The Great Feng's geographical records state that Yunzhou stretches for 60,000 miles, with abundant resources such as agriculture, porcelain, and herbs. Before Emperor Wuzong rose to power, Yunzhou's prosperity ranked among the top five in all the states of The Great Feng.

The official road stretches towards the horizon, with black soil fields on both sides and undulating mountains in the distance.

The sun had just risen, and the air still carried the chill of the previous night. A group of over a hundred people slowly made their way along the official road.

The sound of horse hooves "da da" mixed with the rumbling of wheels.

"In the early years of Emperor Yuan Jing, the population of Yunzhou reached five million. However, the population gradually decreased as the census was updated every ten years. By the thirtieth year of Emperor Yuan Jing's reign, the population of Yunzhou was just over three and a half million. Now, it is the thirty-sixth year of Emperor Yuan Jing's reign, and in four years, a new census will be conducted. I wonder how many people will be left in Yunzhou?" Zhang Xunfu opened the curtain and sighed.

A decrease of 1.5 million people in thirty years was terrifying, and the actual decrease in population was even greater. Because Yunzhou had fertile land and no natural disasters, there was no need to worry about famine.

In other words, under normal circumstances, the population could steadily increase over thirty years.

...From five million to three and a half million, it was not a simple subtraction. The actual decrease in population was at least twice as much... Xu Qi'an cursed, "What a ghost place."

Zhang Xunfu glanced at him and continued, "Half of the population loss is due to heavy taxes, causing people to abandon their fields and become refugees, or to seek a new life in the city, or to become bandits. These people are not recorded in the census.

"Another reason is the serious banditry, with burning, killing, and looting adding to the chaos. Sometimes, mountain bandits would actively come down from the mountains to plunder the people for labor. Well, these bandits are not recorded in the census either."

Xu Qi'an silently gazed into the distance, listening to Zhang Xunfu's words, analyzing in his mind.

...In the early years of Emperor Yuan Jing, there were still five million people, but by the tenth year of Emperor Yuan Jing's reign, the population had already decreased. By the thirtieth year of Emperor Yuan Jing's reign, one and a half million people were lost. The population was probably even larger... Yunzhou had undergone a drastic change in these twenty years, which was most likely the beginning of Emperor Yuan Jing's cultivation...

Because Emperor Yuan Jing was obsessed with cultivation, the God of Witchcraft felt that there was an opportunity. The God of Witchcraft had been plotting for over twenty years and would definitely not make small moves. There would surely be a war between The Great Feng and the God of Witchcraft, who ruled over various countries.

Lost in his thoughts, Xu Qi'an almost fell asleep.

"You don't seem to be in good spirits." Zhang Xunfu scrutinized him, frowning. "What's wrong?"

Zhang Xunfu remembered that Xu Qi'an had been well-behaved throughout the journey and had not lingered in the Official Brothel Sector. He should not be so exhausted.

Xu Qi'an turned his head and smiled bitterly at Zhang Xunfu. "Nothing, I just became a master of time management."

This was his eighth day without sleep. His brain throbbed, and his blood vessels felt like they were about to burst. This morning, he even had a slight hallucination, thinking that Xu Lingyin was trying to steal his steamed bun.

His eyes were bloodshot, and his eye sockets were dark and bruised. This reminded Xu Qi'an of his life in a society where working from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., six days a week was considered fortunate. Occasionally, he even had to experience the life of a secret agent, which was just as miserable.

"Only two more days, and I should be able to advance to the Refining Deity Realm. I can't let myself fall asleep, otherwise all my efforts will be in vain... Why does my heart feel so uncomfortable..." Xu Qi'an took a deep breath and poured water from his water pouch onto his head, using it to stimulate his body and refresh his mind.

...

A caravan of three hundred people traveled along the official road, with flatbed carriages carrying goods covered by waterproof cloth. Underneath were Yunzhou's abundant silk, tea, porcelain, and cosmetics.

There were also some special products from Yunzhou, such as snake gall inkstones and yellow crystal stones.

The owner of the caravan was a man with a face full of flesh named Zhao Long. He was once a famous hero in Yunzhou's martial world, involved in both the righteous and evil paths.

Tired of a life filled with bloodshed, he relied on his reputation and connections to start a caravan business.

He always managed to deal with the bandits along the way and safely leave Yunzhou, distributing the goods to various places and making a fortune.

Over time, many merchants were willing to pay a high price to join Zhao Long's caravan, seeking safety.

Zhao Long's caravan had now evolved into a combination of a merchant and a bodyguard.

Yang Yingying was one of the people seeking shade under a big tree. However, she left Yunzhou as a lone traveler, spending twenty taels of silver to seek protection from the caravan.

After all, as a weak woman, she couldn't possibly leave Yunzhou on her own. Who knows if she would be intercepted by bandits on the official road one day and become a bandit leader's wife.

With her looks, she would have more than enough charm to be a bandit leader's wife.

Yang Yingying was originally a woman from the Official Brothel Sector in Yunzhou. In her youth, she was a renowned courtesan. Later, she was fortunate enough to meet a good man who redeemed her, and she became his concubine.

Now in her thirties, her beauty had not diminished. On the contrary, her figure had become more voluptuous, adding to her mature charm. She had bright almond-shaped eyes that were captivating when she looked at people.

Sitting on a horse, Yang Yingying sensed the hot gazes of the guards. She couldn't help but tighten her cloak and lower her head.

At first glance, it seemed like she was protecting her ample bosom from the lewd gazes of some men, but in reality, she was protecting the object in her arms.

It was this object that forced her to leave Yunzhou.

A guard stared at Yang Yingying's figure from behind, riding on a horse with her robe clinging to her body. The tight outline of her buttocks was truly enticing.

The strong guard spurred his horse and caught up to Yang Yingying. He grinned and said, "Beauty, how about spending the night with me? All the money I earn from this trip will be yours. Ten taels of silver, what do you say?"

Yang Yingying ignored him, neither responding nor rejecting him, pretending he didn't exist.

The guard said a few more words, but seeing that the beauty didn't react, he cursed and left.

Several guards who were familiar with him laughed and mocked him. But disappointment could be seen in everyone's eyes. This woman was impenetrable, and they had no chance either.

In the eyes of several guards who had taken lives, a fierce and ruthless light flashed. This kind of lone woman traveling alone was either eaten up by someone long ago if she hadn't encountered Zhao Laoda, or she would have been left with nothing but bones.

Zhao Long, who led the caravan, raised his hand and made a gesture. The guards immediately drew their weapons, half unsheathing their knives. It was an unwritten rule when traveling as guards.

Everyone in the martial world sought wealth, and unless there was a huge disparity in strength, they wouldn't fight to the death. Moreover, Zhao Laoda had some face in the underworld; otherwise, he wouldn't be able to make a living in this line of work.

Dozens of people jumped out of the dense forest on both sides of the small road, their knives and spears gleaming. More than twenty riders appeared on the fork in the road, all of them strong and sturdy.

Zhao Long was a little puzzled. He traveled this road several times a year and knew which sections needed to be taken care of and which mountains needed to be respected. He was well aware of everything.

When did this group of fierce bandits appear in this forest... Zhao Long pressed his hand, signaling his guards to remain calm. He rode forward a short distance and said loudly:

"I am Zhao Long. Which road did my friends come from..."

As they got closer, he suddenly realized something was wrong. These fierce bandits had military crossbows hanging from their waists and held standard long knives in their hands. These were all military equipment.

Zhao Long had heard that some large bandit camps had no shortage of military supplies, including military knives, crossbows, and even matchlock guns. However, those were top-tier bandit camps and should not appear here.

...

"Ning Yan, you look like a sick man who has been drained by a woman." Song Tingfeng walked side by side with Xu Qi'an, taking the opportunity to tease and mock him.

Xu Qi'an glanced at him and said calmly, "I have a friend who asked me if there are any pills from the Bureau of Heavenly Masters to invigorate yang and nourish the kidneys."

Song Tingfeng's smile froze.

"That friend of mine is Zhu Guangxiao. Guangxiao, why are you so desperate when you already have a fiancée?" Song Tingfeng shifted the blame to Zhu Guangxiao.

Zhu Guangxiao glanced at him without saying a word, feeling dissatisfied. He retorted, "I am just appreciating beauty. Your appearance is too unattractive. Every morning, the girl who sleeps with you can't get out of bed.

"You don't know how to control yourself, and you've exhausted your body."

Although warriors had strong physiques and vigorous energy, even the Bull Demon King, who worked from dusk till dawn every day, would experience a depletion of qi and blood after a long period of time.

"I'm impressive." Song Tingfeng was unwilling to admit defeat and proudly said, "Only the girls from the Official Brothel Sector can fully cooperate with me, even though they are tired of resisting."

"Tingfeng..."

Song Tingfeng heard Xu Qi'an calling him and turned his head to look. "What's up?"

"It's not that you're impressive, it's just that others can tolerate your insignificance."

"Get lost."

Amidst the laughter and banter, Jiang Lvzhong, who led the team, said in a deep voice, "There is a smell of blood ahead. Everyone, be prepared."

The sound of blades being unsheathed was neat and uniform. The Tiger Guards and Nightwatchers drew their knives and took off their crossbows.

"Charge!" Jiang Lvzhong spurred his horse and rushed forward.

The governor's team immediately entered a marching state, moving at an extremely fast and orderly pace.

After ten minutes of marching, a dense forest appeared ahead, and the wind carried a strong smell of blood.

At the moment they entered the forest, arrows shot from both sides, attacking the charging Nightwatchers and Tiger Guards.

Jiang Lvzhong raised his hand and pressed down, and the arrow rain collided with an invisible wall of qi, falling weakly to the ground.

He waved his hand and said, "Tiger Guards, enter the forest and kill the enemy."

As he spoke, Jiang Lvzhong looked ahead and saw hundreds of corpses lying on the official road, blood staining the ground. The horses had fallen victim to the ruthless attacks, and the goods carried by the caravan were scattered all over the ground.

He immediately analyzed the situation... because he had detected the smell of blood in advance and ordered the team to charge, these bandits hiding in the forest didn't have time to retreat. They had set up an ambush in the woods.

Sounds of intense battle came from the dense forest. The Tiger Guards were one of the five guards of the capital city. Although they were not as brave and skilled as the Imperial Guards, they were far superior to local armies.

The number of people on both sides was similar, and arrows and blades clashed, resulting in a fierce battle.

Jiang Lvzhong was taken aback and somewhat surprised. He turned his head to look at Xu Qi'an. "Ning Yan, have you ever killed someone?"

"I killed one person and severely injured another." Xu Qi'an looked at the corpses scattered on the ground, casually reporting his achievements.

Jiang Lvzhong sneered, "You're just a greenhorn who hasn't grown any hair."

The Nightwatchers burst into laughter.

Except for Xu Qi'an, who had joined the Nightwatchers less than two months ago, everyone else was a seasoned warrior who didn't bat an eye at killing.

Jiang Lvzhong pointed to the forest and said, "Go and practice. Kill at least ten."

Xu Qi'an withdrew his gaze and took a deep breath. "Okay!"

...

PS: It seems like there's a small glitch in the backend. I updated early, but it hasn't refreshed for half a day.

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