Shortly after, their food was served, both in large bowls. Feng Miaojun’s tofu flower noodles had a base of soft, tender tofu, covered with vermicelli noodles, and topped with a neatly arranged layer of ingredients. The meat cubes and bamboo strips were thoroughly infused with flavor. Taking a slurp of the rich broth, the soft and smooth textures complemented each other perfectly, enhanced by the warming, moistness-dispelling spicy powder.
To be honest, the taste was truly excellent. Feng Miaojun hadn’t enjoyed the delicacies of the mortal world for nearly ten days. She polished off her bowl in no time and called to the fat shopkeeper for more ingredients and soup.
Yun Ya’s sweet tofu flower truly only had some brown sugar water added to it, pure and white. Watching him savor it comfortably, it was as if the coarse pottery bowl contained some heavenly nectar.
People surrounded them, some wearing patched cloth garments, others in travel-worn satin. She overheard three merchants sighing two tables away: “With such an accident at Cliff Mountain, the goods scheduled for delivery to Taji City next spring won’t make it. What can we do? I’ve already arranged the merchandise and paid thirty percent as a deposit.”
Another merchant chewed a peanut: “Brother Qiuping, even if you lose your payment for goods, Li Family Warehouse suffered worse. Their caravan of over two hundred people is now completely buried in Cliff Mountain, goods and all. Besides losing their merchandise payment, they must also compensate for funeral expenses, which is another huge sum. These days, bereaved families have been coming to their door in waves. I’ve seen the Li family looking so distressed they might hang themselves.”
“Isn’t that so?” the first merchant lamented. “This volcano erupted without any warning, not the slightest sign beforehand. The Cliff Mountain underground palace is ninety percent destroyed. From now on, our trade with the Jin Kingdom will collapse. How will so many people eat and drink?”
The Cliff Mountain underground palace was the shortest passage connecting the Yao and Jin kingdoms. For hundreds of years, it had formed a stable trade route, supporting countless livelihoods. Now that Cliff Mountain had returned to being an active volcano, the route was blocked, and no one had the ability to cross it. The transportation of goods between East and West would likely have to take a much longer detour.
This trade route was likely severed forever. For the Yao and Jin kingdoms, previously affordable goods would now probably double in price, if not more.
Hearing this, Feng Miaojun’s heart stirred, and her gaze toward Yun Ya changed.
She had been busy cultivating these past few days and had unconsciously put the Cliff Mountain incident behind her. Now, remembering it, a chill ran through her heart.
In just a few days, Yun Ya’s guidance had diminished most of her self-loathing and fear, immersing her in the joy and respect that came from sudden clarity in cultivation difficulties.
This ability to win people’s hearts was truly remarkable and imperceptible.
She had almost forgotten that the person before her was the true culprit behind the suffering of countless living beings—a demon who, without hesitation, would feed Princess Hanyue to the Spider-King.
Now thinking more deeply, would Yun Ya destroy the Cliff Mountain underground palace just for a single Blood Tree?
His purpose likely went beyond that, but he had concealed deeper intentions behind a facade of willfulness. If civilian trade was interrupted, wouldn’t it be even more inconvenient for the Yao and Jin kingdoms to exchange goods, support each other, or transport supplies and troops?
Without the Cliff Mountain underground palace, Jin Kingdom would need to travel over a thousand additional li to reinforce Yao Kingdom! Battlefield situations could change in an instant. By the time the army trudged around the White Elephant Mountain Range, it would be too late.
Realizing this, cold sweat seeped from her back.
This move to “pull the firewood from under the cauldron” was ruthlessly poisonous!
Yun Ya was picking up the last piece of five-spice fried food, dipping it in chili sauce before placing it in his mouth, slowly savoring it. He seemed to ignore both her expression and the discussions of others.
Then he set down his chopsticks and stood up: “Let’s go.”
Next, the two found an inn to rest. Feng Miaojun chose one with a gold-stamped sign. This time, Yun Ya naturally wouldn’t refuse, so they booked two adjacent superior rooms.
After days of traveling in the wilderness, she was utterly exhausted, and Yun Ya, with his injuries, also needed moderate recuperation.
Soon after, a servant brought hot water. Feng Miaojun finally enjoyed her first hot bath in over a month. The feeling of heat penetrating her bones, driving every bit of fatigue from her body, made her moan with pleasure.
Life was truly good. Those buried at Cliff Mountain would never again have the chance to enjoy a comfortable bath. Feng Miaojun closed her eyes, and a thought floated into her mind:
Could the Wei Kingdom be planning a major invasion of Yao?
With the Cliff Mountain underground palace gone, exchanges between the Yao Kingdom and Jin would become extremely inconvenient. With the ocean at its southern border, even if the Great Yan Kingdom wished to support it, they would have to cross the sea, presenting many difficulties.
Wasn’t Yun Ya’s move aimed at isolating the Yao Kingdom?
After devouring Anxia and recuperating for three years, the Wei Kingdom was becoming restless. The previous incursion into the southwestern Yao Kingdom under the pretext of capturing a great demon was merely a test, probing the opponent’s response speed and military strength.
Next, were they planning to make a genuine move?
Feng Miaojun wasn’t from the Yao Kingdom, but the Feng business operated there, and Princess Hanyue was about to marry the Yao Prince. She couldn’t help but care about the Kingdom’s fate.
She needed to figure out how to extract insider information from Yun Ya so she could inform the Feng business to prepare for the next step. Alas, born in chaotic times, the Feng business struggled to operate peacefully.
Before leaving the Jin capital, Peng Bai’s last message mentioned that the Feng business had finally established roots in the Yao Kingdom, with business gradually improving. Having been away for over a month, she needed to find a way to send a message to Peng Bai.
Also, since she didn’t plan to return to Jin capital in the short term, what about her assets and personnel in Caixing City? Master Ti had witnessed her abduction by Yun Ya and would likely calculate her survival chances as minimal. This saved her considerable trouble.
Originally, the Prince of Jin had required her to return to Caixing City after attending the ceremony in Yao Kingdom, with Tie Xinning supervising her throughout. Now that Tie Xinning was gone and she had been captured by Yun Ya, facing life-threatening danger, and with Cliff Mountain reverting to an active volcano… After this series of events, the Prince of Jin and Master Ti probably presumed her dead, especially since Yun Ya had repeatedly shown a strong desire to kill her.
Although life in the Jin capital was comfortable, for her it was stagnant—tightly controlled, without any room for progress or advancement. Now, she could start anew, walking the world with a fresh identity, embracing new opportunities, and unlocking higher levels of cultivation.
She believed that the Prince of Jin would soon be overwhelmed by the new world situation, with no time to spare thinking about her.
After all, she was merely a reserve chess piece, destroyed before being used—not regrettable.
But she needed to find a way to contact Chen Dachang, Lu Chuanying, and others still in Jin capital. The openly visible personnel should quietly withdraw in batches; otherwise, they would arouse Master Ti’s suspicion. Fortunately, she had placed her capable subordinates in the escort agency. This profession’s frequent comings and goings from the Jin capital weren’t unusual, and they could withdraw under the guise of business.
It was a pity about her trading company and estate. Although she had cleared the accounts and taken the money before leaving, they were still golden geese that laid eggs. Who would benefit from them now?
The thought made her heart ache. She sighed for quite a while before gradually drifting to sleep.
“Creeak—”
The door opened. Feng Miaojun instantly awoke, sitting up in the water with a splash, shouting sternly: “Who’s there! Get out!”
A soft chuckle came from outside.
It was Yun Ya’s voice.