Rising Wind Overseas, A Nameless Land

Chapter 588: Rising Wind Overseas, A Nameless Land

After a short while, the torches finally drew near.

By their light, Han Li could make out a few things nearby.

The area around them was a vast white expanse, littered with piles of fish and shrimp, thickly covering the ground. He and the young woman were situated on top of one of the taller piles. Beyond that, everything was shrouded in deep darkness, making it impossible to see clearly. It only felt like an incredibly vast space, with no walls in sight.

The group of men halted about twenty or thirty zhang away from Han Li.

They quickly set their leather bags on the ground. Then, leaving one man standing watch, alertly scanning their surroundings, the others bent over and began frantically stuffing the fish and shrimp into their bags.

Seeing this, Han Li was somewhat surprised.

The young woman on his back let out a soft, almost inaudible gasp, which the men did not hear. Han Li instinctively glanced at her face.

In the ambiguous red glow, a delicate, sweet face was faintly visible in the darkness.

The woman seemed to notice his bold stare; a flush spread across her cheeks. Turning her neck slightly, she hid her face back in the shadows, leaving only a pair of slightly shy, sparkling eyes behind.

Han Li found it somewhat amusing.

She was an interesting one. When they couldn't see each other clearly in the dark, she had been outspoken and even a bit shrewish. But now that they could see, she immediately became timid and easily embarrassed. The fierce impression she had given him earlier vanished without a trace.

At that moment, a cry of alarm rang out from afar.

“Not good! Pull back! A Fire Scale Beast is coming up!” The lookout suddenly turned and shouted at the others.

Instantly, the men who had been loading the fish slung their bags over their shoulders and bolted in the opposite direction. All that remained were two torches stuck into the ground, their flames flickering unsteadily.

Almost simultaneously, several long roars echoed from the darkness, as if something had discovered the men. Then came the heavy, urgent thumping of something large hitting the ground.

Several crimson shadows, each over a zhang in length, shot out from the darkness and vanished in another flash.

In that brief instant, Han Li got a clear look at the so-called “Fire Scale Beasts.” They were hideous monsters with leopard-like heads and crimson scales, their snarling maws revealing rows of razor-sharp fangs. They looked incredibly ferocious.

In the blink of an eye, the area fell silent once more.

Han Li let out a long breath. It was a stroke of luck, however unfortunate, that the beasts hadn't detected the two of them.

After another short while, Han Li lightly clenched his fists, then wrapped an arm around the young woman’s waist and slowly stood up. His body had finally returned to normal; he could move freely again.

“You… put me down. I’m almost better, too,” the woman whispered in his arms, her face flushed red.

“I wouldn’t mind the fishy smell if you don’t. I’m not the one who’ll be covered in it,” Han Li said flatly, glancing at her.

Hearing this, the woman looked down at the fish and shrimp scattered everywhere. A flicker of hesitation crossed her face, and she wisely chose to say nothing more.

With that, Han Li lightly leaped down from the fish pile, still holding the woman, and walked toward the torches. He didn’t know what kind of strange place this was, but if there wasn’t a single source of light, they might be in serious trouble.

Bending down, Han Li pulled a torch from the ground and looked around, his face pensive as he weighed his options.

“You can put me down now. I can move,” the woman in his arms said, her voice soft and shy.

Han Li didn’t say a word. He simply let go, and the woman landed lightly on her feet. After straightening her dress a little, she picked up the other torch and began surveying her surroundings.

Han Li, however, suddenly turned and strode off in the direction the men had come from.

“Where are you going?” The woman was startled and quickly asked.

“I don’t plan to wait for those beasts to come back. I need to find a safe place first,” Han Li replied without turning his head.

At the mention of the beasts possibly returning, the woman’s face showed a hint of fear. After a brief hesitation, she hurriedly caught up and fell in behind Han Li.

Han Li said nothing and simply led the way.

After walking for over a hundred zhang, the fish and shrimp on the ground disappeared entirely, replaced by a soft, black, sandy soil beneath their feet. Han Li took only a few steps before stopping. He held the torch close to the ground, illuminating a set of clear footprints. They were the tracks left by the men.

The woman behind him, caught off guard, nearly bumped into his back. She grew a little alarmed.

“What’s wrong?” she murmured.

Han Li didn’t answer. Instead, he suddenly crouched down, scooped up a handful of the black sand, and brought it to his nose. After a quick sniff, a strange expression crossed his face.

“The smell of blood is very strong. This isn’t a good place,” Han Li said flatly, then continued forward, following the men’s footprints.

His words made the woman’s heart skip a beat, and she was even more reluctant to stray far from his side.

The two walked one after the other for the time it takes to finish a meal. Finally, they noticed a faint blue light emanating from not too far ahead.

Han Li squinted, took a few glances, and quickened his pace.

As they drew closer, the source of the light became clear. In the pitch-black void ahead, an azure-glowing exit had appeared. It was only about a zhang in size, but more than large enough for one person to pass through.

Seeing this, the two were invigorated and hurried forward.

In no time, they reached the exit. One after the other, they crawled through. But the moment Han Li poked his head out, white light flashed before his eyes. Seven or eight snow-white jade-like blades and swords pressed simultaneously against his neck. At the same time, a cold voice rang in his ears.

“Who are you? Where are A-Hu and the others? Did you just come in from outside?” The voice was a little raspy, but something about it made Han Li’s mind stir.

Looking around, he found himself surrounded by over twenty young men and women. Each held a strange, white-glowing weapon in their hands. They were dressed in the same peculiar green clothes as the earlier men, and stared at Han Li with varied expressions. The one who had called out to him was a gaunt, middle-aged man of about forty, his eyes gleaming strangely as he fixed his gaze on Han Li. Behind him, the sweet-faced woman was being held by several others, not daring to move.

“I think we might be what you call ‘newcomers.’ But do you get people from outside here often?” Han Li asked, rubbing his nose with a wry smile.

“You don’t need to tell me; I figured it out. The way you’re dressed, only people from outside would dress like that. But you’re in luck, running into us. Most outsiders end up as a meal for the Yin Beasts before they even figure out what this place is,” the middle-aged man said, his tone easing slightly but still cold.

Then he waved his hand, and the men and women all withdrew their white blades.

Han Li rubbed his neck and looked at the weapons again, a flicker of surprise on his face. From the brief contact with his skin, he could sense an astonishing heat coming from these blades. It felt as if each one was a white-hot branding iron, which was extremely strange.

At the same time, Han Li took a quick look around. He found himself standing at the foot of a small stone hill, which they had just exited. In the distance, all he could see was a vast expanse of deep yellow desert, its bounds unknown. He looked up into the sky and started.

The sky was a black, oppressive expanse of clouds, with no end in sight. Deep blue lightning bolts flashed and crackled ceaselessly within the clouds, casting an eerie azure light over the land. It was unnerving.

Before Han Li had finished his inspection, the gaunt man frowned and asked:

“Did you run into anyone else when you came out? Those men are our companions.”

“I saw a few. They were being chased by some beasts and ran off in another direction,” Han Li replied promptly, without any hesitation.

“Beasts? What kind of beasts?” The gaunt man tensed up, grabbing his weapon tighter.

“I heard them called Fire Scale Beasts.”

“Fire Scale Beasts! That’s a relief. A-Hu and the others should be able to handle those Yin Beasts. But just to be safe, Fan Li, take a few men and go to the nearest exit to meet them,” the gaunt man said, relaxing visibly and giving a composed order.

A dark, iron-tower of a man immediately responded, taking a few others and hurrying off.