vrcanaries Chapter 863 Wangtian City (2)
Chapter 863 Wangtian City (2)
Chapter 863 Wangtian City (Part Two)
“Wangtian City is not an easy place to conquer…” At Han Yi’s gesture of raising his glass, Chen Baihe took a big gulp of wine and continued, “That place… is the territory of the Hei Yu Li family.”
The Li family... have always been a ruthless bunch, willing to eat people alive for money. Unless there's an imperial order... just getting such a large group of you into the city... will be incredibly difficult."
"Oh? Didn't Brother Chen say a few days ago that in Qingzhou... people are the most important resource? Fighting for territory and people, resulting in bloodshed and death, is a common occurrence." Han Yi said in surprise.
A harsh natural environment means that ordinary people face difficulties in conceiving and procreation. A small number of ordinary people indicates a smaller overall population.
That's the situation in Qingzhou.
From the perspective of one side...
Whether it's selecting disciples or expanding and growing, a certain population base is necessary to support the continuation of the tradition.
In this kind of environment.
Within Qingzhou, population size is a measure of a region's strength.
People have clearly been regarded as an important human resource.
This has led many factions to do their best to maintain the stability and prosperity of their territories so that the population can grow.
of course.
This is the most righteous path.
In the short term, the only way to rapidly increase population and expand territory is through plunder.
Unlike Yunzhou, Qingzhou lacks a powerful enough force to unify the discourse.
A power that occupies a superior territory and has a large population will gradually decline once it faces a generational gap.
They will soon be surrounded by a pack of wolves eyeing them covetously, and then be completely torn apart.
Therefore, within Qingzhou, there is only probing and wariness between different forces; there will never be a true alliance.
Conquest and annexation were common occurrences.
Chaos is the dominant theme here.
"Population is a thing..." Chen Baihe seemed a little tipsy, his words carrying a deeper meaning, "When there's a shortage, it's like a treasure... but when there's too much... it becomes a burden..."
You should know that this Wangtian City is one of the famous "Four Cities, Eight Sects, and Thirteen Paths"... Within Qingzhou, the atmosphere is free, but conflicts are constant. New aristocratic families and martial arts sects emerge one after another, like leeks after autumn.
But those that truly stand firm and endure forever.
Only the four cities and eight major factions.
The four cities represent the entire power of the current imperial court and the Great Xuan Dynasty within Qingzhou.
These are the four major bloodline families of Qingzhou.
However, Qingzhou is located in a remote area, and the government is not powerful enough to handle many matters.
This led to the emergence of the Eight Major Schools.
Of these eight major factions, some outwardly maintained respect for the government, some had close ties with the Yuanmiao Sect which was closer to the government, and some even went so far as to establish their own independent factions and rule over their own territories.
In fact, this is the root cause of the current turbulent and chaotic situation in Qingzhou. Among the four major cities, Wangtian City is the most prominent.
Based on the livability of the population, Qingzhou is roughly divided into thirteen circuits.
Furthermore, the two most prosperous areas, densely populated and bustling with merchants, belong to the Li family of Wangtian City.
It has a legitimate official background and a safe and stable environment within its jurisdiction, where people can live and work in peace and contentment.
Ordinary people naturally yearn for Wangtian City.
Even some small and medium-sized forces that are not good at fighting, independent martial artists, and declining bloodline families have been attracted by its reputation.
The influx of people from all directions has made Wangtian City increasingly crowded, leading to rising prices, fierce competition, and a soaring cost of living. Repeated city expansions have failed to alleviate the situation.
As a result, the Li family had to issue numerous laws to limit the excessive population size.
The poll tax alone was a considerable sum. Add to that the daily light tax, gatekeeping fees, and other miscellaneous charges…
Living in the sky is no easy task.
"So I advise you..." Chen Baihe sighed and looked out through the curtain.
The caravan of the Myriad Beasts Sect was an enormous, endless procession.
“You people… if you don’t absolutely need to enter Wangtian City… it would be best to take a detour.”
He let out a long sigh.
It seemed to evoke memories of youthful recklessness, being blinded by the bright colors and indulging in extravagant spending in Wangtian City.
If Yuanjue hadn't arrived in time and used his savings to save him, he would have been stuck scrubbing toilets in the backyard every day.
"Thank you for telling me, Brother Chen." Han Yi smiled. "Let's not talk about this anymore, let's have a drink first." "Alright."
Although Chen Baihe was a bit rough around the edges, he could tell at this moment that the other party had obviously made arrangements in advance.
So he stopped trying to persuade them, and the four of them ate and drank, talking about rumors and interesting stories.
Suddenly, shouts and roars could be faintly heard coming from the forest ahead.
Han Yi put down his wine glass, frowned, and looked in the direction of the sound.
The others also stopped laughing and joking, and the atmosphere in the carriage suddenly became tense.
"Who goes there? I haven't left the mountain in a long time, and you dare to come and harass me, you petty scoundrels?" Chen Baihe's face darkened, and he picked up his monk's knife, about to walk out.
While his strength might not rank in the top ten in Qingzhou, his Burning Wood Knife Technique was exceptional, capable of splitting mountains, clearing paths, and cutting off rivers.
Chen Baihe, nicknamed "Burning Wood Knife," enjoys considerable fame throughout Qingzhou and is considered one of the strongest individuals. His Baihe Escort Agency is no exception.
Even though he wasn't among the Four Cities and Eight Sects, his reputation, built up over the past decade or so, spanned the thirteen routes of Qingzhou. He had never lost a single shipment, a glorious achievement that made him someone that ordinary people wouldn't dare to provoke.
"Wait a minute. It doesn't seem to be coming for us." Han Yi spoke up to stop them, focusing his attention on sensing the surroundings.
Outside the carriage.
Hundreds of bodyguards protected the long convoy, their hands on their swords and weapons, their expressions wary as they scanned their surroundings.
Given the prestige and reputation of their Baihe Escort Agency, they wouldn't normally need to be so cautious.
Chen Laoda's infamous reputation is known far and wide; who doesn't know him?
If they don't bully others, others should be grateful. How dare they rob the Baihe Escort Agency's valuables?
Just this time.
The order that Baihe Escort Agency received was simply too big. The convoy alone consisted of over a hundred vehicles, stretching for miles without a trace of their tails.
Many of the veterans who had followed Boss Chen in the escort agency for over a decade were seeing such a large order for the first time.
Even with the escort of the Baihe Escort Agency, a convoy of this size still needs to be handled with caution to prevent anyone from being blinded by greed and losing their senses.
whee…...
In the shadowy corners that ordinary people cannot see.
Night Wanderer let out a silent, eerie laugh, suppressing his demonic energy. He leaped several times in the shadows, causing invisible ripples in the air as he rapidly moved toward the source of the sound.
About two miles away from the Wan Shou Zong caravan, on the official road, two groups of people were fighting each other, their weapons clashing and the sounds of battle echoing.
One group protected the carriage, led by a pretty woman in green, while a dozen or so men dressed as servants brandished various vicious weapons, forming a subtle circle around it. Meanwhile, on the other side…
There were only three people.
To be precise, it was one person and two beasts.
The burly man had a frenzied expression, a fierce appearance, and powerful muscles all over his body. The two crocodiles following him were even more ferocious and enormous.
Perhaps describing it as a giant crocodile would be more appropriate.
With robust limbs and a body nearly nine meters long, beneath its eerie yellow eyes is a sharp, long, and powerful maw. Its thick tail can easily smash through large trees, and its black scales gleam like metallic armor.
"Wang Tielong, don't push your luck! I'll give you the 'Thunder-Gathering Pill,' don't force us to... fight to the death!!" The woman in green shouted angrily, swinging her long sword repeatedly. Amidst the crisscrossing sword energy, she could only repel one of the giant crocodiles.
Chalk-like scratches appeared on the giant crocodile's scales, disappearing instantly with a gust of wind, without even breaking its skin.
"A fight to the death?" The burly man laughed loudly, lunged forward, and slashed diagonally with his claw.
He wasn't very fast; in fact, he was quite slow.
Clang clang clang clang clang!
Several people slashed at him simultaneously, and more than a dozen blades fell on his body in an instant.
The crisp sound of metal clashing rang out.
A streak of sparks appeared, as if the burly man was wearing a layer of sturdy metal armor. The powerful recoil caused a servant to lose his grip on his longsword, his arm went numb, and his weapon fell to the ground.
puff!
A still-beating, steaming red heart was pulled out just like that.
The man whose chest was ripped open died instantly.
"Delicious! It's this kind of hot, still-active food that's truly delicious!!!" The big man's eyes lit up, and without caring that he was in the middle of a fight, he started eating it in big mouthfuls, his face covered in blood.
clang!
The servants were so frightened by this scene that their faces turned pale and their hearts pounded with terror. They dropped their weapons and fled into the distance.
what! ! ! ! !
But before he could run more than a few steps, a giant crocodile struck first, displaying an explosive speed completely disproportionate to its massive size. With its jaws wide open, the crocodile tore the man in two at the waist and swallowed him whole.
The remaining half of its upper body, still unaware of what was happening, remained in the fleeing posture.
Only when intense pain struck did he begin to roll wildly on the ground.
Amidst the thick dust came heart-wrenching screams.
Finally, the crocodile took another bite, ending the man's suffering. "Fish to the death? You think you can take it all?!" With a scream, the burly man finished his meal, his tone disdainful. "A few small fry... and you dare to talk such big? You don't even deserve to let me use my net!"
He was clearly alone, yet his menacing aura completely overwhelmed the dozen or so people opposite him.
Seeing the increasingly unpleasant expression on the woman's face, the burly man's eyes became eager.
"Miss Gong, don't be afraid... I won't be so rough with you. I feel like I'm in heaven... floating on air..."
"Shut up. Wang Tielong, even if I die, I won't let you get your way!"
Hearing the increasingly vulgar harassment from the other party, the woman in green revealed a murderous intent on her face and shouted to those around her, "Look carefully! Don't even think about running away, fight me... to the death!!"
Although the loyalty of the surrounding servants was not high, they had a clear understanding of the current situation. They could not escape, and surrendering would also mean death, so they had no choice but to fight to the death.
Their eyes revealed a resolute look, and they exuded a sense of generosity.
"interesting…..."
The burly man stood between two giant crocodiles, stroking their bodies as if they were family. "I never imagined the Gong family, always so lacking in male offspring and so weak in their work, would produce such an interesting little girl like you..."
"A sudden clap of thunder!"
A fierce glint flashed in the green-clad woman's eyes, and a bolt of blue lightning erupted from the longsword in her hand.
Suddenly, everyone felt a flash of light before their eyes, as if a bolt of lightning had ripped through the sky.
This sword strike was incredibly fast, as swift as thunder and as fast as lightning.
By the time the group came to their senses, the woman gripped her sword with both hands, leaped forward like a tiger, and unleashed a dazzling blue sword light, aiming straight for the strong man's vulnerable eyes.