Chapter 659: Sun Baolu

"Yu'er Nation?" Yang Xiaohai's face was filled with confusion. He had followed Senior Brother Li all this way but had never heard of a place called Yu'er Nation.

Seeing Yang Xiaohai's expression, Sun Baolu asked in surprise, "What? You don't know? Both Siqi and Nanping were annihilated by the Dharma Sect."

"They merged those territories and called it Yu'er Nation. I hear their national religion is the Dharma Sect. Currently, Yu'er Nation is at war with Later Shu, and it's supposedly a fierce battle, with even heavenly immortals descending to fight. If you go to Later Shu now, you'll be caught in the crossfire and surely die."

Hearing Sun Baolu's words, Yang Xiaohai's young face immediately fell. He had finally made it back to Qingqiu and was about to reach Later Shu, only for this situation to arise.

If he had known this news earlier, he might have stayed in Niuxin Village for a few years. But now that he was halfway there, he found himself in a difficult position, caught between going forward and turning back.

"And I heard from refugees from Later Shu that their Hui people couldn't stand against Yu'er Nation. Now, in Later Shu, any male whose head is taller than a cartwheel is being conscripted into the army. Xiaohai, you really can't go."

Upon hearing this, Yang Xiaohai became visibly anxious and worried. "Do all men have to go to war? Does that mean my father and my brothers will have to go too?"

"Is your father from Later Shu? If so, I'm afraid he won't be able to escape it."

Hearing this, Yang Xiaohai's heart grew even more anxious. He had just received news of his family, only for them to be potentially gone so soon?

After thinking for a moment with a very hesitant expression, Yang Xiaohai first glanced at Zhao Xiumei beside him, then looked at Sun Baolu with determination and said, "Brother Baolu, can you do me a favor? My wife will stay here with you for now. I plan to go to Later Shu by myself to scout the way."

"No!"

"No!"

Two "Nos" rang out simultaneously, one from Sun Baolu and the other from Zhao Xiumei.

"A wife follows her husband no matter what. Since I'm your wife, don't even think about leaving me behind!"

"Xiaohai, I'm really not trying to scare you, but you truly cannot go to Later Shu right now! Even merchant caravans and escorts have disappeared there."

"Listen to me first!" Yang Xiaohai stood up, his eyes slightly red, his voice overriding theirs.

"When I was a beggar, do you know how much I envied children who had parents? They had fathers and mothers who bought them noodles and candy, while I could only scavenge for slop with other beggars!"

"They had fathers and mothers who bought them beautiful tiger-head shoes and hats, while I could only strip clothes from dead bodies in mass graves!"

At this point, Yang Xiaohai choked up. "Do you know, I really want to see my parents one more time. I just want those who called me a bastard back then to know that I, Yang Xiaohai, also have parents!"

As Yang Xiaohai spoke, Sun Baolu's mother walked over and listened silently.

Gradually, Yang Xiaohai's voice grew lower. "Since my family is in danger, I can't not go and save them. And... and if my father and brothers are truly gone, then I can at least bring my mother to Niuxin Village to live out her old age, so she won't starve there."

"I was a beggar, so I know that female beggars are the easiest to bully."

Zhao Xiumei looked at Yang Xiaohai with a pained expression. Although her husband had grown taller, he was still just a half-grown boy yearning for his parents.

"Xiaohai, I know you're worried about your parents, but..." Just as Sun Baolu was about to persuade him further, his mother reached out, pulled his arm, and whispered something in his ear.

"Alright, I'll go start a fire." As Sun Baolu stood up and left, his mother went to Yang Xiaohai, embraced him tenderly, and gently patted his back. "It's alright, child. We'll find a way together."

Soon, Yang Xiaohai witnessed a strange sight. As Sun Baolu cleared a spot and lit a bonfire, the surrounding Qingqiu people immediately gathered around.

Sun Baolu pointed at Yang Xiaohai and spoke some obscure Qingqiu words, prompting everyone to start talking animatedly. They were all speaking Qingqiu, and Yang Xiaohai couldn't understand a single word.

"This is a custom here in Qingqiu," Sun Baolu explained to Yang Xiaohai. "It's hard to explain in Qingqiu, but roughly, it means if someone is in trouble, they can light a fire, and everyone will gather to receive wisdom from the Eternal Sky to help come up with a plan."

"Will it work?" Yang Xiaohai felt a little apprehensive. Honestly, he wasn't necessarily keen on venturing into the perilous Later Shu at this moment. If there was a way to see his parents safely, that would be ideal.

"Don't you see many elders in the crowd? An elder in the family is like a treasure. They have a wealth of experience, and this method used to be quite effective."

Seeing the withered Qingqiu elders sitting cross-legged on the yellow grass, Yang Xiaohai nodded slightly and stood by, waiting. During this time, he also recounted to Sun Baolu what had happened since he left Qingqiu.

The bonfire's green smoke drifted slowly. Since there was no wind at that moment, the pungent smoke spread all around, enveloping everyone.

"Cough, cough!" After inhaling a few breaths of smoke, Yang Xiaohai couldn't help but feel a little dizzy.

This so-called borrowing wisdom from the Eternal Sky felt strange; regular bonfire smoke didn't have this effect.

After listening to the mumbling Qingqiu language for a while, Yang Xiaohai heard the voices gradually quiet down.

"Hey!" With a simultaneous "hey," everyone present clapped their hands, and the swirling smoke instantly cleared.

Sun Baolu leaned in and listened to the Qingqiu elders for a moment, then stood up and said to Yang Xiaohai, "We have a solution. You just said your parents are Tanka people who live on the sea, right?"

"That's right."

"Then it's settled. Don't travel by land; go by water. The elders just remembered there are private boats at the border between Qingqiu and Later Shu. If you pay them extra silver, they can take you directly to your parents, and you won't encounter the ongoing conflict on the roads."

"Really?!" Yang Xiaohai's expression became excited.

"Yes, the elders should remember correctly. They said they took one ten years ago. Wait here; I'll have them draw you a map and write a letter for the boat captain, so they don't stop the boat halfway and try to trick you."

After Sun Baolu's busy efforts, Yang Xiaohai had a way to get home, along with a map of the Qingqiu and Later Shu border.

Looking at the short distance on the map, Yang Xiaohai's heart burned with excitement. He would soon see his family.

"Brother Baolu, thank you so much. This is a tremendous help." Yang Xiaohai presented the heavy gold bar to Sun Baolu with both hands.

"What's the meaning of this? Are you looking down on me?" Sun Baolu pushed the gold bar away, then leaned closer and asked, "Xiaohai, are there still many empty houses in that Niuxin Village you mentioned?"