Chapter 661
Chapter 661
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 661
>Chapter Title: Earth Dragon
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Sun Baolu's words pulled the excited Yang Kid back to reality.
"Senior Sister Bai has taken in quite a few adopted daughters and sons; it's almost full up. What's wrong, Brother Baolu? You want to come live in Niuxin Village?"
Sun Baolu glanced at the clansmen in the distance and lowered his voice. "The clan chief doesn't sense any danger, but I don't agree. If Hou Shu really gets wiped out by Yu'er Nation, we'll be next—Qingqiu."
"Although the Great Khan said he'd send troops to help Hou Shu, I'm not optimistic. Yu'er Nation is coming on strong. If mighty Daliang doesn't step in, we might not be able to hold them off. I need to find a backup plan for my people."
At this point, impatience crept onto Sun Baolu's face. "I just don't get what that dog emperor of Daliang is thinking. Doesn't he know that when the lips are gone, the teeth will feel the cold? He's still not sending troops to help Qingqiu and Hou Shu. Once Yu'er Nation takes those places, what good will one lone spot do him!"
"Brother Baolu, the dog emperor you're talking about is Gao Zhijian."
Hearing this, Sun Baolu's eyes went wide. "He's really the emperor? You weren't just bullshitting me?"
"I'm not bullshitting. I never lie to people."
Sun Baolu ground his back teeth for a moment, then slapped his palms in frustration. "Argh! What are the Daliang people thinking, picking a fool for an emperor? No wonder they're not sending troops at a time like this. If Daliang falls too, where do we run from the war then!"
"Brother Baolu, don't think so pessimistically. Maybe Yu'er Nation isn't that strong." Unaware of what had happened in Daliang, Yang Kid sounded especially upbeat.
"The grass in Qingqiu has turned yellow—that means Eternal Heaven is angry. Ever since the last natural disaster, Qingqiu's had plenty of earth dragon turnovers. Mom was right; better to prepare. Oh, right—what's Senior Brother Li up to these days?" Li Huowang might be a bit mad, but whenever there was a problem, he always found a way to solve it.
At the question, a flicker of confusion crossed Yang Kid's eyes. "No idea. When I left, Senior Brother Li had swapped to a lotus root head and was holed up in Niuxin Village recovering."
"Alright then. I'll see if I can write to get in touch with Senior Brother Li. Safe travels—watch out for yourself. If it gets too rough, just come back." Sun Baolu clapped Yang Kid on the shoulder, and the carriage rolled forward once more.
Sun Baolu's mother had originally planned to keep Yang Kid and his wife for a meal before they left. But upon learning his family was in danger, Yang Kid couldn't bear to linger a moment longer.
By the time they moved away from the tents, a dozen sheep had been added to the back of Yang Kid's carriage—gifts from Sun Baolu for the road.
Of course, Yang Kid wouldn't take them for nothing. He had Zhao Xiumei slip some gold bars into Sun Baolu's tent.
They traveled on like this for several days, Yang Kid inching along by the map. Yellow grass stretched everywhere, making it hard to get his bearings.
But Sun Baolu had explained clearly: just reach the border between Qingqiu's grasslands and Hou Shu's Gobi, then head straight down to find the seacoast for sure.
"Should be getting close now." Yang Kid eyed the jagged rocks in the distance and the yellow plains nearby, stroking the new stubble on his chin as he pondered uneasily.
"Hubby, have some mutton soup. Qingqiu sheep is very nourishing." A steaming crock of soup appeared before Yang Kid.
He took it and inhaled deeply, his chilled body instantly wrapped in warmth. Flavored simply with salt and wild garlic, the exquisite quality of Qingqiu sheep made up for any lack.
"Wrap up any leftover mutton and drain the blood. The weather's cold enough it won't spoil right away, but the bloody smell could still draw beasts."
"Got it." Whenever talk turned to cooking, Zhao Xiumei found the chatty Yang Kid especially endearing.
That was what had first caught her eye—his intense focus and effortless skill whenever he cooked.
After a quick meal, the wheels started rolling again. But they'd barely gone far when the draft horse halted abruptly, rearing up on its forelegs with a loud whinny, as if desperate to break free of the harness and flee.
The goats that had been placidly trailing the carriage scattered in panic.
"What's wrong? What's going on?" Amid the chaos, Yang Kid froze, unsure what to do.
Fear in his eyes, Yang Kid's mouth trembled open as if to speak—when the ground began to shake violently.
"The earth dragon's turning! Get down quick!" Zhao Xiumei lunged forward, shielding Yang Kid beneath her.
In an instant, the heavens and earth shifted, winds howled and clouds churned. In the face of this terror, the two could only huddle together, trembling helplessly in despair, waiting for it to pass.
As the quaking eased a bit, Yang Kid wriggled out from under Zhao Xiumei and looked around. What he saw next left him utterly stunned.
The distant grasslands flowed like ocean waves, turning all of Qingqiu into a yellow sea.
As he gaped in awe, a fissure snaking from far away appeared beneath them.
With a sharp crack, the fissure yawned into a massive chasm—like Qingqiu's gaping maw—swallowing the two along with their desperate cries.
He didn't know how much time passed before Yang Kid groggily came to. Ignoring everything else, his first act was to search for Zhao Xiumei.
But in the pitch darkness where he could barely make out his own fingers, he couldn't find her. "Xiumei! Xiumei!" Yang Kid shouted into the void.
The echoes were huge—this place felt vast. Yang Kid looked up in terror but saw only blackness. He was underground.
"Xiumei, where are you?!" His voice shook as he yelled.
What lurked underground in Qingqiu went without saying. Trembling, Yang Kid reached into his robes—and came up empty. The Decayed Wood Wishful Stick that Senior Brother Li had left him for protection was gone.
Now Yang Kid truly panicked. Sun Baolu had warned him about recent earth dragon turnovers in Qingqiu, but he never imagined it'd be this bad—bad enough to swallow them whole.
Just as Yang Kid fretted like an ant on a hot pan, at a total loss, he heard a noise to his left.
In this pitch-black hellhole, deep in evil-infested Qingqiu's underworld—what could it be? Yang Kid didn't dare imagine.
His legs quaking, he started to back away. But then a familiar, honest voice came from that direction. "I remember this voice from somewhere. Hey, aren't you Yang Kid?"
Hearing his own name called out, Yang Kid's heart settled a touch—but he didn't drop his guard entirely.
"W-who are you?"
"It's me." The voice approached.
Soon Yang Kid made out a familiar face in the gloom: Lv Juren's somewhat greenish countenance.