Chapter 059: Journey to Niveh City

Shen Duo and Feng Jun rested overnight at an inn. Early the next morning, they were summoned by Dirk to the city lord’s mansion. There was no time to lose—no one could predict when the River-Turning Crocodile would advance to the next stage, and if they wanted to seize the best opportunity, they had to set out as soon as possible.

By the time Shen Duo and Feng Jun arrived, Kang Ye, the city lord of Shack City, was standing stiffly at Doris’s side, his large belly jutting out, clearly having waited for quite a while. Princess Doris’s expression was extremely sour; she had never been made to wait by anyone before. As Shen Duo and Feng Jun approached, she shot them a vicious glare, then turned away with a look of utter disdain, as if disgusted to be in their company.

Shen Duo’s face remained calm, paying no mind to the princess’s provocation.

The city lord approached with some difficulty and bowed, “This journey will be perilous. I beg you, sirs, to look after us.”

Shen Duo gave a slight nod, putting the city lord at ease. He then led them to the rear courtyard of the mansion.

There, two adult spirit eagles awaited, each equipped with a large, spacious cabin on its back. The cabins were about a dozen square meters, lined with plush, richly patterned carpets and surrounded by soft seats. Inside, the royal crest of the Bakra Empire was displayed, marking these as mounts for exclusive imperial use. Compared to these, the half-grown spirit eagle they had ridden earlier seemed downright shabby.

Shen Duo coughed lightly, his eyes betraying a trace of displeasure.

Zoe, who was at Doris’s side, noticed his gaze lingering on the royal crest. Realizing the issue, she quickly instructed the attendants to remove the crest and take away the ostentatious decorations.

Stepping forward, she apologized, “Forgive my poor arrangements.” The true purpose of this expedition was to pursue the advancing River-Turning Crocodile, not to indulge in some frivolous royal excursion; the more discreet, the better. Such grandeur and obvious insignia would only attract unwanted attention and, if trouble arose, would not be worth the risk.

After this, Zoe’s admiration for the young Shen Duo grew—so young, yet so accomplished and meticulous in conduct; truly extraordinary.

Doris, however, was far from pleased. She was about to object but was pulled aside by Zoe. One glance from her teacher, coupled with her father’s earlier admonitions, forced Doris to swallow her anger. Were it not for Zoe, she would have erupted long ago! She was the grand princess of a nation, powerful and revered. Wherever she went, she traveled in splendor and was the center of attention. Now, forced to lower herself like this, she shot Shen Duo a resentful glare. If not for him, would Zoe have acted this way?

Shen Duo ignored the hostility in Doris’s eyes and, at the city lord’s invitation, boarded the spirit eagle’s cabin with Feng Jun.

Niwei City was a border town of the Bakra Empire. Setting out at dawn, they would arrive before nightfall.

The party consisted of over a dozen people: Shen Duo, Feng Jun, Princess Doris, the elder Zoe, Kang Cheng—the city lord’s second son—several mercenary lower-level spirit illusionists, and Doris’s personal guards.

Because Doris disliked being near the two, she refused to share a mount with them. Instead, Shen Duo and Feng Jun rode with Zoe, Kang Cheng, and four freelance illusionists.

After sending them off, the city lord watched the spirit eagles vanish into the horizon before finally exhaling in relief.

The Bakra Empire lay in the northwest of the Shengmang continent—a land of dry climate, harsh temperature shifts, sparse population, and scant natural resources. These were among the reasons the empire had yet to rise to prominence.

Before reaching Niwei City, they had to cross a vast desert. All around was endless yellow sand, deathly stillness, and frequent sandstorms. If not for the protective shield around the spirit eagle’s cabin, they would have been left in a sorry state indeed.

Inside the cabin, Feng Jun sat cross-legged in meditation, indifferent to the outside world. Shen Duo, bored, gazed out at the distant landscape. The boundless, desolate scenery seemed to expand her own state of mind, as if she herself had become a speck of dust in this vast world. Her eyes sparkled with a peculiar light.

At first, everyone was a little uneasy, but as the long journey dragged on and boredom set in, the freelance illusionists cast curious glances at Shen Duo and Feng Jun, sizing them up.

The faint aura of spirit power around the pair only deepened the others’ puzzlement. They all understood the dangers ahead, and so were even more intrigued as to why two seemingly weak individuals had been recruited for this mission.

Knowing they would have to fight side by side, Zoe was eager to prevent any discord. Acting as intermediary, she cheerfully introduced everyone. When she mentioned that Shen Duo possessed a holy phantom beast, the others couldn’t hide their envy, admiration, and longing. Shen Duo responded with a cool, polite smile—a greeting, nothing more.

Among the four illusionists were three men and one woman. The men wore the standard robes of their profession, but the woman was clad in a charming pale blue gown, her wavy brown hair draped over her shoulders. All appeared to be in their thirties or forties, but as spirit illusionists, their true ages could only be determined with a testing stone cup.

After breaking through to the rank of spirit illusionist, one’s lifespan increased by two or three centuries. Thus, an itinerant illusionist who looked to be thirty or forty could easily be a hundred-year-old monster.

Among them, two were brothers—Song Yan and Song Shi. The woman was named Lu Qi, and the burly man was Hong Zhi. All were seasoned adventurers, having roamed the land and witnessed many strange things. The awkwardness in the cabin soon dissolved as stories were exchanged and the group warmed to one another, sharing tales of their years of wandering.

Shen Duo listened with keen interest. Through their stories, her fascination with this marvelous world—so different from her own—only deepened.

By dusk, they reached their destination, Niwei City. Compared to the prosperity of Shack City, it was bleak and desolate, but its proximity to the continent-spanning Tianqing River made it far superior to the desert they had crossed.

As they walked the city’s streets, Shen Duo, though accustomed to small, quiet towns like this, sensed an unusual tension. For a place like this, reminiscent of Luo City, the narrow streets seemed abnormally crowded.

She exchanged a meaningful glance with Feng Jun, who, catching her cue, wore a look of confusion as well.

Once they settled in at a modest inn, Zoe shared his own suspicions. Princess Doris remained as arrogant as ever, dismissing Zoe’s concerns without a second thought.

Zoe, his beard shot through with white, shook his head. If not for Doris’s status and the fact that he was her teacher, he would have reprimanded her long ago.

After a whole day’s journey, Zoe sent two men to investigate while the others were told to rest and discuss plans in the morning. Doris, with a cold snort, stalked off, unwilling to spend another moment in Shen Duo and Feng Jun’s presence.

Once in their room, Shen Duo shared her plans with Feng Jun. She still had a mercenary assignment to complete from the Mercenary Guild and wanted to use this time to deliver it—and perhaps secretly scout out the River-Turning Crocodile.

Feng Jun, of course, agreed without hesitation. After a simple meal in their room, the two set off together.