Clad in mourning attire, Hai Zhongchi, the elder sending off the younger, took charge of the Hai family after the funeral. The family elders unanimously agreed, and Hai Dongyang had no choice but to concur.
Hai Zhongchi declared, "As the family head, I command all family disciples to consider this matter closed. No more talk of revenge! Furthermore, no one is to seek out the Madman on their own accord. Violators will be dealt with by family law!"
Reality was cruel; they were utterly abandoning Hai Mianyi, Hai Mi'er, and the four deceased family disciples.
After two days and two nights, Ming Zhitian's injuries recovered to fifty percent. He could move and run, but attempting to escape from under the Madman's nose was akin to snatching food from a tiger's mouth, a suicidal act.
The Northern Corner Desert was truly remote. Since the last time they encountered the camping inn, they hadn't seen another inn or even a tea stall. Not a single trace.
During this time, Ming Zhitian and Ao Zihua were tasked with collecting dry branches for firewood and drilling for fire. Ming Zhitian felt like he was living a primitive life.
Once the campfire was lit, they caught two desert pheasants and roasted them on the spot. The fragrant roasted chickens were crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. The Madman ate one and a half himself, leaving half for the four of them to share. Truly stingy.
The others dared not speak their minds, merely enduring their hunger and continuing their journey.
On the third day, they finally reached their destination, the Ancient City of the East...
The Northern Corner Desert was vast, but lacked sustenance. It was unexpected to find such a large ancient city here, a place with everything, like a grand marketplace.
There were guards at the city gate maintaining order. However, upon seeing the Madman arrive, they didn't obstruct him. They were observant and knew better than to provoke someone they couldn't afford to offend.
The city had rules: no causing trouble, no arson or murder. Of course, for the truly powerful, they would turn a blind eye. Their guards were not omnipotent, and when necessary, they would pretend not to see, for they couldn't defeat such individuals.
Entering the city, what appeared to be a desolate place from the outside was a bustling metropolis within.
They heard constant shouts from all around: "Tanghulu... steaming buns... beautiful flowers... top-quality weapons and armor... antiques, antiques! Play with them for half a lifetime and you might be poor, play with them your whole life and you'll be rich..."
The Madman, leading two men and two women with chains like pets, walked back and forth through the crowd. People pointed and whispered, but dared not speak loudly.
Ming Zhitian and the others' stomachs grumbled audibly...
After all, they had only eaten half a roasted chicken, shared among four people!
The Madman, though appearing insane, was quite sharp. If he fed them all, wouldn't they have the strength to escape? Then the four of them could flee in different directions; whom would he chase?
Hai Mianyi could endure hunger herself, but not her sister Hai Mi'er. She quickly shouted at the Madman, "Hey! We've been traveling for three days. Can't we rest for a bit? We're starving. Buy us some buns to eat, or at the very least, let us buy them ourselves. I have money."
Everyone looked at the Madman with anticipation, but their hopes were too high.
The Madman tightened the chains, and Hai Mianyi and Ming Zhitian felt their necks constricted, struggling to breathe, their breaths coming in gasps.
Hai Mi'er quickly pleaded, "Old grandfather, please let Mianyi sister go. I'm not hungry, I won't eat. Please..."
After a long moment, the Madman loosened the chains. Hai Mianyi and Ming Zhitian, finally able to breathe, felt a sharp pain in their throats and their noses stung. They almost couldn't recover... "Hoo!... Hoo...! Hoo!..."
Ao Zihua was accustomed to this. So, whenever the Madman wasn't paying attention, he would speak to Hai Mianyi and the others, but otherwise, he remained mostly silent.
The Madman grunted, "One more word and I'll send you to your demise."
"!" Hai Mianyi wanted to say something else, but seeing Hai Mi'er's pleading eyes, she relented.
Suddenly, the Madman grabbed a passerby and lifted him. The man, unaware of what was happening, asked, "Sir, what... what is it?"
The Madman stared at him as if he would smash him to pieces if he didn't answer, "Where is the Linglong Pavilion?"