Li Keyi encountered nothing unusual on his way back to Yuzhou. It was said that many ability users, when acting alone, would be attacked by an organization specializing in targeting them, known as the Tianya Alliance. Many ability users had met their end at the hands of these people. After obtaining powerful abilities, they would use them on their own people. If an ability was deemed relatively weak, it would be auctioned off, sometimes for food, other times for energy.
However, Li Keyi was now a rare seventh-tier ability user in the world. There were practically no one in this world who could kill him, so no one dared to provoke him. Once, an ability user attempted to ambush Xu Xing, but the apricot fairy was enraged and directly killed two ability users. The remaining one, sensing the unfavorable situation, fled immediately.
Li Keyi also did not encounter any other dangers on the road. Both mutated birds and mutated beasts kept their distance from the railway. The reason was quite simple: the locomotive was equipped with many cannons, and under the cover of artillery fire, no mutated beast dared to attack the train.
Upon returning to Fengshen Palace, Li Keyi began to inquire about Shen Feng's current situation. He had only heard that Shen Feng had achieved victory but did not know his current condition. Given Shen Feng's strength, killing tens of millions of mutated birds seemed a bit exaggerated.
If Shen Feng had resolved the external matters, he should have returned to Yuzhou by now. Li Keyi missed Shen Feng dearly after not seeing him for so long.
However, Chang Jianyi ultimately gave Li Keyi an answer he was unwilling to accept. Shen Feng was still recuperating in Bingcheng in the northeast and was estimated to return in about half a month. The reason he could kill so many mutated birds previously was because he had overdrawn his body to gain immense power.
"Overdrawing his body, what recklessness! Every time he overdraws his body, it's equivalent to shortening his lifespan. Does he think his body is made of iron?" Li Keyi said indignantly.
Li Keyi had once warned Shen Feng not to casually consume the seeds of the hundred-year-old orchid. It seemed like he had only suffered a severe injury and needed a month to recover, but in reality, this would shorten his lifespan. Fortunately, ability users had long lifespans; otherwise, using their bodies like this too often would be detrimental.
But Shen Feng hadn't listened. Although he had achieved a great victory this time, his body would undoubtedly have hidden dangers.
...
Shen Feng stayed in Bingcheng for half a month. Once his subordinates were all assembled, he prepared to return to Yuzhou.
First, he custom-ordered many paragliders in Bingcheng. He was left with just over a thousand subordinates, and of the members of the Flying Feather Army who had set out from Yuzhou, only a little over three hundred remained. Shen Feng had never experienced such a severe loss, and he had no idea how he would report to the families of the deceased upon returning to Yuzhou.
Those who had fallen on the battlefield were buried on the spot. The former swamp had ultimately become a cemetery, with countless people buried beneath the soil. Many were buried hastily without even having time to erect gravestones. By now, their original appearances were likely unrecognizable.
There was no alternative, as the number of deceased was simply too great, making it impossible to bring them back. Cremation was also out of the question due to time constraints. Fortunately, there were many gasoline barrels in the vehicles. Without time to make coffins, the deceased were placed into gasoline barrels and buried on the spot.
Perhaps in the future, during times of peace and stability, when the people of China had the time and ability, they would be able to travel to Siberia to bring back the remains of those who had died.
"We should be going too. You will be responsible for this region in the northeast from now on, so you won't be threatened by mutated birds. However, there will be many more mutated beasts appearing in the future," Shen Feng said patiently to He Qiuan on the day of their farewell.
Gong Changfa and He Qiuan escorted Shen Feng to the city wall. Shen Feng's subordinates were already proficient in piloting paragliders, allowing them to move freely in the sky. It was also easier for them to take off from the city wall, so the two naturally saw Shen Feng and his group off at the ramparts.
He Qiuan smiled and said to Shen Feng, "There's no need to be so sad, as we will meet again in the future. I also need to start returning to Yanjing. Yanjing has been destroyed for more than five years, and it's time to rebuild."
Shen Feng knew the other party's true intentions. The northeast was a good region, rich in resources and with vast plains suitable for agriculture. However, without crossing the Great Wall, they would ultimately be confined to a corner. Their most important objective was to pass through Shanhaiguan to reach the North China Plain.
However, Shen Feng did not intend to say anything more, as it had nothing to do with him. The northeast and Yuzhou were separated by thousands of mountains and rivers. Whatever He Qiuan did would essentially not affect Shen Feng.
"You're right. Parting now doesn't mean we won't meet again. We are all ability users, and we will have many opportunities to meet in the future. As long as there is peace in the world, we can meet anytime," Shen Feng quickly added.
Wei Xinglong and Li Shanyun were also accompanying Shen Feng. These two were also ability users, but because they had consumed the seeds of the hundred-year-old orchid earlier, their bodies had not fully recovered, and they appeared extremely emaciated at the moment, as if a gust of wind could blow them over.
Shen Feng had intended to let these two rest in Bingcheng for a while, but they insisted on accompanying Shen Feng back to Yuzhou. Shen Feng, with no other choice, brought them along.
Then, Shen Feng used his wind ability, and a gale swept through. Everyone quickly opened their paragliders and took to the sky, soaring through the air. It was indeed easier to take off from the city wall. Shen Feng leisurely ascended into the sky, cupped his fists in a salute towards the direction behind him, and then flew away.
He Qiuan and his group waved continuously from the city wall, bidding farewell to those departing.
As Shen Feng flew, he asked his companions, "Since we've killed so many mutated birds, we should go our separate ways now. Have you decided where to split up?"
Many had followed Shen Feng primarily to kill mutated birds and avenge their deceased family members and friends. Now that the task of killing mutated birds was largely complete, especially after Shen Feng had killed tens of millions of them on the Tibetan Plateau, and with mutated birds finding it difficult to reproduce in large numbers, they would not be able to form a significant threat in a short period. This meant the mission was accomplished, and it was time for everyone to part ways.
The members of the Flying Feather Army would certainly return with Shen Feng. As for the others, it was time for them to return to their respective homes. They had fought side by side for many years, and the sudden separation was difficult for many to accept. However, as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end.
After a long silence, someone said to Shen Feng, "Lord Fengshen, why don't you come to my hometown, Datong? It's relatively stable there, and it would be a good place to part ways."
Shen Feng thought about it and agreed that it was indeed a good idea. Once they crossed the Great Wall, they could quickly reach Datong. After parting ways there, everyone could return to their hometowns. He replied, "Alright then, we'll go to Datong."
Shen Feng led his group straight to Datong. After flying for most of the day, they finally arrived. By the time they reached Datong, it was already close to dusk. The shops in the city had closed, and a curfew was in effect, meaning no one was allowed to go out freely at night.
Shen Feng had originally planned to have a farewell feast with his companions, but upon seeing the curfew in effect, he did not want to disturb the city's residents. He decided to find a place to stay temporarily and hold the farewell ceremony the next day.
The local officials of Datong were very welcoming to Shen Feng and his entourage, providing them with luxurious accommodations. The following day, good wine and meat were delivered.
However, Shen Feng heard that the Yungang Grottoes were located nearby. He asked his companions to bring the wine and meat, and they set off for the Yungang Grottoes. Along the way, Shen Feng remarked, "Since we are parting ways, let's find a place that is not crowded but has beautiful scenery. It's better to have a wild time in a secluded spot rather than make a spectacle of ourselves in a busy area."
Upon hearing Shen Feng's explanation, everyone applauded in support. They had fought side by side for many years, and the impending separation would surely make many reluctant to part. Coupled with a bit of drinking, it was bound to lead to embarrassing situations. Therefore, finding a secluded place to say goodbye before parting ways was a better option.
The group went directly to the Yungang Grottoes. There were many Buddhist statues here, but a large number of them were headless. Originally, during the past, many invaders had attempted to steal the Buddhist statues. However, the statues were too large and conspicuous, making smuggling them not easy. Thus, they devised a shameless plan: to break off the heads of the statues and take them away.
As a result, many Buddhist statues were headless. This was not due to erosion but was the masterpiece left by invaders. The most important part of a Buddha statue was its head, and the head also contained the most intricate details. Yet, many invaders did just that, taking the heads away. It was unknown how many Buddha statues were destroyed in this catastrophe.
In times of peace, many people had undertaken the restoration and protection of the Buddha statues. However, in these chaotic times, no one was doing such work, and the area near the grottoes was deserted.
"Although this place is a bit desolate, it was once a magnificent place. So many grottoes, so many Buddha statues watching us. It's the perfect spot for farewell!" Shen Feng said with some emotion.
The group then found a flat area nearby and began to drink and eat meat. The moment of parting was always sad. Many people began to cry after drinking. They had not shed a tear when they had defeated the mutated birds, but now, as they were about to part ways and might never see each other again, they could no longer hold back their tears.
Shen Feng did not have a high tolerance for alcohol, so he mainly ate meat. Watching everyone act with unrestrained abandon at the farewell banquet, he felt a sense of melancholy.
However, at this moment, Shen Feng vaguely saw a familiar figure. It was a slender woman standing before a giant Buddha statue. After kneeling three times and bowing nine times, she set up an incense table, seemingly offering prayers to the statue.
Shen Feng slowly walked over and tentatively asked, "Are you Qin Keyi? What are you doing here?"
The woman then turned around, almost startling Shen Feng. Her face was covered in scars, making her unrecognizable from her former appearance, as if she had been splashed with sulfuric acid. It was a disfigured image.
"You can still recognize me? I've become like this, and you still remember me." Unexpectedly, the ugly woman with the disfigured face immediately admitted her identity. She was indeed Qin Keyi.
Shen Feng was very happy to see his old friend and then asked, "Why are you disfigured? Who did this to you?"
Qin Keyi explained, "Do you really not know, or are you pretending not to know? I had to do this to avoid being pursued by others. The scars on my face were all deliberately inflicted by me using charcoal. After I became like this, no one could recognize me."
Shen Feng suddenly remembered why Qin Keyi had done this. She was being hunted by everyone in the world. Ever since Qin Keyi had pushed down the walls of Yanjing for her own selfish reasons, everyone in the world had regarded her as a detestable demon who must be captured and executed.
After understanding this, Shen Feng had a new question and couldn't help but ask, "Why are you here? You should find a hidden place and live in seclusion."