Chapter 480.2: Bloodbath (2)

Perhaps Cedric had simply spent too much time around the Toilblade Ghost, but he no longer found it all that frightening. Even though the Toilblade Ghosts had drunk his medicine and become extremely excited and agitated, they didn't seem that scary anymore. And so, he thought that these powerful figures would surely have ways of dealing with these ghosts

However, what happened next was completely beyond Cedric's expectations.

Among them, Zhou Wencheng, the Ink Scholar of Eightfold Talent, had the highest cultivation and the greatest reputation.

He quickly divided the dozens of spirit-bound items on the ground into several shares. He took one for himself, gave one to each of the other four important figures, and gave another to Pan Dehai. Even Cedric, who was following behind them, received two items.

After dividing up the enchanted artifacts, Zhou Wencheng casually waved his hand and wrote two characters for "Fly." With these two characters, he rode the wind and flew away.

Ye Jianhuang took a puff from his pipe and blew out a cloud of smoke. By the time the smoke cleared, he had vanished.

The others froze for a moment. Taking advantage of this opportunity, the Greenwater Beggar entered the Place That Must Not Be Named and disappeared.

Mu Yuejuan sneered. "That old thief ran off, and so did the Greenwater Beggar. I told you already. Even with Zhou Wencheng among you, not one of you is useful."

A landscape painting appeared in midair. Just as Mu Yuejuan was about to leave, Pan Dehai smiled. "Senior Mu, please give this old man a ride."

Mu Yuejuan frowned. "Why should I? Who do you think you are? Can't you get down the mountain yourself?"

Pan Dehai did not get angry. "I can, but I'm worried something might go wrong."

The matter of the imperial seal had not been cleared up yet, and he did not want to get dragged into trouble because of it.

Mu Yuejuan smiled. "Fine. Call me Grandma, and I will take you with me."

Pan Dehai grinned. "My kind and gracious Grandma, I am your grandson. Please take me with you."

Mu Yuejuan waved her hand, and Pan Dehai followed her into the painting.

Gui Jianchou also left under the protection of his ghost servants. Qiao Wuzui looked at Cedric. "Foreigner, are you a disciple of Greenwater Beggar?"

Cedric nodded.

"Where does Greenwater Beggar usually hide his valuables? Tell me the truth, and I will take you down the mountain."

Cedric knew that if he did not give Qiao Wuzui an answer, the man would kill him on the spot.

After a brief silence, Cedric said, "Senior, I can't go down the mountain anymore. I have already become one of them."

Qiao Wuzui frowned. "What do you mean? What do you mean by one of them..."

Cedric's cheeks swelled quickly. His features blurred and twisted and he soon looked exactly like a Toilblade Ghost.

Qiao Wuzui asked no more questions. He took a sip of wine and walked straight down the mountain. Because he gave off a strong smell of alcohol, the nearby Toilblade Ghosts didn't dare get too close to him.

Now that all of them had left, what would happen to Song Deke? What about Du Xiangwen? And the disciples who had surrendered? No one cared about what would happen to them. Cedric was the only one left who was still in the mood to see how things would end for them.

More than thirty followers, over five hundred servants, and more than a hundred women who cultivated with the Sage were caught in the waves of roaring cries. Some were torn into bloody pulp, while others turned into Toilblade Ghosts.

Sage's Peak was completely drenched in blood. It was not just the people who had been killed; even the birds and animals were slaughtered.

The Toilblade Ghosts had become so caught up in the slaughter that they very quickly made their way down the mountain and reached Kind Heart Village, the village closest to Sage's Peak.

Cedric had been to this village before. It was not a small village. From what he remembered, there were a little over five hundred people in this village.

There were fewer people in the village today. Cedric blended in with the Toilblade Ghosts and walked around the village. He estimated that only two or three hundred people remained.

These two to three hundred people gathered in the center of the village, listening to an old man teaching.

"The root of the heavens and the earth begins with the Sage's heart.

"The changes of the heavens and the earth begin with the Sage's thoughts.

"The foundation of the heavens and the earth begins with the Sage's virtue.

"The origin of the heavens and the earth begins with the Sage's will."

Whenever he would recite a line, the people below would repeat it after him. Over and over, they recited the same four lines.

More and more Toilblade Ghosts crowded around them, roaring so loudly that the noise was deafening.

The louder the Toilblade Ghosts roared, the louder the old man recited. The people repeating after him raised their voices as well.

They stood shoulder to shoulder without a trace of fear, facing the Toilblade Ghosts around them. They tried to drive away these abnormal creatures with the Sage's teachings and the strength of their own faith.

The Toilblade Ghosts circled the group for a long time. It was to the point that Cedric began to wonder whether the four lines they were chanting had some special power.

The old man leading the chant shouted at the Toilblade Ghosts, "The changes of the heavens and the earth begin with the sage's thoughts..."

A Toilblade Ghost bit through his neck, and the chanting stopped at once. The villagers' devout and determined gazes suddenly became much calmer.

The Toilblade Ghosts had been circling and watching them not because they were afraid. They had been doing it out of curiosity. To the Toilblade Ghosts, these people had a certain appeal as something to watch.

Now they had grown tired of watching and lost all interest. They did not even want to turn these people into Toilblade Ghosts. They only wanted to fill their rumbling stomachs.

Watching the scene before him and listening to the screams and sounds of flesh being torn apart, Cedric found himself thinking.

If he ever wanted to wipe out all humans from the world, the Toilblade Ghosts might be a good option. However, Toilblade Ghosts were bound to Ghostblade Ridge, which limited their usefulness.

His thoughts were suddenly interrupted when someone tugged at his clothes from behind.

Cedric turned around and saw a female Toilblade Ghost standing behind him, swaying her hips at him.

You just ate and you are already thinking about this... Cedric sighed to himself. If creatures with so little ambition ruled the world, would they really be any better than humans?

With that, he decided to see how they behaved at the next village.

***

Li Banfeng brought more than ten thousand people to Worry-Free Flat.

To get them all out, he had used more than sixty clones and searched every corner of Vilefolk Hillock. Anyone he managed to bring out could still be saved. As for those who were beyond saving, he had no time to waste on them.

More than ten thousand people might not sound like much when put into words, but only after seeing it in person could one understand just how enormous that number was.

Standing in the middle of the group, Li Banfeng could see neither the front nor the end of the line.

Dozens of carts followed behind them carrying food. He had thought the supplies would last for some time, but after three days of travel, even with everyone eating only one meal a day, there was almost nothing left.

Where should they go from here?

Li Banfeng took out a map Prince Chun had given him. It showed the roads leading to different places. If he were traveling alone, he could go wherever he wanted. He could not be stopped by even the boundary lines.

Bringing along a few dozen cultivators would only slow him down a little. It still would not be too difficult. However, traveling with more than ten thousand people who had little to no cultivation was a completely different matter. There were many places they could go from Worry-Free Flat, but every route required crossing a stretch of New Land.

How were these people supposed to make it through the New Land?

Clang~ Dong-dong-dong!

As Li Banfeng was thinking hard about what to do, someone approached while shaking a rattle drum. "Brother, where do you want to go? I'll take you there."

Li Banfeng smiled. "Big Bro Peddler, where's your cart?"

The Peddler lowered his voice. "I left it behind. It wouldn't be good if someone recognized me."

"What are you afraid of? You saved their lives. Don't you want to earn a good reputation among them?"

The Peddler scoffed. "What good reputation could I possibly have with people like them? It's already considered excellent if they don't end up cursing me. Across all of Puluo Province, you and I are probably the only ones left who would still take pity on these vilefolks."

***

In Greenwater City, Wan Jinxian had just stepped out of his residence when he saw a beggar standing outside the gate.

Thud!

Without the slightest hesitation, Old Wan dropped to his knees.

The Greenwater Beggar smiled. "Sir, why are you kneeling to a beggar like me?"

Wan Jinxian repeatedly kowtowed. "This disciple greets the Founding Cultivator!"

The Greenwater Beggar said, "How could I deserve that? Aren't you with the Alliance of Brothers?"

Wan Jinxian quickly waved his hands. "This disciple only pretends to go along with everyone else. It is only with the Founding Cultivator that I am completely sincere!"

The Greenwater Beggar nodded. "Fine. I will trust you one more time. Get He Jiaqing here to see me immediately."

Wan Jinxian didn't dare be lax about it and quickly contacted He Jiaqing. However, no matter how he tried, he couldn't get into contact with He Jiaqing.

"Founding Cultivator, I'm really not lying. I haven't been able to contact He Jiaqing for several days."

The Greenwater Beggar looked at Wan Jinxian and smiled faintly. "Maybe having two disciples in our path really is one too many."

***

At Medicine King Gully, Qiu Zhiheng entered the Ru Family Bookshop intending to buy a few newspapers, but a landscape painting on the wall caught his attention.

"Shopkeeper Ru, was this painted by Mu Yuejuan?"

Shopkeeper Ru nodded repeatedly. "Boss Qiu, you have a good eye. This is an authentic work by Mu Yuejuan. A friend sold it to me."

Qiu Zhiheng praised the painting. "Even among Mu Yuejuan's works, this one is quite exceptional. Shopkeeper Ru, are you thinking of selling it?"

Shopkeeper Ru smiled. "Boss Qiu, you should know there are certain implications to bringing one of Mu Yuejuan's paintings home. Aren't you afraid your wife might get unhappy with you?"

Qiu Zhiheng did not explain. Of course, he wasn't buying the painting to have a secret meeting with Mu Yuejuan. He had another use for it.

Shopkeeper Ru sighed. "Boss Qiu, I don't mean to turn you down, but someone has already reserved this painting, and I have even taken the deposit. If I get another good piece like this, you will be the first to know."

Qiu Zhiheng did not ask anymore. He bought some newspapers and left the bookhouse.

It was getting late, so Shopkeeper Ru closed the shop for the night. He was tidying up and putting away the books by the candlelight when the painting on the wall suddenly trembled. Mu Yuejuan, the Painter of a Hundred Blossoms, stepped out of it.

She stood beside Shopkeeper Ru and smiled. "How was my performance? Convincing enough?"

Shopkeeper Ru kept arranging the books without looking at her. "You have worked hard, Miss Mu. I left a gift for you on top of the third bookshelf."

Mu Yuejuan went over to the third bookshelf and took down a bundle.

Inside were eleven enchanted artifacts. Before leaving the Sage's residence, Zhou Wencheng, the Ink Scholar of Eightfold Talent, had divided the enchanted artifacts into several shares. These eleven were the share he had kept for himself, and they were also the best of the lot.

Mu Yuejuan accepted the eleven enchanted artifacts. "There's something I would like to ask. Did you get the imperial seal, or did you get that old thief's head? Or did you get both?"

Shopkeeper Ru finished arranging the books, then smiled at her. "Miss, the shop is closed. If you would like to buy a book, please come back tomorrow."

Mu Yuejuan frowned slightly but said nothing more. She leaped back into the painting, and the entire scroll disappeared with her.

***

Luo Zhengnan went back to Greenwater City. At the former site of the Jiangxiang Gang's main hall, he invited several old friends over to discuss their next move.

Most of the Jiangxiang Gang's branch halls had already been wiped out. Unexpectedly, however, a group of bandits had appeared in Greenwater Bay, and most of them were remnants of the Jiangxiang Gang.

Were they trying to revive the gang under a new name? If so, Luo Zhengnan would never tolerate it. He worked out a plan with his old friends and prepared to wipe out the bandits completely before the end of the month.

After they finished discussing the important matter, everyone chatted for a while. One of them suddenly needed to relieve himself. Since he was unfamiliar with the layout of the Jiangxiang Gang's main hall, he could not find the latrine and ended up relieving himself by the fake hill.

He wasn't sure if he had heard correctly, but he thought he heard something moving beneath the fake hill.

It turned out that he was right. There was indeed some noise coming from beneath the fake hill.

The secret room beneath the fake hill was so well soundproofed that even Li Banfeng couldn't hear anything from inside with the Threaded Earring back then. However, this hidden room had now been damaged, though the damage was very tiny.

He Jiaqing, who was now little more than skin and bones, was inside the hidden room, scraping at a brick with his fingernails.

If he could pull the brick out, he would be able to escape from the basement. But so far, he had only cleared a narrow gap around it. He was still a long way from actually getting this brick out.

He Jiaqing's hands trembled. He was almost at his limit.

After resting for a while, he bit at his fingernails, then continued scraping at the gap between the bricks.

Author's Note:

PS: Jiaqing! Hang in there!