Chương 55: Downstream Along the Xijiang

Fang Cheng could not stay in Xiangshi City for long. He was afraid that Hu Tong would find out and send cultivators to snatch the people. Then he would have to feast again, and that would not be good. Eating too much was bad for his health. So Fang Cheng called Qin Hao and prepared to lead the people away. Before leaving, they needed to study the routes. There were three options. The first was to head east, going around Shuili City and Dongyang City, then take the official road south to White Flower City.

This route was wide and flat, suitable for a large group, but it passed through Hu Tong's territory and could cause trouble. The second was to cut straight south through the Everlasting Mountains. After leaving the mountains, they would see Greenwood City, then head south to White Flower City. This was the shortest and fastest route, but the mountain paths were rugged and steep, with no rest stops along the way. For the common people, it would be torturous.

The third was to head west, follow the Xijiang River's tributaries south through parts of Xijiang Prefecture, then turn southeast toward Greenwood City, and finally south to White Flower City. This route was longer and passed through river regions with muddy paths, taking more time. But it passed through cities and villages where they could rest and resupply.

"Brother Fang, which route do we take?" Qin Hao asked. Fang Cheng thought for a moment and decided on the third route. He was more familiar with the cities of Xijiang Prefecture, and resupplying along the way would not be a problem.

"Go home and pack your things. Gather at the city gate in one incense stick's time!" Fang Cheng gave the order, and the people immediately set to work, packing their bedding, pots, pans, and other belongings onto carts. Squad Leader Zhang and his brothers opened the Yaman's granaries and called on the workshop men to haul out over a dozen carts of rice. They also prepared five oxcarts loaded with dried meat, fish, and various seasonings: chili peppers, sugar, salt, and more. Everything was packed to the brim.

As for fresh vegetables and fruits that would not keep long, Fang Cheng planned to resupply along the way. He had money anyway. Originally, he had planned to spend it on bringing in people, but now that expense was saved. He might as well use it to make sure the people ate well, so they would not suffer from malnutrition after the disaster and die of illness before reaching White Flower City. Once all the supplies were ready, the people gathered at the city gate.

Li Shuyan arrived with dozens of hand-drawn portraits and distributed them to the crowd. Some of the people recognized the masked man in the drawings, but none knew where he had gone. Squad Leader Zhang took one look and shouted:"Brother Fang, I know him! This guy left the city yesterday after you arrived, heading toward the Everlasting Mountains." Squad Leader Zhang had a clear memory of this man. He wore a mask, spoke in a slightly sissy voice, and walked with a swishy sway.

Anyone could see at a glance that he was up to no good.

"The Everlasting Mountains, huh?" Fang Cheng frowned slightly. The Everlasting Mountains were vast, stretching for thousands of li. Finding that damned masked man would be difficult. For now, it was better to settle the people first. He could go look for him in the mountains later when he had time.

"Move out!" Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Fang Cheng waved his hand. The oxcarts and wagons slowly rolled out of Xiangshi City, a vast procession heading toward the Xijiang River.... Two hundred years ago, the Great Sheng court had used the Xijiang River as the boundary between Lianshan Prefecture and Xijiang Prefecture. The river was shared.

But as the Xijiang dried up, many cities in Xijiang Prefecture were built on its riverbed, forming villages of various sizes. Lianshan Prefecture, separated by the Everlasting Mountains, could not build cities there, so the entire Xijiang region naturally became part of Xijiang Prefecture. Setting aside the history, Fang Cheng led the people of Xiangshi City south along the Xijiang tributaries. Along the way, they passed many villages.

At each village entrance, a stone marker bore a wanted poster for the demon Fang Cheng. This irritated Fang Cheng greatly. His superior, Pei Tang, had already communicated with the Great Sheng court and cleared his name. The court had withdrawn its wanted order. Yet the people of Xijiang Prefecture still thought he was a demon. It was outrageous. So at every village, he stopped and explained to the villagers that he was a good person, not a demon.

If anyone did not believe him, he would challenge them to a gentlemanly duel. Seeing the massive crowd behind him, the villagers quickly claimed they had made a mistake. They tore down the posters and offered fruits, vegetables, wine, and tea to express their apologies. And so, marching and dueling along the way, Fang Cheng spent very little money while keeping his people well-fed. At the same time, he spread the word of his good deeds far and wide. Two birds with one stone. Wonderful. Hahaha. Hiss, hiss, hiss...

The aftereffects of devouring Li Jinghong had not yet faded. Whenever Fang Cheng got excited, he could not help letting out a crayfish-like hiss. Squad Leader Zhang would flinch every time.

"Brother Fang, please stop. It scares me." Qin Hao did not mind. Fang Cheng had explained it was a unique cultivation method. Qin Hao gave a thumbs up and praised him.

"As expected of Brother Fang, a great cultivator who slayed a Heavenly Demon." There was also a little one, Xiaofeng. Both his parents had died. After a period of grief, he forgot his sadness. Whenever he heard Fang Cheng's hiss, he would follow along, laughing and hissing too.

"Copy me again, and I will spank you. Hiss, hiss, hiss..."

"Okay, Brother Fang! Hiss, hiss, hiss..." Since he could not argue with a child, Fang Cheng would find Li Shuyan and give him a good beating instead. After all, if a child was not taught, it was the father's fault. Since the father was dead, it became the teacher's fault. Then Li Shuyan, bruised and swollen, would find Xiaofeng, beat him, and make him copy lines like "Brother Fang is a truly good person," "Brother Fang is a hero who slays demons," and "Brother Fang is a great cultivator who upholds justice."

Seeing those words made Fang Cheng feel much better, and he would hiss again in satisfaction. They marched on, making merry as they went. After nearly a month, Fang Cheng and the people arrived near Greenwood City. From the high mountains south of the city, they could already see the outline of White Flower City in the distance. Based on the group's marching speed, Fang Cheng estimated they would reach White Flower City in three days.

He sent Qin Hao ahead to inform Magistrate Li Sanshui to prepare for the arrival of fifty thousand new citizens. Qin Hao nodded and flew off, quickly disappearing into the sky. It was evening. Fang Cheng ordered the people to set up camp and rest. He sent Squad Leader Zhang and a few others to Greenwood City to inform the magistrate there not to worry. His fifty thousand people were just passing through and would not cause any trouble. The magistrate of Greenwood City was named Zhao Yuanhua.

He had long heard of Fang Cheng's fame and dared not be negligent. He prepared some food and personally brought it out to the camp.

"Magistrate Zhao, you are too kind." Fang Cheng clasped his hands in thanks. Zhao Yuanhua replied, "City God, you are too polite. Greenwood City does not have a City God Temple. The people will have to go to White Flower City to pray in the future. I hope you will take good care of them." Fang Cheng nodded, saying it was his duty. He also mentioned that White Flower City would be developing textile silk and would need to buy raw silk from Greenwood City. He hoped Magistrate Zhao could offer a discount.

Zhao Yuanhua readily agreed.

"City God, Greenwood City recently got a new breed of mulberry trees. The silkworms produce colorful silk threads. They are very beautiful."

"Oh? A new breed?"

"Yes. Look at the mountains over there. Those are our mulberry trees." Following Zhao Yuanhua's pointing finger, Fang Cheng could faintly see the mulberry trees on the distant mountains. They had bloomed. The flowers were so vivid. Under the slanted rays of the setting sun, the mountains glowed red, as if watered with fresh blood. A striking sight.