My sister is Luna

The Great Wall is unusually peaceful today, with calm and tranquility prevailing.

The frequent incursions by demons and bandits that used to plague them all disappeared at this time.

Born from the greed of a certain king in the Cloud Desert, a continuous stream of demonic creatures has transformed the once prosperous Golden Court City into a lair inhabited by these creatures. Notorious bandit groups have also expanded due to this demonic disaster, causing immense hardship for the local people.

Therefore, villages and cities near the Great Wall's protection area were relatively stable and wealthy. To plunder more wealth, bandits targeted them and would frequently harass and plunder them.

These demonic creatures, born from the king's desires, are more aggressive and insane than ordinary demonic creatures. They have eyes filled with all sorts of negative and dark desires, sharp fangs, and all sorts of grotesque and powerful bodies. They exude a repulsive aura and crawl out of the ground to devour all life they see.

What's strange is that Jinting City is far from the Great Wall. It is located in the western part of the central part of the Cloud Desert, while the Great Wall is in the far east. The two places are so far apart, but these demons actually headed east to attack the Great Wall. According to the information we have, after occupying Jinting City, these demons did not spread to the surrounding areas, but instead formed a straight line and headed straight for the Great Wall, destroying everything in their way.

It's truly perplexing that their target has always been the Great Wall. It seems that there's something hidden within the Great Wall that they either hate or crave. They regularly form small groups to attack the Great Wall every day, and sometimes despicable bandits even infiltrate them to cause trouble. Every six months, they launch a large-scale war, attacking the Great Wall even more frantically. This makes one wonder if there is a highly intelligent being leading and commanding the demons behind them. People only vaguely know that their target is the Great Wall.

However, this day was unusually peaceful, and the Great Wall guards were very happy to enjoy this brief tranquility. They were already quite satisfied to be able to stay at the Great Wall and spend the day without any trouble.

For those who have been fighting on the border for so long, what's wrong with being able to continue living?

In addition, a small number of people are free to move around on this day, but they cannot go too far, so they can only visit the markets near the Great Wall.

As one of the heroes who defeated the Eye of Annihilation (mistakenly) and captured the murderer, Cain was naturally approved by Su Lie. Under the guise of "patrol and inspection," he was actually allowed to temporarily put aside his work of guarding the Great Wall and relax to experience the local customs and culture of the markets around the Great Wall.

Unfortunately, Mulan did not receive such treatment. Apart from Su Lie, most of the higher-ups considered her a traitor and held a grudge against her. Moreover, Mulan herself was a loner, appearing and disappearing without a trace. Usually, Kain could only see this person he cared about when Mulan sought her out.

As for Li Xin, the greatest contributor to the annihilation of the Eye of Annihilation, he refused such free time and continued to guard the Great Wall.

"Meow hahaha, today I'll show you around the Hundred-Mile Market, the closest market to the Great Wall. Back in the day, I was the king of the Hundred-Mile Market!" Shen Mengxi said proudly, hands on her hips.

While chatting with Cain, he led the way. He had also obtained Su Lie's permission. Seeing Cain wandering aimlessly within the Great Wall, Shen Mengxi decided to take Cain to see the sights and, incidentally, show off his boss-like (just kidding) power.

Cain didn't refuse; having someone accompany him to explore the area around the Great Wall would be quite nice, and perhaps there would be some unexpected discoveries.

Not far away, you can see a circular area surrounded by many houses, with a straight road running through it.

"Baili Market?"

“That’s right! Baili Market was the first market to appear near the Great Wall. When the Great Wall was still a desolate place with no one to guard it, a hunter named Baili led a group of wandering people to settle here. Later, the Great Wall Guards arrived, and in order to make a better life, people began to do some simple trade with the stationed troops, and eventually it gradually developed into a market.”

"The Baili Market was named in honor of the Baili clan. The Baili clan originally had descendants, two orphaned brothers who lost both parents. They depended on each other for survival, and the residents took good care of them. But after the market opened, the demons suddenly attacked, and I don't know where they went. Perhaps they've already been eaten," Shen Mengxi said with some melancholy, seemingly recalling her past life.

As Shen Mengxi spoke, she seemed to think of the two brothers she both envied and resented, and couldn't help but purse her lips: "Although I don't really like them, I also wish they were still alive there. Oh well, it's better that they're gone, so I don't have to look at them and get annoyed."

"The Baili brothers you mentioned, I think I've met one of them before..." Cain said.

And I even saved his life.

Cain silently finished what he hadn't said aloud.

"What? Which one? The one with white hair or the one with red hair?" Shen Mengxi asked in surprise.

“Redheads,” Cain said, pretending to think for a moment.

The thought of Shen Mengxi and the Baili brothers, this pair of bickering lovers, made Cain want to laugh, but he tried his best to suppress it and keep a calm appearance.

"Is that the crybaby? Where is he?" Shen Mengxi asked, pretending not to care.

“I don’t know. Maybe he’s still wandering, maybe he’s been adopted, maybe… he’s already dead,” Cain said slowly, glancing at the short Shen Mengxi beside him, wanting to see his expression.

"Alright, alright, why talk about this? Come on, let me show you around the Hundred Mile Market. You always find some strange things here. Maybe we'll get lucky and find an inscription, meow hahaha." Shen Mengxi said nonchalantly, already leading Cain into the entrance of the Hundred Mile Market. However, Cain didn't notice the hands she was clenching tightly.

Although we're enemies, we're from the same hometown, and I'll definitely kill more demons to avenge you.

Shen Mengxi made a decision in her heart.

Upon entering Baili Market, there was no desolation or ruin as Cain had imagined due to the invasion of the demons. Instead, it remained as it had been. Apart from the occasional charred marks on the street and several abandoned houses on the outskirts that showed the damage it had suffered, the people here still lived and it was still bustling with activity.

This is their hometown, their roots. All they want is a peaceful life. They can only lick their wounds and cover up their scars alone, but they still have to live their lives as they always have to.

Because it was morning, there were many people thronging the streets, and roadside vendors were calling out to attract interested customers.

"This is a pancake from Aunt Wang's shop. It's very delicious, I like it."

"These are Grandma Xiao's vegetables. Her vegetables are all-natural, green, and pollution-free. They are also tender and delicious, and can be eaten raw."

“Zhang the blacksmith is the best craftsman here. Many new members of the Great Wall Guard will buy their weapons from him.”

"And, and..."

……

Shen Mengxi recounted the details along the way as if they were her own treasures, while Cain followed behind, nodding in agreement from time to time.

"Oh, isn't this Lord Shen Mengxi? What brings you here today?" As they passed a restaurant, a plump middle-aged man, about the same height as Shen Mengxi, walked over with a grin, rubbing his hands together.

"Oh, it's Mr. Li. Business must be good today," Shen Mengxi greeted him with a smile.

But he pondered in his heart.

How hypocritical! Before I joined the Great Wall Guards, you were the one who disliked me the most. Now, this chrysanthemum-like smile is giving me goosebumps.

Shen Mengxi glanced at Boss Li with disgust.

"Hehe, this is just a small token of my appreciation. Please forgive me for any shortcomings in my previous visit. I hope you will patronize my shop more often, Lord Shen." Boss Li approached Shen Mengxi with a sly grin, took out a heavy little cloth bag, placed it in his hand, and whispered in Shen Mengxi's ear in a flattering tone.

"Seeing how sincere you are, I'll reluctantly forgive you." Shen Mengxi quietly opened a crack in the door, revealing it to be full of coins, and she was overjoyed.

Now I can buy even more materials to make bombs!

As she thought about it, Shen Mengxi felt much less resentful towards Boss Li.

"We're leaving now." After saying that, Shen Mengxi, acting like an older brother, left the restaurant, with Cain following behind.

"Alright, take care!" Boss Li waved with a smile until the two figures disappeared from sight before turning around and entering the restaurant to continue greeting customers.

“That Mr. Li is a cowardly and unscrupulous businessman. The food is indeed good, but he’s a hypocrite. You should avoid going there, or you’ll get scammed,” Shen Mengxi said to Cain beside her.

“If he tries to fool me, I’ll show him what a father’s care is all about,” Cain said, brandishing the blade in his hand.

"Hahaha, you're absolutely right." Shen Mengxi chuckled.

As they passed a dilapidated temple, Shen Mengxi said, "There used to be a religion operating here, which preached that there is a hell and a heaven. People who do good deeds will ascend to heaven, and people who do bad deeds will fall into hell."

"Back then, I was so foolish as to go and worship there, and even paid for incense. I really regret it now. Later, when the demons attacked, the place was deserted. Everyone said that they were indeed liars, a bunch of cowards who were afraid of death."

Shen Mengxi glanced at the old, broken door and said, "I believe in hell more than heaven, because heaven is too beautiful to imagine. Anyway, I can't even imagine it."

"I don't know what heaven looks like, but we can create it with our own hands. Wasn't this market built by those villagers?"

After a day of exploring the Hundred Mile Market with Cain, Shen Mengxi even spent some money to play some games and learned a great deal. This world was far more mysterious than she had imagined. What were the ancient gods like? What was the ultimate power in the universe?

……