Chapter 660: Earth Dragon

Sun Baolu's words brought the excited Yang Xiaohai back to his senses.

"Senior Sister Bai has adopted many goddaughters and godsons, and her place is almost full. What's wrong, Brother Baolu? Are you planning to live in Niuxin Village?"

Sun Baolu glanced at his distant tribesmen, then lowered his voice and said, "The chieftain doesn't sense any danger, but I disagree. If Later Shu is truly wiped out by Yuer Nation, then Qingqiu will be next."

"Although the Great Khan said he would send troops to help Later Shu, I have my doubts. Yuer Nation is advancing fiercely, and if the vast and resourceful Daliang doesn't intervene, it might not be able to defeat them. I need to find a fallback for my people."

At this point, Sun Baolu's face showed impatience. "I truly don't understand what that 'dog emperor' of Daliang is thinking. He doesn't even grasp the principle of interdependence. He's still not sending troops to help Qingqiu and Later Shu. Once those two places are taken by Yuer Nation, what will he do then with just his own territory?!"

"Brother Baolu, the 'dog emperor' of Daliang you're referring to is Gao Zhijian."

Sun Baolu's eyes widened instantly. "He's really the emperor? You weren't just bragging, were you?"

"I wasn't bragging; I never lie."

After gritting his teeth and pondering for a moment, Sun Baolu slapped his hands together in annoyance. "Ugh! What are these Daliang people thinking, choosing an idiot as emperor? No wonder they aren't sending troops at such a critical moment. If Daliang falls too, where will we flee from the war?"

"Brother Baolu, don't be so pessimistic. Maybe Yuer Nation isn't as formidable as you think." Yang Xiaohai, unaware of the situation in Daliang, appeared remarkably optimistic.

"The grass in Qingqiu has turned yellow; this means the Eternal Heaven is enraged. Since the last natural disaster, Qingqiu has experienced many earthquakes. My mother was right: it's always good to be prepared. Oh, by the way, what is Senior Brother Li doing now? Although he's a bit eccentric, he always manages to solve problems when they arise."

Hearing this question, a hint of confusion appeared in Yang Xiaohai's eyes. "I don't know about that. Anyway, when I left, Senior Brother Li had swapped to a lotus root head and was recuperating in Niuxin Village."

"Alright then, I'll see if I can write to Senior Brother Li. Have a safe journey, and be careful. If things get too difficult, just come back." As Sun Baolu patted Yang Xiaohai's shoulder, Yang Xiaohai's carriage began to roll once more.

Sun Baolu's mother had initially intended for Yang Xiaohai and his wife to stay for a meal before departing, but after learning that his family was in danger, Yang Xiaohai didn't want to delay for a moment.

When they left the tents, Yang Xiaohai's carriage was followed by more than a dozen sheep, all gifts from Sun Baolu for them to eat on their journey.

Yang Xiaohai, of course, wouldn't accept them for free, so he had Zhao Xiumei place gold bars in Sun Baolu's tent.

The journey lasted for several days. Yang Xiaohai moved slowly, following the map, but the ground was covered in yellow grass, making it very difficult to ascertain their location.

However, Sun Baolu had made it very clear: as long as they traveled between the grasslands of Qingqiu and the Gobi Desert of Later Shu, and kept heading south, they would surely find the seaport.

"We should be close now," Yang Xiaohai mused, a little anxiously, as he gazed at the grotesque rocks in the distance and the yellow grasslands nearby, stroking the newly grown beard on his chin.

"Husband, have some lamb soup," his wife said. "This Qingqiu lamb is very nourishing." A steaming bowl of clay pot soup was presented to Yang Xiaohai.

He took the bowl and took a sip, and his slightly cold body was instantly enveloped in warmth. Although it was only seasoned with salt and wild vegetables like kudzu roots, the excellent quality of the Qingqiu lamb compensated for any lack of elaborate flavoring.

"Wrap up any leftover lamb well and drain the blood. Even though the weather is cold and it won't spoil quickly, the scent of blood can still attract beasts."

"Yes, I understand," Zhao Xiumei replied. She found Yang Xiaohai especially agreeable when he spoke so animatedly about cooking.

It was his focused and effortless concentration while cooking that had initially captivated her.

After a hasty meal, the carriage wheels began to roll again. However, after only a few turns, the horse pulling the carriage suddenly stopped, reared its front hooves high, and neighed loudly, seemingly trying to break free from the harness and flee for its life.

Meanwhile, the goats that had been dutifully following the carriage immediately scattered in a chaotic cluster.

"What's wrong? What's happening?" Yang Xiaohai exclaimed, momentarily unsure of what to do amidst the sudden panic.

Yang Xiaohai, eyes wide with fear, trembled.

He opened his mouth, just about to speak, when the ground began to tremble violently.

"The... the earth dragon is turning over! Get down, quick!" Zhao Xiumei lunged forward, shielding Yang Xiaohai beneath her.

In an instant, the world seemed to warp around them. This terrifying experience left them huddled together, trembling helplessly, waiting in despair and fear for it all to pass.

When the trembling sensation weakened slightly, Yang Xiaohai crawled out from under Zhao Xiumei and looked around. He then witnessed an incredibly shocking sight.

The distant grasslands appeared to undulate like ocean waves, and the entire Qingqiu seemed to have transformed into a vast yellow sea.

Just as he was stunned by the sight, a fissure extending from a great distance appeared directly beneath them.

With a sharp crack, the fissure instantly widened into a massive chasm, like Qingqiu's gaping maw, swallowing both of them along with their desperate cries.

After an unknown amount of time, Yang Xiaohai groggily awoke. Disregarding everything else, his first action upon waking was to search for Zhao Xiumei.

However, the dim environment, where he could barely see his own fingers, made it impossible for him to find her.

"Xiumei! Xiumei!" Yang Xiaohai shouted, scanning his surroundings.

The echo was loud, indicating the place was vast. Yang Xiaohai looked up in horror but saw only utter darkness; he seemed to be underground.

"Xiumei, where are you?!" Yang Xiaohai cried out, his voice trembling slightly. What lay beneath Qingqiu was, of course, self-evident. Yang Xiaohai tremblingly reached into his bosom but found nothing; the Ruyi scepter made of decaying wood that Senior Brother Li had given him for self-defense was gone.

Now Yang Xiaohai was truly panicking. He had learned from Sun Baolu that Qingqiu would experience earthquakes, but he had never imagined the scale of the tremors would be so immense, so immense that they had been swallowed whole.

Just as Yang Xiaohai was pacing like an ant on a hot pan, utterly at a loss, he suddenly heard movement to his left.

In this obscure, dark place, especially underground in Qingqiu where evil spirits were rampant, Yang Xiaohai didn't even dare to imagine what might be there.

His legs trembling, he was about to retreat, but just then, a simple, honest voice came from that direction.

"I think I've heard that voice somewhere before," the voice said. "Um, I remember your name is Yang Xiaohai, right?"

Hearing his name, Yang Xiaohai's heart eased slightly, but he still didn't completely let down his guard.

"You... who are you?"

"It's me," the person said, walking towards him.

Soon, Yang Xiaohai saw a familiar face: the slightly bluish face of Scholar Lü.