chsdbacks Chapter 123: Against My Will
Chapter 123: Against My Will
The moment their eyes met, both of them froze.
Zhang Ping looked at the familiar face of the black-robed man who had called out to him, and a name came to mind.
"Li Fan?" he asked in surprise.
The man in the black robe had a weathered look on his face, with a hint of effeminacy, and a layer of bluish stubble on his chin.
The difference between him and Li Fan, who used to be a wealthy young master who couldn't bear the hardships of martial arts training, was huge. But despite the difference, Zhang Ping recognized him at a glance.
"You're not dead?"
Zhang Ping was somewhat pleased.
Although he didn't have much contact with Li Fan while at the martial arts school, Li Fan was indeed his first friend after joining. During the time when he was forced by the An family to stay at the school, he relied on Li Fan to purchase many of his materials.
However, when he went out to escort goods, Linchuan County was struck by a demonic calamity, and Li Fan was not among the teams that broke through the encirclement.
Zhang Ping had assumed Li Fan had died in Linchuan. He never imagined they would meet again in the southern borderlands.
Hearing Zhang Ping call his name, Li Fan snapped out of his daze. He looked at Zhang Ping, who exuded an air of superiority and was now more handsome and taller than before.
Most importantly, the absolute confidence in Zhang Ping's eyes left Li Fan speechless for a long time.
The two had been separated for a year, and their reunion was unexpectedly under these circumstances.
"I...I was..." He opened his mouth, but for a moment he didn't know how to answer Zhang Ping's question.
Just then, a shrill female voice suddenly rang in his mind:
"It was him...he ruined my body...the Holy Demon Lock was on him..."
The voice was sharp and shrill, instantly giving Li Fan goosebumps.
Upon learning that Li Fan was alive, Zhang Ping was in high spirits. Suddenly noticing his unusual behavior, he asked in surprise, "What's going on? Am I that scary?"
"No, I didn't expect to run into you in southern Xinjiang either. Let's find a place to sit down!"
Li Fan's expression remained unchanged as he quickly calmed the shock in his heart.
Over the past year, he has experienced a great deal and developed a resilient character, which is enough to control his emotions in such situations.
Zhang Ping nodded.
The two walked all the way to the foot of the holy mountain, where there were more martial artists patrolling, and the refugees who were nearby were driven away to other places.
We found a clean teahouse and sat down.
Zhang Ping rested his elbows on the windowsill, gazing at the evergreen forest at the foot of the sacred mountain.
A group of royal boys and girls are hunting in the forest.
Across from him, Li Fan was drinking tea with his head down, occasionally glancing up at him.
"That's how I survived back then. Later, because the north was blocked by demons, I came all the way to the southern border and settled in the royal city."
Listening to Li Fan recount his experiences over the past year—escaping from the clutches of demons and crossing the Hengduan Mountains alone to reach the Southern Frontier.
After hearing all this, Zhang Ping couldn't help but exclaim, "I have to say, you're incredibly lucky."
Putting aside the escape from the chaos, besides the team that broke through, Li Fan was probably the only one who survived in Lingchuan.
Furthermore, the act of traversing the Hengduan Mountains was practically treated like a protagonist.
The Hengduan Mountains stretch for thousands of miles and are home to countless strange beasts and demons, making it difficult even for skilled martial artists to traverse them alone.
At that time, it was hard to say whether Li Fan's cultivation level was even at the Skin Tempering Realm.
Thinking about cultivation level, Zhang Ping noticed that in just one year, Li Fan's cultivation level had actually reached the late stage of Flesh Refining.
This speed is beyond common sense. It must have been some extraordinary encounter during their escape.
Zhang Ping took a small sip of tea and put down his cup. He didn't seem to care much about Li Fan's extraordinary encounter, and instead asked:
"What are your plans for the future?"
The capital city is being targeted by demons and won't last long. With Li Fan's late-stage Body Refinement cultivation, the chances of him escaping alone are very low. Unless he gets incredibly lucky again. However, luck is often unpredictable.
Li Fan unconsciously raised his hand to touch his face and said, "The future? I don't know yet. It doesn't count if I decide for myself."
Zhang Ping listened to his words and smiled silently.
Indeed, with demons and monsters running rampant these days, where one goes is not entirely up to them. Most people simply go wherever they can survive.
Worried that Li Fan might not be aware of the current situation in Southern Xinjiang, Zhang Ping briefly explained it, and then suggested:
"The royal family of Southern Xinjiang will organize the evacuation of its core members in the next few days. You will come up the mountain with me later, and I will speak with the royal family to ensure that you can leave with them."
The capital city is now in chaos, with countless people wanting to leave, and groups of warriors departing every day. But the demons roaming to the west and south are not so easily letting people go.
Some powerful martial artists seized the opportunity to form teams and sell their departure slots. Families and powerful groups flocked to these teams, desperately trying to squeeze in.
Even the Holy Mountain can no longer control the increasing number of martial artists in the royal city. As long as they don't go too far, it basically turns a blind eye.
As his friend, Li Fan could easily slip him into the royal evacuation team with a single word, given his current abilities.
To Zhang Ping's surprise, Li Fan refused.
"Thank you, I have a way to leave, I'll leave on my own when the time comes."
Zhang Ping paused for a moment, guessing that this might be related to his secret, nodded, and didn't ask any more questions.
The two chatted over tea, mostly exchanging their experiences over the past year. Zhang Ping talked a lot, about Lanjiang City, the battle against Guitianhe, and so on. However, he didn't mention his own strength.
Li Fan listened silently, his heart filled with conflicting emotions.
"Get away from him...danger..." A sharp female voice kept warning him in his mind.
"A formidable enemy... I must kill him someday..."
He suddenly finished the half-cup of tea in one gulp and said, "Zhang Ping, I have to go now. Let's meet again another time!"
"Okay." Upon hearing this, Zhang Ping didn't say anything more and got up together.
As he walked outside the teahouse, he spoke again:
"The rebels may attack in the next few days, so you should leave as soon as possible if you want to."
Li Fan stopped, his expression complex. After a long pause, he finally answered:
"Okay, I've got it!"
"We'll meet again someday, though mountains and rivers may separate us!"
After saying that, his gaze inadvertently swept over the black chain around Zhang Ping's waist, which served as a belt, and then he turned and left.
Watching Li Fan's figure disappear into the alley, Zhang Ping sighed, shook his head, and walked towards the sacred mountain.
"It's not like it used to be."
He could clearly sense Li Fan's awkwardness when facing him.
In Zhang Ping's view, it was most likely due to the change in the status of the two parties. Although he hadn't mentioned cultivation level before, anyone who paid close attention could sense it from his words.
"Never mind, if I run into this guy again, I'll lend him a hand."
......
The walls, built of mud bricks, had fallen into disrepair over the years and looked mottled. At some point, a layer of plaster had been scraped off, revealing the white putty.
The alley was much dirtier and messier than the outside, with filth everywhere.
Li Fan found a clean place to stand, leaned against the wall, his black robe stained with plaster.
"The Holy Demon Lock...it's very important..." In his mind, the voice of the Faceless Soul was no longer as mournful as before, but he still couldn't forget the black chain around Zhang Ping's waist.
"Zhang Ping is my friend, and if I had asked him for the chains just now, he would definitely have become suspicious."
"next time......"
......
Zhang Ping had just returned to the sacred mountain when he saw Miao Caixin leading Miao Lele towards him, and behind them was a green bird that was half a meter long.
"Fellow Daoist Miao, what is this?"
He pointed curiously to the green-feathered bird behind the two of them.
"This is an envoy from the Dodo bird clan, from the Western Poison Forest. The royal family has reached an agreement with some beastmen in the Western Poison Forest, and they will begin their evacuation early tomorrow morning," Miao Caixin introduced to Zhang Ping, also explaining the evacuation route confirmed by the royal family.
"West Poison Forest?"
Upon hearing this, Zhang Ping raised an eyebrow.