Chapter 67: Turmoil in the Small City
Chapter 67: Turmoil in the Small City
Seeing my dirty scheme succeed, I smiled slightly and said, “Really?”
Panzong patted his chest and said, “Of course it’s real. With me here, what can Jin and Yin possibly say?” Indeed, Panzong still held a lot of intimidation over Jin and Yin.
“Then I’ll thank you first, Big Brother.”
“Then about my wife problem…”
“Don’t worry. Your little brother will definitely help you matchmake the most beautiful dragon beauty. If your little brother won’t help Big Brother, who will?”
My wish came true. Another ten days passed, and the Five-Colored Radiance still did not appear again. The small city could no longer be described as merely lively. The entire city had gathered humans numbering in the hundreds of thousands. Not only was there no place left to stand inside the city, even outside the city was covered with tents everywhere. In just ten days, the inn room prices in the small city tripled. Even I, the instigator, was shocked by this result.
Perhaps sensing a hidden crisis, Dragon God sent large numbers of troops to guard White Smoke Mountain again. But this was precisely an attempt to cover up the truth and only made it more obvious. The large-scale appearance of the Dragon God Empire’s regular army did not dispel these adventurers’ intentions. Instead, the number of people increased again. Some mercenary groups even came in full force to the small city. Judging from their expressions, they all seemed to be clinging to luck.
Over these ten days, I transformed several times and flew to the outer perimeter of White Smoke Mountain to scout at night. The entire mountain range was still quiet, but the Dragon God Empire’s deployments had improved a lot. They no longer guarded only the main peak of White Smoke Mountain. In the direction facing the small city, they set up three layers of defensive nets, with total troops exceeding sixty thousand. They were really spending heavily. I sighed inwardly at the failure of the Dragon God Empire’s commander this time. The more he did this, the more he would arouse those adventurers’ interest.
I had once wondered why they didn’t use the army to surround the small city. Later, I understood that the Dragon God Empire mainly feared causing panic. Moreover, although the people in the small city all had their own ulterior motives, most of them were still warriors and mages. If a real clash broke out, this mess would be hard to clean up. The Dragon God Empire’s aim seemed to be only to intimidate them. But could human greed really be intimidated?
Inside the inn room.
I smiled and said, “Big Brother, Second Brother, Second Sister, we should set out today.”
Panzong said blankly, “Set out? Set out to do what?”
I chuckled and said, “We’re going to the main peak of White Smoke Mountain.”
Jin suddenly understood. “Right. The main peak’s defenses aren’t as tight as before now. Going to the main peak to wait for the Five-Colored Radiance to appear will be extremely advantageous. Good idea.”
“Second Brother understands my thoughts. At the main peak of White Smoke Mountain, we can see almost everything that happens across the entire mountain range. When the time comes, how we act and when we act—initiative will be in our hands. I estimate the Five-Colored Radiance should appear in the next few days. Big Brother, let’s go. We’ll go out and buy more food. We leave tonight.”
When night fell, the three of us quietly slipped out of the small city, bypassed the crowds gathered outside the city, and quickly reached the outer perimeter of the Dragon God Empire’s defensive line around the White Smoke Mountain range.
Clouds in the sky covered the moonlight, making the surroundings very dark. The Dragon God Empire’s soldiers were no longer hiding in the mountains like before. They had built a camp here. The camp was brightly lit, and in the night it was painfully conspicuous. Patrol squads moved almost nonstop outside the camp. It looked like the defenses were very tight.
Yin suddenly said in a low voice, “Careful.”
Panzong and I instinctively flattened ourselves and held our breath. A sound of something tearing through the air came from above. I tilted my head slightly and glanced with the corner of my eye. Three giant dragons flew over us and landed toward the center of the camp.
The four of us looked at each other. Panzong said unhappily, “Fourth Brother, how did you scout the route? Why are there still Dragon Knights patrolling? With those annoying bastards, how are we supposed to act later?”
I scratched my head. The last few times I came, I truly hadn’t found Dragon Knights. Had they strengthened the guard again?
Jin said in a low voice, “Not necessarily a patrol. Since the Five-Colored Radiance is so important to the Dragon God Empire, they’ll definitely place their strongest force around the cave Fourth Brother mentioned. Just now I sneaked a look and saw that the Dragon Knights on those three dragons were carrying packs. It’s very likely they were transferred from elsewhere to reinforce the defense.”
I nodded. “That’s possible. Let’s wait and see. If no Dragon Knights appear within an hour, we act.”
Yin said, “It doesn’t really matter. Even if Dragon Knights patrol, they might not be able to discover our plan.”
Jin said, “Still, wait a bit. Better to be careful. Once the Dragon Knights discover us and get entangled, it’ll be hard to shake them off.”
After a while, the three Dragon Knights who had landed in the camp took off again, flying toward the peak where the Five-Colored Radiance appeared. It seemed Jin’s judgment was correct. I raised my thumb at Jin.
Panzong said in a low voice, “Let’s begin.”
I nodded and said to Jin and Yin, “Second Brother, Second Sister, you two keep watch here. I’ll go help Big Brother. If anything happens, make a sound.”
As I spoke, Panzong and I retreated ten meters. Panzong looked at the terrain around us, then at the Dragon God Empire’s camp position, and pointed at a patch of large bushes. “Fourth Brother, here.”
I pulled Mo Ming from my back. Under the infusion of dark magic, Mo Ming immediately released a dense black sword glow. I signaled Panzong to step back a little, then lightly sprang into the air. Mo Ming swung down. Without a sound, it pierced into the bushes. My wrist flicked rapidly, my body following the sword. Mo Ming carved a beautiful circle with a diameter of two meters in the middle of the bushes. Then I turned and landed lightly on the ground.
I put Mo Ming away and gave Panzong a look. Blue light flashed in Panzong’s eyes. A transparent soundproof barrier covered me, the bushes, and a twenty-meter radius around us. I took a deep breath. Thick black fog poured from my entire body, filling the soundproof barrier in an instant. Under my control, the black fog formed another layer inside it—a light-blocking barrier.
Satisfied with my handiwork, I gathered strength in both arms and shouted low, “Crazy Wind and Rain.”
Yellow light immediately covered my whole body. Two masses of yellow light, almost solid, appeared in my hands. I squatted and slowly injected the yellow light into the ground, carefully controlling my Mad God Battle Energy as it moved beneath the bushes I had just cut with Mo Ming. Focusing, I lifted upward. A conical slab of earth immediately separated from beneath the bushes and slowly moved aside. I wrapped it with dark magic, silently holding it in the air. Then I withdrew the light-blocking barrier.
Panzong understood at once and jumped over, sending a voice transmission to me. “In a moment I’ll go down. You seal the top. I have a way to exchange air. When I’m done, I’ll come back to pick you up.”
As he spoke, he chanted while shaking slightly, revealing his true form. His body twisted a few times on the ground, making a faint rustling sound. I watched the surroundings warily. Only after seeing no abnormal movement did I relax. The purple snake head in the center of Panzong’s body nodded at me, and the four physical-attack snake heads immediately burrowed into the earthen pit I had just opened.
Our method of crossing the forward barrier was simple: dig a tunnel. From here to crossing three defensive lines would be nearly ten li in length. Without Panzong, this expert burrower, we would never even consider this method. To keep the Dragon God Empire’s patrol from discovering the tunnel, when Panzong dug, he had to pack the excavated soil back into the surrounding earth rather than take it out. That made it even harder for him.
As Panzong’s body on the surface gradually disappeared, I knew he had started digging. I just hoped he wouldn’t run into granite or something similar.
I carefully put the conical slab of earth back in place. The ground showed not the slightest trace, as if nothing had happened.
I crawled back beside Jin and Yin. Jin asked, “How is it?”
“Big Brother is already down. As long as we wait here until he breaks through, we succeed.”
It was not until dawn that Panzong finally drilled back out of the tunnel. He sealed the opening again, then collapsed beside us, panting. After returning to human form, his face was full of exhaustion.
“Big Brother, how did it go?”
Panzong smiled bitterly. “Fourth Brother, your good idea almost worked me to death. The terrain down there is extremely complex. I ran into two underground springs and five huge granite masses. Granite is hard, but it’s still manageable. The soil around those underground rivers was extremely loose—I almost got buried in it. In the end, I used earth-element magic to brace the tunnel walls with the granite I dug out, and only barely succeeded. By my estimate, I’ve done more than half. At minimum, it’ll still take another whole night to break through. Hurry—give me something to eat and drink.”
I hadn’t expected it to be this difficult, that Panzong would suffer this much. Guiltily, I said, “I’m really sorry, Big Brother. I didn’t know it would be like this. How about we think of another way?” As I spoke, I took food and water from my Jiezi and handed them over.
Panzong glared at me while gulping down water. Only after a long while did he say, “Forget it. It’s already more than half dug. If we switch methods now, wouldn’t all my work be wasted? It’s almost daylight. Later, we’ll all go down. I made a few hidden ventilation openings in the tunnel. The air is thin, but it’s enough to support living.”
After eating for a bit, Panzong suddenly said, “Let’s go down now. I’ll eat after we’re down. Staying here, I always feel unsafe.”
The three of us quietly moved above the tunnel. Under the double protection of soundproof and light-blocking barriers, I opened the entrance again. Panzong jumped down first, with Jin and Yin following close behind. I was last, carrying the slab of earth down with me. When the top was covered again by the conical slab, the tunnel fell into total darkness. I quickly gathered a small fireball to light the surroundings.
The moment I entered the tunnel, I realized just how formidable Panzong was. To avoid discovery by the Dragon God Empire’s troops above, he had dug downward a full three zhang before digging forward. Just as he said, the tunnel’s air was thin, but still breathable.
The tunnel was about one and a half meters high and one meter wide. I had to crouch to move.
Once we were here, we all relaxed. We no longer had to fear being discovered by the Dragon God Empire troops above. Yin tapped the smooth earthen wall and said admiringly, “Boss Panzong, I didn’t expect your burrowing skill to be this profound.”
Panzong bit into the cured meat in his hand and rolled his eyes at Yin. “Profound my ass. I’m about to die from exhaustion. Why don’t you do the rest of the burrowing, then?”
Yin waved her hands repeatedly. “Forget it. Big Brother, you should work more since you’re capable.”
That one “Big Brother” immediately made Panzong beam, as if all his fatigue had vanished. “Since Sister-in-Law says so, I’ll reluctantly do it. I’m going to sleep first. You two eat something and rest. Once I recover a bit of strength, we’ll continue.”
He lay down at the side of the tunnel and fell asleep.
After Panzong woke up, he continued digging. Jin and Yin and I followed behind him. His massive body slid forward rapidly in the tunnel. The soil and stone ahead separated on their own. Every time he advanced one body-length, he would shake in place to reinforce the tunnel walls. No wonder it took so much effort—Big Brother really worked seriously. Whenever he encountered granite or an underground river, he would stop for a long time, and the progress would slow.
After who knew how long, Panzong stopped again. He returned to human form, his face pale. Snake people did not sweat, and their body temperature was low. If he were truly human, just sweating alone would have made him collapse. Panting, he said, “I… I… can’t… go on… Much… should be… done. Rest… a bit. Then I’ll… drill up… and we’ll be… finished.”
He was exhausted, and so was I. Having to crouch the entire time had left my body numb.
After resting a while longer, Panzong mustered what strength he had left and dug upward nearly three zhang. He crawled back down and said, “I estimate there’s only about half a zhang left to the surface. Fourth Brother, it’s on you.”
I nodded and moved beneath the exit. At last I could stand up straight. I stretched, drew Mo Ming, and raised it high. With a hard push from my legs, I sprang up. Near the top, I poured in dark magic. A thread of black light emerged from Mo Ming’s tip. Still cutting at a slant, I felt the black light pierce through to the surface. I carved a conical cap again—this time without a pointed tip, because below was a cave opening about one and a half meters in diameter, but the circular diameter at the top was still larger, so the earth cap would not fall down.
I landed lightly back on the ground. Panzong said, “Don’t rush out yet. Let’s cultivate for a while and wait until I recover my best state. That’s safer.”
I looked at Panzong and Jin and Yin, all of whom were now spirited again, each of them giving me a firm look. With a light jump, I leapt up, spread my legs, and braced against the tunnel walls on both sides.
I gathered strength in both arms. The yellow light of my Mad God Battle Energy lit the tunnel so clearly that every detail was visible. Taking a deep breath, I slowly pushed up. Soil began to fall continuously from the cut earth above, pattering down. I shouted low. Black light surged around my body, forming a barrier that completely blocked the falling soil. I carefully drove the surrounding earth elements to re-form the soil back into place, and reinforced it from below with dark magic. When I felt the exit would no longer deform, I pushed hard off both walls, kicked upward with force, and lifted the large earth cap as I rose.
When the earth cap separated from the surface, fresh air rushed toward my face. I felt a slight chill all over and was already out.
It was night outside.
Although it was beyond my expectations, it filled me with joy. I carefully held the earth cap, first taking a deep breath of fresh air. At once I felt my whole body become refreshed. Then I turned my head to look around.
The surroundings were silent. Tall trees stood nearby. Not far away, the Dragon God Empire’s camp was still there. Since we had stayed underground for a full day, my sense of direction was confused. It felt like we were still at the outer perimeter where the Dragon God Empire soldiers guarded earlier.
I called softly into the tunnel, “Come out.”
Two figures floated out of the tunnel and landed beside me. Jin and Yin inhaled the fresh air deeply, their faces intoxicated. I carefully placed the earth cap back in its original position. Only then did I see there were only sparse tufts of grass on it. If you didn’t look closely, you wouldn’t notice anything. We tidied the edge of the exit a bit. Now, anyone unaware of it absolutely wouldn’t discover it.
I asked Panzong, “Big Brother, where are we?”
He had drilled the tunnel, so he naturally had the final say.
Panzong looked at the Dragon God Empire’s main camp, then at the surroundings, and chuckled. “My sense of direction is pretty good. I didn’t mess up at all. Look—Dragon God Empire’s main camp is diagonally below us. That means our terrain here is much higher. That proves that not far behind us should be White Smoke Mountain. We succeeded. Hah!”
Seeing how pleased he was, I was happy too. In the dark night, I didn’t dare use Mad God Battle Energy casually. Once battle energy reached a certain realm, every use emitted a specific colored light that could not be suppressed. I instead used dark magic and drifted lightly onto the top of a tall tree. Even though it was night, I could still clearly see the towering White Smoke Mountain behind us. Before me, tens of thousands of lights formed the Dragon God Empire’s main camp. The camp wound in a half-circle around the front of the White Smoke Mountain range. The corner of my mouth lifted in a cold smile. I drifted down and said to Panzong and Jin and Yin, “Let’s go. We enter the mountain first, then we wait for the opportunity.”
Just like that, we relied purely on walking to enter the main peak of White Smoke Mountain.
I did not bring them to the cave where I used to cultivate and hide. That place was closer to the foot of the mountain. If Dragon Knights patrolled, it would be very unfavorable for observing the Five-Colored Radiance. So we went up to the peak.
The mountain wind was fierce. Great masses of clouds, driven by the wind, dampened our clothes.
“Fourth Brother, which direction did the Five-Colored Radiance appear last time?” Panzong asked.
I pointed toward a not-very-tall peak within the range. “There. These clouds are really annoying.”
Because the clouds were extremely dense, they often blocked our view. Fortunately, at this high altitude, the wind was usually strong, and the sea of clouds was unpredictable. Whenever the clouds at our feet were blown away, we could see the condition of the entire mountain range.
Panzong and Jin and Yin looked in the direction I pointed. Jin and Yin suddenly said, “Look—are those Dragon Knights?”
I focused my eyes. Sure enough, more than ten figures of various colors were flying in the sky above the range. They were Dragon Knights.
“So many Dragon Knights are patrolling. It seems the Dragon God Empire has already sensed something off about the small city’s atmosphere.”
Jin said, “Fourth Brother, it’s too cold up here, and the humidity is extremely high. This won’t work. If we stay too long, even with battle energy protecting our bodies, it’ll still be bad for us.”
I smiled slightly. “I thought of that long ago. We just find a larger rock, carve it, and make a temporary cave dwelling.”
As I spoke, I looked toward Panzong, who was gazing into the distance. He naturally heard our conversation. He shot me a look and frowned. “Why is it me again?”
I chuckled. “Didn’t Second Sister say it? The capable work more.”
In truth, Jin and Yin and I all had the ability to carve a stone cave, but we definitely wouldn’t do it as well as Panzong.
Carving a stone cave was far easier than digging a tunnel. In no time, Panzong opened a large hollow in a massive rock. To block the wind, he even made two turns inside the rock and made the entrance smaller, just large enough for us to squeeze through. That way, we didn’t need to fear the mountain wind.
After crawling into the dry stone chamber, I took out three sets of bedding from my Jiezi pouch and spread them on the ground. Ever since I obtained the Jiezi pouch treasure, I had stored some daily necessities inside. Those things didn’t cost me much energy anyway. Carrying them as a precaution was very convenient.
On the third night after we arrived, a sudden change occurred. Jin and Yin, who had been keeping watch outside, rushed into the stone chamber and shouted, “Get up! The Five-Colored Radiance appeared!”
Half-asleep, Panzong and I jolted awake at those words and ran out quickly. Sure enough, the hazy cloud was gradually forming. The Five-Colored Radiance continuously rose from that same peak as before, drifting into the sky in one wave after another.
“Prepare.”
As I spoke, Panzong, Jin, Yin, and I all changed into black night clothes. I strapped Mo Ming to my back, lay prone at the cliff edge, and watched the movement in the Dragon God Empire’s encampment in the distance.
It was faster than I expected. In less than half an hour, vast swaths of points of light appeared outside the mountains, charging toward the Dragon God Empire’s defensive line. I knew those light points were the various kinds of people from the small city.
I shouted, “They’re here. Don’t rush. We wait until it gets chaotic below before we act. Li Feng, Li Feng—let’s see how you clean up this mess. Big Brother, Second Brother, Second Sister—unless it’s absolutely necessary, you must not transform. Here, our Beastmen are not accepted.”
Yin made a sound of surprise and pointed below. “Fourth Brother, look—those humans seem to have stopped.”
I looked where she pointed. Sure enough, although great swaths of light points continued to surge toward the Dragon God Empire’s main camp, they only gathered outside the camp and showed no sign of charging in.
I frowned. “This is bad. If it keeps developing like this, maybe the Dragon God Empire’s troops can drive the crowd away without shedding blood.”
Another half hour passed. In front of the Dragon God Empire’s main camp at the foot of the mountain, a massive number of mercenaries, commoners, mages, and some unidentified people looking to fish in troubled waters had gathered.
Because the distance was too far, we couldn’t know what was happening below. But I knew clearly that both sides were in a standoff. The Dragon God Empire didn’t strike, and those “rabble” didn’t strike either. They were both wary?
This would not do.
Mother, I’m sorry. I promised you I wouldn’t lead troops to attack the Dragon God Empire, but I never promised I wouldn’t indirectly harm humans. To achieve my own goal, only…
I made the decision resolutely. If I missed this opportunity, there might be no chance to rise again. This “rabble” could only be used once. You had to seize momentum in one burst. The second time it would wane, and the third time it would be exhausted. This first time, their greed was at its fullest.
I suddenly turned my head and called, “Big Brother—spit out some Dantoxin.”
Panzong froze. “What for? You’re not thinking of poisoning everyone below to death, are you?”
I smiled coldly, revealing a cruel side. “Don’t worry. I won’t poison everyone to death. If they all die, who will disrupt Li Feng’s footing for us? But I will poison half. I refuse to believe those guys still won’t make a move.”
“Darkness condenses the soul. Only through depravity comes freedom. Awaken—endless magic sleeping within my blood.”
A massive amount of dark elements surged toward me. The violent airflow pushed Panzong and Jin and Yin back several steps. My hair and eyes abruptly turned black. Two pairs of broad wings with black iron feathers tore through the clothes on my back and spread open behind me.
After transforming, my entire aura changed. A strange, wicked smile hung on my face. I extended my pale hand toward Panzong. “Big Brother, come on. Not much.”
Under my presence, Panzong actually felt a trace of fear, as if my words were an order that could not be disobeyed. He subconsciously opened his mouth and sprayed out a stream of purple smoke. At the same time, my pale, slender fingers trembled lightly, and a black energy sphere appeared in my palm. The purple poison gas was drawn in as if countless streams were returning to one source.
When the poison gas was fully absorbed, I held the energy sphere and a cold light flashed in my eyes. “Big Brother, how many people can this poison gas kill?”
Panzong said, “If you put it in food or drinking water, it could probably poison everyone below. If you disperse it in the air, it should be able to poison one-tenth.”
I froze. “That toxic? There are more than a hundred thousand people down there.”
Panzong grinned proudly. “Don’t underestimate this Dantoxin of mine. Ever since I cultivated into the Ultimate Land realm, my inner core has already taken shape. The poison gas it produces is far more powerful than before. With the poison greatly increased, as long as I don’t run into someone stronger than me, one mouthful of poison gas can wipe out a huge army. Of course, it definitely won’t work on someone like Li Feng. Once you reach War God level, you’re surely immune to all poisons. Are you really going to poison the people below?”
I nodded. “When doing great things, you can’t cling to minor details. If I don’t do this, if they keep wasting time like this until the Five-Colored Radiance ends, everything will be over. You wait here. I’ll be back.”
Clenching the black energy sphere, I spread my four wings and rose into the air.
Panzong warned, “Be careful of the patrolling Dragon Knights.”
“I know. Stay ready to set out at any time.”
After leaving those words, I dove down along the mountainside.
Dragon Knights weren’t a concern right now. Their focus would certainly be on defending that cave and watching the crowd outside. How would they come to White Smoke Mountain’s main peak?
I quickly pierced through the clouds and soon flew down the mountain. I carefully drifted down behind the Dragon God Empire’s camp, opened the tunnel entrance, and jumped in. When I reached the other end, I could clearly hear chaotic noise above. I cursed my mistake inwardly. With that many people up there, how was I supposed to drill out?
Shaking my head, I returned to the White Smoke Mountain end. It seemed I could only fly over.
I pulled my body upward, beating my wings continuously. Only after I had flown to almost level with White Smoke Mountain’s main peak did I move forward carefully. Below, there were traces of Dragon Knights, but they didn’t discover this patch of black cloud. That let me pass above the Dragon God Empire’s camp successfully.
I flew over the gathered crowd and returned to my original form in a dark corner, then put on my bamboo hat and squeezed into this sea of people numbering in the hundreds of thousands.
The moment I entered the crowd, I heard a deep, powerful voice coming from the direction of the Dragon God camp.
“No matter where you come from, retreat at once. You are all subjects of the Dragon God Empire. This place belongs to the authorities. Gathering to cause trouble—do you want to rebel?”
My heart jolted. The energy contained in that voice was truly not small. The one speaking had to be an expert.
Relying on my powerful strength, I pushed forward quickly through the crowded sea, squeezing to the front row. Those who could stand at the front were all humans with some strength. A hundred meters ahead, a large number of heavily armored infantry from the Dragon God Empire were gathered. They held steel spears over two meters long, arranged in a formation like an iron bucket. Spear tips pointed outward, exuding a chilling killing intent. No wonder these people didn’t dare charge in. So the Dragon God Empire had deployed such a strong battle formation.
A strange, affected voice rose from our side of the crowd. “The treasures produced by White Smoke Mountain belong to the virtuous. On what grounds do you officials monopolize them? It’s been so long and you still haven’t gotten them. You might as well let us try. Brothers—am I right?”
I praised inwardly. This guy was truly skilled at stirring emotions. Even better—this saved me from having to act.
“Well said! We want a share too!”
“Let us through!”
“You troops, get out of the way! Otherwise we won’t be polite!”
Although these people weren’t part of any unified system, because of the Five-Colored Radiance they all shared the same goal. Being blocked here, the Dragon God Empire’s soldiers immediately became their common enemy. That shared hatred naturally condensed them together. A large portion of the crowd pressed forward another few dozen meters.
Now that deep voice rang out again, roaring, “Insolent! Let me see who dares trespass. Take one more step forward and you will be killed without mercy!”
The tremendous sound wave made the crowd stop again. After all, the other side was the Dragon God Empire’s regular army. Not only did they have strong combat power, psychologically they also held the advantage.
I glanced at the sky and knew I could not delay any longer. While no one around me paid attention, I quietly took out the black energy sphere. I cut off an extremely small portion from it, then gathered some fire elements and injected them in. Fire elements would be the most conspicuous in the night sky. The outer layer was still wrapped in dark magic.
Everyone around me was focused on the Dragon God Empire side, or on the multicolored hazy cloud in the sky. Even though I was tall, who would notice me?
With a flick of my hand, the black energy sphere silently rose into the sky.