Chapter 220:

The fact that Taoist Qingzhuo’s foundation is damaged, injured by an ordinary martial artist, cannot be known to outsiders until he recovers from his injuries.

Losing his position as an elder might just make him worry too much, maybe the situation will only be laughed at by the other elders… but Taoist Qingzhuo doesn’t want to take the risk.

"In theory, if I want to keep this matter from spreading, I should eliminate all the mortals who know about it…"

"But what about Qiao Shui…" Taoist Qingzhuo frowned.

If he returns to the sect, then he will be a senior elder with a weakened foundation, as long as he goes into seclusion to heal and rest, there is hope for recovery.

If he goes to Anxi Pass and kills the soldiers and civilians of the lonely city, and angers the fiery Qiao family member, the consequences will be even more serious.

Even if there is only a ten percent chance of a one-to-one exchange with the Qiao family member, it would be a great loss for Taoist Qingzhuo, who looks down on ordinary martial artists.

"Although that’s true, it wouldn’t be appropriate to let the matter spread among the people of Zhong Province."

Elder Qingzhuo is contemplating a strategy, as his own foundation has been weakened, he naturally cannot personally go up against mortals.

So, should he let his disciples and juniors handle it instead?

This might not be a good idea, but if we try to deal with the soldiers and people in the lonely city, we might end up in trouble with that Qiao family member. And the best way to deal with the Qiao family member is actually not to go there ourselves.

Everyday matters are just ordinary things.

Since Emperor Yonghe held the Human Emperor Sword, the Great Dao Sect has been planning to let King Qin take the stage and handle worldly matters.

With the Immortal Gate personally boosting him, King Qin is gaining more and more power. He has already been appointed in the Great YanZhong Province. Therefore, it would be better for him to take care of worldly matters.

If King Qin can handle them, he should. If he can’t, he should use a few lives to test the Qiao family member’s strength. Then Taoist Qingzhuo can personally go and kill them using immortal techniques. With this combination, we can be sure that everything will go smoothly…

……………

The night has grown deep.

But the entire Anxi Pass, as well as the small towns outside of it, are brightly lit, engulfed in a sea of crying.

There are about a few hundred households in the small towns outside of Anxi Pass. Apart from a few merchants, almost all of them are the families of the former Great Yan soldiers who now call this place home.

In the past, when Qiao Mu entered the checkpoint, he had sent letters to these hundreds of households. But today, their letters received an unexpected response.

Mr. Hai is still waiting in this small town, meeting with Captain Hai from the lonely city. They are Hai Wuya’s two sons, reunited after forty years. They look at each other in silence, unable to speak due to emotions.

However, being able to reunite with loved ones like the Hai brothers is very rare.

After all, out of the hundred thousand soldiers from the past, only three hundred old soldiers remain. Among them, only a few could wait for letters from home and see their loved ones again.

There are more people like Madame Bai here in Anxi Pass. They have waited for forty years, only to receive news of death.

Forty years is a very long time for ordinary people. Even if they are still alive, most have changed completely.

The old man of the arsenal, with half of his face remaining, feels some sadness. His worry is not for himself, but for the women and children who followed the old soldiers out of the desert.

These women and children are different from the remaining soldiers of the Great Yan.

The majority of the Western Conquering Army were recruited from Zhong Province and neighboring states, while the people in the lonely city are locals.

If the old soldiers still have a hometown that they are unsure if it exists, then the people of the solitary city actually have no home to return to – even though the solitary city in the desert still exists, it is not a suitable place to live, and no one wants to go back. Searᴄh the NôᴠelFirё.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Even though many of these women, children, and elderly people died during the forty years, when added together, there are still quite a few left… For Zhong Province today, it is not easy to properly settle the sudden increase of half a city’s worth of women, children, and elderly.

Led by Qiao Shuangsen, the Qiao family members weaved a fictional hope for the solitary city using a lie, allowing them to harbor the hope of leaving the desert and leaving behind their past troubles.

Who would have known that after sacrificing several Qiao family members, they actually managed to come out now.

However, where should they go next?

No one has an answer.

Qiao Mu reopened Qiao Xiaoming’s imagination, injecting new growth, allowing him to continue "living."



He walked towards the inn in the small town, after being isolated in his dreams for five years, he felt an unexplainable exhaustion upon returning to reality.

His physical body had returned to its optimal state, but his mental and emotional state was not that good.

Just arrived at the inn, ordered a pot of strong alcohol, and a bowl of long-life noodles. Found an empty Eight Immortals table in the corner and quietly stared at the food on the table.

Starting from Yan City, every time he had a birthday, he would always order long-life noodles. And now, this bowl of long-life noodles…

"How old am I now? Qiao Mu looked at the reflection of an old face in his cup and started counting on his fingers.

So, he was actually 210 years old.

Life is very rare to reach seventy, and he has already lived three lifetimes of an old person who has reached seventy.

At the next table, there were several drinkers, seemingly travelers passing through the town. At the moment, they were in high spirits, engaging in lively conversations.

"Can you believe that there are still surviving remnants from the Inhuman War forty years ago? It’s like something out of a fairy tale…"

"Never in a million years did I expect there to be such a steel-blooded lone army in this world. While Great Yan has forgotten about them, there are still people holding their ground. If I hadn’t seen those white-headed soldiers with my own eyes, I wouldn’t have believed it!"

"Those old soldiers have endured suffering… but as long as they’re still alive, that’s a good thing! These people deserve to live to a hundred!"

"Getting better, everything is getting better. Ever since the evil demon who ate people, known as Martial Saint, died, everything has gotten better."

"Martial Saint had suppressed the martial arts world for forty years, and now, just a few months after his death, the martial arts in Jiu Province is thriving. The backbone of Jiu Province not only consists of the remnants of the past army, but also includes the Qiao family member and the newly rising King Qin."

"King Qin is also an extraordinary person. He is the first one to step up and embrace the path of martial arts after Martial Saint’s death. He resolutely raised the banner of ‘Using Martial Arts to Defeat Immortals,’ even making the inhuman members of the Great Dao Sect suffer in secret."

"Even our Majesty is pleased. He has granted land to King Qin, who carries the banner of Jiu Province’s martial artist. The newly established ‘Great Qin Prefecture’ in Zhong Province is a testament to it. Moreover, the generous wealthy man, Li Gongde, from the Imperial Capital, has made contributions. Now, the Great Qin City is thriving and full of potential."

"Speaking of which, it’s quite pitiful for the residents who have come out of the isolated city. If they have nowhere to go, they can go to the newly established Great Qin City. It’s also a way out."

Qiao Mu quietly eats his noodles and occasionally listens to the conversations of the travelers. Only then does he realize that many things have happened within Zhong Province during the one or two months he has been trapped in the isolated city.

"King Qin? I haven’t heard of him before. If someone can truly carry the banner of martial arts, it would be a good thing."

Qiao Mu is starting to feel tired. He didn’t inquire further, focusing on eating his noodles.

Meanwhile, at the nearby table, someone suddenly slams the table with a loud bang. This draws the attention of others in the inn, even causing the other customers to stop talking.

Qiao Mu glanced to the side and saw two familiar faces.

It was Hai Siyuan and the former Mr. Hai, the two brothers.

The two of them sat at the inn, crying and sharing their pasts.

At first, Captain Hai spoke of the forty years of blood and tears in the solitary city in the desert.

After Captain Hai roughly finished talking, he couldn’t wait to ask about the current situation of Great Yan from Mr. Hai.

"The truth cannot be hidden any longer," Qiao Mu said quietly.

He could make up a lie about the Immortal Slaying Army, but could he also make up a story about Great Yan united against the inhumans?

That’s not called a lie, it’s called a fairy tale.

Lies don’t harm, it is the truth that is like a sharp knife.

To give hope to the lonely city, Qiao Mu weaved a lie about the "Immortal Slaying Army," igniting hope in the hearts of the people, seeking survival rather than death.



However, when they truly stepped out of the desert, what awaited them was naturally the bloody truth.

Captain Hai, whose temples had turned gray, trembled slightly as he said incredulously:

"We, the lonely army, have fought for forty years, enduring the unbearable pressure from the inhumans, while Great Yan behind us has been kneeling for forty years?"

"Has the Immortal Gate’s Taoist temple spread throughout Jiu Province?"

He suddenly stood up, swaying slightly, feeling a surge of energy and blood, suddenly feeling dizzy.