The Legend of the Devil
Ch. 21 - Land Without a Name
Ning River, Northern Feng Empire. A place inhabited by a group of rural folk, most of them were fishermen or ordinary farmers. The economy there cannot be said to be good. They were led by an old chieftain, if seen at a glance it was just like an ordinary village. A little shabby and poor.
But even so, the land has almost perfect natural beauty. Protected by dozens of hills and in front of them the view of the open sea stretches beautifully along the coral and abundant natural wealth.
Beauty can kill sometimes. The interior harbors a deadly distress. The people there may look shabby and poor, but they often set traps and breed poisonous insects. To kill foreign immigrants to their place.
In the northern interior there is an exiled settlement, not by government regulations or policies in place. But because of a myth that says that the land is a former land of war that has a bloody history. Not infrequently visitors who come to die without cause, can stand or freeze to death with bulging eyes.
No one is able to explain what is behind the mystery of the land. Perhaps the ghosts that dwell there are able to kill people, but it is said that no one testified that they had seen ghosts there. The question mark remained unanswered after decades.
Behind it was heard the issue that said that the Emperor deliberately ignored the land and even provided more protection for them. Not infrequently seen special guards patrolling there.
Twice the attacks that took place on the nameless lands of the Northern Feng Empire did sound a little strange. But most people assume that the place is the easiest place to attack, considering that the land may include the wasted because there was never any interaction between the Emperor and the population there.
However, to Xue Zhan, the assault was a sign of danger to the Feng Empire. They would never stop attacking before getting something they were after.
At that moment, the looks of the ordinary Kang Jian very casually turned serious.
"Don't tell me this is all about the Earth Sovereign Elemental Stone?"
Jiazhen Yan who was half asleep suddenly woke up in a sitting position, observing Kang Jian hesitatingly.
"where possible. The Earth Ruler Element Stone was the most precious thing an Empire possessed and they would protect it with all their might. Putting him into a remote and poorly guarded village was not the right decision."
"Earth Ruler Element Stone?" Xue Zhan was stuck in that part. Kang Jian explained as briefly as possible, before refuting Jiazhen Yan's argument.
"Earth Ruler Element Stone is one of the greatest heirlooms spread across five countries. They possessed an extremely powerful and terrifying elemental power, hence the power was sealed in a scattered heirloom, if an Empire lost that thing just as much as their leader had been killed. It's a very serious condition."
Kang Jian still continued to explain, "this might be the answer to why Emperor Li gave us a secret mission. This mission is an emergency mission and maybe at a high level, you have to be careful" he said, inserting a serious warning before adding.
"On the other hand, Emperor Li did not want the enemy to be suspicious when he sent his men to the North. Especially to investigate their spies. Sending us was the best decision. Because instead of thinking we're spies, they believe we're just regular reinforcements."
"And as for your doubts towards that Earth Ruler Element Stone, do you think it makes sense in the first attack of the Red Taring failed to destroy that inland village? This should not be difficult, they can burn it if they want. Emperor Li was not a logically thinking person. He placed the greatest heirloom in a remote village, for years and spread terrible rumors so that no one would come close to the region."
Compared to other Empires, the Feng Empire was much more powerful at hiding such heirlooms. There have been almost no significant attacks in the last hundred years. But even the greatest surveillance would be meaningless if the enemy they faced was the Red Taring.
Kang Jian flicked his fingers, now they came to the red thread. The essence of all the puzzles in the mission.
"The Intermediary. The target will lead us to the starting point of this attack. Hong Yen."
Now everything is clear. Xue Zhan's conjecture presented many interconnected possibilities, Kang Jian smiled faintly when he saw Xue Zhan was still thinking seriously while folding both hands in the chest.
"I have one more question actually ..."
Jiazhen Yan, who had been in a brain fire, said, "Heh squid, stop thinking night after night."
"You're silent eel."
Kang Jian chuckled, "What do you want to ask?"
"What are they going to do with that Earth Ruler Element Stone?"
Kang Jian could not lie, nor did he have an answer to such a far-reaching question. Yet Xue Zhan must have seen something from the question he had just thrown out. He chose to reverse the question to take a first look at his student's conjecture, "Why do you think?"
"I imagine them bringing together the five Element Stones and creating something ... Which is more terrifying than the power of one element stone."
Kang Jian gulped. Jiazhen Yan again opened his eyes and slipped them. "Don't make it up, just one elemental stone can make an apocalypse! Moreover, the five were put together!"
A moment deep in his own thoughts, Kang Jian responded, slowly his face got worse, "Xue Zhan might be right, it could have happened."
But useless, during his time as a disciple Kang Jian did not get much information about the five elemental stones. Their existence is deliberately covered up and even made as if a myth full of nonsense. In order for no one to aim for that thing, if it were to happen and be done by such a dangerous group of criminals like the one happening in Feng Empire right now, it would naturally be a nightmare for them.
After that, they choose to sleep and prepare for tomorrow.
Kang Jian could not sleep because of their last conversation, Xue Zhan himself chose to go to the roof to train his breathing, while Jiazhen Yan pretended to sleep.
This would be the toughest enemy for him and Xue Zhan. After training hard for a year and barely breaking their bones, Jiazhen Yan got to the point where she would feel the real fight. Against a real enemy stronger than him.
Tomorrow there's a determination. They would head straight for the Ning River.