148: Yancheng Mohist School

“Salt City… Mo Residence…” Mo Yuhan repeated in a low voice, each word seemingly squeezed from an ice cellar.

His gaze turned to the corner of the courtyard, where Instructor Ruo Lin and Ah Yin had been placed by him in a relatively safe spot before the battle began.

Ruo Lin leaned against the wall, her face still pale, but her breathing had stabilized significantly, and she was looking at him with concern.

Ah Yin sat beside Ruo Lin, hugging her knees, her emerald-like eyes filled with worry and the horror of the bloody scene all around.

“Teacher, Ah Yin.” Mo Yuhan walked over to them, his voice low but with an unshakeable resolve, “I need to go to Salt City immediately.”

Ruo Lin struggled to stand up: “Yu Han, I’ll go with you! The Mo Residence is powerful, you alone…”

“Teacher,” Mo Yuhan gently pressed her shoulder, stopping her movement, his gaze calm and resolute, “Your injuries haven't healed, and Ah Yin also needs care. The Mo Residence… I’ll go alone; it will be faster and more convenient.”

His words revealed absolute confidence and a hidden concern, unwilling to let them be in danger.

Ah Yin looked up, her small face gazing at Mo Yuhan's blood-stained profile and the pair of black eyes burning with cold flames, her lips moved, and in the end, she only whispered, “Yu Han… be careful.”

Mo Yuhan nodded, then looked at Xiao Ding and Xiao Li: “Two leaders, I entrust my teacher and Ah Yin to your care for now.”

“Brother Mo, rest assured!” Xiao Ding immediately responded solemnly, “As long as there’s one person left in the Desert Iron Mercenary Group, we will never let them suffer any harm!”

“Good.” Mo Yuhan said no more. He took one last look at Little Seven, who was perched on his shoulder. The small snake seemed to understand something and rubbed its tiny head against his neck.

The next moment, he walked to an open space in the courtyard, his mind stirring.

Whoosh—!

A pair of massive purplish-red flame wings suddenly unfolded from his back! The edges of the wings glowed with a profound yellow halo, emitting a scorching and powerful aura. As he absorbed the Crimson-Winged Lava Dragon spirit ring, these Purple Cloud Wings also seemed to undergo some subtle changes; the edges of the membrane wings became tougher, faintly exuding the heavy and powerful feel of dragon wings, and the wind pressure generated by their flapping became more solid.

“Wait for my return.” Leaving these words, Mo Yuhan flapped his wings violently!

Boom!

A violent airflow stirred up the dust and blood on the ground. His figure, like a purple flame arrow released from a bowstring, instantly shot into the sky, tearing through the oppressive night sky of Stone Desert City.

Transforming into a streak of light, he soared towards the east, towards Salt City.

His speed was so great that he left a long-lingering purplish-red flame tail in the night sky.

The night wind whistled in his ears, and the desert beneath him receded rapidly like a flowing golden ocean.

Mo Yuhan’s heart, however, was like a frozen volcano, silent on the surface, but churning with lava capable of incinerating everything within.

Qing Lin… that timid, unfortunate little snake-human hybrid girl, who always carried a hint of longing for warmth.

Deep within her pure green eyes, lay a World-shaking power that even she had not fully mastered—the Azure Snake Three Flower Pupils. This power, however, had now become the shackles dragging her into the abyss.

The Mo Residence… Salt City…

Fragments of memories about this family churned in his mind.

Mo Cheng, the chief Elder of the Mo Residence, a madman who would stop at nothing for power, obsessed with transplanting magical beast limbs onto humans.

The Azure Snake Three Flower Pupils, this peculiar eye technique capable of controlling snake-shaped magical beasts and discerning soul weaknesses, in his eyes, was probably a more precious “material” than any high-level magical beast limb.

With Qing Lin in their hands, every second of delay increased the danger!

Mo Yuhan’s eyes grew even colder and sharper, like a tempered cold blade. He pushed the Purple Cloud Wings to their limit, raising his speed to the pinnacle of his current realm.

In the night sky, a purplish-red meteor streaked across the firmament silently and resolutely, leaving Stone Desert City far behind.

…

As the first ray of dawn pierced through the eastern clouds, gilding the desolate land with a shallow gold, a magnificent giant city, like a dormant steel beast, appeared on the distant horizon.

Salt City.

The heart of the eastern province of the Gama Empire, its scale and prosperity far surpassed that of a border town like Stone Desert City.

The towering city walls were built from massive black volcanic rock, weathered by wind and sand, exuding an ancient and sturdy aura.

The colossal city gate, like the mouth of a giant beast, had already formed a long queue of people entering, even in the early morning, with the clamor of carriages and horses and the roar of human voices. Buildings within the city were arranged like fish scales, with a rough yet distinctive eastern style, many roofs covered with a drought-resistant dark brown tile.

However, beneath this veneer of prosperity, an invisible, oppressive aura, tinged with rust and blood, hung over the city like an unseen cloud, most concentrated in the eastern part of the city.

That was where the Mo Residence was located, a name that struck fear in Salt City and even the entire eastern province.

Mo Yuhan landed on a desolate hill a few miles outside Salt City. He retracted his Purple Cloud Wings and changed into an inconspicuous gray cloak, its wide hood covering most of his face, revealing only a pair of deep, serene black eyes.

He blended into the stream of people entering the city and easily passed the scrutiny of the city gate guards.

The guards’ eyes swept over his young face and simple attire, not paying much attention.

As soon as he stepped into Salt City, the austere aura of the Mo Residence assailed him.

The city guards patrolling the streets were noticeably better equipped than those in other cities, their breastplates engraved with a ferocious “Mo” insignia, their eyes sharp and indifferent, carrying a condescending scrutiny.

Many shops along the streets displayed the Mo Residence’s banners or insignias, showing the family’s control over Salt City’s economic lifeline.

Mo Yuhan did not stop, moving discreetly through the bustling streets like an ordinary traveler.

His soul perception spread out like an invisible spiderweb, subtly capturing the information flowing in the air.

“Have you heard? It seems there was some commotion at the Mo Residence yesterday. From the direction of the forbidden area behind the mountain, a few shrill screams were faintly heard, making one’s scalp tingle…”

“Shh! Keep your voice down! Do you want to die? How dare you discuss the Mo Residence’s affairs! I heard they recently captured a little girl with special eyes, tsk tsk…”

“Sigh, what a sin, falling into the hands of that old madman Mo Cheng…”

“Stop talking, stop talking, the patrol is coming!”

Fragmented whispers mingled in the noisy marketplace, like stones thrown into water, stirring cold ripples in Mo Yuhan’s heart. A little girl with special eyes… Qing Lin! Forbidden area behind the mountain!

Target, locked.

Mo Yuhan’s footsteps did not change, but his direction subtly shifted towards the east of the city.

The closer he got to the area where the Mo Residence was located, the quieter and more solemn the streets became.

The tall mansion walls, like black mountains, stretched continuously, separating the inside and outside into two Worlds.

Above the walls, heavily armed guards with fierce auras could be faintly seen patrolling back and forth, their gazes sweeping below like eagles.

The main gate of the residence was even more imposing; the massive black iron gate was tightly shut, and two ferocious magical beast stone sculptures stood before it, exuding a fierce aura.

Above the lintel, the two gilded characters “Mo Residence” shone in the morning light, carrying an inviolable majesty.

The main gate was heavily guarded; a direct forced entry would be the most foolish choice.