Mu Hanyan and her companions journeyed tirelessly, almost without stopping, feeling very exhausted. Seeing their enthusiastic invitation, they didn’t decline.

The people of Hanshan Town were simple and honest. Having once fought alongside Mu Hanyan and her companions against enemies, they didn’t feel constrained by her changed status. During the feast, cups clinked and the hosts and guests enjoyed themselves.

"By the way, Lord City Master, has something happened in the town?" During the feast, Mu Hanyan noticed that although the City Lord and others chatted and laughed, worry was occasionally visible on their faces, so she asked. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

"To be honest, thanks to the Princess last time for luring away those two Fierce Stone Demons, the people of Hanshan Town narrowly escaped. After the city fell, the Exotic Beasts soon dispersed. We hid outside for a while and then returned to repair the city. We thought, as usual, the Exotic Beasts would express their anger and then not attack Hanshan Town for decades. But this time it’s different. For consecutive days, the Exotic Beasts attacked every few days. Although not as powerful as last time, they still troubled us greatly." Seeing Mu Hanyan pick up on their concern, the Old City Lord didn’t hide anything and spoke with a worried expression.

"It’s indeed strange. Exotic Beasts usually attack a city once in several years or decades. After breaking a city and venting their anger, they wouldn’t return for decades. Why doesn’t it stop this time?"

"We’ve lived in Hanshan Town for generations and have never heard of such a thing." Others also expressed confusion and weariness on their faces.

Hearing this, Mu Hanyan felt a slight heaviness in her heart. This abnormal behavior of the Exotic Beasts might be related to the Jiuyou Netherworld.

"Right, I’ve also heard that Anyun Country seems to be restless," the Old City Lord hesitantly said after thinking for a moment.

"Oh?" Hearing him mention Anyun Country, Mu Hanyan immediately looked up.

"I’ve heard that there are also many places in Anyun Country where Exotic Beasts have attacked cities, causing many residents to be displaced. But these are just rumors, so I’m not sure if it’s true," the Old City Lord said, fearful of worrying Mu Hanyan but not daring to speak too definitively.

Mu Hanyan’s heart moved. Could it be that her father urgently wanted her back in Anyun for this reason? But if the level of Exotic Beast attacks were only like this, there wouldn’t be such urgency. Judging by the hasty handwriting in her father’s letter, the situation must be very critical, far beyond the Exotic Beast attacks in a place like Hanshan Town.

"Lord City Master, thank you for your kind hospitality, but we must take our leave now," Mu Hanyan said, becoming increasingly uneasy as she thought more about it, and seeing that the feast was nearly over, she rose to speak to the Old City Lord.

"So soon? Princess, you’ve traveled a long way. How about resting for the night before departing?" the Old City Lord suggested.

"I appreciate your kindness, Lord City Master, but I must hurry back to Anyun," Mu Hanyan replied, eager to return, unwilling to delay any longer.

After briefly bidding farewell to everyone, Mu Hanyan and her companions set off toward Anyun under the cover of night. Having eaten and drunk their fill, and after a rare moment of rest, everyone felt much better.

The sun was shining brightly overhead when Mu Hanyan and her group reached the border again, and it was afternoon. However, as they entered the frontier fortress of Shangyue Country, they felt no heat at all; instead, a chill ran through their bodies.

Everyone was dead. Everyone in the fortress had perished, either dismembered, disemboweled, or mutilated, their deaths miserably tragic. From the claw marks and bite marks on their bodies, it was evident they had fallen victim to an attack by Exotic Beasts.

Mu Hanyan’s unease grew. Exotic Beast attacks had never ceased over millions of years but most occurred in small mountain towns like Hanshan Town. Exotic Beasts were not of low intelligence and knew how formidable human armies equipped with powerful weaponry could be. The last attack on Dingbian City had already struck Mu Hanyan as odd; this time, the beasts directly attacked a heavily fortified border fortress, massacring all soldiers.

From the wounds on the soldiers, Mu Hanyan could easily imagine how fierce the battle had been and how powerful the Exotic Beasts were.

"Let’s go back." Mu Hanyan didn’t linger and quickly headed across the gorge towards the border fortress of Anyun Country.

Just like the scene before, all the soldiers in the fortress had met gruesome deaths.

Mu Hanyan suddenly thought of something. The Old City Lord of Hanshan Town only mentioned Exotic Beasts attacking cities in Anyun but did not mention the border fortresses being breached by Exotic Beasts. This meant these events happened after they left Hanshan Town. If her father’s order for her to return to Anyun truly was due to the Exotic Beast situation, then during the time she left Shangyue for Anyun, the situation must have become ever more dangerous.

Thinking this, Mu Hanyan felt even more anxious as she and Huayue led everyone urgently toward the Capital.

Racing along the ancient trade route, a few days later, Fang Village appeared in sight.

Fang Village was no longer the remote and desolate small mountain village it once was. Under the management of the Nanyan Commerce and Family Head Fang, it had taken on the scale of a town and had its name changed to Fang Town. A wall had been built around it, and though not as tall and magnificent as those in Shangyue Country, it still looked quite impressive.

From afar, Mu Hanyan noticed that the town’s atmosphere was eerie, completely devoid of its former hustle and bustle, with a sense of deathly stillness, making one feel inexplicably oppressed.

"Who are you people, why are you coming now, quick, get inside!" Watching Mu Hanyan and her company approach swiftly on horseback, the guards on the city wall shouted anxiously.

Before their words had faded, several guards had already rushed out from the wall, forcibly pulling and dragging Mu Hanyan and her companions into the town. These guards were all new faces, and from the insignia on their clothing, they should be newly hired by the Nanyan Commerce and didn’t recognize Mu Hanyan.

"Stop, what are you doing?" Huayue and Zirong simultaneously stood in front of Mu Hanyan. Had it not been for the Nanyan Commerce emblem on their clothes and the lack of any malice in their demeanor, the two would have almost drawn their swords.

"Aren’t you here for Fang Town?" one guard asked.

"We’re heading to the Capital," Huayue said.

"The Capital? You can’t go there anymore. Quickly hide in the town, or don’t blame us if you lose your life." Without waiting for a reply, a guard continued to pull them into the town.

Seeing their anxious faces, Mu Hanyan knew they meant well. Moreover, she sensed that something significant had happened in Fang Village, so she decided to follow them into the town.

Though the situation in the Capital was urgent, the Mu Family didn’t lack experts. Whether it was her grandfather Mu Beichen, the Supreme Elder, or the Third Elder, all were more powerful than her. The strengths of the other elders and the Guest Officials weren’t weak either. If there was something even they couldn’t handle, rushing back might not provide much help; urgency wasn’t needed immediately.