Chapter 837: Immersed in a Strange Realm

The retainers looked confused but could only follow.

The others also noticed the Jianyang Sect's actions and whispered among themselves. "We just got here, and they're running off before even starting to search?"

Since the anomaly in the Coiling Dragon Desert, many had ventured in to investigate, but only a handful were fortunate enough to get close to the ruins.

Zhang Lianhai also observed their movements and frowned. He heard that the Jianyang Sect members had entered the Coiling Dragon Ruins over ten days ago and returned safely. Did they gain some insight? But the lamp spirit had already flown out, searching everywhere, and he had no intention of recalling his divine power. The lamp spirit had the ability to find treasures, making it far more reliable than humans.

By the time the He family father and son approached the Chipa Plateau, it was already dark. Ahead lay the ruins of Coiling Dragon City. Looking up from below, the magnificent city resembled a colossal monster sprawled across the plateau, its gaping, empty mouth seemingly waiting for people to crawl inside. And quite a few people had already entered.

He Lingchuan let out a long breath. "We're here again." The last time they arrived at Coiling Dragon City, they had viewed it from roughly the same distance and angle.

Zhao Qinghe suddenly said, "There are people on the battlements." He Lingchuan and the others looked up and saw two Baling people standing on the city wall, gazing into the distance. They recognized them. They were also exploring the city wall and looked very relaxed, indicating that nothing strange had happened inside the city.

He Chunhua felt relieved and dismounted first, walking through the magnificent South Gate. He Lingchuan had passed through this gate countless times in the Coiling Dragon World, often accompanied by cheers and applause. Yet today, the only sound here was the howling wind of the desert. He Lingchuan let out a soft sigh.

After that, everyone else also stepped onto the land bridge, crossed the moat, which was as deep as a gully, and walked through Coiling Dragon City's South Gate, amidst exclamations of awe.

Standing on the city gate plaza, He Chunhua turned to his son and said, "Chuan'er, this place seems different from last time." The entire team was looking around, which was almost a standard action for anyone entering Coiling Dragon City for the first time. He Lingchuan walked to the riverbank and looked, then reached out and scooped up a handful of clear water. "There's even water here now." The river water was clear and shallow, for the first time in over a hundred years.

He Chunhua also saw the Heavenly Palace lamp spirits flying and searching everywhere, and remained silent in thought. He Lingchuan came over, shaking the water from his hands. "Dad, where do you plan to start searching? Since we're here, we can't just stand around doing nothing, right?"

He Chunhua asked him in return, "What do you think?"

He Lingchuan looked baffled. "How would I know? For such a major exploration, haven't you done your homework, Dad?"

He Chunhua smiled slightly. "You always have good ideas now, much better than your father."

He Lingchuan's face showed frankness. "Right now... I really don't."

"Last time we came in, we found the entrance in the temple's pool," He Chunhua mused. "Let's go over and take a look first."

He Lingchuan pointed at the lamp spirits flying in the distance. "These things have probably already searched the temple and the pool. Do we still need to go?"

"Seeing is believing."

The team, led by He Chunhua, headed towards the Misty Heaven Temple. Before leaving the plaza, He Lingchuan casually looked back, glancing at the south city wall. The black dragon sculpture on the wall was still there, but compared to last time, its horns seemed to have grown longer, even branching out slightly? He Lingchuan's gaze sharpened. Was it an illusion? This black dragon looked somewhat new. It wasn't that its surface had no sand or dust, but rather that the sculpture seemed to have barely endured the weathering of time. He made a mental note and immediately withdrew his gaze.

The team had just turned into an alley when they saw many shadowy figures approaching from ahead. The He family father and son looked closely, and it turned out to be members of the Jianyang Sect. Because they had fought side by side before, He Chunhua approached them with a friendly demeanor. "Everyone, what's happening in the city?"

"Nothing, everyone else is still inside," Ling Jinbao said, waving his hand. "I just don't want to stay in this ghost city. I'd rather find a place to spend the night outside and come back tomorrow morning."

He Chunhua uttered an "oh." Other explorers understood what Ling Jinbao said; they just didn't care. Why had everyone come here? How could there be gain without risk?

Ling Jinbao was about to take a step when he suddenly turned back and said, "Oh, by the way, Grand Marshal Dong Haoming's subordinates seem to be in the city already, led by a person carrying a gold-inlaid dagger."

"Grand Marshal?" He Chunhua's expression changed instantly. "Thank you, Mr. Ling!"

Ling Jinbao waved at them and led his retainers out. After passing through the majestic South Gate and stepping onto the land bridge, walking for over a hundred *zhang*, the Jianyang Sect members re-entered the Coiling Dragon Desert. Only then did Ling Jinbao look back at the ancient Coiling Dragon City in the night, letting out a long breath. This cursed place gives off a strong oppressive feeling.

A retainer said, "Uncle-master Ling, you're getting stranger and stranger."

"Strange how?!" Ling Jinbao glared. "That city isn't right. The strange occurrences in Coiling Dragon City that I heard about in Blackwater City mostly happened at night. It's clear that the spirits here only become active after dark. This time, I don't want to be dragged into any more bizarre situations."

A Jianyang Sect disciple asked curiously, "Again?"

A retainer chuckled, "Before we even arrived, Uncle-master had secretly entered the ancient Coiling Dragon City at night, and the result was..."

"The result?"

Ling Jinbao interjected, "The result was nothing. That night, a heavy rain suddenly fell in the desert, so I had to take shelter in the city ruins. Since I had nothing else to do, I had a couple of drinks and closed my eyes to meditate."

Everyone laughed, "That's right, how could wine be missing?"

Ling Jinbao straightened his face. "But then, I soon heard human voices."

This was an empty city. Where could human voices come from?

Ling Jinbao immediately opened his eyes. Although he found himself still sitting at a table, the surrounding scene had changed. He seemed to be sitting in an inn, with tea set on the table, and people filled the surrounding seats. Judging by their attire, they were all traveling merchants and cart drivers. It was very hot, and they were all busy wiping sweat and drinking tea. No one gave Ling Jinbao a second glance, and outside, horses whinnied.

Such a common scene made Ling Jinbao's skin crawl. He had spent the night in a ghost city, yet opened his eyes to see this. So, where was this place? He also smelled a scent of cooking, so he glanced out the back window and found a small lake behind the inn, its surface covered with lotus leaves, with beautiful lotus buds poised to bloom. Several sets of tables and chairs were placed around the lake, all occupied by guests eating grilled skewers. It smelled wonderful; the barbecue chef's skill must be excellent. Ling Jinbao swallowed but dared not touch the food in this strange realm. Could a living person simply eat things from a ghost city?

Just then, outside, hoofbeats thundered as over twenty riders galloped like lightning towards them. Ling Jinbao leaned out to look, and judging by their uniforms, they appeared to be a squad of government soldiers, full of vigor and precise in their movements. After arriving, this team did not enter the inn to rest, but quietly washed their hands and faces, and led their horses to drink, unlike the Blackwater City army, who would clamor as if no one else was around. Ling Jinbao saw them observing their surroundings, seemingly always on alert. A small blue cloth flag was stuck near the well. He glanced at it casually, and it read "Green Wolf Inn." Where was this place, after all? Ling Jinbao had no idea.

The guests at the tables near the door had rested enough and rose to fetch their horses outside. Someone dropped a few copper coins on the ground, and the coins curved on the ground, rolling towards the soldiers. This person smiled at the soldiers and bent down to pick them up, but as he stood up, his wrist flicked outward, and a sleeve arrow shot out with a *whoosh*! The soldier stepped back half a pace, narrowly dodging it. Other guests had already rushed forward, attacking with swords and knives.

"Enemy attack!" A whistle sounded outside, and both sides clashed. Bystanders immediately scurried to the corners, not daring to raise their heads or even watch the commotion. Ling Jinbao glanced out the back window to see that the small lotus lake had also become a battlefield, with the fighting more intense than inside the inn. Who would dare to attack government soldiers on an official road? However, several figures by the lake were incredibly agile, and the bandits disguised as merchants were no match for them. Ling Jinbao was most impressed by a farmer wearing a straw hat, who casually threw his knife, impaling a large, burly enemy directly onto a mud wall. Those few battles were a blur of motion. Ling Jinbao initially watched with a spectator's mindset, but the more he watched, the more solemn his expression became. Such exquisite footwork, such fierce killing intent—could these possibly be the legendary soldiers of Coiling Dragon City?

Just then, a bandit rushed into the inn to escape the soldiers, intending to jump out the window to flee, and seeing Ling Jinbao blocking the window, he lunged with a knife without a word. Ling Jinbao immediately kicked the table away. His kick was skillfully executed; the tabletop shattered into pieces mid-air, with wood splinters flying everywhere, almost blinding the bandit. In that brief moment, soldiers from behind rushed in, chopped the bandit to death with two slashes, then went out to support their comrades without even glancing at Ling Jinbao.

The battle began without warning and ended swiftly, lasting just over fifteen minutes in total. The attacked soldiers won, and the bandits who had set the ambush were instead annihilated. The bandit leader was also taken to the small lake behind, and surprisingly, the one interrogating him was the farmer wearing the straw hat. Ling Jinbao had excellent hearing and even heard the soldiers call him "Commander." Oh, so they were here setting a trap, staging a counter-ambush?

Just then, a soldier noticed Ling Jinbao's peering gaze, walked over and closed the bamboo window, then announced loudly, "The troublesome water bandits have all been captured. Everyone, please rest assured."

Water bandits?

Ling Jinbao asked the old man beside him, "Old man, what 'water bandits' is he talking about?"

The old man looked at him warily. "Where are you from? You've come all this way and don't even know about the Longchuan water bandits?"

"I don't really pay much attention to things, and I've been drinking all the way..." Ling Jinbao gave a dry laugh. "Where exactly are we now?"

"Then you've had quite a bit to drink, haven't you?" The old man didn't believe him, but naming a place wasn't an issue. "We're on the Jinan Trade Route. Oh, it's called the Longchuan Trade Route now." After that, no matter what Ling Jinbao asked, the old man said nothing more.

Just then, there was a commotion outside; it turned out to be the soldiers escorting the captives north. Leading the way was naturally the commander. Ling Jinbao looked at his retreating figure and felt a sense of familiarity, as if he had seen him somewhere before. It must be an illusion, he thought, shaking his head. If this scene were true history, it should have happened one hundred sixty or seventy years ago. How could he possibly recognize a ghost?