Chapter 296 - An Unusual Clue to a Breakthrough, a Night in the Same Cave as Gu Xuejian - Part 1
After leaving the north gate, Li Yuan ambled along and soon found himself back in Silver Creek.
Days of wandering had convinced him that, on the surface, Gemhill County still ran like any small, ordinary county, only now certain corners had turned lethally dangerous.
It could hardly be called a forbidden death zone. The Lotus Cult and the emperor both needed people alive; why drain the lake to catch a few fish?
As Li Yuan strolled past a roadside stall, he bought a paper bag of frostgrass candy. It was the same treat he used to see in Autumnlake County years ago; funny that it was still around.
He then turned west toward Little Ink Village, keeping an unhurried pace.
Night fell. Rather than push on, he chose a nearby resident as the new anchor for his thousand mile thread, then slipped back to Cloudpeak Province.
In the black market ghost domain, Li Yuan handed the candy to Sheng'er, and the family shared a hot meal.
Tang Nian had brought ample, high‑quality provisions, and the deep winter chill in Cloudpeak Province made storing food easy.
Cooking was still Yan Yu’s realm. She never ate herself; she would sit quietly and watch her husband and daughter enjoy the food.
It felt like any ordinary family of three.
Li Yuan, more relaxed than he had been in years, even drank a jar of wine—laced with a petal of burning heart flower, strong enough to make him tipsy.
Half drunk, Li YUan let Yan Yu help him out of his shoes and trousers and onto the bed in one of the larger rooms of the ghost domain.