Chapter 26: Three Months

At Blackstone City’s south gate.“Please, I beg you!”

“This can’t be happening!”

A group of people wept and pleaded, their silk attire indicating they were likely former nobles or officials’ families.

Yet now, as they watched bags of their provisions being seized, their eyes filled with indescribable despair.

During the initial outbreak of the demonic disaster, luck had been on their side; they narrowly escaped the first wave and sought refuge near the south gate, following Yuanhe Mountain’s cultivators.

But today, these very same cultivators from Yuanhe Mountain openly robbed them of their food!

“My father is an advisor to the Governor of Ding Province!” shouted a refined-looking scholar loudly. “My uncle holds a position within the Ding Provincial Army; they will not let this go unpunished.”

As he gazed at the bags of grain, cured meats… it felt as though his own life was being stolen away.

“Oh?” Qiao Wuchang rubbed his plump belly, having grown even fatter despite being trapped in Blackstone City. With a smug smile, he stepped forward. “Ah, Xu-gongzi, my apologies indeed!”

As he spoke, his right hand swung in a wide arc, delivering a swift slap.

Crack!

Xu-gongzi flew backward, his cheek deeply caved in, clearly lifeless. S~ᴇaʀᴄh the NʘvᴇlFire.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

“Hmph! Foolish ingrate, I’ve endured your insolence for far too long.”

Qiao Wuchang shook off the blood from his hand, gazing at the remaining dignitaries with a menacing grin.

The rules had drastically changed; these nobles were now no different than lambs awaiting slaughter.

On that fateful day, Linghu Yang realized there was no hope for breaking through the chaos and could only fortify their position, waiting for any opportunity to arise.

Contrary to dispersing, the cultivators of Yuanhe Mountain’s branch tightened their discipline even further.

In times when order collapses, those wielding violence unite, displaying an intensified adherence to brutal rules. This transformation occurs as the cataclysmic end-times unleash the primal instincts within humans!

Swiftly, Yuanhe Mountain took control of the entire south gate, conducting extensive raids for resources.

Ironically, the once-wealthy aristocrats bore the brunt of misfortune, as commoners had already been stripped bare of anything valuable.

“Ha ha…ha ha…” Watching these former high-ranking figures reduced to quivering like quails, Qiao Wuchang couldn’t help but burst out laughing. He grabbed hold of a woman adorned with emerald hairpins - seemingly one of the Magistrate’s concubines. Unhesitating, he slung her over his shoulder, ready to enjoy her in private.

Not far away, Linghu Yang stood with hands clasped behind his back, observing coldly.

Chunyu, standing beside him, wore a pained expression. “Qiao Wuchang is going too far. Should we intervene?”

“No need,” Linghu Yang waved his hand dismissively, his tone chillingly cold. “They’re all doomed to die anyway; their backgrounds don’t matter… Let Qiao Wuchang handle this; it might even prove beneficial!”

A slight shiver ran through Chunyu’s mind; she had yet to fully grasp the drastic shift from peaceful times to chaos engulfing them.

“Chunyu-shizhi…” Observing her reaction, Linghu Yang’s lips curved into a peculiar sneer as he spoke icily, “The Demonic Domain is established now. Unless the demonic spirits voluntarily retreat, escaping…might only be possible for the most exalted Zongshi. The rest of us will likely perish here…”

“But my path in martial arts shall not end here!

“As long as demons do not directly confront me, your shishu will survive, by any means necessary!

“Even when our food and water run out, I’ll resort to every method available… including cannibalism…

“That is…the core of your shishu’s martial heart!”

Linghu Yang’s eyes were resolute. “I must ascend to the pinnacle of martial arts, reaching the realm of Zongshi, no matter the cost or methods employed!”

“A martial heart?” Chunyu appeared deeply shaken.

The same tragic scenarios unfolded repeatedly throughout Blackstone City.

Despite these horrors, nothing could halt the relentless growth of the Demon Tree at the city’s center, which continued to tower higher each day.

Its massive canopy first overshadowed the entire official residence area, then gradually spread across the Inner City and eventually encroached upon the Outer City.

Beneath this ominous tree, monstrous creatures thrived, leaving no place safe for humans or animals alike.

This grim spectacle only deepened the survivors’ despair, driving them to commit acts that crossed every moral boundary.

Time flowed like water, swiftly passing three months.

At the West City Gate.

Fang Xi, dressed in black attire and wearing a conical hat, entered a bustling market area.

More accurately, it resembled a gathering place for survivors to exchange goods.

With furrowed brows, he navigated around the filth on the ground, observing emaciated women leaning against door frames, their faces pale.

As soon as they spotted men approaching, many of these women forced smiles, faint traces of their former beauty still visible between their eyebrows.

“I’ve heard that among them are noble young ladies; just a small bag of grain can buy you a night’s companionship…”

Uninterested in such affairs, Fang Xi quickly moved past this section and headed towards the vendor stalls.

An array of precious antiques, valuable herbs, treasured swords, and blades were scattered everywhere, treated like trash and sold at rock-bottom prices.

Sellers didn’t want gold or silver, only food!

“Sir, take a look at this ancestral dragon-slaying sword! Sharp enough to cut through hair with a mere breath, all for fifty pounds of grain!” An elderly man held up a prized sword, demonstrating its prowess by gently blowing strands of hair off his head.

The hair cleanly parted, proving the blade’s exceptional sharpness!

In the past, such a treasure would have sparked fierce bidding wars among cultivators and wealthy individuals.

But now, with no practical use beyond sustenance, even a priceless sword was akin to worthless scrap metal.

“Rare Treasure… White Jade Nine Linked Rings!”

“Emerald Jade Guanyin Statue!”

“Selling Secret Manual… Red Rust Sword Secret Manual, includes Divine Intent Diagram, only one hundred pounds of grain!”

Ignoring the cries of emaciated sellers, Fang Xi entered a nearby room.

Inside, there stood a slightly gaunt mountain of flesh.

“Ah, you’re here!” Fatso Han’s weak voice echoed.

Adjacent to this meaty mound hung several bloody… rats?

It was a rare sight—a stall selling rat meat.

“Fatso Han, looks like you’ve lost weight again,” Fang Xi greeted him.

The calamity affecting Blackstone City spared no one, including those in the black market.

However, while wandering through this west district marketplace, Fang Xi unexpectedly encountered an old friend, much to his surprise and delight.

Despite the apocalypse, Fatso Han somehow managed to secure a steady supply of rat meat for sale, far superior to stalls misleadingly advertising goods they didn’t possess.

In fact, within the entire marketplace, his was practically the only such stall.

Of course, Fang Xi wasn’t there to buy rat meat for consumption.

On the contrary, upon seeing Fang Xi, Fatso Han reacted as if he’d met a long-lost relative, lamenting, “Tell me about it! Food prices have skyrocketed recently… My pet Tai Sui is nearly starving to death. I had no choice but to cut back on my own meals; now I’m down to just eight meals a day, barely surviving…”

As Fatso Han spoke, he glanced at his noticeably smaller belly with an air of infinite melancholy.

Fang Xi was somewhat speechless; after all, it was rumored that this man used to eat ten meals a day. In these times, seeing everyone outside famished and envious only made Fatso Han’s situation seem… even more boastful!

“That ‘Iron Arm Fist’ manual you sold me last month was quite ordinary,” Fang Xi said mildly. “If what you have now is similar in quality, I won’t buy the secret manual, just give me the ta sui meat.”

When Fang Xi first encountered Fatso Han in the marketplace, he felt unexpectedly fortunate.

Here was a steady source for demon flesh, and additionally, the man had access to numerous martial manuals!

Fatso Han likely acquired them cheaply by trading food with cultivators.

Upon realizing this, Fang Xi immediately saw potential for collaboration. He proposed that Fatso Han continue acquiring manuals, which Fang Xi would then purchase from him at a markup, using grain as payment.

As long as it wasn’t spirit rice, obtaining regular grains from farmers near Qingzhu Mountain cost merely a fraction of gold or silver.

‘Single-handedly, who knows how many people I’ve indirectly supported? Truly boundless merit, truly boundless…’ Fang Xi mused to himself.

Fang Xi pondered silently.

Fatso Han shifted his position and said, “The Iron Arm Fist I sold you last time was indeed the genuine secret from the Tie family. The old patriarch’s iron fists nearly dominated half of the dojo world… If not for his starving grandson near death, he wouldn’t have sold it so cheaply to me… Anyway, enough about that. As for the True Force manual you seek, I still don’t have it! However, Yuanhe Mountain shows great interest. Shall I connect you with them for a potential deal?”

“No need, I’ll approach them myself.” Fang Xi rubbed his fingers thoughtfully.

Currently, facing Linghu Yang who was comparable to the second stage of body refinement, he wasn’t entirely confident: “Show me everything you’ve got!”

“These are my most prized secrets.”

Fatso Han pulled out a book and casually tossed it to Fang Xi.

As Fang Xi caught the book, a hint of delight flickered in his eyes: “Iron Clothes Art?”

This technique belonged to the Outer Sect’s hard-style martial arts, specifically designed to enhance the defense of one’s torso and limbs.

Undeniably, it complemented his White Cloud Palm and Red Snake Leg well, at least without causing significant conflict. Of course, whether there would be any real clashes could only be determined through practice.

“And this Divine Intent Diagram, definitely a small gem. Not bad at all. How much do you want for it?” Fang Xi casually asked.

“One thousand pounds of grain! It took considerable effort for me to obtain these…” Fatso Han stated firmly.

“Five hundred pounds, plus ten pounds of ta sui meat!” Fang Xi frowned and immediately halved the price.

“That’s not fair!” Surprisingly, Fatso Han blinked pitifully. “Do you know how hard it is for me to save some grain? Isn’t it all for feeding Tai Sui and supplying you with ta sui meat?”

Seeing his expression, Fang Xi couldn’t help but grimace slightly.

Such a woeful demeanor might have been endearing from a child or a beauty, but coming from a massive, no wait - a few-hundred-pound fat man, it just felt out of place…

“Fine, seeing you act like a wronged giant toddler, I’ll concede one more step. Six hundred pounds.” Fang Xi waved dismissively.

“No deal! At least eight hundred pounds.”

After another round of bargaining, they settled on seven hundred pounds of grain as the final agreement, and Fang Xi left with the secret manuals first.

As for the grain and ta sui meat, delivery would naturally occur later.

Had such a large transaction taken place openly in the market, it would’ve been fucking robbed within seconds!

Desperate and starving people could resort to anything!

“This fellow…” Fatso Han watched Fang Xi’s departing figure, thoughtfully stroking his chin. “Heh heh… Could it be that he robbed several grain shops? Quite an ample supply of food he has… Too bad, too bad - not someone easily crossed. Hopefully, those guys at the market will be smart enough…”

“Hmm? Wait, actually, their stupidity suits me better. Once they’re all dead, I can conveniently seize their shops and grain!”