Chapter 00050: The City of the Dead
# The City of the Dead
Chapter 50
Novel: After the Immortals Disappeared
Chapter 50: The City of the Dead
"Is this what Panlong City looked like before its destruction?" Maotao asked softly, his voice low since the other three held higher status than him.
"Young Master and I didn’t encounter a single person on our way here."
"There’s no one in the city either. At least, we didn’t find anyone after walking around nearby," Sun Fuping said slowly.
"I was transported into a well, while Commander Nian landed directly in the moat."
The four of them passed through the city gate, and behind it was a large square.
It seemed that during this period, Panlong City didn’t yet have its triple walls.
"It looks like we’re in a time even earlier than before Panlong City fell," He Lingchuan observed, glancing around.
"There aren’t as many defensive structures here."
The Panlong City they had seen in the desert was heavily fortified, always flexing its muscles to the outside world.
But this version of Panlong City seemed much more peaceful.
The same city, but different times and different appearances.
They crossed the square, which lacked the pool they had seen in the desert version of Panlong City.
Fortunately, the black dragon totem was still there.
Nearby was a row of buildings, with inns and taverns in the front and various residences behind.
"The layout of the houses is different too," Nian Songyu said, leading the way into a tavern.
"When I entered, the stove was still warm."
The tavern’s doors were open, with two hanging cloths swaying gently.
Inside, there were six or seven tables, the chairs somewhat haphazardly arranged.
He Lingchuan noticed that three of the tables had wine jars on them, with cups still holding remnants of wine and plates containing a dozen or so peanuts.
Behind the counter was a ledger, the character for "wine" only half-written, just a "洒," with the brush tossed aside, the ink still fresh.
Nian Songyu walked over to a table and tapped it with his knuckles, producing a solid thud.
"Everything here is real. It’s too lifelike," he said, then picked up a wine cup and shoved it into Maotao’s hands.
"Drink it."
Maotao was startled.
"Ah, drink it?" Who would dare consume something so mysterious?
Nian Songyu’s expression was no joke.
Maotao had no choice but to tilt his head back and take a small sip, carefully tasting it.
"It’s wine, but the flavor is weak. In Blackwater City, this would be worth at most three coins."
"Drink it," Nian Songyu ordered.
It wasn’t just about tasting it.
He Lingchuan remained silent, so under the watchful eyes of the other three, Maotao had no choice but to drink the wine.
"Finished. Now what should we… ah, my stomach hurts!" Before he could finish, Maotao let out a strange cry, threw down the cup, and ran to the back.
The outhouse was in the rear.
After waiting for a while, Nian Songyu gestured to He Lingchuan with his chin.
"Go, see if he’s dead."
His tone was dripping with arrogance.
With He Lingchuan’s father and the Blackwater City troops not around, Nian Songyu saw no need to show any courtesy to He Lingchuan.
In fact, if He Lingchuan dared to act up, Nian Songyu was ready to beat him to a pulp and vent the frustration he’d been holding onto for days.
To his surprise, He Lingchuan didn’t get angry or make excuses.
He simply turned and walked toward the back, giving Nian Songyu no chance to start a fight.
Nian Songyu was momentarily stunned.
This kid knew how to read the room.
As He Lingchuan walked halfway, a breeze blew past, rustling the leaves.
He suddenly felt a gust of wind behind him and instinctively dodged, drawing his blade.
Huh, it was just a branch swaying in the wind, almost brushing his back.
He Lingchuan didn’t hurry to sheathe his sword.
Ever since entering this city, he had felt something was off, as if he was constantly being watched.
That persistent feeling was incredibly annoying.
At that moment, Maotao came running back, still pulling up his pants.
Seeing He Lingchuan with his sword drawn, he was startled.
"Young Master, is everything alright?"
"Everything’s fine," He Lingchuan said, sheathing his sword and taking a step back.
This guy not only had a dark aura around his forehead but also reeked of filth.
It was clear he’d just had a rough time.
"What about you?"
"Not dead, but my stomach feels completely empty," Maotao said, rubbing his belly as they walked back together.
When they returned to the tavern, Sun Fuping carefully examined Maotao’s complexion, checking his eyelids and tongue before declaring, "You’ve been poisoned."
Maotao nearly jumped in fright, but fortunately, the Grand Tutor continued, "The poison is weak. You won’t die, but you’ll probably need to make a few more trips to the outhouse."
Wasn’t this all because Nian Songyu forced him to drink that wine? Maotao cursed their ancestors eighteen generations in his heart, but on the surface, he forced a smile.
"That’s good, that’s good."
"You’ve eaten something meant for the dead," Sun Fuping said, picking up a peanut and crushing it, rubbing it between his fingers until it turned to ash.
"These aren’t meant for the living. No wonder the city is empty."
Nian Songyu understood now.
"Are you saying the residents of this city are the vengeful spirits that emerged from the pool?"
"Very likely. After they left, the city became empty."
"Those vengeful spirits were the residents of this city?" He Lingchuan asked in surprise.
"No way. The ones I saw outside were all crazed. How could they have been law-abiding citizens here?"
The current Panlong City, though empty, was orderly and well-maintained, just devoid of people.
The vengeful spirits he had encountered outside were filled with hatred, as if they wanted to tear the heavens apart.
If they had lived here for long, how could the city be so tidy?
"It’s probably the work of the Great Square Pot," Nian Songyu said.
"Panlong City was destroyed long ago. This place is the most abnormal."
Maotao whispered, "How do we find the Great Square Pot?" He had thought jumping into the well would give them some clues, but instead, they found themselves in another city.
What were they supposed to do now?
He Lingchuan suggested, "Let’s go to the Temple of the Heavenly God. We found the entrance there before. Maybe we’ll find new clues now."
"We’ve already been there. There’s no temple," Nian Songyu flatly rejected the idea.
He Lingchuan was stunned.
"No temple? What do you mean?"
"There’s no temple. Can’t you understand?" Nian Songyu said indifferently.
"In that spot, there are two taverns, a theater troupe, and two large shops—one selling jewelry and the other selling silk."
Right.
If the clues were easy to find, would these two still be waiting for him? He Lingchuan thought for a moment.
"What about General Hong’s residence?"
"We’ve looked. It’s not there either."
"No residence, or no clues?" He Lingchuan was growing more patient.
"Neither," Sun Fuping interjected.
"General Hong was a demigod bestowed by the Heavenly God. If there’s no temple, then naturally, there’s no General Hong."
No General Hong, no General Hong’s residence.
"Then there’s only one place left?" He Lingchuan scratched his head.
"Zhong Shengguang’s residence?"
Sun Fuping stood up.
"Let’s go."
The illusion had perfectly recreated the appearance of Panlong City.
He Lingchuan never imagined he would one day tour this legendary city in such a way.
From the streets, buildings, lakes, and rivers he passed, as well as the various tools and utensils used by the common folk, it was clear that Panlong City, before being burned by war, had been exceptionally prosperous, densely populated, and bustling with commerce.
He even saw a waterwheel by the river, not for irrigation but to supply water to nearby shops, eliminating the need for manual labor.
To support this, there were even bamboo pipelines connecting the river to the shops’ water troughs.
(End of Chapter)