Chapter 220 - 217: Mu Country
Feng Hao’s curiosity grew as he listened. He couldn’t help but ask, "So, what kind of person is this Fourth Sister, anyway? Tell me about her."
"Well... how should I put it?" Wang Tongqian was at a loss for words. "Fourth Sister is a very special woman, with a rather eccentric personality. You’ll understand when you meet her."
"Uh..." Feng Hao was completely bewildered.
Wang Tongqian’s expression changed to a slight smile. "By the way, Fourth Sister is very eager to meet you."
"Fourth Sister knows about me?" Feng Hao asked, surprised.
"Haha, after the big boss got back from Rongcheng, he mentioned you all the time. It’d be hard *not* to know about you," Wang Tongqian teased.
Feng Hao chuckled, at a loss for words. Gazing at the scenery flashing past the window, he couldn’t help but ask, "Is the Mu Country far?"
Wang Tongqian chuckled in response. "Not too far. At our current speed, we should be able to enter the Mu Country’s borders in about five days, and we’ll reach the Grand Hall on the eighth day."
"You know, this is my first time going abroad," Feng Hao said with a smile.
"Is that so?" Wang Tongqian said with great interest. "The first time I went abroad, I was way more excited than you. I remember I was only around level forty-something, just chosen to be a ’Thief.’ My first mission was to the Ghost Realm. Man, I was so pumped back then."
Feng Hao paused for a moment, his interest immediately piqued. "Brother San, you’ve been to the Ghost Realm?"
"What’s the big deal?" Wang Tongqian said with a dismissive pout. "Once you’re chosen as a ’Thief,’ you’ll have the chance to go anywhere."
"Really?" Feng Hao’s eyes lit up with joy. To be honest, he had read many geographical records of the Ancient Cang Realm and was very interested in the customs and cultures of its various countries, but he’d never had the chance to travel.
Wang Tongqian drove the Mansa, chatting casually. "Would I lie to you? When we get to the Mu Country, I’ll take you around and show you the beautiful scenery."
"That would be amazing," Feng Hao nodded excitedly.
Since the Thief God Hall’s headquarters was in the Mu Country, Feng Hao had paid special attention to information about it while doing his research. As it turned out, he knew a fair bit about the Mu Country.
The Mu Country was located in the center of the continent, with a much milder climate than the Beilang Country. To its east lay a vast ocean; to its south, it faced the Dust Wind Country; to its west was the Ghost Realm; and to its north were the War and Magic Alliance Countries. Its geographical position was superior, its national power formidable, and it was deservedly the number one superpower.
Legend had it that when the Thief God Hall established its headquarters in the Mu Country, it faced unanimous opposition from the five major sects. Fortunately, the Thief God Ancestor of that era was invincible, driving all five sects out of the Mu Country’s borders in one fell swoop.
To this day, the Thief God Hall remained the sole dominant power in the Mu Country, with no other sect having so much as a branch there.
If there was any place in the Ancient Cang Realm that didn’t ostracize unaffiliated Mages, it was definitely the Mu Country!
Five days later, the Mansa finally crossed into the territory of the Mu Country.
Feng Hao curiously observed the scenery below. He could clearly feel the change in climate. Lush, green vegetation covered nearly the entire landscape, and he could occasionally spot a few scattered cities, their architectural style distinctly different from those in the Beilang Country.
If the Beilang Country had a Central European-fantasy fusion style, then the Mu Country before him leaned heavily toward a Chinese style. The closer they got to the heart of the Mu Country, the more pronounced this Chinese style became.
To be honest, Feng Hao really felt as if he had returned to Huaxia.
After driving for five consecutive days, Wang Tongqian was clearly getting sleepy. He yawned as he explained to Feng Hao, "That’s Snow Cloud City up ahead, the city with the highest elevation in the Mu Country. It’s also the only place in the Mu Country where you can see snow. Let’s rest there for the night."
"Sounds good. I’ll follow your lead, Brother San," Feng Hao said with a smiling nod.
Under Wang Tongqian’s control, the Mansa soon landed inside Snow Cloud City. The moment they got out, a familiar feeling washed over Feng Hao.
"So many people," Feng Hao said, sticking close to Wang Tongqian’s back as he curiously looked around.
"It’s normal. Most people in the Mu Country go their whole lives without seeing snow, so they all come here to see it when they get the chance," Wang Tongqian said with a slight smile. "Come on, I’ll let you try a Snow Cloud City specialty."
Feng Hao naturally didn’t refuse. He followed Wang Tongqian until they soon arrived at a restaurant constructed entirely from blocks of ice. Even before entering, they could feel waves of cold air.
Stepping into the restaurant, their eyes were met with nothing but ice. From the smallest pots, bowls, and ladles to the largest tables and chairs, everything was carved from ice.
What surprised Feng Hao even more was that the restaurant was packed with customers, and all of them were couples. It was a classic date spot.
"Uh... is it really appropriate for two grown men to come here?" Feng Hao asked, his face darkening.
"What’s not appropriate about it?" Wang Tongqian laughed nonchalantly, pulling Feng Hao directly to a seat at an ice table. He then called out, "Waiter! Two fresh fruit ices, the largest size!"
"Right away, sirs," the waiter responded enthusiastically.
Feng Hao sat on the ice chair with a strange expression. Surprisingly, he couldn’t feel the slightest bit of cold. After a closer look, he discovered a faint layer of magical energy fluctuating on the ice chair and table—clearly, some kind of Demon Pattern Array had been carved into them.
While waiting for their order, Feng Hao couldn’t help but look around. A handsome couple at the next table caught his attention.
This was because the man clearly radiated the fluctuations of a [Thief’s Mark]. Although it was mostly concealed by some kind of power, he could still detect it. The woman, meanwhile, was wearing equipment from the [Wind Clothing Store].
The young couple seemed to notice Feng Hao’s gaze and both frowned in his direction.
"What are you looking at? Never seen a beautiful woman before? You hick!" The woman was quite attractive, but her mouth was unbelievably vicious.
Feng Hao didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. ’Am I really that much of a hick?’ he thought. ’Why do so many women like to call me that?’
The young man seemed to sense the thief-like aura from Feng Hao. He grabbed the sharp-tongued woman’s hand and coaxed her gently, "Forget it, Xiaoxue. We finally got a chance to go on a date. Don’t ruin the mood."
"Hmph!" The sharp-tongued woman named Xiaoxue snorted coquettishly, her expression displeased. "You think I don’t know you? That hick is obviously one of your Thief God Hall people."
"Uh..." The young man was mortified.
The sharp-tongued woman said irritably, "I’m telling you, Lu Linfei, if you can’t even pass the ’Thief’ preliminaries, don’t even think about marrying me."
"Don’t worry, Xiaoxue. Even though I don’t have much hope of actually becoming a ’Thief,’ I’m pretty confident I can pass the preliminary round."
"That’s more like it," the sharp-tongued woman nodded, satisfied.
On Feng Hao’s side, Wang Tongqian was already seeing red. He was about to make a move but was stopped by Feng Hao.
"Brother San, don’t be impulsive. They’re on our side."
Wang Tongqian gave a resentful, cold smile. "Hmph. They got lucky."
Just then, the waiter returned and placed two large glasses of fresh fruit ice in front of them.
"Brother Feng, hurry and try it. This fresh fruit ice is a specialty of Snow Cloud City. You won’t find it anywhere else," Wang Tongqian said enthusiastically.
But Feng Hao was dumbfounded. After all that, it turned out to be just a fruit slushie. He took a sip. Besides the fruit being somewhat special, there was nothing else to it. He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
Disappointed as he was, he couldn’t embarrass Brother San, so he could only pretend that it was delicious.
He had only taken a few bites when an arrogant couple walked in. Without a word, they stormed over to Feng Hao’s table and the woman shouted coldly, "Where did this hick come from? How dare you take my seat?"