Chapter 110: Devil's City
On the desert plain, Li Changluo followed the path indicated by the old woman and arrived before an earthen mound city.
He fished a piece of paper from his pocket…
The sketch depicted a furnace, exquisitely crafted, resembling the alchemical stove used by the Supreme Elder Lord.
This drawing had been given to him by the innkeeper, Bai Lianhua…
In the corridor, Bai Lianhua had come and gone, finally handing him this mysterious image and instructing him to find it and ignite the furnace…
Previously, he was told to search for some golden curly-haired creature, but that seemed to have been a ruse.
The real task was to find this furnace?
But why did she make it so complicated?
Unclear and too afraid to ask…
Li Changluo could only accept the drawing; after all, completing the mission was what mattered.
Besides, the demoness had promised there would be no risk to his life…
As long as he pleased the innkeeper…
He could swagger around the tavern like a fierce little monster who bullied the weak and feared the strong.
Because behind him, he had backing…
He was a little monster who borrowed tiger’s might to intimidate others…
This was Li Changluo’s simplest thought.
He couldn’t fathom what the innkeeper was thinking but felt that this seemingly innocent demoness was, in fact, deeply scheming…
Since he couldn’t figure it out, he chose not to guess…
In the past, he had options—retreat was often the wisest choice.
But now, there was no choice. If he ran, the consequences for Xiao Qing and Hei Wa would be unthinkable…
Having come to this world, he only wanted to quietly survive, yet now, bound by ties, he had no choice but to grit his teeth and fight…
It was as if he now had a wife and a son, responsibilities that made it impossible to live selfishly.
Though this son was a dark-skinned boy, not his own…
Still…
Even a first-time stepfather had to set an example.
Li Changluo carefully studied the furnace on the drawing, then looked at the dilapidated earthen mound city before him, feeling somewhat troubled…
Was what Bai Lianhua asked him to find really here?
Why did this place feel so eerie…
Could it be a trap?
But thinking of the dark boy and the foolish wife, he stepped forward heavily, approaching the city in the desert…
Li Changluo felt this trial was actually an alternate dimension in a parallel world, entering through that wooden door…
Everything inside was real, yet it did not truly exist.
Otherwise, who in their right mind would build a city in the desert?
To cultivate the land?
To green the wilderness?
With this thought, Li Changluo suddenly found courage, striding toward the earthen city…
The worn city gate was just a few weathered, rotten wooden planks, swaying precariously in the wind.
This earthen mound city gave Li Changluo the first impression of a small town from a Stephen Chow film, like the one where he met the fairy Zixia…
In front of the gate stood a rusty old iron pot, covered in yellow sand and rust, adding to the desolation of this desert city.
Li Changluo raised his guard, cautiously stepping inside the city gate.
Strangely, the city had seemed brightly lit from afar, as if inhabited…
But once inside, the city suddenly fell silent, even the lights in the earthen walls extinguished as if by silent agreement…
The whole city became deathly still.
Yet…
As Li Changluo entered, he thought he heard a faint sound.
He scanned around warily; apart from rows of earthen houses, there seemed to be no one…
He continued walking deeper into the city…
The desert city was filled with rows of earthen houses, each with a large cauldron in front, alongside iron felts, furnaces, and scattered iron tools…
These setups resembled a blacksmith’s workshop.
Li Changluo inspected the simple houses carefully and suddenly sensed something amiss…
Though rudimentary, the items outside each house were neatly arranged, as if someone lived there but had stepped out temporarily…
Suspicious, very suspicious…
As he walked, Li Changluo suddenly stopped, mouth agape, staring ahead…
He was stunned…
Before him, a group of soldiers clad in armor, riding warhorses, had appeared without warning. They stood in formation, gripping shining silver spears pointed at Li Changluo…
The most terrifying thing was that every soldier wore a gruesome mask, and even their horses bore horrifying masks…
The entire army exuded murderous intent like hellish demons, their aura terrifying.
Li Changluo saw the leading figure wave his spear…
Instantly, the clash of battle roars erupted as the army charged fiercely toward Li Changluo…
The little town was engulfed in swirling sand and dust…
Yet, Li Changluo, who usually sought only to survive, did not flee. Instead, his eyes widened as he watched the scene unfold…
He was not frozen by fear…
But by surprise that stifled his imagination…
He never expected such a thing to truly exist in this world…
A tiny people’s kingdom…
Because the soldiers’ silver helmets and gleaming armor were only the size of Li Changluo’s shoes, let alone their mounts…
The soldiers themselves were about the size of ten-centimeter-tall figurines…
What left Li Changluo dumbfounded was…
This mighty, charging army quickly lost formation as the sand stirred by their horses muddled their ranks…
They hadn’t advanced far before becoming disoriented, circling in place…
Colliding and trampling each other…
Screams filled the air…
Li Changluo stood dumbfounded, observing this self-destructing army as if from a god’s vantage point…
“I put my faith in you lot…”
“Defeated without even fighting?”
“Do you still have any dignity?”
“A first victory without a fight…”
“So glad…”
“I just want to kick you all away.”
Amid the chaos, Li Changluo heard the soldiers muttering something…
He bent down, bringing his ear closer…
“This is a sand demon, everyone, rally…”
“Don’t provoke the shameless demon; it’s using magic…”
“Mama, I want to go home…”
“Cautious development, don’t be reckless…”
“Hold steady, we can win…”
Li Changluo’s ears perked up…
What the hell did “sand demon” mean?
I’m just standing here, haven’t moved at all, and you say…
With such an army’s intelligence, can you actually win?
So tiresome…
I just want to stomp you all flat.
However…
Li Changluo found it strange that though the soldiers spoke a language he couldn’t understand, he understood every word perfectly?
Damn, could it be that I’m awakening?
Or is the system I got from crossing over about to awaken?
Congratulations, you’ve obtained a language map of the opponent?
“Brother, run, they’re about to deploy tactics.”
A woman’s voice whispered in Li Changluo’s ear, snapping him out of his self-indulgent fantasy.