Chapter 610: A Cruel Peacock

Chapter 610: A Cruel Peacock

An empire sharing a border with Dayin received word of the rumors plaguing Dayin. Their current session of court was particularly animated.

"Xiao Nanfeng really is acting rapidly. That bombshell of his..."

"Is Yin Shenhua really rearing cultivators like livestock? I'm shivering just thinking of it."

"Who knows if it's the truth? There's all sorts of rumors flying about. Dayin's citizens are in an uproar."

"Didn't some Dayin officials decry those rumors as falsehoods?"

"So what? It's true that none of those cultivators picked in Dayin's annual talent recruitments have ever returned. Their officials can state whatever they want, but they can't hide the truth."

"Officials, what are your thoughts on this affair?" the emperor asked.

The officials fell silent as they turned to their emperor and began to present their thoughts in turn.

"Your Majesty, the Immortal city of Luye has surrendered to Dazheng, so any claims that Luye makes can't be trusted. Furthermore, it's obvious that Dazheng is deliberately spreading this rumor all over Dayin; the news would have been suppressed otherwise. We cannot trust such propaganda."

"On the other hand, Your Majesty, I am of the belief that these rumors are the truth. It is easily verifiable that those cultivators who have been selected from Dayin's talent recruitments have all vanished. It would be trivial for Dayin to prove these rumors false, and doing so would only result in backlash against Dazheng. Would Xiao Nanfeng do something so foolish?"

"I agree, Your Majesty. Dayin is truly despicable."

The majority of the officials believed that the rumors held at least some credence.

The emperor narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. There was tremendous benefit to be claimed in the war between Dazheng and Dayin, though he had been vacillating about whether or not to go for it in earnest.

Just then, an official rushed into the hall and bowed. "Your Majesty, envoys from Dazheng request an audience with you."

"What? Envoys from Dazheng?" The officials of court were taken aback.

"Send them in," the emperor declared.

"Send for Dazheng's envoys!" the officials at the back echoed.

Dazheng's envoys were quickly ushered into the palace.

The envoys bowed. "I am Zhao Lang, representing His Majesty of Dazheng. I greet the emperor of Dalie."

"On what business do you visit Dalie today?"

"Yin Shenhua and his cadre of cursed effigies rear cultivators as livestock. Now that their demonic deeds have been exposed, they are enemies of the world. On His Majesty's orders, I hereby invite Dalie to join Dazheng on the battlefield to save the world!" Zhao Lang exclaimed.

"The disturbance is from an underground Buddha's Grotto. Has the first prince emerged from secluded cultivation?" A monk's eyes lit up.

Yin Shenhua immediately got up and stepped out of the study. The monks trailed him in an orderly row. They headed toward a part of the palace sealed with a formation. Fog shrouded the area, preventing anyone from seeing what lay within.

An abyss awaited Yin Shenhua and the monks, the depths within as dark as ink. Suddenly, shining blue light emerged from the abyss and illuminated it in its entirety.

A huge peacock appeared in sight, releasing a tremendous aura as it did so.

"I'm hungry. Father, I'm so hungry! I need to eat!" the giant peacock cawed.

"We greet Your Highness." The officials bowed respectfully.

Yin Shenhua stared at the peacock. "If you're that hungry, go hunt outside Dayin's borders. Have some officials accompany you so they can update you on what has happened in Dayin since.

"Yes, Father!" the peacock replied. He turned toward a monk. "You, follow me."

The peacock soared into the air with the monk, impatient and famished, disappearing over the horizon in a flash of blue light.

Before long, they flew out of Dayin and toward a city in the distance. The peacock was about to descend when the monk interjected, "Dayin's been having some trouble recently, and this location is too exposed. You can't eat anyone here, Your Highness. Let's head further toward the Eastern Sea and find some Immortal sect where you can eat your fill."

The peacock was famished, but he nodded and flew further toward the horizon.

Before long, he and the monk arrived on an island guarded by a defensive formation.

With a flap of the peacock's wings, a gust of black wind shattered the formation. Rosy light shot into the air as incensed shouts came from the island.

"Who dares attack our Immortal sect?!" the Immortal in the lead shouted.

The peacock ignored them. With another flap of his wings, black gusts of wind swept across the entire island, sucking up all the cultivators on it.

"Save us, Sect Master!"

"Free my disciples, you beast!"

"Run!"

All manner of shouts could be heard from the island, but none of the disciples within were able to escape the force of the black wind. They were quickly flung into the peacock's mouth and swallowed up.

Before long, the entire sect had been consumed.

"Has your hunger been relieved, Your Highness?" the monk asked.

"It's far from enough. I'll need more. Bring me to the nearest Immortal sect!" the peacock commanded.