a silhouette embedded in the sky. Just by looking at its lonely and lofty appearance, one would hold their breath.
In the language of the indigenous people, this snowy peak was called 'Qigis', which meant 'lonely goddess of the heavens'.
Back then, before the army of the Protectorate had set foot on this land, Vice Protector-General Yang Gong saw this solitary peak standing tall in the middle of the vast mountain range from afar and blurted out, 'Who is a friend who lives with the heavens? Sweep away the number one peak for ten thousand li'.
This was the only peak that didn't change its name after the arrival of the Tianxia people. It was still called Goddess Peak. There was a Tianxia Beacon Tower built there. It was rumored that after the beacon was lit there, even the Tianxia mainland could see it.
As Zhang Yu was observing, footsteps sounded behind him. Zhao Xiangcheng walked over and stood shoulder to shoulder with him. Looking at the scenery in front of him, he sighed, "Years ago, when Protector-General Guan Zheng came here, he said, 'The sun and the moon pass through the sky, the auspicious light comes from there'. This is how the capital, Auspicious Light, got its name."
Zhang Yu said, "The people in the remote areas of the Protectorate all say that this is the city of fortune. Those who live here, the poor can eat and wear, and the rich can enjoy a good death."
Zhao Xiangcheng sighed. "I hope so. Right, Zhang Shaolang, when you arrive at the capital, do you have a place to stay?"
Zhang Yu said, "I've never been to the capital before, so I'm not familiar with the place."
Zhao Xiangcheng took out a name card from his sleeve and handed it to him. "In the south of the city, there's a place called An Hut, which is the property of my Security Patrol Association. There's no need to worry about your safety. Take my name card and go there. Someone will treat you well. "
Zhang Yu received it. "Then it would be impolite for me to refuse."
Zhao Xiangcheng smiled. "It's a small matter."
The three warships were traveling with the wind at full speed. Not long after they saw Auspicious Light, they entered the waters of Dan Port outside the city.
At this moment, there were hundreds of ships anchored in the port, their white sails forming a forest. The sounds of people and seagulls could be heard from far and near.
Before the inland waterways were opened, this place had originally been the military port of the protectorate. It had seven docks and could hold forty warships at the same time. Now, most of the goods transported from the Tenghai Islands and the inland waterways were gathered here.
After the flag was waved, the Thorny Heart was led to one of the piers.
The crew threw down hook ropes one after another, and the small boats brought them ashore. There were people on the deck who hung them on the capstan and slowly pulled them into the berth.
At this time, Zhang Yu noticed that the people in charge of turning the capstan were mostly old men. All of them had white hair on their temples, and their thick arms were bare. They had strong bodies that didn't match their age. Everyone's beards were very clean, and their gazes were exceptionally spirited.
Zhao Xiangcheng noticed his gaze and explained, "These old men are the old soldiers who participated in the battle at the Honghe Pass sixty years ago. There are still one hundred and fifty-three of them left. Due to certain reasons, they voluntarily came to the port to work. Don't be fooled by their age. If they were to go to the battlefield and fight in formation, even the young soldiers might not be their match."
Zhang Yu nodded slowly. The battle at the Honghe Pass sixty years ago was extremely tragic. It could be said that it completely changed the direction of the Protectorate. These old soldiers were at least seventy years old. However, the average lifespan of the people of Tianxia was about a hundred years. If they had a good foundation when they were young, and if they could keep up with their food intake, it wouldn't be difficult for them to maintain a strong physique at this age.
At this time, there was a commotion at the pier. The giant salamander that was being dragged into the port had caused a commotion.
Zhao Xiangcheng glanced at the warship that was entering the port right after the Thorny Heart. After thinking for a moment, he reminded, "Zhang Shaolang, you have to be careful of the Army of God. They don't dare to cause trouble at sea, but within the capital, it is their territory. If you encounter any problems, look for Mr. Yue from the An Lu Residence. He will help you. "
Zhang Yu expressed his understanding. He was very clear about the benefits of a salamander. This was also why he had been guarding against the people of the Army of God from the beginning.
Under the guidance of the hook ropes, the Thorny Heart steadily reached the shore. After thanking Zhao Xiangcheng once more, he bade him farewell.
He put on the hood of his cloak, held the Xia Sword in his hand, and carried his luggage. Then, he walked down the handrail and disembarked from the ship.
However, just as he landed on the pier, before he could walk out, he felt the ground tremble slightly. His heart couldn't help but tremble. Was this … an earthquake?
However, when he looked elsewhere, he found that the people around him didn't seem to be affected at all. It was as if they didn't feel anything at all.
He suppressed the doubts in his heart and observed his surroundings again. He saw that in the direction of the road, there was an ancient jade gate standing tall and upright. He immediately recognized this as the famous "Victory Gate". Back then, the Protectorate General's residence was a large military camp. This gate was also erected together with it. Later on, it was never dismantled and had been preserved until now.
However, the originally beautiful and symmetrical jade cornice was missing an obvious corner, destroying its original beauty. This made him, who had obsessive-compulsive disorder, feel particularly uncomfortable.
He tried his best to avert his gaze and happened to see a few newspaper vendors nearby. He walked up and gave them a few copper coins. After buying a copy of all the newspapers for the past three days, he walked out without looking back.
Meanwhile, on the other side, the corpses of the Heavenly Salamander that had been dragged ashore had attracted the attention of the people at the port. However, there was one person in the crowd that caused the people around him to subconsciously distance themselves from him, creating a circle around him. However, no one noticed anything strange.
This person had a handsome face and a tall figure. He didn't wear a crown on his head, but rather a rare Daoist bun. He looked at the corpses of the salamander on the dock and his gaze circled around the sword wound. His finger lightly tapped on the sword hanging at his waist twice. With a playful smile, he said, "Junior brother, I've found you."
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