Chapter 26: Chapter 26 March (Seeking Recommendations)_1 Chapter 26: Chapter 26 March (Seeking Recommendations)_1 Black Stone City.
Southern City Gate.
“Please, I beg of you.”
“This can’t be happening!”
A group of people were crying and shouting, their attire of silks and satins indicating they were most likely the families of wealthy tycoons and officials.
But now, as they watched their bags of food being robbed, their eyes were filled with unspoken desperation.
They had been lucky enough to avoid the initial impact of the Demon Disaster, fleeing to the vicinity of the South City Gate along with those from Yuanhe Mountain for refuge.
Yet today, those martial artists from Yuanhe Mountain were brazenly robbing them of their food!
“My father is an aide to the governor of Ding State!”
A scholarly-looking man exclaimed loudly, “My uncle holds a position in the Ding State Army, they won’t let you get away with this.”
He gazed at the bags of grains and cured meats, feeling as if his own life was being stolen away.
“Oh?” Qiao Wucha patted his plump belly, which had not only not shrunk, but had become even fatter after being trapped in Black Stone City.
At that moment, he stepped forward with a smile: “So it’s Mr. Xu, my apologies, my apologies!”
As he spoke, his right hand suddenly whirled into a full circle, and he fiercely slapped out with his palm.
Smack!
Mr. Xu was sent flying backward, his cheek caved in significantly, clearly beyond saving.
“Hmph! Ignorant fools who don’t know whether they’re alive or dead, I’ve tolerated you for a long time.”
Qiao Wucha shook the blood off his hand and looked at the remaining nobles with a ferocious smile on his face.
The rules had changed long ago; those lords in the city were no different from lambs to the slaughter now.
On that day, Linghu Yang found it hopeless to break free and could only fortify his position and wait for changes.
Then, far from dispersing, the entirety of the martial artists from Yuanhe Mountain’s division became more disciplined and unyielding than ever.
When order collapsed, a group holding power showed an even crueler form of discipline.
Because the apocalypse would awaken the beast inside every human!
Soon, Yuanhe Mountain had taken over the entire Southern City Gate, plundering resources rampantly.
The real misfortune befell the large household families.
Because the commoners had nothing left to steal!
“Haha… Haha…”
As he watched these high and mighty figures now as pitiful as quails, Qiao Wucha could not help but burst into loud laughter. He grabbed a woman adorned with a head full of jade hairpins, apparently once the concubine of an important judge, but now disregarding everything as he hoisted her on his shoulder, ready to drag her back to his room to enjoy.
Not far away.
Linghu Yang stood with his hands behind his back, watching this scene coldly.
Chun YuLi stood beside Linghu Yang, a pained expression on her face: “Qiao Wucha is going too far, shouldn’t we stop him?”
“No need,” Linghu Yang waved his hand, his tone as cold as ice: “They’re all going to die anyway, no need to care about their backgrounds… Letting Wucha handle things is actually effective!”
Chun Yu felt a chill in her heart, she hadn’t yet adjusted her mentality from the peaceful times, but the world outside had already turned upside down.
“Niece Chun Yu…” Seeing this, Linghu Yang’s lips curled into a strange arc, and he spoke in a cold voice, “The Demon Realm has formed, unless the Demon Spirits voluntarily withdraw, the chances of leaving… Perhaps only a high and mighty grandmaster might stand a slim chance, the majority of us… will die here…”
“But my martial arts will not end here!”
“As long as the demons don’t come knocking on my door, uncle will survive, survive by any means necessary!”
“Even if eventually we run out of food and water, uncle will do whatever it takes… even if it means cannibalism…”
“This is… uncle’s heart of martial arts!”
Linghu Yang’s eyes were resolute: “I must climb to the pinnacle of martial arts, reach the realm of the grandmaster, no matter the method, I will not hesitate!”
“The heart of martial arts?” Chun Yu looked shocked.
…
Similar tragedies continued to unfold in Black Stone City.
Yet all of this was powerless to stop the Monster Tree at the heart of the city from growing stronger and taller each day.
The massive canopy first covered the entire grounds of the government offices, then spread across the entire Inner City, and continued to encroach upon the Outer City.
Underneath the tree’s crown, monsters proliferated, leaving neither man nor beast alive.
This scene, like a harbinger of death, drove the survivors into further despair, subsequently leading them to commit acts that broke all moral boundaries.
…
Time flowed like water, and three months passed in the blink of an eye.
West City Gate.
Fang Xi, dressed in black robes and wearing a wide-brimmed hat, entered a marketplace.
It was called a marketplace but resembled more a place for survivors to exchange goods.
He frowned, dodging the filth on the ground, looking at the women leaning against the doorframes, gaunt and pale-faced.
Seeing men approaching, many of the women managed a forced smile, their former beauty faintly discernible amidst the hardships.
‘It’s said that among them are many officials’ daughters, who for a small bag of food will grant a moment of pleasure…’
Fang Xi had no interest in this, and he hurried past to the stalls.
All sorts of treasures and antiques, precious medicinal herbs, and fine weapons were as common as trash, selling for a low price.
The sellers didn’t want gold or silver, only food!
“This fine patron, take a look at this family heirloom, the Dragon-slaying Sword. Its sharpness cuts hair as it falls, all for fifty catties of grain!”
An elder held the sword, and to prove its worth, he drew the blade and lightly placed a strand of hair on it, then gently blew.
Whisk!
The hair was cut clean off, showing that it was indeed a blade that could sever hair merely by blowing on it.
Placed at the top of a treasure fair in the past, it would have been scrambled over by martial artists and tycoons.
But now, a treasure sword that can’t be eaten is no different from scrap iron.
“A peerless treasure… White Jade Nine Rings!”
“Jade Guanyin!”
“Selling secret manuals… Red Rust Sword Manual, includes Divine Intent Diagram, only a hundred pounds of food!”
…
Ignoring the sales pitches of various emaciated people, Fang Xi made his way straight into a room.
Inside the room was a somewhat shriveled mountain of flesh.
“You’re here!”
The listless voice of Han Fatty rang out.
Next to the meat mountain hung several bloody… mice?
This was a rare meat stall that sold mouse meat.
“Han Fatty, you’ve slimmed down again,” Fang Xi greeted.
The people of the Black Market suffered along with Black Stone City during its time of disaster.
However, while wandering the market area in the western district, Fang Xi was pleasantly surprised to discover an old friend.
When the apocalypse struck, Han Fatty still had his ways and means to acquire a certain amount of mouse meat to sell.
That was way better than other stalls that displayed lamb’s heads but sold dog meat.
In the entire market, it was practically the only place of its kind.
Naturally, Fang Xi didn’t come to buy mouse meat.
On the contrary, when Han Fatty saw him, he complained like he was seeing a relative, “What else can it be? Recently, food prices have skyrocketed… even that Taisui I’m raising is close to starving to death. I had no choice but to cut back on my own rations, reducing to only eight meals a day, I’m starving to death…”
While speaking, Han Fatty looked at his slightly smaller belly with infinite sadness in his voice.
Fang Xi was somewhat speechless, recalling that this man previously claimed to eat ten meals a day.
Seeing the generally famished, green-eyed people outside made this seem even more… like showing off!
“The ‘Iron Arm Boxing Skill’ manual you sold me last month was truly mediocre. If it’s the same quality this time, I won’t buy any manuals and will just take Taisui meat,” Fang Xi stated indifferently.
He had been overjoyed to come across Han Fatty at the market that day.
The source of Monster Demon meat could continue.
Furthermore, the other party had a large number of secret manuals at hand!
Probably also acquired cheaply from martial artists in exchange for food.
After seeing them, Fang Xi immediately thought of cooperation.
He let Han Fatty freely acquire the secret manuals and then sell them to him at a higher price, settling with food.
As long as it wasn’t Spirit Rice, purchasing grain from ordinary farmers at the foot of Green Bamboo Mountain was just a matter of a little gold and silver.
‘By my own efforts, I don’t know how many people I’ve fed, immeasurable merit, immeasurable merit…’ Fang Xi secretly reflected.
Han Fatty rolled over: “Last time’s Iron Arm Boxing is the real deal from the Tie Family. The old master of the Tie Family once swept half the martial arts world with his iron fists… If his grandson hadn’t been close to starving to death, he wouldn’t have sold it to me for cheap… Forget it, forget it. About the True Strength manual you want, there’s none! But Yuanhe Mountain is very interested, do you want me to set you up, let you talk?”
“No need, I’ll find them myself,” Fang Xi said as he rubbed his fingers together.
With his current strength, he was not very confident facing Linghu Yang, who was comparable to the second level of body refining, “Show me whatever you have!”
“This is the best manual from the bottom of my box.” Han Fatty pulled out a book and casually tossed it to Fang Xi.
Fang Xi caught it and a hint of joy flickered in his eyes, “Iron Shirt Skill?”
This technique was an external hardening cultivation designed to strengthen the torso and limbs’ defensive abilities.
It must be said that it was a good match for his White Cloud Palm and Red Snake Leg, or at least it wouldn’t be too conflicting.
Of course, to know if the conflicts were significant, he’d have to practice it.
“And Divine Intent Diagram, definitely a little gem, not bad, not bad. What’s the price?” he casually asked.
“A thousand pounds of food! I went to great effort to get my hands on this…” Han Fatty insisted firmly.
“Five hundred pounds, and throw in ten pounds of Taisui meat,” Fang Xi frowned as he cut the price in half directly.
“You can’t do this to me!” Han Fatty blinked pitifully, “Is it easy for me to save up food? Isn’t it all to breed Taisui for your supply of Taisui meat?”
Seeing this, the corner of Fang Xi’s mouth twitched.
This look of grievance would be cute if done by a child or a beautiful woman, but coming from a big, no, a several hundred pounds lighter fatty, it was somewhat off-putting…
“Fine, seeing you so pitiful like a several hundred pounds heavy child, I’ll relent a bit more and give you six hundred pounds,” Fang Xi waved his hand.
“No way! At least eight hundred pounds.”
After some more haggling, they settled on seven hundred pounds, and Fang Xi took the manuals and left first.
As for the food and Taisui meat, naturally, they would be delivered later.
If he did such a large transaction in the market, he’d definitely get robbed by now!
Hungry people will do anything!
“This man…”
Han Fatty looked thoughtfully at Fang Xi’s departing figure, stroking his chin, “Hehe… could it be he robbed several grain shops? He really does have an abundance of grain… Pity, pity, he’s not easy to mess with. I hope those guys in the market are smart enough…”
“Hmm? No, it works better for me if they’re dumber. When they’re all dead, I can simply take over their shops and food!”