四库影院永久地址www9

Unlike the past, Qin Niu felt an unprecedented level of vigilance as soon as he entered the small town.

At the entrance of the town, two rows of caltrops were placed.

Even though it was late at night, soldiers were still stationed there.

Behind the caltrops was a temporary camp with a bonfire burning. The temperature wasn’t very low, being summertime, it could even be called hot.

The bonfire must have been lit for illumination.

One could vaguely see more than a dozen soldiers sitting around the bonfire, with only the leading three wearing Hundred-Tempering Black Armor.

The rest were in common leather armor.

Typically, those who wore Hundred-Tempering Black Armor were either formal soldiers or lower-ranking officers, while those in leather armor were mostly recruits or candidates for enlistment.

Just because the soldiers at the gate of Black Tiger City were all wearing Hundred-Tempering Black Armor and holding long spears, it didn’t mean that such armor was issued to every soldier. A set of Hundred-Tempering Black Armor worth five hundred taels of silver money was never intended to be distributed to each and every foot soldier.

It was only because Black Tiger Gang was not short on money now, that they put on such a show at the entrance.

Back in the early days of the gang’s establishment, if you wanted to enlist, you had to provide your own weapons, mounts, and armor.

“Hey, what are you doing?”

A soldier spotted Qin Niu, who was carrying a basket and walking briskly.

“Just passing through.”

Qin Niu showed his bronze Fish Talisman.

This item was quite effective within Black Tiger Gang’s territory. If he encountered any inspections, he could immediately enjoy privileges and preferential treatment.

“Oh, an Insect Master! Are you preparing to leave Black Tiger Gang’s territory?”

The soldier took a good look at Qin Niu, noticeably more respectful in his demeanor.

“Right, I plan to try my luck at Hundred Leaf Town,” Qin Niu said nonchalantly.

“Boss, there’s an Insect Master here who wants to leave the territory!”

The soldier turned and shouted to the military leader sitting by the bonfire.

The three military leaders wearing the Hundred-Tempering Black Armor immediately stood up and came over, surrounding Qin Niu completely.

Qin Niu remained unfazed.

Among these three, the one with the highest cultivation was the big-bearded soldier, roughly at the first level of the Acquired Realm. The other two were at most at the peak of the Mortal Realm.

Truth be told, even if all these soldiers combined their forces, they wouldn’t be enough for him to kill with one hand.

“Now, our Black Tiger Gang is at war with the Nine Insect Gang, you couldn’t possibly be unaware of that, could you?” the big-bearded man asked, his tone somewhat icy as he scrutinized Qin Niu.

“I know.”

“Knowing that the two armies are at war, yet you’re heading towards Nine Insect Gang territory? Hand me your waist token for registration,” the big-bearded man commanded as the highest-ranking among the soldiers present.

Military formations are generally composed of five soldiers as a squad, with ten forming a unit, plus an additional unit commander.

All these people together made up exactly eleven.

The big-bearded man must be a unit commander.

Qin Niu had also gained an initial understanding of the military’s strength.

One at the first level of the Acquired Realm could become a unit commander, while those at the peak of the Mortal Realm with exceptional combat prowess could aspire to be squad leaders.

As for someone like him in the Innate Realm, he would at least rank as a Centurion.

Qin Niu had his Fish Talisman registered.

“Master Qin Niu, if I may be so bold to ask, what do you plan to do after leaving the territory? Can you tell me?”

“I am planning to go to Hundred Leaf Town in search of the Green Demon Bee.”

After hearing his objective, the big-bearded man’s expression softened slightly.

“If you really must leave our territory, we won’t stop you. However, I still have to offer you some advice. Currently, with the two armies at war, your identity is very sensitive. Going into Nine Insect Gang’s domain is truly unwise. You could easily be mistaken for a deserter or traitor, or even be deemed a spy sent by Nine Insect Gang to gather intelligence. Moreover, once you’re discovered after crossing the border, they won’t hesitate to capture you, and they might even execute you on the spot.”

After completing the registration, the big-bearded man explained the risks involved.

The timing to leave the country is indeed not very good.

“Thank you for your advice, but I still want to try,” Qin Niu insisted on his own idea.

“Go ahead, then! I can only wish you luck. There are also some people in the town who want to leave the country for various reasons. You can join them; your chances of success might be slightly higher,” the big-bearded man carried out his duties without giving him trouble.

As long as they were of the privileged class, they would try to make things convenient for one another.

Qin Niu walked through the passage left open between the barriers.

After entering the town, he could see that the lanterns in front of several inns were lit. There were even shop assistants standing outside, soliciting guests who might need a place to stay.

“Sir, would you like to stay at our inn?”

Seeing Qin Niu with a basket on his back, in a hurry, a middle-aged woman waved her silk handkerchief, calling out to him.

Those who did not know better might have thought she was a pimp drumming up business.

“No need.”

Qin Niu indifferently refused with a single sentence, then continued walking forward.

It was not hard to discern from the soldier’s words that leaving the country wasn’t difficult, but once inside the territory of the Nine Insect Gang, evading their inspection was the real issue.

“Yo, sir, it seems you want to leave the country! You can’t cross right now. Our inn is hosting many guests like you who want to leave the country! If you trust me, Sister Fang, stay at my inn, and when the time comes, I’ll arrange everything for you,” the woman bustled about, with sharper eyes than most.

She easily guessed Qin Niu’s intention.

But Qin Niu wasn’t buying her act. He didn’t respond and just kept walking with his head down.

According to the information on the map, after entering the town, he just needed to keep heading north, and he would encounter a big river.

Once he crossed that river, he would be entering the territory of the Nine Insect Gang.

He moved on, and the few inns along the way all had their lights on, but there was no one standing at the doors to solicit guests.

Only the landlady of the first inn was the most dedicated to her business.

Once out of town, the road conditions became much worse.

The road was uneven and full of potholes, the sides overgrown with weeds. It was a dark and windy night, and traveling alone was quite eerie.

The further forward he went, the more desolate it became.

After walking about two miles, he could already hear the sound of rushing water ahead.

The big river was not far ahead.

Another two hundred or so meters, and sure enough, he saw a wide river about two hundred meters across, meandering and lying across the land.

The distinctive smell of the water was overpowering.

According to the map, this river should be the famous Cleanse Sin River.

Also known as Wash Crime River.

It was said that if one bathed in this river and repented sincerely after making a mistake, sins could be washed away.

Still, such tales were somewhat fantastical, and not many believed them.

Instead, there was a black fish in the river that was tender with few bones and tasted delicious, which was very popular among people. Villagers living near the river often went there to fish.

Qin Niu looked at the relentless river and couldn’t help but worry.

Crossing this river, even with his excellent swimming ability, was not an easy task.

The river had dangerous undercurrents and was full of whirlpools that could swallow a person whole; swimming across was perilous.

The best way was to cross over a bridge.

He had bought a simple version of the map which showed the river, but it did not indicate where the bridge was.

You get what you pay for; a thin gruel provides little sustenance.

A universal map purchased for one tael of silver would certainly not be as detailed as one costing fifty taels.

But to spend a hundred taels of silver on a map of the Black Tiger Gang and another for the Nine Insect Gang, he was somewhat reluctant to part with his money.

Mainly because it wasn’t of much use to him..