Looking at the way these pedestrians were dressed, it was exactly like the ancient Chinese attire that Henry Clark had once seen on television. However, since Henry Clark had little knowledge of history, he wasn’t even sure which dynasty or era this style belonged to.

Although Henry Clark didn’t speak much with these passersby, he listened carefully to their conversations, picking up bits and pieces of information he wanted from their words.

This Lingtai Fangcun Mountain was located at the border between the Qingliang Kingdom and the Datong Kingdom in Xiniu Hezhou. If one continued along this road for another hundred li, they would reach the capital of Qingliang Kingdom, Qingliang City.

Qingliang City was also a famous metropolis in Xiniu Hezhou, a place of imperial prosperity. This made Henry Clark feel a sense of anticipation, and as his heart trembled with excitement, he couldn’t help but quicken his pace.

After hurrying along for about another hour, he saw from afar five-colored auspicious clouds flickering above the city ahead, a sign that he had arrived at the metropolis. Sure enough, after walking a few more steps, he saw a large city not far away. But as he drew closer and looked at the five-colored auspicious clouds in the sky—signifying the presence of a true king—he vaguely sensed some ominous signs hidden within them, which made him pause in surprise.

Back in the Three Star Cave, the crow hadn’t just learned a few tricks from Sun Wukong; he had also absorbed all the basic teachings that Patriarch Bodhi had given his disciples. So, he had dabbled in things like the “Art” school, the “Stillness” school, the “Flow” school, and the “Movement” school. Techniques such as reading the wind and observing omens, seeking fortune and avoiding disaster, were specialties of the Art school.

However, his cultivation was too shallow. Even after fiddling with his fingers dozens of times, he could only vaguely deduce that the affairs of the Qingliang Kingdom seemed to have something to do with him. As for the specifics, he was completely clueless.

After hesitating for a while, he finally made up his mind and headed into the Qingliang Kingdom. Isn’t there a saying: if it’s a blessing, it’s not a curse; if it’s a curse, you can’t avoid it? If it were the Henry Clark of his previous life, he would have thought this was nonsense, but now, Henry Clark no longer dared to think that way.

Since it was related to him, he might as well go. After all, he had even fooled Patriarch Bodhi; this small Qingliang Kingdom probably wouldn’t bring him much trouble.

When he reached the city gate, before he could even enter, he heard the clatter of hooves from inside the city. Soon, a troop of riders burst out, raising a cloud of dust as they brushed past him and galloped toward the southeast of the city.

“Interesting, this fellow seems to have some skills!” Henry Clark raised an eyebrow. He had seen the leader clearly just now—a general in golden armor. Although he was just a mortal, there was a faint aura of cultivation about him. In other words, this general knew a bit about cultivation methods.

Judging by his aura, he was likely an outer disciple of some Daoist sect. Although he had learned orthodox Daoist arts, his skills were quite basic.

You should know that in this vast world, there are countless living beings and strange beasts. But since the end of the Great Desolation, in the Eastern Continent, Xiniu Hezhou, and Southern Jambu, the plains have been dominated by humans. As for the demon race, they mostly occupy the great mountains and dangerous ridges, keeping a clear boundary from humans. Although the demon race is powerful, there are also many experts among humans. Not to mention that most of the true immortals in the Heavenly Court are cultivated from humans, even on earth, there are countless reclusive masters not under the jurisdiction of the Heavenly Court. Most of these people are ancient cultivators who survived the calamities of the ancient era, mostly born as humans. Although they have now attained the Dao, humans are still under their protection. So, even though the demon race is extremely powerful in these three continents and could wipe out humanity at any time, they restrain themselves because of the presence of these untouchable figures. At most, they might occasionally eat a person or two for a taste, or sometimes transform into human form to mingle among the people, but they dare not cause too much trouble.

Among humans, there are also some who, by luck, encounter a wise master or obtain a scripture by chance. For various reasons, they learn some magical arts and Daoist powers. Though they cannot become Buddhas or immortals, their strength far surpasses ordinary people. Most of these individuals have a special skill, and when facing ordinary demons or monsters, they can put up a fight. They may not always win, but self-preservation is not difficult.

The general on horseback that Henry Clark saw was clearly one of these people. Although his strength was low, he could still handle minor demons and monsters. Such people usually hold a certain status in the human world, and in smaller countries, they often occupy high positions and wield considerable influence among humans.

Watching the dust left behind by the departing riders, Henry Clark wiped his nose and turned to walk toward the city gate.

After just a few steps, he passed through the gate and entered the city.

Because Henry Clark’s current attire was similar to that of the woodcutter who had shown him the way on Fangcun Mountain, and many people along the way were dressed like this, the soldiers at the city gate didn’t make things difficult for him. After asking a few questions, they let him through.

Henry Clark also noticed that the soldiers at the gate didn’t seem interested in guarding it. Each of them looked tense, their eyes frequently glancing outside the city, as if they were plotting something.