PFC Chapter 223 Roadblock
Chapter 223 Roadblock
"I remember that incident too."
Yu Bai, who was standing nearby, chimed in, saying, "The earthquake was incredibly violent. The city walls and houses collapsed, and the ground even cracked at one point. After it ended, there were continuous aftershocks."
"Not only was the surrounding landscape altered, but many people disappeared without a trace, never to return."
"Huh? How come no one can be found? Can an earthquake cause people to disappear?"
Uya was taken aback and couldn't help but ask curiously.
Yu Bai sighed, "When the earthquake struck, the earth cracked open, and those who went missing were naturally swallowed up by the earth."
"Ah!" Uya was shocked.
"However, I don't think I've heard of any more earthquakes in Jinlin since then."
He Shan stroked his chin, looking thoughtful.
"It's possible that, like before, these were just minor earthquakes that didn't cause much of a stir and we didn't hear about them."
Xuanfeng frowned, looked up at the still falling rubble, and asked Chuling for instructions: "Just in case, we can't stay here any longer. We should leave as soon as possible."
Chu Ling naturally nodded in agreement.
This place is indeed not suitable for lingering.
After everyone packed their things, they set off again, but before they had taken more than a few steps, they suddenly heard a loud "boom".
However, this time the sound was clearly far away from everyone, and the ground beneath their feet did not feel any tremor.
Everyone was startled, and they couldn't help but stop in their tracks, looking up in the direction from which the sound came.
If I heard correctly, that was right in front of them, the place they were about to go.
"what happened?!"
"Could it be that the earthquake hasn't ended yet?"
"But that doesn't make sense. We didn't feel a thing here. How could an earthquake cause the ground to move around?"
"If that wasn't an earthquake, what could it be?"
The crowd looked at each other, unable to come up with anything for a moment, and could only fall silent, looking at Chu Ling with questioning eyes.
Chu Ling frowned, his sharp gaze fixed on the distance. "Something's fishy about this, and the Holy Sun Sect's stronghold is very likely located in this area."
"No matter what happens, we have to go and see."
With that, Chu Ling immediately pulled on the reins, and with Xie Yan leading the way, rode away.
Seeing this, the others hurriedly spurred their horses and followed.
The group hurried towards the source of the sound.
But as the distance grew closer, the sound grew fainter and fainter, and soon it dissipated again, returning to silence.
"Shut up!"
After traveling only a dozen or so miles, everyone pulled on the reins and stopped their horses.
However, they did not arrive at the source of the sound, nor did they encounter a fork in the road.
They saw nothing, not even the devastation they had imagined from the earthquake; all they saw were several constables blocking the road ahead.
"Are they Jinlin's officials? Why are they setting up an obstacle here?" Xuanfeng asked, looking at the defensive line formed by the officials.
"Could something have happened up ahead?"
The officials had been resting lazily for who knows how long, but as soon as they saw someone appear, they immediately stood up alertly.
Each of them held a weapon, and like frightened birds, they immediately surrounded the crowd before anyone could get close.
The leader, seeing the travel-worn group, immediately stepped forward and shouted sternly, "Halt! Who are you?! All of you, get off your horses!"
Upon seeing this, Xuanfeng immediately dismounted and stepped forward with a fawning smile, saying, "Please wait a moment, sir! We are travelers passing through here. We have just disembarked from the boat and are heading towards the city."
While Xuanfeng was speaking, the leading officer was looking everyone up and down. Upon hearing this, his wariness remained. "So you're from out of town."
What brings you to Jinlin?
Xuanfeng's ingratiating smile remained unchanged. "To be honest, sir, we came here not only for sightseeing, but also because we've heard that your area is famous for brewing wine. So we thought we'd come here to see if there's any business opportunity we can get."
As he spoke, Xuanfeng quickly added, "We are just doing small business and are by no means the kind of people who would cause trouble. Please forgive us, sir."
Speaking of Jinlin, there are two things that are famous far and wide. One is that this place was once the hometown of Emperor Taizu, and the other is the local wine, which is mellow, fragrant and clear, and is famous throughout the world.
In the past, many merchants did come here seeking ways to make money, drawn by the brewing techniques and the fine wine.
This explanation dispelled the doubts of the officials.
Even as their expressions softened, the figures blocking their path remained completely still.
The leader simply waved his hand and said, "This road is blocked. You should take a detour."
"This……"
Upon hearing this, Xuanfeng's face immediately fell, and he said with difficulty, "But this is the only shortcut into the city, and if we have to take a detour now, it's really..."
He deftly pulled a money pouch from his pocket and stuffed it into the leader's arms.
"Please, sir, be lenient. Unless something urgent has happened inside, could you please let us pass?"
However, when faced with the money bag being handed to him, the official merely snorted disdainfully and casually tossed it back to Xuanfeng.
"We said we can't leave, and we can't leave! Due to an earthquake, rocks have rolled down here, causing a large area to collapse. We are here on guard duty to prevent any accidents from happening."
"If you linger here any longer, don't blame us for being impolite!"
Clearly, the officers were extremely firm in their stance, immediately taking another step forward with their weapons, displaying a threatening demeanor that left no room for negotiation.
If they dared to delay even a moment longer, they would turn their swords against the crowd.
Faced with this scene, even if Chu Ling and his group wanted to investigate further, they knew that this was not the right time.
To avoid arousing suspicion, everyone had no choice but to turn their horses around and take a detour.
"what?"
But just as they were about to bypass the mountain path and leave the officials behind, Yu Bai, who had been looking back, suddenly let out a soft exclamation.
Upon hearing his voice, the group immediately turned around reflexively.
But behind the group, apart from the constables who were still stationed in the same spot, nothing unusual was found.
"Why are you yelling all of a sudden?" He Shan was the first to turn around, looking speechless.
Yu Bai rubbed his eyes, his tone slightly hesitant, "I just... I think I saw a few white figures flash by behind those officials."
"A white figure?"
Upon hearing this, everyone turned to look at Yu Bai, clearly taking his words very seriously.
Except for He Shan, whose face turned pale and who began to shiver, "...White White White Shadow, you...you mean, ghosts...ghosts?!"
Everyone: "..."
Completely oblivious to He Shan's unusual behavior, Yu Bai was still lost in his own thoughts. After a moment of careful recollection, he said, "No, that outfit, rather than resembling a ghost, is more like—"
Xuanfeng pressed on, "What does it look like?"
"It looks like... prison clothes."