52 Sufferings
"We're finally here," Lu Zhen declared upon spotting the enormous wall in the distance. Seeing this, Lu Zhen couldn't help but feel a slight sense of relief. He had been quite anxious about whether the creature, or whatever it was, behind him was still in pursuit.
However, it seemed that the creature had either given up the chase or couldn't locate them after Lu Zhen severed the string connection. Either way, Lu Zhen was relieved that they had avoided further trouble. Dealing with an unknown entity, especially one he had no knowledge about, had been far from pleasant.
"Let's pick up the pace," Lu Zhen urged as he quickened his stride while carrying Xia Mei.
Lu Zhen could hear Xia Mei's breathing, indicating that she was already awake. However, since she chose to remain silent for the time being, Lu Zhen decided not to speak either. He remained vigilant, ready to react if she made any sudden movements.
With Xia Mei securely bound by ropes and concealed with leaves, he felt confident that he could react swiftly if she made any sudden movements. And it was even better if she was so obedient. Lu Zhen increased his pace even faster.
Seeing the increased pace of Lu Zhen, Yu Bai also sped up.
The dim sun rays fell on Lu Zhen and Yu Bai. It was still winter; however, it wasn't that cold for Lu Zhen.
"Not bad. We reached here in one day," Lu Zhen mused to himself. After all, on foot, it would have taken approximately three days to just reach the city. However, since Lu Zhen and Yu Bai were going at their full speed, they took only a day to arrive.
Lu Zhen saw the long line of people all waiting to enter the city gate.
"Cough, cough... Mom, when will I get to eat?" A malnourished child weakly asked. She had barely any energy left and couldn't even cry, appearing to be close to death.
"Don't worry, my daughter; we will soon," the mother said as she sobbed. However, the mother didn't waste even her tears; she fed them to her daughter, providing the child with a little satisfaction for her thirst.
Lu Zhen's ears twitched as he observed the crowd of people lining up, all of whom seemed famished. There were numerous people in the crowd like the mother and daughter.
Seeing this, Lu Zhen sighed but didn't take any action. He knew he was no saviour and had no plans to become one.
Lu Zhen recognized himself as very selfish, and this would never change. He considered his own life above all else, so he had no intention of trying to be a saviour.
After all, Lu Zhen understood the truth: being a saviour was only ideal in fantasies. If you truly became a hero, you would live a short life, and Lu Zhen had no interest in a short life. He wanted to live a long, self-fulfilling one, and anyone who tried to disrupt that was undoubtedly his enemy.
However, Lu Zhen found it strange that so many people had come to the city this time. He was certain that when he had left the city, although there were some refugees, there weren't as many as there were now lining up in the crowd. It was strange that in just the few days he was gone, such a large influx of people had already crowded the area.
"There must be a war somewhere," Lu Zhen thought, as there were far too many refugees to count.
There weren't any kingdoms or rules in this place, unlike the novels Lu Zhen had read. There were only cities like Phoenix City, which were ruled by major families, or there were sects that held territories even larger than the families. There was no such thing as royalty, and nobody ruled an exaggerated place. Lu Zhen wasn't certain about the reasons behind this arrangement, but he understood that such a structure often led to conflicts. In many places, especially those without even a single first-stage martial artist, disputes and battles were as common as daily meals, fueled by human greed.
In fact, Phoenix City was quite a peaceful place compared to those other places. The city was stabilized by the four first-rank martial artists that the four major families possessed, which kept each other in check. However, seeing the fragile balance that was preventing the four major families from breaking apart, Lu Zhen knew that a war would likely start soon if things continued this way. It seemed inevitable.
"I must reach the first stage martial artist before the war starts," Lu Zhen thought with determination.
However, before he could focus on that goal, he had to navigate through the sea of people blocking his way.
Since Lu Zhen first exited the carriage, which bore the symbolic symbol of the Lu family, he was easily allowed to leave. However, now that he was barefooted, people wouldn't recognize him, so he would have to navigate through the sea of these people before reaching the gate, which was quite a tedious process through and through.
Thinking quickly, Lu Zhen said to Yu Bai, "Let's just jump."
He compressed his powerful muscles, generating an explosive surge of energy that coursed through his body and into the ground. Then, with a forceful push, he propelled himself into the air using his sheer strength.
Stunned by his young master's actions, Yu Bai realized that navigating through the crowd would be a lengthy process. He decided to follow Lu Zhen's lead and jumped, utilizing his qi to assist him.
"Mother, look up," a child exclaimed, her hungry eyes filled with curiosity.
The mother followed her daughter's gaze and saw people flying through the air. She immediately bowed, taking her daughter's head and bowing as well.
"I am sorry, Immortal, for looking up to you," the woman said, her face displaying nervousness and panic.
Others in the crowd also noticed the two individuals in the air and followed suit, bowing in fear.
Observing the crowd's worship for no apparent reason, Lu Zhen found it a bit strange. "Are the common people in this world ignorant of martial artists?" he wondered.
Ignoring the bowing crowd, Lu Zhen and Yu Bai landed directly in front of the city gate.
A resounding boom echoed as Lu Zhen touched down, and Yu Bai landed beside him. However, before they could take another step, a spear was pointed at them, and a self-righteous voice demanded, "Halt! Who are you, and what are you carrying?"
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