Chapter 2277 - 1956: Taoyuan Five Monsters_2

Chapter 2277: Chapter 1956: Taoyuan Five Monsters_2

Song Yun came back to his senses and said with a smile, "Nothing happened. They just learned from me how to make Taohuayuan Tokens, and then all went out."

Hearing this, Huang Shiyun cried out in shock, "What, they went out?"

Song Yun laughed and said, "You mean, they’re going out to cause trouble for people outside?"

Huang Shiyun nodded. "Yeah. People outside can’t handle the Taoyuan Five Monsters."

Song Yun didn’t take it seriously and said, "They’re just pulling some pranks; they won’t really stir up any big trouble. I don’t think we need to worry about that."

"You have a point."

Huang Shiyun thought it over and realized the Taoyuan Five Monsters actually weren’t truly evil people, so there really wasn’t much to worry about.

"Miss."

At this moment, Huan’er woke up and called out to Huang Shiyun. Then her gaze fell on Song Yun, and she exclaimed, "Who are you?"

"Huan’er, don’t be rude." Huang Shiyun scolded lightly and said, "You were swept down by the current, and Song Yun saved you. He’s the benefactor who saved your life."

"I’m sorry, benefactor, and thank you for saving me."

Once she understood, Huan’er hurriedly apologized and thanked Song Yun, then asked Huang Shiyun, "Miss, what about that villain Xuan Tong?"

Huang Shiyun said, "He was killed by Song Yun."

"What, killed by him?"

Huang Shiyun looked at Song Yun in utter surprise, unable to believe that Xuan Tong, who was Late-stage Foundation Establishment, had actually been killed by Song Yun, who was at Foundation Establishment Middle Stage.

With Huang Shiyun’s confirmation, Huan’er finally believed it.

When she looked at Song Yun again, aside from astonishment, there was now a hint of reverence in her eyes.

"By the way, Song Yun, what brought you to Taoyuan?"

Huang Shiyun looked at Song Yun and asked.

Song Yun said, "The Xuan Family has a plan that involves the Sky Demon Sect. It’s a bit complicated and could very likely affect the balance of the three major spiritual lands in Huaxia. So I want to spread the word inside Taoyuan and let experts move to stop the Xuan Family and the Sky Demon Sect."

"Sky Demon Sect!" A grave look appeared on Huang Shiyun’s face as she said in a deep voice, "I’ve heard my father talk about them. The Sky Demon Sect is the Demon Sect of the spiritual land in Shu. They cultivate sinister and aberrant Cultivation Techniques, kill people for blood sacrifices, utterly heinous. I really didn’t expect the Xuan Family to be mixed up with the Sky Demon Sect."

Song Yun explained, "No, the Xuan Family and the Sky Demon Sect are enemies. They’re both looking for the same person. That person carries Demonic Qi and seems to be a cultivation prodigy. Both sides want to win him over and use his power to let their own faction control the three spiritual lands and dominate alone."

Huang Shiyun frowned and said, "The Xuan Family’s ambition has long been exposed, but I didn’t expect that now they’ve gone mad enough to try to harness the power of someone bearing Demonic Qi."

After pondering for a moment, Huang Shiyun said to Song Yun, "Song Yun, since that’s the case, come back with me and tell this to my father. My father is the Family Head; through him, it’ll be easy to spread this matter throughout Taoyuan."

Song Yun hesitated and said, "I’ve heard that people in Taoyuan are very hostile toward outsiders. If I go see your father, I won’t get killed, will I?"

Huang Shiyun let out a tinkling laugh and said, "Taoyuan does forbid casual coming and going and does restrict outsiders. But as for ’hostile toward outsiders,’ it’s not entirely like that. After all, over so many years, there have been some people who came from outside and then integrated into Taoyuan."

"Right now in Taoyuan, because resources are getting scarcer and scarcer, we restrict outsiders from entering Taoyuan in order to maintain resource distribution. After all, with more people, the resources each person gets will be less."

"At present, Taoyuan is divided into two factions. One faction rejects outsiders and kills them without mercy; this faction is led by the Xuan Family, He Family, and Zhou Family among the five major families of Taoyuan. The other faction doesn’t reject outsiders, but they also don’t advocate opening Taoyuan; this faction is led by our Huang Family and the Cao Family."

Hearing this, Song Yun said with a smile, "So by your description, the only real difference between the two factions is whether or not they kill outsiders."

Huang Shiyun said, "Pretty much."

"Alright, since the Huang Family won’t kill me, I’ll go back with you and tell your father about this."

Song Yun thought it over. If he wanted to understand Taoyuan’s situation, it would definitely be more convenient to enter the Huang Family.

Moreover, Huang Shiyun’s father was the Huang Family Master; if he wanted to ask about Master Hao Lan, that man might know something.

Once they set out, Huang Shiyun realized her clothes were torn, revealing her fair, delicate back, and it was almost exposing the front as well—utterly embarrassing.

Seeing this, Song Yun took off his outer coat and handed it to Huang Shiyun, saying, "Put on my clothes for now."

"Thank you."

Huang Shiyun thanked him, put on Song Yun’s clothes, and as she caught his scent, she realized it actually smelled pretty good.

The three continued forward. On the way, Huang Shiyun told Song Yun about the situation inside Taoyuan.

Taoyuan lies within a deep valley, surrounded on all sides by sheer cliff walls. Only those who hold a Taohuayuan Token can go in and out through the waterfall.

If anyone tries to climb the cliff walls to leave, they’ll discover that the cliffs have no end.

And from the outside world, this valley cannot be found.

So Taoyuan is cut off from the rest of the world.

Within Taoyuan, the area is about seven hundred square kilometers, not very large.

The population here isn’t big either; in total, it’s less than ten thousand people.

As for how people are distributed, aside from a few who live scattered about, the vast majority live concentrated in five regions.

These five regions are each governed by one of the Five Great Families—the Zhou Family, the Huang Family, the Xuan Family, the He Family, and the Cao Family—each ruling one area, maintaining stability, managing the markets, and so on.

And each settlement is named after its administrator, called Zhou Town, Huang Town, Xuan Town, He Town, or Cao Town to distinguish them.

Speaking of this, Huang Shiyun sighed: "Back then, there was only one village in Taoyuan. Everyone lived in harmony, close and friendly. But as the ancestors of the Five Great Families grew in power, the village broke apart, and that’s how the current situation came to be."

Song Yun had already heard this history from He Sui.

Once people have power, they have desires. Without one supreme expert to lead the village, division and fragmentation were bound to be the outcome.

Song Yun asked, "Right, Shiyun, where is the He Family?"

Huang Shiyun asked in puzzlement, "Why are you asking about the He Family?"

Song Yun said, "I have a friend named He Sui; she’s from the He Family. This time I came to Taoyuan, I also planned to visit her."

"You’re He Sui’s friend?" Huang Shiyun’s face showed surprise, then she suddenly recalled: "Oh, I remember now. When He Sui came back from leaving Taoyuan last time, she said she’d made a friend—must’ve been you."

Song Yun raised an eyebrow and said, "Looks like you know He Sui."

Huang Shiyun laughed and said, "Know her? More than that, she and I are good friends. What, you traveled all the way to Taoyuan, don’t tell me you’ve got designs on He Sui?"

Song Yun chuckled, letting his eyes roam up and down Huang Shiyun, and said, "It’s not just He Sui I’ve got designs on—I’ve got designs on you too. Believe it or not?"

Hearing that, Huang Shiyun’s pretty face flushed bright red.

She hurriedly turned her head away, not daring to meet Song Yun’s gaze, and muttered, "You’re obviously a good person, can’t you be a bit more proper? Stop spouting nonsense all the time!"

Song Yun smiled, then shifted the topic and asked again, "Shiyun, you still haven’t told me where the He Family is."

"The He Family is to the west; our Huang Family is to the east—completely opposite directions."

Huang Shiyun paused for a moment, then continued, "In a few days I’ll be going to He Town on some business. When the time comes, you can go with me to find He Sui. For these few days, you’ll stay at the Huang Family."

"Alright."

Song Yun nodded in agreement.

Just then, ahead in the dense forest, an open area appeared. From afar, they could vaguely see buildings.

Huang Shiyun pointed forward and said to Song Yun, "This is Huang Town!"

Song Yun looked out and saw that Huang Town wasn’t large. The houses were low-built, mixing architectural styles from the Tang Dynasty, Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing, making it look a bit strange.

In the center of Huang Town stood a three-story building in Tang Dynasty style, constructed with imposing grandeur. It was the most eye-catching structure in all of Huang Town.

Needless to say, that was definitely the Huang Family’s territory.

"Come on, let’s head into Huang Town."

Huang Shiyun raised her hand in a gesture of invitation and took the lead toward Huang Town.

This was just a settlement: no city walls, no archway gate. Song Yun and his companions walked straight into the marketplace.