Chapter 4339
Upon witnessing the scene, Zhu Qingyue was overcome with tears but remained silent.
“What’s happening here?”
Kai’s expression was filled with confusion, completely bewildered by the situation.
“Mr. Chen, I appreciate your help and care these past few days. However, if you insist on taking the young lady back to the Western Region, I won’t hesitate to be harsh,” the old man warned.
“The young lady’s return is crucial for the survival of our family. She must come back with me…”
He followed Kai, his voice tinged with desperation.
“What’s going on? Please explain clearly; perhaps I can assist,” Kai urged, perplexed by how this matter could affect the family’s existence.
Zhu Qingyue was merely a female cultivator at the peak of the fusion realm, not yet at the tribulation realm. How could she possibly influence her family’s survival?
The old man sighed as he looked at Zhu Qingyue. “Miss, it’s time you told Mr. Chen the truth…”
With that, he turned and walked away. His posture revealed that if Zhu Qingyue dared to return to the Western Region, he would not be able to live with himself.
Turning to Zhu Qingyue, whose face was stained with tears, Kai waited patiently as she collected herself. “Mr. Chen, I need to clarify something: I’m not from the Western Regions at all. I hail from Zhujia Town in the Eastern Region.”
“My father serves as the governor of Zhujia Town, but he arranged for me to be betrothed to Qi Heng from the neighboring Qijia Town. I had no feelings for him, so I secretly fled to the Western Regions.”
“In the West, I met Afeng, unaware that he was a prince of the Xiao Dynasty, and he didn’t know my true identity either; he only knew me as Azhu.”
“We fell in love, but when Emperor Xiao discovered our relationship, he forcibly separated us. That’s when I learned Afeng was actually Prince Xiao.”
“With no one to turn to in the Western Regions, I thought many years had passed, and Qi Heng must have found a new dual cultivation partner. So, I reached out to my family.”
“Uncle Liu came with a group to retrieve me, but they were ambushed by the Blood Bone Sect, and we became captives. Many young men from Zhujia Town perished, leaving me and Uncle Liu as the only survivors.”
“During my time with Uncle Liu, I learned that Qi Heng never found a new partner. Instead, he used this situation to extort resources from my father, demanding a substantial tribute from Zhujia Town.”
“He further threatened that if he couldn’t bring me back, he would annex our town and expel all the young men from Qijia Town…”
“Although the Eastern Region is vast, a significant portion is covered in ocean, leaving resources alarmingly scarce. Coupled with rampant monsters and a harsh environment, survival for the young men of Qijia Town would be exceedingly difficult if they were driven out.”
As Zhu Qingyue spoke, her tears flowed once more.
Upon hearing her story, Kai recalled the Chuanyun Sect from the Eastern Region, which had come to the Northern Region to seize business opportunities. This underscored the harsh realities of survival in the East!
He also remembered the Pharmacist Conference in the West. Although the Eastern Region had its own conference, it was clear that their representatives were generally weaker, reflecting the dire resource situation there.
It appeared that throughout the Tianren Realm, the West, South, and Central Regions were relatively resource-rich.
Particularly in the South, areas like Tianmo Mountain boasted abundant resources, allowing many sects there to thrive rapidly. Furthermore, the presence of numerous demon cultivation sects, combined with a weakened Sealing Demon League, led to more frequent conflicts in the South.
This complexity in the region was likely why factions like the Blood Bone Sect chose to establish themselves there, drawn by the wealth of resources yet faced with a diverse and complicated local populace.
The North Region had its advantages, but the extreme cold made survival challenging and resources limited.
As for the Eastern Region, Kai realized he knew very little but suspected it was even more barren than he had imagined.