Time Travel: The Survival of Li Zhi

Chapter 276: Three Powers in Zhanzhou

The strong wind whistled past, blowing up yellow sand all over the sky. The sand and gravel were like sharp needles, mercilessly lashing at the face, bringing a slight stinging pain.

A man with a big belly who looked like a wealthy man was walking slowly on the road.

Behind him, originally there were only two immortal cultivators with extraordinary bearing following him, but now there are dozens of people following him.

He raised his head slightly and looked around, and saw countless dry bones scattered all over the road.

The soil, which was supposed to be flat, is now covered with cracks and grooves. The trees on the roadside have long lost their vitality, their trunks are dry and twisted, and their branches are like dry claws, pointing to the sky, as if desperately praying for salvation.

In the distance, the once prosperous village has turned into ruins, with broken walls barely visible under the cover of yellow sand.

There was no sign of a living person in the village. Only more dry bones piled up in the ruins, mixed with broken pottery and burnt clothes, witnessing the disappearance of life.

The whole world was immersed in deathly silence and despair.

There is not a breath of life, not a cheerful bird song, not a bit of green hope, only endless death, decay and cruelty, like a tragic painting, forever frozen in this cursed land.

Zhu Gui's face slowly showed a look of compassion, even though he had been in Zhanzhou for quite some time. However, whenever he saw the miserable scenes in Zhanzhou, he would feel as if being hit hard in the depths of his heart, and he felt extremely heartbroken.

Zhu Gui's footsteps gradually stopped, and the dozens of people who followed him like a shadow also stopped their steps as if they had telepathic communication. Their movements were uniform, without any confusion or hesitation, as if they were a well-trained army.

Among these people, including the two practitioners who had shouldered the important task of escorting him all the way to Zhanzhou, all looked at Zhu Gui with reverence at this moment.

Their eyes were full of awe and admiration, as if Zhu Gui was not a mortal in this world, but a god who was high above and could save the people.

That look was like a devout believer looking at the faith in his heart, fervent and firm, without the slightest wavering or doubt.

Zhu Gui slowly glanced at the people who had blind admiration and respect for him. His voice was low and full of heaviness.

He said slowly: "This place is too dark, as if it is shrouded in endless darkness, without a single ray of dawn. Only light, that brilliant and sacred light, can bring vitality and hope to this place like the dawn. We must pray devoutly for light, and may light soon descend on this land of suffering!"

"May the light come!"

Dozens of people roared in unison, like thunder, booming in this eerily quiet place. The sound was full of strength and determination, and it lingered in the air for a long time, refusing to fade away.

Zhu Gui turned his head slightly, his eyes fell on Zhang Bao beside him, and he asked softly: "Have you found out?"

Zhang Bao, as one of the two cultivators who was able to escort Zhu Gui to Zhanzhou, his own abilities should not be underestimated. During the time he was in Zhanzhou, he had already learned all about the situation in Zhanzhou.

Hearing Zhu Gui's question, he immediately bent down slightly, leaned forward, and replied respectfully: "I have already checked it out. There are now three forces in Zhanzhou that check and balance each other. The strongest one is a group of people who call themselves Fengtian Gang, which is extremely powerful. The second is Mingdong Chamber of Commerce. They were originally a famous chamber of commerce in Zhanzhou, with a certain foundation and strength. The weakest group is a newly rising upstart, who has no famous name yet. We only know that the leader is called Jin Zai."

Zhu Gui nodded slightly, his eyes revealing a trace of thought, as if he was talking to himself: "The situation is delicate with three parties standing side by side. The Fengtian Gang is the strongest, and they are confident of their power. I am afraid they will not take us seriously. The Mingdong Chamber of Commerce is neither good nor bad, and its spirit has been lost. It is difficult to be a reliable force. For us, it is like chicken ribs, tasteless..."

As he spoke, he raised his head, looked at Zhang Bao, and said decisively: "Help me make an appointment with the man called Jin Zai."

Zhang Bao nodded without hesitation, and then his figure left the team quickly like a flash of lightning.

Zhu Gui turned his gaze to another cultivator, Zhou Dongye, and said in a gentle and caring voice, "Rest here for a while and share the food."

Zhou Dongye nodded quickly, then turned around quickly and shouted to the crowd, "Take a break and eat!"

When the dozens of people heard that they could eat, bright smiles appeared on their originally tired and numb faces.

Their smiles were full of gratitude and joy, as if they saw a ray of warm light in this dark world.

One by one, they bowed devoutly towards Zhu Gui and expressed their gratitude. Their bowing posture and grateful eyes fully expressed their full respect for Zhu Gui.

In this difficult Zhanzhou, although the imperial court would regularly send some supplies and food to provide relief, there were too many people and too little food. Once those supplies and food were sent, they were like lambs among wolves and were immediately divided up by the three major forces.

How could ordinary people like them get even a bite of food in the face of this cruel reality?

Therefore, they were naturally full of respect for Zhu Gui, who was able to provide them with food.

 …

Zhanzhou is a vast area with a total of ten cities under its jurisdiction.

Six of these cities are firmly controlled by the Fengtian Gang, which is at its peak in Zhanzhou, with a deep foundation, many gang members and many experts under its command.

In these six cities, they make the rules and control all the resources and lifelines of the city. They are like overlords and no one dares to provoke them easily.

The remaining four cities belonged to the Mingdong Chamber of Commerce. The Mingdong Chamber of Commerce was once a famous chamber of commerce in Zhanzhou. After the incident in Zhanzhou, the head of the chamber quickly realized that only by uniting could they survive.

Therefore, relying on the resources of the original chamber of commerce, Mingdong Chamber of Commerce once became the largest force in Zhanzhou. Although it is now in decline, the Mingdong Chamber of Commerce, which owns four cities, is still at the top of the pyramid in Zhanzhou.

As for the third-party force where Jin Zai is located, the situation is quite special.

They rose to power the latest, so they did not occupy the city as their base like the other two forces. They were like a group of homeless locusts, wandering around the land of Zhanzhou, drifting aimlessly.

Their only survival rule is to abandon everything else as long as they can survive. When pushed to the limit, they even dare to attack the powerful Fengtian Gang.

Relying on their fearlessness of life and death, they survived tenaciously in the chaotic world of Zhanzhou.

It is precisely because of their fearless and fearless attitude that the Fengtian Gang and Mingdong Chamber of Commerce have such a headache.

After all, if they really wanted to attack Jin Zai and his gang with all their might, even if they could win in the end, they would inevitably pay a heavy price and it would definitely not be an easy situation.

Therefore, as long as their core interests were not touched upon, the Fengtian Gang and the Mingdong Chamber of Commerce had always turned a blind eye to the actions of Jin Zai and his gang, and adopted a tacit attitude, allowing them to struggle to survive in the marginal areas of Zhanzhou.

At this moment, in a mountain range near Qianzhan City in Zhanzhou, the mountain range winds and undulates like a sleeping dragon, hiding countless secrets and dangers.

Zhang Bao's figure appeared here quietly like a ghost.

He knew that the golden disaster he was looking for was hidden in this mountain range.