Chapter 83

Shaoyang Gate Mining Area.

"Father! Mother! Hurry up!!"

Wei Chun, carrying a bundle, supported the two elderly people and followed the flow of fleeing miners, heading towards Feiye City.

"Finally... finally we can return..." Mother Li Cui's face was haggard, but fortunately, the eldest son had been helping them during this time.

The eldest son, Wei Chun, was naturally strong and physically robust. With her support in the mining area, the two of them had managed to stay healthy and safe.

Father Wei Tang, carrying a small bundle, mixed in with the fleeing crowd, equally emotionally agitated.

"I wonder how Xiaoying and Xiaohé are doing now, whether they are living well..."

"Don't worry, we'll see them when we get back. They must be fine. Xiaohé is so smart, and Xiaoying is hardworking and good at managing the household. They can take care of themselves." Wei Chun comforted them earnestly.

Even as she said these words, she didn't quite believe them herself.

But such words brought a glimmer of hope to the eyes of the two elders.

In the crowd, there were many such groups, with many families being forcibly brought to work.

Some had worked from young to old, spending half their lives in the mining area. Some children had even grown up there and now, upon hearing they could leave, looked bewildered and at a loss.

Others wept with joy, having been sent in and immediately allowed to leave. In such a dramatic turn of events, no one could remain indifferent.

A group of soldiers from Hong Family Castle, strong and wearing leather armor, held weapons and maintained order.

"Slow down, everyone, slow down. Our lord, the Tiger of Feiye, Hong Daoyuan, has ordered the granaries to be opened for three days. Your first task upon returning is to collect food according to the number of people!"

"Lord Hong is kind and generous. Remember, it is Lord Hong Daoyuan who saved you, provided you with food and drink, and allowed you to live!"

"Now that our Hong Family Castle has expelled the Seven Families Alliance and returned to Feiye City, everyone can rest assured. As long as Lord Hong is here, you will have food to eat every day!"

These voices were loudly proclaimed on both sides.

Hong Family Castle attacked Feiye City, and Shaoyang Gate participated in the battle. The result was that the elite of Shaoyang Gate were severely defeated by the fierce counterattack of the Seven Families Alliance.

Even more tragically, Hong Family Castle turned their back on Shaoyang Gate, refusing to acknowledge the long-term supply of minerals and weapons. Instead, they betrayed them, and Hong Daoyuan publicly killed Ou Chen and then hammered the leader of Shaoyang Gate.

This was clearly a case of burning the bridge after crossing it. Hong Family Castle believed that Shaoyang Gate's bad reputation affected the foundation of their rule, and they turned their back on them.

Since Shaoyang Gate had few people, and due to their brutal management, the disciples had little sense of belonging and were even hoping for their downfall.

In just half a day, the upper echelons were surrounded and killed, and the remaining disciples divided the wealth and scattered.

The mining area was left unattended.

Hundreds of miners took the opportunity to head towards Feiye City.

In the chaos, Wei Chun protected the two elders, moving towards the city. Even Hong Family Castle sent soldiers to escort them.

The rescued people all praised Hong Daoyuan's righteousness. Everyone's hearts were filled with hope for the future and a desire for stability. This was exactly what Hong Family wanted.

With the population of Feiye City drastically reduced, the first thing Hong Daoyuan needed to do was to revive the population. The fastest way to do this was to spread righteousness, provide food, and attract more refugees.

In the afternoon, under dense clouds.

The crowd from the mining area, like a long, gray snake, moved with hope and anticipation towards Feiye City, which had just experienced a battle.

On the other side.

In the mountains, Wei He and Jiang Su, along with others, carried large bundles and headed northwest, away from Feiye City.

Before them lay a vast expanse of mountains and forests, with rolling hills stretching as far as the eye could see.

......

......

......

Thirty miles northwest of Feiye City, in a desolate mountain.

Crack.

A bolt of lightning split the night sky.

Raindrops fell, hitting the leaves and grass, making a rustling sound.

In a cave in the mountains.

Wei He carefully placed the freshly peeled black bear skin over the fire to dry.

Two bear cubs huddled together in fear, crouching in the deepest part of the cave.

"The weather changes so quickly. It was a drought not long ago, and now it's raining every day."

He frowned and looked outside. The night was deep, and the steam from the heavy rain blurred the forest, making it impossible to see anything clearly.

"Thank goodness for you, Brother Wei. Otherwise, we wouldn't know what to do." Ouyang Lin said gratefully.

If not for Wei He's sudden warning about the rain, they might have continued on their journey foolishly, without looking for a place to take shelter.

"Brother, what should we do with the two bear cubs?" Ouyang Lin looked at the two bear cubs in the deepest part of the cave, their pitiful appearance making her feel sorry for them.

"We'll kill them later. The meat is tender and delicious." Wei He replied.

"Why do we have to kill them... Can't we let them live?" Wei Ying also felt sorry for them.

"Sure, but such small cubs won't survive long outside." Wei He replied.

Jiang Su and Zhang Qi were sleeping soundly near the fire, leaning against the cave wall.

They needed to rest as much as possible because they would have to take turns keeping watch, allowing Wei He to rest.

In the wilderness, someone had to stay alert at all times, or there could be great danger.

The fire was not entirely safe; some fierce beasts and strange creatures were not afraid of it.

Wei He, Ouyang Lin, and Wei Ying sat around the fire, listening to the rain, thunder, and the occasional howl of an unknown wild beast.

Despite the dangerous environment, they felt a sense of security with Wei He by their side.

He had everything well-organized, knowing exactly what to do and when to do it.

"Xiaohé, how long do you think it will take us to keep walking like this?" Wei Ying asked softly.

"At least half a year." Wei He replied solemnly.

Actually, this was a conservative estimate. Once they started their journey, he realized he had overestimated himself. The direction he was taking, though marked by the escort company, was rarely traveled, and the path was overgrown with weeds and shrubs, obscuring the way.

He had to find the path, correct his direction, and be vigilant for possible wild beasts and venomous insects.

The speed of the five-person group was much slower than he had expected, more than twice as slow.

"Half a year..." Wei Ying lowered her head, hugging her knees and looking at the fire. "So long..."

"Let's hope everything goes smoothly." Ouyang Lin reached out and held Wei Ying's hand, squeezing it to comfort her.

Over the past few days, the two girls, who were both delicate, had become very close.

Although Jiang Su was also a girl, she was much stronger and more resilient, and thus had little in common with the other two.

Zhang Qi, after his brother's death, had become even more silent. Originally, he could have returned to Feiye City to find his parents.

But he chose not to go back and instead decided to leave with Wei He. His eyes always showed a certain longing, a desire for revenge against the Seven Families Alliance.

He knew that staying in Feiye City, relying on himself, would never allow him to take revenge, so when he learned that Wei He was heading to the capital, he decided to follow.

The fire grew more intense, and the rain outside gradually lessened.

Wei He stood up and walked to the deepest part of the cave, picking up the two bear cubs, one in each hand.

"Go on." He patted the heads of the two cubs and released them.

"It's still raining outside..." Wei Ying hesitated.

"A little rain won't affect them. I don't want them to cause a commotion in the cave and attract trouble when I go out." Wei He replied.

The meat from one black bear would last the five of them for a long time, but eating only meat could cause many health problems, so he needed to go out and find some wild vegetables and mushrooms.

Under the reluctant gazes of the two girls, the two bear cubs ran out of the cave as soon as they were released, as if afraid to see Wei He again, and quickly disappeared into the forest.

Wei He also stood up and crushed some giant gray bear droppings, scattering them on the ground at the cave entrance.

"I'm going out. Wait for me."

"How long will you be gone?" Wei Ying asked worriedly.

"I'll be back when the rain stops." Wei He, without turning back, moved the camouflage rocks and shrubs to block the cave entrance, then pulled up his fur hat and headed into the dense forest.

The forest was drizzling, and the recent heavy rain had rejuvenated the area.

Raindrops of various sizes slid off the leaves and hit the ground irregularly.

Wei He activated his Flying Dragon Technique and patrolled around the cave in a fan shape.

He had to ensure there were no dangerous animals or venomous insects nearby.

After walking only a few hundred meters, he heard a faint sound.

He paused, climbed up a tree trunk, and quickly reached a branch, lying down.

He then covered his head with the camouflage branches on his back, blending completely into the night forest.

Soon, several figures darted past the grass, rushing away without stopping.

In the darkness, Wei He couldn't see who they were, but it didn't matter. Their presence was a good sign, proving that the path he was taking was correct.

After the figures left, Wei He descended from the tree and continued exploring the forest.

Currently, his three major techniques were progressing slowly. The Five Ridges Palm was still advancing, but the Back Mountain Fist was making very slow progress.

Both techniques involved the cultivation of internal strength, which needed to be gradually spread throughout the body to reach the stage of internal strength.

However, this process was extremely slow. In Feiye City, no internal strength practitioner was younger than thirty.

Even Hong Daoyuan, with his extraordinary talent and unique physique, only broke through at the age of twenty-five, and it was rumored that he had some special encounters.

Therefore, the twenty years of life extension after three qi and blood breakthroughs were still insufficient for martial arts cultivation.

The only hope now was the Flying Dragon Technique. He had been using it frequently recently, and he was on the verge of reaching the third level, about to achieve a stable and complete second level.

Once he reached a stable and complete state, he could use the Breakthrough Pearl to enter the next stage.

Wei He planned to test whether breaking through lower-level martial arts required the same use of a Breakthrough Pearl as other martial arts.

He moved swiftly through the dark forest.

After a short while, Wei He paused, hearing a faint breathing sound.

The sound was there, but he couldn't pinpoint its location. It was long and low, faint and intermittent.

He stood behind a tree trunk, checked for snakes or venomous insects, and then pressed his back against the trunk. From his waist bag, he gently took out a handful of darts.

Peering around the tree trunk, Wei He slowly extended his line of sight to inspect behind the tree.