148: Chapter 148 Encountering a Boy

Several figures walked across the vast, boundless wasteland; the bleak, cold wind dispersed the lingering scent of blood on them.

Su Xinyou looked at the dilapidated Guangling Border Pass ahead, as if seeing the scene of the beast tide breaking through the pass years ago.

"Is this once the most prosperous county town?"

He murmured softly, unable to imagine what Guangling County used to look like, feeling a sense of pity.

Along the way, he hadn't seen the prosperity of the Cultivation World, but instead experienced its cruelty and grimness.

From Qingyuan to Guangling, they had gone through countless battles.

Some blocked the road for head-on attacks, some set up formations for ambushes, and some used schemes and tricks to deceive.

From the discomfort of his first kill, Su Xinyou gradually became numb and accustomed to it; the smell of blood in his nose was no longer nauseating, but rather a warning to Robber Cultivators.

"This is the damaged Guangling Border Pass; it no longer has any trace of Guangling County," Su Xuanxiao, walking at the front, said indifferently. "We'll rest at the inn ahead, then continue our journey."

Though the Guangling Border Pass remained in ruins, shrewd merchants had built an inn amidst the rubble to cater to travelers.

The broken border pass had actually become a landmark; travelers stopping here couldn't help but talk about the past legends of Guangling.

Su Xinyou listened intently in the inn, gaining a deeper understanding of the former Guangling County and Guangling Border Pass.

At that moment, a merchant caravan entered the inn; they were all Cultivators and Martial Artists, and the tokens hanging from their waists were engraved with the words 'Baibao Pavilion'.

Su Xinyou blinked, knowing they were also heading to the Yunmeng Ruins; just as he was about to strike up a conversation, he remembered that Baibao Pavilion and the Su Clan Chamber of Commerce were competitors.

In the Qingyuan Market, the Su Clan Chamber of Commerce used the absolute advantage of its Family power to suppress Baibao Pavilion, forcing the latter to take a defensive stance to maintain a superficial harmony.

However, the situation in the Yunmeng Ruins was completely reversed; through its deeply rooted commercial network over many years, Baibao Pavilion had always suppressed the expansion of the Su Clan Chamber of Commerce.

The Su Family had sent Ji Shulan to the Yunmeng Ruins precisely to break this deadlock.

"Let's go, continue the journey."

Su Xuanxiao stood up and walked out of the inn, not intending to stay long to avoid conflict with the Baibao Pavilion people.

Conflicts in the Cultivation World often happened without warning; sometimes an unfriendly glance could lead to a blood feud. If the Baibao Pavilion discovered they were from the Su Clan Chamber of Commerce, assassination and ambush would happen in an instant.

Having broadened his horizons over the past few days, Su Xinyou naturally understood this logic, so he followed his Fourth Uncle's lead without hesitation.

Before they had gone far, a Refugee covered in dust and dressed in rags stumbled into their sight.

His feet were bare and covered in crisscrossing wounds, with dark red scabs formed where the cuts were deep enough to see bone; the person collapsed heavily in the middle of the road, his chest barely rising and falling, his strength to even groan exhausted.

Su Xuanxiao ignored this and decisively chose to bypass him.

He had seen many such things on the road, but there were countless Refugees in the Great Wei; the Su Family couldn't save them all, nor did they have an obligation to save everyone.

Moreover, this might be a trap, using a dying Refugee to lure compassionate Cultivators into a scheme.

Unexpectedly, Su Xinyou actually walked toward the person.

"Xinyou, don't go over there!"

Ji Shulan reached out to stop him, her eyes filled with a hint of confusion.

They had encountered Refugees many times on this journey, including those hiding poison in their clothes to trick Cultivators.

Su Xinyou had witnessed these scams firsthand; he shouldn't be so reckless.

Su Xuanxiao frowned, staring at his nephew who was acting out of character.

Su Xinyou didn't know how to explain for a moment: "I... I feel like I should help him. It's just a small effort."

"And Grandpa told me before he left that if I meet someone who seems right, I should help if I can. I feel like he's quite alright; if we don't save him, he might die."

This reason was truly absurd, as if he had been brainwashed by a Demonic Cultivator.

Su Xuanxiao's face darkened as he scolded sternly, "A dirty Refugee whose face can't even be seen clearly—where do you see that he's 'alright'?"

"Besides, he won't die. The people from Baibao Pavilion love to take in these young Refugees to train them as Baibao Pavilion shop assistants."

His Divine Sense detected two people from Baibao Pavilion walking out of the inn, looking in their direction, clearly intending to come over and check.

If it were an elderly Refugee, Baibao Pavilion wouldn't give them a second glance, but the youth before them fit their training criteria.

"It's intuition, of course!"

Su Xinyou smiled, his tone pleading: "Fourth Uncle, trust me, this person is definitely fine."

"If you don't believe me, you should at least believe Grandpa's words, right? His reminder for me to help others must have some deeper meaning!"

After saying that, he moved toward the Refugee.

"Wait!"

Su Xuanxiao reached out to stop him, his forehead creased with frustration, helpless against his nephew's stubbornness.

He certainly didn't believe Su Xinyou's so-called intuition, but since his father Su Yang was mentioned, he had to take it seriously.

After thinking for a moment, he threw out a Puppet, which walked toward the Refugee, turned the dying youth over, and placed its hand on his wrist.

There was still a heartbeat, though he only had one breath left.

Su Xuanxiao's brow suddenly cleared, and he looked at Su Xinyou in surprise.

"He actually has a Spiritual Root, and it's a True Spiritual Root!"

Could it be that Father's Heavenly Secret Arts had already calculated that they would encounter a youth with a True Spiritual Root on the road?

Was it that Father's Heavenly Secret Arts were that powerful, or did Father think this kid Xinyou's intuition was incredibly accurate?

Su Xuanxiao was secretly shocked; as he continued his investigation, he found that the youth's Physique seemed somewhat special.

But in all the books he had read, he had never seen this kind of Physique; it seemed somewhat ordinary.

Su Xuanxiao didn't overthink it; holding onto his trust in his father, he chose to believe Su Xinyou's judgment this time.

He took out a Medicinal Pill and placed it in the youth's mouth, using his fingertips to condense spiritual power and tap his throat to help dissolve the medicine.

A surge of rich vitality flowed through the youth's limbs and bones; his withered skin regained color at a visible rate, and his originally weak breathing gradually stabilized.

Su Xuanxiao remained alert to his surroundings, but the expected Robber Cultivator trap did not appear; the youth before them really had just happened to collapse in front of them.

If it weren't for Su Xinyou's initiative, this youth would likely have been rescued by Baibao Pavilion.

"See, Fourth Uncle? My intuition is very accurate."

Su Xinyou's smile held a hint of pride; if the elders hadn't forbidden him from gambling, he would have made a fortune with his intuition.

Su Xuanxiao gave a helpless smile; the kid really managed to pull it off.

"Let's take this youth to the Yunmeng Ruins first. We'll decide what to do after he wakes up and we ask about his background."