“Did you hear? There’s famine in sixteen cities!”

“Pah, you’re behind the times! Lord Zhao Che has already gone to offer aid. Rice and flour are being delivered door-to-door. I heard the national treasury wouldn’t allocate funds, so Lord Zhao Che took out his own money bag, even selling his treasured sword!”

“Lord Zhao Che is too kind-hearted! He truly cares for us common folk.”

“That’s not all. Before this, he personally tracked down and killed the Jiang Yang bandit responsible for the murders in twenty-one cities!”

“He has the heart of a Bodhisattva and the might of thunder!”

“If only Lord Zhao Che could be our Emperor…”

“What nonsense are you spouting?! Are you tired of living?!”

As the voices of the city’s inhabitants buzzed in his ears, Jiang Wang silently gathered information, adjusting his understanding of this place.

Zhao Che…

He immediately recalled the slick, oily young master he’d seen years ago, about to forcefully abduct a common girl on the street when he first arrived in this twenty-seventh city.

Three years unseen, public opinion had undergone an earth-shattering transformation.

Had the prodigal son returned, reborn?

Or was this an important stroke in Zhao Cang’s machinations?

The city was speaking with one voice.

The people were content with their lives now, and full of confidence for the future.

Three years ago, when Yin Guan fled and unleashed the Dry Absolute Curse, nearly a hundred plumes of resentful black smoke had instantly risen from the city. Those were families whose hearts held deep-seated hatred. Mothers who had lost their children, wives who had lost their husbands. They resented the unfairness, hated the injustice. They were willing to become vengeful ghosts just to tear and bite at those in the upper city.

At that time, countless people hated the upper city and yearned to flay their skin and drink their blood.

And three years later, the people of this city were all singing praises of happiness.

The incident of the forced abduction of a common girl on the street had been forgotten.

The young city master who had left bearing hatred had been forgotten.

The old woman whose beloved son was devoured by the giant turtle, and who had cursed with her life, had been forgotten.

Suffering would eventually be forgotten, and sins could also be buried by time.

Just like the praise sung by the teacher in the public school earlier.

“Are we not happy?”

Years later, when the events of that time were mentioned again, perhaps people would only remember a certain Zhao Che, who had stood out during the time of demon-person disturbance, personally taking on danger, fighting and grappling with evil, and saving the life of a beautiful person.

In those seemingly exemplary stories, perhaps there would still be a balding, bad scholar, and a white-haired, bad swordsman.

In these past three years, neither those who vowed revenge nor those who were solely focused on self-preservation had been idle.

Yin Guan, of course, had relied on his own strength to establish the Hell-No-Door, a force that made people tremble at the mere mention of it, and developed it to its current scale.

Zhao Cang, however, had not given up and awaited death simply because his cultivation talent was insufficient.

There was no path for him in cultivation, but this world was not solely about cultivation.

Among the bounty wanted posters targeting the Hell-No-Door, Zhao Cang had certainly secretly added more than one entry. But his greater energy had been invested in the hearts of the people.

The Confucians say, where righteousness lies, I will go, even against thousands.

But how was this “righteousness” defined?

Had this “righteousness” been subtly shifted?

Thirty-nine lower cities, one upper city, the so-called Heaven-Blessed Country.

All thirty-nine lower cities were renewed, and under Zhao Cang’s extravagant efforts, the hearts of the people were unprecedentedly stable.

Especially in the second twenty-seventh city, where Yin Guan hailed from, Zhao Cang had poured in the most effort.

All the voices, everything this city now displayed, were directed at Yin Guan, expressing to Yin Guan—who are you here to save?

Who have you come to help?

Who do you seek revenge for?

No, no.

No one.

You are a passerby in the twenty-seventh city, a notorious villain. You no longer belong here.

This country, these people, never needed you from the start.

Zhao Cang had used three years to write this narrative.

And how would Yin Guan respond?

At this very moment, Jiang Wang and Yin Guan sat facing each other in a private room on the second floor of a wine house. One table, one pot of wine, two cups, several small dishes.

If one ignored the tightly closed door and the Yama mask placed on the table.

It was like two ordinary old friends having a long-awaited reunion.

But there was no conversation, just quiet sitting.

Unlike these two.

The open and aboveboard Coroner Official Wang, his face pale and youthful at this time, held a full bowl of rice and sat alone on the threshold of the wine house. He continuously moved his chopsticks, constantly bringing food to his mouth. Yet, he didn’t chew, simply swallowing it down mouthful by mouthful.

His actions were monotonous, his face expressionless.

He sat there silently, his body like rust.

He was clearly just eating rice very simply, but it created a terrifying atmosphere.

Pedestrians who saw him all retreated three houses. The vast wine house inside was peaceful and quiet.

The shop owner had already secretly gone to report to the authorities, but the officials dared not handle it and were now urgently contacting the upper city cultivators—a person with Coroner Official Wang’s abilities was clearly most suitable to act as bait.

Jiang Wang felt the subtle changes in this city, listening to the voices of the common people from all directions in the lower city, his mood complex.

Now, from the perspective of a high-level figure in the Overlord Country, he looked back at the You Country and felt it was already different.

Under the so-called “City Master Examination System,” the most talented people in this country would be devoured by the giant turtle. This served the rule of You Ting… Firstly, it preserved the giant turtle; secondly, it vented the discontent of the common people in the lower city; thirdly, it weakened the forces of resistance.

The next most talented people, after showing loyalty, were allowed to enter the upper city and become members of the beneficiaries.

So the fish remained fish, and the meat-eaters remained meat-eaters.

Classes were completely solidified. The flow between the upper and lower cities only occurred at the whim of You Country’s high-level figures.

And such a country would never become a threat to Jing Country, making it impossible to challenge the order led by Jing Country. Therefore, there was no need to worry too much about foreign enemies. Jiang Wang, who completely rejected this system, had actually been maintaining this country for many years.

One could even say…

It could have continued to exist for many more years.

In a You Country court led by Zhao Cang, which gave more tolerance to the lower cities and was willing to expend more energy to feign benevolence… this country could continue for a very long time.

This shouldn’t have been the case, but Jiang Wang recognized it as reality.

His complex emotions stemmed from this, as well as from Yin Guan.

What kind of mood did Yin Guan initially hold, choosing the small path of curse techniques in an utterly impossible environment, silently accumulating strength? And why did he choose the most difficult road, establishing the Hell-No-Door, constantly struggling on the edge of life and death? What was he thinking after he fought Zheng Chao Yang and left?

And when he discovered that this city had become like this, seeming to improve after losing him, with no one among the common people of the entire city expecting him, with him no longer being needed at all, how would he feel?

Jiang Wang silently observed Yin Guan.

But Yin Guan, who had truly lived in this city for many years, was instead calm.

“After I left.

They built public schools, they cared for widows and the elderly, they paved bridges and repaired roads, they lightened taxes and reduced corvee labor, they opened up more resources and opportunities. This wasn’t because their consciences awakened, not because they became good, not because they no longer saw the common people of the lower city as pigs and dogs—it was because I left.

Because I would still come back.”

Yin Guan had not drunk a single sip of wine from beginning to end. At this moment, he simply calmly lifted his eyes.

The various displays of this city, the many changes over the past three years, Zhao Cang’s numerous gestures… none of them stirred a single ripple in this pair of eyes.

“The time has come,” he said.

He looked through the window at the distant figure of the city-bearing giant turtle, which was slowly approaching.

Its leisurely patrol around the country’s border felt more like a stroll to digest after a full meal.

A team of cultivators in standard military attire had already flown down from the upper city, heading towards this place at extreme speed—they were likely coming to handle the case of the extraordinary cultivator causing trouble in front of the wine house.

Yin Guan had planned in advance what each person should do.

Thus, Jiang Wang simply drank his wine in silence. It was not yet his time to make a move.

The sound of the wind suddenly ceased. More than ten cultivators, holding swords, had already landed on the long street.

Each occupied a key position, tacitly locking down the target’s escape routes, displaying their training—the upper city, raised by You Country’s entire national strength, truly deserved to be called elites. They were not inferior to those from other countries.

“May I inquire which esteemed individual has come to visit my You Country?” The leading upper city cultivator was neither humble nor overbearing, appearing very steady.

The pale-faced, expressionless young man sitting on the threshold put down the rice bowl he had finished eating, placed it on the ground beside him, and neatly placed his chopsticks as well.

He appeared foolish, but very polite.

Then, he simply took out a mask from his bosom—a black-bottomed Yama mask.

He silently put it on his face.

Black bottom, bone door, blood-worded Yama.

As soon as this mask was worn, the face of the leading upper city cultivator suddenly changed color. Without a word, he turned and left. At the same time, he shook out a cylinder from his sleeve, pointing it straight at the sky. *Whoosh!*

Blood-red fireworks exploded in the air. Amidst the rolling smoke, a large “danger” character appeared.

It was clear that You Ting had long been wary of the Hell-No-Door and had prepared corresponding warning measures. Even a small team leader carrying out a task could accurately recognize the arrival of the Yama mask.

But was that enough?

Coroner Official Wang, wearing the mask, had already risen into the air. With a simple spread of his hands, the more than ten cultivators who had just turned to fly back to the upper city were frozen in mid-air.

For a moment, it was like a painting scroll displaying a hundred states.

On the long street, panicked pedestrians scattered in chaos.

In the air above the long street, the upper city cultivators were halted.

Inside the wine house, the shop owner had drilled into the counter, the other wine guests all hid in corners, Jiang Wang was still drinking wine, and Yin Guan was still sitting quietly.

Within this lower city, the second twenty-seventh city, more than ten places suddenly lit up with brilliant light!

They sensed each other from afar, responding to one another.

But it was not for the protection of the common people of the lower city.

The giant turtle beast, still far away, actually flashed its body at this time, carrying the upper city, appearing in the high air above the second twenty-seventh city, appearing above this long street. *Boom!* It stepped down!

One foot flattened half the long street, the other three feet fell in unrelated areas of the street. Naturally, houses collapsed, the ground sank, and people were crushed into blood and gore.

Coroner Official Wang was too late to react, and the more than ten upper city cultivators were even later to react. All were crushed under the foot of the giant turtle beast. The pedestrians on the street,

Didn’t even have time to realize what had happened before losing consciousness!

You Ting had arranged a special auxiliary battle array in the second twenty-seventh city, so that their “sacred beast that protects the country” could launch an attack in the first instance and crush the terrifying opponent from the Hell-No-Door.

The single surviving wine house was precisely beside the giant turtle beast.

The turtle foot, like a heavenly pillar, completely covered the wine house’s doors and windows, making the room extremely dim.

Equally dim was Jiang Wang’s expression.

You Country’s reaction was very fierce, and very swift.

This giant turtle beast was, after all, of its own Ba Xia bloodline, a divine approach beast capable of wielding fighting power close to the Dong Zhen realm. With the help of the special auxiliary battle array, it was so fast that even Jiang Wang didn’t have time to react!

Of course, before coming to You Country, Jiang Wang had already agreed with Yin Guan not to harm the innocent. But this agreement could not control You Ting, and certainly not this giant turtle.

He silently picked up the Lower City King mask and put it on his face.

The common people throughout the entire twenty-seventh city were already in utter chaos, terrified. They completely did not understand why the sacred beast that protected the country would suddenly attack the lower city. In past history, there had occasionally been news of the sacred beast harming people, but it had always been proven to be a rumor in the end.

This posture of disregarding the lives of the common people today, why had it occurred? Was it because the common people of the second twenty-seventh city were not sincere in their worship of the sacred beast, or had someone committed a great sin?

The bewildered common people of the lower city scattered and fled, mothers hugging their children, men carrying their old fathers, but like a flock of headless flies, they had no direction.

The giant turtle beast carried the upper city high in the air. One by one, armored extraordinary cultivators rose into the air, their eyes surveying the lower city.

A tall figure, overflowing with fierce blood energy, suddenly appeared in the high air.

Bear Monument Army Commander Zheng Chao Yang!

He gazed at everything, just about to open his mouth to say something, when an old voice already rang in his ear first: “Don’t do useless things.

They are fundamentally incapable of escaping. Instead of wasting time here, solving the opponent as soon as possible is what you should be doing.”

State Minister Zhao Cang, though not showing his face, undoubtedly controlled everything in this country.

So Zheng Chao Yang’s words came out as—

“Bear Monument Army, form ranks! Follow me and kill the enemy!”

The gates of a military camp within the upper city swung open, and the elite soldiers of the Bear Monument Army rapidly gathered towards the drill ground.

In the second twenty-seventh city, the giant turtle beast slowly lifted its front foot.

Under the turtle foot, like a corridor pillar, were pools of blood, masses of flesh and mud.

It was impossible to distinguish who was who.

But within one particularly chaotic mass of flesh and mud, a bulging part suddenly swelled up, and then five fingers emerged from within…

Then, an entire hand emerged from the flesh and mud.

The turtle beast lowered its head, curiously surveying everything, probably wondering what trick this insect was playing.

The hand that emerged from the flesh and mud first opened and closed its five fingers, stretching for a while, seemingly using this action to recover some strength.

Then, it probed back into the flesh and mud, feeling around for a storage box.

This hand acted as if no one else was present, digging in the storage box, digging and digging.

It dug out a black coffin, which lay in the pool of blood.

This hand had actually just been “eaten” by this black coffin.

Amidst a series of sounds that made one’s teeth ache, the coffin lid slowly pushed open.

And after that, a person wearing a Qian Official King mask sat up from the coffin.

But at this moment, the person’s body surged with unrestrained Divine Approach realm power!

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