Otherworld Advance Team
Chapter 1477 - 1470: Exhausted in Body and Mind

Chapter 1477: Chapter 1470: Exhausted in Body and Mind

After seeing Baiyue off, Cheng Ziang began to inspect the room they were staying in—a room entirely constructed with green slate, rectangular in shape, and rather spacious, covering about fifty square meters.

Although there were windows in the room, they were small openings and, without any sunlight, the whole room appeared quite dim.

This should be a guest room, with three beds arranged on both the left and right sides of the entrance—stone beds entirely carved from rock, covered with straw mats and linen. Opposite the door, at the center of the room, was a round fire pit, about one and a half meters in diameter. When the group entered, the fire was still burning and the pot was cooking something strange.

Upon seeing this fire pit, Cheng Ziang was puzzled. Although the temperature wasn’t high due to the rain, it was not so cold as to require a fire.

However, after seeing Feng take off his rain cape and approach to dry his clothes, Cheng Ziang finally understood—the fire pit was not meant for warmth, but to keep the room dry.

Above the fire pit, the ceiling dipped to form a recess with a duct connected to a chimney. Despite having a relatively sophisticated smoke exhaust system, the ceiling was still blackened by the soot, and even the bedding in the room had a strong scent of smoke.

Taking a deep breath, Cheng Ziang walked over to the fire pit and sat down. Then he added a few pieces of firewood to make the flames brighter and light up the room. Feeling the chill and moisture on his body slowly evaporating from the firelight, Cheng Ziang also felt a long-lost sense of peace, his body beginning to tire.

Feng warmed himself a bit by the fire, roughly drying his clothes, and then took the sword off his back. With the light from the fire, he drew the long sword and inspected it carefully.

"Don’t worry, it won’t rust. Kedal metal is known for being rust-resistant and very dull," Cheng Ziang said, rubbing his temples while yawning indifferently.

Although the room looked quite large, perhaps due to its excessive solidity, it made those inside feel an inexplicable oppression, with a need to step outside for a breath of air from time to time.

Though he could go out, Cheng Ziang felt there was no point in doing so in this rainy weather, preferring instead to lie on the bed and daydream.

This was the first time he felt uneasy about such surroundings, and he believed it was because the other members of the Advance Team were not by his side.

If the whole Advance Team were here, the room would undoubtedly be lively. Hu Daoke would be grumbling while warming himself by the fire, and Luo’er would carefully take care of them, making their stay a bit more comfortable.

But now there was nothing. The talkative Hu Daoke was at the East Continent frontline, and Luo, who was used to taking care of others, was still in Big South East Peace. Only the three of them had come to this unfamiliar environment, which made Cheng Ziang feel a strong sense of discomfort.

When everyone was together, it felt like home no matter where they went. Once they were scattered, even if one had returned home, it all seemed strangely foreign.

"Feng..." Cheng Ziang stared vacantly at the flames and suddenly blurted out a question.

"Mm?" Feng was startled by his call and then turned her head to look at him.

"Do you miss Luo’er?" Cheng Ziang took a deep breath and asked blankly.

"Mm!" Faced with such a question, Feng nodded without hesitation.

"And do you miss Old Hu?" Cheng Ziang continued.

"Mm!" Feng nodded firmly again.

"I miss them too," Cheng Ziang said, suddenly sighing with regret, lowering his head and rubbing his temples, "Do you think we’re really foolish? We could’ve stayed together peacefully, but insist on doing this and that. In the end, we accomplish nothing and just waste the time we could have spent together. How much time do we really have to enjoy each other’s company?"

Faced with Cheng Ziang’s question, Feng lowered her eyelids, her gaze becoming dim, falling into silence. Although she didn’t respond directly, her attitude was clear—she truly did not want to do these things.

"Feng, just answer me honestly. I asked you to follow me, to go on missions, do you really not want to do it at all?" Cheng Ziang took a deep breath and asked seriously.

"Mm." Feng nodded slightly, looking a bit aggrieved.

"Heh..." Hearing her answer, Cheng Ziang revealed a self-mocking smile.

"Do you wish you could stay by Luo’er’s side?" Cheng Ziang asked.

Feng did not answer the question, but simply lowered his head deeply.

"Just answer me honestly, I won’t blame you," Cheng Ziang said seriously.

"Yes..." Feng bit her lip, making a timid sound.

"As I thought..." Cheng Ziang showed a forlorn smile again, but soon his smile faded, and he spoke earnestly, "Actually, I share the same thought, I’d prefer to stay by Luo’er’s side too. After all... Luo’er is our heaven..."

Hearing his words, Feng blinked her big eyes and turned to stare at Cheng Ziang. They held each other’s gaze for a long while, and suddenly Cheng Ziang laughed, then shook his head and said, "After we return to the East Continent, let’s go back and help Luo’er, and no longer concern ourselves with the Demon Clan’s wars, alright?"

"Really?" Hearing his words, Feng’s eyes widened with excitement.

"It’s true," Cheng Ziang said as he lowered his head to lick his lips, "Actually, I’m tired too, and I don’t want to continue like this any longer, I wish for someone to take care of me, to do nothing at all. Although this remark seems rather unkind, if Luo’er is willing to do these things..."

"So, we’re going back?" Feng was so excited she found it hard to speak.

"Yes, we’re going back. After we complete this mission, we’ll return. Return to Big South East Peace, reunite with Luo’er, and no longer concern ourselves with the Demon Clan’s wars. Let all these messy wars die off," Cheng Ziang nodded and said.

"That’s great, that’s great." Feng clenched her fists in excitement, looking extremely agitated, neither sitting nor standing.

Through the efforts of Baiyue, the three of them finally found a place to clean themselves, and after taking baths, they cleaned their clothes and set them out to dry by the fire pit.

By the time it was afternoon, Miss Zisu finally arrived fashionably late and then took the three of them, now fresh in appearance, to the main hall in the city to officially attend the banquet.

Passing through doorway after doorway and over bridge after bridge, the group, led by Zisu, finally arrived at a quite impressive room. The room was very spacious, and in the center was a fire pit, beside which sat an old man wearing a ghostly mask, meditating with his eyes closed.

On the fire pit sat a clay pot, stewing a thick soup, with a grill beside it offering both roasted livestock meat and a whole roasted fish—this must be considered the Ghost Race’s most lavish banquet.

The fire pit seemed to be a tradition of the Ghost Race; even when moved to such a luxurious room, they still lit a fire pit at the center of the room.

With their experience as guests in the village, the three of them managed to follow suit, and under Zisu’s guidance, they knelt on the cushion, waiting for the elder’s address.

"Welcome, distant guests, to our home." Feeling that the group had settled down, the elder slowly opened his eyes and greeted them with a weathered voice.

"You are too kind, elder," said Zisu, without translating the elder’s words for the three, and continued the conversation.

"Miss Zisu, it is not your first visit, but these three people beside you, I somehow find them unfamiliar," said the elder, squinting his eyes and casually observing Cheng Ziang and the others.

"Oh, these individuals are all esteemed beings of great talent. Thanks to them on this journey, I managed to avoid calamity," Zisu answered with a smile.

"Esteemed beings, they are not from the Demon Clan, are they?" the elder inquired.

"Elder has good insight. These few are from a foreign land, brought here by calamity from the East," Zisu explained.

"I heard that after the foreigners suffered misfortune, your Demon Clan’s wars turned towards victory after victory. Is there such a saying?" the elder continued to ask.

"Elder must be well aware that every time it comes to such a critical juncture, the forces of Kyushu would weaken, hence their utter collapse," Zisu explained.

"Hmm," the elder nodded, but then quickly raised a new point, "But in the past wars, the people of Kyushu have never been defeated so miserably, have they?"