I'm Already the Richest Man, Why Did My System Just Arrive?

Chapter 343: Chapter 196: Sun Tribe

Xie Luohe’s nostrils flared as she let out a soft snore.

Zheng Xiu noticed that Xie Luohe seemed to have truly fallen asleep. Recalling her words that she had ”never slept,” he couldn’t help but smile faintly and whisper, ”Liar.”

The process of pushing open the seventh door of the [Painter] Path had come earlier and more easily than Zheng Xiu had imagined.

But looking back on the road he had walked as a ”Painter,” the moment he truly pushed open the new door brought him not elation, surprise, or shock, but a sense of natural progression, as if it were a matter of course.

’So, it’s about playing a role.’

Zheng Xiu realized that to truly delve deeper into a Path, it wasn’t enough to just talk the talk, nor was it about mechanically following some specious-looking rule. Doing so might let one step through the door, but it wouldn’t allow one to go any deeper.

Delving into the [Painter] Path made Zheng Xiu understand. The moment he truly lived in the world as a ”Painter,” to the point that he forgot about the [Prisoner], forgot about everything else—that was when he had succeeded.

Xie Luohe mumbled a little and shifted into a more comfortable position in Zheng Xiu’s arms.

Zheng Xiu smiled, his heart calm. Xie Luohe’s sleeping face made it difficult for him to connect her with the invincible, fearsome woman he usually knew. He gently patted the ”Luohe Brush” beside him. Indescribable ripples spread through his tranquil heart, and gradually, Zheng Xiu drifted off to sleep as well.

「The next day, the sun was high in the sky.」

Xie Luohe had wanted to take another bath before they left, but when she saw the faint red tinge in the pool of water, the color of blood not yet faded, she reluctantly gave up the idea.

On the road, Xie Luohe grumbled nonstop, cursing Zheng Xiu for polluting the oasis and saying this damn Path wasn’t worth pursuing anyway.

It truly seemed she didn’t want to watch Zheng Xiu delve deeper into his Path.

Zheng Xiu just smiled at Xie Luohe’s nagging, unconcerned.

Although Zheng Xiu had stopped the sandstorm with a single painting, when he thought back on it, he couldn’t for the life of him remember how he had performed that ”Finishing Touch.” It was as if it had been a flash of inspiration, a moment of extraordinary performance.

Zheng Xiu had a vague understanding. He had likely, for a ”brief” moment, replaced the scenery before him with the one in his painting. To explain it using the theory of the Ghostly Realm, at the instant the painting was complete, he had generated a small Ghostly Realm in the oasis, which had stopped the sandstorm.

After that, the two rode their camels along the ”Green River” trail forged by those who came before. The wind was gentle and the sun was bright, and they didn’t encounter any more of the harsh weather from that night.

It was now the eighth month, and the terrifying, Scorching Sun baked the Great Desert, the visible heat distorting everything in sight.

At the far end of the dunes, a stretch of yellow rock cliffs faintly appeared.

At first, Zheng Xiu subconsciously thought the sudden change in scenery was a Mirage, but Xie Luohe said with great certainty, ”Another half-day’s travel, and we’ll reach Richan Valley.”

She had traveled this road before.

Sure enough, Xie Luohe wasn’t tricking him this time.

As sunset approached, Zheng Xiu’s ears twitched. He could faintly hear the sound of someone shouting in the distance, carried toward them on the whistling, sandy wind.

Although Zheng Xiu had pushed open the seventh door of the [Painter] Path and his five senses were enhanced, he was still no match for Xie Luohe. Not even close.

Richan Valley.

As the name suggested, it was a Valley.

Between two bare mountain peaks on either side, a road led straight into its interior.

Weathered stones were piled haphazardly on both sides of the Passage. Ancient script was carved into the largest of them, bearing some resemblance to pictographs. Since Zheng Xiu already knew where they were, he could vaguely make out the shapes of the words ”Richan Valley.”

As the two travel-worn figures approached Richan Valley, Zheng Xiu’s brow suddenly furrowed. He pulled on the reins, bringing ”Xiaohe” to a halt.

DING~

A crudely made Arrow shot down from above, landing about ten paces away from them.

Zheng Xiu silently reached for the Luohe Brush at his waist.

”Don’t be hasty.”

Xie Luohe, smiling, held out a hand to signal Zheng Xiu not to make any rash moves. She pulled off the veil she wore against the sand and wind, revealing her face, and shouted up at the mountain with a laugh, ”It’s me! Xie Luohe!”

After a moment of silence, the mournful sound of a horn echoed from the bare mountains on both sides of the Valley.

”WOOOOOO—”

The urgent horn blast was immediately followed by a chorus of rising and falling shouts, like a mountain song.

”YOOOO-OH-OH-OH-OH—”

”YO-LA-LA-AH-LA-LA-LA—”

”YO-KA-KA-YO-YO—”

It sounded like a secret code.

”Let’s go, into the Valley. WHOA~ Xiaomo, don’t be scared. They know me, they won’t cause any trouble.”

Xie Luohe waved to Zheng Xiu, calling to her camel, Xiaomo, at the same time.

’You... got in just on your name?’ Zheng Xiu watched, stunned, as Xie Luohe announced her name, leaped off her camel’s back, and calmly led ”Xiaomo” into Richan Valley.

With her back to Zheng Xiu, Xie Luohe replied casually, ”Didn’t I tell you already? I came here a few years ago.”

”No, I mean...” Zheng Xiu’s mouth twitched. ”They sound pretty excited. As the great ’greatest villain under Heaven,’ the bandit chief of Yunhe Village... this doesn’t seem right.”

”It’s simple,” Xie Luohe said with a laugh. ”When I came here back then, many Tribes were entrenched around Richan Valley, making a living by robbing and killing people in the Great Desert. Since I was already here, I figured I might as well help out the ’Sun Tribe’ in Richan Valley and clean out all the Great Desert bandits and other Tribes within a hundred-mile radius, ending the disputes among the Great Desert Tribes. They’re grateful for my immense kindness, so now that I’m revisiting after a few years, they’re naturally delighted.”

”Hiss...” Zheng Xiu sucked in a mouthful of sandy air.

Xie Luohe spoke of it casually, but Zheng Xiu could clearly imagine what she meant by ”clean out.”