I am the Clone of a Death Row Inmate-Chapter 38: Arriving in Luofan

Luofan Country, located in the center of the Lin Hua Continent, was vast and densely populated—a true population giant.

Mengka City was a border city in Luofan Country. It had once been poor and underdeveloped, but thanks to its proximity to the Black Rock Mountain Range and the construction of a cross-border highway, it became a vital trade route between two nations. Today, it was developing quite well.

On the outskirts of Mengka City, at the border of the Black Rock Mountain Range, a group of seven people slowly came to a halt.

It was around seven or eight in the morning. The occasional Hunter from Mengka City, heading into the mountains to hunt, would pass by and couldn’t help but give the group a few extra glances.

All seven wore expressions of exhaustion. Aside from Liou Wenxin, the other six had tattered clothes, splattered with mud and flecked with blood.

"Thank you all for the escort. I’ve already settled the payment. Let’s part ways here."

Liou Wenxin looked at the four Hunters in their party, her tone polite but distant.

They all had legal identification and could return to Mu Country directly via the cross-border highway, avoiding another trek across the dangerous Black Rock Mountain Range.

The four exchanged glances, offered their thanks, and turned to leave.

Before they left, the two at the Cocoon Stage gave Mrs. Yun a subtle, sweeping glance.

Mrs. Yun currently had a full head of white hair, a stooped back, and a face covered in age spots. She looked senile and at death’s door, yet her eyes were as sharp as swords as she watched the four depart.

Su Ze had been carrying Mrs. Yun down the mountain, but halfway there, she had insisted she had recovered enough and demanded to be let down to walk on her own.

Su Ze understood her intentions. After confirming she was all right, he had set her down.

These four Hunters hadn’t abandoned them like most of the others after the team was attacked by a beast pack. Their choice to continue escorting Liou Wenxin had served as a filter, marking them as trustworthy and responsible individuals.

But wealth stirs the hearts of men. After Mrs. Yun revealed a fifth-tier miraculous item, there was no guarantee they wouldn’t be overcome by greed.

After all, a fifth-tier miraculous item was of incalculable value. In any country, it could be considered a national treasure. When the temptation was that great, anyone short of a saint might fail to stay true to their principles and succumb to the greed in their heart.

The two Cocoon Stage Hunters, in particular, had been testing Mrs. Yun throughout the journey, clearly harboring ulterior motives.

However, Mrs. Yun’s act was flawless, leaving the two Cocoon Stage Hunters unable to gauge her true strength. They didn’t dare to take the risk. If she still had the power for one more fight, or could use the Eye of Dream Weaving one last time even if it killed her, they would be done for.

"And you?" Liou Wenxin looked at Su Ze. "Where do you plan to go?"

"I’ll be sticking with you, of course."

Su Ze was a complete stranger in Luofan Country. He planned to stick with Liou Wenxin for a while to get his bearings before deciding his next move. Besides, there were a few things he wanted to ask her about.

Watching the four Hunters disappear over the horizon, Su Ze said, "I’m worried they might still cause trouble for us after leaving."

Liou Wenxin shook her head. "We’ll deal with that if it happens. They did put in a lot of effort on the journey, and Mrs. Yun isn’t in any condition to fight right now."

Suddenly, Mrs. Yun’s face went pale. The light in her eyes faded rapidly, and she staggered, about to collapse.

Fortunately, Su Ze was quick to react and caught her.

It turned out Mrs. Yun’s reserves were completely spent; she had been putting on a brave front the entire time.

"Quick, let’s get into the city. We can figure things out from there."

Fearing the two Cocoon Stage Hunters might double back, Su Ze immediately hoisted Mrs. Yun onto his back and hurried away.

Su Ze led Liou Wenxin at a jog for nearly twenty minutes before they finally came across an electric tricycle.

Once they were on, the old man driving started chattering away in a language Su Ze couldn’t understand. Su Ze tried speaking to him in the common tongue of the Lin Hua Continent, but the man didn’t know it.

Luckily, the studious Liou Wenxin was there. After a quick back-and-forth with the old man, she had negotiated a price and a destination.

"You even know the Luofan language?" Su Ze asked, curious.

"I’ve studied the languages of all six nations."

"Impressive."

As the tricycle bumped along the country roads, everything they saw—the dilapidated houses, tangled electrical wires, ubiquitous trash, packs of stray dogs, and the weathered faces of the people—screamed of the nation’s poverty and backwardness.

Luofan Country’s overall national power wasn’t weak, but it was also famous for having the largest wealth gap, holding the top spot among the six nations.

Every city in Luofan Country had its designated districts for the wealthy—forbidden zones for the poor—as well as its slums, which crammed the largest populations into the smallest areas. Mengka City was no exception.

Su Ze’s group was headed for neither the wealthy district nor the slums, but to a regular neighborhood inhabited by the middle class.

After more than two hours of bumpy travel, the tricycle finally reached the urban center of Mengka City. They immediately switched to a taxi, and after a brief conversation, the driver dropped them off on a bustling street.

"The driver said this area is convenient for lodging and dining. Many business people from Mu Country choose to stay here," Liou Wenxin explained.

Su Ze sized up the street. It was lively, true, but it was also filthy and chaotic. The surrounding buildings were all quite old, making him feel as if he’d stepped back in time to a rural village from the 90s of his past life.

It wasn’t that Su Ze and his companions were short on money, but the wealthy districts had stringent inspections and security checkpoints everywhere. Since none of them could use their real identities, they wouldn’t get far. They had no choice but to settle for a place here.

The area was a bit of a dump, but it had one advantage: you could check into a hotel without having to register your identity.

"Let’s find a place to stay first."

Su Ze and Liou Wenxin began asking passersby for directions. It didn’t take long before Su Ze ran into an enthusiastic fellow countryman from Mu Country. Following his recommendation, the three of them checked into a nearby hotel.

’Though in Su Ze’s opinion, it was more of a "motel" than a "hotel."’

After checking in, Su Ze found his room. It was small and the furniture was old, but thankfully, it was reasonably clean.

Liou Wenxin and Mrs. Yun were in the room next door. They were all exhausted and desperately needed to rest.

Su Ze took a quick shower, changed into clean clothes, and then collapsed onto the bed. He lay sprawled out, starfish-style, and let out a long sigh, feeling a profound sense of relief wash over him.

’I finally escaped Mu Country!’

’To me, Pan Shi Prison was a small cage, and Mu Country was a large one. I couldn’t eat or sleep in peace staying in Mu Country. It’s the Zhao Family’s home turf, and I constantly had to worry about being captured by them.’

’But things are different here in Luofan Country. No matter how powerful the Zhao Family is, their influence is limited to Mu Country. They can’t possibly extend their reach this far.’

’As long as I’m careful and keep a low profile, the Zhao Family trying to find me in Luofan Country—the most populous of the six nations—will be like finding a needle in a haystack.’

’Still, I’m not completely safe.’ Su Ze hadn’t forgotten his other enemy: the Filth Earth Organization.

’After Feng Bqing went mad, I’m not sure if the Filth Earth Organization will keep tracking me.’

’Also, I remember Zhao Yuanyi has a friend in a high-ranking position here in Luofan Country. The original plan was for Zhao Lingxiao to seek refuge with that friend after arriving here.’

’It’s possible Zhao Yuanyi will use that friend’s power to search for me in Luofan Country.’

’Ultimately, to be truly safe, I have to increase my own strength.’

But that was all a problem for later. For now, Su Ze just wanted to get a good night’s sleep.