Only the center of the cake-cut piece was marked out on the map; it seemed like every person’s territory abutted this place.
"Three-Branch Land... how should I put it?" Shopkeeper Yan crossed his arms and struggled to find the right words, "When Baiju Country existed, it was under the divine jurisdiction. Usually, the Emperor would come here for worship or prayer, and it is the only place not restrained by the royal family."
"Oh, it’s Witch Ancestor Mountain then," Bai Junjun suddenly realized.
"Correct, it used to be called Witch Ancestor Mountain, but now it’s known as Three-Branch Junction," the County Magistrate chimed in with a smile.
Although called a mountain, Witch Ancestor Mountain was actually quite a large city, and in the center of this city loomed a towering peak that pierced the clouds, connecting the sky as if with a needle. The leaders of the Witch Tribe contemplated the secrets of heaven on this mountain.
Many recluses of the world resided here.
There was a rule at Witch Ancestor Mountain that all strife and war could not encroach upon it.
Because of this rule, the territories of the three princes were in complete chaos, but Witch Ancestor Mountain remained tranquil. It still maintained the trade among the three regions.
Nowadays, if one wanted to travel elsewhere, one had to first enter Three-Branch Land and transfer from there to various places.
However, the pass verification at Three-Branch Land was quite strict, only accepting true merchants. Others, be they commoners, spies, or soldiers, were not allowed to pass through here.
So, if Bai Junjun and the others wanted to travel through Three-Branch Junction, they must have a trade pass recognized by the Junction.
Bai Junjun was greatly surprised; the information brought by Shopkeeper Yan was incredibly important to them.
"It so happens that my convoy is preparing to depart for Old Capital City in the next two days to fetch a new batch of wine. If you trust me, I can arrange for you to travel with us," he offered.
Li Wenli raised an eyebrow, "Shopkeeper, you’re being quite generous."
"I’m only fulfilling a request. If I didn’t agree, he would get angry with me; what else could I do?" Shopkeeper Yan said meaningfully.
Hearing this, Bai Junjun and Li Wenli immediately knew it was the fool’s doing and couldn’t help but smile.
"If that’s the case, then we shall respectfully comply," they said.
"Thank you for your generosity," Shopkeeper Yan bowed to everyone, "The bandits have surged in recently, and I fear the journey to An County and even Three-Branch Land is not safe. If there’s danger, please also look after our convoy."
"Don’t worry," Li Wenli nodded in agreement.
And so, having unexpectedly received Shopkeeper Yan’s help, the group was about to set off.
Xiao Shan’s tears were once again ready to fall.
Xiao Yu sighed helplessly and promised him that once they got what Lame Man Uncle wanted, they would return.
Only then did Xiao Shan manage to send them off, nose running and eyes brimming with tears.
What was sadder was that not only Xiao Yu and the others left, but they also took Dawn Cedar and the Mosquito-eating Plant.
Looking at the suddenly empty yard, Xiao Shan finally couldn’t help bursting into tears.
Qiu Da held his son, coaxing him, "Don’t cry, don’t cry. We’ll join them once we learn some skills."
"Yeah, Dad, I want to go to school right now, I want to go to school."
Qiu Da didn’t expect Xiao Shan to turn his sorrow into strength and grinned broadly, "Alright, alright, once we receive our stipend, Dad will pay your tuition for you."
"Tsk, I’ll pay for Xiao Shan’s tuition. In this chaotic world, it’s rare to find such a studious child. Go ahead and study hard," interjected the Lord County Magistrate with a wave of his hand.
"That won’t be necessary," Old Uncle Qiu hastily objected. After all, they were living in a house belonging to the Lord County Magistrate. Now that Miss Junjun had left, they no longer had a reason to stay.